Table of Contents
Sometimes when the metagame converges to a few specific decks, you can try to optimise those last sideboard slots to combat the mirror match in the winner’s metagame bracket. However, it might be the perfect time to sleeve up a brew that will take the opponent by surprise and make them have to compete outside of their comfort zone.
Dimir Zombies is one of those under-the-radar strategies that might be the perfect tool in those scenarios. The opponent will rarely be aware of what you can present turn after turn which is a headache to deal with, especially for interactive strategies. On top of that, the deck has some unique angles of attack which further add to it.
Without further ado, Dimir Zombies!
Deck Tech
Dimir Zombies
by Skura
Standard
best of 3
7 mythic
28 rare
10 uncommon
15 common
0
1
2
3
4
5
6+
Creatures (27)
Lands (25)
60 Cards
$387.8
Sideboard
15 Cards
$18.39
Creatures
The first creature is a black and zombified version of Champion of the Parish. While the original grew with every Human played, Champion of the Perished cares about Zombies. Even though it’s a one-drop, it can grow at a super fast pace, especially in this deck that can produce tokens like crazy.
It’s not uncommon to see this originally 1/1 as a 5/5+ in the mid-game. It very quickly grows out of Play with Fire or Cut Down range so if the opponent isn’t fast enough to react early, it might just be too late.
Against strategies that don’t interact with you though, it dominates combat completely. It just roadblocks opposing creatures, giving you all the time in the world to work out a plan from there.
Overall, it’s a very threatening one-drop in this shell that puts immense pressure despite its low cost.
Tainted Adversary will be a 2/3 deathtouching Zombie most games and it’s already what we want. It has a relevant type line, stats a tad above rate, and a combat-altering key word. Against other creature decks, it will block all the 1/1s and 2/2s all day, allowing you to enact your own plan in peace.
However, what’s really excellent about this card is the trigger. As an easy rule of thumb you can think of it as a five-mana mode that makes it a 3/4 that comes along with 2 Zombies with decayed. While its base stats where already satisfactory, not it’s not only bigger but also allows you to go wide.
On top of that, it’s a way to make tokens that grow Champion of the Perished so in the above scenario you’d give Champion three +1/+1 counters.
Tainted Adversary provides a body early and more value and stats later.
Classic lord effect. The most notably part about this otherwise simple card is that it’s not a 1/1 or a 2/2. In the past most lord effects had those stats like Leaf-Crowned Visionary or Lord of Atlantis, respectively.
Here you’re getting a bit more toughness bang for your zombie buck. It has the same stats as Tainted Adversary which is likewise helpful against aggressive decks.
You’ll get the most value out of it if you have a lot of creatures so it really shines in token-heavy draws.
Speaking of tokens, Jadar, Ghoulcaller of Nephalia makes a token every single turn. It has a lot of synergy with the deck overall even though those tokens die so easily thanks to decayed.
First, every time you make one of those tokens you grow Champion of the Perished.
Second, they are all bigger with the help of Bladestitched Skaab allowing them to hit for 3 instead of 2. With multiple Skaabs it gets even better.
They help trigger Headless Rider.
The are great fodder for Make Disappear casualty ability.
Last but not least, they can be exploited easily by Fell Stinger and Overcharged Amalgam.
All in all, there is a ton of utility in those seemingly useless 2/2 decayed tokens.
Headless Rider is our best way to combat sweepers like Depopulate and put grind through removal. If for every creature there will be another one coming, it essentially requires double the removal to keep up. Crucially it also counts itself so the opponent can never answer it cleanly.
On top of that, Headless Rider is not legendary so you could have multiple in play and trigger each of them separately!
With exploit creatures in the deck, it’s very easy to self-trigger Rider so you even get more control over what happens when.
What’s key to notice is that those Zombies do not have decayed so they can attack and block freely every single turn.
This is our version of Sign in Blood. The base is a 3/2 deathtouch creature that’s a Zombie – it’s not terrible but it’s not extraordinary either.
On the second glance, you see that you can play it and exploit it, essentially making it a Divination. That’s pretty helpful when you’re low on resources.
The best scenario though comes when you get to keep the 3/2 deathtoucher, exploit a Zombie and trigger Headless Rider while doing it, netting you 2 cards, the Scorpion, and a Zombie token.
I could see playing more if I feel like most of my matches are very grindy. However, with mono red at the top of the metagame, I am fine with 2 copies.
This is Standard’s version of Subtlety. The upside over Subtlety though, is that it actually counters rather than putting it on top or bottom.
Using it is a huge tempo swing, since not only are you getting rid of an opposing spell but also putting a 3/3 flying body that will clock them pretty fast.
Technically, the card also allows you to counter activated or triggered abilities. While it mostly won’t matter, there will be game-ending situations when it does. The flagship moment is when you Stifle the opponent’s planeswalker ultimate ability. Not only is it super powerful but also soul and morale crushing for the opponent.
If you want to, you can also play it without any spell to counter. You can just flash it in at any point to ambush an opposing creature in blocks or play it end step and just start attacking. This makes it never a waste to hold up mana.
Sheoldred, the Apocalypse seems to be in every single black deck and it’s no different here. It does not have much synergy with the shell overall but it’s a standalone powerful creature.
The deck doesn’t draw many cards or force the opponent to draw so most of the value will be got via the natural progression of the game and draw steps that come alongside with it.
