<p style="text-align: right;"><em><span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Ob Nixilis of the Black Oath" href="#" target="_blank">Ob Nixilis of the Black Oath</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> | Art by <a href="https://www.daarken.com/">Daarken</a></em></p>
<h2>Welcome to the Cult</h2>
<p>Salutations to you, dear readers! And, if you're new, welcome to <em>Precon Remastered</em>, where old preconstructed Commander decks are given new life by sacrificing some cards.</p>
<p>Today, we delve into the darkness to call upon sinister forces. Forces that, in ancient times, were cast aside until <a href="https://edhrec.com/sets/ons"><em>Onslaught</em></a>, where they made their triumphant return. Much has happened since then...</p>
<p>Oh, we're not talking about <a href="https://edhrec.com/tags/demons">Demons</a> right now? Oops. Let's just get straight to the commander then.</p>
<div class="edhrecp__cards"><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Ob Nixilis of the Black Oath"></div></div>
<p>This week, our commander of choice is <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Ob Nixilis of the Black Oath" href="#" target="_blank">Ob Nixilis of the Black Oath</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span>. On the surface, it doesn't do all that much. The lone plus ability gives us some life while slightly draining our opponents. Meanwhile, the minus ability puts a Demon token onto the battlefield at the cost of two life. Lastly, the ultimate bestows upon us an emblem that acts as a sacrifice outlet akin to <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Disciple of Bolas" href="#" target="_blank">Disciple of Bolas</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span>.</p>
<p>However, a deeper reading tells us something more than meets the eye (and no, it's not <em>Transformers</em>). But first, we need to lay the groundwork.</p>
<h3>Gathering the Materials</h3>
<p>As always, here are our rules for remastering precons:</p>
<ol>
<li>The value of the deck cannot exceed $120. This will apply to the reprints only, which gets to my first personal quirk.</li>
<li>Every card unique to the original precon stays in the deck. All those new cards that get released with precons remain in the list.</li>
<li>The land package should closely reflect what we get in precons these days (and, in my humble opinion, they're actually pretty good).</li>
<li>At least until 2020, we're not tied to a particular set, so we're free to choose whatever we want. You can be assured I have ideas for 2020 and beyond, though.</li>
<li>Universes Beyond cards are not added. No exceptions, unless they have an in-universe variant.</li>
</ol>
<p>With that out of the way, let's take a good look at what the precon looked like originally.</p>
<h3>The Original List</h3>
<div class="edhrecp__deck mtgh"><span class="edhrecp__deck-s" name="Sworn to Darkness Commander 2014" site="edhrec" archidekt_link="" cards="[Commander]
*1 Ob Nixilis of the Black Oath
[/Commander]
[Enchantments]
*1 Bad Moon
[/Enchantments]
[Creatures]
*1 Abyssal Persecutor
*1 Bloodgift Demon
*1 Burnished Hart
*1 Butcher of Malakir
*1 Crypt Ghast
*1 Demon of Wailing Agonies
*1 Disciple of Bolas
*1 Drana, Kalastria Bloodchief
*1 Evernight Shade
*1 Flesh Carver
*1 Ghoulcaller Gisa
*1 Grave Titan
*1 Gray Merchant of Asphodel
*1 Liliana&#039;s Reaver
*1 Magus of the Coffers
*1 Morkrut Banshee
*1 Nantuko Shade
*1 Nekrataal
*1 Overseer of the Damned
*1 Pestilence Demon
*1 Phyrexian Gargantua
*1 Pontiff of Blight
*1 Raving Dead
*1 Reaper from the Abyss
*1 Shriekmaw
*1 Skirsdag High Priest
*1 Vampire Hexmage
*1 Xathrid Demon
[/Creatures]
[Instants]
*1 Annihilate
*1 Malicious Affliction
*1 Skeletal Scrying
*1 Spoils of Blood
*1 Sudden Spoiling
*1 Tendrils of Corruption
*1 Tragic Slip
*1 Wake the Dead
[/Instants]
[Sorceries]
*1 Aether Snap
*1 Black Sun&#039;s Zenith
*1 Dread Return
*1 Dregs of Sorrow
*1 Infernal Offering
*1 Mutilate
*1 Necromantic Selection
*1 Profane Command
*1 Promise of Power
*1 Read the Bones
*1 Sign in Blood
*1 Syphon Mind
*1 Victimize
[/Sorceries]
[Artifacts]
*1 Charcoal Diamond
*1 Commander&#039;s Sphere
*1 Jet Medallion
*1 Lashwrithe
*1 Mind Stone
*1 Sol Ring
*1 Swiftfoot Boots
*1 Unstable Obelisk
*1 Worn Powerstone
[/Artifacts]
[Lands]
*1 Arcane Lighthouse
*1 Barren Moor
*1 Bojuka Bog
*1 Crypt of Agadeem
*1 Everglades
*1 Ghost Quarter
*1 Myriad Landscape
*1 Polluted Mire
*32 Swamp
[/Lands]"></span></div>
<h3>A Weak Performance</h3>
