~Life sucks~ Fat Karlov remains unbeaten...

Commander / EDH* Aggro Combo Competitive Lifegain

Jakobel

Creature (24)

• 1x Ajani's Pridemate
• 1x Archangel of Thune
• 1x Auriok Champion
• 1x Bastion Protector
• 1x Cliffhaven Vampire
• 1x Defiant Bloodlord
• 1x Divinity of Pride
• 1x Drana's Emissary
• 1x Felidar Sovereign
• 1x Mother of Runes
• 1x Nyx-Fleece Ram
• 1x Obzedat, Ghost Council
• 1x Pious Evangel  ^Flip
• 1x Rhox Faithmender
• 1x Serra Ascendant
• 1x Silverblade Paladin
• 1x Soul Warden
• 1x Soul's Attendant
• 1x Stoneforge Mystic
• 1x Suture Priest
• 1x Vault Skirge
• 1x Vizkopa Guildmage
• 1x Vona, Butcher of Magan
• 1x Wall of Reverence

Sorcery (11)

• 1x Alliance of Arms
• 1x Battle Screech
• 1x Conqueror's Pledge
• 1x Demonic Tutor
• 1x Essence Harvest
• 1x Increasing Devotion
• 1x Lingering Souls
• 1x Righteous Confluence
• 1x Rite of Consumption
• 1x Solemn Offering
• 1x Toxic Deluge

Land (35)

• 1x Caves of Koilos
• 1x City of Brass
• 1x Command Tower
• 1x Eiganjo Castle
• 1x Fetid Heath
• 1x Flagstones of Trokair
• 1x Godless Shrine
• 1x Isolated Chapel
• 1x Kabira Crossroads
• 1x Marsh Flats
• 1x Miren, the Moaning Well
• 1x Orzhov Basilica
• 7x Plains
• 1x Radiant Fountain
• 1x Reflecting Pool
• 1x Rogue's Passage
• 1x Scoured Barrens
• 1x Scrubland
• 1x Seraph Sanctuary
• 1x Shambling Vent
• 1x Shizo, Death's Storehouse
• 8x Swamp

Enchantment (12)

• 1x Authority of the Consuls
• 1x Curse of the Forsaken
• 1x Exquisite Blood
• 1x Felidar Umbra
• 1x Flickering Ward
• 1x Retribution of the Ancients
• 1x Righteous Cause
• 1x Sanguine Bond
• 1x Spirit Mantle
• 1x Test of Endurance
• 1x True Conviction
• 1x Unquestioned Authority

Commander (1)

Artifact (14)

• 1x Aetherflux Reservoir
• 1x Champion's Helm
• 1x Inquisitor's Flail
• 1x Lightning Greaves
• 1x Loxodon Warhammer
• 1x Prism Ring
• 1x Pristine Talisman
• 1x Swiftfoot Boots
• 1x Tablet of the Guilds
• 1x Trailblazer's Boots
• 1x Umezawa's Jitte
• 1x Whip of Erebos
• 1x Whispersilk Cloak
• 1x Zuran Orb

Instant (3)

• 1x Anguished Unmaking
• 1x Swords to Plowshares
• 1x Vampiric Tutor

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Maybeboard

Creature (5)

• 1x Healer of the Pride
• 1x Kambal, Consul of Allocation
• 1x Necropolis Regent
• 1x Resplendent Mentor
• 1x Stonehewer Giant

Instant (3)

• 1x Beacon of Immortality
• 1x Condemn
• 1x Hatred

Enchantment (5)

• 1x Blind Obedience
• 1x Cradle of Vitality
• 1x Dying Wish
• 1x Holy Mantle
• 1x Sunbond

Sorcery (3)

• 1x Black Sun's Zenith
• 1x Consuming Vapors
• 1x Profane Command

Artifact (4)

• 1x Claws of Gix
• 1x Fireshrieker
• 1x Key to the City
• 1x Prowler's Helm

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Welcome to the most effective Commander deck you have encountered so far!

