<h6 style="text-align: right;">(<span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Sidisi, Undead Vizier" href="#" target="_blank">Sidisi, Undead Vizier</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span>| Art by <a href="http://www.artofmtg.com/artist/min-yum/">Min Yum</a>)</h6>
<h1>Epic Preparations</h1>
<p>Hello, EDHREC fans! I’m Bernardo Melibeu, and this is <em>Epic Experiment,</em> a series where we throw all common sense aside and experiment with some unusual strategies, changing how we normally build our deck. Is it going to work? Who knows?! We’re making science here. When you’re an Izzet mage, blowing things up is half the fun.</p>
<p>In today's article we'll talk about the deadliest of tutors: <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Sidisi, Undead Vizier" href="#" target="_blank">Sidisi, Undead Vizier</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span>!</p>
<div class="edhrecp__cards"><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Sidisi, Undead Vizier"></div></div>
<p><strong>Exploit</strong></p>
<p><strong>When Sidisi, Undead Vizier exploits a creature, you may search your library for a card, put it into your hand, then shuffle your library.</strong></p>
<p>Observation 1:</p>
<p>Sidisi occupies quite a unique space in the format, since she's basically a <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Demonic Tutor" href="#" target="_blank">Demonic Tutor</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> in the command zone.</p>
<p>Observation 2:</p>
<p>Having a tutor in the command zone means that we're able to build a deck around any black card in the format.</p>
<p>Observation 3:</p>
<p>Being a Zombie is a huge plus, because it gives the consistency needed for an aggressive tribe.</p>
<hr />
<h2>The Old Formula</h2>
<p>For us to determine what new space to explore with this commander, we have to make sure we aren't trekking down already-traveled pathways with her. Sidisi's EDHREC page shows us the following:</p>
<p><a href="https://cloudflare.edhrec.com/articles/wp-content/uploads/2019/12/Sidisi-Sig.png"><img loading="lazy" decoding="async" class="alignnone wp-image-42426" src="https://cloudflare.edhrec.com/articles/wp-content/uploads/2019/12/Sidisi-Sig.png" alt="" width="657" height="326" /></a></p>
<p>The High Synergy list shows how competitive-minded <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Sidisi, Undead Vizier" href="#" target="_blank">Sidisi, Undead Vizier</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> tends to be. There are quite a number of rituals to get to <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Ad Nauseam" href="#" target="_blank">Ad Nauseam</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> pretty quickly, which will draw them right into a deadly win condition, such as a combo.</p>
<hr />
<h2>The Epic Ingredients</h2>
<p>Having a tutor in the command zone means that we can build around any specific card in the deck. This means we're not building around a commander so much as we're building around a card in the 99, and choosing that specific card will be the most important step of our process. Previous Sidisi builds chose <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Ad Nauseam" href="#" target="_blank">Ad Nauseam</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> as that card, but we're not here to make the obvious choice.</p>
<div class="edhrecp__cards"><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Lich&#039;s Mastery"></div></div>
<p><span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Lich&#039;s Mastery" href="#" target="_blank">Lich&#039;s Mastery</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> is a fun build-around card that's somewhat difficult to actually build around. It needs to be in a lifegain shell, but a lifegain strategy may sometimes just spin its wheels if it isn't able to draw into the build-around cards that reward it. <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Sidisi, Undead Vizier" href="#" target="_blank">Sidisi, Undead Vizier</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> removes some of this pressure because she guarantees our access to <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Lich&#039;s Mastery" href="#" target="_blank">Lich&#039;s Mastery</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span>.</p>
<p>Our shell is simple: we're the "big black" control deck. We ramp, kill creatures, and <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Exsanguinate" href="#" target="_blank">Exsanguinate</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> people to death. As a general rule, <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Lich&#039;s Mastery" href="#" target="_blank">Lich&#039;s Mastery</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> fits in this shell as a way to refill our hand and go over the top of our enemies.</p>
<p>There are two main downsides that we need to be careful when playing <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Lich&#039;s Mastery" href="#" target="_blank">Lich&#039;s Mastery</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span>: the loss-of-life trigger, and the 'when <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Lich&#039;s Mastery" href="#" target="_blank">Lich&#039;s Mastery</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> is removed' trigger.</p>
<p>We have some ways to avoid <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Lich&#039;s Mastery" href="#" target="_blank">Lich&#039;s Mastery</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span>'s life-loss trigger. The first is simply removal: destroying creatures before they're able to deal damage is quite effective as a way to protect our life total, and we do have plenty of removal spells in our deck. The second way to avoid the trigger is including "lock" effects, like <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="No Mercy" href="#" target="_blank">No Mercy</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> and <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Maze of Ith" href="#" target="_blank">Maze of Ith</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span>, because they discourage our opponents from attacking us.</p>
<div class="edhrecp__cards"><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="No Mercy"></div><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Maze of Ith"></div><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Bitter Ordeal"></div></div>
<p>The second trigger is a bit trickier, since it makes us vulnerable to enchantment wipes, especially the ever-present <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Cyclonic Rift" href="#" target="_blank">Cyclonic Rift</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span>. Unfortunately, there's little that a nonblue deck can do about spells like that. To play against it, we need to preemptively take those cards out of our opponents' libraries. Effects like <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Praetor&#039;s Grasp" href="#" target="_blank">Praetor&#039;s Grasp</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> and <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Bitter Ordeal" href="#" target="_blank">Bitter Ordeal</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> pull double duty as both protection for our pieces and as a way to hate out combo decks.</p>
<p>We're playing two types of lifegain cards: constant lifegain and one-shot effects. The one-shot effects are important because they're more explosive, giving us more cards on a short burst of time. They also tend to have some utility stapled into them, like <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Tendrils of Corruption" href="#" target="_blank">Tendrils of Corruption</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span>, which also functions as removal, or <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Exsanguinate" href="#" target="_blank">Exsanguinate</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span>, which can either provide lifegain or be an outright win condition. Meanwhile, the constant effects are great in these deck because they can be played before we cast <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Lich&#039;s Mastery" href="#" target="_blank">Lich&#039;s Mastery</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span>, which makes the curve a whole lot smoother. These effects are varied and most of them trigger upon specific actions, which leads into a lifegain snowball, like <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Aetherflux Reservoir" href="#" target="_blank">Aetherflux Reservoir</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span>.</p>
<div class="edhrecp__cards"><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Aetherflux Reservoir"></div><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Tribute to Hunger"></div><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Alhammarret&#039;s Archive"></div></div>
<p>Since we're trying to go big and use lots of mana to power explosive turns with <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Lich&#039;s Mastery" href="#" target="_blank">Lich&#039;s Mastery</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> (or even just with Sidisi), ramp is extremely important. Powering out <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Cabal Coffers" href="#" target="_blank">Cabal Coffers</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> can be the difference between only casting our commander versus casting her and playing the tutored card. Because of that, we're running some land fetch effects like <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Liliana of the Dark Realms" href="#" target="_blank">Liliana of the Dark Realms</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> and <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Thaumatic Compass" href="#" target="_blank">Thaumatic Compass</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span>. These type of cards usually are not all that impressive, but when paired with <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Cabal Coffers" href="#" target="_blank">Cabal Coffers</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> or any of the mana-doublers, having the constant land drops is quite good.</p>
<hr />
<h2 style="text-align: left;">The Mixture</h2>
<div><div class="edhrecp__deck mtgh"><span class="edhrecp__deck-s" name="Mastery of the Lich" site="edhrec" archidekt_link="" cards=""></span></div></div>
<div>[Commander]Sidisi, Undead Vizier[/Commander]</div>
<div>[Artifact]</div>
<div>*Everflowing Chalice<br />
*Fountain of Renewal<br />
*Sol Ring</div>
<div>*Universal Solvent</div>
<div>*Wayfarer's Bauble<br />
*Azor's Gateway<br />
*Charcoal Diamond<br />
*Fellwar Stone<br />
*Jet Medallion<br />
*Mind Stone<br />
*Thaumatic Compass<br />
*Treasure Map<br />
*Staff of the Death Magus<br />
*Unstable Obelisk<br />
*Aetherflux Reservoir<br />
*Hedron Archive<br />
*Jester's Cap<br />
*Alhammarret's Archive<br />
*Gilded Lotus<br />
*Venser's Journal<br />
*Caged Sun<br />
*The Immortal Sun</div>
<div>[/Artifact]</div>
<div>[Creature]</div>
<div>*Burnished Hart<br />
*Murderous Rider<br />
*Crypt Ghast<br />
*Dread Presence<br />
*Erebos, God of the Dead<br />
*Gray Merchant of Asphodel<br />
*Magus of the Coffers<br />
*Geth, Lord of the Vault<br />
[/Creature]</div>
<div>[Enchantment]</div>
<div>*Retreat to Hagra<br />
*Words of Waste<br />
*No Mercy<br />
*Polluted Bonds<br />
*Curse of Fool's Wisdom<br />
*Lich's Mastery</div>
<div>[/Enchantment]</div>
<div></div>
<div>[Instant]</div>
<div>*Defile<br />
*Go for the Throat<br />
*Crypt Incursion<br />
*Tribute to Hunger<br />
*Tendrils of Corruption</div>
<div>[/Instant]</div>
<div>[Planeswalker]</div>
<div>*Liliana of the Dark Realm</div>
<div>[/Planeswalker]</div>
<div>[Sorcery]</div>
<div>*Battle at the Bridge<br />
*Consume Spirit<br />
*Exsanguinate<br />
*Grim Discovery<br />
*Night's Whisper<br />
*Sign in Blood<br />
*Torment of Hailfire<br />
*Bitter Ordeal<br />
*Praetor's Grasp<br />
*Sadistic Sacrament<br />
*Soul Burn<br />
*Toxic Deluge<br />
*Damnation<br />
*Diabolic Tutor<br />
*Mutilate<br />
*Syphon Mind<br />
*Beseech the Queen<br />
*Corrupt<br />
*Sorin's Vengeance</div>
<div>[/Sorcery]</div>
<div>[Land]</div>
<div>*Cabal Coffers<br />
*Thespian's Stage<br />
*Vesuva<br />
*Urborg, Tomb of Yawgmoth<br />
*Ghost Quarter<br />
*Strip Mine<br />
*Maze of Ith<br />
*Myriad Landscape<br />
*30 Swamp</div>
<div>[/Land]</div>
<div>[/Deck]</div>
<div></p>
<hr />
<p>As I said earlier, the list is the typical 'big mana' shell that is popular amongst mono-black players. We aren't afraid of the late game, and creatures won't stay on the battlefield to harass us for too long. It's worth noting that we can change our win-con suite to better adjust to our individual meta.</p>
<p>Our win conditions are pretty splashy, mana-wise, which means that we need to be in a leading position to authoritatively end the game. However, since most of them can gain us life, we can still play them as a way to refill our hand. After all, an <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Exsanguinate" href="#" target="_blank">Exsanguinate</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> for X=3 still gives us 9 cards with <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Lich&#039;s Mastery" href="#" target="_blank">Lich&#039;s Mastery</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> in play.</p>
<div class="edhrecp__cards"><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Words of Waste"></div></div>
<p>A standout card is <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Words of Waste" href="#" target="_blank">Words of Waste</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span>. It doesn't kill our opponents, but it might as well be the final nail in the coffin, because it quickly puts everyone into top deck mode.</p>
<hr />
<h2>Methodology</h2>
<p>For our opening hand, ramp is the name of the game. Our commander makes sure that we never flood out too much and that we do have some interaction if we need it. Our early game is basically just us playing our accelerators. We can change our strategy if we find ourselves taking too much damage, but since we have so many lifegain cards we don't need to worry about it.</p>
<div class="edhrecp__cards"><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Charcoal Diamond"></div><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Wayfarer&#039;s Bauble"></div><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Cabal Coffers"></div></div>
<p>For the mid-game we need to analyze the most optimal move based on the removal options available to our opponents and evaluate how our commander will fit into that. We want to grab <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Lich&#039;s Mastery" href="#" target="_blank">Lich&#039;s Mastery</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> right away to get the deck's card advantage train chugging, but if we have another tutor in hand, it might be smarter to find <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Cabal Coffers" href="#" target="_blank">Cabal Coffers</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> right away or perhaps even a <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Bitter Ordeal" href="#" target="_blank">Bitter Ordeal</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> to get rid of pesky <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Cyclonic Rift" href="#" target="_blank">Cyclonic Rift</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span>s and <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Merciless Eviction" href="#" target="_blank">Merciless Eviction</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span>s. Alternatively, we might just want to get another lifegain spell to pay off our Lich enchantment once it's in play!</p>
<p>In the late-game, the world is our oyster. If unchecked, we tend to amass a scary board state with a constant flow of new cards, and we're very difficult to kill. However, we should still be cautious about a random enchantment wipe passing through. Once ahead, it's better to play defensively since we're very likely to win if we take our time.</p>
<hr />
<h2>Epic Results</h2>
<div class="edhrecp__cards"><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Blightsteel Colossus"></div><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Necrogen Mists"></div></div>
<p>If going 'big mana' is too hard, we could potentially switch up a few things by investing in some other win conditions. <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Blightsteel Colossus" href="#" target="_blank">Blightsteel Colossus</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> is quite the behemoth, for instance. Alternatively, we could invest in a combo win condition. We also could play more stax pieces and particularly discard spells to lock our enemies out while we accrue tons of card advantage, making it harder for them to remove our precious enchantment.</p>
<p>That’s it for this <em>Epic Experiment!</em> What do you think about this list? Did we achieved immortality? Do you have any questions about the deck? Which cards did you like? Which didn’t you? Was the <em>Epic Experiment</em> a success? Please let me know in the comments below!</p>


