{"ops":[{"insert":"Varina, Lich Queen: Zombie Combat Engine Primer"},{"attributes":{"header":1},"insert":"\n"},{"insert":"\n"},{"attributes":{"italic":true},"insert":"Who am I?"},{"attributes":{"header":2},"insert":"\n"},{"insert":"This is a Bracket 3 "},{"insert":{"card-link":"Varina, Lich Queen"}},{"insert":" Zombie combat deck. The deck builds a Zombie board, attacks with Varina, and turns her draw/discard trigger into cards, mana, tokens, drain, recursion, and lethal combat.\n\nThe main plan is to attack, convert resources, grow the horde, and end the game through overwhelming combat or Zombie-count payoffs.\n\n"},{"attributes":{"italic":true},"insert":"What is my purpose?"},{"attributes":{"header":2},"insert":"\n"},{"insert":"The deck wants the first Varina attack to matter. Early turns develop mana, bodies, and independent engines. Midgame turns use Varina to sculpt the hand and graveyard. Late turns convert the board into lethal through "},{"insert":{"card-link":"Akroma's Will"}},{"insert":", "},{"insert":{"card-link":"On Wings of Gold"}},{"insert":", "},{"insert":{"card-link":"Shepherd of Rot"}},{"insert":", "},{"insert":{"card-link":"Wand of Orcus"}},{"insert":", "},{"insert":{"card-link":"Vault of the Archangel"}},{"insert":", "},{"insert":{"card-link":"Raise the Palisade"}},{"insert":", "},{"insert":{"card-link":"Living Death"}},{"insert":", or "},{"insert":{"card-link":"Beseech the Queen"}},{"insert":" finding the right piece to free cast.\n\nVarina should usually come down when she can attack with at least one or two Zombies, preferably more. Casting her into an empty board is sometimes correct, but it should not be the default as the deck doesn't really have ways to protect her.\n\n"},{"attributes":{"italic":true},"insert":"What hands deserve to live?"},{"attributes":{"header":2},"insert":"\n"},{"insert":"A good opening hand usually has 2-3 lands or MDFC lands, access to black mana, a path to white and blue mana, and at least one early play.\n\nStrong early plays include "},{"insert":{"card-link":"Cryptbreaker"}},{"insert":", "},{"insert":{"card-link":"Wizened Mentor"}},{"insert":", "},{"insert":{"card-link":"Wayward Servant"}},{"insert":", "},{"insert":{"card-link":"Corpse Knight"}},{"insert":", "},{"insert":{"card-link":"Patchwork Banner"}},{"insert":", "},{"insert":{"card-link":"Black Market Connections"}},{"insert":", or"},{"insert":{"card-link":"Rhystic Study"}},{"insert":".\n\nKeep hands that can develop and cast Varina on time. "},{"attributes":{"bold":true},"insert":"Mulligan hands with no black mana"},{"insert":", no early play, no realistic path to Varina, or only expensive payoffs. The deck can do absurd things later, but it needs to really develop the early game.\n\n"},{"attributes":{"italic":true},"insert":"Where is my kingdom?"},{"attributes":{"header":2},"insert":"\n"},{"insert":"Fetch lands should find "},{"insert":{"card-link":"Raffine's Tower"}},{"insert":" first. It fixes all three colors, supports Varina, and makes later sequencing much easier. The deck is heavy on black color identity, which generally means more black pips than others.\n\nThe default is fixing first. Greedy fetches punish this deck more than they reward it.\n\n"},{"attributes":{"italic":true},"insert":"What must stay in my hand?"},{"attributes":{"header":2},"insert":"\n"},{"insert":"Think one turn ahead at least, anything you keep you may not be able to cast this turn. So what will you likely need next turn or before next turn. A counterspell like "},{"insert":{"card-link":"Fierce Guardianship"}},{"insert":" ? Removal of a key piece like "},{"insert":{"card-link":"Deadly Rollick"}},{"insert":" ? or are you able to continue to develop your engine, keeping a "},{"insert":{"card-link":"Raise the Palisade"}},{"insert":" or "},{"insert":{"card-link":"Galadriel's Dismissal"}},{"insert":" to clear blockers?\n\nInteraction should usually be saved for the player most likely to win against you first. Use removal on engines, not random bodies. Kill the card producing tokens, copying threats, enabling evasive damage, or making combat math impossible.