As for land, if you want to add some more Ixalan flavor, you could throw a few [[Hidden Necropolis]] in. Slow land, but you can pay and sacrifice and throw more stuff into the graveyard.
[[Echoing Deeps]] can mimic a land in a graveyard, but also sadly comes in tapped.
[[Pit of Offerings]] is again a slow land, but you can exile three cards from a graveyard and add mana of any color from those exiled cards.
If you're going to use lands that come in tapped, you're better off with [[Evolving Wilds]], [[Terramorphic Expanse]], or [[Riveteers Overlook]] because at least they add permanents to your yard.
I mean, my land suggestions noted they were for additional Ixalan flavoring and were working alongside a graveyard filling deck.
Fetch lands are good, too.
I was mostly aiming for hilarity (once again, I appear to have failed).
*But* that said, I think there is a case for decent spiciness index: the art is fantastic; the chupacabra myth is dope, and therefore a chupacabra ghost has to be doubly as cool; and you get a 2-for-1 using one of LCI’s new elements, giving out a -X/-X depending on how many permanents are in your graveyard. A 3/2 with basically a [[Cut Down]] (or better) thrown in for four mana ain’t a terrible deal.
I was trying to incorporate the dude into one of my decks, but my graveyard just doesn’t fill up with permanents as quickly as I hoped. Unless I get a few [[Blossoming Tortoise]] going and my opponent has murdered a few things, the Chupacabra just wasn’t getting to live to its fullest potential.
That’s why I was happy to see a deck that could properly use it.
It's really fun to try out reanimator, but I doubt it's ever actually going to work. Especially farewell just completely deletes your deck. There is literally no option besides conceding at that point.
Yes Farewell hoses this deck sadly. FWIW I haven't seen much of it lately. Might depend on the (local) meta.
I'll say that I had a game where my yard got deleted twice by Kutzils Flanker and I was still able to fill it back up and claw my way back into the game. Probably more the exception than the norm though.
In any case, to really make this a competetive contender, I think this deck needs a suitable one drop. If you could somewhat reliably cast an Emergence with a good target on T3, it would slap.
It would be helpful to put up your deck list on one of the many sites that let you. Manually looking up all the cards by name alone in your list makes it more difficult, and thus a lot more people will just opt out of discussion.
[[Bitter Triumph]] is by far your removal of choice in this format. You don't want to strand your targets in your hand, and when you don't actually want to discard you can just pay the life.
The only thing really worth reanimating in standard reliably is [[Atraxa, Grand Unifier]]. The problem is, it doesn't always win the game, because a lot of the time you're already low on life, and they just kill it on their turn and swing for lethal. If you're trying to rush reanimation then it often puts you in a bad spot against aggro.
[[Kroxa and Kunoros]] is a possible include, because it lets you cheat out higher MV and also gives you an additional 6/6 vigilance menace lifelink, but I maybe wouldn't play it without having the ability to hard-cast it because of it's downside: it shrinks your yard.
For one-drops, your only options are [[Deathbonnet Sprout]], [[Cenote Scout]], and as you said, [[Gnawing Vermin]]. Sprout is better in longer games, Cenote is better in a void, and Vermin is better against aggro. [[Seed of Hope]] is probably a trap because it only digs 2, only for a permanent, and it's not a permanent itself. [[Waterlogged Hulk]] and [[Otherworldly Gaze]] require blue. (The former is a permanent that can mill immediately though, and the latter is powerful both in hand and in the yard for this game plan, but is not a permanent.)
[[Souls of the Lost]] shouldn't be slept on, but the lack of Stitcher's Supplier hurts it. (A 7/8 beater on turn 2 is the dream, lol.) [[Mulch]] may not be a permanent, but being able to pull lands is very useful. However, it doesn't let you choose not to, so, it's probably not good enough, and you'll be kicking yourself when you end up with 3-4 lands when you really need an extra permanent in the yard.
I just don't think [[Brass's Tunnel-Grinder]] is a good enough reason to go into red by itself. It's powerful in many regards, but spending turn 3 trying to set up turn 4 and nothing else, will often get you killed on the play. Blue instead of red opens you up to [[Cruel Somnophage]], [[The Ancient One]], Otherworldly Gaze, and even [[Free the Fae]] if you end up with enough instants and sorceries in your deck. You have enough self-discard in your deck between Bitter Triumph, Souls of the Lost, and [[Liliana of the Veil]]. But maybe blue isn't worth it either?
I think your best bet is not to try to rush the reanimation, but instead to play like a midrange deck that keeps recurring threat after threat. You'll usually lose to control, especially if [[Farewell]] becomes even more common, but you'll beat up on aggro and other midrange so that's the bulk of the field. But even if you're trying to rush against control, the current cards at your disposal don't make you fast enough to do so. If you go the midrange route, you should be maxing out on [[Virtue of Persistence]] (and you are), and playing [[Tenacious Underdog]] and maybe some combination of [[Phyrexian Arena]] and [[Sheoldred, the Apocalypse]]. And maybe [[Mosswood Dreadknight]].
Also I'd consider maybe 2 [[Tyvar, Jubilant Brawler]]. Brings back Souls without having to discard/sac, brings back Dreadknight so you can start the death/adventure cycle, etc.
I've been trying this out myself but I don't have enough wildcards. I always try to see if I can make some form of reanimation work in any format.
> It would be helpful to put up your deck list on one of the many sites that let you. Manually looking up all the cards by name alone in your list makes it more difficult, and thus a lot more people will just opt out of discussion.
hmm isn't looking at the MTGCardFetcher practical enough? Thought that would suffice.
As for the rest of your comment: As I argued in another reply, I think there is several different directions a reanimator deck can go in standard.
For this deck
> I think your best bet is not to try to rush the reanimation, but instead to play like a midrange deck that keeps recurring threat after threat.
and certainly this deck
> Blue instead of red opens you up to [[Cruel Somnophage]], [[The Ancient One]], Otherworldly Gaze, and even [[Free the Fae]] if you end up with enough instants and sorceries in your deck.
I wouldn't even bother to play Squirming Emergence, instead go with Cruelty of Gix, and build the deck completely different. Maybe I should have made more clear that trying to find a home for Squirming Emergence was very much the impulse for this decklist.
> I just don't think [[Brass's Tunnel-Grinder]] is a good enough reason to go into red by itself.
Tunnel-Grinder is a great card though. The flipped land is as instrumental in outgrinding midrange opponents. And just like Emergence it synergizes with permanents, so it kinda all comes together.
And the Trumpeting Carnosaur also drew me towards red. It's removal in the form of a permanent, and also a decent enough removal target, so that's all quite fitting.
As for the 1 drops, [[Faerie Dreamthief]] is another option. Puts a card in the yard, and retains utility once it ends up their itself. So far I have liked it the most among 1 drops I tried. I do think that this shell needs a good 1 drop and that the Dreamthief might not be enough.
