Mono Black EDH (Homebrew) - Vecna Lives!

Commander / EDH Casual Mono-Black Theme/Gimmick Voltron

E_P_Fabled

Sorcery (16)

• 1x Reanimate
• 1x Thoughtseize
• 1x Black Sun's Zenith
• 1x Demonic Tutor
• 1x Sign in Blood
• 1x Grim Tutor
• 1x Read the Bones
• 1x Damnation
• 1x Mutilate
• 1x Syphon Mind
• 1x Beacon of Unrest
• 1x Nightmare Unmaking
• 1x Deadly Tempest
• 1x Necromantic Selection
• 1x Decree of Pain
• 1x Rise of the Dark Realms

Artifact (13)

• 1x Expedition Map
• 1x Shadowspear
• 1x Sol Ring
• 1x Wayfarer's Bauble
• 1x Arcane Signet
• 1x Charcoal Diamond
• 1x Jet Medallion
• 1x Lightning Greaves
• 1x Swiftfoot Boots
• 1x Thought Vessel
• 1x Mask of Griselbrand
• 1x Wand of Orcus
• 1x Whispersilk Cloak

Land (34)

• 1x Cabal Coffers
• 1x Deserted Temple
• 1x Nykthos, Shrine to Nyx
• 1x Reliquary Tower
• 1x Rogue's Passage
• 28x Swamp
• 1x Urborg, Tomb of Yawgmoth

Instant (15)

• 1x Dark Ritual
• 1x Defile
• 1x Vampiric Tutor
• 1x Consuming Corruption
• 1x Infernal Grasp
• 1x Power Word Kill
• 1x Sudden Edict
• 1x Crypt Incursion
• 1x Hero's Downfall
• 1x Soul Shatter
• 1x Sudden Spoiling
• 1x Baleful Mastery
• 1x Deadly Rollick
• 1x Snuff Out
• 1x Tendrils of Corruption

Creature (11)

• 1x Accursed Marauder
• 1x Wight
• 1x Fleshbag Marauder
• 1x Murderous Rider
• 1x Zombie Master
• 1x Crypt Ghast
• 1x Dread Presence
• 1x Grim Servant
• 1x Death Tyrant
• 1x Gray Merchant of Asphodel
• 1x Magus of the Mirror

Enchantment (8)

• 1x Graf Harvest
• 1x Vampiric Link
• 1x Necropotence
• 1x Oubliette
• 1x Endless Ranks of the Dead
• 1x No Mercy
• 1x Tainted AEther
• 1x Spreading Plague

Commanders (3)

---

Sideboard

Sorcery (3)

• 1x Bubbling Muck
• 1x Sadistic Sacrament
• 1x Nightmare Incursion

Instant (2)

• 1x Tragic Slip
• 1x Imp's Mischief

---

Maybeboard

Sorcery (20)

• 1x Exsanguinate
• 1x Grim Discovery
• 1x Doomfall
• 1x Flay Essence
• 1x Infinite Obliteration
• 1x Perish
• 1x Toxic Deluge
• 1x Unmask
• 1x Increasing Ambition
• 1x Promise of Power
• 1x Sanguimancy
• 1x Final Act
• 1x Life's Finale
• 1x Shadow of the Enemy
• 1x Blood Money
• 1x Peer into the Abyss
• 1x Wit's End
• 1x Heartless Conscription
• 1x Overwhelming Forces
• 1x Skull Storm

Instant (7)

• 1x Blot Out
• 1x Breathe Your Last
• 1x Force of Despair
• 1x Bleed Dry
• 1x Flare of Malice
• 1x Overwhelming Remorse
• 1x Szat's Will

Creature (4)

• 1x Hypnotic Specter
• 1x Demon of Wailing Agonies
• 1x Magus of the Coffers
• 1x Sepulchral Primordial

Artifact (4)

• 1x Chaos Wand
• 1x Navigation Orb
• 1x Grimoire of the Dead
• 1x Nevinyrral's Disk

Enchantment (6)

• 1x Bloodchief Ascension
• 1x Bitterblossom
• 1x Ripples of Undeath
• 1x Trespasser's Curse
• 1x Necrodominance
• 1x Grave Betrayal

Land (4)

• 1x Barren Moor
• 1x Cabal Stronghold
• 1x Hive of the Eye Tyrant
• 1x Thespian's Stage

---

My Vecna deck that utilizes homebrew rules to pilot the three artifacts as commanders.

Vecna's Law (The Rules)

Before you replicate something like this for yourself, it is recommended that you discuss it first with your playgroup like I have; I would not have made this deck had I not had permission from my group since it's bending the rules a bit. Having a clear understanding of how the cards function and can be interacted with beforehand helps with expectations at the table, and clear up any misconceptions or confusion.

