Gisa, the HellraiserGisa, the Hellraiser | Art by Chris Rahn

Greetings and salutations from a healthy grave somewhere in Innistrad. I'm Arnaud and I'm thrilled to take you on a journey of budget brew, hidden gems, and illegal activities.

Last time on From the Brim to the Trim we parted ways with our usual three choices. Looks like they didn't feel extremely inspiring to you all, since they gathered close to 100 votes altogether. Third place went to Krenko, Tin Street KingpinKrenko, Tin Street Kingpin, with a puny 17 votes (18%). No Goblin shenanigans this time it seems. The second spot was awarded to Feldon of the Third PathFeldon of the Third Path, with 28 votes (29%). I still stand by the idea that commander embodies a different route for mono-. With 52 votes (54%), more than both other commanders together, Gisa, the HellraiserGisa, the Hellraiser takes it home. And I'm so very happy she won.

What Does Gisa, the Hellraiser Do?

The latest edition of our Lady of the Undead flew a bit under the radar. Sure, she boasts almost 4,000 decks to her name on EDHREC, but I still feel she's criminally underplayed, despite sporting an assortment of amazing assets.

First, that ward: two life and is a hefty price to pay, one that's likely to break your opponents' tempo. Sure, she's fairly expensive, but she's well worth it.

Gisa acts as a "Lord" for Zombies and Skeletons, giving them a buff and evasion - a deadly combo when you send your horde onwards.

And finally, there's that third clause: make a couple of Zombies every time you commit a crime. Granted, they come into play tapped and it only triggers once per turn, but still. If you play your cards right (pun totally intended), that means you can get eight 2/2s per rotation. With the buff, that's 24 potential damage on board. The army grows big fast. Very fast. And the cherry on top, it's a very fun deck to pilot.

Without further ado, let's jump in. Gathering all the goodies from the EDHREC pageEDHREC page, both from the regular and cheap builds, nets us a solid 326-card list. A great start.

First Trim - The Cardboard Chainsaw Massacre

Gather round people, gather round. Take a look at our fantastic selection of cards!

Here, we have only one rule: we build using cards worth only $1.10 and below, the 10 cents being there to account for price variation.

A first thorough axing cuts about a third of the deck, leaving us with 216 cards worth $2 or less.

Before getting rid of the rest of the expensive chaff, let's see what hidden gems lie therein, just in case you felt like indulging yourself a tiny bit:

• Zombie ApocalypseZombie Apocalypse: A fun outlet if you play a lot of Zombies, if a tad mana intensive.
• Champion of the PerishedChampion of the Perished: In this deck, this grows big really fast. Too bad he sports no evasion.
• Zombie TrailblazerZombie Trailblazer: Need more evasion and ways to commit crimes all in one? This putrid corpse has you covered.
• Malicious AfflictionMalicious Affliction: A nice and underrated removal spell.
• Zul Ashur, Lich LordZul Ashur, Lich Lord: A cheap recursion outlet, with built-in protection.
• Persistent ConstrictorPersistent Constrictor: This is a must-have. With your commander out, it will commit a crime on every single one of your opponents' turns without you having to lift a finger.
• Stronghold AssassinStronghold Assassin: Efficient repeated removal, especially with all the fodder you'll have at hand. A bit akin to AttritionAttrition.
• CryptbreakerCryptbreaker: Superb draw engine in Zombie decks.
• Zombie MasterZombie Master: Swampwalk may give you a victory out of nowhere, and the regeneration means you'll have a very resilient army at hand.
• Kaya's GhostformKaya's Ghostform: Great protection outlet for your commander.
• Priest of Forgotten GodsPriest of Forgotten Gods: Basically makes coffee, pancakes, massages your feet and does your taxes all at once.
• Boggart TrawlerBoggart Trawler: Flexible graveyard management. Steadily climbing, as most MDFCs are.
• Carrion FeederCarrion Feeder: If you're treading the Aristocrats route, this sacrifice outlet is as cheap as they get.

This leaves us with five cards worth between $1 and $1.10:

• Liquimetal TorqueLiquimetal Torque: it's a two-mana rock, and while mono- is not the best at killing single artifacts, it can lead to some nice politicking.
• Feign DeathFeign Death: Another very nice protection outlet.
• Thought VesselThought Vessel: I'm not 100% sure we need infinite hand size, but I'll never scoff at a two-mana rock.
• Swiftfoot BootsSwiftfoot Boots: Premium protection for Gisa. Haste is anecdotal.
• Hagra MaulingHagra Mauling: A MurderMurder on a land. Yes please.