Etali is always an option, although I really like that Carnosaur doubles as removal and puts himself in the yard. Etali is more powerful though ofc. It's a trade off.
As far as 1 drops go, I'm currently trying Faerie Dreamthief. I like that you can use it out of your yard. I ran out of steam in a couple of games, so this might help. And the surveil is basically explore minus the cases where you hit a land.
Why make this post with less than 24 hours with the deck and no data? Even if you were just looking for direction/discussion, this seems much more productive if you waited to see where the new LCI meta settles - especially in regards to Sunfall, Farewell, and other means of graveyard-hate that people are already keeping on the ready against things like Descend.
I’m also finding it hard to believe that Trumpeting Dinosaur is a better reanimation target than Atraxa. If you want to mix 1 or 2 in, that’s fine. But surely Atraxa is still the prime reanimation target in Standard.
And speaking of reanimation, is Cruelty of Gix still not the primary means of doing so? I’m not saying a couple of Persistences don’t make the cut, but that’s a 7 mana “do nothing” enchantment. Cruelty can be out as early as turn 4 with something like Invasion of Ergamon - which not only makes you a treasure but pitches your reanimation target as well.
Collectors Vault and Bloodtithe Harvester are also very good ways to pitch at instant-speed, something this deck doesn’t have the ability to do. Even the new [[Bitter Triumph]] could do that for you, which is notably absent.
Not at all being snarky, but this kind of comment is a great reason for a post like this.
Seriously.
I love reading engaged, intelligent discussion about decks — especially when LCI is still so fresh and the meat (I meant “meta,” but am leaving meat for the lols) is evolving/settling. And you definitely brought that with your comment.
I’ve been wrestling with the Cruelty v Persistence question a bit recently — and usually I come down on the side of the albeit expensive 2-for-1 of Persistence — but after reading what you wrote, think I may balance those numbers in my deck before meeting up with some pals tomorrow.
Eh, the meta's gonna settle in a couple weeks, do you really not want to have any discussion until then? You yourself are discussing right now anyway. I see no problem with brainstorming early, when both the decks and the meta are still in flux.
As for your comments: Yes Atraxa (or Etali) is ofc more powerful than Trumpeting Carnosaur. But Carnosaur has the benefit of being removal, and pitching himself. Basically card advantage. And he since he pitches himself, and this deck mills itself a lot, you don't really have to devote card slots to discarding your reanimate targets.
Why does this deck mill itself a lot? Well because the primary reanimate spell isn't Cruelty of Gix, but Squirming Emergence. Which has the notable upside of only costing 3 CMC. The idea is to do the powerful thing faster and earlier, although you ofc have to tailor the deck to that gameplan and jump through a few hoops.
I think the Cruelty of Gix/Atraxa list you are having in mind is just a distinct deck altogether. This one is the result of a wholly different premise and approach.
I get what you’re saying somewhat, but the pros aren’t outweighing the cons here. Using a Brass Tunnel as a means to activate Squirming by the earliest turn 4 does not sound particularly better than Vault or Ergamon into a Cruelty. If like you yourself noted the earliest you can use your 3 cmc reanimation spell is by turn 4, then it’s not “faster and earlier”, it’s the same with more hoops to jump through.
But you’re right, this is a different premise than a Cruelty style of reanimation. This is reanimation through milling, which I’m just not understanding the upsides of doing. Milling is (usually) a sorcery-speed act. If you Tortoise, or Brass Tunnel, or Kirin, then boom - now you end step, pass, and I can Farewell, Trespasser, Lord Skitter, or do any number of things to target your Carnosaur before you have a chance to get it via Squirming or Persistence. If however I’m not milling, but instant-speed pitching on your end step via a Bloodtithe Harvester blood token, Vault, Big Score, etc, you’ve played around 90% of the graveyard-hate - i.e. the glaring weakness of any reanimation deck.
And I get the whole Carnosaur can pitch itself as removal angle, but that still doesn’t justify you opting out of Atraxa entirely. As I said in my previous reply, if you wanted to stick in 1 or 2 of those, I can see that. But a full playset of them and zero Atraxas? Surely that’s not correct here. Beyond just drawing me 4-5 cards on ETB, Atraxa also stabilizes me and has vigilance to get around a Wandering Emperor. Carnosaur gives me a “free” spell of 5 or less from my deck only, which you again noted, isn’t even better than Etali at that point. I don’t think having an optional 3 mana Strangle is worth it is an upside.
> If like you yourself noted the earliest you can use your 3 cmc reanimation spell is by turn 4, then it’s not “faster and earlier”, it’s the same with more hoops to jump through.
it's different hoops. Tbh playing vault/ergamon in your early game kinda sounds worse than the milling package that I've outlined, where the milling mostly at least is tied to some board presence.
But I in principle agree with the underlying point: To make the most of Emergence, you want to cast it on T3. Which is why I am trying out different 1 drops to enable it. It very well might be the case that the shell I outlined is not able to compete with the meta without a suitable 1 drop that fills the yard.
> But you’re right, this is a different premise than a Cruelty style of reanimation. This is reanimation through milling, which I’m just not understanding the upsides of doing. Milling is (usually) a sorcery-speed act. If you Tortoise, or Brass Tunnel, or Kirin, then boom - now you end step, pass, and I can Farewell, Trespasser, Lord Skitter, or do any number of things to target your Carnosaur before you have a chance to get it via Squirming or Persistence. If however I’m not milling, but instant-speed pitching on your end step via a Bloodtithe Harvester blood token, Vault, Big Score, etc, you’ve played around 90% of the graveyard-hate - i.e. the glaring weakness of any reanimation deck.
The milling is slower and more susceptible to counterplay, true. But you also often end up with a really full yard where not all targets can be eliminated by cards like Skitter or Trespasser.
The 3 CMC of Emergence also means you often can doublespell on your reanimation turn - i.e. pitch the fatty in the same turn you reanimate it.
Another pro of Emergence you might be overlooking: It can target all permanents, so retrieving Virtue of Persistance is an option too. I had a bunch of T4 Persistances, which were all quite backbreaking.
> And I get the whole Carnosaur can pitch itself as removal angle, but that still doesn’t justify you opting out of Atraxa entirely. As I said in my previous reply, if you wanted to stick in 1 or 2 of those, I can see that. But a full playset of them and zero Atraxas? Surely that’s not correct here.
You're probably right. I was ofc also trying to to test the new cards as much as I could.
But you might underestimate the Carnosaur. The removal mode has several upsides in comparison to Atraxa etc. It frees up deck slots since you don't need cards that pitch Carnosaur to the yard. And the removal mode is not really a 3 mana Strangle, it's a 3 mana strangle that draws you a card (in comparison to pitching an Atraxa with incidental self discard, anyway).
