Commander Showdown - Teysa vs Teysa

by
Joseph Schultz
Joseph Schultz
Commander Showdown - Teysa vs Teysa
(Teysa KarlovTeysa Karlov | Art by Magali Villaneuve) & (Teysa, Orzhov ScionTeysa, Orzhov Scion | Art by Todd Lockwood)

Life After Afterlife

A long-standing fixture of the plane of Ravnica, Teysa has had many fascinating iterations over the years. Her original version, Teysa, Orzhov ScionTeysa, Orzhov Scion, provides an interesting artistocratic approach to EDH. We saw her again in Gatecrash as Teysa, Envoy of GhostsTeysa, Envoy of Ghosts, surprising us all with the information that a frail woman with a cane was as powerful as an Armada WurmArmada Wurm.

Now Ravnica Allegiance has graced our format, and brought Teysa KarlovTeysa Karlov into the fray. Our favorite Orzhov representative has gone back to her roots, rewarding us for the death and self-sacrifice her guild so readily demands.

Teysa, Orzhov Scion
Teysa Karlov

The original Teysa allows us to exile any creature we dislike by sacrificing three white creatures, and better yet, actually creates white creature tokens whenever a black creature dies. Her abilities feed into each other so well it's frankly scary. That's also true of new Teysa, who doubles our death triggers and gives creature tokens vigilance and lifelink. Those Afterlife creatures are very happy to have her around.

Teysa's original card and her newest iteration share much in common. They both love death, creature tokens, and more death. In fact, they have so much in common that it might be difficult to pick apart their differences in card choice, strategic direction, and deck construction.

In other words, it's time for us to compare and contrast Teysa, Orzhov ScionTeysa, Orzhov Scion and Teysa KarlovTeysa Karlov. It's a Commander Showdown - Afterlife Edition!


Venn Diagram Time

Ravnica Allegiance has barely released, but at time of writing, we already have 108 decks for the new Teysa KarlovTeysa Karlov! To best compare the two death-obsessed Teysas, let's find out which Top and Signature cards they have in common thus far!

Teysa, Orzhov ScionBothTeysa Karlov
Darkest HourDarkest HourAshnod's AltarAshnod's AltarSmothering TitheSmothering Tithe
Blasting StationBlasting StationViscera SeerViscera SeerDivine VisitationDivine Visitation
Twilight DroverTwilight DroverSkullclampSkullclampPlaguecrafterPlaguecrafter
Reassembling SkeletonReassembling SkeletonAnointed ProcessionAnointed ProcessionMidnight ReaperMidnight Reaper
Endrek Sahr, Master BreederEndrek Sahr, Master BreederZulaport CutthroatZulaport CutthroatPriest of Forgotten GodsPriest of Forgotten Gods
Mentor of the MeekMentor of the MeekBlood ArtistBlood ArtistHallowed SpiritkeeperHallowed Spiritkeeper
OphiomancerOphiomancerAnguished UnmakingAnguished UnmakingRequiem AngelRequiem Angel
Martial CoupMartial CoupUtter EndUtter EndPawn of UlamogPawn of Ulamog
Sengir AutocratSengir AutocratDictate of ErebosDictate of ErebosRevel in RichesRevel in Riches
Phyrexian ArenaPhyrexian ArenaPitiless PlundererPitiless PlundererYahenni, Undying PartisanYahenni, Undying Partisan
Grave PactGrave PactSwords to PlowsharesSwords to PlowsharesGrim HaruspexGrim Haruspex
Merciless EvictionMerciless EvictionTeysa, Orzhov ScionTeysa, Orzhov ScionSifter of SkullsSifter of Skulls
Karmic GuideKarmic GuideSolemn SimulacrumSolemn Simulacrum
Suture PriestSuture PriestElenda, the Dusk RoseElenda, the Dusk Rose
Return to DustReturn to DustBlack MarketBlack Market
Sorin, Lord of InnistradSorin, Lord of InnistradDark ProphecyDark Prophecy
Sun TitanSun TitanButcher of MalakirButcher of Malakir
Open the GravesOpen the Graves
Ogre SlumlordOgre Slumlord
Kokusho, the Evening StarKokusho, the Evening Star
Doomed TravelerDoomed Traveler