Epic Experiment - Lich Mastery Sidisi

Commander Showdown - Chainer vs Chainer

Conditions Allow - Horobi, Death's Wail

Replacement Commanders - The Fairest of Phyrexian Mana

<h6 style="text-align: right;">(<span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Maalfeld Twins" href="#" target="_blank">Maalfeld Twins</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> | Art by <a href="http://www.sassart.com/">Mike Sass</a>)</h6>
<h1>The Shadow Queen's Army</h1>
<p>At long last, we return to another <em>Forgotten Harvest</em>, where we take a closer look at cards that see play in 300 decks or less on EDHREC, and using them to construct an interesting deck. This week, we're taking a deep dive into the darkness with a mono-black build based around <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Ayara, First of Locthwain" href="#" target="_blank">Ayara, First of Locthwain</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span>.</p>
<div class="edhrecp__cards"><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Ayara, First of Locthwain"></div></div>
<p>As you could probably guess from the card, this deck is going to focus heavily on getting black creatures into play and leeching our opponents dry with Ayara's first ability. Additionally, the deck is going to have some ways to get creatures back from the graveyard to make them targets to sacrifice for Ayara's second ability, which draws us cards... which finds us was to get our creatures back... to sacrifice for more cards! This deck will play slowly, constantly pecking away at life totals until we're finally victorious! I also snuck in some great goodies which you can really only play in mono-black.</p>
<p>In order to maximize the options for cards with small deck counts, I intentionally stayed away from any tribal synergies; however, if you find tribal decks appealing, I would highly recommend settling on either Zombies or Rat theme, as there are plenty more support cards.</p>
<hr />
<h2>A Token of My Appreciation</h2>
<p>First, we should talk about the most efficient method for getting creatures into play: generating tokens.</p>
<div class="edhrecp__cards"><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Maalfeld Twins"></div><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Wakedancer"></div><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Nested Ghoul"></div></div>
<p>First up in the token-makers category are the pair <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Maalfeld Twins" href="#" target="_blank">Maalfeld Twins</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> and <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Grixis Slavedriver" href="#" target="_blank">Grixis Slavedriver</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> (147 and 102 decks, respectively). It's obvious that we're going to be sacrificing a lot of creatures to Ayara to replenish our hand, so getting some tokens out of it (and some more life from our opponents) is ideal. <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Maalfeld Twins" href="#" target="_blank">Maalfeld Twins</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> allows us two extra for the price of one, and the Slavedriver can also come back in a pinch using its <em>Unearth</em> ability. Also note that <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Grixis Slavedriver" href="#" target="_blank">Grixis Slavedriver</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> triggers on <em>leaving</em> the battlefield, not dying. That can definitely make a <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Cyclonic Rift" href="#" target="_blank">Cyclonic Rift</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> not as bad!</p>
<p>Speaking of sacrificing creatures, <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Wakedancer" href="#" target="_blank">Wakedancer</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> can get us an extra body if there's been some of that the turn it hits play. Found in 83 decks, this card is a cheap way to produce a token in black. Given the high mana cost of other black body-makers, she's a welcome addition that won't require a <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Charcoal Diamond" href="#" target="_blank">Charcoal Diamond</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> or <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Jet Medallion" href="#" target="_blank">Jet Medallion</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> to get out early. Plus, triggering upon entering the battlefield also works well when playing against bounce effects.</p>
<p><span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Nested Ghoul" href="#" target="_blank">Nested Ghoul</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> provides a third flavor of black token production, creating a 2/2 Zombie whenever it takes damage. While this isn't exactly ideal, given the sacrifice theme of this deck, <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Nested Ghoul" href="#" target="_blank">Nested Ghoul</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> is content to hit the bin the old-fashioned way, through combat damage. This should mean it replaces itself, at worst. Maybe it's even a reason to run <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Pestilence" href="#" target="_blank">Pestilence</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span>-type cards in the deck, to maximize token generation. The Ghoul is currently in 55 decks on EDHREC.</p>
<div class="edhrecp__cards"><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Carrion"></div><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Lab Rats"></div></div>
<p>Creatures aren't the only way black can make tokens. It can instead use a card like <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Carrion" href="#" target="_blank">Carrion</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> from <em>Mirage</em>. Played in 177 decks, this card serves as the inspiration for this deck. I've been waiting for a commander to provide <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Carrion" href="#" target="_blank">Carrion</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> a happy home, and Ayara does just that! Imagine sacrificing your <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Maalfeld Twins" href="#" target="_blank">Maalfeld Twins</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> and netting six tokens and a six-point life swing at the table! Being an instant just makes this card even better, and I like it in any black deck that cares about getting creatures into play. <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Teysa Karlov" href="#" target="_blank">Teysa Karlov</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> probably likes it as well!</p>
<p>Back in <em>Stronghold</em>, we saw the original version of <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Recruit the Worthy" href="#" target="_blank">Recruit the Worthy</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span>. It's a black card by the name of <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Lab Rats" href="#" target="_blank">Lab Rats</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span>, and it sees play in only 173 decks. This card is a staple for me when I need endless chump-blockers or when I'm going Rat tribal. In this deck, it's a great repeatable way to trigger Ayara and provide her some fodder for card draw turn after turn. This card is a favorite of mine, and I feel like it's not seeing enough play for for its power level. Please consider it so that it winds up in more than 300 decks and I don't get to write about it anymore.</p>
<div class="edhrecp__cards"><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Infernal Genesis"></div><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Cellar Door"></div><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Breeding Pit"></div></div>
<p>Already, there are several token-making cards that are becoming staples for <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Ayara, First of Locthwain" href="#" target="_blank">Ayara, First of Locthwain</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> decks, including <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Plague of Vermin" href="#" target="_blank">Plague of Vermin</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> and <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Tombstone Stairwell" href="#" target="_blank">Tombstone Stairwell</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span>. But I think <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Infernal Genesis" href="#" target="_blank">Infernal Genesis</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> (203 decks) is also doing what these cards are doing, and is worth taking a look at. Adding recursion options to your graveyard while (hopefully) making a boatload of Minion tokens that trigger Ayara is exactly what we want! I'm not going to argue that <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Plague of Vermin" href="#" target="_blank">Plague of Vermin</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> isn't better, because that card is exactly what Ayara is looking for. However, I will say that <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Infernal Genesis" href="#" target="_blank">Infernal Genesis</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> should still make your list.</p>
