With the Night King's power, Death has no meaning

Commander / EDH Combo Infinite Combo Knights Mono-Black Reanimator Sacrifice Theme/Gimmick

Pheardemons

Creature (31)

• 1x Agent of Erebos
• 1x Cavalier of Night
• 1x Crypt Ghast
• 1x Cryptbreaker
• 1x Disciple of Bolas
• 1x Faceless Butcher
• 1x Fleshwrither
• 1x Gonti, Lord of Luxury
• 1x Gravecrawler
• 1x Kalitas, Traitor of Ghet
• 1x Kokusho, the Evening Star
• 1x K'rrik, Son of Yawgmoth
• 1x Liliana, Heretical Healer  ^Flip
• 1x Liliana's Standard Bearer
• 1x Maga, Traitor to Mortals
• 1x Magus of the Coffers
• 1x Magus of the Will
• 1x Midnight Reaper
• 1x Mindslicer
• 1x Pitiless Plunderer
• 1x Plaguecrafter
• 1x Sidisi, Undead Vizier
• 1x Solemn Simulacrum
• 1x Stinkweed Imp
• 1x Syr Konrad, the Grim
• 1x Tormod, the Desecrator
• 1x Ulamog, the Ceaseless Hunger
• 1x Vindictive Lich
• 1x Xiahou Dun, the One-Eyed
• 1x Yahenni, Undying Partisan
• 1x Yawgmoth, Thran Physician

Instant (2)

• 1x Nameless Inversion
• 1x Vampiric Tutor

Land (34)

• 1x Cabal Coffers
• 1x Cabal Stronghold
• 1x Castle Locthwain
• 1x Cavern of Souls
• 1x Command Beacon
• 1x Crypt of Agadeem
• 1x Dark Depths
• 1x Deserted Temple
• 1x Fabled Passage
• 1x Field of the Dead
• 1x Geier Reach Sanitarium
• 1x Lake of the Dead
• 1x Nykthos, Shrine to Nyx
• 1x Phyrexian Tower
• 16x Snow-Covered Swamp
• 1x Strip Mine
• 1x Thespian's Stage
• 1x Urborg, Tomb of Yawgmoth
• 1x Volrath's Stronghold

Enchantment (10)

• 1x Blight Mound
• 1x Conspiracy
• 1x Contamination
• 1x Decaying Soil
• 1x Dictate of Erebos
• 1x Exquisite Blood
• 1x Grave Pact
• 1x Null Profusion
• 1x Phyrexian Arena
• 1x Phyrexian Reclamation

Planeswalker (3)

• 1x Liliana, Dreadhorde General
• 1x Liliana of the Veil
• 1x Ugin, the Ineffable

Commander (1)

Artifact (12)

• 1x Ashnod's Altar
• 1x Crucible of Worlds
• 1x Deathrender
• 1x Expedition Map
• 1x Extraplanar Lens
• 1x Ghirapur Orrery
• 1x Jet Medallion
• 1x Maskwood Nexus
• 1x Netherborn Altar
• 1x Phyrexian Altar
• 1x Skullclamp
• 1x Sol Ring

Sorcery (7)

• 1x Agadeem's Awakening  ^Flip
• 1x Bitter Ordeal
• 1x Damnation
• 1x Demonic Tutor
• 1x Haunting Voyage
• 1x Living Death
• 1x Toxic Deluge

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Maybeboard

Creature (4)

• 1x Abhorrent Overlord
• 1x Doom Whisperer
• 1x Endrek Sahr, Master Breeder
• 1x Grave Titan

Instant (1)

• 1x Body Count

Artifact (3)

• 1x Altar of Bhaal
• 1x Altar of Dementia
• 1x Vedalken Orrery

Sorcery (1)

• 1x Ill-Gotten Gains

Enchantment (2)

• 1x Gate to Phyrexia
• 1x Tortured Existence

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HAIL HAAKON!

HAIL TO THE LORD OF THE DEAD!

HAIL TO THE KING WHO CAN BRING LIFE FROM DEATH.

HAIL TO THE MASTER WHO WILL DESTROY ALL OF THOSE IN OUR WAY.

ALL HAIL TO THE NIGHT KING! ALL HAIL TO THE NIGHT KING! ALL HAIL THE NIGHT KING!

Who dares to say that Haakon, Stromgald Scourge cannot be played?! Who dares try to fight the lord of the dead?! All who have fought thus far are no longer. The army of the dead will come through and obliterate everything in its path. If you feel you are worthy, then we are ready. But be warned, no one has passed our test. You either kneel in life, or serve in death. Either way, your life is forfeit.

