Shadows Over Innistrad has arrived and its brought with it a bevy of interesting generals. While the Frog is a huge hit, I think that Olivia is as big a hit. She provides you several build paths. Her ability has multiple parts to it which can all be built around. The ability triggers when creatures enter the battlefield. Importantly, the trigger doesn't care about where they enter from or if the creatures are played. Black and red are excellent at cheating big things into play via Sneak Attack effects or Reanimation effects. That the cheated creatures get haste and set-up the next reanimation effect via discard is a huge bonus. However, the creatures don't have to be cheated. Simply casting large dudes that get +1/+1 and haste that don't die at end of turn is a huge effect. While not as good at it as Drana, Olivia does enable +1/+1 counter synergies. Specifically, she is great with Persist. Cauldron of Souls is a solid card on its own that can repeatedly save your creatures with Olivia out. Finally, she turns the creatures you boost into vampires and enables madness. Unfortunately, in EDH madness falls flat. Most of the cards aren't strong enough, but some, like Big Game Hunter, are worthwhile. The tribal component essentially builds itself, so, I will be focusing on the first two aspects of her ability, reanimation and hasty beats.
Olivia, Reanimation Machine: http://tappedout.net/mtg-decks/olivia-reanimation-machine/
Getting the mixture of low cost dudes and discard outlets to large targets is going to be fiddly. The other hurdle for this Olivia is the amount of card draw that you need to function. You need a ton of draw power with all the discard. Since the deck wants you to be discarding consistently, taking turns 'off' to cast draw spells like Promise of Power isn't as good as landing a Phyrexian Arena. Olivia wants to spend her mana on making large dudes, not drawing cards. That isn't to say Olivia won't play draw spells, just that they should be cheap on mana. Some, like Wheel of Fortune or Tormenting Voice, line up perfectly for Olivia's game plan. However, consistently getting extra cards for free is what you really want to be setting up. Unfortunately, the deck can't support Necropotence due to the discard-to-exile clause. While I'm not normally a fan of planeswalkers in EDH, Ob Nixilis functions as another Phyrexian Arena and makes the cut this time. To counteract the card disadvantage and give the deck sufficient velocity Olivia adds the following:
Life total isn't a huge concern for most Commander decks. Starting at 40 ensures that things like fetchlands and the odd Sylvan Library hit are incidental. This deck is spending a significant amount of life to buoy its card advantage and the starting 40 is still going to run out quickly unless some serious life gain is included. Whip of Erebos is a no-brainer. Its back up reanimation and can gain an absurd amount of life. A single Gray Merchant can gain a significant amount of life, but repeatedly reanimating him can easily clock a whole table. Polluted Bonds and Exquisite Blood will make you a target for the whole table, so just be careful that you aren't in a horrendous board position before you play them. To ensure she doesn't kill herself, Olivia adds the following:
I want to include Skullclamp. I don't think this deck is supporting it as best as it can, but there are some cards that it works exceedingly well with that Olivia also wants to play. Cards like Bloodghast, Kher Keep, and Squee. Squee fulfills many functions in this deck. It prompts discard when played, it can be discarded for value, and it can be eaten by clamp and other effects repeatedly. There are plenty of other low cost discard enablers to clamp as well. Clamp will do work, just not be the super star it is in something like Ghave. Low cost creatures are the go to discard outlets since they can have excellent additional purpose, like Magus of the Wheel and Grave Scrabbler. The best utility dude is Disciple of Bolas. The life gain and the card draw are useful and the body is clamp-able. To ensure a flow of discard and utility effects, Olivia adds the following:
For the remaining reanimation targets, Olivia wants to be getting immediate effects. The goal is to have the reanimation chain to the next reanimation spell. Barring drawing cards or tutoring, the next best thing is to have some other enter the battlefield effect to get immediate value out of the reanimation. Haste gives Olivia some leeway over traditional reanimator strategies since the creature will be able to attack immediately. To punch her opponents to death, Olivia adds the following:
The question is, then, what reanimation spells should go into the deck? Its easy to say ALL OF THEM! and knock off for lunch, but there's probably some that are better for us than others. For instance, Zombify and it's 5 mana ilk are out. We either want to be cheaper or build in additional function. The additional function in this case is being a creature. Since Olivia's creatures gain haste and prompt a discard, being a creature that reanimates is awesome. Consider Doomed Necromancer. On turn 4 you can play the doomed dude, discard a fatty to give him haste, then pay B to sacrifice him for the reanimation immediately. Coffin Queen isn't quite as low mana but gains the value of repetition. Phyrexian Delver unfortunately needs a target in the graveyard already since you have to announce the target for the enters the battlefield ability as it triggers, but its also a 3/2 that can do real things in combat. Another 3/2 worth discussing is Puppeteer Clique. The fairy can't get creatures from your graveyard, but persist is a great ability with Olivia. You can just discard a card to clear the -1/-1 counter for as many cards as you have in hand. To bring out the dead, Olivia adds the following:
The remainder of the list are just good all-rounders. Mana acceleration, some extra damage, removal, and tutoring.
