Zombies are returning to the Magic: The Gathering Limited format via Innistrad: Midnight Hunt as sacrificial tools and graveyard haters.
The digital launch of Innistrad: Midnight Hunt (MID) on Sept. 16 highlighted a number of worthy archetypes to play in the MTG Limited format, with UB zombies standing out from the pack. The color Black is packed with solid removal and creatures that synergize with the zombie theme. And Blue does what it does best—disrupting an opponent’s strategy, stealing life points with evasive creatures, and sliming non-horror creatures.
From staple UB Common and Uncommon archetype cards to bombs and sleepers, here are the best MID cards to craft a potent Blue and Black zombie horror deck when playing Draft and Sealed.
UB MID archetype signpost cards
Breaking Limited format tradition in MID, there are two gold archetype signpost cards for each of the 10 total archetypes. One is a spell and the other is a non-legendary creature, giving players the opportunity to pack multiple copies within a build without the fear of it being a dead card in hand.
Bladestitched Skaab is the Uncommon gold creature that’s a zombie lord, pumping all that you control with +1/+0 stats. Being able to have multiple copies increases the zombie soldier’s value, especially upon non-token creatures.
The Uncommon UB gold spell is Corpse Cobble, a solid Instant that uses Decayed zombies by turning them into a giant zombie creature with Menace. Only one copy of Corpse Cobble is really needed, though, since it’s more of an alternative win-con.
UB MID bombs
Limited bombs in MTG are the fuel to your fire—or in the case of UB, the infectious power behind your zombies. Champion of the Perished is a solid one-drop Rare that scales quickly from zombies entering the battlefield. Gisa, Glorious Resurrector is another Black Rare bomb, packing solid stats and sacrifice synergy.
Grafted Identity is a Blue Rare stealing opponents’ creatures for only four mana in conjunction with sacrificing zombies for the cause. And Tainted Adversary is a value-packed Mythic Rare at any stage of a game, along with the Black Legendary Enchantment The Meathook Massacre.
Not all bombs are Rare or Mythic Rare, though. Diregraf Horde is a five-drop 3/4 Common who creates two 2/2 zombies with Decayed upon entering the battlefield. It’s also a zombie with graveyard hate that exiles two target cards as an ETB effect and is worth having multiple copies of.
Eaten Alive is a bomb Black Common removal spell that hits planeswalkers too for only one Black mana when a creature is sacrificed as part of its cost.
Morbid Opportunist is a Black Uncommon that keeps the card draw engine turning every time one of your creatures dies, synergizing perfectly with the Decayed mechanic on zombie tokens. And be sure to watch your library card count during long games when using Morbid Opportunist to prevent milling yourself out.
UB MID creatures
Filling out your UB build with synergistic and powerful Common and Uncommon creatures increases the value of your bombs while keeping your opponent from gaining an advantage over you.
Organ Hoarder, another zombie in color Blue, provides card advantage while also synergizing with Crawl from the Cellar. Falcon Abomination is a three-drop 2/2 bird zombie who creates a Decayed zombie token upon entering the battlefield. And Morkrut Behemoth is a solid top-end 7/6 zombie giant.
Sludge Monster pulls its weight during the late-game stages by turning an opponent’s powerful creature into a 2/2 that loses all its abilities via a slime counter. And don’t pass up on grabbing Siege zombie, a two-drop 2/2 who pings an opponent for one life when you tap up to three creatures you control—an easy task to accomplish with the flood of zombie tokens under your control.
UB MID removal
The UB MID Limited zombie build needs a minimum of five removal spells to operate at peak performance.
Eaten Alive is the best form of removal while Olivia’s Midnight Ambush hits her full potential when it’s night. And Bloodline Culling is a Rare Instant that can also pull its weight by hitting a target creature with -5/-5 or all tokens with -2/-2 in a mirror match.
Locked in the Cemetery is the standard tap an opponent’s creature that won’t untap, while Infernal Grasp is a cheap target creature removal spell with an added cost of losing two life upon casting.
All images via WotC, Magic: The Gathering.
PlatoAi. Web3 Reimagined. Data Intelligence Amplified.
Click here to access.