<div class="edhrecp__cards"><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Ghoulcaller Gisa"></div><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Dregs of Sorrow"></div><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Evernight Shade"></div></div>
<p>While the section name is only slightly misleading, there's something to be said about what we got. Like when I covered <a href="https://edhrec.com/precon/peer-through-time"><em>Peer Through Time</em></a> the other week, we have ourselves a hodgepodge of cards that fall pretty flat. There are a few X-spells in the list, like <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Dregs of Sorrow" href="#" target="_blank">Dregs of Sorrow</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> telling us that this deck will be mana-hungry. On top of that, our best impressions of <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> are either a creature that needs to wait a turn, or a land that depends on the number of creatures in our graveyard.</p>
<p>That said, I do detect a bit of a theme in the 99, which I'll get to in a bit. However, said theme doesn't work too well with our alternate commander, <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Ghoulcaller Gisa" href="#" target="_blank">Ghoulcaller Gisa</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span>. It's better placed at the helm of a <a href="https://edhrec.com/tags/zombies">Zombie</a> deck. On the other hand, Gisa does work with the very evident sacrifice theme present in the deck list.</p>
<p>The best cards to sacrifice are also, paradoxically, the worst cards in the list. Cards like <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Morkrut Banshee" href="#" target="_blank">Morkrut Banshee</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> and <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Evernight Shade" href="#" target="_blank">Evernight Shade</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> are easy fodder, considering they don't do much to affect the board. The Shade has the added benefit of being sacrificed a second time thanks to undying.</p>
<h3>New Ingredients for the Ritual</h3>
<div class="edhrecp__cards"><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Necromantic Selection"></div><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Malicious Affliction"></div><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Raving Dead"></div></div>
<p>With the new cards, we do get a few goodies. With creatures dying left and right, <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Malicious Affliction" href="#" target="_blank">Malicious Affliction</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> will be likely to kill off two creatures. <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Necromantic Selection" href="#" target="_blank">Necromantic Selection</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> will wipe the board, and bring us back a creature, too! In addition, we've got <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Unstable Obelisk" href="#" target="_blank">Unstable Obelisk</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span>, which snipes a troublesome permanent, especially enchantments. Note that this card has been outclassed here, as we'll see soon, but at least it hits artifacts, right?</p>
<p>On top of those new cards, we get some cards that help <a href="https://edhrec.com/tags/aristocrats">Aristocrats</a> decks. One of these is <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Wake the Dead" href="#" target="_blank">Wake the Dead</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span>, which can bring back multiple creatures. Note that we can't use it on our turn, so they're blocking fodder.</p>
<p>Mostly.</p>
<p>What we could also do is cast it, bring back a bunch of creatures, then sacrifice them to fuel stuff like <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Blood Artist" href="#" target="_blank">Blood Artist</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span>, among other things. It also lets us reuse enters the battlefield (ETB) effects, so yay! More value.</p>
<p>Anyway, we also get another sacrifice outlet in <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Flesh Carver" href="#" target="_blank">Flesh Carver</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span>, but paying two to do it each time means we can only do it so many times during each round. However, Aristocrats is not what I'm intending to do here, so what's that mysterious theme I hinted at earlier?</p>
