Ara Ara Ayara

Commander / EDH Aristocrats Budget Group Slug Mono-Black Sacrifice

henrypan321

Creature (29)

• 1x Bloodsoaked Champion
• 1x Carrion Feeder
• 1x Gutterbones
• 1x Viscera Seer
• 1x Blood Artist
• 1x Dusk Legion Zealot
• 1x Oathsworn Vampire
• 1x Priest of Forgotten Gods
• 1x Reassembling Skeleton
• 1x Skyclave Shade
• 1x Zulaport Cutthroat
• 1x Grim Haruspex
• 1x Liliana's Standard Bearer
• 1x Midnight Reaper
• 1x Murderous Rider
• 1x Plaguecrafter
• 1x Woe Strider
• 1x Chittering Witch
• 1x Dread Presence
• 1x Erebos, Bleak-Hearted
• 1x Pitiless Plunderer
• 1x Ravenous Chupacabra
• 1x Sengir Autocrat
• 1x Smothering Abomination
• 1x Vindictive Vampire
• 1x Endrek Sahr, Master Breeder
• 1x Gray Merchant of Asphodel
• 1x Ogre Slumlord
• 1x Abhorrent Overlord

Sorcery (10)

• 1x Bubbling Muck
• 1x Unearth
• 1x Feed the Swarm
• 1x Night's Whisper
• 1x Sign in Blood
• 1x Read the Bones
• 1x Victimize
• 1x Dread Return
• 1x Mutilate
• 1x Plague of Vermin

Artifact (9)

• 1x Everflowing Chalice
• 1x Expedition Map
• 1x Skullclamp
• 1x Sol Ring
• 1x Wayfarer's Bauble
• 1x Arcane Signet
• 1x Mind Stone
• 1x Bontu's Monument
• 1x Bolas's Citadel

Land (37)

• 1x Bojuka Bog
• 1x Cabal Stronghold
• 1x Castle Locthwain
• 1x Ghost Quarter
• 32x Swamp
• 1x Witch's Cottage

Commander (1)

Enchantment (7)

• 1x Phyrexian Reclamation
• 1x Tortured Existence
• 1x Dreadhorde Invasion
• 1x Bastion of Remembrance
• 1x Dark Prophecy
• 1x Dark Tutelage
• 1x Dictate of Erebos

Instant (7)

• 1x Dark Ritual
• 1x Defile
• 1x Tragic Slip
• 1x Village Rites
• 1x Go for the Throat
• 1x Mausoleum Secrets
• 1x Force of Despair

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Maybeboard

Creature (14)

• 1x Tenacious Dead
• 1x Jadar, Ghoulcaller of Nephalia
• 1x Lazotep Reaver
• 1x Nether Traitor
• 1x Callous Bloodmage
• 1x Pawn of Ulamog
• 1x Crypt Ghast
• 1x Falkenrath Noble
• 1x Whisper, Blood Liturgist
• 1x Magus of the Coffers
• 1x Massacre Girl
• 1x Phyrexian Delver
• 1x Syr Konrad, the Grim
• 1x Witch of the Moors

Sorcery (8)

• 1x Innocent Blood
• 1x Damnable Pact
• 1x Ashes to Ashes
• 1x Dead of Winter
• 1x Grim Tutor
• 1x Diabolic Tutor
• 1x Living Death
• 1x Army of the Damned

Artifact (3)

• 1x Charcoal Diamond
• 1x Fellwar Stone
• 1x Mimic Vat

Land (2)

• 1x Barren Moor
• 1x Crypt of Agadeem

Enchantment (5)

• 1x Vampiric Rites
• 1x Oubliette
• 1x Underworld Connections
• 1x Rite of Belzenlok
• 1x Tombstone Stairwell

Instant (5)

• 1x Costly Plunder
• 1x Malicious Affliction
• 1x Plumb the Forbidden
• 1x Snuff Out
• 1x Szat's Will

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A relatively budget (~$100) and consistent aristocrats / group slug deck that plays a lot of low CMC creatures and tokens to drain the table (Ayara, First of Locthwain, Blood Artist), while also being able to function without relying on the commander. Not a combo deck.

With low budget it's hard to fit in any of the usual goodstuff like Cabal Coffers or Phyrexian Altar, so I aimed for playing low cost creatures that can be easily recurred. This had the added benefit of helping devotion for Abhorrent Overlord or Gray Merchant of Asphodel, and making Bolas's Citadel pop off much easier. I'm also running a lot of draw spells to refill my hand quickly and frequently.

Strategy

This deck is very straightforward. We want to be constantly chipping at others' life while increasing our own. Bring out Ayara, First of Locthwain quickly and play as many creatures as possible. Creatures like Reassembling Skeleton, Bloodsoaked Champion are great as they are brought back easily and provide an aggressive early game. Lots of card draw means more gas and removal/answers for opponents. Powerful ETBs like Abhorrent Overlord or Gray Merchant of Asphodel are made stronger thanks to easily attainable high devotion.

Interactions

Ayara, First of Locthwain + Plague of Vermin : Auto-wins if you have higher life than everyone else, otherwise just drains everyone for your current life total.

Dictate of Erebos + Ogre Slumlord : With a sac outlet, it can be a one-sided boardwipe.

Bontu's Monument + Oathsworn Vampire + Pitiless Plunderer : Goes infinite with a sac outlet! Bontu's Monument reduces Oathsworn Vampire's cost to just , which Pitiless Plunderer will give when Oathsworn Vampire is sacrificed.

Bolas's Citadel: With Ayara, First of Locthwain out, we can cast lots of spells off the top of the library, as many of the cards are low CMC and Ayara will heal some of the damage back. Ayara can also help move a Swamp off the top if needed.

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Comments and/or suggestions welcome! Let me know if I'm missing something, or if there are other budget cards I'm not aware of.

Will do a better write up eventually.

Date added	4 years
Last updated	3 years
Key combos	Bontu's Monument + Oathsworn Vampire + Pitiless Plunderer Ayara, First of Locthwain + Plague of Vermin Dictate of Erebos + Ogre Slumlord
Legality	This deck is Commander / EDH legal.
Rarity (main - side)	1 - 0 Mythic Rares 27 - 0 Rares 21 - 0 Uncommons 19 - 0 Commons
Cards	100
Avg. CMC	2.67
Tokens	Goat 0/1 W, Harpy 1/1 B, Human Soldier 1/1 W, Morph 2/2 C, On an Adventure, Rat 1/1 B, Serf 0/1 B, Thrull 1/1 B, Treasure, Zombie Army 0/0 B
Folders	Goodstuff, Budget, EDH Decks Under Consideration