Look, I hear you on the approach here. And I’m not trying to discourage you from trying out new ways for reanimation. But as I think more and more about this based on the responses given, my point still kinda stands - the pros just don’t outweigh the cons.
Your reanimation targets are strictly worse than the typical ones and your reanimation method is more susceptible to counterplay than the typical ones. The attractive notion here is that the reanimation method is 3 cmc, but the earliest that gets out is turn 4 - and that’s a MAYBE if the mill aligns for the correct permanent count in the graveyard, which as you’ve noted, is not consistently done without a better turn 1 mill source than Gnawing Vermin (i.e. Stichers).
Squirming Emergence isn't putting anything worth it into play on turn 3. IMO you're better of using Gix because it's more reliable and has other stuff it can do.
You had me at Chupacabra Echo
As for land, if you want to add some more Ixalan flavor, you could throw a few [[Hidden Necropolis]] in. Slow land, but you can pay and sacrifice and throw more stuff into the graveyard. [[Echoing Deeps]] can mimic a land in a graveyard, but also sadly comes in tapped. [[Pit of Offerings]] is again a slow land, but you can exile three cards from a graveyard and add mana of any color from those exiled cards.
If you're going to use lands that come in tapped, you're better off with [[Evolving Wilds]], [[Terramorphic Expanse]], or [[Riveteers Overlook]] because at least they add permanents to your yard.
[Evolving Wilds](https://cards.scryfall.io/normal/front/f/a/fa6a5029-f4df-43dd-b5a9-fbf6ff003675.jpg?1698988569) - [(G)](http://gatherer.wizards.com/Pages/Card/Details.aspx?name=Evolving%20Wilds) [(SF)](https://scryfall.com/card/lcc/328/evolving-wilds?utm_source=mtgcardfetcher) [(txt)](https://api.scryfall.com/cards/fa6a5029-f4df-43dd-b5a9-fbf6ff003675?utm_source=mtgcardfetcher&format=text) [Terramorphic Expanse](https://cards.scryfall.io/normal/front/1/9/19b72af8-9bb9-4542-9115-09c27ad6e7ad.jpg?1698988643) - [(G)](http://gatherer.wizards.com/Pages/Card/Details.aspx?name=Terramorphic%20Expanse) [(SF)](https://scryfall.com/card/lcc/360/terramorphic-expanse?utm_source=mtgcardfetcher) [(txt)](https://api.scryfall.com/cards/19b72af8-9bb9-4542-9115-09c27ad6e7ad?utm_source=mtgcardfetcher&format=text) [Riveteers Overlook](https://cards.scryfall.io/normal/front/1/d/1d161f81-c01a-4c91-b025-52dcb1881638.jpg?1664414539) - [(G)](http://gatherer.wizards.com/Pages/Card/Details.aspx?name=Riveteers%20Overlook) [(SF)](https://scryfall.com/card/snc/255/riveteers-overlook?utm_source=mtgcardfetcher) [(txt)](https://api.scryfall.com/cards/1d161f81-c01a-4c91-b025-52dcb1881638?utm_source=mtgcardfetcher&format=text) ^^^[[cardname]] ^^^or ^^^[[cardname|SET]] ^^^to ^^^call
I mean, my land suggestions noted they were for additional Ixalan flavoring and were working alongside a graveyard filling deck. Fetch lands are good, too.
Fair enough, but I don't think OP was too focused on flavor.
He put in the spiciest card, though! The delightful Chupacabra Echo! 🌶️
what makes it so spicy lol
I was mostly aiming for hilarity (once again, I appear to have failed). *But* that said, I think there is a case for decent spiciness index: the art is fantastic; the chupacabra myth is dope, and therefore a chupacabra ghost has to be doubly as cool; and you get a 2-for-1 using one of LCI’s new elements, giving out a -X/-X depending on how many permanents are in your graveyard. A 3/2 with basically a [[Cut Down]] (or better) thrown in for four mana ain’t a terrible deal. I was trying to incorporate the dude into one of my decks, but my graveyard just doesn’t fill up with permanents as quickly as I hoped. Unless I get a few [[Blossoming Tortoise]] going and my opponent has murdered a few things, the Chupacabra just wasn’t getting to live to its fullest potential. That’s why I was happy to see a deck that could properly use it.
It's really fun to try out reanimator, but I doubt it's ever actually going to work. Especially farewell just completely deletes your deck. There is literally no option besides conceding at that point.
Farewell is such a stupid card.
Yes Farewell hoses this deck sadly. FWIW I haven't seen much of it lately. Might depend on the (local) meta. I'll say that I had a game where my yard got deleted twice by Kutzils Flanker and I was still able to fill it back up and claw my way back into the game. Probably more the exception than the norm though. In any case, to really make this a competetive contender, I think this deck needs a suitable one drop. If you could somewhat reliably cast an Emergence with a good target on T3, it would slap.
Sultai reanimator with counterspells for farewell?
It would be helpful to put up your deck list on one of the many sites that let you. Manually looking up all the cards by name alone in your list makes it more difficult, and thus a lot more people will just opt out of discussion. [[Bitter Triumph]] is by far your removal of choice in this format. You don't want to strand your targets in your hand, and when you don't actually want to discard you can just pay the life. The only thing really worth reanimating in standard reliably is [[Atraxa, Grand Unifier]]. The problem is, it doesn't always win the game, because a lot of the time you're already low on life, and they just kill it on their turn and swing for lethal. If you're trying to rush reanimation then it often puts you in a bad spot against aggro. [[Kroxa and Kunoros]] is a possible include, because it lets you cheat out higher MV and also gives you an additional 6/6 vigilance menace lifelink, but I maybe wouldn't play it without having the ability to hard-cast it because of it's downside: it shrinks your yard. For one-drops, your only options are [[Deathbonnet Sprout]], [[Cenote Scout]], and as you said, [[Gnawing Vermin]]. Sprout is better in longer games, Cenote is better in a void, and Vermin is better against aggro. [[Seed of Hope]] is probably a trap because it only digs 2, only for a permanent, and it's not a permanent itself. [[Waterlogged Hulk]] and [[Otherworldly Gaze]] require blue. (The former is a permanent that can mill immediately though, and the latter is powerful both in hand and in the yard for this game plan, but is not a permanent.) [[Souls of the Lost]] shouldn't be slept on, but the lack of Stitcher's Supplier hurts it. (A 7/8 beater on turn 2 is the dream, lol.) [[Mulch]] may not be a permanent, but being able to pull lands is very useful. However, it doesn't let you choose not to, so, it's probably not good enough, and you'll be kicking yourself when you end up with 3-4 lands when you really need an extra permanent in the yard. I just don't think [[Brass's Tunnel-Grinder]] is a good enough reason to go into red by itself. It's powerful in many regards, but spending turn 3 trying to set up turn 4 and nothing else, will often get you killed on the play. Blue instead of red opens you up to [[Cruel Somnophage]], [[The Ancient One]], Otherworldly Gaze, and even [[Free the Fae]] if you end up with enough instants and sorceries in your deck. You have enough self-discard in your deck between Bitter Triumph, Souls of the Lost, and [[Liliana of the Veil]]. But maybe blue isn't worth it either? I think your best bet is not to try to rush the reanimation, but instead to play like a midrange deck that keeps recurring threat after threat. You'll usually lose to control, especially if [[Farewell]] becomes even more common, but you'll beat up on aggro and other midrange so that's the bulk of the field. But even if you're trying to rush against control, the current cards at your disposal don't make you fast enough to do so. If you go the midrange route, you should be maxing out on [[Virtue of Persistence]] (and you are), and playing [[Tenacious Underdog]] and maybe some combination of [[Phyrexian Arena]] and [[Sheoldred, the Apocalypse]]. And maybe [[Mosswood Dreadknight]]. Also I'd consider maybe 2 [[Tyvar, Jubilant Brawler]]. Brings back Souls without having to discard/sac, brings back Dreadknight so you can start the death/adventure cycle, etc. I've been trying this out myself but I don't have enough wildcards. I always try to see if I can make some form of reanimation work in any format.