<p>My love of <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Cellar Door" href="#" target="_blank">Cellar Door</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> is tough to contain. While I prefer it in <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Grenzo, Dungeon Warden" href="#" target="_blank">Grenzo, Dungeon Warden</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> builds or those containing <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Reito Lantern" href="#" target="_blank">Reito Lantern</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span>, it's also a great option here to either mill yourself or an opponent and have a chance a token that triggers Ayara. It only sees play in 257 decks, but I sincerely believe that number should be over 1,000 given the strength and versatility displayed on <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Cellar Door" href="#" target="_blank">Cellar Door</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span>. Please keep it on your radar in the future!</p>
<p>Lastly for the token-makers, we have Thrull generator <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Breeding Pit" href="#" target="_blank">Breeding Pit</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span>. While I'm not crazy about the constant cost to keep it on the field, this is about as close as I can find to a second copy of <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Ophiomancer" href="#" target="_blank">Ophiomancer</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> for the deck, and you all know how I love deck redundancy! Eventually, I'd like to try a Thrull tribal deck, and this card will be an immediate addition to it. For now, though, it just sees play in 187 decks.</p>
<hr />
<h2>Sacrifice Outlets</h2>
<div class="edhrecp__cards"><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Malevolent Awakening"></div><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Cabal Patriarch"></div><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Dross Harvester"></div></div>
<p>Now that we've covered how we're going to make all of Ayara's minions, let's talk about how we can put those minions to work. The name of the game is going to be "sacrifice". Much like <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Ayara, First of Locthwain" href="#" target="_blank">Ayara, First of Locthwain</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span>'s second ability, we want to have ways to turn these tokens into some card advantage. <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Malevolent Awakening" href="#" target="_blank">Malevolent Awakening</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> can provide that by allowing us to trade a creature in play for a creature back in hand. Played in 196 decks, this is one of the staple recursion options I use in my Commander brews. I remember sticking this in decks as a kid when <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Oversold Cemetery" href="#" target="_blank">Oversold Cemetery</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> was too far outside of my budget.</p>
<p>Another sacrifice option from <em>Odyssey</em> is <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Cabal Patriarch" href="#" target="_blank">Cabal Patriarch</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span>. While expensive to cast, this card provides a sizable body and a repeatable creature removal for a fair cost. The ability to turn creatures in your graveyard into further removal is really what sells it for me. I'm surprised it's only in 44 decks, either as the commander or in the 99.</p>
<p>While not actually a sacrifice outlet, <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Dross Harvester" href="#" target="_blank">Dross Harvester</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> plays well with those cards that do cause loss of creatures. Despite the four life lost each time around the table, with enchantments like <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Grave Pact" href="#" target="_blank">Grave Pact</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> and <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Dictate of Erebos" href="#" target="_blank">Dictate of Erebos</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> in play, you'll be able to get that life back and then some. I think 268 decks is far too few for this underplayed all-star!</p>
<hr />
<h2>Supporting Cards for Mono Black</h2>
<div class="edhrecp__cards"><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Sengir Nosferatu"></div><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Gravestorm"></div></div>
<p>We have two cards that don't really fit in with the sections above, but are still deserving of some attention. <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Sengir Nosferatu" href="#" target="_blank">Sengir Nosferatu</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> is a token generator and sacrifice outlet all in one! Played in only 105 decks, this Vampire can transform into a Bat token for 1B, then back into a Vamp for another 1B, allowing for two triggers on Ayara. This ability can be cycled as much as needed with the commander in play, and provides a two-card mana sink to drain down your opponents. <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Black Market" href="#" target="_blank">Black Market</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> only adds to the fun! Add in the blocking shenanigans which this enables, and you end up with an excellent card to slot into this deck.</p>
<p>Lastly, I've been trying to find a good deck in which to slot <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Gravestorm" href="#" target="_blank">Gravestorm</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span>, but the three black pips in its casting cost has made that difficult. Depending on your meta, please consider this enchantment for some ever-present graveyard hate which really turns on once someone's 'yard goes dry. It's especially great after a well-timed <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Bojuka Bog" href="#" target="_blank">Bojuka Bog</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span>.</p>
<p>Let's take a gander at this mono-black beast.</p>
<p><div class="edhrecp__deck mtgh"><span class="edhrecp__deck-s" name="Legion of the Shadow Queen" site="edhrec" archidekt_link="" cards=""></span></div></p>
<p>[Commander]<br />
*1 Ayara, First of Locthwain<br />
[/Commander]</p>
<p>[Creatures]<br />
*1 Deathgreeter<br />
*1 Mortician Beetle<br />
*1 Blood Artist<br />
*1 Zulaport Cutthroat<br />
*1 Dross Harvester<br />
*1 Flesh Carver<br />
*1 Mardu Strike Leader<br />
*1 Midnight Reaper<br />
*1 Ophiomancer<br />
*1 Priest of Gix<br />
*1 Wakedancer<br />
*1 Disciple of Bolas<br />
*1 Falkenrath Noble<br />
*1 Gravedigger<br />
*1 Marsh Flitter<br />
*1 Mindslicer<br />
*1 Mortivore<br />
*1 Sengir Autocrat<br />
*1 Endrek Sahr, Master Breeder<br />
*1 Ghoulcaller Gisa<br />
*1 Krav, the Unredeemed<br />
*1 Nested Ghoul<br />
*1 Ogre Slumlord<br />
*1 Sadistic Hypnotist<br />
*1 Sengir Nosferatu<br />
*1 Cabal Patriarch<br />
*1 Grave Titan<br />
*1 Grixis Slavedriver<br />
*1 Maalfeld Twins<br />
*1 Noosegraf Mob<br />
*1 Skeletal Vampire<br />
[/Creatures]</p>
<p>[Instants]<br />
*1 Go for the Throat<br />
*1 Carrion<br />
[/Instants]</p>
<p>[Sorceries]<br />
*1 Lab Rats<br />
*1 Spark Harvest<br />
*1 Damnation<br />
*1 Plague of Vermin<br />
*1 Decree of Pain<br />
[/Sorceries]</p>
<p>[Artifacts]<br />
*1 Skullclamp<br />
*1 Sol Ring<br />
*1 Charcoal Diamond<br />
*1 Jet Medallion<br />
*1 Nim Deathmantle<br />
*1 Bontu's Monument<br />
*1 Cellar Door<br />
*1 Commander's Sphere<br />
*1 Crawlspace<br />
*1 Gate to the Afterlife<br />
*1 Lashwrithe<br />
*1 Phyrexian Processor<br />
*1 God-Pharaoh's Gift<br />
[/Artifacts]</p>
<p>[Enchantments]<br />
*1 Dreadhorde Invasion<br />
*1 Gravestorm<br />
*1 Malevolent Awakening<br />
*1 Breeding Pit<br />
*1 Grave Pact<br />
*1 Rite of Belzenlok<br />
*1 Tombstone Stairwell<br />
*1 Black Market<br />
*1 Open the Graves<br />
*1 Infernal Genesis<br />
[/Enchantments]</p>
<p>[Planeswalkers]<br />
*1 Liliana, Dreadhorde General<br />
[/Planeswalkers]</p>
<p>[Lands]<br />
*1 Barren Moor<br />
*1 Bojuka Bog<br />
*1 Cabal Coffers<br />
*1 Cabal Stronghold<br />
*1 Castle Locthwain<br />
*1 Crypt of Agadeem<br />
*1 Polluted Mire<br />
*26 Swamp<br />
*1 Urborg, Tomb of Yawgmoth<br />
*1 Westvale Abbey<br />
*1 Witch's Cottage<br />
[/Lands]</p>
<p>[/Deck]</p>

