This deck is very powerful and so much fun to play!
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This is my first attempt at an actual top-tier legacy deck with expensive cards. I'm not sure if this build will work, but I have most of it together (and proxied the rest for physical playtesting for time being), so please help me out with suggestions and comments before I start buying the rest!
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Quell you haters and let me explain my land choices. Yes, the maindeck mana base is set up to run the Abrupt Decay sideboard package. No, my sideboard does not run the Abrupt Decay sideboard package. I like the fact that I do not really have to mess much with my mainboard mana base if I did want to run the Abrupt Decay sideboard package. If I did, I would remove one Island for one Tropical Island.
Moreover, when you start turn one dropping lands like Misty Rainforest -- really until you start revealing key reanimator cards... your land base will throw a blind opponent off to what exactly you're playing.
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One of my favorite things about this deck lies in the sideboard. The sideboard turns it into a completely different deck! Graveyard hate is packed into nearly every legacy player's sideboard and it definitely will be in your meta once you start bringing Reanimator. Let's turn their sideboard cards into dead draws and completely run a different strategy! The sideboard removes the Reanimator package for the
Show and Tell
package. Remove 4 Entomb, 4 Reanimate, 4 Exhume and replace them with 4
Show and Tell
, 4 Lim-Dul's Vault, 2 Thoughtseize, and 2 of whatever else you may see fit. With all the dig options, it's likely you will soon draw into either a
Show and Tell
or a Lim-Dul's Vault which you can use to search for a
Show and Tell
and play your creatures that way. Remember all the key cards you saw in the previous match(es)? Well that's what the extra Thoughtseize hand rip is for. Let's start Time Walking when the opponent wastes mana, cards, and an entire turn throwing down graveyard hate that they think will give them the game's advantage!
Show and Tell
: Reanimator backup when the graveyard is undoubtedly being hated or when you have a creature in your hand and no other options.
Lim-Dul's Vault: This is your legacy-legal tutor and it is highly underrated. I used to run Personal Tutor, but didn't like it, because it wasn't instant speed, it revealed information, and you could only search for a sorcery. With Lim-Dul's Vault you can search for anything. If you already have
Show and Tell
in your hand, you could search for the missing silver bullet creature piece you need. Draw into another one? Search out some disruption to use before going off with
Show and Tell
or to protect after going off. Personal Tutor wasn't capable of that. Don't worry about the lifeloss either. You will statistically draw into what you are looking for, before the lifeloss even becomes significant. The lifeloss from Lim-Dul's Vault compared to the sided out Reanimate is almost laughable, so don't worry about it.
Thoughtseize: Disruption to use before/after going off with
Show and Tell
.
Echoing Truth: Helps you deal with some things and also fills out the two extra slots when you remove the Reanimator package.
Pithing Needle: In here specifically for Liliana of the Veil, Aether Vial, or however else you may see fit.
Sigarda, Host of Herons: This is my creature sideboard slot that I rotate creatures in/out as my meta deems necessary. Sigarda, Host of Herons is here now, because it is awesome against Jund and its Liliana of the Veil antics, and can't be targeted by annoying abilities like those from Karakas or Jace, the Mind Sculptor.
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Entomb: Gets creatures (or really any card) in your graveyard at instant speed.
Careful Study: Gets creatures in your graveyard for a reanimation setup and nets you two more cards.
Thoughtseize: Don't forget, you can always Thoughtseize yourself in a pinch if you need to bury a creature in your own hand with no other options of doing so!
Reanimate: Reanimation spell.
Exhume: Reanimation spell.
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Daze: Protection or to counter what you need.
Force of Will: Protection or to counter what you need.
Thoughtseize: Check to see if your combo is safe to go off, rip out any potential threats, and see what your opponent is working with. Plenty useful.
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Brainstorm: Helps you dig and get the cards you need; and with shuffle effects via fetchlands like Polluted Delta, help shuffle away the two you didn't.
Ponder: Dig and stacks your deck or shuffles it away when there's nothing useful on top.