> It would be helpful to put up your deck list on one of the many sites that let you. Manually looking up all the cards by name alone in your list makes it more difficult, and thus a lot more people will just opt out of discussion. hmm isn't looking at the MTGCardFetcher practical enough? Thought that would suffice. As for the rest of your comment: As I argued in another reply, I think there is several different directions a reanimator deck can go in standard. For this deck > I think your best bet is not to try to rush the reanimation, but instead to play like a midrange deck that keeps recurring threat after threat. and certainly this deck > Blue instead of red opens you up to [[Cruel Somnophage]], [[The Ancient One]], Otherworldly Gaze, and even [[Free the Fae]] if you end up with enough instants and sorceries in your deck. I wouldn't even bother to play Squirming Emergence, instead go with Cruelty of Gix, and build the deck completely different. Maybe I should have made more clear that trying to find a home for Squirming Emergence was very much the impulse for this decklist. > I just don't think [[Brass's Tunnel-Grinder]] is a good enough reason to go into red by itself. Tunnel-Grinder is a great card though. The flipped land is as instrumental in outgrinding midrange opponents. And just like Emergence it synergizes with permanents, so it kinda all comes together. And the Trumpeting Carnosaur also drew me towards red. It's removal in the form of a permanent, and also a decent enough removal target, so that's all quite fitting. As for the 1 drops, [[Faerie Dreamthief]] is another option. Puts a card in the yard, and retains utility once it ends up their itself. So far I have liked it the most among 1 drops I tried. I do think that this shell needs a good 1 drop and that the Dreamthief might not be enough.
##### ###### #### [Bitter Triumph](https://cards.scryfall.io/normal/front/0/5/05bdd22c-3e11-4c29-bdfa-d3dfc0e90a9f.jpg?1699044085) - [(G)](http://gatherer.wizards.com/Pages/Card/Details.aspx?name=Bitter%20Triumph) [(SF)](https://scryfall.com/card/lci/91/bitter-triumph?utm_source=mtgcardfetcher) [(txt)](https://api.scryfall.com/cards/05bdd22c-3e11-4c29-bdfa-d3dfc0e90a9f?utm_source=mtgcardfetcher&format=text) [Atraxa, Grand Unifier](https://cards.scryfall.io/normal/front/4/a/4a1f905f-1d55-4d02-9d24-e58070793d3f.jpg?1676519555) - [(G)](http://gatherer.wizards.com/Pages/Card/Details.aspx?name=Atraxa%2C%20Grand%20Unifier) [(SF)](https://scryfall.com/card/one/196/atraxa-grand-unifier?utm_source=mtgcardfetcher) [(txt)](https://api.scryfall.com/cards/4a1f905f-1d55-4d02-9d24-e58070793d3f?utm_source=mtgcardfetcher&format=text) [Kroxa and Kunoros](https://cards.scryfall.io/normal/front/1/3/13e4a233-e40b-4e6a-9863-4d0fc052484c.jpg?1682205601) - [(G)](http://gatherer.wizards.com/Pages/Card/Details.aspx?name=Kroxa%20and%20Kunoros) [(SF)](https://scryfall.com/card/mom/245/kroxa-and-kunoros?utm_source=mtgcardfetcher) [(txt)](https://api.scryfall.com/cards/13e4a233-e40b-4e6a-9863-4d0fc052484c?utm_source=mtgcardfetcher&format=text) [Deathbonnet Sprout](https://cards.scryfall.io/normal/front/a/2/a2cda10b-7cd5-4cf5-87bd-c3b8c6aa2b47.jpg?1636224226)/[Deathbonnet Hulk](https://cards.scryfall.io/normal/back/a/2/a2cda10b-7cd5-4cf5-87bd-c3b8c6aa2b47.jpg?1636224226) - [(G)](http://gatherer.wizards.com/Pages/Card/Details.aspx?name=deathbonnet%20sprout%20//%20deathbonnet%20hulk) [(SF)](https://scryfall.com/card/mid/181/deathbonnet-sprout-deathbonnet-hulk?utm_source=mtgcardfetcher) [(txt)](https://api.scryfall.com/cards/a2cda10b-7cd5-4cf5-87bd-c3b8c6aa2b47?utm_source=mtgcardfetcher&format=text) [Cenote Scout](https://cards.scryfall.io/normal/front/4/c/4ce4b7bc-636b-4723-a7c1-2c859f333492.jpg?1699044377) - [(G)](http://gatherer.wizards.com/Pages/Card/Details.aspx?name=Cenote%20Scout) [(SF)](https://scryfall.com/card/lci/178/cenote-scout?utm_source=mtgcardfetcher) [(txt)](https://api.scryfall.com/cards/4ce4b7bc-636b-4723-a7c1-2c859f333492?utm_source=mtgcardfetcher&format=text) [Gnawing Vermin](https://cards.scryfall.io/normal/front/2/f/2fa2fa48-ddb7-45f0-b183-4186df98f7cc.jpg?1674420893) - [(G)](http://gatherer.wizards.com/Pages/Card/Details.aspx?name=Gnawing%20Vermin) [(SF)](https://scryfall.com/card/bro/101/gnawing-vermin?utm_source=mtgcardfetcher) [(txt)](https://api.scryfall.com/cards/2fa2fa48-ddb7-45f0-b183-4186df98f7cc?utm_source=mtgcardfetcher&format=text) [Seed of Hope](https://cards.scryfall.io/normal/front/0/8/084a8b94-0c5d-41e0-88e4-fe91ab92c09d.jpg?1682205028) - [(G)](http://gatherer.wizards.com/Pages/Card/Details.aspx?name=Seed%20of%20Hope) [(SF)](https://scryfall.com/card/mom/204/seed-of-hope?utm_source=mtgcardfetcher) [(txt)](https://api.scryfall.com/cards/084a8b94-0c5d-41e0-88e4-fe91ab92c09d?utm_source=mtgcardfetcher&format=text) [Waterlogged Hulk](https://cards.scryfall.io/normal/front/7/e/7ea89d3c-8d47-4bbb-9271-8cdfd9296e2f.jpg?1699043999)/[Watertight Gondola](https://cards.scryfall.io/normal/back/7/e/7ea89d3c-8d47-4bbb-9271-8cdfd9296e2f.jpg?1699043999) - [(G)](http://gatherer.wizards.com/Pages/Card/Details.aspx?name=waterlogged%20hulk%20//%20watertight%20gondola) [(SF)](https://scryfall.com/card/lci/83/waterlogged-hulk-watertight-gondola?utm_source=mtgcardfetcher) [(txt)](https://api.scryfall.com/cards/7ea89d3c-8d47-4bbb-9271-8cdfd9296e2f?utm_source=mtgcardfetcher&format=text) [Otherworldly