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4c Marchesa/Reyhan Sac Engine w/ Primer

Commander / EDH* Four Color

fangshway


Maybeboard


The goal of this deck is to get Marchesa, the Black Rose, Reyhan, Last of the Abzan and a sac engine. Once online, you can begin sacrificing your creatures creatures every turn and getting them back at the next end step. Reyhan, Last of the Abzan allows you to stack up all of the counters and move them around as you wish.

Make sure you sacrifice your creatures during the second main phase of every turn at the latest or else you will have to wait until the next end step to get your creatures back.

Also when board wipes happen, be sure to stack the Marchesa triggers so that your creatures come out in the right order to maximize +1/+1 counter potential. For instance if you have a Master Biomancer or Corpsejack Menace in play, you will want them to enter the battlefield before the rest of the creatures so that every creature that resolves after them gets additional counters.

There are 11 tutor spells in the deck so finding marchesa and/or a sac engine when you need to is very rarely an issue, especially if your playgroup gives you a free mulligan. After you find her, the rest of the tutors begin to make the deck work like a toolbox, finding whatever answers you need to win the game or toy with your opponents.

Kraum, Ludevic's Opus is really just there for the colors although its card draw and flying blocker are occasionally relevant.

the following card descriptions are assuming that you have Marchesa, the Black Rose + Reyhan, Last of the Abzan online.

Master Biomancer - this is arguably the most important card after marchesa and is often the first thing tutored once online. saccing creatures to move counters on biomancer every turn can get get exponential very quickly and synergizes with all of the creatures that have a "remove a +1/+1: " abilities like Workhorse or Triskelion

Bearer of the Heavens - This is my least favorite win con because of the salt it typically generates so I try to only use it as a last resort. Important to note that you need to have a creature based sac outlet if you plan on using him. If you dont you will destroy all permanents, get your creatures back at the next end step but have no way to sacrifice anything to move counters around.

Jarad, Golgari Lich Lord - often times resolving this just wins the game as having creatures with 40+ counters on them is a regular occurence. Also the best way to get direct damage around blockers and sandbags.

Sidisi, Undead Vizier - I included this in the win cons because once you are tutoring a card into your hand every single turn you ought to win by the time your next turn comes around.

Scourge of Skola Vale - the most basic of the win cons, unfortunately the creatures etb with summoning sickness when revived by Marchesa, the Black Rose so its tap ability isnt quite as useful, however its ability to be a sac outlet as well as have +1/+1 counters and trample make it a good fit for the deck.

Triskelion - this card speaks for itself. use it for removal, use it to win or use it to torment your playgroup.

Many of these are self-explanatory so I will keep descriptions brief.

Bramblewood Paragon - this deck lacks much evasion. sometimes you have 100/100 creatures and no way to get through so why not give them all trample?

Corpsejack Menace - I think this is a "Win More" kind of card. It seems perfect for the deck on paper but i find that i rarely ever tutor for it because once you have Master Biomancer out its not really necessary anymore. That being said I can't imagine what I would rather have in its place.

Eternal Witness - a commander staple made even greater by getting to use it every single turn!

Glen Elendra Archmage - one blue mana counter noncreature spell every turn? Yes please and it being a flying blocker is relevant sometimes as well.

Hardened Scales - just some cheap value, this card is on the chopping block for getting cut. Similar to Corpsejack Menace, It looks good on paper but isn't really vital to the deck functionality.

Pact of Negation + Swan Song - cheap permission.

Plaxcaster Frogling - this card does it all. protects your creatures when you cant sacrifice them to safety, can add counters to other creatures in a pinch and can sometimes be used politically. A+

Regrowth - yep.

Sadistic Hypnotist - nasty way to make someone scoop without even killing them. Note that this can only be used on your main phase while nothing is on the stack so it is not the best option if you need a reliable Sac Outlet. This is a card slot that i could see being used to try out new cards.

Spike Weaver - great card for stalling until you get your combo online and can be used very politically. this is one of my favorite cards in the deck.

Spike Feeder - gain so much life.