A nice amount of overlap here, in many expected areas. Classic Orzhov removal like Anguished UnmakingAnguished Unmaking and Utter EndUtter End. Since both decks love to watch their own creatures die, there are tons of additional ways to insure they do so, such as Viscera SeerViscera Seer and Ashnod's AltarAshnod's Altar. And of course, we have some lovely rewards for our dying creatures: Dictate of ErebosDictate of Erebos can utterly lock down the board, Pitiless PlundererPitiless Plunderer can supply a steady stream of Treasure, and of course, Blood ArtistBlood Artist and Zulaport CutthroatZulaport Cutthroat do what every Aristocrats deck loves to do - bleed our enemies dry.

Pitiless Plunderer
Blood Artist
Zulaport Cutthroat

How about the individual commander columns? Teysa, Orzhov ScionTeysa, Orzhov Scion boasts classic black-white value engines, from Sun TitanSun Titan to Endrek Sahr, Master BreederEndrek Sahr, Master Breeder, but look closer: she's got cold, cruel combos running through her veins.

Darkest HourDarkest Hour turns each of Teysa's creatures into a black creature, which means whenever she loses a creature, she immediately replaces it with another. Just add a Blasting StationBlasting Station to ruin the rest of the table, or Suture PriestSuture Priest for infinite life. The fate of the game is all but sealed.

Darkest Hour
Blasting Station
Suture Priest

Teysa KarlovTeysa Karlov, meanwhile, is hyper-obsessed with death triggers. Many of them, such as Grim HaruspexGrim Haruspex, Midnight ReaperMidnight Reaper, Harvester of SoulsHarvester of Souls, and Dark ProphecyDark Prophecy focus on providing additional card advantage. An even greater number focus on the creation of tokens after death: Hallowed SpiritkeeperHallowed SpiritkeeperElenda, the Dusk RoseElenda, the Dusk RosePawn of UlamogPawn of Ulamog, and heck, even Doomed TravelerDoomed Traveler. Of significant importance is Requiem AngelRequiem Angel, which can make tokens even when token creatures die, a rare treat.

These initial inspections are fun, but we need something more substantive. Let's look at some decklists.


Scion of the Ur-Teysa

With nearly 1,000 decks to her name, OG Teysa has had plenty of time to mature on her EDHREC page, so we can generally trust the Average Deck feature to provide us with a well-rounded list. Let's take a look:


Average Teysa, Orzhov Scion Deck

View on Archidekt

Commander (1)

Creatures (27)

Instants (6)

Sorceries (10)

Artifacts (9)

Enchantments (9)

Planeswalkers (2)

Lands (36)

Teysa, Orzhov Scion

The Professor of TCC stated famously in his Teysa deck tech that the card Darkest HourDarkest Hour functions as a simple switch to turn the deck from 'powerful' to 'overwhelmingly powerful.' Some folks may prefer the direct combos enabled by this innocuous little enchantment, and power to them! Others will be happy simply draining the table without the fuss of the combo, and removing this single card can be a useful way to adjust to the power levels of your personal meta. Even without Darkest HourDarkest Hour, Teysa brings a formidable presence to the battlefield.

Endrek Sahr, Master Breeder
Viscera Seer
Elenda, the Dusk Rose

Even without going infinite, you could have up to twenty game actions per turn, without much setup required. Playing a single Elenda, the Dusk RoseElenda, the Dusk Rose could trigger your Endrek Sahr, Master BreederEndrek Sahr, Master Breeder to create four Thrull tokens, triggering your Soul WardenSoul Warden to gain five total life. Then you can sacrifice those Thrull tokens to scry four times with Viscera SeerViscera Seer, creating four Spirits with Teysa (gaining four more life with Soul WardenSoul Warden), and putting four counters on Elenda. After that, you can sacrifice Elenda and two Spirits to have Teysa exile target creature. Since Elenda is a black creature, Teysa creates another Spirit, and Elenda creates four lifelinking white Vampire tokens (which gains you another five life), and since you now have two white Spirits and four white Vampires, you can sacrifice them three at a time to activate Teysa's exiling ability and remove any two creatures at a moment's notice.

