Rally the Ancestors - 101 Reanimations

<h6 style="text-align: right;"><span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Vohar, Vodalian Desecrator" href="#" target="_blank">Vohar, Vodalian Desecrator</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> | Art by <a href="https://www.artstation.com/ninovecia">Nino Vecia</a></h6>
<h1>Epic Preparations</h1>
<p>Hello, EDHREC fans! I’m Bernardo, and this is <em>Epic Experiment</em>, a series where we throw all common sense aside and experiment with some unusual strategies, changing how we normally build our deck. Is it going to work? Who knows?! We’re making science here. When you’re an Izzet mage, blowing things up is half the fun.</p>
<p>Let's talk about <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Vohar, Vodalian Desecrator" href="#" target="_blank">Vohar, Vodalian Desecrator</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span></p>
<div class="edhrecp__cards"><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Vohar, Vodalian Desecrator"></div></div>
<p>Vohar is a surprisingly powerful commander for its cost. In a way, he works very similar to <span class="edhrecp__link side-by-side"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Jace, Vryn&#039;s Prodigy" href="#" target="_blank">Jace, Vryn&#039;s Prodigy</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span>, but we get a more front-loaded value effect from the <em>Flashback</em> effect in exchange for the flexibility of JVP's flipped side. The card filtering aspect alone can more than replace the need to play cheap cantrips, and while the ping damage won't make that much difference, gaining a few points of life can make the difference throughout a longer game.</p>
<p>The biggest draw to Vohar, however, is his second activated ability. The ability to play an instant or sorcery from the graveyard is very powerful and easy to build around. Even when going for a more 'goodstuff' type of build, it's possible, together with strong self-mill support, to build a toolbox that's just hanging out in our graveyard waiting for us to need it.</p>
<p>One of the most impressive things about Vohar is how both parts of his kits complement each other and his color combination. Reanimation decks, for example, get to <em>Dredge</em> away without the fear of milling a reanimation spell.</p>
<p>So, how will we give Vohar a twist?</p>
<hr />
<h2>Epic Ingredients</h2>
<div class="edhrecp__cards"><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Gyruda, Doom of Depths"></div><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Clone"></div><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Maddening Cacophony"></div></div>
<p>I'm a bit surprised that we don't have all that many <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Gyruda, Doom of Depths" href="#" target="_blank">Gyruda, Doom of Depths</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> <em>Companion</em> Vohar decks out there. This combination seems so good! They both straightforwardly complement each other, making up for each other's deficits.</p>
<p>The core of the deck (as is the case in many Gyruda lists) is <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Clone" href="#" target="_blank">Clone</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> effects to duplicate the Gyruda effect over and over, constantly grabbing new copies to redo the effect and churn through tons of cards. <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Spark Double" href="#" target="_blank">Spark Double</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> and <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Sakashima of a Thousand Faces" href="#" target="_blank">Sakashima of a Thousand Faces</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> may be the most important Clones because they allow us to keep more than one Gyruda on the board. Damage isn't our main gameplan, but multiple blockers or 6/6 attackers is a nice way to stay safe or eliminate players with damage if we need a backup plan. <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Undercover Operative" href="#" target="_blank">Undercover Operative</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span>'s shield counter makes it a lot safer to pass the turn, which can help us go off when we untap, and <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Mirrorhall Mimic" href="#" target="_blank">Mirrorhall Mimic</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> and <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Vizier of Many Faces" href="#" target="_blank">Vizier of Many Faces</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> provide value when they hit the graveyard.</p>
