W/B Zombies is the archetype I’ve had the most success with in Amonkhet Draft. It has quick starts, good synergies, and makes use of cards that other decks aren’t interested in. It’s possible to get a solid deck that functions similarly each draft.
Grand Prix Richmond this weekend will be the first large-scale Limited tournament with Amonkhet. Whether you make your first Day 2 and need some quick Draft direction or you’re a seasoned veteran looking to expand your Draft range this will hopefully be a useful resource for you.
- Fifteen to seventeen lands, depending on curve and Cradle of the Accursed. Most builds will lean heavier towards one color, usually white, with a 9/6 or 10/6 split of Plains to Swamp.
- At least four creatures with Embalm.
- Two or fewer cards that only cost five (Final Reward, but not Oketra’s Attendant).
- One or two cards that only pump all of your creatures (In Oketra’s Name, but not Lord of the Accursed).
I’m not using a traditional rating system, but rather a pick order that’s based on each card’s importance weighed with the frequency you should see them. Some card types, like pump effects, are critical to W/B Zombies but don’t need to be drafted early because they’re easily accessible. If a card’s not listed, then I don’t consider it playable (yep, even that one).
The following list is sorted by rarity and casting cost, then alphabetically.
Common
Land
Priority: 2 (on a scale of 1 to 5)
Cradle of the Accursed is what I like to be doing in the late-game. It helps to ward off one- and two-land hands as an excuse to play sixteen or seventeen lands. For the record, I don’t consider any other Desert to be playable; the fact that Cradle of the Accursed creates a Zombie pushes it over the bar.
Priority: 1
Evolving Wilds is a safety valve when you’re stuck with close to a 50/50 split on white and black cards. Most commons and uncommons have only a single colored mana symbol. Prioritize Evolving Wilds higher if you have Gideon of the Trials or Never//Return. The majority of W/B Zombies decks won’t want it.
One
Priority: 3
Cartouche of Solidarity is important in W/B Zombies but not so much in other archetypes, so you should be able to pick up one or two. I’ve played as many as four and their potency depends on your number of Trials and three-power creatures like Cursed Minotaur or Unwavering Initiate. Cartouche of Solidarity enables attacks (and blocks) while leaving behind a 1/1 token. Don’t cast into a single red mana (Magma Spray) or a blue and another mana (Winds of Rebuke).
Priority: 1
You want high-power creatures to pair with Djeru’s Resolve to act similarly to Impeccable Timing. Overall Djeru’s Resolve is easy enough to get and there are plenty better noncreature tricks to play instead. Its value raises if your opponent has multiple Magma Sprays for you Embalm creatures or Doomed Dissenters, so picking up one late for the sideboard is something to look for.
Priority: 3
The jury is a tad out on just how strong Fan Bearer is. Tappers are great, but two mana is a hefty investment each turn. Once some Zombie synergies enter the mix, Fan Bearer turns from questionably good to legit good. The tap ability gets better late-game when you have vigilance effects like Trial of Solidarity.
Priority: 2
It’s good to have something on turn 1 to get the party started. -1/-1 counters and sacrifice effects up the playability of Festering Mummy. Fine to sideboard out if the opponent has no one- or two-toughness creatures. Between Festering Mummy and Sacred Cat, you rarely want more than three total.
Priority: 2
Sacred Cat is the cheapest of the Embalm creatures. It’s a solid target for your -1/-1 counters effects and isn’t scared to be shoved in combat. You want this in a low-land-count deck with several Zombie synergies and pump effects. Even if you draft too many Sacred Cats, you can leave some in the sideboard for other aggressive decks for when you need time to go grindy with your better Embalm creatures or to set up a big turn with In Oketra’s Favor.
Priority: 1
Fine with triggers like Wayward Servant and Binding Mummy, but that means your deck is already good. You often have better combat tricks at your disposal. I play this when I’m both low on tricks and one-mana spells. Notably poor on your own Embalmed creatures or against the card Magma Spray. Really good on a Regal Caracal.
Two
Priority: 1
While the lifegain on Anointer Priest is welcome, you’re really interested in the Embalm. It’s fodder for -1/-1 counters and sacrifices. Anointer Priest is easy to come by and is material against other hyper-aggressive decks. Anointer Priest can team up with other high-toughness creatures like Those Who Serve to hold off several creatures with their potential double-block.