Move aside, Yidris, Maelstrom WielderYidris, Maelstrom Wielderthis is what it means to Cascade. A single four-mana creature spell could result in fourteen enters-the-battlefield triggers, fourteen life, seven death triggers, and up to three removal spells with the commander's activated ability. Add in a single Blood ArtistBlood Artist and the math gets even more complicated.

Phyrexian Altar
Nether Traitor
Nim Deathmantle

It's also sinfully easy to go infinite by sheer accident. Phyrexian AltarPhyrexian Altar could provide the mana you need to loop Nether TraitorNether Traitor and Reassembling SkeletonReassembling Skeleton back and forth in and out of the graveyard, using Teysa's new tokens as additional fodder. Karmic GuideKarmic Guide and ReveillarkReveillark are famous for how immediately busted they become. Ashnod's AltarAshnod's Altar and Nim DeathmantleNim Deathmantle are hiding in that decklist too, and easily go infinite together, especially since the Deathmantle also makes the equipped creature a black Zombie, which means it triggers Teysa's Spirit-making ability whenever it dies, giving you even more sacrifice fodder! Much like Ghave, Guru of SporesGhave, Guru of Spores, any card you play in this deck could suddenly win you the game, even if you didn't mean to.

Overall, Teysa's deck reminds me strongly of the Module combo from Kaladesh, where one resource begets another, which begets another. Teysa can combo out with apparent ease, and even without those combos, represents an engine that should strike fear in the hearts of your enemies immediately. If you're considering the original Teysa, just make sure you're prepared for time-consuming, fiddly turns; every action sets off a chain reaction, with creatures turning into sacrifice fodder, sacrifice fodder turning into tokens, tokens turning into removal spells, and a bounty of enters- and leaves-the-battlefield triggers accompanying every single step of the process.


Deathharmonicon

Let's move now to Teysa KarlovTeysa Karlov, new and improved, ready to help Kaya, Orzhov UsurperKaya, Orzhov Usurper annihilate the Ghost Council of OrzhovaGhost Council of Orzhova and her uncle Karlov of the Ghost CouncilKarlov of the Ghost Council once and for all.

Panharmonicon

New Teysa famously PanharmoniconPanharmonicons all your death triggers. You don't need me to tell you that all those Blood ArtistBlood Artist and Zulaport CutthroatZulaport Cutthroat effects are looking mighty fine in this Teysa's deck too. She also opens the door to other fun draining effects, like Kokusho, the Evening StarKokusho, the Evening Star, and who doesn't want to get two triggers off of Vindictive LichVindictive Lich?

Remember, too, that Teysa double the triggers of any permanent type, not just your dying creatures themselves, so Open the GravesOpen the Graves and Grave PactGrave Pact become even more potent as well. A dying creature equipped with SkullclampSkullclamp draws four cards, not two. Even if your Athreos, God of PassageAthreos, God of Passage isn't a creature, you can force an opponent to pay six life to truly destroy your creatures. Again, you don't need me to say it, but: that's bonkers.

Massacre Wurm
Revel in Riches
Dead Man's Chest

Don't forget that Teysa can also double-trigger abilities that result from the deaths of your opponents' creatures, too! Massacre WurmMassacre Wurm can frankly end a game by taking down 10% of an enemy's life total every time they lose a creature. Revel in RichesRevel in Riches could very well create ten Treasure tokens in a single round of the table! A personal favorite is Dead Man's ChestDead Man's Chest, normally only seen in decks like Gonti, Lord of LuxuryGonti, Lord of Luxury, since it slots directly into their 'what's-yours-is-now-mine' strategy. In other decks, the payoff often feels too minimal to justify a card slot, but here with Teysa, doubling the number of cards you get to steal could be the equivalent of drawing an entirely new hand.

Many of the death triggers discussed so far come from black cards, but don't forget that white has some excellent offerings, too! Archon of JusticeArchon of Justice goes from good to great when it exiles not one but two permanents. Along a similar vein, Reliquary MonkReliquary Monk is likely to go overlooked, given its obscurity, but it's a fierce effect with which to threaten the table. Oh, and remember how much Teysa loves the Afterlife mechanic? How about slapping a Murder InvestigationMurder Investigation on a creature to make a bajillion tokens?