This video shows everything I want from this deck. A battlefield full of their dead warriors, showing how superior death is to life. Kings and proud fighters running for their life because they realize they are no match. I want players to look at the battlefield with nothing more than exhaustion and relief that they are still alive which will be drained when they see that death no longer has meaning. The Night King's army can do nothing but grow. I stare into their eyes, seeing complete hopelessness.

Introduction

Hello all and welcome to my Haakon, Stromgald Scourge EDH deck! I know what you're thinking, Haakon? But the answer is YES! Haakon can in fact be played in commander! Once he hits the battlefield he can be POW-ER-FUL. I am a person that loves playing with underrated and underestimated cards. When I saw Haakon, I knew I wanted to play him. I tried in modern first (From the grave my knights will arise. HAIL HAAKON!) and now onto EDH. This deck is meant to abuse his ability of casting knights from the graveyard with cards like Maskwood Nexus and Conspiracy.

How to start the deck

There are only two ways to get Haakon into play. You must first draw/tutor for Command Beacon or Netherborn Altar. This will put Haakon into your hand. Then, you discard it to the graveyard.

Once Haakon is out of the command zone you will the need Conspiracy or Maskwood Nexus on the battlefield as well. These cards are essential to the deck. When either is played, you name Knight so that Haakon can allow you to recast any and all creatures that are in the graveyard. This allows us to abuse the ETB and death triggers to try and take over the board. A lot of the combos in this deck assume that Haakon and one of these cards are already on the board.

Main Win Conditions

1) Phyrexian Altar and Gravecrawler

This is the main win condition of the deck. Do whatever you can to ensure that these do NOT get exiled. Of course there are backups, but this is the easiest and has the most options. While this combo doesn't NEED Haakon on the battlefield, it does need a zombie other than Gravecrawler. Phyrexian Altar will sacrifice Gravecrawler to make one black mana. Use this mana to recast Gravecrawler from the graveyard. This will end the game once you add in a third piece.

Bitter Ordeal/Syr Konrad, the Grim

Ideally, one of these cards are the ones you want to have with this combo. Gravecrawler entering the battlefield counts for the "gravestorm" ability of Bitter Ordeal. Once you start the infinite combo (officially you have to choose a number, let's say 1,000) you simply target each opponent for however many cards are in their deck. They will lose in their draw step when they try to draw. With Konrad each time Gravecrawler enters the graveyard by saccing him, as well as when he leaves the graveyard when he is recast, each of your opponents will take one damage.

Tormod, the Desecrator/Blight Mound

Tormod, the Desecrator and/or Blight Mound will make infinite creatures to attack on the next turn. Warning! Your opponents will still get a turn to potentially wipe the board, or try to take you out of the game. If they wipe, the pests will gain you a lot of life. This is fairly irrelevant if you were trying to go infinite, but an option nonetheless. These cards work with the deck without the infinite combo, but it is an option if needed.

2) Decaying Soil and Deathrender + a sac outlet (Preferrably Phyrexian Altar or Ashnod's Altar)

So the way this combo works is that you will sac the creature Deathrender is attached to netting one mana from Phyrexian Altar. Decaying Soil will trigger (you NEED Threshold to make this combo work) as well as Deathrender. You stack the triggers so that Decaying Soil's trigger will resolve first. You use the one mana from Phyrexian Altar to pay for Decaying Soil to return the sacrificed creature to your hand. Now, Deathrender's trigger will resolve to put that creature back into play. This will trigger Deathrender again to auto-equip back onto the creature. You win with one of these three creatures - Gonti, Lord of Luxury, Kokusho, the Evening Star, or Vindictive Lich. Gonti will exile all of your opponents' libraries and Kokusho and Vindictive Lich will drain your opponents' life totals.

You do not WIN with Xiahou Dun, the One-Eyed, but he can return ALL of your black cards back into your hand. He also saccs himself which is a nice touch.

This combination can also work with Yahenni, Undying Partisan but it is limited by the amount of mana you would have to pay for Decaying Soil.

If needed, this combination can also help you filter through your hand to get as many creatures out as possible. With Xiahou you can continue to return all of your black creatures to abuse ETBs if you cannot win outright.

3) Maga, Traitor to Mortals

PET CARD ALERT! With all of these infinite combos this card may seem unnecessary and even inefficient. However, I've loved it so far. The option to continue to sac it, just to recast and make someone lose life without attacking is great. It is a good way to win if my graveyard is being exiled. This is usually cast where X is 20+ with all of the ramp in the deck - Crypt Ghast, Magus of the Coffers, Pitiless Plunderer, Crypt of Agadeem, Cabal Coffers, Nykthos, Shrine to Nyx, Deserted Temple, and Cabal Stronghold.