Priority: 5
You want as many Binding Mummies you can get. This is the common your deck is built around. It makes weaker Embalm creatures like Sacred Cat and Anointer Priest into respectable cards. Binding Mummy is insane in multiples, so their value increases with each copy, as opposed to the diminishing returns you usually get from having multiple copies of cards. The most common winning Zombies sequence will involve a Binding Mummy or two followed by more Zombies.
Priority: 4
Compulsory Rest is the common removal spell you want. You want to enable an attack on turn 3, even if the target has Embalm. Pushing through damage will outweigh the two life they eventually gain. Goal here is to get the game over before two spare mana is available.
Priority: 1
Unsurprisingly, Doomed Dissenter’s value is based on your -1/-1 counter effects and the back half of Start//Finish. Hoping to chump-block or to ram it into a blocker to improve its stats to a 2/2 Zombie isn’t the plan you want to be on.
Priority: 3
You need enough two-drops to guarantee aggressive starts. Gust Walker is one of your best ways to continue doing damage if the opponent has clogged the ground. Gust Walker would be a Priority of 5 if it were a Zombie. Still, the flexibility of Exert here allows you to continue the aggression; the question is only the pace you’re doing it.
Priority: 1
In Oketra’s Name has potential to be really good with setup. Savvy players should have this card on their mind when blocking, so it’s tough to get someone really good. I prefer Trial of Solidarity, since it works well with Cartouches and tokens and non-Zombie creatures, and In Oketra’s Name often gets pushed aside for the Trial. No other deck wants this card, so it’s an easy pickup late and thus a low priority.
Priority: 2
Impeccable Timing is a slow way to remove blockers. It’s best when you have first-striking creatures or creatures that want to be double-blocked, like Those Who Serve. Loading up on Impeccable Timing is dangerous since you’ll have less aggressive draws and will end up playing Magic on the opponent’s terms.
Priority: 1
While you’re good at emptying your hand, Miasmic Mummy doesn’t do enough. It becomes playable when you have very good cards that you don’t mind pitching. This camp includes Dread Wanderer and Oketra’s Attendant.
Priority: 1
A fine sideboard card for other heavy Embalm strategies or against decks with Oketra’s Monument. I’d never maindeck Trespasser’s Curse.
Three
Priority: 1
Flying isn’t a key component to Zombies and Blighted Bat doesn’t block well. Blighted Bat is often a turn 4 play, given a typical high density of three-drops. Then again, because of the frequency of being three-drop-heavy, Blighted Bat often gets cut. Its usefulness improves with Time to Reflect as it’s the cheapest flying Zombie around.
Priority: 2
Cartouche of Ambition is best on a big creature when you’re in a racing situation. It’s fine for sizing purposes to enable combat. Cartouche of Ambition is significantly worse that Cartouche of Solidarity, but you do want to pick them up when you can because the Trials are so strong. Cartouche of Ambition gets better if you don’t have a Splendid Agony or you do have a Grim Strider.
Priority: 2
Cursed Minotaur won’t do much to dissuade your opponent from attacking, since chances are they’re willing to trade or don’t have blocks for it anyway. Cursed Minotaur wears both Cartouches pretty well.
Priority: 1
Forsake the Worldly is good against an opposing Compulsory Rest or Illusory Wrappings. Has utility against Edifice of Authority too. Wouldn’t bother with it against Lay Claim or Sandwurm Convergence. I like to have access to one in the sideboard.
Priority: 1
Rhet-Crop Spearmaster suffers from the same “three-drop-heavy” affliction that Blighted Bat has. It becomes playable if you have a ton of vigilance or untap effects, or if you have a ton of removal and/or Cartouche of Solidarity. Taking a turn off to push through four damage (sometimes) isn’t where I want to be.
Priority: 3
Splendid Agony is primarily used to screw up combat. If you curve out well, the opponent won’t have the luxury of playing around combat tricks and will have to make the most obvious blocks. Splendid Agony occupies the same space as In Oketra’s Name. Two is the most I’d want to play, as you don’t really want to be spending two mana very often to kill a two-toughness creature. The first copy is really good, though.
Priority: 2
Those Who Serve is one of my favorite creatures from the set, a “bread and butter” card that I tend to play every copy of that I have access to. The high toughness means it attacks and blocks well. While Cursed Minotaur wears Cartouches better, Those Who Serve pairs better with In Oketra’s Name to balance out its stats to best win complex combat.
Priority: 3
I have an high regard for Unwavering Initiate. The 3/2 body and vigilance lead to easy trades, and thus it will get Embalmed into a Zombie more often and other Embalm creatures. It’s a prime target for Cartouche of Solidarity on offense and defense. Embalming Unwavering Initiate is what I want to be doing with five mana.
