<p style="text-align: right;"><em><span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="The Reaper, King No More" href="#" target="_blank">The Reaper, King No More</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> | Art by <a href="http://www.zackstella.com/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Zack Stella</a></em></p>
<p>What if <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Birthing Pod" href="#" target="_blank">Birthing Pod</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> could be a cEDH star, too? Well folks, <a href="https://edhrec.com/sets/ecl" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><em>Lorwyn Eclipsed</em></a> has given us a Jund (<span class="mana-container-container"><span class="mana-container"><i class="ms ms-cost ms-b" style="margin-left: inherit !important;"></i></span><span class="mana-container"><i class="ms ms-cost ms-r" style="margin-left: inherit !important;"></i></span><span class="mana-container"><i class="ms ms-cost ms-g" style="margin-left: inherit !important;"></i></span></span>) commander that might just make that old Modern star shine.</p>
<p>Let me introduce you to <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="The Reaper, King No More" href="#" target="_blank">The Reaper, King No More</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span>, a card with an exploitably high mana value despite its altogether reasonable mana cost.</p>
<h2>What Does <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="The Reaper, King No More" href="#" target="_blank">The Reaper, King No More</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> Do?</h2>
<div class="edhrecp__cards"><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="The Reaper, King No More"></div></div>
<p>For <span class="mana-container-container"><span class="mana-container"><i class="ms ms-cost ms-2b" style="margin-left: inherit !important;"></i></span><span class="mana-container"><i class="ms ms-cost ms-2r" style="margin-left: inherit !important;"></i></span><span class="mana-container"><i class="ms ms-cost ms-2g" style="margin-left: inherit !important;"></i></span></span>, The Reaper, King No More is 3/3 legendary Scarecrow artifact creature with two triggered abilities. First, when it enters, put a -1/-1 counter on each of up to two target creatures. Second, whenever a creature an opponent controls with a -1/-1 counter on it dies, you may put that card onto the battlefield under you control. Do this only once each turn.</p>
<p>First up, two quick rules clarifications. As far as that mana cost is concerned, for each mana symbol in the The Reaper's cost, you may pay <span class="mana-container-container"><span class="mana-container"><i class="ms ms-cost ms-2" style="margin-left: inherit !important;"></i></span></span> or one mana of that symbol's color (e.g., <span class="mana-container-container"><span class="mana-container"><i class="ms ms-cost ms-2b" style="margin-left: inherit !important;"></i></span></span> can be paid with <span class="mana-container-container"><span class="mana-container"><i class="ms ms-cost ms-2" style="margin-left: inherit !important;"></i></span></span> or <span class="mana-container-container"><span class="mana-container"><i class="ms ms-cost ms-b" style="margin-left: inherit !important;"></i></span></span>). This means that The Reaper's mana value is six, which is going to be a key feature of this deck.</p>
<p>The second thing worth noting is that, if a creature dies because its toughness is reduced to zero or less (such as through -1/-1 counters), the game will see the creature die with those counters on it. This can sometimes be complicated by -1/-1 counters cancelling out with +1/+1 counters, but that is a rarity for cEDH.</p>
<p>Alrighty, back to the card.</p>
<div class="edhrecp__cards"><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Esper Sentinel"></div><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Birds of Paradise"></div><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Ragavan, Nimble Pilferer"></div></div>
<p>So, starting with The Reaper's triggered abilities. cEDH is absolutely full of valuable creatures with exactly one toughness. <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Esper Sentinel" href="#" target="_blank">Esper Sentinel</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span>, <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Birds of Paradise" href="#" target="_blank">Birds of Paradise</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span>, <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Ragavan, Nimble Pilferer" href="#" target="_blank">Ragavan, Nimble Pilferer</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span>... the list goes on. As such, The Reaper plays a bit of a waiting game with your opponents: Either run out your early value creatures before The Reaper comes down and hope you can make back your value quick enough, or hold back until The Reaper is eventually cast so that way you don't lose your creatures.</p>
