Hello, wagnerr2. After looking at your deck a bit, I would have to suggest you find a different source of infinite mana. How often does Buried Alive + Victimize actually come up? I think there might be an easier combo, but I am curious how easy this one currently is for you.

I would almost recommend getting Crucible of Worlds for your deck. It might help with some instances like Kermit the Frog

I see you are running Diabolic Intent but not Academy Rector. I guess it makes sense because you don't depend on your enchantments to win.

Based on the price of the deck, I am assuming you want to make this as competitive as possible. To do this though, I feel like you might need a bit more ramp unless you get that opening hand wombo combo. I see you have a couple turn 1-2 open hand combos but some of your other ones might not be what you are looking for. Also, what happens if I Leyline of the Void or Rest in Peace you? All your wincons instantly fall apart. Your entire strategy falls out the window. Decks like yours are the reason I run those. I think you should consider looking at alternative ways to win, not graveyard shenanigans. The only other one you have is lab maniac, but he is to well known in my opinion so everyone will realize what you are doing and probably instant target him with a kill spell. You need something unique, unknown, surprising. Something that will ruffle your opponents' jimmies. Something like...squirrels.

Look at that lil furball. What a badass.

In all seriousness, squirrels might not be a bad way to go. It is cheap, gets you infinite 1/1 squirrel terrorists to rush your opponents, and can be used with your deck to pull off all kinds of shenanigans. The combo I am referring to is Earthcraft + Squirrel Nest. Combine it with something like Blasting Station and you can just go pew pew to your opponents.

trinitok Thank you for the amusing and insightful feedback. I probably need to revise my descriptions a bit. I agree that Laboratory Maniac is a somewhat flimsy wincon on its own so I probably need to take my own advice and use something like Notion Thief + Windfall beforehand to kill everyone elses hand first.

In most cases this deck will win with Craterhoof Behemoth a bunch of other creatures that include zombie tokens since this deck can build an impressive board state very quickly and Craterhoof Behemoth is really easy to get into play.

With all the tutors in the deck Buried Alive + Victimize or Living Death is pretty easy to assemble but I see your point. I originally had Tooth and Nail to assemble it but 9 mana proved to be a bit unweildy to pull off and still have counterspell protection.

With regards to the graveyard dependence I am actually pretty stingy with what goes in my graveyard until I go for the win and I generally prefer to outresource opponents and win the long game rather than combo quickly. If someone resolves a Rest in Peace or Leyline of the Void. I have a number of ways to destroy it (ex. Maelstrom Pulse and Reclamation Sage) but they are definiely problematic. I'll look into diversifying a bit. As for your other suggestions:

I would definitely run rector but unfortunately it is white :-(

I definitely see the need for more ramp but I am not sure what else to run?

Earthcraft is intriguing but unfortunately only works with basic lands.

I am using Life from the Loam instead of Crucible of Worlds due to its dredge ability but crucible is almost too good to pass up.

I am not a fan of Blasting Station but I like the idea of using an infinite combo to kill the board by milling them or through damage. Do you know of some creature based combos that would work besides Mikaeus, the Unhallowed + Triskelion ?

Discarding your opponent's hand should not be your main objective in a competitive deck. Think of it more as a bonus though if you get it off. Besides, in most competitive sittings people will go for that t1-4 win. Even if they don't get their t4 win, they will almost certainly have some card draw. Discarding their hand though in the early game is definitely a good thing.

Yeah. 9 mana is a bit much in my opinion. Maybe you could try something else? Basalt Monolith + Rings of Brighthearth comes to mind, but I don't know if you want to be as artifact dependent. You could also find other easy ways to cheat your big baddies onto the field early like Showing your dick or pulling it out of your ass.

Bojuka Bog, Tormod's Crypt etc. are all things that will screw over your main strategy. That and counterspells, but as a blue player I know that counterspells can screw anyone and anything over so that's irrelevant.