Priority: 2
You want a Wander in Death if you only have a few of the really good Zombies like Lord of the Accursed, Binding Mummy, and Wayward Servant. If your power level is relatively flat then you probably don’t want Wander in Death; you’d rather be Embalming.
Priority: 1
Wasteland Scorpion joins the long line of creatures significantly improved by +1/+1 and first strike. The bugger will always trade, but in a world with Embalm, straight-up trading isn’t always a fair deal. Wasteland Scorpion is pretty medium all-around in W/B Zombies.
Four
Priority: 1
Soulstingers get drafted by G/B players much more than you want them. Multiples of Sacred Cat, Doomed Dissenter, and Festering Mummy change its importance. However, your deck might end up looking like a weaker version of G/B. Pick it if your draft ends up down that road.
Priority: 1
A four-drop duder that you’ll play if you get your curve right and your Zombie count up. Playing Sparring Mummy on an Exerted creature is nice, but not something you’re really looking to build your deck around. You don’t tend to be heavy on four-drops, so these end up making the cut. No one else wants them, so Sparring Mummy tends to be a free pickup.
Priority: 1
Tah-Crop Elite is good with tokens but isn’t too important to the Zombies plan. You can usually get your Anthem effect from In Oketra’s Name or Trial of Solidarity. It does get better with a bunch of Gust Walkers. Most Zombies are trying to power through on the ground and a flying threat doesn’t help with that plan. That, combined with its high cost and essentially inability to block, makes Tah-Crop Elite a low priority, albeit still playable.
Five
Priority: 3
My priority is likely lower than other drafters’ priority, which means you won’t get Final Reward very often. When it’s an easy pick, I’ll take it, but it’s not essential to W/B Zombies. You want your curve to be low and your later drops to be Embalming things or having a double-spell turn. Turn 5 unconditional removal is good, but you should have the option to Embalm or alpha strike with a trick around that time.
Priority: 1
While held in high regard among other players, Horror of the Broken Lands isn’t useful in W/B Zombies unless you have a Ruthless Sniper already. That, combined with the fact that it gets drafted quickly by others, means I don’t consider Horror of the Broken Lands to be a reliable card to draft around.
Six
Priority: 1
Winged Shepherd is in the same boat as Horror of the Broken Lands: it’s expensive on the back end, makes you abandon some part of the Zombie plan for ones that benefit from cycling, and is lower on the pick order compared to other archetypes that you just never really end up with it. Good with Ruthless Sniper and Archfiend of Ifnir, and a playable if you have nothing else, but it doesn’t really belong in W/B Zombies. Grab Winged Shepherd if it’s free.
Uncommon
One
Priority: 2
Ruthless Sniper is very good in many strategies, but only medium in W/B Zombies. The reason is you have to fill your deck with cycling cards, which distracts from your aggressive strategy. Still, Ruthless Sniper tends to have a huge target on its head that people will have to respect.
Priority: 3
With enough Zombies, Time to Reflect is significantly better than Impeccable Timing. Odds are there will be another W/B player at your table and Time to Reflect won’t lap, meaning you usually have to take it when you see it. Exile is a rare effect that can deal with really problematic creatures, including Embalm creatures.
Two
Priority: 5
Trial of Ambition is a good card for any deck and is of even higher importance in W/B Zombies. It adds better value to the Cartouches that you already want in your deck and tend to have more of than other drafters. The fact that Cartouche of Solidarity can rebuy Trial of Ambition as early as turn 3 leads to some really nutty starts. The fact that the combo only costs three mana means you’ll have a relatively easy opportunity to do so at any point in the game thereafter as well. Be sure to tone down your pick order of Compulsory Rest when you have Trial of Ambition, as you just give them an easy creature to sacrifice. This isn’t a dealbreaker, though, since you can sequence them both appropriately. Most people tend to sacrifice their Compulsory Rest creature the first chance they have two open mana anyway.
Priority: 3
A two-power two-drop with a cheap Embalm cost. The difference of one power means Trueheart Duelist is more threatening that Anointer Priest and will trade more often.
Priority: 1
Something to play if you’re really low on two-drops. Sideboard it in against the -1/-1 counter-giving deck or if you see a Splendid Agony. The best card you can have against an opposing Ruthless Sniper or Archfiend of Ifnir.
