* Created: Fri Jul 12 11:08:13 UTC 2015 * Design philosophy: Based on: https://www.mtggoldfish.com/deck/1800670#paper Prefer creature based fodder, outlets and payoffs. Keepable hands are those able to find second turn Goblin Bombardment or Skullclamp. Establish board control and grind opponent out. Zombie subtheme because of Gravecrawler, maybe others too: https://www.mtggoldfish.com/articles/much-abrew-zombie-bombardment-with-champion-of-the-perished-modern * Statistics: https://tappedout.net/mtg-decks/hl-aristocrats-1/?cb=1623525908 * Legend: 1: part of the initial build (Created) +1: added/to be added to the build -1: removed/to be removed from the build ?1: maybe to be removed 100 Mana (34): 1 Polluted Delta 1 Wooded Foothills 1 Bloodstained Mire 1 Scalding Tarn 1 Marsh Flats 1 Verdant Catacombs 1 Arid Mesa 1 Prismatic Vista 1 Badlands 1 Blood Crypt 1 Blightstep Pathway 1 Cabal Pit 1 Barbarian Ring 1 Sokenzan, Crucible of Defense 1 Cavern of Souls 1 Sulfurous Springs 1 Castle Lochtwain 1 Blackcleave Cliffs 1 Phyrexian Tower 1 Silent Clearing 1 Nurturing Peatland 1 Urza's Saga 1 Unholy Grotto 1 Peat Bog 1 Great Furnace 1 Vault of Whispers 1 Takenuma, Abandoned Mire 1 Urborg, Tomb of Yawgmoth ?1 Wasteland 4 Snow-Covered Swamp 1 Snow-Covered Mountain Sacrifice outlets (6): 1 Carrion Feeder 1 Viscera Seer 1 Greater Gargadon 1 Goblin Bombardment 1 Yawgmoth, Thran Physician 1 Witch's Oven Fodder (11): 1 Grim Initiate 1 Cryptbreaker 1 Gravecrawler 1 Stitcher's Supplier 1 Undead Butler 1 Bloodghast 1 Daretti, Ingenious Iconoclast (not a creature, but deals with artifacts) 1 Nested Shambler 1 Lazotep Reaver 1 Jadar, Ghoulcaller of Nephalia 1 Headless Rider Payoffs (5): 1 Mayhem Devil 1 Judith, the Scourge Diva 1 Undead Augur 1 Plague Belcher 1 Champion of the Perished Business, tutor & draw (44): 1 Grim Physician 1 Shambling Goblin 1 Village Rites +1 Corrupted Conviction 1 Faithless Looting 1 Imperial Seal 1 Rotting Rats 1 Cabal Therapy 1 Inquisition of Kozilek 1 Thoughtseize 1 Entomb (Bridge from Below, Cabal Therapy, Faithless Looting, Gravecrawler, Bloodghast) 1 Demonic Tutor 1 Dreadhorde Butcher 1 Zombie Infestation 1 Bone Shards 1 Deadly Dispute 1 Rotten Reunion 1 Collateral Damage 1 Lotus Petal 1 Agadeem's Awakening 1 Chrome Mox 1 The Meahhook Massacre 1 Contamination +1 Gleeful Demolition 1 Unmarked Grave 1 Gamble 1 Shambling Ghast 1 Festering Goblin 1 Liliana's Standard Bearer ?1 Fell Stinger 1 Tainted Adversary 1 Relentless Dead 1 Mire Triton 1 Rotting Regisaur 1 Dreadhorde Arcanist 1 "Lifetime" Pass Holder 1 Cemetery Reaper 1 Putrid Imp 1 Graf Reaver 1 Diregraf Colossus 1 Geralf's Messenger 1 Festering Mummy 1 Dread Wanderer 1 Poxwalkers SB: -1 Elenda, the Dusk Rose (too weak) -1 Corpse Blockade (too expensive, too narrow) -1 Fanatical Devotion (too expensive, too narrow) -1 Nezumi Bone-Reader -1 Dauntless Bodyguard -1 Bontu, the Glorified (too expensive to use) -1 Orzhov Pontiff (can't be utilized from grave) -1 Doomed Dissenter -1 Martyr of Dusk -1 Xathrid Necromancer (costs 1 too much) -1 Blood Bairn -1 Nantuko Husk -1 Phyrexian Ghoul -1 Vampire Aristocrat -1 Bloodflow Connoisseur -1 Yahenni, Undying Partisan -1 Devouring