\n\nSave "},{"insert":{"card-link":"Akroma's Will"}},{"insert":" or "},{"insert":{"card-link":"On Wings of Gold"}},{"insert":" for when lethal is close. If those are no longer options, lean on "},{"insert":{"card-link":"Champions from Beyond"}},{"insert":" (x=0) or a fully upgraded "},{"insert":{"card-link":"Caretaker's Talent"}},{"insert":" to close. Keep "},{"insert":{"card-link":"Living Death"}},{"insert":" when the graveyard is loaded or a wipe is likely. Keep "},{"insert":{"card-link":"Victimize"}},{"insert":" when two strong creatures are already in the graveyard. Hold onto "},{"insert":{"card-link":"Shepherd of Rot"}},{"insert":" when the Zombie count and life total support a kill.\n\nKeep "},{"insert":{"card-link":"Beseech the Mirror"}},{"insert":" when the strategy has a clear missing piece. It should find the card that turns the corner.\n\n"},{"attributes":{"italic":true},"insert":"What belongs in the grave?"},{"attributes":{"header":2},"insert":"\n"},{"insert":"Varina’s discard is a feature, not a bug in this deck. The graveyard is your second hand. Get discard payoffs out as soon as possible such as "},{"insert":{"card-link":"Monument to Endurance"}},{"insert":" or "},{"insert":{"card-link":"Bone Miser"}},{"insert":", "},{"insert":{"card-link":"Hashaton, Scarab's Fist"}},{"insert":" is great as well.\n\nDiscard excess lands once mana is stable. Discard redundant rocks after development. Discard expensive creatures when "},{"insert":{"card-link":"Animate Dead"}},{"insert":", "},{"insert":{"card-link":"Victimize"}},{"insert":", "},{"insert":{"card-link":"Living Death"}},{"insert":", "},{"insert":{"card-link":"Grave Researcher // Reanimate"}},{"insert":", "},{"insert":{"card-link":"Moseo, Vein's New Dean"}},{"insert":", "},{"insert":{"card-link":"Oversold Cemetery"}},{"insert":", "},{"insert":{"card-link":"Unholy Grotto"}},{"insert":", or "},{"insert":{"card-link":"Hashaton, Scarab's Fist"}},{"insert":" can convert them. \n\nGood creatures to discard include "},{"insert":{"card-link":"Grave Titan"}},{"insert":", "},{"insert":{"card-link":"Noxious Ghoul"}},{"insert":", "},{"insert":{"card-link":"God-Eternal Oketra"}},{"insert":", "},{"insert":{"card-link":"Wilhelt, the Rotcleaver"}},{"insert":", "},{"insert":{"card-link":"Headless Rider"}},{"insert":", "},{"insert":{"card-link":"Diregraf Captain"}},{"insert":", and other high-impact bodies that are better reanimated than stranded in hand.\n\nDo not discard interaction casually when another player is close to winning. Do not discard a finisher if the board is already positioned to kill.\n\n"},{"attributes":{"italic":true},"insert":"What feeds my horde?"},{"attributes":{"header":2},"insert":"\n"},{"insert":{"card-link":"Monument to Endurance"}},{"insert":" turns Varina’s discard into real advantage. With enough discards, it can draw, make Treasure, and drain opponents in the same turn cycle."},{"attributes":{"list":"ordered"},"insert":"\n"},{"insert":{"card-link":"Bone Miser"}},{"insert":" is the explosive discard engine. Lands become black mana, creatures become Zombies, and noncreature spells become cards. "},{"attributes":{"underline":true,"bold":true},"insert":"Note: Bone Miser can draw you out on end step if you're not careful, have a low library count, and discard mostly noncreature cards which cause you to keep drawing. "},{"attributes":{"list":"ordered"},"insert":"\n"},{"insert":"Cryptcaller Chariot turns Varina’s discard into a tapped Zombie army. It is one of the deck’s best ways to go from a modest board to a lethal board."},{"attributes":{"list":"ordered"},"insert":"\n"},{"insert":"Wand of Orcus snowballs combat. Equipping Varina can turn one hit into a new board, and those Zombies feed Varina, Shepherd of Rot, Three Tree City, Vault of the Archangel, Corpse Knight, Wayward Servant, and Diregraf Captain. Varina swinging safely via "},{"insert":{"card-link":"Shizo, Death's Storehouse"}},{"insert":" is ideal in these scenarios too."