WILLY WONKA’S ZOMBIE FACTORY [cEDH Primer v.2.0]

Commander / EDH Aristocrats Combo Competitive Infinite Combo Primer Reanimator Sacrifice Tokens UB (Dimir) Zombie

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Combo: Infinite ETB/LTB Triggers and Damage/Life Drain with Sac Outlet (3)

• 1x Liliana, Untouched By Death
• 1x Nested Shambler
• 1x Shambling Ghast

Combo: Infinite ETB/LTB Triggers and Mana (and Infinite Zombie Tokens with Willy) (3)

• 1x Gravecrawler
• 1x Phyrexian Altar
• 1x Rooftop Storm

Combo: Infinite ETB/LTB Triggers and Zombie Tokens (3)

• 1x Ashnod's Altar
• 1x Grave Titan
• 1x Nim Deathmantle

Combo: Infinite ETB/LTB Triggers and Zombie Tokens with Willy, Poppet Factory, and Sac Outlet (1)

• 1x Poppet Stitcher  ^Flip

Combo: Infinite ETB Trigger with Rooftop Storm (1)

• 1x Acererak the Archlich

Combo: Quasi-Infinite Draw and Damage (3)

• 1x Aetherflux Reservoir
• 1x Bolas's CitadelGC
• 1x Sensei's Divining Top

Combo: Sacrifice Outlet (3)

• 1x Altar of Dementia
• 1x Blasting Station
• 1x Carrion Feeder

Combo: Self-Mill Oracle Win (2)

• 1x Tainted Pact
• 1x Thassa's OracleGC

Combo: Zombie LTB Trigger (3)

• 1x Diregraf Captain
• 1x Headless Rider
• 1x Plague Belcher

Counterspell (2)

• 1x Fierce GuardianshipGC
• 1x Pact of Negation

Draw (6)

• 1x Ad NauseamGC
• 1x Brainstorm
• 1x Gempalm Polluter
• 1x Necropotence
• 1x Night's Whisper
• 1x Undead Augur

Land (30)

• 1x Ancient TombGC
• 1x Bloodstained Mire
• 1x Cavern of Souls
• 1x City of Brass
• 1x Command Tower
• 1x Crystal Vein
• 1x Flooded Strand
• 1x Gemstone Caverns
• 1x Island
• 1x Mana Confluence
• 1x Marsh Flats
• 1x Misty Rainforest
• 1x Mutavault
• 1x Phyrexian Tower
• 1x Polluted Delta
• 1x Prismatic Vista
• 1x Reliquary Tower
• 1x Scalding Tarn
• 1x Seat of the Synod
• 1x Snow-Covered Island
• 1x Snow-Covered Swamp
• 1x Strip Mine
• 1x Swamp
• 1x Underground River
• 1x Underground Sea
• 1x Urborg, Tomb of Yawgmoth
• 1x Vault of Whispers
• 1x Verdant Catacombs
• 1x Volrath's Stronghold
• 1x Watery Grave

Ramp (13)

• 1x Arcane Signet
• 1x Chrome MoxGC
• 1x Culling the Weak
• 1x Dark Ritual
• 1x Dimir Signet
• 1x Jeweled Lotus
• 1x Lotus Petal
• 1x Mana Crypt
• 1x Mana VaultGC
• 1x Mox DiamondGC
• 1x Mox Opal
• 1x Sol Ring
• 1x Talisman of Dominance

Reanimation/Recursion (3)

• 1x Dread Return
• 1x Reanimate
• 1x Relentless Dead

Removal (9)

• 1x Baleful Mastery
• 1x Cyclonic RiftGC
• 1x Deadly Rollick
• 1x Dismember
• 1x Feed the Swarm
• 1x Murderous Rider
• 1x Noxious Ghoul
• 1x The Meathook Massacre
• 1x Toxic Deluge

Tutor (10)

• 1x Buried Alive
• 1x Demonic TutorGC
• 1x Diabolic Intent
• 1x Entomb
• 1x Imperial SealGC
• 1x Mystical TutorGC
• 1x Sidisi, Undead Vizier
• 1x Unmarked Grave
• 1x Vampiric TutorGC
• 1x Vile Entomber

Utility Creature (2)

• 1x Champion of the Perished
• 1x Cryptbreaker

Zombie Lord (2)

• 1x Death Baron
• 1x Undead Warchief

Commander (1)

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Maybeboard

Combo: Infinite ETB/LTB Triggers and Damage (Ballista requires Sac Outlet) (5)

