Atraxa, Grand Unifier is here to unify the 4 synergies of this GWUB deck: Deathtouch, Toxic, Proliferate, and Draw.
The idea behind this deck is to use the subtle "Toxic" mechanic to trigger everything the deck is hiding behind Atraxa. So the game plan is pretty straightforward: put one poison counter in each opponent as soon as possible and then survive the aggro through a beautiful combination of cards that allows you to proliferate those counters multiple times per turn, make your creatures powerful blockers, or sneaky attackers, and wait for Atraxa to give you the victory in a silver plate. However, to maximize your commander Enter the Battlefield (ETB) ability, the deck has been crafted with multiple types of cards to allow you to draw as many cards as you can.
Therefore, multi-type card lands like the Artifact Lands Darkmoss Bridge, Goldmire Bridge, Mistvault Bridge, Tanglepool Bridge, and Thornglint Bridge can fix your mana base at the beginning of the game, but also, when Atraxa would be cast from the command zone and you reveal the top 10 cards of your library, you would be able to pick two of these lands in case you need it (One as an Artifact and the other as a Land). The same is true for Enchantment Creatures like Dryad of the Ilysian Grove and Thassa, Deep-Dwelling, or the powerful artifact creature Skrelv, Defector Mite.
However, all of that applies once you cast Atraxa. And she is a 7 mana cost card. So first things first!
The two first things this deck needs to do is Mana Ramp/Cheat and put a poison counter in at least one opponent. For ramp Dryad of the Ilysian Grove, Expand the Sphere, Sword of Forge and Frontier, and Mirari's Wake are key. In later turns, Contaminant Grafter will keep the engine going thanks to its end-step ability linked to the number of opponents with poison counters. The "mana cheat" part would be there with the powerful enchantment Hunting Grounds and later... with Omniscience. And with all proliferate synergies in the deck, Replicating Ring would be one of your favorite cards in this field. But as I said, the need to put at least one poison counter should be one of your firsts priority. Infectious Bite, Prologue to Phyresis, Vraska's Fall, Caress of Phyrexia, Infectious Inquiry, and Phyresis Outbreak are different instant or sorcery with different mana bases that will get this part done. Also, your lowest CMC creatures will help too. Ichor Rats, Bilious Skulldweller, Bloated Contaminator, and Venser, Corpse Puppet can stand in battle by their own capabilities, but when you add the brutal synergies between all your creatures and Fynn, the Fangbearer + Ohran Frostfang + Saryth, the Viper's Fang
, your board will be scary and terrible for your opponents to defense or attack you.
To cast all these key cards, the other key issue to address is to draw them first. The way this deck works is through spells like Infectious Inquiry, Night's Whisper, Norn's Decree, Phyrexian Arena, or Prologue to Phyresis. These spells will drain your life in an insignificant amount (and remember that your Commander is a 7/7 creature with lifelink!) or will put a poison counter on your opponents at the same time. Then, you introduce to your playgroup the Proliferate team Evolution Sage + Flux Channeler, and the Proliferate Boss Tekuthal, Inquiry Dominus. These cards will increase your opponent's counters in a blink. And why not have a little bit of card draw thanks to Ezuri, Stalker of Spheres or Ixhel, Scion of Atraxa?
To control the board, and to prepare for the coming to Atraxa, Grand Unifer, you have two Praetors covering your back: Elesh Norn
and Jin-Gitaxias
. While Elesh Norn
will help keep you away from your opponents unless they want to drain their life counter, her mana ability will be an almost one-side board wipe because your entire deck and tokens you create are phyrexian or artifacts. And with all the proliferate mechanics that you have in the deck, you can reach the third part of the saga really easily. The same is true for Jin-Gitaxias
, who will help you to draw a ton of cards, then will make another one-side board wipe, and lastly... Omniscience. Yes, you have two ways to achieve Omniscience in this deck.
But those two are not the only scary creatures in the deck. Skithiryx, the Blight Dragon and Phyrexian Swarmlord are "Infect" creatures that can almost knock out your opponents with the combination of the synergies that the deck has. Glissa, Herald of Predation will give you bodies each combat or the possibility to make your other creatures deadly. Although some of your creatures will die, once their purpose is achieved, Brimaz, Blight of Oreskos will reward you for casting more, and for their dead. Remember that poison + proliferate is the mechanic of this deck! And you can bring it back later with Noxious Revival, Eerie Ultimatum, or Geth's Summons.
Now that we have all the tricks, it's time to enjoy Atraxa and the best pieces of the deck with one of the most powerful abilities that white mana could give in a synergy ETB/proliferate/poison strategy: BLINK! Why not use Atraxa ETB ability each turn? Or instead of that two times? Maybe three? And you have Norn's Choirmaster on the battlefield too? Check these possibilities with Teleportation Circle, Thassa, Deep-Dwelling, or Ephemerate.
At this time you are realizing that it's even better to blink Vishgraz, the Doomhive while Champion of Lambholt is on the battlefield and look at the face of your opponents.
The last highlight of this deck will be the amount of Planeswalkers. The reason for that is not only the ETB ability of Atraxa, but the number of possibilities these Planeswalkers will give you (at least one ability in each of them will help with one or two goals of the deck: proliferate, blink ETBs, evasion, or poison counter) and how easy is to activate them thanks to the amount of proliferate ways the deck has. And you have the Ichormoon Gauntlet too ;)
I hope you like the idea, and let me know if you have any recommendations!