<hr />
<h2>Are You Afraid of the Dark?</h2>
<p>Thanks for digging into all the hyper-underplayed, token-centric options available to black. Any questions, comments, or snide remarks? You know where to leave them below. I'll be around to discuss just how good making this deck tribal can be, alternatives for some of the more expensive cards that made my list, or all the fun I had at the Seattle Lego convention a few weeks ago. Until next time, may your <em>devotion to black</em> remain strong!</p>


Forgotten Harvest - Ayara and Her Minions

<h6 style="text-align: right;">(<span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="K&#039;rrik, Son of Yawgmoth" href="#" target="_blank">K&#039;rrik, Son of Yawgmoth</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> | Art by <a href="https://www.chasestoneart.com/">Chase Stone</a>)</h6>
<h1>Epic Preparations</h1>
<p>Hello, EDHREC fans! I’m Bernardo Melibeu, and this is <em>Epic Experiment,</em> a series where we throw all common sense aside and experiment with some unusual strategies, changing how we normally build our deck. Is it going to work? Who knows?! We’re making science here. When you’re an Izzet mage, blowing things up is half the fun.</p>
<p><a href="https://edhrec.com/articles/epic-experiment-living-end-anje/">Last article</a>, we built a deck with one of the most infamous commanders from <em>Commander 2019</em>, <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Anje Falkenrath" href="#" target="_blank">Anje Falkenrath</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span>. In this article, let's take on yet another of the most infamous commanders from the set. Yes, I'm talking about the daddy's boy himself, <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="K&#039;rrik, Son of Yawgmoth" href="#" target="_blank">K&#039;rrik, Son of Yawgmoth</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span>!</p>
<p><img decoding="async" src="https://gatherer.wizards.com/Handlers/Image.ashx?multiverseid=470564&amp;type=card" alt="K'rrik, Son of Yawgmoth" /></p>
<p>&nbsp;</p>
<p><strong>Lifelink</strong></p>
<p><strong>For each {B} in a cost, you may pay 2 life rather than pay that mana</strong></p>
<p><strong>Whenever you cast a black spell, put a +1/+1 counter on K'rrik, Son of Yawgmoth</strong></p>
<p>Observation 1:</p>
<p>It's easy to see what all the fuss is about; his first ability is extremely powerful, especially in a color as versatile as black.</p>
<p>Observation 2:</p>
<p>There are plenty of powerful spells and effects that have several {B} pips in their costs, such as <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Necropotence" href="#" target="_blank">Necropotence</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> or even <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Bolas&#039;s Citadel" href="#" target="_blank">Bolas&#039;s Citadel</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span>, that we could take advantage of.</p>
<p>Observation 3:</p>
<p>His first and third abilities are really powerful because, as he grows bigger, he gains you more life with the damage he deals, allowing you to cast more black spells using life as a resource, making him bigger... you see where I'm going with this?</p>
<p>Observation 4:</p>
<p>He's best buddies with <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Vilis, Broker of Blood" href="#" target="_blank">Vilis, Broker of Blood</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span>.</p>
<hr />
<h2>The Old Formula</h2>
<p><a href="https://cloudflare.edhrec.com/articles/wp-content/uploads/2019/09/Krrik.png"><img loading="lazy" decoding="async" class="alignnone wp-image-39549" src="https://cloudflare.edhrec.com/articles/wp-content/uploads/2019/09/Krrik.png" alt="" width="709" height="368" /></a></p>
<p>The High Synergy section of <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="K&#039;rrik, Son of Yawgmoth" href="#" target="_blank">K&#039;rrik, Son of Yawgmoth</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span>'s page shows how cutthroat the average list is. With cards like <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Tendrils of Agony" href="#" target="_blank">Tendrils of Agony</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span>, <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Aetherflux Reservoir" href="#" target="_blank">Aetherflux Reservoir</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span>, and <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>, we can see that this leads into <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Grapeshot" href="#" target="_blank">stormy</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> territory.</p>
<hr />
<h2>The Epic Ingredients</h2>
<p><img decoding="async" src="https://gatherer.wizards.com/Handlers/Image.ashx?multiverseid=209049&amp;type=card" alt="Tainted Strike" /> <img decoding="async" src="https://gatherer.wizards.com/Handlers/Image.ashx?multiverseid=220387&amp;type=card" alt="Skeletal Grimace" /> <img decoding="async" src="https://gatherer.wizards.com/Handlers/Image.ashx?multiverseid=23043&amp;type=card" alt="Shade's Form" /></p>
<p>While K'rrik's mana acceleration ability is certainly powerful, his second ability caught my eye because it has all the potential for a potent Voltron commander. With his mana-evasion ability, being able to pay for Auras and combat tricks at a discounted rate is incredibly powerful, especially on a commander with a slightly-higher-than-average casting cost of seven mana (or four mana and six life).</p>
<p>There're three main points that every Voltron deck needs to address to be effective: power, evasion, and protection. The first of these correlates to the faster clock that you as the Voltron player will be on to knock other players out, and usually 7+ power, which will allow three-hit kills, is what we should be shooting for. The second point is pivotal: each combat step is crucial for a Voltron deck because if you're not able to connect with your opponents, you have no chance of winning the game. Finally, by definition, our deck is going to revolve around our commander; if we have to keep casting him over and over again, even with the Phyrexian mana, he'll soon be prohibitively expensive and our win con goes out the window.</p>
<p>If we want to reduce the number of times we need to hit our opponents, why not reduce the amount of damage that we need to do? <em>Infect</em> can most certainly draw the ire of the table, but hopefully you can curry some political favor to avoid immediately becoming the target of the table. <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Phyresis" href="#" target="_blank">Phyresis</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> is straightforward: K'rrik now has <em>Infect</em>. But why not <em>Infect</em> and a power boost? <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Grafted Exoskeleton" href="#" target="_blank">Grafted Exoskeleton</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> gives <em>Infect</em> and +2/+2. If K'rrik stays suited up, your opponents are in real trouble.</p>
<p>Whether or not K'rrik has <em>Infect</em>, firebreathing effects like <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Midnight Covenant" href="#" target="_blank">Midnight Covenant</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span>, <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Shade&#039;s Form" href="#" target="_blank">Shade&#039;s Form</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span>, <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Soul Kiss" href="#" target="_blank">Soul Kiss</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span>, <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Shade&#039;s Breath" href="#" target="_blank">Shade&#039;s Breath</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span>, and <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Hatred" href="#" target="_blank">Hatred</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span>, are great for this build since, being in black, they allow us to trade our life for our opponents', but since K'rrik has lifelink, we come out ahead on that exchange.</p>
<p><img decoding="async" src="https://gatherer.wizards.com/Handlers/Image.ashx?multiverseid=429909&amp;type=card" alt="Untamed Hunger" /> <img decoding="async" src="https://gatherer.wizards.com/Handlers/Image.ashx?multiverseid=121257&amp;type=card" alt="Rime Transfusion" /> <img decoding="async" src="https://gatherer.wizards.com/Handlers/Image.ashx?multiverseid=446016&amp;type=card" alt="Inner Demon" /></p>
<p>For evasion we have several different options: <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Inner Demon" href="#" target="_blank">Inner Demon</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> is a fun card that can clear the way while also giving our commander flying; <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Rime Transfusion" href="#" target="_blank">Rime Transfusion</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> is a great way to guarantee that we'll never get blocked; and <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Aphotic Wisps" href="#" target="_blank">Aphotic Wisps</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> and <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Nighthaze" href="#" target="_blank">Nighthaze</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> are interesting additions because they're free cantrips that grow our commander while giving him evasion.</p>
<p>To protect K'rrik, there are plenty of regeneration effects, which can be somewhat risky since they don't protect us from exile removals or the iconic <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Wrath of God" href="#" target="_blank">Wrath of God</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span>. We have a few combat tricks that can regenerate our commander, like <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Boon of Erebos" href="#" target="_blank">Boon of Erebos</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> and <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Unnatural Endurance" href="#" target="_blank">Unnatural Endurance</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span>, each of which can be played for free, a very effective method of catching people off guard. Also, <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Unlikely Aid" href="#" target="_blank">Unlikely Aid</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> and <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Rush of Vitality" href="#" target="_blank">Rush of Vitality</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> grant indestructible at instant speed.</p>
<p>For standalone threats, we have a few angles of attack, from directly interacting with life totals with cards like <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Essence Harvest" href="#" target="_blank">Essence Harvest</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> and <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Exsanguinate" href="#" target="_blank">Exsanguinate</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span>, to a few other alternative Voltrons, like <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Skithiryx, the Blight Dragon" href="#" target="_blank">Skithiryx, the Blight Dragon</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> or <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Erebos, God of the Dead" href="#" target="_blank">Erebos, God of the Dead</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span>.</p>
<hr />
<h2>The Mixture</h2>
<div class="edhrecp__deck mtgh"><span class="edhrecp__deck-s" name="K’ rrik Voltron" site="edhrec" archidekt_link="" cards="[Commander]
*K&#039;rrik, Son of Yawgmoth
[/Commander]
[Enchantment]
*Demonic Vigor
*Gruesome Deformity
*Molting Snakeskin
*Predator&#039;s Gambit
*Unholy Strength
*Vampiric Link
*Dark Favor
*Dragon Shadow
*Fear
*Midnight Covenant
*Phyresis
*Rime Transfusion
*Scourgemark
*Skeletal Grimace
*Strength of Lunacy
*Phyrexian Arena
*Shade&#039;s Form
*Soul Kiss
*Untamed Hunger
*Vow of Malice
*Feast of the Unicorn
*Greed
*Inner Demon
*Vampiric Embrace
[/Enchantment]
[Artifact]
*Everflowing Chalice
*Sol Ring
*Charcoal Diamond
*Coldsteel Heart
*Fellwar Stone
*Jet Medallion
*Mind Stone
*Prismatic Lens
*Prowler&#039;s Helm
*Thought Vessel
*Trailblazer&#039;s Boots
*Darksteel Plate
*Haunted Cloak
*Sword of Truth and Justice
*Sword of Vengeance
*Grafted Exoskeleton
*Hedron Archive
*Caged Sun
*The Immortal Sun
[/Artifact]
[Instant]
*Aphotic Wisps
*Boon of Erebos
*Tainted Strike
*Unnatural Endurance
*Go for the Throat
*Rush of Vitality
*Shade&#039;s Breath
*Unlikely Aid
*Butcher&#039;s Glee
*Hero&#039;s Downfall
*Hatred
[/Instant]
[Sorcery]
*Nighthaze
*Exsanguinate
*Night&#039;s Whisper
*Sign in Blood
*Dead of Winter
*Essence Harvest
*Toxic Deluge
[/Sorcery]
[Creature]
*Erebos, God of the Dead
*Skithiryx, the Blight Dragon
*Vilis, Broker of blood
[/Creature]
[Land]
*Cabal Coffers
*Urborg, Tomb of Yawgmoth
*Barren Moor
*Shizo, Death&#039;s Storehouse
*Ghost Quarter
*Tectonic Edge
*Scrying Sheets
*Rogue&#039;s Passage
*Myriad Landscape
*26 Snow-Covered Swamp
[/Land]"></span></div>

