I do have to ask, why are you running Ugin in commander? I would probably run a Liliana of the dark realms or even Sorin Markov. I personally have never had/seen Ugin work well in commander (or even modern), but this deck may be just right for it.

Hm, interesting.

Of course, I have considered each of those removal options and opted for overkill instead (O-stone, Ugin, Karn). I definitely did run Infernal Tribute, Claws of Gix, and Spine of Ish Sah at one point, and might again some day. Unfortunately, people in my play group are too smart for Unstable Obelisk, so either I take them by surprise or they prepare (which is why I run O-stone over Nevinyrral's Disk).

Okay, you are going to need to explain the Monument and Deathmantle. Eldrazi Monument gives +1/+1, which kills the shirei trigger unless I also run shenanigan cards like Night of Souls' Betrayal. Nim Deathmantle (it seems to me) doesn't help, since if Shirei has gone to the graveyard, the triggers are already gone... since she comes back as a new shirei with new triggers. Or, am I wrong about this?

Thanks for the suggestions m8

Here's my thoughts on Ugin -- I need permanent answers, exile is good, Shirei has a high (relatively) CMC. Ugin is there purely for the Wrath effect, but has the added benefit of control +2.

I can sac all of my little colorless minions in response to Ugin, my sac artifacts will live, and I hopefully get rid of some pesky enchantments from the other side of the board. Then my little buddies come back and everything is right with the world.

However, I have also lamented drawing it in early game, so I definitely understand why I might be a big dumb idiot who can't even decks. In the case that I find I hate it with play testing (or if I convince myself in the next hour), I will swap it for Spine of Ish Sah, Sorin Markov, or ... YOLO

No Liliana of the Dark Realms for now, since I have some solid land tutoring going in the deck with Expedition Map, Pilgrim's Eye, and the for now removed Liliana's Specter

Deathbywarcraft Ugin is good in edh. Its colourless removal for enchantments ect. It's good.

illumfolly I dropped the ball. Forgot monument gave the buff. It's bad don't run it.

I was thinking nim deathmantle would be good because when I played a shirei deck back in the day, he'd be removed right away. The deck is probably crippled without him. I was thinking less mass removal and more spot removal.

Yeah, the early game mana cost is what gets me. For some decks I might suggest Massacre Wurm, but then you have the same problem and it only effects creatures. Necropotence can help counter-act Ugin, and I am glad to see it in your deck. Anyway, very nice deck.

Thanks m8s, very good suggestions. Massacre Wurm is so good and adds to the bleed effect of the deck more than anything. I'll add it to the side since I do have a bunch of them lying around from other black EDH decks of the past. Nim Deathmantle won't save triggers, we are aware, but good idea with just plain keeping Shirei around. Moreover, I can save the 2/2's with it if I really need to do so and it adds to the Voltron win condition with that sweet sweet intimidate (as well as the buff to deal with Elesh Norn)

thx bby

Eldrazi Monument makes all your power 1 creatures becomes 2 tought.

Sure does! That's why I don't run it.

Awesome choice for your general. very fun looking deck.

Thanks m8. I've been playing around with the deck list a lot recently. Just today, I decided to add in a more stax-ish late game win condition. But, alas, I need some help with focus. If you have any ideas or questions, I'll be here most of the day and can answer questions.

Unfortunately, Braids, Cabal Minion is banned in the format.

Gate to Phyrexia is a good way to keep your opponents off of colored mana when Contamination is on the field, as it can kill their mana rocks. It's also just a good card in general for Shirei decks.

Braids is banned as commander.

Gate to Phyrexia is so lame though! .. Urgh, I know it's good and that I should run it, I just don't have the heart

u shld run braids. 1/99 still OP but not broken

Have you thought about Thornbight Staff? Though the first part isnt useful, the "whenever a creature dies, untap equipped creature" clause would be very abusable in this deck, with things like Hell's caretaker, Soldevi Adnate and Scarecrone.

Absolutely have. The way to run it "effectively" is to build the deck to be a combo deck.

With things like Dross Scorpion, Coretapper, Magistrate's Scepter, Ashnod's Altar, Thousand-Year Elixir, Kormus Bell, Staff of Domination, and the activated abilities that include T, Thornbite Staff becomes a secondary Blasting Station (which is a very good card when many creatures enter on End step -- itself a synergy with Genesis Chamber)

I am trying to build an "optimal" (lol) control-stax-voltron list. Sure, there are a few opportunities to combo out (Nether Traitor + Phyrexian Altar + Pawn of Ulamog | Xiahou Dun, the One-Eyed + Phyrexian Altar + Living Death), but that isn't really the point of the deck.

If you try to run Thornbite Staff on its own, then you end up with a dead-draw in most games. Rather than making Shirei into Blasting Station, you'd be better off running blasting station on its own (which is something that I do to great effect in my Shadowborn deck)

What about Bitterblossom for another stax plan with Contamination?

A solid card to be sure -- Ill evaluate cuts and try to fit it in

Hey I just built a Shirei deck and your deck helped me quite a bit on card choices. I hope you don't mind that I linked this deck in my description. Thanks!

Shirei, the Bro of Mono-Black Synergy Playtest

Commander / EDH Squirrel_of_War

SCORE: 1 | 0 COMMENTS | 3 VIEWS

Of course I don't mind! And I'll check it out. Shirei is love, shirei is life.

ROFL! But I thought Shrek is love?

Just made some agonizing decisions, changes for testing. Same deck! New stax feel!

@TheDevicer oh ya ya ya?

Hmm... I'd consider cutting Disciple of Phenax, Marsh Flitter, and Kormus Bell. I feel like Grim Haruspex needs to be in here.