It’s still a 4/5 deathtouching creature that attacks through anything and blocks anything. In tandem with Tainted Adversary and Fell Stinger, we’ve got quite an army of threats with deathtouch.
Interaction
The most efficient removal in the format. I cannot imagine leaving my home without it if I’m playing black.
Absolutely shines in the first three turns of the game. Sometimes comes in handy in the later stages as well.
Go for the Throat is our hard removal that kills Serra Paragon, Sheoldred, the Apocalypse, or Raffine, Scheming Seer. Its role is to always get the job done. It will also frequently trade up on mana since the big threats we want to remove cost usually 4+ mana.
Make Disappear enables us to play on the stack as well, disallowing spells with immediate effects enter play. Its very useful against Planeswalkers but also effects like Depopulate or Invasion of Amonkhet.
It’s particularly strong against expensive spells whose aim is to take over the game. They can’t take over if they don’t resolve though. All the Breach the Multiverse, Etali, Primal Conqueror, or Atraxa, Grand Unifier are never happy to see Make Disappear.
This shell is very strong at taking advantage of casualty 1. There are a lot of creatures floating around that can be sacrificed or we don’t care if they get sacrificed. It’s often just a better Mana Leak.
Best of One
Dimir Zombies Best of One
by Skura
Standard
best of 3
7 mythic
25 rare
14 uncommon
14 common
0
1
2
3
4
5
6+
Creatures (24)
Lands (25)
60 Cards
$391.4
The Best of One version is more heavy on interaction, since I expect more aggressive strategies.
Budget
The deck’s maindeck contains 28 rares and 7 mythic rares. While the interaction suite is budget, all the threats are unfortunately budget unfriendly.
Matchups and Sideboard Guide
Esper Legends
| In | Out |
|---|---|
| +2 Cut Down | -2 Make Disappear |
It’s a midrange-aggro standoff. The lower to the ground their version is, the better for us it is. We have a similar curve by and large but our deck is more synergistic which benefits us since they don’t overload on removal – especially pre-board. However, you might come across versions that really load up on spells in which case I suggest siding in some number of Duress or Spell Pierce in lieu of expensive cards like Overcharged Amalgam.
Five-Color Ramp
| In | Out |
|---|---|
| +4 Spell Pierce | -2 Cut Down |
| -2 Go for the Throat |
I decide not to side in Duress since I want to put pressure on them and take advantage of the fact that they pay a lot for their spells. Duress takes a card that they haven’t paid for which is not what I want here. I want to make them commit four or five mana to a single card and snipe it with Spell Pierce to pull ahead.
Your draws absolutely need to include early creatures. Otherwise you’re leaving yourself too cold to them slamming payoffs turn after turn.
Mono Red Aggro
| In | Out |
|---|---|
| +2 Cut Down | -2 Make Disappear |
Classic swap of removal for countermagic and discard. You want to stay alive and then turn the corner. If possible, don’t give them a window to Play with Fire your Champion of the Perished. On the play though you can run it out turn one since it forces them to either allow it to stay alive or not deploy a creature, both of which are fine by us.
I don’t side out Fell Stinger but I will mostly play it as a 3/2 deathtoucher. Drawing can happen but that’s only when you’ve got Sheoldred, the Apocalypse. The card itself is the endgame we’re playing towards.
Azorius Control
| In | Out |
|---|---|
| +3 Kaito Shizuki | -2 Cut Down |
| +4 Spell Pierce | -2 Go for the Throat |
| +4 Duress | -4 Bladestitched Skaab |
| -3 Overcharged Amalgam |
Against Azorius Control I want to switch gears and play as if I were a Dimir Midrange deck almost. I want to make their Depopulate awkward and interact on the stack. I cut Overcharged Amalgam since it’s very expensive and in order to win I need to be able to trade 1-2 mana for their 4-5 rather than 4 for 4.
Kaito Shizuki diversifies our threat base so that they cannot only rely on creature removal.
Your best draws include early creatures so that they take the opponents attention, allowing you to set up turns like Kaito + Spell Pierce.
I cut the lord completely since I never want to extend into a mass removal anyways so most of the time it’s just a 2 mana 2/3 – which is undesirable.
Mono White Midrange
| In | Out |
|---|---|
| +4 Spell Pierce | -2 Cut Down |
| +4 Duress | -2 Go for the Throat |
| -4 Bladestitched Skaab |
The main difference between white midrange and Azorius is that white has got Ossification which relatively cleanly answers Planeswalkers. With that in mind, I’m not even siding in Kaito Shizuki. However, the overall plan trying to capitalise on efficiency stays the same. I want to Duress out removal, I want to Spell Pierce The Wandering Emperor and go to town.
In the perfect world, you’d force them into a corner where you lose to Farewell only but have Spell Pierce or Make Disappear at the ready to make that impossible for them.
Tips and Tricks
- Sometimes you might want to attack with a creature into a good block from the opponent just to meet the condition of Kaito Shizuki‘s plus ability.
- You can pay Tainted Adversary‘s ability cost as many times as you want.
- Bladestitched Skaab doesn’t buff itself but if there are two, they buff each other.
- You can use Fell Stinger‘s ability to target the opponent and kill them if they are on 2 life.
- You don’t have to exploit a creature if you don’t want to.
- If you make the opponent draw two with Fell Stinger and Sheoldred, the Apocalypse is in play they will lose 6 life total.
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Skura
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