(RETIRED) Thoughtpicker Witch, Priest of Gix, and Gravebreaker Lamia

Assuming Ashes of the Fallen/Conspiracy and Haakon are on the battlefield this combo exiles all of my opponent's libraries to lose once they try to draw in their draw step. Thoughtpicker Witch will pay one mana to sacrifice Priest of Gix to use her ability. Cast Priest of Gix from the graveyard for two mana because Gravebreaker Lamia reduces it being cast from the graveyard by one. Priest of Gix will enter the battlefield giving me three black mana. Use one to activate Thoughtpicker Witch sacrificing Priest of Gix again, leaving two mana floating to recast Priest of Gix from the graveyard. Thoughtpicker Witch will exile everyone opponent's library. This has been replaced with exiling someone's library with the Gonti and Deathrender combo.

Other Notable Cards

Faceless Butcher

This works best with a sac outlet already out. When it enters the battlefield and the first trigger is on the stack (the one that exiles a creature), you sacrifice it with any outlet BEFORE THE FIRST TRIGGER RESOLVES. When it leaves play the second trigger goes onto the stack (the one that returns a creature) above the first trigger. The second trigger resolves first, but with no creature exiled nothing returns. The first one resolves and the creature is exiled for good. A great way to fight off decks that recur their creatures easily.

Nameless Inversion

Nameless Inversion has the ability of changeling making it a knight in the graveyard. With Haakon on the battlefield, you can recast this with however much mana you have available to wipe the board of any creature that don't have hexproof or shroud.

Stinkweed Imp

If Ashes of the Fallen and/or Conspiracy are on the battlefield, or if Living Death and/or Haunting Voyage are in your hand, you will want to dredge as much as possible. This will allow a much faster way to get my toolbox of creatures into the graveyard. This will allow us options to get out of any tough situation.

Weaknesses

GRAVEYARD HATE!! This must be stopped in it's tracks immediately. Rest in Peace, Leyline of the Void, Relic of Progenitus, and Grafdigger's Cage are the main ones that come to mind. The deck becomes much slower and the creatures lose so much viability that the deck falters and fades. Ugin, the Ineffable, Feed the Swarm, and Ulamog, the Ceaseless Hunger are my ways of dealing with most gravehate cards since a majority of them are enchantments. The deck can be effective without the constant recursion of Haakon but it is slower that way.

Exiling from the battlefield is also a problem that we have to prepare for. Farewell and Merciless Eviction are two of the powerful ones that come to mind. We cannot abuse our creatures if we lose them forever in the shadowrealm. We have sacrifice outlets such as Phyrexian Altar and Ashnod's Altar to try and save our creatures. Non-creature permanents we are pretty much S.O.L. on if they become targeted to be exiled. I am debatting on putting in Claws of Gix to help with this problem.

Every King Needs His Dragon.

It is time to introduce you to the "Ice Dragon." The flavor Kokusho provides being apart of the main win conditions, as well as the Game of Thrones theme was too good not to mention.

At first Skithiryx, the Blight Dragon held this spot, but looking over this deck Skithiryx didn't fit well. Most people automatically target infect players and it never really won me any games.

Maybeboard/Playtest Cards

Playtest

These cards are ones I'm keeping my eye on as I play. I'm not sure if they are needed but they have been staples in other decks, or have worked in past versions of Haakon.

Exquisite Blood - I have other lifegain options with Blight Mound, Kokusho, Disciple of Bolas, Kalitas, K'rrik, and Crypt Ghast's extort. Obviously, the power of Exquisite Blood cannot be underestimated, but it does put a target on you and people tend to only attack the player with it on the battlefield. I am going to see if the lifegain from the other sources is sufficient as this decks pays A LOT of life for effects it wants.

Cavalier of Night - I kept it in as it is recurrable, targeted removal. Saccing a creature isn't too hard or bad for the deck, but it just seems like a lot of mana to do so. Also, the 3 CMC recur is just one short of being really relevant for the deck.

Magus of the Coffers - I have SO MUCH ramp already. I'm not sure if another Cabal Coffers is necessary. Don't get me wrong, it has absolutely pulled through in the past, but I'm trying to see if it will continue to do so with the new iteration that is a bit faster and stronger.

Ghirapur Orrery and Crucible of Worlds - I'm putting these together as I'd probably take both out at the same time than just one. I can run out of a hand quickly, so the extra draw from Ghirapur Orrery isn't irrelevant, but I don't like helping my opponents play extra lands. Crucible of Worlds is there to do a small Strip Mine soft lock if possible, but also to try and protect Command Beacon from being exiled to always make sure I can get Haakon. I cannot recall a time where these were NEEDED for any situation, but they have helped in general.