Priority: 5
While there’s a chance that you’re the only player at the draft table that can make use of Wayward Servant, the risk isn’t worth passing it. The presence of Wayward Servant turns on all the borderline Zombies and Embalm creatures, ensuring that you’ll have a functional deck.
Three
Priority: 3
Baleful Ammit is the kind of self-applying -1/-1 counter effect that W/B Zombies is looking for. The stats are great and the lifelink is a pleasant addition. I wouldn’t take it over the core Zombie elements. The casting cost and lack of the Zombie type hold Baleful Ammit from being truly great for the deck.
Priority: 4
Your deck should be full of two-drops and Devoted Crop-Mate should be active most of the time. It’s an optimal target for Cartouche of Solidarity and probably the biggest reason to want vigilance or untap effects in the deck. Outside of Embalm, you won’t have many opportunities for card advantage. Sequence Devoted Crop-Mate after less important creatures, since it’ll probably be one of your best cards.
Priority: 2
Edifice of Authority is great. It’s just not at its best in W/B Zombies. You’re less defensive and tend to have less spare mana than other decks. Once Edifice of Authority is fully charged and starts stopping blockers, then we’re talking. I wouldn’t expect to get this card often, since it’s much lower on the pick order than basically any other archetype would have it.
Priority: 5
Lord of the Accursed lessens the necessity of aAthem spells while simultaneously lessening the need for removal spells to punch through, since it has an activated ability that gives menace. The spare slots leave room for protection spells like Supernatural Stamina to protect the Lord or Wander in Death to recur it. Never pass Lord of the Accursed and give your neighboring drafter the idea that Zombies is open.
Priority: 2
You really want to be casting a real creature on turn 3. One Oketra’s Monument is fine to try to go around potential blockers. It can get out of control sometimes, but don’t love it as a reliable plan, since it’s such a bad topdeck. Its legendary status makes it a relatively low pick for such a situationally strong card.
Priority: 4
Trial of Solidarity really ties everything your deck wants to be doing together. Works well with tokens, Exert, and Cartouches. Obviously poor without creatures on the battlefield and somewhat replaceable by In Oketra’s Name. Trial of Solidarity is still the best of the bunch and is what I want to be doing with my fourth or fifth turn.
Priority: 3
Vizier of Deferment is pretty good in any white deck and is pretty reasonable here too. A creature that also adds surprise interaction in combat is a great package deal. It removes Auras and outright kills Embalm tokens. Vizier of Deferment would be an extremely high pick if its stats were a number higher in either direction. As it stands, it’s a fine card I’m happy playing but am also happy doing without.
Four
Priority: 3
Bone Picker pairs well with 3/2s and those 1/1 Sacred Cats you don’t mind throwing away. Unfortunately, there aren’t great removal options outside of Finish that you can count on to trigger Bone Picker’s cost reduction, since Compulsory Rest keeps the creature on the battlefield and Final Reward, Cast Out, and Time to Reflect exile. When Bone Picker works cheaper, it’s great; if it doesn’t, it’s the thing you’re casting on turn four.
Priority: 4
Unconditional removal is always great. I still stand by picking the Zombie tribal cards like Binding Mummy over Cast Out. This is the best removal spell outside of Start//Finish. At the end of the day, Cast Out is still just a four-mana one-for-one, so I’m not too crazy for it.
Priority: 3
Having a Gravedigger lessens the need for Wander in Death. Two Gravediggers can create a late-game chain of value. I wouldn’t go two deep with a Wander in Death as well, since that’s a touch too much durdle than you’re looking for.
Priority: 2
Of non-Zombie four-drops, Grim Strider can attack from an axis powerful and different enough to be worthy of playing. By no means a necessity for W/B Zombies, but the potential rate on Grim Strider is just too strong to ignore.
Five
Priority: 4
Another example of exactly I want out of a five-drop. Oketra’s Attendant is either two 3/3 flyers over two turns or a 3/3 flying Zombie that drew a card earlier. It’s an optimal discard for Miasmic Mummy, turning an otherwise blank pick into a playable for your deck.
Six
Priority: 4
The flexibility of Stir the Sands can’t be understated. It goes in the same guessing-game camp that Impeccable Timing, Vizier of Deferment, and Start//Finish are in. The opportunity to cast Stir the Sands for six mana to creature a huge battlefield presence and possibly enable a huge attack with a Binding Mummy on the battlefield is wonderful. It even taps down a threatening attacker with a Binding Mummy if cycled on the opponent’s turn.