That concludes the Reanimation Machine. I've done some test hands and I'd put this at medium casual. It could certainly be tuned to get into low competitive territory, but as is could be played in most any play group.
Olivia, Hasty Beats - http://tappedout.net/mtg-decks/olivia-hasty-beats/
While the last deck was attempting to set up an engine for continuous reanimation, this Olivia list looks to just bring some hasty dudes. It is more focused on actually casting the creatures so it doesn't have as many moving parts. This is a simpler construction overall.
High Impact dudes:
Setup Dudes:
Card Draw/advantage:
Tricks:
Mana:
This version builds on the principles of the first version. However, instead of cheating the dudes, Olivia just wants to attack. The Haste aspect of her ability is on display here, ensuring you can pummel unsuspecting opponents into the ground.
I didn't figure the list out myself, but I believe there's an Olivia list that works similar to this Drana list: http://tappedout.net/mtg-decks/12-10-15-EGK-drana/. The primary challenge is the mana. That deck could generate tons of mana from Cabal Coffers, and I don't think there's anything comparable in B/R. However, if counters are your thing, then that's probably a good place to start.
This is week one of Shadow Over Innistrad. Next week I'll choose another legend from the new set and do the same process. Till next time, Cheers!
I want to include Skullclamp. I don't think this deck is supporting it as best as it can, but there are some cards that it works exceedingly well with that Olivia also wants to play. Cards like Bloodghast, Kher Keep, and Squee. Squee fulfills many functions in this deck. It prompts discard when played, it can be discarded for value, and it can be eaten by clamp and other effects repeatedly. There are plenty of other low cost discard enablers to clamp as well. Clamp will do work, just not be the super star it is in something like Ghave. Low cost creatures are the go to discard outlets since they can have excellent additional purpose, like Magus of the Wheel and Grave Scrabbler. The best utility dude is Disciple of Bolas. The life gain and the card draw are useful and the body is clamp-able. To ensure a flow of discard and utility effects, Olivia adds the following:
For the remaining reanimation targets, Olivia wants to be getting immediate effects. The goal is to have the reanimation chain to the next reanimation spell. Barring drawing cards or tutoring, the next best thing is to have some other enter the battlefield effect to get immediate value out of the reanimation. Haste gives Olivia some leeway over traditional reanimator strategies since the creature will be able to attack immediately. To punch her opponents to death, Olivia adds the following:
The question is, then, what reanimation spells should go into the deck? Its easy to say ALL OF THEM! and knock off for lunch, but there's probably some that are better for us than others. For instance, Zombify and it's 5 mana ilk are out. We either want to be cheaper or build in additional function. The additional function in this case is being a creature. Since Olivia's creatures gain haste and prompt a discard, being a creature that reanimates is awesome. Consider Doomed Necromancer. On turn 4 you can play the doomed dude, discard a fatty to give him haste, then pay B to sacrifice him for the reanimation immediately. Coffin Queen isn't quite as low mana but gains the value of repetition. Phyrexian Delver unfortunately needs a target in the graveyard already since you have to announce the target for the enters the battlefield ability as it triggers, but its also a 3/2 that can do real things in combat. Another 3/2 worth discussing is Puppeteer Clique. The fairy can't get creatures from your graveyard, but persist is a great ability with Olivia. You can just discard a card to clear the -1/-1 counter for as many cards as you have in hand. To bring out the dead, Olivia adds the following:
The remainder of the list are just good all-rounders. Mana acceleration, some extra damage, removal, and tutoring.
That concludes the Reanimation Machine. I've done some test hands and I'd put this at medium casual. It could certainly be tuned to get into low competitive territory, but as is could be played in most any play group.
Olivia, Hasty Beats - http://tappedout.net/mtg-decks/olivia-hasty-beats/
While the last deck was attempting to set up an engine for continuous reanimation, this Olivia list looks to just bring some hasty dudes. It is more focused on actually casting the creatures so it doesn't have as many moving parts. This is a simpler construction overall.
High Impact dudes:
Setup Dudes:
Card Draw/advantage:
Tricks:
Mana:
This version builds on the principles of the first version. However, instead of cheating the dudes, Olivia just wants to attack. The Haste aspect of her ability is on display here, ensuring you can pummel unsuspecting opponents into the ground.
I didn't figure the list out myself, but I believe there's an Olivia list that works similar to this Drana list: http://tappedout.net/mtg-decks/12-10-15-EGK-drana/. The primary challenge is the mana. That deck could generate tons of mana from Cabal Coffers, and I don't think there's anything comparable in B/R. However, if counters are your thing, then that's probably a good place to start.
This is week one of Shadow Over Innistrad. Next week I'll choose another legend from the new set and do the same process. Till next time, Cheers!