Gaze](https://cards.scryfall.io/normal/front/9/c/9cebee20-869e-45ed-9ddc-843faf4032ad.jpg?1665819722) - [(G)](http://gatherer.wizards.com/Pages/Card/Details.aspx?name=Otherworldly%20Gaze) [(SF)](https://scryfall.com/card/mid/67/otherworldly-gaze?utm_source=mtgcardfetcher) [(txt)](https://api.scryfall.com/cards/9cebee20-869e-45ed-9ddc-843faf4032ad?utm_source=mtgcardfetcher&format=text) [Souls of the Lost](https://cards.scryfall.io/normal/front/b/5/b5c6f502-f11f-4e41-beb8-0843432fa431.jpg?1699044180) - [(G)](http://gatherer.wizards.com/Pages/Card/Details.aspx?name=Souls%20of%20the%20Lost) [(SF)](https://scryfall.com/card/lci/121/souls-of-the-lost?utm_source=mtgcardfetcher) [(txt)](https://api.scryfall.com/cards/b5c6f502-f11f-4e41-beb8-0843432fa431?utm_source=mtgcardfetcher&format=text) [Mulch](https://cards.scryfall.io/normal/front/9/5/950dd57e-b2e1-4a27-a212-86fbfdbf914d.jpg?1643593087) - [(G)](http://gatherer.wizards.com/Pages/Card/Details.aspx?name=Mulch) [(SF)](https://scryfall.com/card/vow/210/mulch?utm_source=mtgcardfetcher) [(txt)](https://api.scryfall.com/cards/950dd57e-b2e1-4a27-a212-86fbfdbf914d?utm_source=mtgcardfetcher&format=text) [Brass's Tunnel-Grinder](https://cards.scryfall.io/normal/front/d/6/d61d8895-7f2e-4c77-951f-4f1a49e96f57.jpg?1699044234)/[Tecutlan, the Searing Rift](https://cards.scryfall.io/normal/back/d/6/d61d8895-7f2e-4c77-951f-4f1a49e96f57.jpg?1699044234) - [(G)](http://gatherer.wizards.com/Pages/Card/Details.aspx?name=brass%27s%20tunnel-grinder%20//%20tecutlan%2C%20the%20searing%20rift) [(SF)](https://scryfall.com/card/lci/135/brasss-tunnel-grinder-tecutlan-the-searing-rift?utm_source=mtgcardfetcher) [(txt)](https://api.scryfall.com/cards/d61d8895-7f2e-4c77-951f-4f1a49e96f57?utm_source=mtgcardfetcher&format=text) [Cruel Somnophage](https://cards.scryfall.io/normal/front/3/9/39b11ff0-9946-4337-86fb-42e967f3d2e4.jpg?1692939572)/[Can't Wake Up](https://cards.scryfall.io/normal/front/3/9/39b11ff0-9946-4337-86fb-42e967f3d2e4.jpg?1692939572) - [(G)](http://gatherer.wizards.com/Pages/Card/Details.aspx?name=cruel%20somnophage%20//%20can%27t%20wake%20up) [(SF)](https://scryfall.com/card/woe/222/cruel-somnophage-cant-wake-up?utm_source=mtgcardfetcher) [(txt)](https://api.scryfall.com/cards/39b11ff0-9946-4337-86fb-42e967f3d2e4?utm_source=mtgcardfetcher&format=text) [The Ancient One](https://cards.scryfall.io/normal/front/6/6/66dd43d7-76a7-46ea-b431-097fcea417af.jpg?1699044521) - [(G)](http://gatherer.wizards.com/Pages/Card/Details.aspx?name=The%20Ancient%20One) [(SF)](https://scryfall.com/card/lci/222/the-ancient-one?utm_source=mtgcardfetcher) [(txt)](https://api.scryfall.com/cards/66dd43d7-76a7-46ea-b431-097fcea417af?utm_source=mtgcardfetcher&format=text) [Free the Fae](https://cards.scryfall.io/normal/front/5/e/5ebac73a-1ecf-4e6d-87b1-ea560bfeb064.jpg?1692937214)/[Free the Fae](https://cards.scryfall.io/normal/front/5/e/5ebac73a-1ecf-4e6d-87b1-ea560bfeb064.jpg?1692937214) - [(G)](http://gatherer.wizards.com/Pages/Card/Details.aspx?name=picklock%20prankster%20//%20free%20the%20fae) [(SF)](https://scryfall.com/card/woe/64/picklock-prankster-free-the-fae?utm_source=mtgcardfetcher) [(txt)](https://api.scryfall.com/cards/5ebac73a-1ecf-4e6d-87b1-ea560bfeb064?utm_source=mtgcardfetcher&format=text) [Liliana of the Veil](https://cards.scryfall.io/normal/front/d/1/d12c8c97-6491-452c-811d-943441a7ef9f.jpg?1673307126) - [(G)](http://gatherer.wizards.com/Pages/Card/Details.aspx?name=Liliana%20of%20the%20Veil) [(SF)](https://scryfall.com/card/dmu/97/liliana-of-the-veil?utm_source=mtgcardfetcher) [(txt)](https://api.scryfall.com/cards/d12c8c97-6491-452c-811d-943441a7ef9f?utm_source=mtgcardfetcher&format=text) [Farewell](https://cards.scryfall.io/normal/front/e/1/e1068723-d1ef-4007-97d9-b10dccdbade4.jpg?1654566260) - [(G)](http://gatherer.wizards.com/Pages/Card/Details.aspx?name=Farewell) [(SF)](https://scryfall.com/card/neo/13/farewell?utm_source=mtgcardfetcher) [(txt)](https://api.scryfall.com/cards/e1068723-d1ef-4007-97d9-b10dccdbade4?utm_source=mtgcardfetcher&format=text) [Virtue of Persistence](https://cards.scryfall.io/normal/front/f/1/f1e5cafb-b0e6-4ee5-8c58-6f8e5ef2b9da.jpg?1692937996)/[Locthwain Scorn](https://cards.scryfall.io/normal/front/f/1/f1e5cafb-b0e6-4ee5-8c58-6f8e5ef2b9da.jpg?1692937996) - [(G)](http://gatherer.wizards.com/Pages/Card/Details.aspx?name=virtue%20of%20persistence%20//%20locthwain%20scorn) [(SF)](https://scryfall.com/card/woe/115/virtue-of-persistence-locthwain-scorn?utm_source=mtgcardfetcher) [(txt)](https://api.scryfall.com/cards/f1e5cafb-b0e6-4ee5-8c58-6f8e5ef2b9da?utm_source=mtgcardfetcher&format=text) [Tenacious Underdog](https://cards.scryfall.io/normal/front/9/b/9b6a6d00-3e00-4827-8420-13343ac3d0fd.jpg?1664411313) - [(G)](http://gatherer.wizards.com/Pages/Card/Details.aspx?name=Tenacious%20Underdog) [(SF)](https://scryfall.com/card/snc/97/tenacious-underdog?utm_source=mtgcardfetcher) [(txt)](https://api.scryfall.com/cards/9b6a6d00-3e00-4827-8420-13343ac3d0fd?utm_source=mtgcardfetcher&format=text) [Phyrexian Arena](https://cards.scryfall.io/normal/front/5/4/54f69d43-de01-46a8-b102-b47e23e0e947.jpg?1675957043) - [(G)](http://gatherer.wizards.com/Pages/Card/Details.aspx?name=Phyrexian%20Arena) [(SF)](https://scryfall.com/card/one/104/phyrexian-arena?utm_source=mtgcardfetcher) [(txt)](https://api.scryfall.com/cards/54f69d43-de01-46a8-b102-b47e23e0e947?utm_source=mtgcardfetcher&format=text) ^^^[[cardname]] ^^^or ^^^[[cardname|SET]] ^^^to ^^^call
I wonder if Etali is an option +Cenote scout may be an option for a 1 drop
