<p style="text-align: right;"><em><span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="The Master of Lake-town" href="#" target="_blank">The Master of Lake-town</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> | Art by <a href="https://scryfall.com/search?q=a%3A%E2%80%9CMarius+Bota%E2%80%9D&amp;unique=art">Marius Bota</a></em></p>
<p>Describing a Commander deck can sometimes be a challenge. Today, however, the description for this deck is four simple words, coming from the flavor text of the original printing of <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Dark Confidant|RAV|81" href="#" target="_blank">Dark Confidant</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span>: "Greatness, at any cost."</p>
<p>With the release of <em>The Hobbit</em>, we are introduced to <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="The Master of Lake-town" href="#" target="_blank">The Master of Lake-town</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span>. As the ruler of a lakeside town, there are a few things on my mind: collecting taxes from the citizens, making sure the town stays safe, and most importantly, WINNING MY COMMANDER POD.</p>
<p>This deck is all-in on trying to win the game quickly and efficiently, using our own life as a resource and living squarely inside <a href="https://edhrec.com/articles/wotc-introduces-new-bracket-system-for-edh?utm_source=edhrec">Bracket 3</a>. You might die while playing this deck, but if you do, it will be in a blaze of glory. With nothing left to say, check out my build of The Master of Lake-town.</p>
<div class="edhrecp__cards"><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="The Master of Lake-town"></div></div>
<h2><em>Marvel</em> vs. <em>The Hobbit</em> vs. <em>MTG</em></h2>
<p>Starting at the end, let's take a look at how we are going to win the game. The main way we are trying to win the game focuses around one of three cards.</p>
<div class="edhrecp__cards"><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Doctor Doom, Unrivaled"></div><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Baron Helmut Zemo"></div><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Syr Konrad, the Grim"></div></div>
<p>Plan A of the deck is to win with the effect of <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Doctor Doom, Unrivaled" href="#" target="_blank">Doctor Doom, Unrivaled</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span>. A mono-black <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Laboratory Maniac" href="#" target="_blank">Laboratory Maniac</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span>-style of creature, this is the main way we will be trying to win the game. Many of the cards in this deck cause us to pay life or lose life, and The Master of Lake-town will help by putting our deck into the graveyard. Once we find a card to give Doom haste, it's game over for the table.</p>
<p><span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Baron Helmut Zemo" href="#" target="_blank">Baron Helmut Zemo</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> was an underrated superstar when I was testing out the deck. The boast ability is only held back by the fact that we have to attack with it, but since we run plenty of fast mana such as <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>, getting Zemo down early should not be too much of an issue. Once we do, filling the graveyard allows us to hit the 15 black mana symbols to use Zemo's ability quickly after the fact.</p>
<p>Last but not least is <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Syr Konrad, the Grim" href="#" target="_blank">Syr Konrad, the Grim</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span>. An ultra-popular combo commander in its own right, and one who loves all the zone movement our cards will be going through. Syr Konrad also goes great with one of the best cards in the deck, <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Mindcrank" href="#" target="_blank">Mindcrank</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span>.</p>
<p>Winning with this deck isn't very difficult, if I'm being honest. Getting there, on the other hand — well, you will see.</p>
<h2>Life Keeps on Slippin'</h2>
<p>In this deck, we need to lose life, but we need to lose life in some very specific ways. Waiting around for opponents to attack us is not going to help the deck function, but we also don't want to go too far, too fast. Luckily, we are in a color that specializes in paying life for effects.</p>
<p>Card-draw effects like <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Night&#039;s Whisper" href="#" target="_blank">Night&#039;s Whisper</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> and <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Sign in Blood" href="#" target="_blank">Sign in Blood</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> are commonplace in the format. But, less often seen are cards like <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Cruel Bargain" href="#" target="_blank">Cruel Bargain</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> and <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Infernal Contract" href="#" target="_blank">Infernal Contract</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span>. We even get counter magic with <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Imp&#039;s Mischief" href="#" target="_blank">Imp&#039;s Mischief</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> and <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Withering Boon" href="#" target="_blank">Withering Boon</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span>, plus classic removal spells like <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Snuff Out" href="#" target="_blank">Snuff Out</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span>, <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Bitter Triumph" href="#" target="_blank">Bitter Triumph</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span>, and <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Killing Wave" href="#" target="_blank">Killing Wave</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span>.</p>
<p>Even with all these options, there are still more that are less-known and somewhat more impactful in the list.</p>