• 1x Buried Alive
• 1x Mikaeus, the Unhallowed
• 1x Triskelion
• 1x Victimize
• 1x Walking Ballista

Combo: Infinite Mana Sink (1)

• 1x Lich Lord of Unx

Combo: Infinite Self-Mill Maniac/Oracle Win (2)

• 1x Demonic Consultation
• 1x Laboratory Maniac

Combo: Quasi-Infinite ETB/LTB Triggers and Draw (with Life-Loss) (2)

• 1x Butcher Ghoul
• 1x Yawgmoth, Thran Physician

Combo: Zombie ETB/LTB Life-Drain Trigger (4)

• 1x Bastion of Remembrance
• 1x Blood Artist
• 1x Bontu's Monument
• 1x Zulaport Cutthroat

Counterspell (4)

• 1x Counterspell
• 1x Countersquall
• 1x Force of Negation
• 1x Force of WillGC

Creature Cheat (2)

• 1x Cryptic Gateway
• 1x Empty the Laboratory

Draw (7)

• 1x Gitaxian Probe
• 1x God-Eternal Bontu
• 1x Graveborn Muse
• 1x Ponder
• 1x Preordain
• 1x Rhystic StudyGC
• 1x Skullclamp

Graveyard Hate (2)

• 1x Cling to Dust
• 1x Nihil Spellbomb

Land (6)

• 1x Academy Ruins
• 1x Bojuka Bog
• 1x Buried Ruin
• 1x Cephalid Coliseum
• 1x Peat Bog
• 1x Unholy Grotto

Protection (2)

• 1x Imp's Mischief
• 1x Lightning Greaves

Ramp (3)

• 1x Cabal Ritual
• 1x Grim MonolithGC
• 1x Jet Medallion

Reanimation (5)

• 1x Animate Dead
• 1x Apprentice Necromancer
• 1x Gravespawn Sovereign
• 1x Yawgmoth's Will
• 1x Zombie Apocalypse

Removal (6)

• 1x Bone Shards
• 1x Damnation
• 1x Grave Pact
• 1x Pongify
• 1x Ravenous Rotbelly
• 1x Resculpt

Token Generator (13)

• 1x Crowded Crypt
• 1x Diregraf Colossus
• 1x Dreadhorde Invasion
• 1x Endless Ranks of the Dead
• 1x From Under the Floorboards
• 1x Gleaming Overseer
• 1x Liliana's Mastery
• 1x Necroduality
• 1x Noosegraf Mob
• 1x Open the Graves
• 1x Tombstone Stairwell
• 1x Tormod, the Desecrator
• 1x Vizier of the Scorpion

Tutor (4)

• 1x Final Parting
• 1x Grim Tutor
• 1x Lim-Dul's Vault
• 1x Profane Tutor

Utility Creature (5)

• 1x Geralf, Visionary Stitcher
• 1x Gray Merchant of Asphodel
• 1x Hordewing Skaab
• 1x The Scarab God
• 1x Wonder

Zombie Lord (5)

• 1x Bladestitched Skaab
• 1x Cemetery Reaper
• 1x Lord of the Accursed
• 1x Lord of the Undead
• 1x Zombie Master

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UNDER CONSTRUCTION

Top Rank: #5 in EDH (#7 on T/O) - thanks for reading!

“There's no earthly way of knowing

Which direction we are going.

There's no knowing where we're rowing

Or which way the river's flowing.

Is it raining?

Is it snowing?

Is a hurricane a blowing?

Not a speck of light is showing

So the danger must be growing.

Are the fires of hell a glowing?

Is the grisly reaper mowing?

Yes! The danger must be growing

For the rowers keep on rowing.

And they're certainly not showing

Any signs that they are slowing!

OVERVIEW

This deck is an alternate version of WILLY’S ZOMBIE COMBO FACTORY [cEDH Primer]. For this build I’ve retained most of the combos and overall competitiveness of the original, while increasing the number of Zombies and Zombie token generators for Willy Wonka to utilize. Now the deck runs more like a traditional Zombie token swarm deck, but is still well-equipped to win via infinite combos. This version is more resilient as compared to the original low-creature build.

COMBOS

I’m running numerous combo lines which are labeled in the deck-list itself, including the following:

Infinite ETB/LTB Triggers and Damage/Life Drain

Blasting Station + Liliana, Untouched By Death + Shambling Ghast

If Station and Liliana on the battlefield, I sac Ghast with Station to deal 1 damage to an opponent and generate a Treasure token. Then I use Liliana’s -4 ability to cast Ghast from my graveyard (spending the Treasure token), untapping Station, then repeatedly sac’ing and casting Ghast, generating infinite Enter-the-Battlefield and Leave-the-Battlefield (ETB/LTB) triggers and damage.