Split
Priority: 4
Make no mistake: Start//Finish is one of the best cards for W/B Zombies. It’s multiple instant-speed creatures and hard removal rolled into one. This is how you want to be using cheap Embalm creatures and Doomed Dissenter. Start//Finish pairs really well with Impeccable Timing or Vizier of Deferment to leave up multiple options on your opponent’s turn. The tokens pair well with Trial of Solidarity to present much more damage than they expected, really punishing an otherwise good-looking attack from your opponent.
Rare and Mythic
One
Priority: 4
Dread Wanderer is the perfect one-drop and looks great wearing a Cartouche of Solidarity. Fine to trade whenever and is reasonable to discard to Miasmic Mummy. Later on, this essentially Embalms endlessly for three mana. Dread Wanderer increases the playability of -1/-1 counter effects.
Two
Priority: 4
Glory-Bound Initiate is simply a solid card that is unlikely to be blocked as a 4/4 when attacking on turn 3. One of the few non-Zombie creatures in the set that I’m happy sticking into an already established W/B Zombies deck no matter what. Having Glory-Bound Initiate makes me want a Djeru’s Resolve in the deck.
Three
Priority: 4
Pretty good in a white-heavy build. I’d actually try to find a good reason not to take Gideon of the Trials if I’m black-slanted. Gideon nullifies a creature for a turn or hits hard. It’s good on its own but doesn’t have any synergy with the rest of W/B Zombies. Gideon risks being attacked and killed, so lean your deck to be able to defend accordingly.
Priority: 2
Bontu has a lot of potential but certainly doesn’t go in every deck. This is the card you want to pair with those Sacred Cats and Festering Mummies. Bontu the Glorified won’t affect the battlefield on turn 3 and takes a really hefty creature and mana investment to get working. I’d look harder at Bontu if I somehow got a Plague Belcher too.
Priority: 4
One of the better creatures that puts -1/-1 counters on your own creatures. Plague Belcher is good, but not always better than Cursed Minotaur. Its versatility with the counters and its incidental damage add up to be a potentially very scary card.
Four
Priority: 1
You need a ton of token makers and Embalm creatures to even give Anointed Procession a look. I wouldn’t try building around it, but rather have it as a sideboard option against the All Removal deck. Best with multiple Stir the Sands and Start//Finish.
Priority: 2
Oketra the True is one of those cards that is either unbeatable or does nothing. Oketra the True is the definition of “win more.” Token makers and cheap creatures help Oketra’s playability, making use of a battlefield full of 1/1s. Oketra has some useful spots, but I wouldn’t call it a bomb by any means.
Five
Priority: 5
Angel of Sanctions is amazing if it doesn’t get hit with an opposing exile effect. The fact that it can be Embalmed into a Zombie makes it one of the best cards in the set, even as a five-drop in W/B Zombies. I’d be careful putting Angel of Sanctions into combat at all without a trick of your own. Be conscious of how removal can affect your attacks.
Priority: 3
Archfiend of Ifnir is a build-around bomb. With that said, in a W/B Zombies shell, you’ll probably only have a few cycling cards. A 5/4 flyer is fine for five mana, and with a couple of cyclers, Archfiend of Ifnir can take over the game. Later in the draft, after a solid W/B Zombies base has been established, I can see passing on the Archfiend for something cheaper and more Zombie-related.
Priority: 5
Liliana, Death’s Majesty needs some protection to keep alive, but at six loyalty and a 2/2 Zombie blocker, you really don’t need much. You just need to be able to cast her. The mill effect is nice to hit random Embalm creatures.
Priority: 5
Liliana’s Mastery should be nearly unbeatable once it lands unless you’re already behind by miles. It would still be very good if all it did was make two 3/3 Zombies without pumping the rest of them, including future ones drawn or Embalmed.
Priority: 4
Regal Caracal is a “yeah, sure, why not” kind of card for W/B Zombies. The fact that it pumps Sacred Cat is what has me really liking it. Worse than Liliana’s Mastery, but not by much.
Split
Priority: 5
Both halves of Never//Return go a long way here. You don’t typically want to cast Never on turn 3 if you don’t have to, but rather cast it along with a cheaper spell around turn 5. Casting Return on the opponent’s Embalm creature feels like a three-for-one.
Priority: 4
Dusk///Dawn can be the best card in your deck or do nothing. Dusk is great against the green decks with big creatures blocking the way. The Dawn part should recur most of your creatures, most importantly the really good ones like Binding Mummy, Wayward Servant, and Lord of the Accursed.