Archon of Justice
Reliquary Monk
Murder Investigation

Tokens, though - this is the real thing that I think sets new Teysa apart from old Teysa. I've rambled on about a half-dozen exciting Teysa synergies so far, and I haven't even gotten to her second line of rules text! She also gives all your creature tokens vigilance and lifelink!

Old Teysa loved tokens, but she loved them in quantity, not quality. Low-cost cards that produced lots of bodies, that's her style. New Teysa? She can easily follow suit, but she can also do this:

Crested Sunmare
Angelic Accord
Flesh Carver

Big ol' tokens make Trostani, Selesnya's VoiceTrostani, Selesnya's Voice proud. Flesh CarverFlesh Carver can be used to make two big baddies, which can serve harsh justice and hold back to protect your life total. Grave TitanGrave Titan gets real bonkers real fast in a normal game, but here, it's even worse. Ghoulcaller GisaGhoulcaller Gisa supplies a steady stream of death, and now an army of life-providing Zombies, which is a very peculiar sentence.

However, my favorite are the Crested SunmareCrested Sunmare effects. A big, indestructible Horse token can engage in combat with no worries in the world, gaining you life, which gives her a sister on the following turn. If any opponent even glances your way during their attack step, the equestrian brigade will threaten to simply make another token at the end of that turn, too. Angelic AccordAngelic Accord and the recent Resplendent AngelResplendent Angel follow suit, and they're all very exciting.

Let's take this big, diverse list of death, taxes, and tokens, and stuff it into an actual decklist.


Teysa Tokens

View on Archidekt

Commander (1)

Creatures (27)

Artifacts (13)

Instants (5)

Sorceries (4)

Enchantments (13)

Lands (37)

Teysa Karlov

A Real Curveball

There are many fun intricacies to uncover in the list above, and even some combos, just like the original Teysa! However, the way I'd like to summarize the differences between the new and old Teysa is by giving you a warning.

The decklist above is a total blast, but in truth, that mana curve is high, much higher than the original Teysa's. Old Teysa keeps things fairly low to the ground, only deviating into higher costs for exceptional cases like Elspeth, Sun's ChampionElspeth, Sun's Champion and Razaketh, the FoulbloodedRazaketh, the Foulblooded - both of which still reward you for playing lots of little, low-cost creatures! This is the reason Blood ArtistBlood Artist shows up in 75% of old Teysa's lists, but Falkenrath NobleFalkenrath Noble only shows up in 26% of them.

New Teysa has a glut of amazing effects to utilize, from Black MarketBlack Market and Divine VisitationDivine Visitation to Revel in RichesRevel in Riches and Dictate of ErebosDictate of Erebos, but you can't full your deck with a bunch of five-mana cards. Your curve matters.

It's for this reason that I didn't include Butcher of MalakirButcher of Malakir and Ashen RiderAshen Rider in the list above, even though they synergize beautifully with new Teysa. The mana costs were already getting pretty expensive, and while it's possible to supplement those costs with more mana rocks, we have to make sure aggressive decks don't take us out in the early stages of the game. Our enemies aren't going to let us live for very long if our opening plays are just SkullclampSkullclamp, Lightning GreavesLightning Greaves, Phyrexian AltarPhyrexian AltarAnointed ProcessionAnointed Procession, and Divine VisitationDivine Visitation before we finally play a Harvester of SoulsHarvester of Souls. By that time they've ramped out a Xenagos, God of RevelsXenagos, God of Revels and dealt us 30 damage.

Anointed Procession
Divine Visitation
Harvester of Souls

Thus: Teysa, Orzhov ScionTeysa, Orzhov Scion is the embodiment of "death by a thousand cuts" philosophy, in more ways than one. While she's capable of taking the table out with a simple combo, she's also likely to slowly bleed her opposition dry. Remember, though, the word 'thousand.' Every action she takes has just as many consequences, creating new tokens and triggering new permanents, so even on your politest of turns, expect your plays to require a lot of focused attention. She's playing as a chemist with all those Spirit tokens, and you're playing as the laws of physics that have to actually track all those chemical reactions. A beautiful process, but a complicated one.

