Replacement Commanders - The Fairest of Phyrexian Mana

<h6 style="text-align: right;">(<a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="K&#039;rrik, Son of Yawgmoth" href="#" target="_blank">K&#039;rrik, Son of Yawgmoth</a> | Art by <a href="https://www.chasestoneart.com/">Chase Stone</a>)</h6>
<h1>Epic Preparations</h1>
Hello, EDHREC fans! I’m Bernardo Melibeu, and this is Epic Experiment, 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.
<a href="https://articles.edhrec.com/epic-experiment-living-end-anje/">Last article</a>, we built a deck with one of the most infamous commanders from Commander 2019, <a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Anje Falkenrath" href="#" target="_blank">Anje Falkenrath</a>. 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, <a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="K&#039;rrik, Son of Yawgmoth" href="#" target="_blank">K&#039;rrik, Son of Yawgmoth</a>!
<img decoding="async" src="https://gatherer.wizards.com/Handlers/Image.ashx?multiverseid=470564&amp;type=card" alt="K'rrik, Son of Yawgmoth" />
&nbsp;
Lifelink
For each {B} in a cost, you may pay 2 life rather than pay that mana
Whenever you cast a black spell, put a +1/+1 counter on K'rrik, Son of Yawgmoth
Observation 1:
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.
Observation 2:
There are plenty of powerful spells and effects that have several {B} pips in their costs, such as <a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Necropotence" href="#" target="_blank">Necropotence</a> or even <a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Bolas&#039;s Citadel" href="#" target="_blank">Bolas&#039;s Citadel</a>, that we could take advantage of.
Observation 3:
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?
Observation 4:
He's best buddies with <a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Vilis, Broker of Blood" href="#" target="_blank">Vilis, Broker of Blood</a>.
<hr />
<h2>The Old Formula</h2>
<a href="https://articles.edhrec.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/09/Krrik.png"><img loading="lazy" decoding="async" class="alignnone wp-image-39549" src="https://articles.edhrec.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/09/Krrik.png" alt="" width="709" height="368" /></a>
The High Synergy section of <a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="K&#039;rrik, Son of Yawgmoth" href="#" target="_blank">K&#039;rrik, Son of Yawgmoth</a>'s page shows how cutthroat the average list is. With cards like <a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Tendrils of Agony" href="#" target="_blank">Tendrils of Agony</a>, <a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Aetherflux Reservoir" href="#" target="_blank">Aetherflux Reservoir</a>, and <a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Dark Ritual" href="#" target="_blank">Dark Ritual</a>, we can see that this leads into <a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Grapeshot" href="#" target="_blank">stormy</a> territory.
<hr />
<h2>The Epic Ingredients</h2>
<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" />
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).
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.
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? Infect 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. <a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Phyresis" href="#" target="_blank">Phyresis</a> is straightforward: K'rrik now has Infect. But why not Infect and a power boost? <a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Grafted Exoskeleton" href="#" target="_blank">Grafted Exoskeleton</a> gives Infect and +2/+2. If K'rrik stays suited up, your opponents are in real trouble.
Whether or not K'rrik has Infect, firebreathing effects like <a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Midnight Covenant" href="#" target="_blank">Midnight Covenant</a>, <a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Shade&#039;s Form" href="#" target="_blank">Shade&#039;s Form</a>, <a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Soul Kiss" href="#" target="_blank">Soul Kiss</a>, <a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Shade&#039;s Breath" href="#" target="_blank">Shade&#039;s Breath</a>, and <a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Hatred" href="#" target="_blank">Hatred</a>, 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.
<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" />
For evasion we have several different options: <a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Inner Demon" href="#" target="_blank">Inner Demon</a> is a fun card that can clear the way while also giving our commander flying; <a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Rime Transfusion" href="#" target="_blank">Rime Transfusion</a> is a great way to guarantee that we'll never get blocked; and <a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Aphotic Wisps" href="#" target="_blank">Aphotic Wisps</a> and <a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Nighthaze" href="#" target="_blank">Nighthaze</a> are interesting additions because they're free cantrips that grow our commander while giving him evasion.
