Pimp out my graveyard!

Yeah when innistrad came out I had blue in it. Now that grisly salvage is out I made it just b/g.

Thanks! If you were to use boneyard wurms you might have to take out the ambush vipers. I don't recommend that because that's pretty much the only early removal you'll have plus they make excellent graveyard fodder. I used to run a version that had boneyard wurms, but I always ended up tossing them in the graveyard to pump up splinterfrights / ghoultrees.

On second thought, perhaps gravecrawlers instead of ambush vipers is the way to do it.

They might be a little too mana heavy/vulnerable for this deck.

Yep, unless i put in nevermore. Do you know of any preventative green and/or black spells in standard that could stop this? Obviously if I force them to use tormod's crypt I could prevent it from being too damaging, but if that get's played mid game it would be over. Same thing for rest in peace.

A green spell from the 2013 Core Set called Naturalize destroys target enchantment or artifact and its an instant so you can play it before Tormod's Crypt is played and its ability used same with Rest in Peace.

**plus nevermore is a white spell and I would recommend sticking with the G/B theme you have because its not a bad concept**

I believe that even if you attempted to naturalize it tormod's crypt would still be sacrificed thus resulting in you "forcing" them to sac it. You can't use it until the spell resolves anyway so both rest in peace and tormod's crypt would exile the graveyard before naturalize could stop it.

Ah, witchbane orb would work for tormod's crypt. Still don't know about Rest In Peace though.

No that's not how it works. Naturalize would be played as an interrupt thus stopping your opponent from tapping and sacrificing Tormod's Crypt; also, just to clarify an example(step by step):

Opponent: taps 0 mana to put Tormod's Crypt onto the battlefield
Opponent: is going to tap Tormod's Crypt to sacrifice it and activate its ability
You: tap your two mana to play Naturalize as an interrupt(because it is an instant) to stop your opponent from tapping Tormod's Crypt and destroy it before it can activate its ability.

You are incorrect. Since sacrificing Tormod's Crypt is part of the cost, the target you would've intended to choose for naturalize is illegal and it fizzles. Likewise if one tries to naturalize it, they can tap and sac it in response. This would detonate it prematurely, but in a splinterfright deck it would still do devastating damage. I've had to research that in the past for graveyard decks I've made. Also you can find the answer here since the same principle for naturalizing a ratchet bomb is involved: http://eco.cueb.edu.cn/contents/page/html.php?id=20120606165406AALKDcT

The best answer I've found thus far is to use duress to pick it out of their hand or witchbane orb.

Actually you're wrong there, if you read the card it states tap Tormod's Crypt then sacrifice it. An interupt may be played before the card is tapped as per the rules stated in the Mtg tournament rules and regulations. This is found under 608.2b resolving spells and abilities section. This information is taken directly from the online rules from the wizards website. I'll link it so you can see what I'm trying to explain:

http://www.wizards.com/Magic/TCG/Article.aspx?x=magic/rules

Heh, now that I've done research yet again to verify this, I guarantee you with 100% certainty that you are still incorrect. It does not say tap then sacrifice. The colon is after the word sacrifice, meaning it is part of the cost. This makes it an illegal target since the cost has already been paid and is not on the stack to begin with. Same thing for trying to doomblade a creature being sacrificed to fling. I understand what you're getting at, but the comma itself only indicates order. As long as it is before the colon, it is part of the cost and does not get its own place on the stack.

It doesn't have to say tap, what do you think the little arrow means? When you turn a card sideways its tapped correct? Thats what that arrow represents lol

The order is action, cost then resolve/effect(like this): action: tap (illustrated with the little sideways arrow) cost: sacrifice Tormod's Crypt then effect: exile all cards in Target players graveyard.

You may play your instant before the action phase because the card we're discussing is an instant and will resolve before the action takes place. Trust me I've been playing casual and in tournaments for the past 5 years. This is how it works I'm telling you from experience. Not bashing you down, harassing or anything like that but in that scenario this is the correct outcome.

Don't worry, I don't for a second believe that you're trying to patronize me or anything. Also don't think I'm trying to do the same. Regardless, I know that this is the case from experience, fnm, tourneys, the judges at them, and friends / internet queries. They all confirmed that I am correct. Since I'm guessing you haven't spent too much time researching this specific ruling, I recommend that you start querying the internet / a judge because it will not be long before you see that you cannot counter a crypt with a naturalize.

Also, tapping is part of the cost. It is not separated from the sacrificing.

Long ago I thought it was as you are describing, but I discovered to my dismay that I could not stop people from nihil spell bombing me with a naturalize. I don't want to argue over this anymore until one of us can give definitive proof.

Also do not forget about abrupt decay, destroys anything nonland with CMC 3 or less... best part it cannot be countered all for just a BG :)

Ha thanks!

Thank you!

Yes I was wrong there but in doing some looking the answer may be Pithing Needle. Check it out and let me know what you think.

Yes! pithing needle is the only good low cc counter to it. Thus far the only good ideas I have for keeping this deck safe from tormod's are duress, pithing needle, and witchbane orb.

Would pithing needle work against rest in peace? also, you may want to throw in immortal servitude, and duress in the sideboard for control decks, just a thought. and personally i would throw in ambush viper in place of those slitherheads.

drown in filth would be my favorite golgari control, with evolving wilds/ghost quarter making it potent quickly and throwing stuff in your graveyard