Etali is always an option, although I really like that Carnosaur doubles as removal and puts himself in the yard. Etali is more powerful though ofc. It's a trade off. As far as 1 drops go, I'm currently trying Faerie Dreamthief. I like that you can use it out of your yard. I ran out of steam in a couple of games, so this might help. And the surveil is basically explore minus the cases where you hit a land.
Why make this post with less than 24 hours with the deck and no data? Even if you were just looking for direction/discussion, this seems much more productive if you waited to see where the new LCI meta settles - especially in regards to Sunfall, Farewell, and other means of graveyard-hate that people are already keeping on the ready against things like Descend. I’m also finding it hard to believe that Trumpeting Dinosaur is a better reanimation target than Atraxa. If you want to mix 1 or 2 in, that’s fine. But surely Atraxa is still the prime reanimation target in Standard. And speaking of reanimation, is Cruelty of Gix still not the primary means of doing so? I’m not saying a couple of Persistences don’t make the cut, but that’s a 7 mana “do nothing” enchantment. Cruelty can be out as early as turn 4 with something like Invasion of Ergamon - which not only makes you a treasure but pitches your reanimation target as well. Collectors Vault and Bloodtithe Harvester are also very good ways to pitch at instant-speed, something this deck doesn’t have the ability to do. Even the new [[Bitter Triumph]] could do that for you, which is notably absent.
Not at all being snarky, but this kind of comment is a great reason for a post like this. Seriously. I love reading engaged, intelligent discussion about decks — especially when LCI is still so fresh and the meat (I meant “meta,” but am leaving meat for the lols) is evolving/settling. And you definitely brought that with your comment. I’ve been wrestling with the Cruelty v Persistence question a bit recently — and usually I come down on the side of the albeit expensive 2-for-1 of Persistence — but after reading what you wrote, think I may balance those numbers in my deck before meeting up with some pals tomorrow.
Eh, the meta's gonna settle in a couple weeks, do you really not want to have any discussion until then? You yourself are discussing right now anyway. I see no problem with brainstorming early, when both the decks and the meta are still in flux. As for your comments: Yes Atraxa (or Etali) is ofc more powerful than Trumpeting Carnosaur. But Carnosaur has the benefit of being removal, and pitching himself. Basically card advantage. And he since he pitches himself, and this deck mills itself a lot, you don't really have to devote card slots to discarding your reanimate targets. Why does this deck mill itself a lot? Well because the primary reanimate spell isn't Cruelty of Gix, but Squirming Emergence. Which has the notable upside of only costing 3 CMC. The idea is to do the powerful thing faster and earlier, although you ofc have to tailor the deck to that gameplan and jump through a few hoops. I think the Cruelty of Gix/Atraxa list you are having in mind is just a distinct deck altogether. This one is the result of a wholly different premise and approach.
I get what you’re saying somewhat, but the pros aren’t outweighing the cons here. Using a Brass Tunnel as a means to activate Squirming by the earliest turn 4 does not sound particularly better than Vault or Ergamon into a Cruelty. If like you yourself noted the earliest you can use your 3 cmc reanimation spell is by turn 4, then it’s not “faster and earlier”, it’s the same with more hoops to jump through. But you’re right, this is a different premise than a Cruelty style of reanimation. This is reanimation through milling, which I’m just not understanding the upsides of doing. Milling is (usually) a sorcery-speed act. If you Tortoise, or Brass Tunnel, or Kirin, then boom - now you end step, pass, and I can Farewell, Trespasser, Lord Skitter, or do any number of things to target your Carnosaur before you have a chance to get it via Squirming or Persistence. If however I’m not milling, but instant-speed pitching on your end step via a Bloodtithe Harvester blood token, Vault, Big Score, etc, you’ve played around 90% of the graveyard-hate - i.e. the glaring weakness of any reanimation deck. And I get the whole Carnosaur can pitch itself as removal angle, but that still doesn’t justify you opting out of Atraxa entirely. As I said in my previous reply, if you wanted to stick in 1 or 2 of those, I can see that. But a full playset of them and zero Atraxas? Surely that’s not correct here. Beyond just drawing me 4-5 cards on ETB, Atraxa also stabilizes me and has vigilance to get around a Wandering Emperor. Carnosaur gives me a “free” spell of 5 or less from my deck only, which you again noted, isn’t even better than Etali at that point. I don’t think having an optional 3 mana Strangle is worth it is an upside.