Dictate of Erebos - I LOVE this and Grave Pact without a doubt. I am simply curious if I have too many of the same effect at this point. I can get around hexproof and indestructible pretty well, so I'm wondering if I could take this out and be fine.

Living Death - Kalitas, Traitor of Ghet is my only gravehate in the deck. I want to try and put Agent of Erebos in the deck but we'll see. I don't like helping my opponents, but if I don't have Ashes of the Fallen and/or Conspiracy this can still get my entire graveyard back. I will keep Patriarch's Bidding in mind for this slot as well.

Maybeboard

Altar of Dementia - Amazing sac outlet, but if I go infinite in this deck I'm usually winning anyway. This seems like a win-more card. I will keep it in mind while I play to see if it is needed. It might go in as another free sac outlet.

Vedalken Orrery - a STAPLE in as many decks as I can play it. The problem I noticed with this deck is that even when I've had it out I still really played on my turn because of how the deck plays. It rarely was useful outside of a well-placed Damnation on my opponent's turn. This hurt my soul to take out but I will keep it in mind to see if I want it back.

Gate to Phyrexia - This deck has a PROBLEM with getting rid of artifacts. Ulamog, the Ceaseless Hunger is the ONLY option I have unless it is an artifact creature.

Tortured Existence - I understand the potential and power, but when I had it in the deck before it just never really came in handy. It wasn't always useless, but not usually a power play. I'm going to see if I miss it.

Endrek Sahr, Master Breeder - Conspiracy makes this guy give me as many tokens as I want. However, he seems like a "win-more" because if I'm using him to try and combo somehow, I'm probably too far behind. If I am already going infinite, his tokens are irrelevant at that point.

Doom Whisperer - I just need to playtest this guy. Essentially he's another Stinkweed Imp to fill the graveyard. I just don't know if I need him.

Notable Exclusions

Sanguine Bond - I really don't like this combo with Exquisite Blood. I don't play it in any of my decks. It's too easy. This deck goes infinite in other ways.

Necropotence - The exiling part of discarding makes this card bad for the deck.

Razaketh, the Foulblooded - I become such a hard target once this hits the field or graveyard (being a reanimator deck). I haven't completely ruled this out in case I put more token generators in, but I'm keeping it out for now.

Bitterblossom - I believe the amount of tokens I make with my other cards should suffice for Contamination. Bitterblossom is simply too slow for what this deck wants to do.

Diabolic Intent/Entomb/ect - As of now, I'm not sure if I need more tutors. I'll see after I playtest, especially with this major update.

Songs of the Damned/Bubbling Muck - I believe I have enough ramp. I'm debating on taking Magus of the Coffers out of the deck. Plus, these are one time uses. Powerful, but I'm not sure I need them.

Altar of the Brood - I'd rather play Altar of Dementia if I'm going to go the milling route for the free sac outlet.

Reanimate/Animate Dead/ect - I'm not sure I need these. If I can get online these are just wasted cards in my hand. If I can't, then I'm probably too far behind for these to bring me back. I'll see if I ever want them while I playtest.

Blood Artist/Zulaport Cutthroat/ect - These are my win conditions in another deck. I wanted something different for Haakon

Desecrated Tomb - I am putting in Blight Mound instead of this because Blight Mound can be gotten back with Xiahou. Menace is not better than flying, but not a terrible replacement. I'm going to see if I ever need the flying when Blighted Mound is played.

Ashes of the Fallen - Apparently Ashes of the Fallen no longer works with Haakon due to an update with his text. Link here for those that are interested in learning why.

Credits

I must give credit to FenIsABasicSwamp and his deck Rainbow in the Dark: Haakon Reanimator Combo. I had already made a Haakon list but it was clunky and slow. After seeing FenIsABasicSwamp's deck it gave me the push to look further and make the deck I meant from the start. His was a powerful frame that I am incredibly happy I found. His deck is absolutely worth taking a look at if you're interested in your own Haakon build.

Date added	7 years
Last updated	2 years
Legality	This deck is Commander / EDH legal.
Rarity (main - side)	17 - 0 Mythic Rares 54 - 0 Rares 9 - 0 Uncommons 4 - 0 Commons
Cards	100
Avg. CMC	3.65
Tokens	Emblem Liliana, Defiant Necromancer, Foretell, Marit Lage, Pest 1/1 BG, Shapeshifter 2/2 U, Spirit 2/2 C, Treasure, Zombie 2/2 B
Folders	Decks I wanna build, EDH Decks, Deck with great cards, but high prices, Cool Decks, Mono Color Deck Thoughts, Commander, EDH Decks to make, Other people's decks, EDH, Decks