<p style="text-align: right;"><em><span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Meren of Clan Nel Toth" href="#" target="_blank">Meren of Clan Nel Toth</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> | Art by <a href="https://scryfall.com/search?q=artist%3AMarkwinters">Mark Winters</a></em></p>
<h2>Grabbing a Shovel</h2>
<p>Greetings, and welcome to another edition of <em>Precon Remastered</em>! Here we take an old deck and give it a second chance in life (or give it undeath, same thing). This week, we venture into the second preconstructed deck of <a href="https://edhrec.com/sets/c15"><em>Commander 2015</em></a>, and boy, it's a good one.</p>
<p>Who's the commander, though?</p>
<div class="edhrecp__cards"><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Meren of Clan Nel Toth"></div></div>
<p>Our commander this week loves creatures dying, and we get rewarded with experience counters to recur creatures later on. The more we sacrifice those creatures, the more options we can recur during our end step.</p>
<p>By that very nature, Meren leans towards the one archetype I despise (less so than the likes of <a href="https://edhrec.com/tags/stax">Stax</a>, but there is no like or love for it): <a href="https://edhrec.com/tags/aristocrats">Aristocrats</a>.</p>
<p>My disappointment was immeasurable and my day was ruined when the list came out. I had been hoping it was <a href="https://edhrec.com/commanders/golgari">Golgari (black/green)</a> <a href="https://edhrec.com/tags/reanimator">Reanimator</a>, where we bring back massive monsters. Instead, we're bringing stuff back for value.</p>
<h3>Entering the Cemetery</h3>
<p>As always, here are our rules for remastering precons:</p>
<ol>
<li>The value of the deck cannot exceed $120. This will apply to the reprints only, which gets to my first personal quirk.</li>
<li>Every card unique to the original precon stays in the deck. All those new cards that get released with precons remain in the list.</li>
<li>The land package should closely reflect what we get in precons these days (and, in my humble opinion, they're actually pretty good).</li>
<li>At least until 2020, we're not tied to a particular set, so we're free to choose whatever we want. You can be assured I have ideas for 2020 and beyond, though.</li>
<li>Universes Beyond cards are not added. No exceptions, unless they have an in-universe variant. Granted, this will change when we get there.</li>
</ol>
<p>With that out of the way, let's see what the original list looked like.</p>
<h3>The Original Deck List</h3>
<div class="edhrecp__deck mtgh"><span class="edhrecp__deck-s" name="Plunder the Graves - Commander 2015" site="edhrec" archidekt_link="" cards="[Commander]
*1 Meren of Clan Nel Toth
[/Commander]
[Creatures]
*1 Acidic Slime
*1 Banshee of the Dread Choir
*1 Blood Bairn
*1 Bloodspore Thrinax
*1 Butcher of Malakir
*1 Caller of the Pack
*1 Centaur Vinecrasher
*1 Champion of Stray Souls
*1 Cloudthresher
*1 Corpse Augur
*1 Eater of Hope
*1 Eternal Witness
*1 Extractor Demon
*1 Great Oak Guardian
*1 Indrik Stomphowler
*1 Jarad, Golgari Lich Lord
*1 Kessig Cagebreakers
*1 Korozda Guildmage
*1 Lotleth Troll
*1 Mazirek, Kraul Death Priest
*1 Mycoloth
*1 Pathbreaker Ibex
*1 Phyrexian Plaguelord
*1 Phyrexian Rager
*1 Sakura-Tribe Elder
*1 Satyr Wayfinder
*1 Scourge of Nel Toth
*1 Shriekmaw
*1 Skullwinder
*1 Terastodon
*1 Thief of Blood
*1 Verdant Force
*1 Viridian Emissary
*1 Viridian Zealot
*1 Vulturous Zombie
*1 Wall of Blossoms
*1 Wood Elves
[/Creatures]
[Instants]
*1 Altar&#039;s Reap
*1 Golgari Charm
*1 Grisly Salvage
*1 Putrefy
*1 Tribute to the Wild
*1 Wretched Confluence
[/Instants]
[Sorceries]
*1 Ambition&#039;s Cost
*1 Barter in Blood
*1 Dread Summons
*1 Mulch
*1 Overwhelming Stampede
*1 Primal Growth
*1 Rise from the Grave
*1 Sever the Bloodline
*1 Spider Spawning
*1 Victimize
[/Sorceries]
[Artifacts]
*1 Bonehoard
*1 Eldrazi Monument
*1 Golgari Signet
*1 Lightning Greaves
*1 Skullclamp
*1 Sol Ring
*1 Thought Vessel
[/Artifacts]
[Enchantments]
*1 Diabolic Servitude
[/Enchantments]
[Lands]
*1 Command Tower
*1 Evolving Wilds
*12 Forest
*1 Golgari Guildgate
*1 Golgari Rot Farm
*1 Grim Backwoods
*1 High Market
*1 Jungle Hollow
*1 Polluted Mire
*1 Slippery Karst
*13 Swamp
*1 Tainted Wood
*1 Terramorphic Expanse
*1 Vivid Grove
*1 Vivid Marsh
[/Lands]"></span></div>
<h3>Found the Tombstone</h3>
<div class="edhrecp__cards"><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Mazirek, Kraul Death Priest"></div><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Pathbreaker Ibex"></div><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Banshee of the Dread Choir"></div></div>