Swarm -1 Dimir House Guard (not good enough) -1 Barrage of Expendables -1 Fallen Ideal -1 Gideon, Ally of Zendikar (too expensive) -1 Falkenrath Noble -1 Legion's Landing (not a creature) -1 Palace Jailer -1 Plunge into Darkness (not a creature) -1 Ranger of Eos (too expensive?) -1 Reveillark (too expensive) -1 Krenko, Tin Street Kingpin (needs to attack) -1 Westvale Abbey (win more) -1 Doomed Artisan (not fast enough) -1 Ayara, First of Lochtwain (too narrow, too prohibitive mana cost?) -1 Heliod, Sun Crowned (combo with Kitchen Finks) -1 Priest of Forgotten Gods / Pious Evangel (can be used only once, summoning sickness) -1 Falkenrath Aristocrat (how many humans do I have, too expensive) -1 Butcher of the Horde (too expensive) -1 Mortarpod -1 Devastating Summons -1 Dragon Fodder (nombo with Rally the Ancestors and Return to Ranks) -1 Krenko's Command -1 Gather the Townsfolk -1 Raise the Alarm -1 Bitterblossom (not a creature) -1 Mesmeric Fiend -1 Skirsdag High Priest (slow) -1 Diabolic Intent (no time to cast this without sacrificing board position) -1 Secure the Wastesa (not a creature, slow) -1 Tempt with Vengeance (not a creature, slow) -1 Kitchen Finks (Awkward mana cost) -1 Dreadhorde Invasion (slow, not a creature) -1 Hissing Iguana (too fragile and narrow; does not affect the board) ?1 Meren of Clan Nel Toth (fast enough) ?1 Teysa Karlov (does nothing herself, win more?) 1 Pawn of Ulamog (triggers only when dies) -1 Yahenni, Undying Partisan (Legend, Karakas) -1 Gurmag Angler (if needs to go tall, this is not bad as cheap) -1 Tasigur, the Golden Fang -1 Claim the Firstborn (Swords to Plowshares is just better) -1 Luminous Broodmoth -1 Sorin, Vengeful Bloodlord -1 Proclamation of Rebirth -1 Tithe Taker (human) -1 Aether Vial (we have a heavy creature base) -1 Vesperlark (too expensive, triggers only when leaves play) -1 Selfless Spirit (does not fit the theme, but good enough?) +1 Mortician Beetle +1 Dread Wanderer Zombie theme (only if enough): Cryptbreaker, Relentless Dead, Plague Belcher, Tidehollow Sculler, Geralf's Messenger, Undead Augur, Fleshbag Marauder, Gurmag Angler, Rotting Regisaur, Hogaak, Arisen Necropolis, Prized Amalgam, Scourge of Nel Toth, Putrid Imp, Diregraf Captain, Gleaming Overseer, Fatestitcher, -1 Ichorid (not a zombie) +1 Lion's Eye Diamond +1 Ox of Agonas If green, then: Crop Rotation, Once Upon a Time, Bazaar of Baghdad, Vengevine +1 Bazaar of Baghdad (if deck relies on grave) -1 Skyclave Shade +1 Altar of Dementia (sacrifice outlet, fuel for the deck utilizing the grave) +1 Promise of Tomorrow +1 Tormod, the Desecrator (sick with Raven's Crime) +1 Wayward Servant +1 Dreadhorde Arcanist +1 Liliana's Standard Bearer +1 Bayou Groff (if on green) +1 Nested Shambler +1 Lazotep Chancellor +1 Master of Death +1 Ravenous Squirrel (if on green) +1 Grist, the Hunger Tide ?1 Timely Reinforcements (not a creature) -1 Bridge from Below (do I have enough ways to bin this? Inconvenient when drawn, not enough discard outlets) ?1 Promise of Bunrei (not a creature, triggers only when dies) -1 Midnight Reaper (Grim Haruspex is better) -1 Goblin Instigator -1 Goblin Rabblemaster -1 Legion Warboss -1 Hallowed