<div class="edhrecp__cards"><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Sakashima of a Thousand Faces"></div><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Evil Twin"></div><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Undercover Operative"></div></div>
<p>Once we've triggered Gyruda a few times, we're ready to start phase two, which is to finish milling our opponents with the big mill spells that wound up in our graveyard from all the Gyruda milling. Cards like <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Maddening Cacophony" href="#" target="_blank">Maddening Cacophony</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> and <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Cut Your Losses" href="#" target="_blank">Cut Your Losses</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> mill a ton of cards, and a big <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Mind Grind" href="#" target="_blank">Mind Grind</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> has a lot of variance, but usually does the trick. We're also packing <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Mesmeric Orb" href="#" target="_blank">Mesmeric Orb</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> and <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Mindcrank" href="#" target="_blank">Mindcrank</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> as other mill sources, which are particularly useful to finish players off after playing our big spells.</p>
<p>It's often best to let Gyruda die to the legend rule to avoid leaving it open to exile-based removal. This makes it important to include some reanimation effects in the deck. <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Blood for Bones" href="#" target="_blank">Blood for Bones</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> is a powerful effect that gives us access to two creatures, one to hand and one to the battlefield, and this can be used to put Gyruda safely into our hand to dodge graveyard exile effects. <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Ever After" href="#" target="_blank">Ever After</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> is a bit expensive, but the power-to-card ratio makes it a great option to top deck or to use our commander's ability. <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Persist" href="#" target="_blank">Persist</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> and <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Exhume" href="#" target="_blank">Exhume</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> are cheap reanimation effects with a few small disadvantages, but given how our deck operates, we tend to either pass over them very quickly or just go over the top of their downsides (for instance, using <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Persist" href="#" target="_blank">Persist</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> on a <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Clone" href="#" target="_blank">Clone</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> to copy the Gyruda we already have in play).</p>
<hr />
<h2>The Mixture</h2>
<div class="edhrecp__deck mtgh"><span class="edhrecp__deck-s" name="Voharuda" site="edhrec" archidekt_link="" cards="[Commander]
*Vohar, Vodalian Desecrator
[/Commander]
[Companion]
*Gyruda, Doom of Depths
[/Companion]
[Creature]
*Phantasmal Image
*Snapcaster Mage
*Clone
*Evil Twin
*Gigantoplasm
*Mirrorhall
*Mocking Doppelganger
*Phyrexian Metamorph
*Sakashima of a Thousand Faces
*Sakashima the Impostor
*Sakashima&#039;s Student
*Spark Double
*Stunt Double
*Undercover Operative
*Vizier of Many Faces
*Wall of Stolen Identity
*Wonder
*Sakashima&#039;s Protege
[/Creature]
[Artifact]
*Everflowing Chalice
*Mox Amber
*Arcane Signet
*Coldsteel Heart
*Dimir Signet
*Fellwar Stone
*Liquimetal Torque
*Mesmeric Orb
*Mind Stone
*Mindcrank
*Talisman of Dominance
*Hedron Archive
*Panharmonicon
*Thran Dynamo
[/Artifact]
[Enchantment]
*Animate Dead
[/Enchantment]
[Instant]
*Arcane Denial
*Cyclonic Rift
*Drown in the Loch
*Infernal Grasp
*Mission Briefing
*Narset&#039;s Reversal
*Negate
*Twin Cast
*Empty the Pits
*Memory Deluge
*Wheel and Deal
[/Instant]
[Sorcery]
*Exhume
*Feed the Swarm
*Maddening Cacophony
*Mind Grind
*Persist
*Scour All Possibilities
*Stitch Together
*Blood for Bones
*Bond of Insight
*Damnation
*Deep Analysis
*Irenicus&#039;s Vile Duplication
*Rite of Replication
*Blood on the Snow
*Cut Your Losses
*Ever After
*Army of the Damned
[/Sorcery]
[Land]
*Bojuka Bog
*Command Tower
*Creeping Tar Pit
*Drowned Catacomb
*Faerie Conclave
*Fetid Pools
*Ghost Quarter
*Hall of Storm Giants
*Hive of the Eye Tyrant
*Morphic Pool
*Shipwreck Marsh
*Sunken Hollow
*Tainted Isle
*Tectonic Edge
*Temple of Deceit
*Underground River
*Urborg, Tomb of Yawgmoth
*Watery Grave
*10 Snow-Covered Island
*10 Snow-Covered Swamp
[/Land]"></span></div>

