Dies to Removal

So, I very occasionally play Legacy. I also don't have the cash to run ... well, anything that is more than one color. That really doesn't matter, though, because even with an unlimited budget, I'd still be trying to make this Jank Ass Clerics deck work. Here's where I stand now:

[deck]SHADOWFECTA[/deck]
You will see a lot of synergies here, but the basic plan is to turn sideways enough to bring the opponent into range of an Archon kill. Rotlungs give me something back from the sacrifices and give me tokens to throw away to Innocent Blood. "Turn sideways" also includes the ability on Shepherd of Rot (fed by Rotlungs), with the Jitte and Archon to keep me ahead of the death clock.

The deck used to be very heavy on the discard, but I've since
dropped down to just the Cabal Therapy and Hymns. Combo decks are not what I worry about, and I get even better on the second game because I know what my Therapy should name. Graveyard Combo? For that, I've got Withered Wretch in the main deck and Leyline in the sideboard. Resource denial doesn't really bother me because my curve literally stops at three. Control tends to be thwarted by the Cavern of Souls and the fact that wraths just give me zombie tokens to swing with. Fast aggro used to be my biggest problem, but throwing Ensnaring Bridge into the main deck thwarts that something fierce. Innocent Blood is pretty good there, too.

I used to run Graveborn Muse to draw some cards as a cheap ($$$) alternative to Dark Confidant. It made sense to put Ensnaring Bridge in this slot because drawing cards works against that.

Improvements I'd like to make:

The deck seems light on turn one plays. I can only drop a blind Cabal Therapy or Dark
Ritual into any of my clerics. If I'm on the draw, I suppose it's possible that it'll be worth doing a turn one Innocent Blood. I liked it better when I had Inquisitions in this regard, but I'm not sure what else I can do here.

I have a hole in the sideboard that I'm undecided on. Ideas welcome.

Without my Graveborn Muse (or Dark Confidant), I have this fear that I'll run out of gas. I think it feels weird to have Bridge (a hoser card) in the main deck. Should I move the bridge out to the sideboard and run some card draw main deck instead?

Other improvements: This is where you guys give me ideas.

Thanks.

This deck seems like it has trouble with resolved permanents

Would add some combination of Lilly's/removal cutting some combination of iok/hymn

Gatekeeper of Malakir for those sweet sweet edict-on-a-stick beats?

LMD's right, I don't have anything in the main deck to deal with resolved permanents. Except Jitte. And Cabal Pit (which is only conditionally active). I generally don't worry about resolved permanents, though, because I can rip the ones that bother me out of their hands. Also, my clerics and subsequent zombie tokens are expendable.

I did mention the trouble with Zoo. Basically it was able to overwhelm me with dudes and that first striking Thalia was a pain. I added removal into the sideboard to deal with it because I know the discard is generally more useful.

Ham, I know the Gatekeeper's strong. Likewise with Lily. But neither is a cleric, and clerics are the fuel for the deck. If I start taking out clerics, then the deck is no longer my deck and I might as well just play The Gate. I'm not ready to do that just yet.

I realize that I haven't talked about the deck's strategy. I'll edit that in later. Short
story version: Play clerics, swing with clerics, sac the ones they block, swing with zombies, crank the Shepherd of Rot, sac more clerics. Basically bring the opponent's life total into range and burn it down with the Archon. Suicide black with a janky theme.

Zoo isn't a deck anymore and I wouldn't worry about it frankly

If you consider your dudes expendable, innocent blood seems better than tragic slip, it kills tnn and mongoose

That's a really good proposition. I might even run a couple Innocent Bloods in the main deck. I'm just afraid to lessen the amount of discard I have there.

You don't need that much discard honestly, between hymn+therapy you should strip their hand very quickly and turns additional copies into dead cards, your deck looks like it wants to grind it out as well meaning your going to draw more discard when you need to answer their threats

Good call. I'll try that out. Swap Innocent Blood for Inquisition.

Headhunter is like a less reliable Hypnotic Specter, and being a Cleric isn't bad. Is the small body a problem?

If hippy isn't good, why would a less reliable version of him be good

Headhunter is one that I used to use, back when I was still looking for just about any cleric to throw in the mix. Does not measure up to expectation. Other clerics that have been cut: Skirsdag High Priest, Dark Supplicant, Order of the Ebon Hand.

No one commented on it, so I'll just ask bluntly: Do you guys agree with swapping in Bobs for the Muse?