<hr />
<p>K'rrik has a few key points that makes him different from other Voltron commanders: he's slow, but because of his mana acceleration ability, he catches up pretty quickly. Given that, he values card draw pretty highly.</p>
<p><img decoding="async" src="https://gatherer.wizards.com/Handlers/Image.ashx?multiverseid=439844&amp;type=card" alt="The Immortal Sun" /> <img decoding="async" src="https://gatherer.wizards.com/Handlers/Image.ashx?multiverseid=433160&amp;type=card" alt="Sword of Vengeance" /> <a href="https://cloudflare.edhrec.com/articles/wp-content/uploads/2019/09/Sword-of-Truth-and-Justice.png"><img loading="lazy" decoding="async" class="alignnone wp-image-39587" src="https://cloudflare.edhrec.com/articles/wp-content/uploads/2019/09/Sword-of-Truth-and-Justice.png" alt="" width="224" height="313" /></a></p>
<p>Artifacts are a necessary evil for mono-colored decks; they'll cover our general weakness while contributing to our gameplan, but we need to be careful to maintain a critical amount of black spells. <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="The Immortal Sun" href="#" target="_blank">The Immortal Sun</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> is an all-around killer in this deck, as it basically gives us everything that we can possibly want: a nice influx of cards, a colorless cost reduction so we can play our spells for free, and an anthem for K'rrik and any other creatures we may end up with on the battlefield. <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Sword of Truth and Justice" href="#" target="_blank">Sword of Truth and Justice</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> is a powerhouse; especially with the number of <em>Infect</em> enablers and +1/+1 counters we have, we'll be gaining a lot of value if we have access to a constant <em>Proliferate</em> source.</p>
<hr />
<h2>Methodology</h2>
<p>For our opening hand, mana rocks, a few Auras, and maybe some way to draw cards. We can afford to play mana rocks and draw for a few turns in the early game, but this type of opening needs a follow up, or we might fall behind. Playing Equipment a bit later might be a better idea because they're likely to waste our whole turn, otherwise.</p>
<p>For the mid-game we should start becoming the threat. At this point in the game it's important to keep up in cards, but K'rrik's safety should always be our priority. This is the point of the game where that we start killing our opponents; a clean early kill is a good way to disrupt the board since it's one less player you need to have answers for.</p>
<p><img decoding="async" src="https://gatherer.wizards.com/Handlers/Image.ashx?multiverseid=212249&amp;type=card" alt="Skithiryx, the Blight Dragon" /> <img decoding="async" src="https://gatherer.wizards.com/Handlers/Image.ashx?multiverseid=210235&amp;type=card" alt="Exsanguinate" /> <img decoding="async" src="https://gatherer.wizards.com/Handlers/Image.ashx?multiverseid=271114&amp;type=card" alt="Essence Harvest" /></p>
<p>The late game can find us in a tough position, since we don't have many haste enablers, and the ones that we do have are equipment and have equip costs attached to them, so we shouldn't count on our commander for a surprise attack. Luckily for us, we have a few other ways to win, like a big <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Exsanguinate" href="#" target="_blank">Exsanguinate</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> or even an armed <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Skithiryx, the Blight Dragon" href="#" target="_blank">Skithiryx, the Blight Dragon</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span>.</p>
<hr />
<h2>Epic Results</h2>
<p><img decoding="async" src="https://gatherer.wizards.com/Handlers/Image.ashx?multiverseid=438664&amp;type=card" alt="Necropotence" /> <img decoding="async" src="https://gatherer.wizards.com/Handlers/Image.ashx?multiverseid=389639&amp;type=card" alt="Pontiff of Blight" /> <img decoding="async" src="https://gatherer.wizards.com/Handlers/Image.ashx?multiverseid=220088&amp;type=card" alt="Drifting Shade" /></p>
<p style="text-align: left;">Investing on <em>Extort</em> creatures seems like a good addition to the deck; of these, <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Crypt Ghast" href="#" target="_blank">Crypt Ghast</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> and <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Pontiff of Blight" href="#" target="_blank">Pontiff of Blight</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> are some of the more playable ones.</p>
<p style="text-align: left;">Another fun subtheme that we could consider is Shade tribal. Shades usually have a temporary pump ability, so having some evasive ones, like <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Drifting Shade" href="#" target="_blank">Drifting Shade</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span>, can help us finish off games with our commander out.</p>
<p style="text-align: left;"><span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Necropotence" href="#" target="_blank">Necropotence</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> is a card that I deliberately left out of the list; sure, it's great with <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="K&#039;rrik, Son of Yawgmoth" href="#" target="_blank">K&#039;rrik, Son of Yawgmoth</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span>, but I don't think that it's a fun card.</p>
<p style="text-align: left;">That’s it for this <em>Epic Experiment!</em> What do you think about this list? Did we make daddy Yawgmoth proud? Do you have any questions about the deck? Which cards did you like? Which didn’t you? Was the <em>Epic Experiment</em> a success? Please let me know in the comments below!</p>