As this stands, we still have 191 cards to wade through. Not bad, if a bit below our recent averages. Let's move on.

Second Trim - Cardward Scissorhands

Right, on to the veggies. And I have the distinct feeling this section is where we're going to cut most of the cards in the deck.

At the moment, we have the following:

Altogether, these account for a little less than half of our remaining cards. And since we're going to keep a lot of those, as most serve our general strategy, this will leave little room for the rest.

I want to keep a healthy number of draw spells to make sure we won't run out of gas, and even more removal, as it will provide ample opportunities to commit crimes. Let's cut:

Well, that was an interesting one. I tried keeping mostly instants, in order to maximise our commander's output.

With a healthy makeover to the mana base, we're down to 150 cards, and now the fun part begins. Onwards.

Third Trim - Cutting Off Gisa's Rough Edges

So, after taking care of the tedious stuff, it's time to focus a bit more on what Gisa actually wants to achieve.

In essence, the goal is quite simple: flood the board with Zombies and overrun your opponents' puny defenses. To achieve that goal, you must be able to consistently commit a crime each turn. While our removal package partly takes care of that, it's far from enough.

As things stand, there are a few distinct categories that stand out.

First, there's a hefty recursion package. I'll be honest, most of these don't impressive me whatsoever. They consist mostly of mediocre Zombies, and I'll have little issue with disposing of them.

Second, we have a decent bunch of token-related outlets. I'll be more nuanced here, as several of those present at least moderate to major interest for our strategy.

Third, protection spells. Our commander is precious and fairly mana intensive, and I wouldn't scoff at a few ways to keep her around.

Fourth, Lords. While your commander already buffs your troops, these can act as a proxy if things go awry.

Fifth, there's the whole suite of Aristocrats outlets. While I'd rather trample my opponents with endless Zombies, these can act as a major deterrent against board wipes or win you the game altogether.

Sixth, there are several ways to dispose of graveyards. While hosing a reanimation spell is always nice, I see them more as crime-makers rather than decisive assets.

And finally, there's... well, the rest.

So, what do we keep? In essence, I want to include as many crime-enabling outlets as possible, ideally recursive ones. As such, I'm quite partial to one-shot effects, too weak to be viable.

Let's cut.

And just like that, we're already down to 104 cards. This was an easy one folks!

Final Trim - Heart-Wrenching Choices for Gisa

Before we head on to the final cuts, I'd like to add something back to the list. I don't understand why Nadier's NightbladeNadier's Nightblade wasn't included in the first place. With the slew of tokens we're making, this is as good a pinger as there is.

So, five more cards to cut then. As usual, there are no bad choices here per se, it's mostly a matter of personal preference:

• Raven of Fell OmensRaven of Fell Omens: Cute, but a little slow for our purposes.
• Cursecloth WrappingsCursecloth Wrappings: Nice outlet, but also on the high-end of our curve.
• Dreadhorde InvasionDreadhorde Invasion: While giving lifelink to our army sounds nice, I doubt we'll ever get there, not without more impactful Lords.
• Altar's ReapAltar's Reap: One of the less cost-effective sac-to-draw effects.
• V.A.T.S.V.A.T.S.: Another way to lower the curve.

And with those final (and not so heart-wrenching after all) cuts, I give you...

Gisa, the Hellraiser Commander Deck List

Additional Trim - A Look Into the Past

This time, we're going back to our beloved Pentacolor build, with Ramos, Dragon EngineRamos, Dragon Engine and his companion Jegantha, the WellspringJegantha, the Wellspring.

Time has been relatively lenient with this deck. See for yourself:

• Falco Spara, PactweaverFalco Spara, Pactweaver: $1.12
• Skyclave RelicSkyclave Relic: $1.15
• Maelstrom NexusMaelstrom Nexus: $1.20
• Shalai and HallarShalai and Hallar: $2.94 (!)

Let's find some suitable replacements:

• Faeburrow ElderFaeburrow Elder: Cheap and efficient ramp, that gets better with time.
• Lilah, Undefeated SlickshotLilah, Undefeated Slickshot: Double the gun for double the fun!
• Wilderness ReclamationWilderness Reclamation: More lands = more spells. More spells = more +1/+1 counters on Ramos.
• Riveteers CharmRiveteers Charm: Mostly for the second ability and card advantage provided.

Well, that wasn't too much of a hassle, was it? You can find the updated list here.

Conclusion

I have to say I've particularly enjoyed brewing this deck today, and I can't wait to hear from you if you ever get to meddle with it.

Also, if you feel like I've missed a particular hidden gem, I really want to see your findings!

See you after the Final Fantasy Frenzy!