<div class="edhrecp__cards"><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Temporal Extortion"></div><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Plunge into Darkness"></div><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Garza&#039;s Assassin"></div></div>
<p><span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Temporal Extortion" href="#" target="_blank">Temporal Extortion</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> is a hilarious extra turn spell. But in this deck, it acts as a turbo mill card. In fact, we rarely want to take the extra turn off this card.</p>
<p>Most players won't want to pay half their life on what could be turn four to stop us from taking an extra turn. We, however, want to do exactly that. A best-case scenario is using all of our lands that cause us harm, such as <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Tarnished Citadel" href="#" target="_blank">Tarnished Citadel</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span>, <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Cabal Pit" href="#" target="_blank">Cabal Pit</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span>, and fetch lands; we cast our commander on turn three and follow it up with Temporal Extortion. At something around 35 life, we pay half our own life to counter the extortion and put 18 cards into the graveyard. Not too shabby.</p>
<p><span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Plunge into Darkness" href="#" target="_blank">Plunge into Darkness</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> has recently seen play in the Modern format as a combo piece with <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Cosmogoyf" href="#" target="_blank">Cosmogoyf</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span>. Much like that deck, it is a perfect card to help us remove whatever is left of the library in turn to set up a win. In a pinch, we can gain some life when the game doesn't go our way, or put just a small amount of life into it when we need a card to help our game plan, but we might not be ready to go for the win.</p>
<p>Did you know that the card <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Garza&#039;s Assassin" href="#" target="_blank">Garza&#039;s Assassin</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> existed? If so, you are likely older than me or just a huge fan of <em>Coldsnap</em>. Not the best removal spell ever made, but one that is both reusable and comes with that ever-so-important life-paying ability our deck is searching for.</p>
<h2>Back Up To 40</h2>
<p>An often overlooked piece of a life-loss deck is the ability to gain life. You need to have some ways to keep yourself from flying too close to the sun, or a way to recover for when you inevitably do. While there might not be any large gain life spells in this deck that you would typically see, such as <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Exsanguinate" href="#" target="_blank">Exsanguinate</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span>, we have some heavy hitters, I promise.</p>
<div class="edhrecp__cards"><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Demon&#039;s Horn"></div><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Tree of Perdition"></div><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Aetherflux Reservoir"></div></div>
<p>First up is a card that you have rarely seen hit a table for a game of Commander: <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Demon&#039;s Horn" href="#" target="_blank">Demon&#039;s Horn</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span>. You could also count <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Bontu&#039;s Monument" href="#" target="_blank">Bontu&#039;s Monument</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> in this portion of the list, but that does more than the Horn. Simply put, if anyone plays a black spell, we gain one life. Perfect for a deck that can chain together a few spells per turn and that wants to gain just enough life to not die.</p>
<p><span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Tree of Perdition" href="#" target="_blank">Tree of Perdition</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> is the Plan Q of the deck to win the game, as there is a world we can life-swap with someone and finish them off. Really, though, it's here to life-swap with someone so that we can use the larger life total to our advantage and fill our yard.</p>
<p><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> is not at full power in this list since we want to play in the Bracket 3 space, so I decided to cut the loops, focusing on <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Gravecrawler" href="#" target="_blank">Gravecrawler</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> and <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&#039;s Altar" href="#" target="_blank">Ashnod&#039;s Altar</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span>. The card does gain life at a pretty fast clip, so a few spells will be all we need to stay afloat. If we run into a Lifegain deck, maybe we can combo with the Tree and steal a win by shooting someone for 50.</p>
<h2>One Is Not Zero</h2>
<p>As I have said many times, it's important to this deck that you <em>do not die</em>.</p>
<p>Sometimes, however, you <em>will</em> die, and it's unavoidable. When that happens, there are a few tricks up our sleeve to make sure we can keep playing and even sneak a win out of it.</p>
<div class="edhrecp__cards"><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="The Golden Throne"></div><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Stunning Reversal"></div><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Out of the Tombs"></div></div>
<p>First up is <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="The Golden Throne" href="#" target="_blank">The Golden Throne</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span>. Fittingly, the arcane life-support ability on this card allows us to stave off death, much like the Emperor of Mankind, and go to one. Less needed for the deck, but still important, is the ability to sacrifice a creature to add three mana. We do have a few throwaway creatures that can power us to a high-cost spell every once in a while.</p>