Spiritkeeper (double white on splash) -1 Gamble (no good enough targets for this, and requires hand to be empty) -1 Insolate Neonate -1 Bloodsoaked Champion -1 Imperial Recruiter -1 Recruiter of the Guard -1 Call of the Death-Dweller -1 Rally the Ancestors (may work, but not a creature and awkward mana cost) -1 Return to the Ranks (may work, but not a creature and awkward mana cost) -1 Wake the Dead (may work, but not a creature) -1 Living Death -1 Kroxa, Titan of Death's Hunger (supposedly better than Mesmeric Fiend, especially if we have grave theme going. Test) -1 Goblin Cratermaker (creature, cabable of destroying artifacts) -1 Mother of Runes -1 Dark Confidant (kept, if mana cost is low) +1 Deadly Dispute +1 Fighter Class +1 Skullport Merchant +1 Meathook Massacre +1 Fleshtaker +1 Jadar, Ghoulcaller of Nephalia +1 Plumb the Forbidden +1 Fell Stinger (if zombies theme) +1 Headless Rider (if zombies theme) +1 Graf Reaver +1 Undead Butler +1 Soulshriek +1 Sokenza, Crucible of Defiance +1 Takenuma, Abandoned Mire +1 Kuldotha Rebirth (if enough artifacts) +1 Bontu's Monument (if enough artifacts and acceleration) +1 Nimblewright Schematic (if enough artifacts) +1 Prized Statue (if enough artifacts) +1 City of Traitors +1 Treasure Vault +1 Pyre of Heroes +1 Tainted Pact +1 Dark Ritual +1 Ghoulcaller's Chant +1 Ob Nixilis, the Adversary +1 Grisly Sigil +1 Body Count (not a creature) +1 Tortured Existence (L) https://www.mtggoldfish.com/deck/4896017#paper +1 Writhing Necromass (zombie version only) +1 Prized Amalgam (zombie version only, no need to splash for this, keep BR) +1 "Lifetime" Pass Holder (zombie version only) +1 Ashnod, Flesh Mechanist (if enough artifacts) -1 Emergency Weld (if enough artifacts) -1 Gnawing Vermin (if non-zombie theme, then consider) +1 Razorlash Transmogrant (if enough artifacts) -1 Woe Strider -1 Doomed Traveler -1 Hunted Witness -1 Garrison Cat -1 Mogg War Marshal -1 Carrier Thrall (costs 1 too much) -1 Discordant Piper -1 Sultai Emissary (Zombie, but Tithe Taker is better) -1 Lingering Souls -1 Tidehollow Sculler -1 Liliana, Heretical Healer (human, difficult to transform without sacrificing board position -1 Ophiomancer -1 Seasoned Pyromancer -1 Chandra, Acolyte of Flame -1 Blood Artist -1 Zulaport Cutthroat -1 Cruel Celebrant -1 Goblin Sharpshooter -1 Grim Haruspex -1 Bastion of Remembrance -1 Anger -1 Fireblade Charger -1 Impulsive Pilferer -1 Steelshaper's Gift -1 Unearth -1 Enlightened Tutor -1 Stoneforge Mystic -1 Deathrite Shaman -1 Duress -1 Juri, Master of the Revue -1 Fiend Artisan -1 Swords to Plowshares -1 Recurring Nightmare -1 Umezawa's Jitte -1 Arcum's Astrolabe -1 Liliana of the Veil ?1 Thran Vigil (if going the zombie route: https://www.mtggoldfish.com/articles/budget-magic-106-combo-zombies-modern) -1 Annihilating Glare (not an instant) -1 Lightning Bolt -1 Lurrus of the Dream-Den -1 Bridge from Below +1 Grisnakh, Brash Instigator +1 Beseech the Mirror +1 Agatha's Soul Cauldron (combo, as in here: https://mtgtop8.com/event?e=47853&d=552367&f=MO) +1 Gut, True Soul Zealot +1 Molten Collapse +1 Fanatical Offering +1 Molten Collapse +1 Krenko, Baron of Tin-Streets (artifact version only)