{"ops":[{"insert":"This is my version of deck https://archidekt.com/decks/19212359/poplars_heir original primer:\n\n"},{"insert":{"card-link":"Reaping Willow"}},{"insert":" is probably my favorite card from all of Lorwyn Eclipsed. It's an Orzhov Treefolk that reanimates little dorks, what's not to love? It - and some other cards from our return to Lorwyn - also allow us to build the deck around -1/-1 counters, to some degree.\n\nBut first, our recursion targets! I tried to fill up the deck with a bunch of dorks that give us value in some way and are easy to get into the graveyard. We have "},{"insert":{"card-link":"Novice Inspector"}},{"insert":" and "},{"insert":{"card-link":"Thraben Inspector"}},{"insert":" to act as delayed card draw and chump blockers. Then there is "},{"insert":{"card-link":"Blightbelly Rat"}},{"insert":" and "},{"insert":{"card-link":"Martyr for the Cause"}},{"insert":" to proliferate whatever counters are out on the board. Specifically, we can put -1/-1 counters on Reaping Willow (or our opponents' creatures) with "},{"insert":{"card-link":"Bile-Vial Boggart"}},{"insert":", "},{"insert":{"card-link":"Festering Mummy"}},{"insert":", "},{"insert":{"card-link":"Fume Spitter"}},{"insert":" and "},{"insert":{"card-link":"Sickle Ripper"}},{"insert":" or buff up our board with +1/+1 counters from "},{"insert":{"card-link":"Mosquito Guard"}},{"insert":", "},{"insert":{"card-link":"Myr Scrapling"}},{"insert":" and "},{"insert":{"card-link":"Burrenton Bombardier"}},{"insert":". There are also "},{"insert":{"card-link":"Carrion Feeder"}},{"insert":", "},{"insert":{"card-link":"Viscera Seer"}},{"insert":" and "},{"insert":{"card-link":"Breathless Knight"}},{"insert":" to put our creatures into the graveyard and benefit from our Willow getting them back respectively.\n\nWe also have "},{"insert":{"card-link":"Kami of False Hope"}},{"insert":" to soft-lock our opponents' ability to do damage to us, and "},{"insert":{"card-link":"Benevolent Bodyguard"}},{"insert":" to protect the Willow from removal. Speaking of removal, the deck runs the entire "},{"insert":{"card-link":"Fleshbag Marauder"}},{"insert":" package - including "},{"insert":{"card-link":"Abyssal Gatekeeper"}},{"insert":" which is a new to me card. Finally, there is also "},{"insert":{"card-link":"Cathar Commando"}},{"insert":" and "},{"insert":{"card-link":"Westfold Rider"}},{"insert":" to police our opponents' artifacts and enchantments. \n\nSo, we have a lot of stuff we can bring back from the graveyard, but how do we reanimate more than once or twice - considering that Reaping Willow has to remove two counters from itself to activate its ability? Well, we also have "},{"insert":{"card-link":"Unearth"}},{"insert":" and "},{"insert":{"card-link":"Dread Return"}},{"insert":" to reanimate the \"hard\" way... but this is where our counters package comes into the picture. We can lean into the -1/-1 counter direction that Willow's own effect and high toughness encourage - using things like "},{"insert":{"card-link":"Torture"}},{"insert":", "},{"insert":{"card-link":"Bogslither's Embrace"}},{"insert":", "},{"insert":{"card-link":"Spiral into Solitude"}},{"insert":", "},{"insert":{"card-link":"Lethal Sting"}},{"insert":", "},{"insert":{"card-link":"Soulstinger"}},{"insert":" and "},{"insert":{"card-link":"Blighted Blackthorn"}},{"insert":" - but, after removing the first set of -1/-1 counters, it is safer to go the +1/+1 counter route. Like Torture, "},{"insert":{"card-link":"Captivating Cave"}},{"insert":" and "},{"insert":{"card-link":"Cave of Temptation"}},{"insert":" basically just let Willow be a slightly worse cast of Sun Titan - which I for one will absolutely take - while Scrapling and the Reinforce cards let us slowly charge up our reanimation engine.\n\nWe also have a generous helping of proliferate cards to speed up Willow's reanimation, buff our creatures and weaken our opponents' creatures. While only "},{"insert":{"card-link":"Blightbelly Rat"}},{"insert":" and "},{"insert":{"card-link":"Martyr for the Cause"}},{"insert":" can be recurred, there is also "},{"insert":{"card-link":"Unbounded Potential"}},{"insert":" to make our board swole, "},{"insert":{"card-link":"Whisper of the Dross"}},{"insert":" and "},{"insert":{"card-link":"Grim Affliction"}},{"insert":" to... afflict opposing creatures and even "},{"insert":{"card-link":"Gulping Scraptrap"}},{"insert":" to... gulp some scrap I guess.\n\nAll of this is supported by the deck's vegetables: the draw, ramp and removal.\n\nOur card draw suite is mostly bog standard for an Orzhov pEDH deck: the aforementioned Inspectors, several "},{"insert":{"card-link":"Village Rites"}},{"insert":" and "},{"insert":{"card-link":"Altar's Reap"}},{"insert":" clones and then "},{"insert":{"card-link":"Diresight"}},{"insert":" for some surveil action. That being said, this is one of my decks, so I had to sneak some synergistic and land based card draw as well. In terms of synergy, we have "},{"insert":{"card-link":"Blighted Blackthorn"}},{"insert":" who both draws us a card and fully restocks the Willow whenever he enters or attacks. Meanwhile, in the land slot, we have "},{"insert":{"card-link":"The Dross Pits"}},{"insert":", "},{"insert":{"card-link":"The Fair Basilica"}},{"insert":" and newcomer "},{"insert":{"card-link":"Misty Palms Oasis"}},{"insert":" to ensure we always have a way to spend our mana... even if it is just to find something to spend mana on the next turn.\n\nThe deck's 16 card strong ramp package is also pretty standard overall: the LoTR Landcyclers, "},{"insert":{"card-link":"Wayfarer's Bauble"}},{"insert":", rocks, Myr and "},{"insert":{"card-link":"Ornithopter of Paradise"}},{"insert":". However, we also have "},{"insert":{"card-link":"Ashnod's Altar"}},{"insert":" to put dorky creatures into our graveyard for Willow to reanimate later, and two depletion lands in the form of "},{"insert":{"card-link":"Peat Bog"}},{"insert":" and "},{"insert":{"card-link":"Remote Farm"}},{"insert":" to hopefully take advantage of our proliferation of proliferate effects.\n\nAs for removal, we have already talked about most of it. The goal is to use our instant and sorcery based removal to stall the game out so we can create a soft-lock with Willow and our creature based removal. I do want to shout out honorary blight card Lethal Sting, as well as "},{"insert":{"card-link":"Bone Shards"}},{"insert":" which lets us get reanimation targets into our graveyard while also dealing with a problem.\n\nLastly, we have two additional pieces of protection: "},{"insert":{"card-link":"Fanatical Devotion"}},{"insert":" and "},{"insert":{"card-link":"Your Temple Is Under Attack"}},{"insert":". Devotion is mostly here as a free sacrifice outlet, but it can protect Willow or another creature if needed. Meanwhile, Temple is a versatile card draw spell that can save us from a boardwipe (if those exist in this format).\n\nAnd this has been my first stab at a Reaping Willow pEDH deck. I think it is a good start, but I am open to any comments or suggestions. I think that Willow has potential in the format, and I want to make sure that potential is realized.\n"}]}