Epic Experiment- K'rrik Voltron

Conditions Allow - Tetzimoc, Primal Death

<h6 style="text-align: right;">(<span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Yawgmoth, Thran Physician" href="#" target="_blank">Yawgmoth, Thran Physician</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> | Art by <a href="http://markwintersart.com/">Mark Winters</a>)</h6>
<h1>Commander Horizons</h1>
<p>I know, it's cheeky to call the <em>Modern Horizons </em>set "Commander Horizons" instead, but let's be honest, there are some extremely cool cards coming up in this set that we EDH players should be very excited for! We have returning mechanics, awesome lore characters, and even support for cool tribes.</p>
<p>Today I'm lucky to talk about the very best cards from <em>Modern Horizons. </em>Why are they the very best? Because these are the black cards, and black cards are the best! Let's get digging.</p>
<hr />
<h2>Mythics</h2>
<hr />
<h3 style="text-align: left;">Yawgmoth, Thran Physician</h3>
<p style="text-align: center;"><div class="edhrecp__cards"><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Yawgmoth, Thran Physician"></div></div></p>
<p>Hold on, I am trying to collect my thoughts that do not just jumble together into drool over this card. It's rare to see a card that checks so many boxes. He's powerful, he's a value engine, and he's a Vorthos home-run, right down to the protection from Humans.</p>
<p>As a card in the 99, expect to see him follow a similar trajectory to <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Yahenni, Undying Partisan" href="#" target="_blank">Yahenni, Undying Partisan</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span>. Commanders like <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Meren of Clan Nel Toth" href="#" target="_blank">Meren of Clan Nel Toth</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> and <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Teysa Karlov" href="#" target="_blank">Teysa Karlov</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> are always happy to have additional sacrifice outlets, especially when those sacrifice outselts also help draw cards, and <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Hapatra, Vizier of Poisons" href="#" target="_blank">Hapatra, Vizier of Poisons</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> couldn't be happier to see all those -1/-1 counters.</p>
<p>At the helm of the 99, look to <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Endrek Sahr, Master Breeder" href="#" target="_blank">Endrek Sahr, Master Breeder</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> and friends for inspiration. Creatures like <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Ophiomancer" href="#" target="_blank">Ophiomancer</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span>, <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Pawn of Ulamog" href="#" target="_blank">Pawn of Ulamog</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> and <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Reassembling Skeleton" href="#" target="_blank">Reassembling Skeleton</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> present excellent choices for sacrifice fodder. Of course, Yawgmoth isn't one to be pigeonholed into a singular strategy. Yawgmoth can turn tokens into card advantage, but with that <em>Proliferate </em>ability, he can also become a home for mono-black superfriends, or a very dastardly <em>Infect </em>commander. I fully expect him and Urza to battle for the #1 spot on the <a href="https://edhrec.com/commanders#pastmonth">Top Commanders</a> pages for quite some time.</p>
<hr />
<h2>Rares</h2>
<hr />
<h3 style="text-align: left;">Cabal Therapist</h3>
<p style="text-align: center;"><div class="edhrecp__cards"><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Cabal Therapist"></div></div></p>
<p>One of the first cards previewed for the set, this card is designed more for Modern than Commander, where it's much more realistic to blindly guess cards your opponents have in hand. It's possible Therapist could find a spot in metas who know each other's decks very well, or in some <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Telepathy" href="#" target="_blank">Telepathy</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span>-inclusive <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Sen Triplets" href="#" target="_blank">Sen Triplets</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> builds, but it's not really a card for EDH.</p>
<hr />
<h3 style="text-align: left;">Cordial Vampire</h3>
<p style="text-align: center;"><div class="edhrecp__cards"><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Cordial Vampire"></div></div></p>
<p><span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Edgar Markov" href="#" target="_blank">Edgar Markov</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> sits as the second most popular commander built in the <a href="https://edhrec.com/commanders#past2years">past two years</a>, and with new cards like <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Cordial Vampire" href="#" target="_blank">Cordial Vampire</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span>, I can only imagine he'll maintain that popularity. Not only will your army get bigger as enemy creatures die, but Vampires have many sacrifices outlets built into their decks, which makes this a very deadly new addition. Consider him also for decks like <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Elenda, the Dusk Rose" href="#" target="_blank">Elenda, the Dusk Rose</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> and <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Yahenni, Undying Partisan" href="#" target="_blank">Yahenni, Undying Partisan</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span>.</p>
<hr />
<h3 style="text-align: left;">Dead of Winter</h3>
<p style="text-align: center;"><div class="edhrecp__cards"><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Dead of Winter"></div></div></p>
<p>Most of us have probably seen snow-covered lands a time or two, especially when someone uses them in conjunction with <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Extraplanar Lens" href="#" target="_blank">Extraplanar Lens</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> to collect value no one else can take advantage of. Well, now snow decks also have a variant of <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Mutilate" href="#" target="_blank">Mutilate</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span>, one that can work in a multicolored deck with lots of snow-covered basic lands.</p>
<p>I want to believe there is a solid snow deck to be made, but the sad truth is that there are only 40 total snow creatures in the game, so there are very few options to run that will withstand your own <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Dead of Winter" href="#" target="_blank">Dead of Winter</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span>. Regardless, I can still accept this as a cheaper, more splashable <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Mutilate" href="#" target="_blank">Mutilate</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span>.</p>
<hr />
<h3 style="text-align: left;">Endling</h3>
<p style="text-align: center;"><div class="edhrecp__cards"><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Endling"></div></div></p>
<p>The end of a cycle! From <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Morphling" href="#" target="_blank">Morphling</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> and <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Torchling" href="#" target="_blank">Torchling</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> to <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Thornling" href="#" target="_blank">Thornling</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> and <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Brightling" href="#" target="_blank">Brightling</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> we can rejoice at the tying up of loose threads. This is a solid battering ram against other creatures. With deathtouch and menace, it will be extremely difficult for your enemies to interact with this creature favorably in combat. Add in the <em>Undying </em>and it's even more of a nuisance. Unlike several others in this cycle, Endling isn't just a Shapeshifter, but has a second creature type: Zombie. As such, this may see play in some classic Zombie tribal decks like <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Gisa and Geralf" href="#" target="_blank">Gisa and Geralf</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> as an efficient beater and an especially irksome blocker.</p>
<hr />
<h3 style="text-align: left;">Force of Despair</h3>
<p style="text-align: center;"><div class="edhrecp__cards"><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Force of Despair"></div></div></p>
<p>Speaking of cycles, the black part of the “Force of” cycle is a doozy. The timing restrictions make it a worse rate than a traditional <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Hero&#039;s Downfall" href="#" target="_blank">Hero&#039;s Downfall</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span>, which can kill a creature regardless of when it entered the battlefield, but this is certainly an efficient answer to combos like <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Kiki-Jiki, Mirror Breaker" href="#" target="_blank">Kiki-Jiki, Mirror Breaker</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> + <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Pestermite" href="#" target="_blank">Pestermite</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> or a huge influx of tokens. Look out, bursty token decks! Otherwise, though, this is a niche meta call if you're often up against aggressive decks that summon tons of creatures in one turn, but black has many other removal spells that will occupy this slot and be more effective in the majority of traditional games.</p>
<hr />
<h2>Everything Else</h2>
<hr />
<h3 style="text-align: left;">Ninjas</h3>
<p style="text-align: center;"><div class="edhrecp__cards"><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Throatseeker"></div><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Azra Smokeshaper"></div></div></p>
<p>The community has been hungry for more Ninja cards for <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Yuriko, the Tiger&#039;s Shadow" href="#" target="_blank">Yuriko, the Tiger&#039;s Shadow</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> decks, and <em>Modern Horizons </em>has delivered! Yuriko is very aggressive, often not able to leave blockers behind, which means she can be targeted pretty easily. <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Throatseeker" href="#" target="_blank">Throatseeker</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> helps mitigate some of that life loss, a welcome addition. Meanwhile, <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Azra Smokeshaper" href="#" target="_blank">Azra Smokeshaper</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> is a tricky card that helps protect Yuriko in the combat phase. Yuriko has climbed up to the #3 most-built Dimir commander slot, and with the help of these great new Ninjas, I won't be surprised if she eventually sneaks all the way up to #1.</p>
<hr />
<h3 style="text-align: left;">Zombies</h3>
<p style="text-align: center;"><div class="edhrecp__cards"><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Undead Augur"></div></div></p>
<p>With a tribe as deep and potent as Zombies, there's always a risk that the tribe is already overcrowded and any new cards won't be able to fight their way into decks. <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Undead Augur" href="#" target="_blank">Undead Augur</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span>, which is basically <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Dark Prophecy" href="#" target="_blank">Dark Prophecy</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> on legs, is potentially amazing but also potentially dangerous. Zombies are always hungry for card advantage, which could easily push this over the top, but lack of control over this ability makes me think there are better options for Zombies.</p>
<hr />
<h3 style="text-align: left;">Goblins</h3>
<p style="text-align: center;"><div class="edhrecp__cards"><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Sling-Gang Lieutenant"></div><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Warteye Witch"></div></div></p>
<p>Whenever I see “Goblin” on the type line, I become very interested. Most Goblin synergies wind up in red, but <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Grenzo, Dungeon Warden" href="#" target="_blank">Grenzo, Dungeon Warden</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> and <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Wort, Boggart Auntie" href="#" target="_blank">Wort, Boggart Auntie</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> have well-known followings. Grenzo in particular probably represents the best synergies; Grenzo loves to sacrifice creatures, then put them on the bottom of his deck from the graveyard with things like <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Reito Lantern" href="#" target="_blank">Reito Lantern</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span>, and cheat them right back into play with his bottom-of-the-library ability. <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Warteye Witch" href="#" target="_blank">Warteye Witch</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> works amazingly well here too, since she can help scry fun new targets to the bottom of the deck for Grenzo!</p>
<hr />
<h3 style="text-align: left;">Shapeshifters</h3>
<p style="text-align: center;"><div class="edhrecp__cards"><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Graveshifter"></div><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Changeling Outcast"></div></div></p>
<p>The Shapeshifters of this set pique my interest more than usual. This set has Goblins, Ninjas, Zombies, Vampires, and then some. <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Changeling Outcast" href="#" target="_blank">Changeling Outcast</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> work amazingly well to enable <em>Ninjutsu </em>and to trigger Yuriko, a welcome addition. There are probably better options for recursion in black, but it's not impossible that a few tribes would enjoy a tribal <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Gravedigger" href="#" target="_blank">Gravedigger</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> to recur their fallen soldiers, like sacrifice-happy Vampires or <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Inalla, Archmage Ritualist" href="#" target="_blank">Inalla, Archmage Ritualist</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span>'s ETB-triggering Wizards.</p>
<hr />
<h3 style="text-align: left;">Spells</h3>
<p style="text-align: center;"><div class="edhrecp__cards"><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Defile"></div><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Mind Rake"></div><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Return from Extinction"></div></div></p>
<p>Of the remaining spells, the three above strike me as the most interesting in EDH. <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Defile" href="#" target="_blank">Defile</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> has already gotten attention in Pauper, but a single-target version of <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Mutilate" href="#" target="_blank">Mutilate</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> for one black mana at instant speed seems great for most mono-black decks, possibly as a supplement or a replacement for the occasional <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Tragic Slip" href="#" target="_blank">Tragic Slip</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span>. <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Mind Rake" href="#" target="_blank">Mind Rake</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span>'s <em>Overload </em>ability is fun in a deck primed to abuse it, such as <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Nath of the Gilt-Leaf" href="#" target="_blank">Nath of the Gilt-Leaf</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span>, though it's notable that <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Delirium Skeins" href="#" target="_blank">Delirium Skeins</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> only shows up on about 600 total decks on EDHREC. Finally, <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Return from Extinction" href="#" target="_blank">Return from Extinction</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> is a decent recursion spell in tribal decks thanks to its low mana cost, possibly budging out any decks still playing <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Aphetto Dredging" href="#" target="_blank">Aphetto Dredging</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span>. For these three cards, I predict the order of popularity, from highest to lowest, is the same order the cards are displayed above.</p>
<hr />
<h2>The Night is Darkest Just Before the Dawn</h2>
<p>What are your favorite black cards from <em>Modern Horizons</em>? What cards are you putting into your decks? Are there any spicy cards I missed above? What cards are on your radar? Let me know in the comments below!</p>