<hr />
<p>With the amount of self-mill we're doing, it's important that we don't overwork our commander. <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Snapcaster Mage" href="#" target="_blank">Snapcaster Mage</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> and <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Mission Briefing" href="#" target="_blank">Mission Briefing</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> are copies of our commander's sacrifice ability, and they give us the opportunity to access our spells effect even without Vohar around.</p>
<div class="edhrecp__cards"><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Snapcaster Mage"></div><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Mission Briefing"></div><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Deep Analysis"></div></div>
<p>In addition, <em>Flashback</em> effects are great ways to help us grind through some types of interactions. Card draw spells, like <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Deep Analysis" href="#" target="_blank">Deep Analysis</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> and <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Memory Deluge" href="#" target="_blank">Memory Deluge</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span>, can help us dig for any other cards we need. Oh, and <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Army of the Damned" href="#" target="_blank">Army of the Damned</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> is a neat opportunistic threat stored in our back pocket.</p>
<hr />
<h2>Methodology</h2>
<p>Our opening hands are very forgiving; we mostly just don't want to have many <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Clone" href="#" target="_blank">Clone</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> effects. Between playing our commander and paying the <em>Companion</em> tax, we're pretty much tied up in the early turns.</p>
<p>Our first Gyruda trigger is a key moment in the game; most games we'll chain into a couple of Clone effects and keep one, but, if we hit any of our nonlegendary Clones, we can also gather a small army. Getting to untap with a Gyruda out can be pretty good, but we can always use one of our reanimation spells to get the chain started all over again.</p>
<div class="edhrecp__cards"><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Empty the Pits"></div><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Memory Deluge"></div><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Bond of Insight"></div></div>
<p>Our late game is great, too! Between our commander and some of our graveyard recursion effects, we have a lot of potential for winning the attrition war. Just watch out for graveyard hate! That's the main way this deck shuts down, and losing access to Gyruda can be a challenge to overcome. As long as we stay focused, though, our commander and our <em>Companion </em>will help us 'even' the odds!</p>
<p>That’s it for this <em>Epic Experiment</em>! What do you think of this list? Do you have any questions about the deck? Which cards did you like? Which did you not? Was this experiment a success? Please let me know in the comments below!</p>