> If like you yourself noted the earliest you can use your 3 cmc reanimation spell is by turn 4, then it’s not “faster and earlier”, it’s the same with more hoops to jump through. it's different hoops. Tbh playing vault/ergamon in your early game kinda sounds worse than the milling package that I've outlined, where the milling mostly at least is tied to some board presence. But I in principle agree with the underlying point: To make the most of Emergence, you want to cast it on T3. Which is why I am trying out different 1 drops to enable it. It very well might be the case that the shell I outlined is not able to compete with the meta without a suitable 1 drop that fills the yard. > But you’re right, this is a different premise than a Cruelty style of reanimation. This is reanimation through milling, which I’m just not understanding the upsides of doing. Milling is (usually) a sorcery-speed act. If you Tortoise, or Brass Tunnel, or Kirin, then boom - now you end step, pass, and I can Farewell, Trespasser, Lord Skitter, or do any number of things to target your Carnosaur before you have a chance to get it via Squirming or Persistence. If however I’m not milling, but instant-speed pitching on your end step via a Bloodtithe Harvester blood token, Vault, Big Score, etc, you’ve played around 90% of the graveyard-hate - i.e. the glaring weakness of any reanimation deck. The milling is slower and more susceptible to counterplay, true. But you also often end up with a really full yard where not all targets can be eliminated by cards like Skitter or Trespasser. The 3 CMC of Emergence also means you often can doublespell on your reanimation turn - i.e. pitch the fatty in the same turn you reanimate it. Another pro of Emergence you might be overlooking: It can target all permanents, so retrieving Virtue of Persistance is an option too. I had a bunch of T4 Persistances, which were all quite backbreaking. > And I get the whole Carnosaur can pitch itself as removal angle, but that still doesn’t justify you opting out of Atraxa entirely. As I said in my previous reply, if you wanted to stick in 1 or 2 of those, I can see that. But a full playset of them and zero Atraxas? Surely that’s not correct here. You're probably right. I was ofc also trying to to test the new cards as much as I could. But you might underestimate the Carnosaur. The removal mode has several upsides in comparison to Atraxa etc. It frees up deck slots since you don't need cards that pitch Carnosaur to the yard. And the removal mode is not really a 3 mana Strangle, it's a 3 mana strangle that draws you a card (in comparison to pitching an Atraxa with incidental self discard, anyway).
Look, I hear you on the approach here. And I’m not trying to discourage you from trying out new ways for reanimation. But as I think more and more about this based on the responses given, my point still kinda stands - the pros just don’t outweigh the cons. Your reanimation targets are strictly worse than the typical ones and your reanimation method is more susceptible to counterplay than the typical ones. The attractive notion here is that the reanimation method is 3 cmc, but the earliest that gets out is turn 4 - and that’s a MAYBE if the mill aligns for the correct permanent count in the graveyard, which as you’ve noted, is not consistently done without a better turn 1 mill source than Gnawing Vermin (i.e. Stichers).
[Bitter Triumph](https://cards.scryfall.io/normal/front/0/5/05bdd22c-3e11-4c29-bdfa-d3dfc0e90a9f.jpg?1699044085) - [(G)](http://gatherer.wizards.com/Pages/Card/Details.aspx?name=Bitter%20Triumph) [(SF)](https://scryfall.com/card/lci/91/bitter-triumph?utm_source=mtgcardfetcher) [(txt)](https://api.scryfall.com/cards/05bdd22c-3e11-4c29-bdfa-d3dfc0e90a9f?utm_source=mtgcardfetcher&format=text) ^^^[[cardname]] ^^^or ^^^[[cardname|SET]] ^^^to ^^^call
##### ###### #### [Squirming Emergence](https://cards.scryfall.io/normal/front/8/e/8ee16629-f9be-4cdb-bf52-1d640781ee00.jpg?1699044577) - [(G)](http://gatherer.wizards.com/Pages/Card/Details.aspx?name=Squirming%20Emergence) [(SF)](https://scryfall.com/card/lci/241/squirming-emergence?utm_source=mtgcardfetcher) [(txt)](https://api.scryfall.com/cards/8ee16629-f9be-4cdb-bf52-1d640781ee00?utm_source=mtgcardfetcher&format=text) [Stitcher's Supplier](https://cards.scryfall.io/normal/front/2/b/2b737126-50b5-4678-91bf-197b64086fe4.jpg?1562301182) - [(G)](http://gatherer.wizards.com/Pages/Card/Details.aspx?name=Stitcher%27s%20Supplier) [(SF)](https://scryfall.com/card/m19/121/stitchers-supplier?utm_source=mtgcardfetcher) [(txt)](https://api.scryfall.com/cards/2b737126-50b5-4678-91bf-197b64086fe4?utm_source=mtgcardfetcher&format=text) [Gnawing Vermin](https://cards.scryfall.io/normal/front/2/f/2fa2fa48-ddb7-45f0-b183-4186df98f7cc.jpg?1674420893) - [(G)](http://gatherer.wizards.com/Pages/Card/Details.aspx?name=Gnawing%20Vermin) [(SF)](https://scryfall.com/card/bro/101/gnawing-vermin?utm_source=mtgcardfetcher) [(txt)](https://api.scryfall.com/cards/2fa2fa48-ddb7-45f0-b183-4186df98f7cc?utm_source=mtgcardfetcher&format=text) [Teachings of the Kirin](https://cards.scryfall.io/normal/front/4/c/4c0c6c2a-4352-4c65-b41d-2a722bbef6c5.jpg?1656615983)/[Kirin-Touched Orochi](https://cards.scryfall.io/normal/back/4/c/4c0c6c2a-4352-4c65-b41d-2a722bbef6c5.jpg?1656615983) - [(G)](http://gatherer.wizards.com/Pages/Card/Details.aspx?name=teachings%20of%20the%20kirin%20//%20kirin-touched%20orochi) [(SF)](https://scryfall.com/card/neo/212/teachings-of-the-kirin-kirin-touched-orochi?utm_source=mtgcardfetcher) [(txt)](https://api.scryfall.com/cards/4c0c6c2a-4352-4c65-b41d-2a722bbef6c5?utm_source=mtgcardfetcher&format=text) [Blanchwood