Grimgrin EDH (EDH / Commander)

Blue / Black zombie tribal deck. Commander is Grimgrin.

PRIMARY STRATEGY: Win via commander damage.

1. Using lords + fodder to pump in Grimgrin
2. Give Grimgrin evasion OR make unblockable
3. Multiple ways to untap Grimgrin

SECONDARY STRATEGIES

• Combo 1: Grimgrin + Gravecrawler + Rooftop storm = Grimgrim infinitely big (But can still be chump blocked). Will kill if you have Blood Artist or Diregraf Captain in play.
• Combo 2: Phyrexian Alter + Gravecrawler + Diregraf Captain [infinite life loss] OR Blood Artist + any zombie [infinite life loss].
• Huge Exsanguinate: Liliana of the Dark Realms token + Crypt Ghast + Urborg + Exsanguinate = massive life loss. Need to protect with counter magic.
• Undead Army: Overrun opponents with large amounts of zombie tokens (Army of the Dammed, Grave Titan) + Lords.

** combo decks receive negative points in the league where I play. I have them as a back up but are not the primary win con. Triskellion for the Mikaeus, the Unhallowed + Triskellion combo was removed for this reason.

THEMES

• Zombie tribal
• Zombie tokens
• Graveyard recursion

WEAKNESSES
** Flying
Karlia, Avacyn, Prosh are all common where I play. I have no flying creatures. Have to reply on pre-emptive board wipes and spot removal. Adding the creature Wonder + ways to get it into the graveyard will hopefully help with this e.g. Buried Alive, Entomb.

** Mana / deck speed
The deck feels slow at times. I have removed several high CMC costing cards while also adding more ways to generate mana faster or simply more mana. It has been recommended that I add more mana rocks. Added Gilded Lotus.
I did run Dimir Signet for a while but didn't like it. Same with the U/B bounce land. Ancient Tomb is on my wish list as well as the Talisman of Dominance.

** Card draw
I only have 1 draw spell; the rest of the draw is from permanents (Erebos, Phyrexian Arena, Rhystic Study). Considering adding some more spells / change the card draw composition. Treasure cruise, read the bones, brain storm, Jace, Ponder, CMC = U2X, draw X cards. I was running Notion Thief for a while but found it just got targeted straight away, wasn't good value.
I have a few cycling cards e.g. Barren Moor & Lonely Sandbar

CREATURE CONSIDERATIONS
Reading around there is a few non-zombie creatures that appear in a lot of decks.

• Bloodghast, Nether Traitor, Tenacious Dead have easy to trigger recursion which is good for pumping Grimgrin up and are also good Skullclamp targets.

COUNTER MAGIC
At first I was only running 2 counter magic spells. After recommendations that has been bumped to 4. Added Negate and Silumgar's Command in addition to Counterspell and Dissovle. Pact of Negation, Force of Will etc.. Obviously cards to work towards.

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//LANDS//
Academy Ruins - Good for recycling Expedition Map to fetch Urborg and Cabal Coffers. Can also recycle Solemn and Burnished Heart. Considering adding artifact lands to sacrifice to Dust bowl then recycling them.
Bloodstained Mire - Replacement fetch for Terramophic Expanse
Bajuka Bog - Staple.
Cabal Coffers - Massive mana generation with Urborg. Have considered adding Nykthos because I have many double black permanents in play - planeswalkers, enchantments and creatures.
Cavern of Souls - Staple.
Command Tower - EBF untapped duel land.
Crypt of Agadeem - Similar to Cabal Coffers + synergy with Entomb / Buried Alive.
Deserted Temple - Untapping Cabal Coffers + other utility.
Drowned Catacomb - EBF untapped duel land.
Evolving Wilds - To be replaced with better fetch land e.g. Polluted Delta to ensure lands come into play untapped.
High Market - Beneficial sac outlet.
Island - I currently only run three. Need more duel lands.
Lonely Sandbar - Only in for cycling, but can be a Turn 1 play or if desperately short on land.
Minamo, School at Water's Edge - Untapping Grimgrin
Petrified Field - For retrieving key lands like Urborg or Cabal Coffers if they are destroyed.
Reliquary Tower - Staple.
Rogue's Passage - Make Grimgrin unblockable [Unblockable].
Shizo, Death's Storehouse - Make Grimgrin unblockable [Fear].
Swamp - Currently running 5. Fetches include 1x basic fetch, 1 good fetch, Solemn, Lilliana of the Dark Realms +1 ability.
Tainted Isle - EBF untapped duel land.
Temple of Deceit - To be replaced with Sunken Ruins for better fixing and entering untapped.
Temple of the False God - Staple.
Underground River - EBF untapped duel land.
Unholy Grotto - Zombie graveyard recursion.
Urborg, Tomb of Yawgmoth - Utility land.
Watery Grave - EBF untapped duel land. Can be fetched off both fetches, Lilliana of the Dark Realms +1 ability.