<p>For starters, experience counters was not the only new mechanic introduced in these precons: myriad came out here, too.</p>
<p>I didn't cover it much when I touched on the previous entry because there was no real synergy. This time, though, there is: we attack with a myriad creature (like <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Banshee of the Dread Choir" href="#" target="_blank">Banshee of the Dread Choir</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span>), the tokens go away, and we get experience counters for it. Just a neat little synergy.</p>
<p>And since they're sacrificed, then we can reap the benefits with something like <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Mazirek, Kraul Death Priest" href="#" target="_blank">Mazirek, Kraul Death Priest</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> to pump our board. We could also sacrifice those tokens before that happens for some additional value, too.</p>
<p>Of course, I'd be remiss if I didn't mention <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Pathbreaker Ibex" href="#" target="_blank">Pathbreaker Ibex</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span>. This is a really good finisher, assuming we can give it haste somehow.</p>
<p>We also happen to have <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Overwhelming Stampede" href="#" target="_blank">Overwhelming Stampede</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> in the deck, so we have a bit of redundancy. Taken together, these two spell out how we're going to win games with this precon.</p>
<h3>Scoop, Turn, Toss; This is the Way We Mourn Our Loss</h3>
<div class="edhrecp__cards"><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Cloudthresher"></div><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Champion of Stray Souls"></div><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Diabolic Servitude"></div></div>
<p>(An aside, if you don't get the subtitle, it's the flavor text from <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Scavenger Folk|5ed|323" href="#" target="_blank">Scavenger Folk</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span>. A deep cut for us boomers out there.)</p>
<p>When this precon came out, it was hailed as one of the best in the group, if not <em>the</em> best.</p>
<p>However, that doesn't mean we got a perfect precon. To really turn the deck into an absolute monstrosity, we need to cut some fluff and fat. For example, <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Cloudthresher" href="#" target="_blank">Cloudthresher</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> is really not that good, though it is a big beater. I'd rather pick up <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Hurricane" href="#" target="_blank">Hurricane</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> if I wanted to deal with flyers (or an oldie but goodie, <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Silklash Spider" href="#" target="_blank">Silklash Spider</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span>).</p>
<p>Also, our sacrifice outlets have seen better days. Who wants to wait a full turn cycle to pay five and sacrifice a bunch of creatures with <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Champion of Stray Souls" href="#" target="_blank">Champion of Stray Souls</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span>? Nobody? Thought so.</p>
<p>Why not use <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Living Death" href="#" target="_blank">Living Death</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> instead? In addition, one of the only reanimation spells in the deck, <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Diabolic Servitude" href="#" target="_blank">Diabolic Servitude</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span>, leaves much to be desired. Let's fix this all up, shall we?</p>
<h3><em>Plunder the Graves</em> Remastered</h3>
<div class="edhrecp__deck mtgh"><span class="edhrecp__deck-s" name="Plunder the Graves Remastered" site="edhrec" archidekt_link="" cards="[Commander]
*1 Meren of Clan Nel Toth
[/Commander]
[Creatures]
*1 Acidic Slime
*1 Banshee of the Dread Choir
*1 Blood Artist
*1 Bloodspore Thrinax
*1 Butcher of Malakir
*1 Caller of the Pack
*1 Cankerbloom
*1 Centaur Vinecrasher
*1 Corpse Augur
*1 Eternal Witness
*1 Fleshbag Marauder
*1 Great Oak Guardian
*1 Haywire Mite
*1 Jarad, Golgari Lich Lord
*1 Kessig Cagebreakers
*1 Korozda Guildmage
*1 Mazirek, Kraul Death Priest
*1 Mycoloth
*1 Pathbreaker Ibex
*1 Phyrexian Plaguelord