Modern Horizons Set Review - Black

<h6 style="text-align: right;">(<span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Xiahou Dun, the One-Eyed" href="#" target="_blank">Xiahou Dun, the One-Eyed</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> | Art by <a href="https://scryfall.com/search?q=a%3A%E2%80%9CJunko+Taguchi%E2%80%9D&amp;unique=art">Junko Taguchi</a>)</h6>
<h1>One-Eyed Willy</h1>
<p>Hello again, friends! My name is Seth Cross, and welcome back to <em>Uncommonders</em>, the series that explores underappreciated commanders printed at the uncommon level. Though this series started with <em>Dominaria's </em>twenty uncommon legends, I also wanted to include older Uncommonders, as well as rares that were downshifted in rarity, to see how brand new cards affect those uncommon legends and make them more powerful.</p>
<p>As a Golgari and generally mono-black player, one of the most exciting new cards from <em>War of the Spark</em> is <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Bolas’s Citadel" href="#" target="_blank">Bolas’s Citadel</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span>, with all its delicious combo potential. Looking through all the pre-<em>Dominaria</em> Uncommonders, I noticed an Uncommonder that can run Citadel with ease. Of course, I'm talking about...</p>
<h2 style="text-align: center;">Xiahou Dun, the One-Eyed</h2>
<p style="text-align: center;"><div class="edhrecp__cards"><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Xiahou Dun, the One-Eyed"></div></div></p>
<p>Xiahou is a unique commander due to the wording of the printed ability and the fact that <em>Horsemanship</em> is a fairly rare mechanic. Since the card does not have reminder text, <em>Horsemanship</em> means “this creature can’t be blocked except by creatures with <em>Horsemanship</em>.” Basically, a different version of flying.</p>
<p>Xiahou’s other ability is unique because of the timing restrictions (pre-combat main phase only) and that it retrieves from your graveyard any black card, not just a creature. This enables a few interesting strategies, but for us, it can act as recursion for <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Bolas&#039;s Citadel" href="#" target="_blank">Bolas&#039;s Citadel</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span>, since it is a black card instead of a regular colorless artifact. This gives us the ability to play some cool spells, then play them again and again.</p>
<p>Normally, Xiahou is built with powerful black instants and sorceries - a card type mono-black cannot regularly recur. I'd like to break that tradition, though. There are only a few key cards he needs to recur, namely that precious, precious Citadel. Let's lean into that Citadel synergy - instead of building an instant and sorcery Xiahou Dun deck, we're building a mono-black artifact master.</p>
<hr />
<h3 style="text-align: center;">Some Necessary Artifice</h3>
<p>To properly build around <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Bolas&#039;s Citadel" href="#" target="_blank">Bolas&#039;s Citadel</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span>, let's see what cards are most often paired with it. Looking at the artifact's main EDHREC page, I was not at all surprised to see <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Aetherflux Reservoir" href="#" target="_blank">Aetherflux Reservoir</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> as part of the Signature Cards and <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Sensei’s Divining Top" href="#" target="_blank">Sensei’s Divining Top</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> in the Top Cards.</p>
<p><img loading="lazy" decoding="async" class="size-full wp-image-33418 aligncenter" src="https://cloudflare.edhrec.com/articles/wp-content/uploads/2019/05/EDHREC.png" alt="" width="700" height="408" /></p>
<p>While Citadel lets us play the first land that winds up on top of our deck, we cannot be expected to have too many extra land drops without green in the deck. Top helps us move them away and keep the combo going. Reservoir’s lifegain keeps us alive as we start to combo off, since we will be paying life to play cards from our deck.</p>
<hr />
<h3 style="text-align: center;">Insurance In-Depth</h3>
<p style="text-align: center;"><div class="edhrecp__cards"><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Krark-Clan Ironworks"></div><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Buried Ruin"></div><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Trading Post"></div></div></p>
<p>Both Reservoir and Citadel are very dangerous cards to see on the battlefield, and will attract removal spells. Xiahou can retrieve Citadel, and artifacts can often be recurred by other artifacts, though we should be wary of exile effects like <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Return to Dust" href="#" target="_blank">Return to Dust</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span>. We'd much prefer our artifacts end up in the graveyard than in exile, so to guarantee our artifacts don't go away forever, we'll include some sacrifice outlets, to make sure we can recur those artifacts if we need to. <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Trading Post" href="#" target="_blank">Trading Post</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> is a staple in artifact-based decks because it can both sacrifice and recur our important pieces. <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Krark-Clan Ironworks" href="#" target="_blank">Krark-Clan Ironworks</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> gives us an instant-speed sacrifice to generate mana. The other two options I like for the deck are <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Claws of Gix" href="#" target="_blank">Claws of Gix</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span>, which has recently seen some love on <a href="https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PL5d1KNNFArSNNRrpJjhf1WrwwuZqUcg0K">Commander Vs</a>, and <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Syndicate Trafficker" href="#" target="_blank">Syndicate Trafficker</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span>, a more recent addition to the package.</p>
<p>Unfortunately, mono-black has few options to return artifacts from the graveyard when those artifacts are not creatures. By few of course, we mean next to none. The only ones I know of are <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Beacon of Unrest" href="#" target="_blank">Beacon of Unrest</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> and <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Fortuitous Find" href="#" target="_blank">Fortuitous Find</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span>. The latter isn't very impressive, and though the former is nice enough for recursion, it doesn't synergize with Xiahou's ability, since it shuffles back into the library.</p>
<p>We can therefore facilitate our recursion by running the staples like <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Myr Retriever" href="#" target="_blank">Myr Retriever</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span>, <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Junk Diver" href="#" target="_blank">Junk Diver</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span>, <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Buried Ruin" href="#" target="_blank">Buried Ruin</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span>, and depending on how artifact-heavy the list becomes, maybe <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Scrap Trawler" href="#" target="_blank">Scrap Trawler</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span>. The idea of making Treasure tokens and sacrificing them to the aforementioned Ironworks is too much fun to not include, so you may notice both <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Pitiless Plunderer" href="#" target="_blank">Pitiless Plunderer</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> and <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Revel in Riches" href="#" target="_blank">Revel in Riches</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> in the deck, too. Then, since we are looking at sacrificing some Treasure tokens, I cannot resist running my favorite card from all of <em>Kaladesh</em> block, <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Marionette Master" href="#" target="_blank">Marionette Master</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span>.</p>
<hr />
<h3 style="text-align: center;">Cheating on Your Taxes</h3>
<p style="text-align: center;"><div class="edhrecp__cards"><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Palace Siege"></div><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Volrath’s Stronghold"></div><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Phyrexian Reclamation"></div></div></p>
<p>A quick disclaimer: this section is about cheating on your <em>commander </em>tax! Do not cheat on your real taxes! You have been warned!</p>
<p>Xiahou does not suffer from the problem experienced by other commanders with "dies" triggers, such as <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Elenda, the Dusk Rose" href="#" target="_blank">Elenda, the Dusk Rose</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span>. With his updated oracle text, he can sacrifice himself to his own ability, be replaced into the command zone, and still return a black card to your hand. This is a cool advantage to have, but it will increase commander tax. Let's look at ways to avoid increased commander tax; since mono-black is the color of recursion, we have many options.</p>
<p>I am always an advocate of repeatable effects, so <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Volrath’s Stronghold" href="#" target="_blank">Volrath’s Stronghold</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> is great for the deck. It is doubly synergistic because, with Citadel out, we can pay four life to replay Xiahou, potentially getting back multiple cards in one turn! Another repeatable effect is <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Palace Siege" href="#" target="_blank">Palace Siege</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span>, naming 'Khans' to return creatures, though funny enough, Xiahou can also return this enchantment if need be! <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Victimize" href="#" target="_blank">Victimize</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> is not normally a repeatable effect, but with Xiahou’s ability and enough mana, we can keep looping the spell for maximum value. <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Helm of the Host" href="#" target="_blank">Helm of the Host</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> seems to be good in any deck that runs it, and this is no exception. Making nonlegendary copies of Xiahou to recur spells is pure value. Then there's <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Phyrexian Reclamation" href="#" target="_blank">Phyrexian Reclamation</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span>, also repeatable recursion, and <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Mimic Vat" href="#" target="_blank">Mimic Vat</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span>, which can help us make Xiahou copies once a turn.</p>
<p>NOTE: It is important to be careful with Vat. If Xiahou is exiled under it and Vat is destroyed, there is no way to return him to the command zone. Make sure you have some creature sacrifice outlets that you can activate to push Xiahou back into the graveyard if someone goes to remove Vat. For the most part, sacrifice outlets that act as mana abilities (<span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Phyrexian Altar" href="#" target="_blank">Phyrexian Altar</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> or <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Ashnod’s Altar" href="#" target="_blank">Ashnod’s Altar</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> for example) are best, to avoid the green player’s <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Krosan Grip" href="#" target="_blank">Krosan Grip</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span>.</p>
<hr />
<h3 style="text-align: center;">Panic Buttons!</h3>
<p style="text-align: center;"><div class="edhrecp__cards"><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Perpetual Timepiece"></div><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Whip of Erebos"></div><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Relic of Progenitus"></div></div></p>
<p>For the sake of safety, I do like have a safety button or two when it comes to putting my commander in the graveyard. If someone goes to disrupt your recursion, and Xiahou winds up stuck in the graveyard, things can get rough. In these instances, exiling Xiahou and putting him into the command zone via replacement effect might be the only answer. <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Relic of Progenitus" href="#" target="_blank">Relic of Progenitus</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> is one such example. <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Whip of Erebos" href="#" target="_blank">Whip of Erebos</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> is another good option, because we can still sacrifice Xiahou before he gets exiled at the end of turn. I also enjoy <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Perpetual Timepiece" href="#" target="_blank">Perpetual Timepiece</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> to shuffle our graveyard back into our deck, also triggering a commander replacement effect when Xiahou would change zones. While this may take away some of our options for Xiahou later, the ends justify the means if we need our commander back. It also doubles up on value if Citadel is on the battlefield, and we need to shave a couple of lands off the top of our library (plus, any black cards we mill are great targets for Xiahou later)!</p>
<p>Throw in a couple Wrath effects (I count <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Living Death" href="#" target="_blank">Living Death</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> as the first one), some removal, ramp and card advantage (especially anything that is black that Xiahou can recur) and the list might look something like this:</p>
<p><div class="edhrecp__deck mtgh"><span class="edhrecp__deck-s" name="Xiahou, Keeper of the Citadel" site="edhrec" archidekt_link="" cards=""></span></div><br />
[Commander]<br />
*1 Xiahou Dun, the One-Eyed<br />
[/Commander]<br />
[Artifact]<br />
*1 Aetherflux Reservoir<br />
*1 Blackblade Reforged<br />
*1 Bolas's Citadel<br />
*1 Claws of Gix<br />
*1 Crucible of Worlds<br />
*1 Expedition Map<br />
*1 Gilded Lotus<br />
*1 Helm of the Host<br />
*1 Jet Medallion<br />
*1 Krark-Clan Ironworks<br />
*1 Lashwrithe<br />
*1 Mimic Vat<br />
*1 Mind Stone<br />
*1 Nevinyrral's Disk<br />
*1 Nim Deathmantle<br />
*1 Perpetual Timepiece<br />
*1 Phyrexian Altar<br />
*1 Relic of Progenitus<br />
*1 Sensei's Divining Top<br />
*1 Skullclamp<br />
*1 Sol Ring<br />
*1 Spine of Ish Sah<br />
*1 Trading Post<br />
[/artifact]<br />
[Land]<br />
*1 Bojuka Bog<br />
*1 Buried Ruin<br />
*1 Cabal Coffers<br />
*1 Cabal Stronghold<br />
*1 Command Beacon<br />
*1 Inventors' Fair<br />
*1 Myriad Landscape<br />
*1 Nykthos, Shrine to Nyx<br />
*26 Snow-Covered Swamp<br />
*1 Strip Mine<br />
*1 Urborg, Tomb of Yawgmoth<br />
*1 Volrath's Stronghold<br />
[/Land]<br />
[Instant]<br />
*1 Cabal Ritual<br />
*1 Dark Ritual<br />
*1 Entomb<br />
*1 Hatred<br />
*1 Vampiric Tutor<br />
[/Instant]<br />
[Creature]<br />
*1 Junk Diver<br />
*1 Marionette Master<br />
*1 Midnight Reaper<br />
*1 Mindslicer<br />
*1 Myr Retriever<br />
*1 Necrotic Ooze<br />
*1 Pitiless Plunderer<br />
*1 Plaguecrafter<br />
*1 Sidisi, Undead Vizier<br />
*1 Solemn Simulacrum<br />
*1 Syndicate Trafficker<br />
*1 Vampire Hexmage<br />
[/creature]<br />
[Planeswalker]<br />
*1 Liliana, Dreadhorde General<br />
[/Planeswalker]<br />
[Enchantment]<br />
*1 Arguel's Blood Fast<br />
*1 Palace Siege<br />
*1 Phyrexian Reclamation<br />
*1 Revel in Riches<br />
*1 Whip of Erebos<br />
[/Enchantment]<br />
[Sorcery]<br />
*1 Beacon of Unrest<br />
*1 Buried Alive<br />
*1 Damnation<br />
*1 Living Death<br />
*1 Read the Bones<br />
*1 Reanimate<br />
*1 Sign in Blood<br />
*1 Toxic Deluge<br />
*1 Victimize<br />
*1 Yawgmoth's Will<br />
[/Sorcery]<br />
[/Deck]</p>