Epic Experiment - Vohar

<h6 style="text-align: right;">(<span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Ryu, World Warrior" href="#" target="_blank">Ryu, World Warrior</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> | Art by <a href="https://www.jasonrainville.com/">Jason Rainville</a>)</h6>
<h1>Epic Preparations</h1>
<p>Hello, EDHREC fans! I’m Bernardo, and this is <em>Epic Experiment</em>, a series where we throw all common sense aside and experiment with some unusual strategies, changing how we normally build our deck. Is it going to work? Who knows?! We’re making science here. When you’re an Izzet mage, blowing things up is half the fun.</p>
<p>Let's take a look at <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Ryu, World Warrior" href="#" target="_blank">Ryu, World Warrior</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span></p>
<div class="edhrecp__cards"><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Ryu, World Warrior"></div></div>
<p>Ryu has a bit of an identity crisis. On the one hand, he's a cheap creature that rewards us for attacking by buffing himself up. On the other hand, the untap ability payoff is better used in a slower, non-aggro strategy, where paying five mana for a damage-based ping won't get in the way of our mana curve.</p>
<p>Ryu's activated ability has three costs attached that must be addressed: the heavy mana cost, the tap cost, and the support cost.</p>
<p>The first cost is the most obvious: paying five mana for some damage is a bad deal when our three opponents each have a starting life total of 40. Something like <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Zirda, the Dawnwaker" href="#" target="_blank">Zirda, the Dawnwaker</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> could help mitigate this, but it's still a big setup. The second cost is not so obvious: to use his untap effect, we have to tap him in the first place. Attacking to tap him is the obvious choice, but it lacks the flexible timing of a tap ability and relies on us finding neutral attack on the board to make sure Ryu doesn't perish just because we want to use his ability. The last cost is more of a deckbuilding one: growing Ryu naturally through <em>Training</em> triggers is a losing battle in out format, so we need to either increase his power with outside sources, or give his damage an extra bit of pizazz, such as by giving him deathtouch. This isn't as much of a problem as the other two costs, but it limits our deck choices and likely skews our gameplay.</p>
<p>After we address all these issues, we'll get a fun commander to build around. It's fun to blast creatures with Ryu, and untap abilities are so easy to abuse that we can probably find a few neat interactions to play around. After all, Ryu seems like he might be a pretty good pilot, popping in to <em>Crew </em>Vehicle cards. But maybe we can go even deeper than that!</p>
<hr />
<h2>Epic Ingredients</h2>
<div class="edhrecp__cards"><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Invoke Justice"></div><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Gisela, Blade of Goldnight"></div><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Jaxis, the Troublemaker"></div></div>
<p>What if we use Ryu's discard as a way to fill our graveyard with creatures for reanimation spells? By using our commander's ability to control the board, we have a reliable discard outlet that gives us the time needed to stabilize.</p>
<p>The lack of black means that we are going to lose some of the better reanimation spells in the format, but that's fine! White has a decent enough repertoire of reanimation spells, and they seem to be printing more of them all the time. <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Breath of Life" href="#" target="_blank">Breath of Life</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span>, <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Defy Death" href="#" target="_blank">Defy Death</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span>, <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Late to Dinner" href="#" target="_blank">Late to Dinner</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span>, and <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Resurrection" href="#" target="_blank">Resurrection</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> are vanilla-lite reanimation spells that get the job done. <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Invoke Justice" href="#" target="_blank">Invoke Justice</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> doesn't just revive, it also distributes +1/+1 counters, so it plays very well with our commander. <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Profound Journey" href="#" target="_blank">Profound Journey</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> is a bit expensive, but the sheer impact of getting two creatures from one spell shouldn't be underestimated.</p>
