Table of Contents
Hey everyone! I have once again returned to ensure that you are prepared for the horrors you will run into playing Shadows over Innistrad Remastered limited. Today I’ll be providing archetype skeletons (very flavorful for Innistrad) so that you know which paths are safe to follow during each draft.
For those of you unfamiliar with the concept of building archetype skeletons, it is a great exercise to see what a solid, but not broken version of each deck would look like. Each skeleton is limited to one rare (no mythics), 4-5 uncommons, and only two of each common.
One of the things to note is that we don’t have signpost uncommons for every combination so it’s not as slap you in the face obvious what you should be doing. The other important thing is that we are going to be leaving out the Shadows of the past cards so that this remains evergreen throughout the event. They are very important to this format, but we’re focusing on the main set here.
For the purpose of keeping this exercise simple, I am going to be keeping the mana bases static with 1 of each uncommon dual with an eight and eight split of the basic lands.
Azorius
Azorius is the spirits deck which means that you are an aggressive deck whose main goal is to win the race to zero. You need to play enough spells like Drag Under to remove problematic creatures while you are getting your beats on. I tossed in a Subjugator Angel as a top end threat that can break through a board stall.
Another thing to notice is that literally every single white deck is going to want Bound by Moonsilver and Thraben Inspector They are great all-around commons that people not in the know may pass on. Don’t be that person.
I choose Spell Queller for the rare because a reasonably costed flyer that wrecks one of their spells is exactly what this deck wants. It’ a massive swing in tempo that is difficult to play around since it’s a rare.
SIR Azorius Skeleton
by j2sjosh
Limited
best of 3
0 mythic
2 rare
4 uncommon
34 common
0
1
2
3
4
5
6+
Creatures (18)
Instants (1)
Sorceries (2)
Enchantments (2)
40 Cards
$16.06
Orzhov
Orzhov is an attrition-based deck that loves to generate more value from its graveyard. Cards that “flashback” from the graveyard like Dauntless Cathar and Ghoulcaller's Accomplice allow you to keep up a board presence even after trading off.
Dark Salvation is a perfect way to continue to go wide while removing your opponents most problematic creature. If you do get the opportunity with Shadows of the past, Lingering Souls is going to be amazing in this deck.
SIR Orzhov Skeleton
by j2sjosh
Limited
best of 3
1 mythic
1 rare
3 uncommon
35 common
0
1
2
3
4
5
6+
Creatures (13)
40 Cards
$15.26
Boros
Boros is doing traditional Boros things. That means playing a bunch of small, aggressive creatures to smash their face with. Of course that’s backed up by burn spells to either clear the way or directly light up the opposition.
Considering that is the MO for this deck, it should be pretty easy to see why Collective Defiance went in here as the rare. Instead of choosing which one to burn, why not just do both at the same time.
Sir Boros Skeleton
by j2sjosh
Limited
best of 3
0 mythic
1 rare
5 uncommon
34 common
0
1
2
3
4
5
6+
Creatures (13)
Instants (5)
Enchantments (2)
40 Cards
$14.66
Selesnya
Selesnya brings us to the end of our white archetypes and it is a human based beatdown deck. While Pack Guardian doesn’t really fit the human theme, it’s absurd and you should be playing it in any deck that contains forests.
I put Tireless Tracker in because it’s going to win the award for the most times someone says “That things not a mythic!?!” while this set is active. It’s also pretty self-explanatory that this deck will love Avacyn's Pilgrim from the bonus sheet.
SIR Selesnya Skeleton
by j2sjosh
Limited
best of 3
1 mythic
1 rare
4 uncommon
34 common
0
1
2
3
4
5
6+
Creatures (16)
Enchantments (2)
40 Cards
$14.9
Dimir
Dimir is in a weird place because they removed all of the madness cards from blue. You don’t really want half your deck doing one thing while the other half does something else. I ended up making a zombie-based build with a lot of cards that synergize with that like Graf Harvest and Compelling Deterrence.
Why did I choose Geralf's Masterpiece? Let’s just say that there was a reason that it was previously a mythic. Although I wouldn’t argue with anyone who wanted Diregraf Colossus for this one.
