I posted my initial take on an aggressive zombie/nether deck ~3 weeks ago. Since then, I've continued playing and optimizing that deck. A lot has changed, and it's a lot stronger for the changes.
The Deck
(I've played a lot more than 4 games, but every time you swap a card it's a 'new' deck.)
Deck Code:
GU_1_1_CCcCCcBAuBAuHAFHAFCCZBEXBEXCEWCEWIBZIBZCDSCDSIADIADCEaIAJIAJBFDBFDIACIACIAKIAKCCeCCeCAgCAg
General Overview
As with the original deck, the idea is that zombies don't win the game. Instead, they leech back the life you lose playing cards like Void Banshee, Crimson Oni, and Ray of Disintegration.
They also help achieve and maintain board control so your big nethers aren't all alone. Think infantry support for your tanks. The win condition is getting massive nethers on the board that run over Guild Enforcers and deal massive face damage.
Card Draw
Card Draw is collapsed into 2 cards in this deck.
Untold Greed + zombies is a match made in heaven. 1 untold greed is worth two Brimstones. Token creatures are so plentiful in this deck they are practically free. Netherswarm Lord draws cards when frenzied, which can be every turn with your god power.
My earlier deck ran Vrocks and a Brimstone in addition to the above. Too much card draw motivated by unfounded desperation to find zombie cards. My thoughts on Vrock have changed, too. 3 mana for 2 HP and a card, but your opponent gets a card, too. I've had better results since dropping it.
Vampiric Skull
It first found its way into my zombie midrange deck, but it is incredibly strong here, too. Pulling a dead obelisk back onto the board is huge. With an empty board, 6 mana gets you:
Now that's value.
Void Banshee
If you are hunting for a scepter or an obelisk, nothing hurts worse than seeing it discarded when your Banshee dies. Two things to point out:
- The odds of not having scepter and the scepter being discarded are very slim
- The Core Set Refresh is removing the discard mechanic from this card!
This card does require some finesse and is often best played off curve. The idea is you want to at least deal four damage to their face before she dies (preferably to them trading one of their creatures to do it). Remember that leech is easy for you. Hard for them. Taking four damage and dealing for damage is a win.
Even so, playing this on turn 1 against nature is a bad idea. They've got canopy barrage. Just don't do it. Ditto against Magic and Death. They are just going to kill it and then you eat damage. Playing it early against Light and War is usually a safe bet, as those gods have few options to take it out before it is able to go face.
This card really shines when you already have some board presence. Being wide against nature protects against their random removal spells. If a Netherswarm Lord is on the board, this comes down and is immediately a 5/4 for 2 mana. If you have other big nethers down, your opponent has to prioritize them with removal instead.
If Banshee goes face once, it's a win. If she goes face twice, it's huge.
Removal
Void Flash has come out, but honestly, I'm still playing with it. Right now, I have a Wiccan Trapper instead. Wiccan is great in a mirror match and against War (which has increasingly caught on to Enduring Shield again). Feel free to swap these back, but I'd only run 1x Void Flash.
Ray of Disintegration is guaranteed removal. The -2 damage is nothing for this deck. They drop a Big Beast or Guild Enforcer, and you remove it with RoD. Simple.
Blight Bomb is auto-include in every Death deck I've ever seen. Great early game, and even helpful mid game. Two 2/2 zombies + Blight Bomb takes out a Guild Enforcer. So does 1 Rhino + Blight Bomb and your Rhino still has 3 HP.
Mulligan Strategy and First Turn
Priority
- Scepter
- Pyramid Warden
- Obelisk
- Skeleton Heavy (if you don't have PW)
If you have the scepter and are going first, never use your bag turn 1. You want it equipped on turn 2.
Obelisk is tricky and depends on the god matchup. Against nature, a turn 2 obelisk is going to get cleared often.
- Axewoman + Canopy Barrage
- Faeflame Blade + whatever they played turn 1
- etc
Magic is going to starshard bolt it. Deception will burn it. Death will ping it and Blight Bomb.
If you have Pyramid Warden, I would probably bag into it turn 1 in hopes of protecting my obelisk on turn 3. Otherwise, go ahead and play Obelisk asap. Remember that a dead obelisk isn't gone forever in this deck. Also remember that the obelisk isn't even your win condition. It's a bonus, and having your opponent use removal against it means less removal left for your big nethers.
Gameplay Video!
OK, go easy. It's my first gameplay. I'm a noob, so no voice over. Also, I had to make 2 small cuts towards the end because doxxing notifications popped up. Even so, this is a great example of the deck's power. In this game I
- Started second
- Didn't draw zombie cards until late
- Relied on card draw and a massive nether creature to out aggro War
Upcoming Buffs / Nerfs
Fickle Cambion is getting a buff in the Core Set Refresh (will run 2x then) as is Void Banshee, so the deck will get even stronger. Any nerfs to Necroscepter won't hit this deck as hard, as the win condition isn't Corpse Explosion or Neferu's Will. One 'nerf' they may choose is to put more durability on the scepter but have it decay each turn. This is arguably better for this deck. Now a Wiccan Trapper only stops 1 zombie instead of stopping all your zombies. We'll have to wait and see.
Conclusion
This deck is a lot stronger and is still a ton of fun to play. Yes, I start every new flux wheel with Death Zombie. So what?