Spore Frog - fog frog but every turn. I could see cutting this card. EDIT I ended up swapping this out for River Kelpie for some extra card draw. I think that with all of the tutors i have, it's not really necessary to have two creatures that do the same thing and of the two fog creatures Spike Weaver is vastly superior

Sylvok Replica - get rid of those pesky artifacts and enchantments.

Vedalken Orrery - one of my favorite cards in magic, instant speed make everything better.

Ashnod's Altar - I'm not sure if i should be using this or Phyrexian Altar but excellent mana source, especially when you dont have much mana left untapped on someone elses turn.

Attrition - removal and sac engine all in one.

Birthing Pod - this card is bananas in this deck and might as well be considered a win condition.

Carrion Feeder - this is usually the creature i tutor for when i need an uncosted sac outlet because it puts a +1/+1 counter on itself to protect it.

Greater Good - sac creatures and draw cards what else could you ask for.

Grimgrin, Corpse-Born - uncosted sac and targeted removal

Viscera Seer - great uncosted sac outlet however i prefer carrion feeder to this since it protects itself. Not sure if i need 2 one mana creatures that do the same thing so i would consider cutting this one.

I would just like to mention that i purposefully leave Cyclonic Rift out of my decks because i dont like it and i think it should be banned. With that said, i used to play a 5 color version of this deck with many more board wipes but removing white from the equation meant losing most of them. Please recommend some other wipes if you can think of any! As for removal i might be a little light. I have some creatures that help take care of some targeted removal but as far as specific 1 for 1 cards i might want to add something like Putrefy. Open to suggestions on this topic.

Vandalblast - i only like to use this on overload if i have to but an extremely useful, game changing card.

Crux of Fate + Damnation + Toxic Deluge - get rid of all the creatures! Until the next end step and get all of your back >:D

Beast Within - you know what to do.

Dictate of Erebos - this will lock the game down until you win.

These are pretty self explanatory so just hover over the cards in the list. Nothing too outside of the box here aside for a few cards like Mindless Automaton, Workhorse or Fathom Mage that abuse +1/+1 counters to achieve effectiveness.
Black Market - seems great, might swap this out for Corpsejack Menace

Bloodspore Thrinax - similar effect to Master Biomancer which is great but since i have so many tutors i dont know if i need two creatures that do the same thing.

Contamination - this card is insanely good, i just dont think its very fun for anyone else not playing black so i dont know if i want to play it.

Helm of Possession - seems good, im not sure what ide swap it for. Im not sure how it interacts with Marchesa, she says it returns to battlefield under your control, does it leave your control once it dies? I don't know.

Vicious Shadows - seems great, might swap this out with Bearer of the Heavens but im hesitant since i dont have many board wipes left.

Leyline of Anticipation - This deck functions so well with Vedalken Orrery that i'm tempted to add another version of it in the deck but who knows what to cut for it?

Please comment any suggestions!

Suggestions

Updates Add

-1 Ashnod's Altar

-1 River Kelpie

-1 Sylvok Replica

+1 Leyline of Anticipation

+1 Reclamation Sage

+1 Phyrexian Altar

I've found that i need colored mana far more often then colorless, especially on other players turns so Phyrexian Altar makes more sense.

River Kelpie was under performing as it didn't do well to draw cards unless i had everything already set up so I made some room for Leyline of Anticipation since flash effects are so powerful in this deck.

As for Sylvok Replica, i think i got caught up in "keyword: sacrifice" cards and overlooked that Reclamation Sage is just better.

Comments

Revision 5 See all

(7 years ago)

-1 Bearer of the Heavens main
-1 Bramblewood Paragon main
+1 Pernicious Deed main
Top Ranked
  • Achieved #21 position overall 7 years ago
Date added 8 years
Last updated 7 years
Splash colors R
Key combos
Legality

This deck is Commander / EDH legal.

Rarity (main - side)

19 - 0 Mythic Rares

50 - 0 Rares

22 - 0 Uncommons

9 - 0 Commons

Cards 100
Avg. CMC 3.15
Tokens Beast 3/3 G, Bird 2/2 U, Morph 2/2 C
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