Ever since I stumbled upon Savra, I really liked her abilities. I like the idea of killing of my own creatures to some end while forcing my opponents to get rid of their creatures in the process. So that is what this deck is supposed to do. Lots of harassment to everyone quickly makes you a target, but I love it when it works out anyway.
The deck centers a lot on Savra's ability so sac'ing is a major theme. The main things this deck does is: Search, Return and Remove.
Search: For search I run Diabolic Tutor, Jarad's Orders and Increasing Ambition for picking out exactly what I need under circumstances. Ambition even let's me flashback for 2 cards, especially nice if it was dredged into the graveyard. For digging Read the Bones, Altar's Reap and Bloodgift Demon helps out, Altar even providing some sac and thus possibly removal in the process.
Return:
Morbid Plunder
,
Cadaver Imp
,
Golgari Thug
and
Rescue from the Underworld
provides some creature specific return options and Whip of Erebos gives a direct way of putting a creature into the battlefield in a time of need.
Pharika's Mender
helps here too, but with the greater flexibility for other needs. Eternal Witness and Nyx Weaver allows for more specific picks, while Deadbridge Chant's random returning can work wonders and really help out a bad situation at times. Sepulchral Primordial is just a fun way to quickly get more board advantage. A Rescue from the Underworld on Sepulchral Primordial targeting Cadaver Imp in the graveyard in response to a board wipe is just ridiculously good for maintaining an upper hand.
Also Gleancrawler can really be a brilliant ally when sac'ing away creatures on your own turn.
Life from the Loam and Crucible of Worlds keeps the lands out of the graveyard and the former gives a cheap dredge engine if needed.
Remove: Savra gives a framework for removing threats, but she requires some help. Dictate of Erebos enhances this framework and is to be fair better than Savra, but neither works by themselves. Creature-wise we have a lot of options. Doom Blade is a direct removal and Smallpox can effectively remove two (up to three) creatures from each opponents board if the framework is set. Shriekmaw's evoke and Bone Shredder's echo likewise can take one specific and then one additional from each opponent. Otherwise sac-engines are many, Skeletal Vampire is especially effective and [Sadistic Hypnotist]] is just plain mean especially so with Golgari Germination, while
Shambling Shell
can return each turn for re-enforcing another creature and picking away at your opponents. Mycoloth and Champion of Stray Souls each provide the best mass-sac options, Mycoloth's being immediate upon entry, while Champion allowing swapping of creatures from battlefield and graveyard. They work especially well together, sac'ing saprolings to get the creatures in the graveyard back. Miren, the Moaning Well is a nice option as well.For other permanents Abrupt Decay, Putrefy and Mold Shambler do great work along with Vraska the Unseen's -3 while Karn Liberated's -3 is simply terrifying. Praetor's Grasp allows you to assess the threats before they ever leave your opponents library and possible seal away the worst of them, maybe even use it against your opponent. (Taking control of Inkwell Leviathan with Primordial and playing my opponents Darksteel Forge is such a pleasure)
Also,
Drana, Kalastria Bloodchief
will easily subdue a couple of creatures (even the indestructible ones) with her ability.
Hitting hard:
Lumberknot
will grow strong if played early and being hexproof he isn't easily dealt with by opponents. Here Rogue's Passage will work wonders to break through defenses with him, when he has grown enough. Also Army of the Damned will twice allow you a horde of zombies while a late game Rise of the Dark Realms will assemble entire legions (If Gray Merchant of Asphodel is in your graveyard now you might even kill off everyone just by having everything enter the battlefield).
Other stuff: With Worst Fears your may choose what your opponent sac's in response to your creatures dying, and let their worst fears come true. Try sac'ing their Commander to the graveyard so Grave Betrayal takes him. :)