Careful Study: If necessary, you can also treat this as dig, peeling off a couple cards from your library in order to draw into what you're looking for or getting closer to it.
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I almost always run four Griselbrand, one Iona, Shield of Emeria, one Elesh Norn, Grand Cenobite, and one Tidespout Tyrant mainboard (seven creatures total). I also leave one card slot open in my sideboard for another creature that my meta may call for. If I had to or really wanted to, I could also drop down to 3 Griselbrand and possibly another land to play two more creatures mainboard.
Griselbrand: For the instant card draw in response to removal, it's just pretty amazing, and can dump more creatures into your graveyard on your end-step discard. The lifelink is amazing against aggro/burn as well. THIS is the creature you almost always want to reanimate first if you have a choice.
Iona, Shield of Emeria: Shuts down an opponent. Usually another go-to if possible.
Elesh Norn, Grand Cenobite: Shuts down aggro and aggro-type decks. Elves, Maverick, Zoo, etc.
Tidespout Tyrant: Keeps your opponent on lock.
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This list includes a bunch of "silver bullets" you could possibly use to punish your opponent and win. I am obviously not playing all of these creatures, but beware these creatures could be at your disposal. Choose which creatures you need for your meta and you're good to go.
Ashen Rider: Gets rid of stuff. Twice.
Sigarda, Host of Herons: It has hexproof and shuts down sacrifice effects. Pretty difficult to deal with and shuts down Liliana of the Veil.
Avacyn, Angel of Hope: For the indestructible effect.
Blazing Archon: Against aggro.
Empyrial Archangel: Against aggro/burn.
Sphinx of the Steel Wind: Against aggro and just an all-around great creature to reanimate.
Inkwell Leviathan: For the shroud and just awesome against decks with blue.
Terastodon: Destroys permanents your opponents control or destroys your own for some chump blockers or more damage when you swing.
Sheoldred, Whispering One: Free reanimate.
Akroma, Angel of Wrath: For the specific color protetions.
Akroma, Angel of Fury: For the specific color protetions.
Iridescent Angel
: Basically protection form everything.
Sire Of Insanity: To kill your opponent's hand, along with yours too.
Jin-Gitaxias, Core Augur: To kill your opponent's hand and fill yours.
Emrakul, the Aeons Torn: No explanation necessary. While you can not Reanimate it, you can run this in the sideboard and cheat it in with
Show and Tell
on a game two or three.
AEtherling: Utility creature.
Novablast Wurm: For aggro.
Ruric Thar, the Unbowed: Against The Epic Storm and
Ad Nauseam
Tendrils or other similar high-quantity spell decks.
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Turn 1: Underground Sea.
On the end of you opponent's end step, cast Entomb, and search for Griselbrand.
Turn 2: Cast Reanimate. Opponent attempts to disrupt with Daze. Use Force of Will and exile Careful Study or some other blue card. Reanimate resolves. Here comes Griselbrand, take advantage of his draw power when you need.
Win.
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Some of the following may seem like "no-brainers" to many, but some may not be aware of the following options available to them.
Exhume: Since Exhume does not target a creature like Reanimate does, if an opponent were to exile your only creature card in your graveyard in response to Exhume, you could Entomb in response and still resolve Exhume and land a creature.
Thoughtseize: Don't forget, you could always Thoughtseize yourself to dump a creature in your graveyard. I don't really recommend this, but if it's your only option, then go for it.
Reanimate: You can Reaanimate any creature from any graveyard, not just your own.
Creature Dump: On the play or on the draw? Your opening hand boasting at least one creature and at least one reanimate spell, but no way to dump your creatures? Hold onto your hand and pass your turn until you are forced to discard a card during your end-step when you are holding eight. This option is very viable with supporting Lotus Petal.
Brainstorm: Playing against heavy hand control, like Thoughtseize or Cabal Therapy? Don't forget you could always Brainstorm in response and hide at least two of your key cards you think an opponent might rip.
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Thanks in advance for looking and helping!! Please comment and +1 if you like it!