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 <a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Wrath of God" href="#" target="_blank">Wrath of God</a>. We have a few combat tricks that can regenerate our commander, like <a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Boon of Erebos" href="#" target="_blank">Boon of Erebos</a> and <a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Unnatural Endurance" href="#" target="_blank">Unnatural Endurance</a>, each of which can be played for free, a very effective method of catching people off guard. Also, <a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Unlikely Aid" href="#" target="_blank">Unlikely Aid</a> and <a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Rush of Vitality" href="#" target="_blank">Rush of Vitality</a> grant indestructible at instant speed.
For standalone threats, we have a few angles of attack, from directly interacting with life totals with cards like <a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Essence Harvest" href="#" target="_blank">Essence Harvest</a> and <a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Exsanguinate" href="#" target="_blank">Exsanguinate</a>, to a few other alternative Voltrons, like <a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Skithiryx, the Blight Dragon" href="#" target="_blank">Skithiryx, the Blight Dragon</a> or <a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Erebos, God of the Dead" href="#" target="_blank">Erebos, God of the Dead</a>.
<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]"></div>

<hr />
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.
<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://articles.edhrec.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/09/Sword-of-Truth-and-Justice.png"><img loading="lazy" decoding="async" class="alignnone wp-image-39587" src="https://articles.edhrec.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/09/Sword-of-Truth-and-Justice.png" alt="" width="224" height="313" /></a>
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. <a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="The Immortal Sun" href="#" target="_blank">The Immortal Sun</a> 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. <a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Sword of Truth and Justice" href="#" target="_blank">Sword of Truth and Justice</a> is a powerhouse; especially with the number of Infect enablers and +1/+1 counters we have, we'll be gaining a lot of value if we have access to a constant Proliferate source.
<hr />
<h2>Methodology</h2>
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.
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.
<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" />
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 <a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Exsanguinate" href="#" target="_blank">Exsanguinate</a> or even an armed <a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Skithiryx, the Blight Dragon" href="#" target="_blank">Skithiryx, the Blight Dragon</a>.
<hr />
<h2>Epic Results</h2>
<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" />
Investing on Extort creatures seems like a good addition to the deck; of these, <a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Crypt Ghast" href="#" target="_blank">Crypt Ghast</a> and <a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Pontiff of Blight" href="#" target="_blank">Pontiff of Blight</a> are some of the more playable ones.
Another fun subtheme that we could consider is Shade tribal. Shades usually have a temporary pump ability, so having some evasive ones, like <a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Drifting Shade" href="#" target="_blank">Drifting Shade</a>, can help us finish off games with our commander out.
<a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Necropotence" href="#" target="_blank">Necropotence</a> is a card that I deliberately left out of the list; sure, it's great with <a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="K&#039;rrik, Son of Yawgmoth" href="#" target="_blank">K&#039;rrik, Son of Yawgmoth</a>, but I don't think that it's a fun card.
That’s it for this Epic Experiment! 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 Epic Experiment a success? Please let me know in the comments below!

Epic Experiment- K'rrik Voltron

<h6 style="text-align: right;">( <a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Dark Bargain" href="#" target="_blank">Dark Bargain</a> | <a href="http://www.tylerjacobsonart.com/">Tyler Jacobson</a> )</h6>
<h1>It’s My Necromancy and I Need It Now</h1>
Greetings everyone, and welcome back to Monomania. In this article series we build mono-colored decks as a way to explore ramp and draw packages that are synergistic with our particular deck’s strategy, and as a way to challenge staples and misconceptions about the color pie.
Today, we’re calling a lawyer for uncivil arbitration with a gaggle of seriously gnarly Demons. Once all parties are at the table, we’ll work something out.
<div class="edhrecp__cards"><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Balthor the Defiled"></div></div>
Balthor is serious business. At first glance, this bomb seems awkward as a commander because of how fast commander tax stacks up because of his one-shot effect. Seeing play at the head of only 106 decks, however, there is certainly some room for exploration. His effect is certainly extremely powerful; asymmetrical mass resurrection can and will end games. Imagine having a <a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Living Death" href="#" target="_blank">Living Death</a> in the command zone and all the possibilities that entails. While a win would be more certain if we were to run two-card combos, why not pursue a more fragile plan that is much more fun?