Alternatively, a different sac outlet like Carrion Feeder also works in combination with Diregraf Captain or Plague Belcher to drain infinite life.

With Rooftop Storm, Liliana, Ghast, and a sac outlet in play, I can generate infinite ETB/LTB triggers and also infinite mana via Treasure tokens.

Infinite ETB/LTB Triggers and Mana

Wilhelt, the Rotcleaver + Phyrexian Altar + Gravecrawler

This is Willy’s signature combo. With Willy and Altar in play, each time I sac Crawler to Altar I also generate 1 mana and a Zombie token, so I can repeatedly cast Crawler infinite times and generate infinite ETB/LTB triggers and Zombie tokens with decay. I can then sac tokens to Altar to generate as much mana as necessary.

Phyrexian Altar + Gravecrawler + Rooftop Storm + Zombie

With Altar, Storm, and another Zombie on the battlefield, I can repeatedly sac Crawler with Altar and recast Crawler for free, generating infinite ETB/LTB triggers and infinite mana.

Phyrexian Altar + Gravecrawler + Necroduality or Diregraf Colossus

With Necroduality and Altar on the battlefield, I can cast Crawler and generate a token copy of Crawler. Then I can repeatedly sac the nontoken Crawler and recast it for free, generating infinite token copies of Crawler and infinite mana. Similarly, with Colossus, Altar, and Crawler I can generate infinite Zombie tokens and mana.

Phyrexian Altar + Liliana, Untouched By Death + Nested Shambler

With Altar, Liliana, and Shambler on the battlefield, I sac Shambler with Altar to generate 1 black mana. Shambler produces a Squirrel token. I sac the Squirrel to generate 1 black mana, then I use Liliana’s -4 ability to cast Shambler from my graveyard (spending the black mana). I can continue sac’ing Shambler and Squirrel tokens to generate infinite mana.

Infinite ETB/LTB Triggers and Zombie Tokens

Ashnod's Altar + Grave Titan + Nim Deathmantle

I sac Titan and 1 Zombie token with Altar to produce symbol=4, which I then spend on Deathmantle to return Titan to play with 2 more Zombie tokens, and so on, generating infinite ETB/LTB triggers and Zombie tokens.

Infinite Life Drain

Acererak the Archlich + Rooftop Storm

With Storm on the battlefield, I can repeatedly cast Acererak for 0 mana, venture into the Lost Mine of Phandelver infinite times, and drain each opponent with Dark Pool until each has 0 life. Admittedly, Acererak is pretty useless outside of this combo, so I don’t play him unless I intend to win.

Infinite Self-Mill Oracle Win

Tainted Pact + Thassa's Oracle

This deck is optimized to completely self-mill itself with Pact (if I name a card not in the deck), enabling easy wins with Oracle.

I cut Demonic Consultation and Laboratory Maniac, which are often dead cards in my hand. Consultation is less useful than Tainted Pact outside of the Oracle combo, because I can accidentally exile my entire library if I name a card within the first 6 cards exiled with Consultation.

Altar of Dementia can be used in place of other sac outlets to mill cards from my own library, or even target an opponent for elimination with a Gravecrawler or Shambling Ghast/Liliana, Untouched By Death sac loop.

Infinite ETB/LTB Triggers and Zombie Tokens

Wilhelt, the Rotcleaver + Poppet Factory + Zombie + Sac Outlet

With Willy and Poppet Factory in play, decayed no longer matters, and any Zombie token I sac comes back with an additional Zombie token, so I can generate infinite tokens.

Quasi-Infinite Draw and Damage

Aetherflux Reservoir + Bolas's Citadel + Sensei's Divining Top

With Reservoir, Citadel, and Top in play, I can repeatedly draw a card with Top, using Top’s ability to place it on the top of my library, allowing me to cast Top with Citadel, draw a card, and so on, until I generate enough life with Reservoir to deal 50 damage to each opponent.

Aetherflux Reservoir can also be used in conjunction with the Phyrexian Altar/Gravecrawler or Shambling Ghast/Liliana, Untouched By Death sac loops to generate infinite life and eliminate each opponent with Resevoir.

Token Generators

The most basic way to generate tokens is with Wilhelt, the Rotcleaver + Gravecrawler + Sac Outlet.