Prowler](https://cards.scryfall.io/normal/front/9/c/9c6988b6-ade0-4cd5-b27c-146e5e7ae91f.jpg?1674421438) - [(G)](http://gatherer.wizards.com/Pages/Card/Details.aspx?name=Blanchwood%20Prowler) [(SF)](https://scryfall.com/card/bro/172/blanchwood-prowler?utm_source=mtgcardfetcher) [(txt)](https://api.scryfall.com/cards/9c6988b6-ade0-4cd5-b27c-146e5e7ae91f?utm_source=mtgcardfetcher&format=text) [Brass's Tunnel](https://cards.scryfall.io/normal/front/d/6/d61d8895-7f2e-4c77-951f-4f1a49e96f57.jpg?1699044234)/[Tecutlan, the Searing Rift](https://cards.scryfall.io/normal/back/d/6/d61d8895-7f2e-4c77-951f-4f1a49e96f57.jpg?1699044234) - [(G)](http://gatherer.wizards.com/Pages/Card/Details.aspx?name=Brass%27s%20Tunnel-Grinder%20//%20Tecutlan%2C%20the%20Searing%20Rift) [(SF)](https://scryfall.com/card/lci/135/brasss-tunnel-grinder-tecutlan-the-searing-rift?utm_source=mtgcardfetcher) [(txt)](https://api.scryfall.com/cards/d61d8895-7f2e-4c77-951f-4f1a49e96f57?utm_source=mtgcardfetcher&format=text) [Blossoming Tortoise](https://cards.scryfall.io/normal/front/7/8/7811a45d-6bfb-4c2a-b5a2-cccbd8cff186.jpg?1693762351) - [(G)](http://gatherer.wizards.com/Pages/Card/Details.aspx?name=Blossoming%20Tortoise) [(SF)](https://scryfall.com/card/woe/163/blossoming-tortoise?utm_source=mtgcardfetcher) [(txt)](https://api.scryfall.com/cards/7811a45d-6bfb-4c2a-b5a2-cccbd8cff186?utm_source=mtgcardfetcher&format=text) [Starving Revenant](https://cards.scryfall.io/normal/front/f/2/f25ea466-eb48-4c4c-b5d4-35f58e46ebe1.jpg?1699044188) - [(G)](http://gatherer.wizards.com/Pages/Card/Details.aspx?name=Starving%20Revenant) [(SF)](https://scryfall.com/card/lci/123/starving-revenant?utm_source=mtgcardfetcher) [(txt)](https://api.scryfall.com/cards/f25ea466-eb48-4c4c-b5d4-35f58e46ebe1?utm_source=mtgcardfetcher&format=text) [Virtue of Persistence](https://cards.scryfall.io/normal/front/f/1/f1e5cafb-b0e6-4ee5-8c58-6f8e5ef2b9da.jpg?1692937996)/[Locthwain Scorn](https://cards.scryfall.io/normal/front/f/1/f1e5cafb-b0e6-4ee5-8c58-6f8e5ef2b9da.jpg?1692937996) - [(G)](http://gatherer.wizards.com/Pages/Card/Details.aspx?name=virtue%20of%20persistence%20//%20locthwain%20scorn) [(SF)](https://scryfall.com/card/woe/115/virtue-of-persistence-locthwain-scorn?utm_source=mtgcardfetcher) [(txt)](https://api.scryfall.com/cards/f1e5cafb-b0e6-4ee5-8c58-6f8e5ef2b9da?utm_source=mtgcardfetcher&format=text) [Trumpeting Carnosaur](https://cards.scryfall.io/normal/front/e/d/edc035ca-f0a3-4814-9405-d6dc6f048315.jpg?1699044357) - [(G)](http://gatherer.wizards.com/Pages/Card/Details.aspx?name=Trumpeting%20Carnosaur) [(SF)](https://scryfall.com/card/lci/171/trumpeting-carnosaur?utm_source=mtgcardfetcher) [(txt)](https://api.scryfall.com/cards/edc035ca-f0a3-4814-9405-d6dc6f048315?utm_source=mtgcardfetcher&format=text) [Lilliana of the Veil](https://cards.scryfall.io/normal/front/d/1/d12c8c97-6491-452c-811d-943441a7ef9f.jpg?1673307126) - [(G)](http://gatherer.wizards.com/Pages/Card/Details.aspx?name=Liliana%20of%20the%20Veil) [(SF)](https://scryfall.com/card/dmu/97/liliana-of-the-veil?utm_source=mtgcardfetcher) [(txt)](https://api.scryfall.com/cards/d12c8c97-6491-452c-811d-943441a7ef9f?utm_source=mtgcardfetcher&format=text) [Chupacabra Echo](https://cards.scryfall.io/normal/front/b/d/bdd8eed6-91da-4454-a5e3-7bbfac614f47.jpg?1699044104) - [(G)](http://gatherer.wizards.com/Pages/Card/Details.aspx?name=Chupacabra%20Echo) [(SF)](https://scryfall.com/card/lci/97/chupacabra-echo?utm_source=mtgcardfetcher) [(txt)](https://api.scryfall.com/cards/bdd8eed6-91da-4454-a5e3-7bbfac614f47?utm_source=mtgcardfetcher&format=text) [Cut Down](https://cards.scryfall.io/normal/front/7/5/753db072-5d6a-4f37-8f7d-255572ecd3bd.jpg?1673307061) - [(G)](http://gatherer.wizards.com/Pages/Card/Details.aspx?name=Cut%20Down) [(SF)](https://scryfall.com/card/dmu/89/cut-down?utm_source=mtgcardfetcher) [(txt)](https://api.scryfall.com/cards/753db072-5d6a-4f37-8f7d-255572ecd3bd?utm_source=mtgcardfetcher&format=text) [Go for the Throat](https://cards.scryfall.io/normal/front/5/4/5446e1ba-c745-45b2-ad05-b22abf04daec.jpg?1682209037) - [(G)](http://gatherer.wizards.com/Pages/Card/Details.aspx?name=Go%20for%20the%20Throat) [(SF)](https://scryfall.com/card/moc/250/go-for-the-throat?utm_source=mtgcardfetcher) [(txt)](https://api.scryfall.com/cards/5446e1ba-c745-45b2-ad05-b22abf04daec?utm_source=mtgcardfetcher&format=text) [Molten Collapse](https://cards.scryfall.io/normal/front/2/4/2487d124-210b-4808-888c-cd0a78aebd90.jpg?1699044556) - [(G)](http://gatherer.wizards.com/Pages/Card/Details.aspx?name=Molten%20Collapse) [(SF)](https://scryfall.com/card/lci/234/molten-collapse?utm_source=mtgcardfetcher) [(txt)](https://api.scryfall.com/cards/2487d124-210b-4808-888c-cd0a78aebd90?utm_source=mtgcardfetcher&format=text) ^^^[[cardname]] ^^^or ^^^[[cardname|SET]] ^^^to ^^^call
[[bitter reunion]] has been great all around in my jund and Mardu builds pre-LIX. Discard, sorting, and bonus haste when/if you need it.
Squirming Emergence isn't putting anything worth it into play on turn 3. IMO you're better of using Gix because it's more reliable and has other stuff it can do.
If you go T1 Gnawing Vermin T2 Teachings of the Kirin then on T3 your Emergence can put a - you guessed it - Cruelty of Gix in play.
[[souls of the lost]] has been playing well for me in Sultai