<div class="edhrecp__cards"><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Avacyn, Angel of Hope"></div><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Reya Dawnbringer"></div><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Combustible Gearhulk"></div></div>
<p>Between red and white, we have plenty of big threats to reanimate. An early <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Zetalpa, Primal Dawn" href="#" target="_blank">Zetalpa, Primal Dawn</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> gets out of hand pretty fast, and it's also a pretty safe threat against most non-exile-based removals. <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Avacyn, Angel of Hope" href="#" target="_blank">Avacyn, Angel of Hope</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> provides enough board protection to give time for our other threats to take over the game, while <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Utvara Hellkite" href="#" target="_blank">Utvara Hellkite</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> is good at snowballing games where our opponents fail to find an answer for it. <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Gisela, Blade of Goldnight" href="#" target="_blank">Gisela, Blade of Goldnight</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> is a fast clock that also benefits our commander's activated ability.</p>
<p>Aside from those baddies, we also have a more utility-based creature suite that's meant to bridge the gap between threats and nonthreats. <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Combustible Gearhulk" href="#" target="_blank">Combustible Gearhulk</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> can put an unlucky opponent in check by either giving us three new cards or risk getting burned, and we also appreciate having cards thrown into our graveyard. <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Luminate Primordial" href="#" target="_blank">Luminate Primordial</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> and <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Meteor Golem" href="#" target="_blank">Meteor Golem</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> are strong removal options too, and <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Serra&#039;s Emissary" href="#" target="_blank">Serra&#039;s Emissary</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> is just pure awesomeness.</p>
<hr />
<h2>The Mixture</h2>
<div class="edhrecp__deck mtgh"><span class="edhrecp__deck-s" name="Ryunimator" site="edhrec" archidekt_link="" cards="[Commander]
*Ryu, World Warrior
[/Commander]
[Creature]
*Fissure Wizard
*Raffine&#039;s Informant
*Seasoned Pyromancer
*Zirda, the Dawnwaker
*Jaxis, the Troublemaker
*Solemn Simulacrum
*Karmic Guide
*Combustible Gearhulk
*Elesh Norn, Grand Cenobite
*Gisela, Blade of Goldnight
*Luminate Primordial
*Meteor Golem
*Sandstone Oracle
*Serra&#039;s Emissary
*Avacyn, Angel of Hope
*Utvara Hellkite
*Zetalpa, Primal Dawn
*Reya Dawnbringer
[/Creature]
[Artifact]
*Everflowing Chalice
*Basilisk Collar
*Gorgon&#039;s Head
*Sol Ring
*Arcane Signet
*Mind Stone
*Smuggler&#039;s Copter
*Talisman of Conviction
*Unlicensed Hearse
*Cultivator&#039;s Caravan
*Worn Powerstone
*Hedron Archive
[/Artifact]
[Enchantment]
*Epiphany Storm
*Prophetic Ravings
*Taste for Mayhem
*Dual Casting
*Madcap Skills
*Fable of the Mirror-Breaker
*Sneak Attack
*Burning Anger
[/Enchantment]
[Instant]
*Path to Exile
*Swords to Plowshares
*Cathartic Pyre
*Faithless Salvaging
*Thrill of Possibility
*Chaos Warp
*Wear // Tear
*Big Score
*Unexpected Windfall
[/Instant]
[Sorcery]
*Faithless Looting
*Cathartic Reunion
*Thrilling Discovery
*Tormenting Voice
*Seize the Spoils
*Breath of Life
*Late to Dinner
*Pirate&#039;s Pillage
*Resurrection
*Defy Death
*Invoke Justice
*Farewell
*Profound Journey
*Vanquish the Horde
*Blasphemous Act
[/Sorcery]
[Land]
*Axgard Armory
*Battlefield Forge
*Clifftop Retreat
*Command Tower
*Exotic Orchard
*Ghost Quarter
*Needleverge Pathway
*Prismatic Vista
*Rugged Prairie
*Sacred Foundry
*Spectator Seating
*Sunbaked Canyon
*Sundown Pass
*Tectonic Edge
*Temple of Triumph
*11 Mountains
*11 Plains
[/Land]"></span></div>

