Black and red zombie deck revolving around the synergy between Geralf's Messenger, Gravecrawler, Blood Artist, Falkenrath Aristocrat, Mutilate, Killing Wave and Bonfire of the Damned. I plan to make this deck as standard competitive as possible so any help would be appreciated!
Here's the breakdown:
1CC:
Gravecrawler - He provides early beats and keeps coming back for more. He can be sacrificed for a morbid trigger or to killing wave, he returns for more after a mutilate, and combined with aristocrat and blood artist he becomes a mini machine gun. Very versatile and aggressive, one of the MVP's of the deck.
Diregraf Ghoul - Also provides early beats and chump blocking if absolutely necessarilly. He enables Gravecrawler to be graveyard castable on turn two and also provides another cheap body to sacrifice to a blood artist.
Tragic Slip - Less consistent without the mortarpods/birthing pods but still the best 1cc removal you can find in standard. Morbid triggers will make an opponent think twice before blocking a gravecrawler or diregraf ghoul. With killing wave and falkenrath aristocrat morbid isn't too hard to achieve.
Bonfire of the Damned - Good for clearing out an opponents field of smaller creatures and will win games if Miracled. Paired with a blood artist and some some creatures for a follow up attack it can often be the coup de'grace.
Killing Wave - Amazingly versatile card. It can be used to sac all your creatures for 1 mana to push through Geralf's Messenger/Blood Artist damage and It can trigger morbig to tragic slip a threat if need be. It has also won me many games by forcing my opponent to sac all their creatures when they start to stabilize at <6-8 life.
2CC:
Blood Artist - Another MVP of the deck, nothing controls a board like a blood artist. He gives you a reason to swing blindly with gravecrawlers, punishes your opponents for using mass removal, and rewards you for using yours. With more than one in play the game ends very quickly. His downside is he paints a large target on his head so he doesn't stick around for too long.
Sign in Blood - With all the cheap creatures sometimes you need to reup your hand, and it helps on turn two if you're only sitting on two lands with no more in hand. It can even be used to kill off opponents who are sitting on their last 2 life.
Dreadbore - The newest addition, but I'm not quite sold on it. The sorcery speed is the weakest part, but the price is right. It can help remove something in a pinch or can kill a Planeswalker if I'd rather use my creatures to damage my opponent.
3CC:
Geralf's Messenger - Another MVP of the deck, who adds a potential 7 damage on turn four. Much like blood artists, geralf's messenger will end the game if played in multiples. With a blood artist he can be sacced for major damage to the enemy, even without swinging. He adds punishment to Mutilate's and Killing Waves, and allow gravecrawlers to be recast immediately afterwards. Not to mention his 3/2 or 4/3 body is nice and can cause opponents headaches and pain for trying to remove him.
4CC:
Falkenrath Aristocrat - 4 evasive damage on turn four and an added sac outlet to push through extra Blood Artist/Geralf's Messenger damage on the same turn. She is very aggressive, and can use gravecrawlers to protect herself if need be (though tragic slips are unfortunately her glaring weakness). She is a nice drop after a mutilate to force your opponent to act quickly and in multiples will end the game in a turn or two.
Disciple of Bolas - Hss a sort of identity crisis in this deck where I feel I should either run more or take him out. The life gain can be useful against aggro and the added card draw is always nice, and there's almost always a Geralf's or Gravecreawler happy to rise to the occasion. He does slow the deck down for a four drop however, and I'm not sure if I need the added card draw with the Sign in Bloods. I may consider replacing him with a 4th Falkenrath Aristocrat or a 4th Bonfire of the Damned but running 4 of either of those cards seems like a bit much. Any thoughts?
Mutilate - Amazing for control, and has won me many games where my opponents gained the upper hand. It can be used to remedy a slow starting hand, cause massive damage with a Blood Artist or Geralf's Messenger, and can set up an Aristocrat or returning Gravecrawlers for the win on the following turn. It also kills Geist of Saint taft, whom I despise.
Sideboard:
Mutilate Never know when fast aggressive creature decks are going to need multiple board wipes. Or multiple Geist of Saint Taft wipes.
Killing Wave - Had one left over, could be useful. Probably more useful to plug one more killing wave into the deck than some other random card from out of the blue.
Sever the Bloodline - For mirror matches where multiple Gravecrawlers, Geralf's Messengers, or blood artists need to be dealt with without suffering the consequences.
Tribute to Hunger - For removal power against Hexproof creatures. Mostly Geist of Saint Taft. Could also be useful for life gain against red aggro decks.
Vampire Nighthawk - Again for decks that try to out aggro mine, the nighthawk can kill threats and gain life to help gain the upper hand. They stop Cacklers, Ash Zealots, Stromkirk Nobles and Shred Freaks...and also Geist of Saint Taft.