SIR Dimir Skeleton
by j2sjosh
Limited
best of 3
0 mythic
2 rare
4 uncommon
34 common
0
1
2
3
4
5
6+
Creatures (14)
40 Cards
$14.78
Izzet
Izzet a spells deck again? To the Shock of literally no one, Izzet loves to play spells for triggers. This one really took a hit with Thermo-Alchemist changing from a common to an uncommon since multiples could combine for a very quick clock. You still have plenty of other things to trigger including Pyre Hound and Mercurial Geists.
For the rare I went with Thing in the Icebecause it’s a big bottomed blocker that heavily benefits creature light decks like this. There’s also that whole 7/8 monster thing too.
SIR Izzet Skeleton
by j2sjosh
Limited
best of 3
0 mythic
1 rare
5 uncommon
34 common
0
1
2
3
4
5
6+
Creatures (10)
Sorceries (9)
40 Cards
$17.78
Simic
Simic can pretty easily hit delirium between Laboratory Brute, Grapple with the Past, and just good old fashioned limited exchanges. It’s really taking advantage of some of the rarity downshifts including Gnarlwood Dryad, Obsessive Skinner, and Deathcap Cultivator.
I went with Altered Ego because a Clone on steroids is not only fun, but sounds like the plot to an awful horror movie. Someone get Netflix on the phone, I’m sure they want to make this movie starring some highly overpaid actor.
SIR Simic Skeleton
by j2sjosh
Limited
best of 3
0 mythic
2 rare
5 uncommon
33 common
0
1
2
3
4
5
6+
Creatures (15)
Enchantments (1)
40 Cards
$16.74
Rakdos
When it comes to Rakdos, the inmates are running the asylum. The themes are madness and vampires so you know it is about to get cray cray up in here. For those of you that remember OTJ times (I’m sure your back is doing great these days) the two drop madness enablers are key and this has both Olivia's Dragoon and Ravenous Bloodseeker to get the party started.
I went with Bloodhall Priest as the rare because who am I to turn down a card that matches both colors and both themes.
SIR Rakdos Skeleton
by j2sjosh
Limited
best of 3
0 mythic
2 rare
4 uncommon
34 common
0
1
2
3
4
5
6+
Creatures (14)
Instants (1)
Sorceries (6)
40 Cards
$14.6
Golgari
Golgari is downright delirious with graveyard shenanigans. It wants to get four different types of cards in the graveyard ASAP to turn up the dial on most of the cards in the deck. One of the cool tricks is to play Pack Guardian as an instant and pitch a land for the fourth type and completely flip combat in your favor.
Dead Weight is great in this type of deck because it is cheap removal that adds a hard to find type to the graveyard.
I went with Grim Flayer as the rare because it is both an enabler and a payoff for everything the deck is trying to do.
SIR Golgari Skeleton
by j2sjosh
Limited
best of 3
0 mythic
1 rare
5 uncommon
34 common
0
1
2
3
4
5
6+
Creatures (16)
Enchantments (2)
40 Cards
$14.36
Gruul
Looking to have a howling good time in Innistrad? Gruul is full on Team Jacob and ready to party the night away. As most Gruul decks are wont to do, this one plays monsters and slams them into their opponents face until they give up.
I went with Ulrich of the Krallenhorde because it is another one of those really powerful former mythics that they decided to downshift. He also said something about a battle for dominance if I didn’t choose him. Your opponent doesn’t even want to double spell when it’s flipped because then you just get a huge pump again followed by another fight on their upkeep.
SIR Gruul Skeleton
by j2sjosh
Limited
best of 3
0 mythic
2 rare
4 uncommon
34 common
0
1
2
3
4
5
6+
Creatures (16)
Sorceries (2)
Enchantments (1)
40 Cards
$18.08
Wrap Up
Thanks for reading! It certainly was an adventure building these as it is a much different experience than most of the more recent sets. On top of that, due to website issues, I was building them by hand like it was 1997.
You have been well trained, my young apprentice. They will be no match for you. Bad Star Wars references aside, that should cover the basics you need to know for the start of the format. By the time this is posted the tier list will also be up and the draft guide will be appearing a couple of days after that. Until then, stay classy people!
I’m always open to feedback, let me know what you loved, what you hated, or just send dog pics. You can contact at:
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j2sjosh
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