Namely, why not try to resolve the dispute surrounding <a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Liliana’s Contract" href="#" target="_blank">Liliana’s Contract</a>?
<div class="edhrecp__cards"><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Living Death"></div><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Liliana’s Contract"></div></div>
Liliana’s Contract is one of my favorite cards in EDH, and not because I’ve won with it. I haven’t. I love this card because it's an efficient draw spell with the faint promise of an unexpected win. There's a faint rush of adrenaline you get when sleeving it up, seeing all the possible lines of play that could lead to winning with this card. In this deck, however, we have the distinct chance to make fulfilling that promise a little more tangible. Balthor is a simple Dwarf with simple desires: he wants to fill the graveyard with beefy Demons, then bring them all back. Coincidentally, shadow-dropping multiple Demons onto the board just before our turn is also exactly how Liliana’s Contract will most efficiently win the game. If we can’t arrange this win condition, it might just be good enough to grind out our opponents with an array of massive Demons.
With all that said, let’s seek the legal advice of <a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Balthor the Defiled" href="#" target="_blank">Balthor the Defiled</a> who specializes in head injuries, diet pill lawsuits, and issues of soul custody.
<hr />
<h2>Are You Suffering Injuries Related to Demonic Consultation?</h2>
To fully juice our strategy, we want to both reanimate fat creatures from our graveyard and produce enough mana to cast these creatures for retail price, if necessary. As such, I’ve included a variety of ramp effects to supplement the traditional Big Mana Black package that we associate with <a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Cabal Coffers" href="#" target="_blank">Cabal Coffers</a> and <a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Crypt Ghast" href="#" target="_blank">Crypt Ghast</a>.
<div class="edhrecp__cards"><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Pawn of Ulamog"></div><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Sifter of Skulls"></div><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Bog Witch"></div></div>
First, we have a few creatures with the potential to power out a lot of mana in our particular strategy: <a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Pawn of Ulamog" href="#" target="_blank">Pawn of Ulamog</a> and <a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Sifter of Skulls" href="#" target="_blank">Sifter of Skulls</a> both produce Eldrazi creature tokens that we can cash in for some fast mana. These two cards will allow us to sandbag mana to make big plays later in the game.
While these are both powerful cards, <a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Bog Witch" href="#" target="_blank">Bog Witch</a> might be the sleeper in this deck. Everything about this card facilitates our strategy—discarding a choice reanimation target in order to produce three black mana is exactly what we want to be doing. This card only sees play in 441 decks on EDHREC and deserves a higher rate of play. Bog Witch doesn’t just fit in mono-black, either; consider her for any reanimation strategy with a low color commitment that also wants the ability to hard cast its bombs.
<div class="edhrecp__cards"><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Black Market"></div><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Revel in Riches"></div><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="K’rrik, Son of Yawgmoth"></div></div>
<a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Black Market" href="#" target="_blank">Black Market</a> and <a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Revel in Riches" href="#" target="_blank">Revel in Riches</a> both fit perfectly in our strategy. While <a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Black Market" href="#" target="_blank">Black Market</a> produces the most mana in the long term, <a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Revel in Riches" href="#" target="_blank">Revel in Riches</a> is also extremely potent, even if we’re not pursuing its alternate win condition. Whenever a creature dies, we’ll net one extra black mana every turn with Black Market. While Revel makes Treasure only when a creature dies under an opponent's control, the Treasure it produces is much more flexible. We can choose when to crack each and every Treasure, allowing us to better administer our mana on our turn as well as on our opponents’ turns.
Finally, the man of the hour: <a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="K’rrik, Son of Yawgmoth" href="#" target="_blank">K’rrik, Son of Yawgmoth</a> is just the man for this deck. Most of the cards we'll be dropping onto the battlefield include a few black pips in their cost, and Yawgmoth’s kid will accelerate our deck’s most powerful, explosive turns. Phyrexian mana is, indeed, a demented fever dream turned reality, and we’ll be able to abuse its power particularly well.