Being blue never stopped Cheatyface from being in my friend's Ezuri, Renegade Leader deck. Just hide her behind a land. It will really surprise opponents :P

You should get some basics. I know it's not the best idea, but what if I Blood Moon? I have seen that in a lot more competitive decks. Especially mono red. If it wasn't for the fact I have so much artifact ramp in my competitive deck, I wouldn't be able to deal with Blood Moon quite as much.

Well, you could do what I do: Proteus Staff -> Blightsteel Colossus. That never gets old as a turn 1 or turn 2 play hahaha You might want to use Show and Tell though because you have way to many creatures. There is also Brine Elemental + Vesuvan Shapeshifter to lock down the field. I know the creatures are expensive, but I figure your deck has about a zillion ways to cheat them out using reanimation. Melira, Sylvok Outcast + Glen Elendra Archmage is a good way to keep out non creature cards (so essentially an infinite counter to counters). Melira is also good against infect so she would shut down a lot of decks. You could also do infinite turns with Crystal Shard + Eternal Witness + Time Warp .

Goblin Cannon is another good way to ping everyone to death with infinite mana.

I am also trying to remember a really interesting combo involving Mycosynth Lattice that lets you win in 20 turns and uses some enchantment that makes sure people can't tap lands because they are artifacts (so basically, you can't tap artifacts). I am trying to remember what it is called. The combo is really funny.

Darksteel Reactor + Mycosynth Lattice + Null Rod . Just make sure reactor is out before hand. Then you can just sit back and let people think of how to deal with it.

trinitok I love Show and Tell!! I think Proteus Staff could be good but I will need to test it out some.

I also like Glen Elendra Archmage. Since it gives my deck added protection against disruption. I just dont know how to fit it in.

I didn't mean to suggest that Notion Thief + Windfall was anything more than an additional control feature, although it does allow me to combo off without fear.

As for the other cards they really diverge from what this deck is about. Sidisi needs a minimum of 35 creatures cards to be consistently useful as a commander. If I went more artifact or spell heavy I might as well just make a Damia, Sage of Stone Deck since sidisi would be pretty useless. This deck uses the etb effects of creatures as spells. Any non-creature cards have to be good in all situations

As for the basics issue. The only way Hermit Druid combo works is that I have no basics. Yes it puts me in danger of getting shut down by Blood Moon, so maybe I need to add more mana dorks (this decks equivalent of mana rocks) or abandon hermit druid combo all together. However no matter what I do there will always be cards that will ruin my deck strategy.

I gotcha. I would still maybe consider some basics for either the squirrel combo above or to combat Blood Moon. You could try doing some untap shenanigans for infinite mana and using Wake Thrasher for infinite +1/+1 counters then just swing at people. Not the best combo in the world, but definitely a surprising one.

trinitok Based on your suggestions I added

Show and Tell: for a way to cheat fatties into play without needing the graveyard. Using this to put Terastodon into play seems hilarious to me. "Present your best artifacts, enchantments, or lands for my destruction."

Crucible of Worlds: For Hypnotoad and so I can hit all my land drops. I was missing far too many land drops around turns 4-6 and this lets me re-use my fetches and recover from mass LD.

Nature's Claim: when playing a red mage I can keep one green mana up to kill Blood Moon the second it hits the board. I needed an instant speed answer to artifacts and enchantments anyways and while Krosan Grip is safer, in most circumstances claim will serve me better. I am not ready to move on from Hermit Druid so no basics yet.

Glen Elendra Archmage: More counterspells is never a bad thing. It also protects my combos

Hermit Druid, meet Linvala, Keeper of Silence. Linvala, Keeper of Silence, Hermit Druid.

Totally fair not letting him go. Just let me make 2 more recommendations:

Charging Badger: This card is banned from tournaments across the globe. The only reason why we haven't been invaded by aliens yet is because the President of the United States runs this in his deck. This guy is the reason for both WW2 and WW3. John Cena makes dank memes about this guy. Seriously, he is unstoppable. He hits tables and breaks them apart. He can't be destroyed or exiled in any known way. Nothing can block him. People worship this card. Superman tried fighting this guy...24 times. Lost every time. The last 7 times he brought the Justice League with him. You can't go wrong with this monster by your side.