<hr />
<h3 style="text-align: center;">Different Brewing Angles</h3>
<p style="text-align: center;"><div class="edhrecp__cards"><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Bolas’s Citadel"></div></div></p>
<p>For this deck, the commander is mostly a facilitator for <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Bolas&#039;s Citadel" href="#" target="_blank">Bolas&#039;s Citadel</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> in the 99. Paying life instead of mana is extremely powerful in <em>Magic</em>, so I'm happy to build around what is easily one of my favorite cards from <em>War of the Spark.</em> This take isn't necessarily mainstream for Xiahou - playing a support role rather than the leading role - but it is interesting space to explore.</p>
<p>Looking back at the comments on last week's article from Twitter, Reddit and the comment section of the article itself, my favorite came from /u/TheCinniWinni on Reddit, who wrote:</p>
<blockquote><p>Hello my friend! I have a [[Xiahou Dun, the One-Eyed]] edh deck, and it's super flexible!! Also, he has horsemanship, which is pseudo-unblockable, and black has a ton of ways to buff him by sacrificing your own creatures.</p></blockquote>
<p>They went more in-depth with their response and you can read the rest of it by clicking <a href="https://www.reddit.com/r/EDH/comments/bkaozk/think_those_sonic_images_are_bad_check_out_how/emhwfyz?utm_source=share&amp;utm_medium=web2x">here</a>. We can get inspired by so many different aspects of the game, including someone else’s ideas or basic concepts, and that is awesome to see. When brewing decks, try to surround yourself with those personalities, to bounce ideas around and come up with something new and cool!</p>
<p>Of course, if you want to bounce ideas for decks with me or just talk about Commander or <em>Magic</em> in general with me, make sure you are <a href="https://www.twitter.com/DM_Cross">following me on Twitter</a>. I am also a part of the Praetor Magic group, where we make <a href="https://www.youtube.com/praetormagic">YouTube videos</a> every month, perform a live Podcast <a href="https://www.twitch.tv/praetormagic">Twitch stream</a> as well as gameplay streams every week and host a <a href="https://discord.gg/CrNHmTE">public Discord server</a> dedicated to bringing people together over the idea of cheap Commander games! I hope to see you out there and until next time, you know what to do;</p>
<p>Keep reanimating those bombs! (Because casting them just once is never enough!)</p>


mono black