<hr />
<h2>You May be Entitled to Boundless Power</h2>
The best thing about the Demons we most want to reanimate with Balthor is that they all have some sort of card advantage attached. This means that when we do spend resources reanimating creatures, they'll propel us forward, sifting through our deck for even more bombs. Whether its <a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Vilis, Broker of Blood" href="#" target="_blank">Vilis, Broker of Blood</a> or <a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Harvester of Souls" href="#" target="_blank">Harvester of Souls</a>, most of our Demons are certain to net us at least a card or two for our trouble.
<div class="edhrecp__cards"><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Bloodgift Demon"></div><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Razaketh, the Foulblooded"></div></div>
I'll highlight two Demons that exemplify this principle: though perhaps one of the weakest of these effects, basically functioning as <a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Phyrexian Arena" href="#" target="_blank">Phyrexian Arena</a> copied and pasted onto a five-mana Demon, <a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Bloodgift Demon" href="#" target="_blank">Bloodgift Demon</a> is one of the cheaper Demons in our list, and it deserves a spot both for its playability and its ability to be reanimated. Razaketh, on the other hand, is the most powerful card advantage effect available to us. A repeatable tutor will not only allow us to dig, but also find exactly what we want and need for the moment. Need to review the fine print? Go grab <a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Liliana’s Contract" href="#" target="_blank">Liliana’s Contract</a>. Is the board a bit cluttered? <a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Decree of Pain" href="#" target="_blank">Decree of Pain</a> is only a search away. Time to trawl up every creature in the graveyard? <a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Rise of the Dark Realms" href="#" target="_blank">Rise of the Dark Realms</a>.
<div class="edhrecp__cards"><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Dark Bargain"></div><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Final Parting"></div><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Oversold Cemetery"></div></div>
While we’re on our way toward those bigger creature-based draw effects, though, we can also leverage other ways to gain card advantage. <a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Dark Bargain" href="#" target="_blank">Dark Bargain</a> is an underrated draw effect in black, seeing play in only 589 decks. <a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Ambition’s Cost" href="#" target="_blank">Ambition’s Cost</a> is included in 3,353 decks, and <a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Ancient Craving" href="#" target="_blank">Ancient Craving</a> in 2,718. <a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Dark Bargain" href="#" target="_blank">Dark Bargain</a> is better, in my opinion. While you only get to keep two of the three cards you see with Dark Bargain, it is an instant and it puts a card directly into your graveyard, a definite upside with Balthor. I’d take that deal any day.
<a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Final Parting" href="#" target="_blank">Final Parting</a>, another underrated card from Dominaria, is also very powerful here. <a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Entomb" href="#" target="_blank">Entomb</a> and <a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Diabolic Tutor" href="#" target="_blank">Diabolic Tutor</a> stapled together may not seem amazing, but it is strong. Any time two good effects are packaged together on one card, the result is worth consideration. Finally, <a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Oversold Cemetery" href="#" target="_blank">Oversold Cemetery</a> is incredible in EDH. Every turn, we’ll be able to return a utility creature from our graveyard to our hand to further fuel our plan. This type of card is the engine that keeps a reanimator strategy chugging along.
<hr />
<h2>The Deck</h2>
Now that we’ve examined our ramp and draw strategies for this commander, let’s see how it looks all together. It's important to note that this style of deck has some serious weaknesses, chief among them being vulnerability to graveyard hate. Even so, it's also a lot of fun to pilot. Built as it is with a decent amount of powerful ramp effects, we should still be able to play fairly if somebody decides to nuke our graveyard.
<div class="edhrecp__cards"><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Crook of Condemnation"></div><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Golgari Thug"></div><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Finale of Eternity"></div></div>
Among the other notable inclusions here, we have a few different auxiliary strategies to support our main game plan. <a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Crook of Condemnation" href="#" target="_blank">Crook of Condemnation</a> finds a place here alongside <a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Bojuka Bog" href="#" target="_blank">Bojuka Bog</a> and <a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Nihil Spellbomb" href="#" target="_blank">Nihil Spellbomb</a>. Although Balthor only returns black and red creatures to the battlefield, we want to ensure that this effect is as asymmetrical as possible. These cards will all help ensure that we benefit the most from our mass reanimation.