Storm Crow: The only reason this guy is better than badger is because he's blue.

You are a goofball lol. Thanks for the feedback. You definitely helped make this deck better. I hope to someday play your girls

Given that your deck is more reanimator-focussed than mine, have you considered River Kelpie? It's an amazing source of card draw.

Also, you need Wake the Dead, without question. It is the best non-symmetrical GY-ETB enabler ever printed, barring none. Absolutely broken in my deck :) Perhaps Twilight's Call as well, if your meta doesn't have too much GY hate?

And finally, where's your Yawgmoth's Will (hopefully paired with Songs of the Damned)? The card is so good that it's banned in Legacy and restricted in Vintage - same classification as the Power Nine.

Daedalus19876: Thank you for the suggestions. I like River Kelpie and it may work well in this deck. I'll have to do some more testing though.

Wake the Dead is great. I took it out a while back because I took out Mikaeus, the Unhallowed and that was my favorite combo with it. However, I definitely need to find a spot for it now. Its one of the few cards that gets multiple creatures back in play. Its beyond broken and will allow me to combo off on my opponents turn which is nice.

My meta does like to hate on the graveyard, which is why I usually limit how much goes in it. Thats one of the reasons why I have avoided Yawgmoth's Will the other is that when I first tried the card I was a newb and didn't know how to properly abuse it. However, I think my new focus on getting cards into the graveuard quickly may allow me to utilize it better. Its just so combotastic. Ill definitely try it out with Songs of the Damned.

Twilight's Call may be a bit slow for this deck, but the more casual version I pilot for commander night thanks you. Its a group hug effect that clearly helps me more

Twilight's Call is a bit slow, true (and I don't think I've ever played it with the "kicker" cost), and it's not nearly as good as Living Death. That being said, the number of mass reanimation spells is very limited - mostly because decks like ours exist to abuse them. I play it because it provides redundancy to Living Death, even if it's almost strictly inferior: I should be able to win if either resolves.

Though I did get hit by a Gather Specimens once by the Mizzix player, in response to Living Death. That stung :D

I might also suggest Mesmeric Orb and/or Basalt Monolith? The former is an amazing source of mill (especially if Sidisi is on the field, since each mill is a separate trigger), and the latter is a good mana rock that instantly combos with the former. Plus, nobody expects it because it's such an obscure combo :)

Daedalus19876: Gather Specimens has wrecked me as well lol. As for monolith and orb that combo is certainly very strong, but if I were to play it, it would be in an activated ability heavy build built around Necrotic Ooze and friends (Side note I love that there are so many different strong strategies for Sidisi. She is a very versatile commander and I keep learning new things about her even after more than a year of tinkering with her). I would probably play Aphetto Alchemist for that combo instead of monolith because you know creature :-). Btw early testing has confirmed that Yawgmoth's Will should still be limited in vintage and Wake the Dead should never be legal for anything but commander. Thank you for the great suggestions.

Glad to help :) I chose to go with Basalt Monolith over the Alchemist because the monolith doesn't suffer from summoning sickness, so I can combo off at instant speed upon casting them from my grave (possibly with YW).

The only issue I have with YW is that it exiles anything I try to mill that turn. But the benefits massively outweigh the drawbacks, especially since I can combo off at instant speed during the next player's upkeep.

I chose to go all-in with my graveyard interactions, so I can get blown out hard by GY hate sometimes. But it also enables silly and powerful plays that quickly take over the game. I love how you have a competitive version with a different focus - Sidisi really is a versatile GY commander :)

How do you deal with Torpor Orb and Hushwing Gryff? They seem like they'd hit your deck hard (they mess up mine too).

