How do I make this zombie mill deck faster?

Question

Although I'm not that bad at sealed deck format (I usually end up in the first 5 places) I suck at draft. This is my first attempt to build a T2 deck. I need help because I think the deck is too slow.

Deck Objective: Milling

24 lands (I don't have trouble with lands)

Non-creature spells:

• 4 Sever the Bloodline
• 1 Grindclock
• 1 Black Sun's Zenith
• 4 Increasing Confusion
• 1 Black Sun's Zenith (this was listed twice)
• 1 Endless Ranks of the Dead
• 1 Go for the Throat

Creatures:

• 2 Mindshrieker
• 2 Havengul Runebinder
• 4 Undead Alchemist
• 4 Diregraf Captain
• 4 Geralf's Mindcrushers
• 1 Gravecrawler
• 1 Havengul Lich
• 2 Evil Twin
• 2 Ghoulraiser
• 2 Cemetery Reaper

I am thinking about taking out the Gravecrawler and the Havengul Runebinder, the Gravecrawler because it can't block and the Havengul Runebinder because it won't work until my turn 5, and I can't block with it that turn because it might be die.

I don't know about the Evil Twin because it's a destruction but it can't block the turn it enters the game, I mean it can but if it dies it won't be of a lot of help.

The Captain is pretty good because it has dead touch. Maybe the spell that gives him undying until end of turn, but I don't know what to take out.

My idea is to gent alive to my (4-5) use the Undead Alchemist (but I won't use it to block) and use Increasing Confusion next.

I think that's a good combo, and since Undead Alchemist is a zombie and I think Geralf's Mindcrusher is a good card (although I might be wrong) because if he dies that's a total of 10 milled cards, that's also a zombie, I thought the black cards will support and help me to stay alive until I start milling, especially with so many destructions.

Maybe I need other black cards or another color (not excluding the mono blue possibility)?

Answer 1

In general, mill decks are a bit slow. If you want to keep the mills in your deck, you have to structure it around them - probably you'll end up with a mill+control deck.

If you want a fast deck, then it would be better to go for a strategy that doesn't involve mills...

Answer 2

You are correct in your assessment that this deck is too slow. You should select one direction and go with it - either Zombie or Mill - rather than trying to do both. I recommend removing the Mill strategy, as it is likely to slow for the format, given the current metagame.

I suggest you look at sites such as mtgtop8.com for reference when building decks. There you will see decks with good winning records played by the top players, and be able to use those as a basis for your deck. For example, this deck finished in the top 32 at the recent Pro Tour in Hawaii.

As for specific feedback on your deck, Standard is a fairly creature heavy, aggressive format. You are playing expensive removal (Sever the Bloodline) in favor of cheap (Tragic Slip, Go for the Throat (play more of those!)). Black Sun's Zenith is probably bad for you, as many of your creatures are low toughness.

Examine the mana curve of your deck. You can do this pretty easily by using any of the deck building sites (like TappedOut), or by arranging your cards by casting cost. In this deck, you have very few cards that you can cast for one or two mana, and as a result you'll lag behind those decks which can play something on turns one and two.

Hope this helps!

Answer 3

Here are some low cost card that could help:

• Phantasmal Image - can copy your more expensive creatures for just two mana and if your opponent has the advantage it can even the odds by copying their creature, also the easiest way to take out thrun or any other legendary creature.
  

• Ghoulcaller's Chant - cheap card advantage
  

• Undying Evil - essentially casting any creature you've got with a +1/+1, only drawback is that it needs to be about to die
  

• Surgical Extraction - a little bit of mill and can really mess with decks that rely on certain cards
  

• Nihil spellbomb - Its a cantrip that helps you get to cards you want, and can help against effects that can allow your opponent to benefit from cards in their graveyard.

Cards I would reduce the number of:

• Grindclock: doesn't really have anything to do with zombies and you don't have any way of putting counters on it besides itself.
  

• Geralf's Mindcrusher: 4 6 cmc creatures is pretty slow and you have no mana ramp.
  

• Sever the Bloodline: 4 mana removal like somebody else said is a bit much
  

• Increasing Confusion: is great but 4 is a bit much since you can cast them twice.