Overview

Hard-themed take on zombies - if it doesn't fit the theme, it doesn't go in. For example, zombies don't make sense on a Tropical Island, so that card is out. In fact, only 2 non-zombies are in the deck (besides the commander).

Sidisi, Brood Tyrant is used to her max potential here, with ample zombies to mill and plenty of reanimator strats to enable. We end up with the ultimate midrange zombies build, able to grind with any other deck.

One of the biggest issues this deck faces is not enough ramp, as there just isn't much in the way of on-theme ramp for zombies. Right now I've stretched Skull Prophet and the 2 black talismans to fit the theme, but just barely. Similarly, there's not a lot of zombie-themed removal, so I've stretched to Assassin's Trophy to help cover.

Even so, this deck is a blast to play, just look to cast Sidisi as soon as you can, as she really enables all the deck's synergies.

Combos

This deck has 3 related infinite combos with the two free sacrifice outlets, Grimgrin, Corpse-Born and Altar of Dementia. The combo isn't super easy to assemble, as this isn't meant to be a combo deck; however, all the involved cards are also in the deck on their own merits. It's always a good idea to be able to finish off a game from a super late game position, and Sidisi, Undead Vizier even lets you slowly tutor towards a combo finish if needed.

  1. Rooftop Storm + Gravecrawler

    Altar of Dementia + Gravecrawler + Rooftop Storm or Gravecrawler + Grimgrin, Corpse-Born + Rooftop Storm : Repeatedly sac and cast Gravecrawler to either mill out your opponents or give Grimgrin, Corpse-Born infinite power and attack. Also gives you infinite zombie cast/ETB/LTB, which Diregraf Captain, Plague Belcher, Headless Rider, Necroduality, Diregraf Colossus, Champion of the Perished, Undead Augur, Liliana, Dreadhorde General, Grave Pact, and Noxious Ghoul care about.
  2. Mikaeus, the Unhallowed + Plague Belcher

    Altar of Dementia + Mikaeus, the Unhallowed + Plague Belcher or Grimgrin, Corpse-Born + Mikaeus, the Unhallowed + Plague Belcher : With all three in play, repeatedly sacrifice Plague Belcher to either mill out your opponents or give Grimgrin, Corpse-Born infinite power and attack. Mikaeus, the Unhallowed will bring back Plague Belcher every time with undying, as Plague Belcher can put the two -1/-1 counters on itself to remove the single +1/+1 counter, and re-enable undying again. Also gives you infinite zombie ETB/LTB, which Diregraf Captain, Headless Rider, Necroduality, Champion of the Perished, Undead Augur, Liliana, Dreadhorde General, Grave Pact, and Noxious Ghoul care about.
    Note that Plague Belcher's trigger doesn't care about itself dying.
  3. Necroduality + Rot Hulk

    Altar of Dementia + Necroduality + Rot Hulk or Grimgrin, Corpse-Born + Necroduality + Rot Hulk : Cast Rot Hulk, then stack your clone trigger, and sacrifice the real Rot Hulk. The copy is then created after the original is in the graveyard, and it's trigger can then bring it back to repeat the process. This can be used to either mill out your opponents, give Grimgrin, Corpse-Born infinite power and attack, or reanimate your entire graveyard. Also gives you infinite zombie ETB/LTB, which Diregraf Captain, Plague Belcher, Headless Rider, Champion of the Perished, Undead Augur, Liliana, Dreadhorde General, Grave Pact, and Noxious Ghoul care about.
  4. Tutor Chain