},{"attributes":{"list":"ordered"},"insert":"\n"},{"insert":"Hashaton rewards creature discards, but the activation cost should only be paid when the copy matters. Strong targets include Grave Titan, Noxious Ghoul, Bone Miser, God-Eternal Oketra, Wilhelt, Headless Rider, Diregraf Captain, and Lost Monarch of Ifnir."},{"attributes":{"list":"ordered"},"insert":"\n"},{"insert":"Mondrak doubles the token plan, but it is not the plan by itself. It is best when the deck is already producing Zombies through Chariot, Wand, Field of the Dead, Grave Titan, Wilhelt, Headless Rider, Diregraf Colossus, or God-Eternal Oketra."},{"attributes":{"list":"ordered"},"insert":"\n"},{"insert":"\n"},{"attributes":{"italic":true},"insert":"What do I seek in my reflection?"},{"attributes":{"header":2},"insert":"\n"},{"insert":"Beseech the Mirror is the deck’s precision tool. Bargain is usually simple because the deck makes spare Zombies, Treasures, Shapeshifters, and other tokens. \n"},{"attributes":{"bold":true},"insert":"When developing"},{"attributes":{"list":"ordered"},"insert":"\n"},{"insert":"find Monument to Endurance, Black Market Connections, Rhystic Study, Coastal Piracy, Cryptcaller Chariot, Cryptbreaker, or Distant Melody."},{"attributes":{"indent":1,"list":"ordered"},"insert":"\n"},{"insert":"When the graveyard is loaded"},{"attributes":{"list":"ordered"},"insert":"\n"},{"insert":"find Victimize, Animate Dead, Living Death, Grave Researcher, or Noxious Ghoul."},{"attributes":{"indent":1,"list":"ordered"},"insert":"\n"},{"insert":"When the table is vulnerable"},{"attributes":{"list":"ordered"},"insert":"\n"},{"insert":"find Akroma’s Will, On Wings of Gold, Shepherd of Rot, Wand of Orcus, or Raise the Palisade."},{"attributes":{"indent":1,"list":"ordered"},"insert":"\n"},{"insert":"When someone else is about to win"},{"attributes":{"list":"ordered"},"insert":"\n"},{"insert":"find Galadriel’s Dismissal, Path to Exile, Deadly Rollick, Requisition Raid, Blasphemous Edict, Witch Enchanter, Murderous Rider, or Sink into Stupor."},{"attributes":{"indent":1,"list":"ordered"},"insert":"\n"},{"insert":"\nA bargained Beseech can immediately cast many of the deck’s best cards, including Akroma’s Will, On Wings of Gold, Monument to Endurance, Cryptcaller Chariot, Coastal Piracy, Black Market Connections, Victimize, Shepherd of Rot, Wand of Orcus, and Galadriel’s Dismissal.\n\n"},{"attributes":{"italic":true},"insert":"Whom must I fear?"},{"attributes":{"header":2},"insert":"\n"},{"insert":"The deck should not spread damage evenly by habit. It can race well, but it needs to pressure the player most likely to win first. A 3v1 is a fight you'll almost always lose.\n\nPrioritize evasive-scaling decks, spell-copy token decks, haste burst decks, fast artifact engines, and commanders that turn a quiet board into lethal damage. Flying and unblockable threats deserve attention early because they bypass the Zombie ground army.\n\nThe deck can beat those strategies, but not by letting them build up a winning board. Strike them down. Force trades on your zombie tokens. Pressure their removal until they fold.\n\n"},{"attributes":{"italic":true},"insert":"How do I end them?"},{"attributes":{"header":2},"insert":"\n"},{"insert":"\nThe cleanest win is wide combat: build Zombies, attack with Varina, then close with Akroma’s Will, On Wings of Gold, Raise the Palisade, Vault of the Archangel, or a tutored finisher.\n\nThe drain win comes from a high Zombie count plus Shepherd of Rot, Corpse Knight, Wayward Servant, Diregraf Captain, or repeated Zombie entries. Varina and Vault make the life-loss math much safer.\n\nThe graveyard win uses Varina to discard strong creatures, then converts them with Animate Dead, Victimize, Living Death, Grave Researcher, Moseo, Oversold Cemetery, Unholy Grotto, or Hashaton.\n\nThe token snowball uses Wand of Orcus, Cryptcaller Chariot, Field of the Dead, Diregraf Colossus, Headless Rider, Wilhelt, Endless Ranks, Mondrak, God-Eternal Oketra, or Grave Titan to make every attack or creature spell create more Zombies than the table can reasonably answer.\n"},{"attributes":{"header":2},"insert":"\n"}]}