<hr />
<p>Since we're not planning on triggering Ryu's <em>Training</em> all that much, having ways to maximize our activated ability is crucial if we want to destroy some creatures. <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Basilisk Collar" href="#" target="_blank">Basilisk Collar</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> and <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Gorgon&#039;s Head" href="#" target="_blank">Gorgon&#039;s Head</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> give our commander deathtouch, which allows us to both snipe any creature on board and draw a card from it. <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Madcap Skills" href="#" target="_blank">Madcap Skills</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> and<span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Taste for Mayhem" href="#" target="_blank">Taste for Mayhem</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> are two cheap attack boosts that are <em>just</em> efficient enough to be worth consideration.</p>
<div class="edhrecp__cards"><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Cultivator&#039;s Caravan"></div><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Prophetic Ravings"></div><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Dual Casting"></div></div>
<p>We're also packing a few alternative ways to tap our commander. Having a few good Vehicles can be handy for two reasons: they tend to have a high stat line, and they provide some board-wipe-safe utility before we need them. <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Cultivator&#039;s Caravan" href="#" target="_blank">Cultivator&#039;s Caravan</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> is a <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Manalith" href="#" target="_blank">Manalith</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> that can be a threat in a clutch, <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Unlicensed Hearse" href="#" target="_blank">Unlicensed Hearse</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> is powerful graveyard hate in a format where graveyard interactions are plenty, and <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Smuggler&#039;s Copter" href="#" target="_blank">Smuggler&#039;s Copter</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> is another consistent source of looting.</p>
<p>Aside from these Vehicles, we have a few Auras that also give our commander a tap ability: <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Epiphany Storm" href="#" target="_blank">Epiphany Storm</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> and <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Prophetic Ravings" href="#" target="_blank">Prophetic Ravings</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> allow us to cheaply dig for more cards and shape our graveyard; <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Burning Anger" href="#" target="_blank">Burning Anger</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> is another copy of Ryu's activated ability, which gives us a lot of flexibility in both sniping smaller creatures or take down bigger ones more easily; and <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Dual Casting" href="#" target="_blank">Dual Casting</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> is amazing in a deck that has powerful spells like our reanimation but also plays well with our many "Rummaging" effects, like Thrill of Possibility.</p>
<hr />
<h2>Methodology</h2>
<p>Our opening hands are flexible because we have a lot of digging power with our many cheap looting/rummaging effects, so even hands that might not have anything special going can turn on very quickly with some patience and a bit of luck. In general, we want to have at least one looting effect and a mana rock in our opening hand to get things going, but it helps a lot if we also have a huge creature to put in the graveyard, or if we start the game holding one of the reanimation spells to get it back.</p>
<p>Our early game is just about setup. We can cast Ryu early, but he doesn't do anything but look pretty for a little while. We aim for action in the mid-game, where we can finally start discarding and reanimating our huge threats while sniping our opponents' most pernicious creatures. By the late game, we won't need the reanimation spells to cheat mana costs anymore, since we can just hard cast our big baddies. Don't get me wrong, though - they don't become dead cards at all! If someone removes our creatures, we'll just bring them right back. And along the way, maybe we'll be able to have some snazzy fun with cheating those creatures into play in other ways... or perhaps even copying them!</p>
<div class="edhrecp__cards"><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Sneak Attack"></div><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Fable of the Mirror-Breaker"></div><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Jaxis, the Troublemaker"></div></div>
<p>That’s it for this <em>Epic Experiment</em>! What do you think of this list? Do you have any questions about the deck? Which cards did you like? Which did you not? Was this experiment a success? Please let me know in the comments below!</p>


Epic Experiment - Ryu

Archetune-Up - Graveyard Smash 2: Electric Boogaloo

Archetune-Up - Dimir Sneak and Show

Ultra Budget Brews - Nethroi, Apex of Death

Epic Experiment - Niv-Mizzet Reborn

Collected Company - Gyruda

Archetune-Up - It Was a Graveyard Smash?