*1 Plaguecrafter
*1 Ravenous Chupacabra
*1 Reaper of the Wilds
*1 Sakura-Tribe Elder
*1 Satyr Wayfinder
*1 Scourge of Nel Toth
*1 Skullwinder
*1 Smothering Abomination
*1 Spore Frog
*1 Terastodon
*1 Thief of Blood
*1 Viridian Emissary
*1 Viscera Seer
*1 Vulturous Zombie
*1 Wall of Blossoms
*1 Wood Elves
*1 Zulaport Cutthroat
[/Creatures]
[Artifacts]
*1 Bonehoard
*1 Cauldron of Essence
*1 Eldrazi Monument
*1 Golgari Signet
*1 Lightning Greaves
*1 Skullclamp
*1 Sol Ring
*1 Thought Vessel
[/Artifacts]
[Instants]
*1 Altar&#039;s Reap
*1 Assassin&#039;s Trophy
*1 Golgari Charm
*1 Grisly Salvage
*1 Putrefy
*1 Tribute to the Wild
*1 Wretched Confluence
[/Instants]
[Sorceries]
*1 Ambition&#039;s Cost
*1 Barter in Blood
*1 Dread Summons
*1 Mulch
*1 Overwhelming Stampede
*1 Primal Growth
*1 Victimize
[/Sorceries]
[Enchantments]
*1 Awakening Zone
*1 Deathreap Ritual
*1 Journey to Eternity // Atzal, Cave of Eternity
*1 Moldervine Reclamation
[/Enchantments]
[Lands]
*1 Command Tower
*1 Evolving Wilds
*12 Forest
*1 Golgari Rot Farm
*1 Grim Backwoods
*1 High Market
*1 Jungle Hollow
*1 Llanowar Wastes
*12 Swamp
*1 Tainted Wood
*1 Terramorphic Expanse
*1 Twilight Mire
*1 Vernal Fen
*1 Woodland Cemetery
[/Lands]"></span></div>
<h3>Dredge Up the Body</h3>
<div class="edhrecp__cards"><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Spore Frog"></div><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Journey to Eternity"></div><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Plaguecrafter"></div></div>
<p>Old Price: $96.53</p>
<p>New Price: $114.05</p>
<p>Alright, chances are, we may have created a monster. Let's be fortunate I very much avoid tutors in my decks.</p>
<p><span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Spore Frog" href="#" target="_blank">Spore Frog</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> will fog the combat step over and over again, stalling the game out while we bump up our experience counter numbers.</p>
<p>In addition, both <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Fleshbag Marauder" href="#" target="_blank">Fleshbag Marauder</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> and <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Plaguecrafter" href="#" target="_blank">Plaguecrafter</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> will make each player sacrifice a creature, doing the same thing. This also creates a soft lock if we keep looping it like the villains we are. All this because I'm evil.</p>
<p>Anyways, as usual, I spruced up the mana base, so it doesn't look like a heap, and threw in some payoffs like <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Blood Artist" href="#" target="_blank">Blood Artist</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> and <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Cauldron of Essence" href="#" target="_blank">Cauldron of Essence</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span>.</p>
<p>I didn't mess around with reanimation much, since our commander does this anyway. Both <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Deathreap Ritual" href="#" target="_blank">Deathreap Ritual</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> and <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Moldervine Reclamation" href="#" target="_blank">Moldervine Reclamation</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> will ensure we keep a full grip of cards a lot of the time.</p>
<p>Lastly, I have a couple more deep cuts in there. <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Reaper of the Wilds" href="#" target="_blank">Reaper of the Wilds</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> will scry each time a creature dies. It's easy to lose track, so best stay on top of that. She can protect herself and/or give herself deathtouch, provided we have the mana.</p>
<p>After that, we have a personal favorite of mine, <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Journey to Eternity" href="#" target="_blank">Journey to Eternity</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span>, which is extremely easy to flip here. Just stick it on the aforementioned Spore Frog, then wait for something. The reverse side will ramp us, but also can be used to recur creatures from our graveyard.</p>
<h3>Walking Into the Night</h3>
<p>And there we have it. What memories do you have with this list? Any more deep cuts I didn't think of? Either way, tune back in next week, where we return to my other series, <em>Commander Remastered</em>, where have a seat on a throne.</p>


plunder the graves

Plunder the Graves | Precon Remastered