To begin, it is essentially treated as three partner commanders; each of the pieces track its own separate commander tax, and while the creature token of Vecna is in play the pieces remain in exile until Vecna is removed somehow. Only then are the pieces returned to the command zone and can be played again. This is to somewhat fulfil the cards effects that gain abilities from exile, but to allow repeated casting of them to summon Vecna additional times later in the game while additionally preventing myself from stacking the abilities of the pieces while he is in play.

Cards that reference "commander(s)", but do not specify that it must be a creature, do work on the three pieces. This means that most cards function the same when interacting with them, but Background cards, or other effects that specifically target Legendary creatures don't.

Vecna's Duality (Pros/Cons)

Since The Book of Vile Darkness can be activated at instant speed, there is a lot of flexibility in when Vecna can come into play. It can be quite feasible to play the three pieces and leave them be to bait removal or other effects, then activate the book to summon Vecna.

However, while Vecna is indestructible, he is still a token, so a simple bounce spell can be enough to take him out of commission. Since each piece has separate tax it can add up very quickly if he is played haphazardly or without caution(from 8 to 14), making the timing of when he is played very crucial. Adding on further, artifact removal is fairly common in the format, so it is equally important to time when you play your pieces, or make a few deals with the other members of your table.

Lastly, since you have three commanders at your disposal, and a few of them are very easy to play out quickly, cards like Skull Storm, Demon of Wailing Agonies, and Loyal Subordinate can synergize quite well.

Vecna's Rise (Early Game)

The first plan of action is to ramp as quickly as Black feasibly can. Cabal Coffers, Cabal Stronghold, and Nykthos, Shrine to Nyx are very powerful mana generators to aim at acquiring early. Utilizing Tutors such as Demonic Tutor or Expedition Map are the best approach. Other options include the common ramp methods like Sol Ring, Wayfarer's Bauble, reducing costs with Jet Medallion, or having an explosive turn with Bubbling Muck/Crypt Ghast.

The deck runs few creatures, so it is quite possible to take some damage early on. This can be mostly circumvented by playing The Book of Vile Darkness and Eye of Vecna. The former will create a zombie token that will add up after awhile if unchecked, and the latter will allow additional draws per turn for a cost. Both work beautifully in conjunction with one another, and are the most pivotal for early game value.

Vecna's Dominance (Mid Game)

Around this stage of the game, Vecna should either be in play, or waiting for the right moment. His arrival should be met with a few pieces of evasion, such as Lightning Greaves, or an ability to allow him to swing at an opponent freely, like Whispersilk Cloak. The sooner Vecna defeats his enemies, the less opportunities they have to rise against him. Traditional Wrath effects will also be most useful now, like Damnation, Deadly Tempest, or a few obtuse ones such as Tainted AEther and Spreading Plague to further clear the board to make way for The Whispered One.

As eluded to previously, with Vecna in play and well equipped, the only thing to carefully watch for are mass bounce/exile effects. While Black lacks reliable counterspell magic, it does have access to cards like Thoughtseize, Sadistic Sacrament, and Nightmare Incursion. Removing an opponents options before they become a problem is the easiest solution, but requires strategic timing and sound knowledge on your enemies decks, and might not always be required depending on the group present.

Lastly, acquiring Necropotence will be most beneficial, but not an outright necessity. Between that and Eye of Vecna, cards should be coming in readily to further power Hand of Vecna. Maintaining a full hand is favorable to the strategy and lowering opponents morale.

Vecna's Victory (Late Game)

In this late stage of the game, few should be left alive to stand in Vecna's wake, and those that do should be clinging to the last threads of their existence.

The deck is quite dependent on utilizing life for effects, so it isn't too uncommon to be low towards the end. This inconvenience can be remedied easily with cards such as Dread Presence, Gray Merchant of Asphodel, or outright swapping totals with another enemy with Magus of the Mirror. The Dying King can also be equipped with Shadowspear, Mask of Griselbrand, or enchanted with Vampiric Link to garner more life.

Any advice or suggestions would be appreciated, please and thank you!

Date added	1 year
Last updated	6 months
Legality	This deck is Commander / EDH legal.
Rarity (main - side)	5 - 0 Mythic Rares 36 - 3 Rares 18 - 0 Uncommons 13 - 2 Commons
Cards	100
Avg. CMC	3.09
Tokens	On an Adventure, Vecna, Zombie 2/2 B, Zombie 2/2 B
Folders	EDH / Commander