<h6 style="text-align: right;">(<span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Rude Awakening" href="#" target="_blank">Rude Awakening</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> | Art by <a href="https://www.mtgpics.com/illus?art=351&amp;reprints=1">Ittoku</a>)</h6>
<h1>Introduction</h1>
<p>"Rude awakening." That's a strange idiom, isn't it? There's the intended meaning of a harsher realization casting a cold, hard shadow on one's naive preconceptions. This plays on the lyrical image of someone being shaken awake, as from a pleasant slumber or a daydreaming doze. The feeling of a sudden turbulence, a dramatic change in one's state of mind (or board), is likely a familiar one for all of us.</p>
<p>And though it can certainly be unpleasant, why is politeness factored into the discussion at all? Is it somehow a breach of decorum to alert someone, even roughly, to the truth of wakefulness?</p>
<p>Wake up, sheeple! Or, wake up sheeple? Oh, uh, Gyrus can actually do that. Commas can be fun.</p>
<div class="edhrecp__cards"><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Gyrus, Waker of Corpses"></div></div>
<p>And the sad truth is that although there is a distant and tertiary theme of Dragon tribal in this brew, this <a href="https://edhrec.com/themes/reanimate">Reanimate</a> deck inside a <a href="https://edhrec.com/themes/sacrifice">Sacrifice</a> deck has no method by which to grant Human as an additional creature type to <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Nyx-fleece Ram" href="#" target="_blank">Nyx-fleece Ram</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span>, although I'm sure that's possible in another deck.</p>
<p>Without too much more rambling in the hillsides of madness, I welcome you to the latest edition of <em>Dual Shot</em>, where we brew two decks at the same time... in one deck.</p>
<hr />
<h2>Hidden in the Depths</h2>
<p>We're back to a split more closely approximating 80/20, as was established in <em>Dual Shot</em>'s pilot studies. Actually, sometimes it feels like you have to really dig for the reanimation subtheme to rear its head, even with <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Gyrus, Waker of Corpses" href="#" target="_blank">Gyrus, Waker of Corpses</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> at the helm. But these two themes enjoy a sort of natural synergy: sacrificing creatures puts them into the graveyard, and in this case, apparently, they're only mostly dead, as your Hydra alarm clock is clamorous enough to get them up and out of their deathbed.</p>
<p>And while we're going to be running cards like <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Victimize" href="#" target="_blank">Victimize</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> and <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Dread Return" href="#" target="_blank">Dread Return</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span>, the payoffs are primarily in the shape of sacrifice triggers - in fact, in our 99 lurks a king cursed with gluttony: <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Korvold, Fae-Cursed King" href="#" target="_blank">Korvold, Fae-Cursed King</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span>. Korvold almost functions as a hidden commander, fueled by the rest of the deck and either drawing you into an out or turning sideways, himself. Reanimating one of our draconic threats - cards like <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Karrthus, Tyrant of Jund" href="#" target="_blank">Karrthus, Tyrant of Jund</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> or <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Atarka, World Render" href="#" target="_blank">Atarka, World Render</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span>, can easily knock a single player out of the game, but you'll need to rely on the pressure of recursion and card draw in order to eke out a victory - especially with a card as common as <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Bojuka Bog" href="#" target="_blank">Bojuka Bog</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> essentially hitting you like it's a <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Time Walk" href="#" target="_blank">Time Walk</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> if you're in a lane for reanimation.</p>
<p>One other thing to be wary of is the fact that Gyrus puts a creature token onto the battlefield tapped and attacking - which means that although the creature <em>is</em> attacking, it was never declared as an attacker while moving into to phase (when you declared Gyrus as an attacker) - this means that any tokens you create with on-attack triggers do not trigger. No surprise bonus mana from <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Savage Ventmaw" href="#" target="_blank">Savage Ventmaw</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span>, sadly. But let's take a look at the pile of cards and see what <em>does</em> work.</p>
<div class="edhrecp__deck mtgh"><span class="edhrecp__deck-s" name="Gyrus and the Circle of Corpses" site="edhrec" archidekt_link="" cards="[Commander]
*1 Gyrus, Waker of Corpses
[/Commander]
[Creatures]
*1 Paradise Druid
*1 Leyline Prowler
*1 Sorcerer&#039;s Broom
*1 Rapacious Dragon
*1 Izoni, Thousand-Eyed
*1 Demanding Dragon
*1 Thrashing Brontodon
*1 Syr Konrad, the Grim
*1 Catalyst Elemental
*1 Battle Rampart
*1 Korvold, Fae-Cursed King
*1 Mayhem Devil
*1 Atarka, World Render
*1 Darigaaz Reincarnated
*1 Malfegor
*1 Tymaret, the Murder King
*1 Swift Warkite
*1 Lyzolda, the Blood Witch
*1 Plaguecrafter
*1 Gorging Vulture
*1 Hope of Ghirapur
*1 Goblin Cratermaker
*1 Bladewing the Risen
*1 Keeper of Fables
*1 Priest of Forgotten Gods
*1 Gluttonous Troll
*1 Judith, the Scourge Diva
*1 Savage Ventmaw
*1 Karrthus, Tyrant of Jund
[/Creatures]
[Instants]
*1 Murder
*1 Bake into a Pie
*1 Gang Up
*1 Dark Ritual
*1 Fling
[/Instants]
[Sorceries]
*1 Gild
*1 Tormenting Voice
*1 Hull Breach
*1 Taste of Death
*1 Painful Lesson
*1 Sign in Blood
*1 Mana Seism
*1 Faithless Looting
*1 Portent of Betrayal
*1 Savage Twister
[/Sorceries]
[Artifacts]
*1 Bloodsoaked Altar
*1 Golden Egg
*1 Arcane Signet
*1 Rakdos Cluestone
*1 Gruul Cluestone
*1 Golgari Cluestone
*1 Witch&#039;s Oven
*1 Altar of Shadows
*1 Kolaghan Monument
*1 Golgari Locket
*1 Rakdos Locket
*1 Gruul Locket
*1 Whispersilk Cloak
[/Artifacts]
[Enchantments]
*1 Bloodfire Infusion
*1 Shade&#039;s Form
*1 Moldervine Reclamation
*1 Dark Heart of the Wood
*1 Burning Sands
*1 Rhythm of the Wild
[/Enchantments]
[Planeswalkers]
*1 Angrath, Captain of Chaos
[/Planeswalkers]
[Lands]
*1 Command Tower
*1 Guildmages&#039; Forum
*1 Jund Panorama
*1 Savage Lands
*1 Geothermal Crevice
*1 Rocky Tar Pit
*1 Mountain Valley
*1 Bloodfell Caves
*1 Jungle Hollow
*1 Rugged Highlands
*1 Timber Gorge
*1 Foul Orchard
*1 Cinder Barrens
*1 Golgari Guildgate
*1 Temple of Malady
*1 Cryptic Caves
*1 Sapseep Forest
*1 Rakdos Carnarium
*1 Gruul Turf
*5 Swamp
*4 Mountain
*7 Forest
[/Lands]"></span></div>