I can also generate tokens with the ETB triggers of Diregraf Colossus or Necroduality + Gravecrawler + Sac Outlet.

Other Zombie token generators include Cryptbreaker (also a self-discard outlet), Dreadhorde Invasion, Gleaming Overseer, Grave Titan, and Poppet Stitcher  .

I can go wide with Zombie tokens and penetrate the opponents’ defenses with Gleaming Overseer or Wonder.

If I have enough tokens on the battlefield, Gempalm Polluter can eliminate an opponent without the need for combat.

Infinite Sacrifice

The following are sacrifice outlets to achieve combo loops with Gravecrawler or Shambling Ghast + Liliana, Untouched By Death:

Altar of Dementia, Ashnod's Altar, Blasting Station, Carrion Feeder, and Phyrexian Altar.

Once a loop is created, the following ETB/LTB triggers can be abused:

Champion of the Perished, Diregraf Captain, Diregraf Colossus, Necroduality, Noxious Ghoul, Plague Belcher, and Undead Augur.

CARD CHOICES

Counterspells

I chose Fierce Guardianship and Pact of Negation to protect my combo pieces even if I am tapped out, which an opponent usually doesn’t expect.

I’m running relatively few blue cards, so Force of Negation or Force of Will are not ideal for this build.

Card Draw

Willy himself is an excellent source of card draw, especially with a steady supply of Zombie tokens or Gravecrawler.

This deck is optimized for Ad Nauseam and Bolas's Citadel with a lean average CMC of 2.47.

Gempalm Polluter cycles while dealing damage, which is useful even if a player isn’t eliminated in the process.

Nihil Spellbomb is primarily in the deck for graveyard hate, but it can also serve to draw a card.

Graveborn Muse, Necropotence, and Undead Augur are life-intensive but allow me to draw obscene amounts of cards, especially with Reliquary Tower.

I can abuse Skullclamp by repeatedly equipping it to Gravecrawler, killing it in the process, and as long as I have another Zombie in play, I can repeatedly cast/sac Crawler, allowing me to draw 2 cards for every symbol=1symbol=B spent.

Sensei's Divining Top is an excellent way to filter through the top 3 cards of my library and ensure optimal plays.

Tutors

Demonic Tutor, Diabolic Intent, and Sidisi, Undead Vizier tutor for a card immediately. I have to wait until my next turn for Imperial Seal, Mystical Tutor, and Vampiric Tutor.

Entomb and Unmarked Grave are primarily for digging for Gravecrawler, but other possibilities include Dread Return, Wonder, or a creature to Reanimate.

Tainted Pact is a pseudo-tutor which not only combos with Thassa's Oracle, but is extremely flexible. I can draw as deep as I want into my library and choose a critical combo piece.

Zombie Lords

Death Baron bestows my horde with deathtouch, turning every Zombie into a threat. Suddenly those little Zombies with decayed are a lot scarier!

Undead Warchief provides a large +2/+1 boost while reducing the cost of other Zombies, including Willy himself.

EXCLUSIONS

I’m on the fence with Headless Rider. It may be more efficient than Necroduality at generating tokens, but this requires further testing.

I considered each of the cards shown on the Maybeboard, but ultimately I cut them to either increase consistency, make room for more important cards, or reduce CMC.

Any comments or suggestions are welcome!

Top Ranked	Achieved #7 position overall 3 years ago Achieved #5 position in Commander / EDH 3 years ago Achieved #1 position in Commander / EDH Aristocrats 3 years ago Achieved #1 position in Commander / EDH Competitive 3 years ago
Date added	3 years
Last updated	2 years
Splash colors	UB
Legality	This deck is not Commander / EDH legal.
Rarity (main - side)	20 - 0 Mythic Rares 47 - 0 Rares 15 - 0 Uncommons 14 - 0 Commons
Cards	100
Avg. CMC	2.36
Tokens	Dungeon: Dungeon of the Mad Mage, Dungeon: Lost Mine of Phandelver, Dungeon: Tomb of Annihilation, Goblin 1/1 R, On an Adventure, Skeleton 1/1 B, Squirrel 1/1 G, The Atropal, Treasure, Zombie 2/2 B, Zombie 2/2 B w/ Decayed
Folders	Cedh Decks!, Commander, Favorites, Interesting, The Dankest of Decks, holy fuck, Zombie ideas, To Play, Tribal EDH, nice
Based on	WILLY’S ZOMBIE COMBO FACTORY [cEDH Primer] zAzen7977 EDH