To be honest it would definitely hurt if they got them to stick. I am simply choosing different ways for my opponent to potentially ruin me than you lol. My hope is I win before they can get one into play. This deck can pretty frequently win by turn 4 so I wont face it every game

The current version of this deck is weak in this area to fit more potential combo enablers in for testing. Counterspells are what I use before I attempt to combo off in most circumstances. I use only the cheapest and tutor heavily for them if I suspect some shenanighans. In my less combo heavy bounceland using version of the deck, that I play more often, and interact with the board more, I have used cards like Beast Within, Maelstrom Pulse, Nature's Claim, Toxic Deluge and Krosan Grip. I also like Caustic Caterpillar, since I can tutor for it with Birthing Pod with Sidisi's zombies. I used to lean heavily on pod so I played cards like Tezzeret the Seeker and Diabolic Intent to get it into play most games. I think Nature's Claim is what I will use now for mana effeciency sake and because its really good with Regrowth and YW.

What's your "on the spot" win condition? While you have a bunch of infinite mana outlets, this isn't in and of itself a wincon. Even if you can get infinite zombies, if you've milled your entire deck then you die before they get a chance to attack.

A lot of Sidisi decks run Kozilek, Butcher of Truth as he forces a reshuffle of your graveyard when you mill yourself. That way you can get infinite zombies while ending up with cards in your library to draw.

You could also run Noxious Revival, letting you put a single card back on top of your library, giving yourself 1 turn to deal infinite combat damage.

Thank you for your interest. This deck does not aim to produce infinite zombies. As soon as I mill Dread Return I sac 3 zombies to flashback Venser, Shaper Savant and use my infinite mana and flicker effects to bounce every single permanent that isn't mine. That wins the game on the spot since noone but me can play any permanents or cast any spells. Since my "infinite" self mill is under my control I never deck myself. Even with Hermit Druid I have 3 basics to ensure I don't kill myself off an activation.

I have never been a fan of eldrazi for sidisi. It backfires so often that it is not worth it. This deck often wins by using Yawgmoth's Will to flashback like 10 to 12 cards the turn I mill most my library. Kozilek would essentially make yw useless and its one of the best cards in the deck. I do like Noxious Revival as it has so many uses and is essentially a "free spell."

Love the list!

Nostalgic Dreams could do some serious work in here. I second the Noxious Revival addition.

Meren of Clan Nel Toth might let you get back some choice pieces on your turn if things aren't going your way or they hated out your combo piece (even though you have a plethora of recursion, id give her a chance)

Bababad: Thank you! Nostalgic Dreams is exactly the type of card this deck was designed to abuse. Being able to discard creatures to recur reanimation for 2 mana is just phenomenal. The double green hurts a bit but it is definitely worth a test run.

As for Meren, she is really powerful but a bit slow to get going. I run very few sac outlets and I kind of view her similarly to The Gitrog Monster, which is only consistently good for Sidisi if built around. The cards I want to reanimate are usually high CC so I feel she would have a low impact unless I made drastic changes to the deck.

Now the hardest part what cards do I cut to make room for some or all of Nostalgic Dreams, Noxious Revival and Toxic Deluge?

Nostalgic Dreams for Notion Thief

Noxious Revival for Regrowth (not directly to hand but that instant and free aspect feel better overall. Yes regrowth is better during a Yawgmoth's Will spam but isn't it win more at that point anyway?)

No idea what to cut for Deluge, but you need to keep your critter count high...maybe something from amongst your instants?

Regrowth could definitely get cut. As for Notion Thief, that little bugger all but wins the game with Windfall and Jace's Archivist and is a great hoser card for draw heavy decks.

My only concern (leading on from the earlier discussion) is that even though you may be able to generate infinite mana or even bounce all permanents, this is still not an actual win conditon.

Typically combo based decks want to be able to win on the spot once they have infintie mana. If yo uwere to add Blue Sun's Zenith or Stroke of Genius, you could use this in conjuction with your infintie mana cards and either Rune-Scarred Demon or Eternal Witness (depending on which draw spell you use) to deck your opponents.

One other option would be to use Reality Shift to exile your opponent's libraries.

I am not a fan of the draw x cards, but reality shift is something I would definitely consider since it is a good removal spell outside the combo.