I'm not really sure what you're getting out of the Muse in the first place. You say you do well against everything but aggro... Will Dark Confidant help with that? I'd almost be inclined to say take out the Muses for removal of some kind.

I need some way to draw cards or I run out of gas eventually. Go through a couple of my linked reports; there is a fairly consistent theme of me resolving a Muse and then winning the match. They might not be linked, but it sure as hell looks like it.

I need some way to draw cards or I run out of gas eventually. Go through a couple of my linked reports; there is a fairly consistent theme of me resolving a Muse and then winning the match. They might not be linked, but it sure as hell looks like it.

Read 'em. You never really mention her winning you the game, other than at the end of that one making the comment that "card advantage is huge". Surely it's good, but 4 mana is a lot for a 3/3 creature. I imagine you never really want to be losing 3 to draw 3 against aggro.

Another thing you never mention is Sheperd of Rot. He surely helps you to close out the game, but he's obviously terrible against aggro. Maybe you should cut one or two of those for Bobs instead? I mean, I know he'
s a Cleric, but a 1/1 for 2... If you're trying to improve your aggro matchup, he's an easy cut.

Anyway, just throwing out ideas. You know your deck better than any of us. Seems to me your strategy is to chump block until you win. Planeswalkers (coughlilianacough) are especially good with that same strategy.

I need some way to draw cards or I run out of gas eventually. Go through a couple of my linked reports; there is a fairly consistent theme of me resolving a Muse and then winning the match. They might not be linked, but it sure as hell looks like it.

Read 'em. You never really mention her winning you the game, other than at the end of that one making the comment that "card advantage is huge". Surely it's good, but 4 mana is a lot for a 3/3 creature. I imagine you never really want to be losing 3 to draw 3 against aggro.

I also said that most of the games I
won were on the back of the Muse. What you have to keep in mind is that every cleric I draw is another two life I get back. Lose three, draw three is sometimes gain six.

Bob comes down earlier but doesn't draw as many cards. He costs less but he's on a much smaller body. He's also an expensive fucking card. I want to be damned sure he's an improvement before I buy/trade for any.

Another thing you never mention is Sheperd of Rot. He surely helps you to close out the game, but he's obviously terrible against aggro. Maybe you should cut one or two of those for Bobs instead? I mean, I know he's a Cleric, but a 1/1 for 2... If you're trying to improve your aggro matchup, he's an easy cut.

Shepherd is one of the strongest cards in the deck. The trio is Archon, Rotlung, and Shepherd (father, son, and unholy spirit). Archon
widens the life gap. The ability isn't just burning you for two, it's putting me up two for a total swing of four life. That's what makes the Shepherd much more like a one sided card. All I can say is that my Shepherd eats a lot of removal.

That said, I hadn't even considered removing him against the aggro matchups and throwing in more removal. Not a bad plan at all.

Well at least I helped a little bit then.

So, at this point I'm sold on switching Inqusitions out for Innocent Blood.

Muse for Bob... There's a reason he's a $70 card, yeah. Is he worth it for this deck?

Sudden Spoiling is my most iffy sideboard card. What else would you put in this slot?

Something to fight aggro. Damnation? Tendrils of Corruption? Ensnaring Bridge?

What match is the Sudden Spoiling for?

The Sudden Spoiling is for aggro. I'll admit it's not something I've tested yet, but the idea is that it's a one sided, instant speed Damnation that the opponent can't respond to. Almost everything I have can block and kill a 0/2 and I should have enough dudes to kill the important things that get Spoiled.

I'm not convinced it's the best thing for that slot, though.

Maybe that new infest-y card from the new commander sets?

It's only a one-sided Damnation if you have enough blockers. Can you guarantee that?

Not really. But my list has a bunch of dudes and a lot of the dudes make dudes when they die. Is that close enough?

Probably not when you're facing down five guys that are all bigger than yours on turn 4. Damnation seems really good in this deck, mostly because you do get to keep some dudes afterwards.

Ensnaring Bridge may well be your best option though. Seems perfect for what you're trying to do and is BFFs with Dark Ritual.

Bridge is also excellent vs Sneak and Show

Last questions:

3 Bridge in the side board enough?

If I need four, which other card would you cut?

3. You don't want 2 copies, but you do want 1.

Bridges are probably best in the main. And Toxic Deluge>Damnation.

Edits made. I have yet to do some serious testing with this version, so I'm not sold on any of the changes yet.

I put bridges in the main in place of my card draw since they seem to work against each other. Does that really seem like such a good idea?

I've got three slots in the sideboard open.

Huh. That's an interesting sideboard option.