[EDH / Commander] Varina Zombies

[Dactylartha]

Any luck with that renewed solidarity or on wings of gold?

[WWolfe]

Any luck with that renewed solidarity or on wings of gold?

Nah. Playtesting Renewed Solidarity and haven't drawn it yet. Waiting to circle around to On Wings of Gold.

[WWolfe]

Drew Renewed Solidarity. It's nice but I feel like it would be better if the commander was Hashaton, where the goal was to discard to make tokens. It doesn't really "feel" like it belongs in Varina where I'm not really creating that many tokens, especially on the other players turns. I think that's where it would be best utilized.

[WWolfe]

Got in some games last night and drew a few more of the new cards.

Accursed Duneyard was nice, helped me regenerate Varina twice. Was nice to save the full cost.

Lost Monarch of Ifnir did some work. It's interesting seeing your opponent's chose between picking the combat damage or whether they take the afflict damage. It was a nice little play pattern.

Hashaton I'm liking. It was nice a few times to get both the token from his ability and then use Zul Ashur to reanimate it. It does have me thinking about retesting Cleaver Skaab as well as Rot Hulk. Not solely as Hashaton targets but for their abilities, which could be even nicer now with Hashaton. The one thing about Hashaton is he's a removal magnet.

[WWolfe]

Monument just feels like you want to be discarding on each players turn to payoff, not really doing that in my build.

Onto playing On Wings of Gold.

Revision 68

Added/removed cards:
-1 Monument to Endurance
+1 On Wings of Gold

[WWolfe]

Feel like Necroduality is better than Liliana. Graveborn Muse for more card draw.

Revision 69

Added/removed cards:
-1 Liliana, Untouched by Death
-1 Razorlash Transmogrant
+1 Graveborn Muse
+1 Necroduality

[Dactylartha]

I got my deck last night and made a ton of changes in Varina, hoping it still feels like the same deck but smoother. I'm facing remorse over removing Geralf, visionary stitcher and think I'm going to find a way to put him back in. I didn't put on wings of gold in yet. I'm at the point where further cuts feel like they'll just become more precon than my original Varina, even though I only swapped 8 cards and 6 lands (resulting in taking out the snow zombie guy and blood on the snow).

Hoping to get some play in soon.

What are your finishers usually?

[WWolfe]

Yea, I had Nafri in mine at one point but found him ehh at best. The new cards I’ve pulled I’ve been happy with but it’s a balancing act to keep it more Varina.

My finishers are usually either an aristocrats finishers or by just overwhelming the board. I do a lot of mass reanimation in my build.

[WWolfe]

Debating adding in Havengul Lich for Ratadrabik of Urborg. Ratadrabik doesn't trigger often with no more legends than I run and it feels bad paying 4 for vigilance.

[WWolfe]

Play testing a few more low cost zombies. Varina works best when you have 2-3 zombies out the turn she hits the field so increasing the chance that happens seems to make sense.

Revision 70

Added/removed cards:
-1 On Wings of Gold
-1 Ratadrabik of Urborg
-1 Zombie Infestation
+1 Bladestitched Skaab
+1 Foulmire Knight // Profane Insight
+1 Shambling Ghast

[WWolfe]

Trying a few things out.

Revision 71

Added/removed cards:
-1 Arcane Denial
-1 Command the Dreadhorde
-1 Get Lost
-1 Graveborn Muse
-1 Lost Monarch of Ifnir
-1 Necroduality
-1 Rhet-Tomb Mystic
+1 Cyclonic Rift
+1 Diabolic Intent
+1 Haakon, Stromgald Scourge
+1 Liliana, Untouched by Death
+1 Master of Death
+1 Razorlash Transmogrant
+1 Sevinne's Reclamation

[WWolfe]

Made the wrong cut earlier, was looking at an old note instead of the current one

Revision 72

Added/removed cards:
-1 Bladestitched Skaab
+1 Arcane Denial

[WWolfe]

Few changes for card draw, adding tutors to combat my playgroups tutors, and trying Library of Leng out again.

Revision 73

Added/removed cards:
-1 Arcane Denial
-1 Archfiend of Ifnir
-1 Cabal Coffers
-1 Cosmic Intervention
-1 Cryptcaller Chariot
-1 Lich Lord of Unx
-1 Twilight's Call
+1 Crypt of Agadeem
+1 Demonic Tutor
+1 Fierce Guardianship
+1 Grim Tutor
+1 Library of Leng
+1 Liliana's Standard Bearer
+1 Midnight Reaper

[WWolfe]

Not a fan of Liliana and Razorlash just doesn't do enough.

Revision 74

Added/removed cards:
-1 Liliana, Untouched by Death
-1 Razorlash Transmogrant
+1 Bladestitched Skaab
+1 Tombstone Stairwell

[WWolfe]

Revision 77

Added/removed cards:
-1 God-Eternal Oketra
-1 Library of Leng
-1 Temmet, Naktamun's Will
-1 Zombie Apocalypse
+1 Reanimate
+1 Repository Skaab
+1 Rot Hulk
+1 Zombie Infestation