There are several ways to quickly win the match:

• cause swift & massive damage using Karlov's first ability -- remember that official rulings state that 21 damage dealt by one Commander lead to a loss for the player having received the damage.
• life gain (Felidar Sovereign / Test of Endurance)
• life loss/damage (Rite of Consumption / Essence Harvest / Aetherflux Reservoir)
• combos (see below)

Most important and never forget: Whispersilk Cloak - the one and only card that makes Karlov unblockable AND no target of spells or abilities.

So when you tutor a card, first and foremost get the Cloak - beside Karlov the most important card in this deck! Always search for it when you play Stoneforge Mystic!

COMBOS

• Best combo: Exquisite Blood with either Defiant Bloodlord / Sanguine Bond / Cliffhaven Vampire or Vizkopa Guildmage. A sure death sentence!

• Second best combo(s): Sacrifice/exile a fat Karlov with Rite of Consumption / Miren, the Moaning Well or Swords to Plowshares, gain life and cause lifeloss with Defiant Bloodlord / Sanguine Bond or Vizkopa Guildmage. BTW: Wall of Reverence or Felidar Umbra cause massive loss of life every round when combined with the above cards.

• Third best combo: Play Zuran Orb with Test of Endurance, then sacrifice all your lands at the end of opponent's turn, win with 50+ life.

• Yet another fun one: Play Rhox Faithmender with Zuran Orb and Sanguine Bond / Vizkopa Guildmage or Defiant Bloodlord, then sac all your lands, deal massive damage and get 'em with a fat Karlov. Also works well with Wall of Reverence.

• Finally a combo that works when you have a few creatures on the battlefield: Play Cliffhaven Vampire and combine with Curse of the Forsaken or Righteous Cause or Resplendent Mentor . Nice also with Auriok Champion / Soul Warden / Suture Priest / Pious Evangel   or Soul's Attendant when lots of tokens enter the field (with Increasing Devotion / Conqueror's Pledge and the like). AND quite nice with Zuran Orb. Many uses here.

FURTHER INFO

Best enchantment in this deck: You never believe it, but here it is: True Conviction - almost always a winner. Deal double the damage AND gain double the life - in addition get 4 +1/+1 counters for Karlov if he is the one dealing damage. Best combined with Defiant Bloodlord / Sanguine Bond or Vizkopa Guildmage.

Coolest cards in the deck: Rite of Consumption and Essence Harvest . First deal damage, then a fat Karlov gets them by surprise! Best combined with Sanguine Bond.

The strategy is simple: Play Karlov as soon as you can, make him strong as fast as you can, give him shroud/hexproof, make him unblockable (Whispersilk Cloak / Trailblazer's Boots / Spirit Mantle / Unquestioned Authority / Rogue's Passage / Shizo, Death's Storehouse / Mother of Runes / Flickering Ward , finally overrun the opponent in 2-3 turns.

WAYS OF MAKING KARLOV STRONG

--> Combine Soul's Attendant / Soul Warden / Auriok Champion / Pious Evangel   or Suture Priest with cards like Lingering Souls / Battle Screech / Conqueror's Pledge or Increasing Devotion.

--> If then something like Curse of the Forsaken or Righteous Cause are on the battlefield, you get tons of counters in one round even BEFORE Karlov deals damage.

--> Use cards such as Umezawa's Jitte or Righteous Confluence to quickly gain life which equals counters on Karlov.

--> Combine your tokens & weenies with Resplendent Mentor - instead of attacking make Karlov strong in no time.

--> Never underestimate Zuran Orb - real quick counters and often the end of the match (but not for Karlov)!

Oh, and don't forget Karlov's second ability ;-) Keeps your battlefield clear from the nasty ones.

Have fun!

Date added	8 years
Last updated	7 years
Legality	This deck is Commander / EDH legal.
Rarity (main - side)	6 - 0 Mythic Rares 40 - 0 Rares 26 - 0 Uncommons 12 - 0 Commons
Cards	100
Avg. CMC	2.91
Tokens	Bird 1/1 W, Human 1/1 W, Knight 2/2 W w/ Vigilance, Kor Soldier 1/1 W, Soldier 1/1 W, Spirit 1/1 W
Folders	LIFEGAIN, Compare to.... , A EDH Playtest, Saved, Commander Deck, Bookmarked, Love the Deck, Decks I want to try, comander, EDH