A Drowning Mind

Reincarnation goes well in Monster Man-the G/B reanimator deck I was thinking about. It took one set of games against Noah for him to see it too. 

So that's one problem sort of solved. The other came when I realized that with Reincarnation, I needed to bring back creatures that had an immediate impact on the board. As much as I love Sheoldred, Whispering One, it's just too damned slow. 

So I get to make some tweaks there: removing too-cute combos (Like  Archangel of Thune and Spike Feeder) for cards that are more direct in their path to victory. 

Nevertheless, after a few small tweaks, I got to play it against Matt, and it performed admirably in a VERY grindy game. There were a few creatures that were still the glory of cool things (looking at you, Archpriest of Shadows) but it's coming along better than I thought!

So where does that leave Zero Signal? I would still like to make an aggro deck of some sort I think. Maybe it's leftover brain gnawings from my Mavinda attempts, something I just can't let go of?

It was while this was on my mind that I came across Venerated Rotpriest. 

After a few swings at a decklist, this is what I've come up with:

4 Mavinda, Students' Advocate

3 Phalanx Leader

4 Venerated Rotpriest

2 Saffi Eriksdotter

2 Eternal Witness

2 Ranger of Eos

4 Mutagenic Growth

4 Defiant Strike

3 Charge Through

3 Legolas's Quick Reflexes

2 Snakeskin Veil

2 Sejiri Shelter

2 Vastwood Fortification

2 Forest

1 Plains

4 Lush Portico

4 Branchloft Pathway

4 Wooded Bastion

3 Faerie Guidemother // Gift of the Fae

3 Green Sun's Zenith

2 Gird for Battle

Sideboard

3 Lantern of the Lost

2 Serenity

2 Verdant Command

2 Abeyance

This one is an exercise in very tight manabases, but ones that I hope don't matter because the deck can just pop off. Also, currently I'm using Loran's Escape over Legolas's Quick Reflexes; they do very similar things and one costs significantly less. 

I do like the split second on LQR though and I wonder if there's a meaningful way to work that card into a deck. 

The Realest of the Real

Fuz hit me with a tribal spirits deck that sent Monster Man scrambling, until I activated Recurring Nightmare and realized I had forgotten to update my list with Massacre Wurm. That was grumbly.

I played the match out anyway but the fact of the matter is, I have trouble with swarms and fliers. Wall of Roots is meant to help with the swarms problem, as would Satyr Wayfinder, but the flying part? Not so much.

Of course the games afterward were a different story, as you can see below. Turns out, Massacre Wurm is bad for tiny creatures.

This was also a matchup where I was testing Sidisi, Undead Viser and I felt fairly underwhelmed by the card. Fuz was similarly unimpressed and while we didn't have much more in the way of ideas beyond: fourth Recurring Nightmare or a second Body Snatcher, they did seem marginally better. More testing should be done with Sidisi but I'm not too hopeful.

Which is a bummer, because I was really hoping Sidisi could serve as that all-purpose tool. It doesn't seem to be paying off just yet but I'm not giving up on it just yet.

I'm in a very nitpicky stage with Monster Man right now. Yes, Carrion Beetles could be Withered Wretch. Is it worth keeping Wickerbough Elder when Acidic Slime does what I need it to do? So many little decisions and tweaks to make in a deck that is supposed to provide an answer to everything. I need to let go of the idea of doing everything and remember to focus on doing one thing.

The Inscrutable, The Irrefutable

I was playing against Noah's URW Myth Realized deck in the photo and that evening held some good lessons for me.

Body Snatcher is pretty good. Surprisingly so. Four Satyr Wayfinders has been great so far but more testing is likely needed.

The other matches I played against Noah had me wanting a second Nekrataal, especially after I milled one to a Satyr Wayfinder.

I looked for awhile and settled on Massacre Wurm, at least for now.

The 'died' triggers aren't what I'm looking for though. They are, strange to say it, too fair. Getting a 4/4 flier for six mana in green isn't bad but without a way to reliably destroy it when I want to, it doesn't make the board impact I need. The only way I have to trigger that ability is through Recurring Nightmare.

This is a crux of one of my biggest fears about Monster Man and decks like it-combo decks that use color specific pieces. What do I do if the combo doesn't show up? Or if Recurring Nightmare gets countered? If all I have is the ability to dump creatures I cannot cast into my graveyard, then I don't have a very effective deck.

This is why I've tried to keep my creatures in black and green as opposed to branching out. I want to be able to run my deck until I can regain my combo and create an advantage again.

I've been thinking about ways to make the deck more consistent and the acquisition of another Recurring Nightmare is definitely a thought and one I should act on. The other possibility that's coming to mind is getting a Sidisi, Undead Vizer. Just one for extra tutoring action but that could be huge. I have a plethora of creatures to sacrifice-Wall of Roots, Elvish Visionary, Ravenous Rats and Satyr Wayfinder are bound to exist by turn five-and this might even be a reason to add in the Destructor Dragon. Also, it would be a way to find a Recurring Nightmare, which is something no other creature offers.

He Has A Master Plan

I had an opportunity to playtest Monster Man a few times by myself, just to get a hang of the deck again. I took some notes so I could remember how to adapt the deck later (I was in the pub while testing) and I thought I'd share those notes.

1) Remember your triggers. Squee should've come back 2x in that last game.

2) Need another way to get creatures from GY or hand into play. Purchase another Recurring Nightmare, but also...

3) Why Skullbriar? I don't have a way to grow it into a threat. It has interesting synergies with the graveyard recursion, for sure. But let's say I can cast it on turn 3; swing for 1. So what? It's just as vulnerable to anti-GY strategies and I'd rather have this as a 3/3 in the Liege deck (King of the Rotten, which I haven't written about yet), I think.

4) Could probably use another Vengevine. Damnit. (Because Vengevines are expensive). 

5) Card draw from Elvish Visionaries is good. Discard from Rats is good. Black Cat?

5a) Black Cat = dies. Look for g/b triggers on 'dies'.

6) Eidolon of Blossoms is kinda silly. It has one interaction in the entire deck. This is a graveyard deck, not an enchantment one. I reload better with Satyr Wayfinder.

7) Yavimaya Ants is the glory of cool things BUT I am keeping it in the deck. 5/1 trampling hasted dudes don't suck. Along those lines: Deathmist Raptor? (A search puts Deathmist Raptor at $24 a pop. No.)

8) How do I recover from board wipe? See point 5a to research. Anger of the Gods-or any exile removal is especially bad.

After some tweaking and research, here's what I came up with.

Point 1 just means practice. Point 2 was made for Body Snatcher. 3 = no more Skullbriar. Made room for another Wayfinder. Point 4 is under consideration but damn, Vengevines are nearly $20 a piece and that's a lot. 5 and 5a: Black Cat has been removed and after the search I have done, I do not see a satisfying 'dies' trigger. Blood Artist and Blood Artist and Brindle Shoat both show promise but I'm wary. Destructor Dragon could be an excellent thing since Planeswalkers are here and finding a viable threat against them is important, and it's not a bad card by itself.

To number 6, I have removed Eidolon for another Wayfinder. Point 7 stands; I like my Yavimaya Ants. As for point 8, I may just have to play smart, practice and hope for the best. Global removal is always problematic for creature oriented decks and if I can force the removal without having to abandon all the threats in my hand then it the global removal won't matter, I can still keep the pressure on. It's easier said than done but this is why I should practice.