    Rooftop Storm + Sidisi, Undead Vizier + Rot Hulk/(Grimgrin, Corpse-Born or Altar of Dementia): With either Rot Hulk or Grimgrin, Corpse-Born/Altar of Dementia in hand (and 2 extra mana if altar), can tutor toward any missing pieces of the above combos.
    1. Cast Sidisi, Undead Vizier for 0
    2. Have Sidisi, Undead Vizier exploit itself to tutor up the missing Rot Hulk or Grimgrin, Corpse-Born/Altar of Dementia
    3. Then cast Grimgrin, Corpse-Born/Altar of Dementia and/or Rot Hulk from hand
    4. Rot Hulk brings back Sidisi, Undead Vizier (and Grimgrin, Corpse-Born if it started in the graveyard)
    5. Sidisi, Undead Vizier exploits itself to tutor up Mikaeus, the Unhallowed
    6. Cast Mikaeus, the Unhallowed for 0
    7. Sacrifice Rot Hulk with your sacrifice outlet
    8. Rot Hulk undies, comes back, and its trigger targets Sidisi, Undead Vizier
    9. Sidisi, Undead Vizier comes back and exploits itself to tutor up Plague Belcher
    10. Sidisi, Undead Vizier undies, comes back, and exploits itself to tutor up Diregraf Captain, Overcharged Amalgam, or another piece of protection
    11. Cast Plague Belcher for 0, and use the Mikaeus, the Unhallowed + Plague Belcher + Altar of Dementia combo to mill everyone out
    12. OR cast Diregraf Captain also, and use the Mikaeus, the Unhallowed + Plague Belcher + Grimgrin, Corpse-Born combo instead
    Also can replace Mikaeus, the Unhallowed with Phyrexian Delver if you have 15+ life and want to loop tutors with the two reanimators to get more protection/backups

Synergies

Balthor the Defiled + Necroduality : This isn't exaclty a combo, but it can let you recur your graveyard as many times as you can pay . Just make sure you sacrifice the real Balthor to the Legend rule, and exile the token one each time. It can of course be broken up with a wrath, but you always keep the original Balthor in your graveyard, so you don't "lose" it.

Living Death/Zombie Apocalypse/Balthor the Defiled + Sidisi, Brood Tyrant's mill: Sidisi is the engine of the deck, and these mass reanimation spells are the payoff.

Grave Pact + Sidisi, Brood Tyrant's zombie tokens: Since we'll almost always have a lot of tokens, grave pact becomes a real board control asset here, as it lets us crash in with zombies, or even sacrifice them on purpose to get a Grave Pact trigger.

Rooftop Storm + Zombies: Cast the rest of your hand - it's the payoff for playing only 2 non-zombies in the deck!

Underrealm Lich + Sidisi, Brood Tyrant: The cards put in the graveyard come from the library, so Sidisi will see them if they're creatures. Same goes for surveil triggers from Master of Death.

Sidisi, Undead Vizier + Coffin Queen/Havengul Lich: Tutor on a stick. Especially powerful if Rooftop Storm is in play (or can tutor towards that).

Fleshbag Marauder + Coffin Queen/Havengul Lich: Can make all players sacrifice a creature once (or more) per turn.

Overcharged Amalgam + Coffin Queen/Havengul Lich: Counterspell on a stick.

Non-bos

Balthor the Defiled has 2 blue zombies it can't bring back.

Zombie Apocalypse & Rot Hulk have 2 non-zombies they can't bring back. In fact, Apocalypse even kills Skull Prophet if it's on the battlefield.

Noxious Ghoul can kill off Sidisi, Brood Tyrant if sees 3 zombies ETB in a turn. This can also affect the 2 other non-zombies. This is fairly common with mass-reanimation effects, or even just mill triggers where Sidisi creates her own zombies.

Undead Augur and Liliana, Dreadhorde General can prevent your infinite combos from going off, as the draw and/or life loss is mandatory. Undead Augur can just be sacrificed to the same sac outlet to keep things going, though Liliana, Dreadhorde General can be trickier to get around.

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Comments

91% Casual

Competitive

Date added 2 years
Last updated 1 year
Splash colors UG
Key combos
Legality

This deck is not Commander / EDH legal.

Rarity (main - side)

14 - 0 Mythic Rares

58 - 0 Rares

19 - 0 Uncommons

7 - 0 Commons

Cards 100
Avg. CMC 3.49
Tokens Copy Clone, On an Adventure, Zombie 2/2 B, Zombie 2/2 B w/ Decayed
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