<p><span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Stunning Reversal" href="#" target="_blank">Stunning Reversal</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> is a card that should maybe see more play in generic black decks. The instant speed means we can use it in response to a spell that would kill us, and we get the bonus of drawing seven bonus cards. The best use of this card is setting it up in a way for us to pay enough life to lose the game after casting this to get seven more cards, and hopefully combo off from there.</p>
<p><span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Out of the Tombs" href="#" target="_blank">Out of the Tombs</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> is worse at keeping us alive than the first two cards, but it does something those cards can't: bring a creature back from the dead. Sometimes we will end up with Doom or another creature we need in the graveyard. When that happens, in most scenarios, an Out of the Tombs that has been around for two rotations should be enough to bring the creature back that we need, and if it's Doom, hopefully we have no library left and can win the game on the spot.</p>
<h2>Extras</h2>
<p>A key card you might be noticing is absent from the list is <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Platinum Angel" href="#" target="_blank">Platinum Angel</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span>. Normally, if I were building a deck whose purpose was to essentially die without losing the game, I would add this card. This deck isn't normal. Many cards in the deck require us to pay life as part of a cost or to use their effect, and that can't be done if we have zero or less life. While the Angel and cards like it would keep us alive, most of our cards would be unusable, and we would sit there until someone put us out of our misery.</p>
<div class="edhrecp__cards"><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Platinum Angel"></div></div>
<p>While I decided to go with a Bracket 3 version of the deck, I don't expect that to be where this card is found. The Master of Lake-town thrives in Bracket 4, in my opinion. It has a plethora of easy-to-execute infinite combos, and the ability to cause opponents damage and mill them out at the same time is much easier than milling yourself to win the game.</p>
<p>We have a few of those combos in the deck, such as <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Bloodchief Ascension" href="#" target="_blank">Bloodchief Ascension</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> + <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Mindcrank" href="#" target="_blank">Mindcrank</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> and <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Sheoldred, the Apocalypse" href="#" target="_blank">Sheoldred, the Apocalypse</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> + <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Peer into the Abyss" href="#" target="_blank">Peer into the Abyss</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span>. Still, they're primarily backups for when the main plan falls apart, or we find ourselves too low on life to execute the normal win conditions.</p>
<p>Just know The Master of Lake-town is as dangerous as it looks, and should be treated accordingly.</p>
<h2>The Deck List</h2>
<div class="edhrecp__deck mtgh"><span class="edhrecp__deck-s" name="Tech The Deck - The Master of Lake-town" site="edhrec" archidekt_link="" cards="[Commander]
*1 The Master of Lake-town
[/Commander]
[Creatures]
*1 Asmodeus the Archfiend
*1 Ayara, First of Locthwain
*1 Baron Helmut Zemo
*1 Blood Pet
*1 Creeping Bloodsucker
*1 Crypt Ghast
*1 Doctor Doom, Unrivaled
*1 Doom Whisperer
*1 Garza&#039;s Assassin
*1 Gray Merchant of Asphodel
*1 Gwenom, Remorseless
*1 K&#039;rrik, Son of Yawgmoth
*1 Necrotic Ooze
*1 Sheoldred, the Apocalypse
*1 Skirge Familiar
*1 Syr Konrad, the Grim
*1 Tree of Perdition
*1 Vilis, Broker of Blood
[/Creatures]
[Sorceries]
*1 Bubbling Muck
*1 Buried Alive
*1 Cruel Bargain
*1 Feed the Swarm
*1 Infernal Contract
*1 Killing Wave
*1 Night&#039;s Whisper
*1 Peer into the Abyss
*1 Postmortem Lunge
*1 Reanimate
*1 Sign in Blood
*1 Temporal Extortion
*1 Toxic Deluge
[/Sorceries]
[Instants]
*1 Bitter Triumph
*1 Cabal Ritual
*1 Dark Ritual
*1 Darkness
*1 Deadly Rollick
*1 Entomb
*1 Goryo&#039;s Vengeance
*1 Imp&#039;s Mischief
*1 Necrologia
*1 Plunge into Darkness
*1 Snuff Out
*1 Stunning Reversal
*1 Withering Boon
[/Instants]
[Artifacts]
*1 Aetherflux Reservoir
*1 Arcane Signet
*1 Bolas&#039;s Citadel
*1 Bontu&#039;s Monument
*1 Demon&#039;s Horn
*1 Elixir
*1 Fellwar Stone
*1 Jet Medallion
*1 Lavaspur Boots
*1 Lightning Greaves
*1 Mesmeric Orb
*1 Mindcrank
*1 Sol Ring
*1 The Golden Throne
*1 The Soul Stone
*1 Whip of Erebos
[/Artifacts]
[Enchantments]
*1 Black Market Connections
*1 Bloodchief Ascension
*1 Necropotence
*1 Out of the Tombs
*1 Tortured Existence
[/Enchantments]
[Lands]
*1 Ancient Tomb
*1 Bloodstained Mire
*1 Cabal Coffers
*1 Cabal Pit
*1 Castle Locthwain
*1 Deserted Temple
*1 Hall of the Bandit Lord
*1 Horizon of Progress
*1 Ifnir Deadlands
*1 Marsh Flats
*1 Nykthos, Shrine to Nyx
*1 Peat Bog
*1 Phyrexian Tower
*1 Polluted Delta
*1 Prismatic Vista
*1 Strip Mine
*13 Swamp
*1 Talon Gates of Madara
*1 Tarnished Citadel
*1 Urborg, Tomb of Yawgmoth
*1 Urza&#039;s Cave
*1 Verdant Catacombs
[/Lands]"></span></div>
<h2>Wrap Up</h2>
<p>The Master of Lake-town is an incredibly strong commander, and one that some people will find very fun to play. Most people will not, however.</p>
<p>This will be one of those decks where you are saying "I promise it's not that deck" when you sit down at the table and take it out of the box. If those are the types of deck you enjoy playing, then go for it, but if that isn't where you want to be when playing Commander, this might not be the deck for you.</p>
<p>All of this aside, <em>The Hobbit</em> set looks to be a certified banger of a release, and I can't wait to get my hands on some of these cards. What are your favorite cards from the set? Would you play against a The Master of Lake-town deck?</p>
<p>Let me know over on <a href="https://bsky.app/profile/nicnax96.bsky.social">Bluesky</a> and <a href="https://www.instagram.com/nicnax96/">Instagram</a>.</p>


the mayor of lake town

The Master of Lake-town | Tech the Deck