Meanwhile, new Teysa is certainly able to have just as many tough-to-track interactions as her previous self, but she can also streamline her plays by doubling a classic Kokusho, the Evening StarKokusho, the Evening Star trigger. If old Teysa is comparable to Breya, Etherium ShaperBreya, Etherium Shaper with all her fiddly effects and combo potential, then new Teysa is comparable toMeren of Clan Nel TothMeren of Clan Nel Toth, with her love of double-dipping on death and her ability to resort to some classic Grave TitanGrave Titan beatdown.


Cards to Consider

Let's take a quick moment to look closer at a few cards both commanders could potentially make use of, but which don't currently see much play.


Teysa, Orzhov ScionTeysa, Orzhov Scion

Cathars' Crusade
Enduring Renewal
Spawning Pit
  • Cathars' CrusadeCathars' Crusade - This is a risky one, and I understand why it doesn't see more action for original Teysa. Her creatures need to remain dispensable, and the larger they are, the less you want to get rid of them. Plus, five mana is a lot. You could just combo instead. With that said, sometimes Teysa can drag on a little bit if she doesn't combo, and given the sheer number of tokens she's capable of creating, I think this could be a good option to close things out another way.
  • Carnival of SoulsCarnival of Souls - Again, all those tokens entering could cause some serious damage. Yes, it could do some of that damage to you, since you'll lose life, but if you get one of those Blood ArtistBlood Artist effects into play, the engine smooths out nicely. Check out this article by Mason Brantley for even more potential.
  • Enduring RenewalEnduring Renewal - We Commander players are trained to ignore good white cards, and 'white combo card' is definitely not a common phrase in our lexicon. This is one of them. Returning a creature to your hand every time it dies is perfect fodder for a mana-generating sacrifice outlet to loop tons of triggers.
  • Spawning PitSpawning Pit - This sacrifice outlet is so dang good.
  • Kalitas, Traitor of GhetKalitas, Traitor of Ghet - Creating black tokens is important, since Teysa turns them into white tokens. Kalitas supplies them in spades, and keeps your enemies from messing around too much with their graveyards.

Teysa KarlovTeysa Karlov

Archangel of Thune
Rite of Belzenlok
Rootborn Defenses
  • Archangel of ThuneArchangel of Thune - Your. Tokens. Have. Lifelink! This will get so many triggers and I'm ecstatic about it.
  • Phyrexian RebirthPhyrexian Rebirth - Don't just play the classic Wrath of GodWrath of God effects. For a few more mana you get a big reward that synergizes excellently with Teysa and her token-enhancing enchantments like Anointed ProcessionAnointed Procession
  • Rite of BelzenlokRite of Belzenlok - Lots of tokens, and a big Demon that deals damage to you. But wait, it has lifelink, which means you gain it right back!
  • Noosegraf MobNoosegraf Mob - I know there aren't many slots for a high-cost creature, but six lifelinking, vigilant Zombies is everything I want in life. Plus, this is nutty with Cathars' CrusadeCathars' Crusade.
  • Rootborn DefensesRootborn Defenses - If you're playing with big tokens, take a leaf out of Trostani, Selesnya's VoiceTrostani, Selesnya's Voice. Keep your board safe and ever-growing. It's easy to overlook a common, but don't forget about this card!

Final Parting

A vision in black and white, Teysa has evolved quite a lot over her years on Ravnica. No matter which version of her you decide to try out, she'll reward your death parade with tons of intricate interaction that will make you the life - and death - of the party.

PS - If you'd like to get even more info about new Teysa, check out this episode of the EDHREC podcast, where cohost Matt Morgan and I brew up some competing decklists!

So, which of these commanders is right for you? Which commanders would you like to see on the next Commander Showdown? Cast your votes below!

 

Take Our Poll

 

Cast your votes, or leave a comment below! Write-in candidates are always welcome.

Til next time!

 

Joseph Schultz

Joey is the lead editor and content producer for EDHREC. You can find him hosting and creating tons of great videos over at https://www.youtube.com/edhrecast or give him a follow at @JosephMSchultz on Twitter, where he likes to celebrate Commander, coffee, and corgis.

EDHREC Code of Conduct

Your opinions are welcome. We love hearing what you think about Magic! We ask that you are always respectful when commenting. Please keep in mind how your comments could be interpreted by others. Personal attacks on our writers or other commenters will not be tolerated. Your comments may be removed if your language could be interpreted as aggressive or disrespectful. You may also be banned from writing further comments.