<hr />
<h2>Conclusion</h2>
<p>So you might have noticed that this is a shakily modified Korvold Brawl deck. As well, this particular <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Dual Shot" href="#" target="_blank">Dual Shot</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> is still in the early stages of development. You'll want good utility from your sacrificial lambs, er, Dragons, or whatever weird thing you'll be delivering to the gods. <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> and <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Ashnod&#039;s Altar" href="#" target="_blank">Ashnod&#039;s Altar</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> are must-includes, and although we want our creatures dying for the cause, a good pair of <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Lightning Greaves" href="#" target="_blank">Lightning Greaves</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> might be nice for Gyrus, though I'm not exactly sure it's the boot-wearing type. Sandals, maybe. In any case, Gyrus dying to removal isn't the worst thing in the world, as his commander tax can be worked into his casting cost rather elegantly. For example, the first time you cast him, say you make X=3, so you cast him for 6 mana in total. He dies, and then you recast him with X equaling 1, you pay the tax of 2, and you've... spent 6 mana in total. Your clangorous Hydra still enters with six +1/+1 counters. That's the sort of recursion that any Timmy or Tammy could love.</p>
<div class="edhrecp__cards"><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Spore Frog"></div><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Ashnod&#039;s Altar"></div><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Lightning Greaves"></div></div>
<p>Then some obvious cards to connect our adjacent themes at play: <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Buried Alive" href="#" target="_blank">Buried Alive</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span>, <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Victimize" href="#" target="_blank">Victimize</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span>, <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Dread Return" href="#" target="_blank">Dread Return</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> - and a few other <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Reanimate" href="#" target="_blank">Reanimate</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span>-esque cards (like <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Reanimate" href="#" target="_blank">Reanimate</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span>, perhaps) to get the infrastructure of our thematic bridge up to code.</p>
<div class="edhrecp__cards"><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Buried Alive"></div><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Victimize"></div><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Dread Return"></div></div>
<p>While you're cleaning up your mana base - replacing the taplands, gainlands, and lockets with any sort of fetch, even things like <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Evolving Wilds" href="#" target="_blank">Evolving Wilds</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> or <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Terramorphic Expanse" href="#" target="_blank">Terramorphic Expanse</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> for fixing and sacrifice triggers - you may also tidy up some of the rest of the chaff. While all-stars 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>, <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>, and <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="The Gitrog Monsters" href="#" target="_blank">The Gitrog Monsters</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> are all very interested in what we're doing, simpler upgrades (read: removal suite) take priority. How did a regular old <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Murder" href="#" target="_blank">Murder</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> find its way in here? Gods, it's like I'm asleep when I add the removal to these decks.</p>
<div class="edhrecp__cards"><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Doom Blade"></div><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Storm&#039;s Wrath"></div><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Reclamation Sage"></div></div>
<p>You'll also have fun slotting in things like <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Anger" href="#" target="_blank">Anger</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span>, <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Ramunap Excavator" href="#" target="_blank">Ramunap Excavator</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span>, <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>, <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Feldon of the Third Path" href="#" target="_blank">Feldon of the Third Path</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span>, and <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Pitiless Plunderer" href="#" target="_blank">Pitiless Plunderer</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span>. This reanimation catalogue, though not particularly fleshed out (accidental pun with our Zombie Warrior friend), ends up looking more Mardu than Jund - insofar as it's combat-centric. <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Gyrus, Waker of Corpses" href="#" target="_blank">Gyrus, Waker of Corpses</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> into <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Bladewing the Risen" href="#" target="_blank">Bladewing the Risen</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> into <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Atarka, World Render" href="#" target="_blank">Atarka, World Render</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> is wonderfully stupid and probably doesn't even work the way I want it to (remember, when creatures are made to enter the battlefield tapped and attacking, they were never declared as attackers, so "when ~ attacks" triggers don't hit the stack). At any rate, if you need another Dragon, <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Prossh, Skyraider of Kher" href="#" target="_blank">Prossh, Skyraider of Kher</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> has got your back. I can only assume that means he has your back, and most of the rest of you, in his mouth, but, hey, free sacrifice outlet.</p>
<p>As it stands, this list is really more of a 90/10 split, but that's owing to one simple truth: that this was just a Korvold deck at first. The Brawl precon got retooled into an EDH deck that looked a little bit too much like many other recs for the Fae-Cursed King. That there was a good deal of overlap in the sacrifice and reanimation themes (and any graveyard strategy, really) led to this becoming an early <em>Dual Shot</em> candidate. And even in its fledgling form, this list hearkens back to <a href="https://articles.edhrec.com/dual-shot-dynamic-stall/">an earlier <em>Dual Shot</em></a> experiment, one with <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Shu Yun, the Silent Tempest" href="#" target="_blank">Shu Yun, the Silent Tempest</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> front and center. By this I mean that a much closer split seems very feasible. As long as you can reliably fill your graveyard (self-mill, sacrifice outlets, big threats eating spot removal), you have fuel for reanimation. If you can secure payoffs for both filling <em>and</em> emptying your yard, then perhaps by some metrics, you've brewed two decks at the same time...<em> in one deck</em>... aaaand <em>Catchphrase!</em></p>
<p>That's all for today. If I'm to field a question to you folks, then it has to be about graveyard synergy. What lists have you played with that did more than one thing with the old lichyard? Were you bringing back lands and maybe hoping for a heavy ping with <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Lotleth Giant" href="#" target="_blank">Lotleth Giant</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span>? Let us know in the comments. Till next we meet.</p>


reanimator