<p>Next, the mana cost. Despite being a three-color commander with a mana value of six, The Reaper, King No More is deceptively easy to cast. <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Dark Ritual" href="#" target="_blank">Dark Ritual</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> allows you to pay for two symbols in its mana cost (<span class="mana-container-container"><span class="mana-container"><i class="ms ms-cost ms-b" style="margin-left: inherit !important;"></i></span></span> and either <span class="mana-container-container"><span class="mana-container"><i class="ms ms-cost ms-2r" style="margin-left: inherit !important;"></i></span></span> or <span class="mana-container-container"><span class="mana-container"><i class="ms ms-cost ms-2g" style="margin-left: inherit !important;"></i></span></span>. Similarly, <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Sol Ring" href="#" target="_blank">Sol Ring</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> can help to cast The Reaper, just as if it were any colored-mana producing creature. All this to say, casting The Reaper by turn two is a pretty reasonable feat.</p>
<h2>Key Cards for <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="The Reaper, King No More" href="#" target="_blank">The Reaper, King No More</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span></h2>
<h3>Pod Effects</h3>
<div class="edhrecp__cards"><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Birthing Pod"></div><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Eldritch Evolution"></div></div>
<p>First up, the cards that put that mana value of six to work: pod effects. These cards all do one thing and they do it well - turning The Reaper, King No More into some other creature. <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Eldritch Evolution" href="#" target="_blank">Eldritch Evolution</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> in particular can grab basically any creature in cEDH, outside of <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Apex Devastator" href="#" target="_blank">Apex Devastator</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span>, thanks to the "or less" text in its effect, thus allowing it to turn The Reaper into any creature with mana value eight or less.</p>
<p>Birthing Pod, while more restrictive on its face, still grabs some of the best creatures in the format: as far as cEDH is concerned, folks rarely resolve a seven-drop without winning.</p>
<h3>Game-Ending Creatures</h3>
<div class="edhrecp__cards"><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Etali, Primal Conqueror"></div><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Rune-Scarred Demon"></div><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Hoarding Broodlord"></div></div>
<p>These creatures essentially serve as our commanders-in-disguise. Play The Reaper by turn two, then use a pod effect the next turn to grab any of these massive creatures. Both <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Rune-Scarred Demon" href="#" target="_blank">Rune-Scarred Demon</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> and <span class="edhrecp__link side-by-side"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Etali, Primal Conqueror" href="#" target="_blank">Etali, Primal Conqueror</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> are grabbable off of either Birthing Pod or Eldritch Evolution (both cost seven mana), while <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Hoarding Broodlord" href="#" target="_blank">Hoarding Broodlord</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> is specifically tutorable via Eldritch Evolution.</p>
<h2>How Does <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="The Reaper, King No More" href="#" target="_blank">The Reaper, King No More</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> Win?</h2>
<h3>Demon/Broodlord Pod Combo</h3>
<p>The primary closer for this list involves finding either <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Rune-Scarred Demon" href="#" target="_blank">Rune-Scarred Demon</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> or <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Hoarding Broodlord" href="#" target="_blank">Hoarding Broodlord</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> (either work, but Hoarding Broodlord is better thanks to the mechanics of its convoke-granting ability), resolving that creature's enters trigger to tutor up <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Saw in Half" href="#" target="_blank">Saw in Half</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span>, then using Saw in Half to get two more tutor triggers by casting Saw in Half on your recently-entered tutor creature.</p>
<p>From here, there are a couple of ways to handle things.</p>
<div class="edhrecp__cards"><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Saw in Half"></div><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Burnt Offering"></div><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Peer into the Abyss"></div></div>