<h3><em>Sworn to Darkness </em>Remastered</h3>
<div class="edhrecp__deck mtgh"><span class="edhrecp__deck-s" name="Sworn to Darkness Remastered" site="edhrec" archidekt_link="" cards="[Commander]
*1 Ob Nixilis of the Black Oath
[/Commander]
[Creatures]
*1 Abyssal Harvester
*1 Archfiend of Depravity
*1 Bloodgift Demon
*1 Burnished Hart
*1 Defiling Daemogoth
*1 Demon of Loathing
*1 Demon of Wailing Agonies
*1 Demonlord Belzenlok
*1 Desecration Demon
*1 Disciple of Bolas
*1 Dream Devourer
*1 Flesh Carver
*1 Ghoulcaller Gisa
*1 Gray Merchant of Asphodel
*1 Harvester of Souls
*1 Indulgent Tormentor
*1 Kothophed, Soul Hoarder
*1 Overseer of the Damned
*1 Pestilence Demon
*1 Raving Dead
*1 Reaper from the Abyss
*1 Solemn Simulacrum
*1 Vampire Hexmage
[/Creatures]
[Instants]
*1 Consuming Corruption
*1 Deadly Dispute
*1 Defile
*1 Malicious Affliction
*1 Ob Nixilis&#039;s Cruelty
*1 Spoils of Blood
*1 Tendrils of Corruption
*1 Tragic Slip
*1 Wake the Dead
[/Instants]
[Sorceries]
*1 Ambition&#039;s Cost
*1 Corrupt
*1 Dread Return
*1 Feed the Swarm
*1 In Garruk&#039;s Wake
*1 Infernal Offering
*1 Living Death
*1 Mutilate
*1 Necromantic Selection
*1 Promise of Power
*1 Read the Bones
*1 Reign of the Pit
*1 Settle the Score
*1 Sign in Blood
*1 Stitch Together
*1 Syphon Mind
*1 Victimize
[/Sorceries]
[Artifacts]
*1 Charcoal Diamond
*1 Commander&#039;s Sphere
*1 Hedron Archive
*1 Jet Medallion
*1 Mind Stone
*1 Sol Ring
*1 Unstable Obelisk
*1 Wayfarer&#039;s Bauble
*1 Worn Powerstone
[/Artifacts]
[Enchantments]
*1 Demonic Covenant
*1 Dogged Pursuit
*1 Underworld Connections
*1 Unholy Annex // Ritual Chamber
[/Enchantments]
[Lands]
*1 Arcane Lighthouse
*1 Barren Moor
*1 Bojuka Bog
*1 Everglades
*1 Myriad Landscape
*32 Swamp
[/Lands]"></span></div>
<h3>Blessings of Power</h3>
<div class="edhrecp__cards"><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Living Death"></div><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Demon of Loathing"></div><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Demonic Covenant"></div></div>
<p>If you guessed Demons, you're exactly right! I leaned into a Demon deck with this remaster. It certainly fits our commander, considering it depicts him before he became one. That said, there are only a few cards that reward us for selling our souls to them.</p>
<p>Firstly, <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Demonic Covenant" href="#" target="_blank">Demonic Covenant</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> will have us draw a card and lose a life if a Demon is attacking an opponent. If my guess is right, we could draw as many as an <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Ambition&#039;s Cost" href="#" target="_blank">Ambition&#039;s Cost</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> allows. Next, we have Standard all-star <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Unholy Annex // Ritual Chamber" href="#" target="_blank">Unholy Annex // Ritual Chamber</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span>, which will draw more cards, plus drain our opponents for two. The other half can be unlocked in a pinch.</p>
<p>More often than not, Demons tend to work alone, and it shows. <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Archfiend of Depravity" href="#" target="_blank">Archfiend of Depravity</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> will set back those pesky go-wide decks considerably. Meanwhile, <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Demonlord Belzenlok" href="#" target="_blank">Demonlord Belzenlok</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> will potentially draw us a few cards, as will <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Kothophed, Soul Hoarder" href="#" target="_blank">Kothophed, Soul Hoarder</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span>.</p>
<p>That said, Demons tend to be expensive and mana hungry. We are packing more wipes than usual to help cover us early on, but we also have cards like <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Dream Devourer" href="#" target="_blank">Dream Devourer</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span>, which makes casting them cheaper if we foretell them instead.</p>
<h3>Ceremonial End</h3>
<p>That about does it for our delightfully evil overlords, and for this series for a bit. Come back next week when we return to <em>Commander Makeover</em> with a new entry.</p>


sworn to darkness

Sworn to Darkness | Precon Remastered