To fill our graveyard, we also have a suite of effects including <a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Golgari Thug" href="#" target="_blank">Golgari Thug</a>, <a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Stinkweed Imp" href="#" target="_blank">Stinkweed Imp</a>, <a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Dakmor Salvage" href="#" target="_blank">Dakmor Salvage</a>, <a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Stitcher’s Supplier" href="#" target="_blank">Stitcher’s Supplier</a>, and <a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Buried Alive" href="#" target="_blank">Buried Alive</a>. Beyond Balthor, we also have several other mass resurrection effects such as <a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Finale of Eternity" href="#" target="_blank">Finale of Eternity</a>, <a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Rise of the Dark Realms" href="#" target="_blank">Rise of the Dark Realms</a>, and <a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Living Death" href="#" target="_blank">Living Death</a>. In conjunction, these cards should help us dump our library into our graveyard and spit it all back up onto the battlefield. Here’s what I came up with; as always, season to taste.
<div class="edhrecp__deck mtgh"><span class="edhrecp__deck-s" name="Balthor and Associates, Attorneys at Law" site="edhrec" archidekt_link="" cards="[Commander]
*1 Balthor the Defiled
[/Commander]
[Creatures]
*1 Stitcher&#039;s Supplier
*1 Doomed Dissenter
*1 Golgari Thug
*1 Reassembling Skeleton
*1 Bog Witch
*1 Burnished Hart
*1 Grim Haruspex
*1 Midnight Reaper
*1 Pawn of Ulamog
*1 Stinkweed Imp
*1 Crypt Ghast
*1 Dread Presence
*1 Sifter of Skulls
*1 Solemn Simulacrum
*1 Bloodgift Demon
*1 Corpse Connoisseur
*1 Doom Whisperer
*1 Gray Merchant of Asphodel
*1 Magus of the Coffers
*1 Ob Nixilis, the Fallen
*1 Ogre Slumlord
*1 Grave Titan
*1 Harvester of Souls
*1 Kothophed, Soul Hoarder
*1 Ob Nixilis, Unshackled
*1 Abhorrent Overlord
*1 K&#039;rrik, Son of Yawgmoth
*1 Overseer of the Damned
*1 Rune-Scarred Demon
*1 Razaketh, the Foulblooded
*1 Vilis, Broker of Blood
[/Creatures]
[Instants]
*1 Dark Bargain
*1 Price of Fame
[/Instants]
[Sorceries]
*1 Finale of Eternity
*1 Stitch Together
*1 Buried Alive
*1 Victimize
*1 Blood for Bones
*1 Dread Return
*1 Final Parting
*1 Living Death
*1 Decree of Pain
*1 In Garruk’s Wake
*1 Rise of the Dark Realms
[/Sorceries]
[Artifacts]
*1 Expedition Map
*1 Nihil Spellbomb
*1 Sol Ring
*1 Wayfarer&#039;s Bauble
*1 Crook of Condemnation
*1 Spawning Pit
*1 Ashnod’s Altar
*1 Oblivion Stone
*1 Phyrexian Altar
*1 Nevinyrral&#039;s Disk
*1 Caged Sun
[/Artifacts]
[Enchantments]
*1 Tortured Existence
*1 Oversold Cemetery
*1 Dark Prophecy
*1 Black Market
*1 Liliana&#039;s Contract
*1 Revel in Riches
[/Enchantments]
[Lands]
*1 Barren Moor
*1 Bojuka Bog
*1 Cabal Coffers
*1 Cabal Stronghold
*1 Command Beacon
*1 Crypt of Agadeem
*1 Dakmor Salvage
*1 Geier Reach Sanitarium
*1 Nykthos, Shrine to Nyx
*1 Phyrexian Tower
*1 Polluted Mire
*1 Scavenger Grounds
*22 Swamp
*1 Thespian’s Stage
*1 Urborg, Tomb of Yawgmoth
*1 Vesuva
*1 Westvale Abbey
[/Lands]"></div>
&nbsp;

<hr />
What do you think of Balthor? Are there any notable omissions—bombs, facilitators, or alternative strategies? Do you tend to build around alternative win conditions? Let me know in the comments below! Remember to EDHREC responsibly: always dig a little beyond the statistics. I’ll see you all on down the road.

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