<p>One classic option is to grab <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Burnt Offering" href="#" target="_blank">Burnt Offering</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> and <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Peer into the Abyss" href="#" target="_blank">Peer into the Abyss</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span>, as sacrificing the tutor-creature via Burnt Offering is enough mana (or more than enough, in the case of Broodlord) to cast Peer into the Abyss. This will put half your deck into your hand, granting plenty of resources to go for a win.</p>
<div class="edhrecp__cards"><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Lion&#039;s Eye Diamond"></div><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Underworld Breach"></div></div>
<p>Another option is to grab <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Lion&#039;s Eye Diamond" href="#" target="_blank">Lion&#039;s Eye Diamond</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> and <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Underworld Breach" href="#" target="_blank">Underworld Breach</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span>. With enough cards in the graveyard, this can pretty quickly turn into a game-closing Breach line, as resolving Underworld Breach can be followed up by using the Lion's Eye Diamond mana to recast Saw in Half, again targeting the tutor creature, in order to grab more combo pieces.</p>
<div class="edhrecp__cards"><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Dualcaster Mage"></div><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Heat Shimmer"></div></div>
<p>Lastly, if enough red mana is available, this can also just be shortcut to a double-tutor for <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Dualcaster Mage" href="#" target="_blank">Dualcaster Mage</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> and any <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Heat Shimmer" href="#" target="_blank">Heat Shimmer</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> effect, leading to infinite hasty clones of the Dualcaster.</p>
<h2><span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="The Reaper, King No More" href="#" target="_blank">The Reaper, King No More</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> cEDH Deck List</h2>
<div class="edhrecp__deck mtgh"><span class="edhrecp__deck-s" name="The Reaper, King No More cEDH" site="edhrec" archidekt_link="" cards="[Commander]
*1 The Reaper, King No More
[/Commander]
[Instants]
*1 Abrupt Decay
*1 Autumn&#039;s Veil
*1 Burnt Offering
*1 Cabal Ritual
*1 Chord of Calling
*1 Crop Rotation
*1 Culling the Weak
*1 Dark Ritual
*1 Deadly Rollick
*1 Deflecting Swat
*1 Entomb
*1 Noxious Revival
*1 Pyroblast
*1 Red Elemental Blast
*1 Redirect Lightning
*1 Saw in Half
*1 Vampiric Tutor
*1 Veil of Summer
*1 Worldly Tutor
[/Instants]
[Artifacts]
*1 Arcane Signet
*1 Birthing Pod
*1 Chrome Mox
*1 Fellwar Stone
*1 Grinding Station
*1 Lion&#039;s Eye Diamond
*1 Lotus Petal
*1 Mana Vault
*1 Mox Amber
*1 Mox Diamond
*1 Mox Opal
*1 Sol Ring
*1 Talisman of Resilience
*1 The One Ring
*1 Wishclaw Talisman
[/Artifacts]
[Creatures]
*1 Birds of Paradise
*1 Bloom Tender
*1 Deathrite Shaman
*1 Delighted Halfling
*1 Dualcaster Mage
*1 Elves of Deep Shadow
*1 Elvish Spirit Guide
*1 Etali, Primal Conqueror // Etali, Primal Sickness
*1 Eternal Witness
*1 Hexing Squelcher
*1 Hoarding Broodlord
*1 Ignoble Hierarch
*1 Orcish Bowmasters
*1 Pinnacle Monk // Mystic Peak
*1 Ragavan, Nimble Pilferer
*1 Rune-Scarred Demon
*1 Simian Spirit Guide
*1 The Cabbage Merchant
[/Creatures]
[Enchantments]
*1 Carpet of Flowers
[/Enchantments]
[Sorceries]
*1 Culling Ritual
*1 Demonic Tutor
*1 Diabolic Intent
*1 Eldritch Evolution
*1 Electroduplicate
*1 Finale of Devastation
*1 Heat Shimmer
*1 Imperial Seal
*1 Jeska&#039;s Will
*1 Metamorphosis
*1 Molten Duplication
*1 Nature&#039;s Rhythm
*1 Peer into the Abyss
*1 Persist
*1 Reanimate
*1 Twinflame
*1 Wheel of Fortune
*1 Yawgmoth&#039;s Will
[/Sorceries]
[Lands]
*1 Ancient Tomb
*1 Arid Mesa
*1 Badlands
*1 Bayou
*1 Blood Crypt
*1 Bloodstained Mire
*1 Boseiju, Who Endures
*1 City of Brass
*1 City of Traitors
*1 Command Tower
*1 Emergence Zone
*1 Exotic Orchard
*1 Gaea&#039;s Cradle
*1 Gemstone Caverns
*1 Luxury Suite
*1 Mana Confluence
*1 Marsh Flats
*1 Overgrown Tomb
*1 Shifting Woodland
*1 Spire Garden
*1 Starting Town
*1 Stomping Ground
*1 Taiga
*1 Undergrowth Stadium
*1 Urborg, Tomb of Yawgmoth
*1 Verdant Catacombs
*1 Windswept Heath
*1 Wooded Foothills
[/Lands]"></span></div>
<h2>Wrap Up</h2>
<p>At the end of the day, The Reaper, King No More is a Jund deck that boils down to "cheaper <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Hoarding Broodlord" href="#" target="_blank">Hoarding Broodlord</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> in the command zone." Cast your commander, steal some relevant one-toughness creature, hope the turn comes back around to you, then launch full steam ahead with a Birthing Pod effect as you turn your three-mana commander into a game-winning seven- or eight-drop.</p>


king no more

Building The Reaper, King No More for cEDH

Controlling the Flow of Blight With The Reaper, King No More