Mikaeus infinite combo deck originally inspired by this extreme budget Mikaeus list. That deck has a primary emphasis on extreme budget and uses the infinite sac theme to fuel infinite p/t creatures and contains more disruption.
This deck instead is a pure combo deck that goes in a different direction and attempts to kill all players at once with a damage/life loss or mill/exile combo rather than by attacking. Infinite p/t creatures are still in here, but they are primarily just sac outlets. The idea is to ramp, tutor and draw until you can get out an infinite combo to win.
It is a pure combo deck that is solely about winning, but it's not tier-1, it's not unstoppable, and it plays cards some cards that you won't find in many other decks. It's kind of just a go-to if people are playing crazy stuff and I haven't had a chance to win all night. It's the closest thing to a "tuned deck" that I own.
I've tried to find a good balance of sac outlet, infinite sac creature, tutor, ramp, and utility. This deck wins very easily without disruption (usually turn 5-7 - 5.93 turns average over 30 games playtesting to kill a table). You should expect disruption though, and the commander is a well-known combo machine. There are enough combos in here to just go get another one if a piece is disrupted. There's enough ramp to probably get to cast the general a few times, and there are some cards that can potentially kill a lock that would prevent you from winning.
It has many ways to win, and can be fun to pilot since you are typically on a clock against the table and there are a lot of decisions to be made with the tutors.
Mikaeus, the Unhallowed + Triskelion
is the easiest combo. Deal one damage to a player with Triskelion, deal two to itself. Comes back. Deal two to a player and two to itself. Repeat infinitely.
From there, it becomes 3 and 4-piece combos. You have infinite sacrifices by abusing the Undying ability with creatures that can avoid +1/+1 counters.
Sac Outlets:
Sac Fodder:
4th-piece win cons:
The rest of the cards are tutors, utility (mostly card draw, removal, and recursion) and ramp. Pithing Needle can stop a troublesome permanent from preventing combos. Perilous Vault can potentially remove a heavier lock if all else fails. Toxic Deluge is a cheap, powerful creature board wipe.
Note that some decks run things like Defense Grid, Contamination, Infernal Darkness, and Lightning Greaves. I opted more for reactive disruption but you can go either way.
Tutor targets:
Triskelion is the win-now card, and usually a good option.
You may be limited by casting cost with transmute cards or beseech the queen. Common targets:
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Shred Memory (2) - Altar of Dementia, Spincrusher, Demonic Tutor, Blood Artist
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Dimir Machinations (3) - Blasting Station, Bitter Ordeal, Wingrattle Scarecrow, Necropotence, Toxic Deluge, Ashes to Ashes
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Dimir House Guard (4) - Lingering Tormentor, Crypt Ghast, Diabolic Tutor, Perilous Vault, Falkenrath Noble
If you need a sac outlet, Blasting Station is the best at 3 mana, and Altar of Dementia is best at two since these are built-in wincons (Eldrazi prevent altar mill wins).
If you need sac fodder for an outlet, Spincrusher and Chainbreaker are both at 2. Tatterkite and Wingrattle Scarecrow cost 3. Lingering Tormentor is available at 4. Others are more expensive but have some utility built-in if needed.
If you have an infinite sac situation set up but no wincon, get Bitter Ordeal, Blood Artist, or Falkenrath Noble
If you need an answer, grab what you need.
For ramp, tutoring can be problematic and slow you down, but if you calculate it right, it can be the best option.
There has been one turn-3 win, but that's with a nut-draw.
- T1: Swamp, Sol Ring, Jet Medallion
- T2: Swamp, Crypt Ghast, Heartless Summoning
- T3: Swamp, Mikaeus, Triskelion
Right now there are too many high CMC cards, I believe, and without drawing ramp and a tutor, the deck can feel slow with nothing going on but playing swamps until turn 3/4. Usually the goal is to get big mana and hang back until you can go off all at once.
Definitely still needs some work, and it's a bit harder since it's not really a fun deck to play against for most people. It's too slow for dedicated, competitive 1v1 play, some people are anti-infinite, and also the deck either gets destroyed by hate or ends the game within 8 turns.
Other suggestions would be good such as discussions of utility-combo ratio or even outlet-fodder-tutor ratio. Good cards to add would be welcome suggestions. I have gone back and forth on "combo out as quickly as possible and ignore everything else" vs. "interact and protect until you can combo out."
If you've played a similar deck, I'd like to know your experiences.