---Wish List---
Ancient Tomb - More mana / speed the deck up.
Arcane Lighthouse - Helps Grimgrin destroy creatures with is attack trigger.
Deserted Temple - Untapping Cabal Coffers or Crypt of Agadeem.
Homeward Path - Taking control of Grimgrin.
Sunken Ruins - Replaces Temple of Deceit for better fixing and entering untapped (Speculated reprint with Modern Masters 2015)
Volrath's Stronghold - More non-zombie graveyard recursion for cards like Crypt Ghast or Sheoldred.

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//SPELLS//
Amulet of Vigor - Mainly for Grimgrin but also affects resurrected creatures from Zombie Apocalypse and Watery Grave.
Army of the Dammed - Zombie tokens + Flashback with Entomb.
Black Sun's Zenith - Board wipe that gets around indestructible.
Blue Sun's Zenith - Instant speed card draw.
Buried Alive - Basically a tutor for creatures required for the graveyard e.g. Gravecrawler, Wonder etc...
Call to the Grave - Board wipe through sacrifice.
Capsize - Removal and protection. Can target ANY permanent including lands and buyback gives you many uses potentially.
Counterspell - Counter
Cyclonic Rift - Primarily in for overload board wipe but can be target removal.
Darksteel Ingot - Staple
Decree of Pain - Board wipe + cycling.
Demonic Tutor - Replacement for Diabolic Tutor.
Diabolic Edit - Target removal to get around hexproof
Dictate of Erebos - Don't have a Grave Pact.
Dissolve - Counter
Dread Return - Recursion + non mana flashback.
Elixir of Immortality - Recycle graveyard.
Entomb - Tutor for graveyard.
Expedition Map - Getting Cabal Coffers, Urborg, Academy Ruins.
Exsanguinate - Win con + life gain.
Gilded Lotus - Mana rock
Go for the Throat - removal
Increasing Ambition - Tutor, probably could be replaced.
Lightning Greaves - Creature protection.
Liliana of the Dark Realms - Used for mana generation
Murderous Cut - Unconditional and cheap removal. Thinking of replacing with
Negate - Counterspell
Nim Deathmantle - Recursion + make key creatures Zombies to get around Call to the Grave + potential combo piece with Ashnoods Alters and Grave Titan.
Phyrexian Altar - Combo piece + mana generation.
Phyrexian Arena - Sustainable card draw.
Phyrexian Reclamation - On demand graveyard recursion.
Rhystic Study - Sustainable card draw but often gets countered and targeted.
Rooftop Storm - Combo piece + free zombies.
Silumgar's Command - Negate + Bile Blight + Bounce + Planeswalker kill
Skullclamp - Card draw
Sol Ring - staple mana rock.
Whip of Erebos - graveyard recursion + lifelink.
Zombie Apocalypse - Mass zombie recursion.

---Wish List---
Added more counter magic as suggested.
Pact of Negation - for protecting combos and win con, to replace Dissolve.
Damnation - 4 mana board wipe.
Vampiric Tutor - Replacement for Increasing Ambition.
Nevinyrrals Disk / Perilous Vaults - alternative board wipe.
Tragic Slip - Replacement for Murderous Cut for -x removal to get around indestructible.

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//CREATURES//
Blood Artist - Combo piece + board protection.
Cemetery Reaper - Lord + zombie token generation.
Corpse Connoisseur - Fetch to graveyard + Unearth.
Corpse Harvester - Zombie tutor + mana ramp.
Crypt Ghast - Only in for extra mana, Extort is rarely used.
Death Baron - Lord (cheap CMC), probably replace with Lord of the Undead.
Diregraf Captain - Lord + combo piece.
Erebos - Primarily for card draw, reliable because indestructible. Stops Oloro, Ageless Ascetic.
Evil Twin - Replaced Clone. Strictly better due to creature killing ability.
Fatestitcher - Untap Grimgrin, Cabal Coffers etc
Grave Titan - Zombie token generation.
Gravecrawler - Combo piece, Skullclamp target
Gray Merchant of Asphodel - Value
Mikaeus, the Unhallowed - Lord + recursion (Undying) + creature destruction.
Mortus Strider - Skullclamp target
Phyrexian Delver - Graveyard recursion. Could replace (high CMC).
Reassembling Skeleton - Grimgrin fodder + recursion + skullclamp target.
Sheoldred, Whispering One - Graveyard recursion + board clearing.
Sidisi, Undead Vizier - Zombie + tutor.
Skithiryx - Alternate wincon.
Solemn Simulacrum - Staple.
Thassa, God of the Sea - Make Grimgrin unblockable [unblockable] + Scry + indestructible.
Undead Gladiator - Cycling, good synergy with Grim Returm + zombie.
Undead Warchief - Lord + cheaper zombies. Could replace (high CMC).
Wonder - For flying. Good target for Buried Alive, Entomb.
Withered Wretch - Graveyard hate + zombie
Zombie Master - Make Grimgrin unblockable with Urborg [swamp walk].

---Wish List---
Bloodghast - Skullclamp target
Lord of the Undead - Cheap CMC Lord + graveyard recursion.
Filth - Gives my creatures swampwalk when in my graveyard. Good target for Buried Alive, Entomb etc