Korlash, Heir to Blackblade

Commander / EDH* Casual Goodstuff Mono-Black Multiplayer Voltron

MisterBeandipJones

Creature (26)

• 1x Malakir Familiar
• 1x Nighthawk Scavenger
• 1x Stinkweed Imp
• 1x Vampire Nighthawk
• 1x Crypt Ghast
• 1x Disciple of Bolas
• 1x Dread Presence
• 1x Graveborn Muse
• 1x Archfiend of Depravity
• 1x Bloodgift Demon
• 1x Drana, Kalastria Bloodchief
• 1x Gray Merchant of Asphodel
• 1x Magus of the Coffers
• 1x Dread
• 1x Geth, Lord of the Vault
• 1x Grave Titan
• 1x Massacre Wurm
• 1x Nirkana Revenant
• 1x Steel Hellkite
• 1x Deathbringer Regent
• 1x Lord of the Void
• 1x Overseer of the Damned
• 1x Rune-Scarred Demon
• 1x Sepulchral Primordial
• 1x Reiver Demon
• 1x Vilis, Broker of Blood

Planeswalker (1)

• 1x Liliana of the Dark Realms

Artifact (19)

• 1x Sol Ring
• 1x Arcane Signet
• 1x Blackblade Reforged
• 1x Charcoal Diamond
• 1x Coldsteel Heart
• 1x Fellwar Stone
• 1x Jet Medallion
• 1x Lightning Greaves
• 1x Mind Stone
• 1x Star Compass
• 1x Swiftfoot Boots
• 1x Sword of the Animist
• 1x Loxodon Warhammer
• 1x Strata Scythe
• 1x Sword of Vengeance
• 1x Whispersilk Cloak
• 1x Lashwrithe
• 1x Nightmare Lash
• 1x Caged Sun

Land (36)

• 1x Cabal Coffers
• 1x Cabal Stronghold
• 1x Shizo, Death's Storehouse
• 33x Swamp

Instant (3)

• 1x Go for the Throat
• 1x Heartless Act
• 1x Sudden Spoiling

Commander (1)

Sorcery (11)

• 1x Demonic Tutor
• 1x Exsanguinate
• 1x Read the Bones
• 1x Ambition's Cost
• 1x Ancient Craving
• 1x Mutilate
• 1x Syphon Mind
• 1x Dregs of Sorrow
• 1x Beseech the Queen
• 1x Necromantic Selection
• 1x Decree of Pain

Enchantment (3)

• 1x Animate Dead
• 1x Phyrexian Arena
• 1x No Mercy

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This is an old deck that my friend and I built for my wife. She loves it as much as anyone else who picks it up and tries it. It does the blackest things black can do, it's super solid and has a very high win rate.

Unlike most Korlash decks I've seen, this one isn't focused on Korlash or zombie tribal. Korlash just ends up being a solid creature throughout the game since he keeps scaling with every swamp you play. You want to establish yourself early by ramping and drawing extra cards. The creatures you play along the way have plenty of value on their own and most can be rattlesnakes or threats depending on how you want to play it.

The ultimate goal is to get Cabal Coffers out and just go to Value Town with big spells and big draws. There are plenty of board wipes to make sure your opponents never get out of control. Most of these board wipes net you some extra advantage or allow Korlash to be regenerated through them. In the end, it is possible to win by 1) loading up Korlash with equipments, 2) swinging with your big evasive creatures, or 3) a big Exsanguinate or Grey Merchant, or any combination of the three.

I've cut back on the amount of instants in here. I realized holding mana open for things goes against the entire tempo strategy that we want to maintain. I of course left two cheap instant kill spells. It's easy to keep 2 mana up, especially when we have a doubler. Plus, keeping 2 mana up is a good habit with Korlash out.

Over the years, I've also pulled out more tutors to make things less linear and more interesting for everyone. I still left the best few in here: Demonic Tutor, Beseech the Queen, and Rune-Scarred Demon. I’m not even running Expedition Map anymore in hopes to not make too many games become tutor for Coffers, then tutor for Exsanguinate...

Favorite card: Blackblade Reforged specifically because of Richard Kane Ferguson's throwback art to the OG Dakkon Blackblade, and his art on the promo Korlash. Super legit!

Let me know what you think!

Estimated deck level: 8/10

Date added	7 years
Last updated	4 years
Legality	This deck is Commander / EDH legal.
Rarity (main - side)	6 - 0 Mythic Rares 37 - 0 Rares 17 - 0 Uncommons 7 - 0 Commons
Cards	100
Avg. CMC	4.09
Tokens	Emblem Liliana of the Dark Realms, Phyrexian Germ 0/0 B, Zombie 2/2 B