Cruel Kess

Commander / EDH* Competitive Cruel Control

MagicMatt13

Land (38)

• 1x Academy Ruins
• 1x Badlands
• 1x Blood Crypt
• 1x Bloodstained Mire
• 1x Bojuka Bog
• 1x Cascade Bluffs
• 1x City of Brass
• 1x Command Tower
• 1x Creeping Tar Pit
• 1x Crumbling Necropolis
• 1x Glacial Chasm
• 1x Graven Cairns
• 5x Island
• 1x Mana Confluence
• 2x Mountain
• 1x Polluted Delta
• 1x Reliquary Tower
• 1x Scalding Tarn
• 1x Shivan Reef
• 1x Steam Vents
• 1x Strip Mine
• 1x Sulfurous Springs
• 1x Sunken Ruins
• 2x Swamp
• 1x Temple of Deceit
• 1x Temple of Epiphany
• 1x The Tabernacle at Pendrell Vale
• 1x Underground River
• 1x Underground Sea
• 1x Urborg, Tomb of Yawgmoth
• 1x Volcanic Island
• 1x Watery Grave

Planeswalker (3)

• 1x Jace, the Mind Sculptor
• 1x Nicol Bolas, God-Pharaoh
• 1x Ugin, the Spirit Dragon

Instant (19)

• 1x Brainstorm
• 1x Capsize
• 1x Chaos Warp
• 1x Counterspell
• 1x Countersquall
• 1x Cryptic Command *list*
• 1x Cyclonic Rift
• 1x Demonic Consultation
• 1x Desertion
• 1x Entomb
• 1x Fact or Fiction
• 1x Frantic Search
• 1x Mana Drain
• 1x Mystical Tutor
• 1x Pact of Negation
• 1x Quicken
• 1x Remand
• 1x Thirst for Knowledge
• 1x Vampiric Tutor

Artifact (11)

• 1x Chromatic Lantern
• 1x Dimir Signet
• 1x Ensnaring Bridge
• 1x Gilded Lotus
• 1x Izzet Signet
• 1x Mana Crypt
• 1x Mana Vault
• 1x Rakdos Signet
• 1x Sensei's Divining Top
• 1x Sol Ring
• 1x Thought Vessel

Enchantment (4)

• 1x Copy Artifact
• 1x Leyline of Anticipation
• 1x Necropotence
• 1x Rhystic Study

Commander (1)

Creature (13)

• 1x Consecrated Sphinx
• 1x Gilded Drake
• 1x Glen Elendra Archmage
• 1x Jace, Vryn's Prodigy  ^Flip
• 1x Jin-Gitaxias, Core Augur
• 1x Laboratory Maniac
• 1x Phyrexian Metamorph
• 1x Rune-Scarred Demon
• 1x Snapcaster Mage
• 1x Solemn Simulacrum
• 1x Torrential Gearhulk
• 1x Trinket Mage
• 1x Venser, Shaper Savant

Sorcery (11)

• 1x All is Dust
• 1x Bribery
• 1x Damnation
• 1x Demonic Tutor
• 1x Night's Whisper
• 1x Ponder
• 1x Preordain
• 1x Reanimate
• 1x Toxic Deluge
• 1x Wheel of Fortune
• 1x Yawgmoth's Will

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Maybeboard

Planeswalker (1)

• 1x Liliana of the Veil

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Less, Dissident Mage. This deck runs some of the most powerful cards in the format. At heart, this is a cruel and patient deck.I have no intention of running the storm build of Kess (this deck is still competitive), as this is geared to more of a control shell/ prison deck, using Less for value. Well, now that you've got some context, let's do some analysis: The deck features a premier grixis control shell with counterspells, wraths and steal/copy cards. The goal is to also to play politically and interacting properly based on the board state. Good match ups overall. This deck wins in 2 fashions: Stall and win with the walkers, or instantly win using the dirty lab maniac + demonic consultation combo. I am always striving to improve my deck, so if you having any suggestions or questions concerning certain cards please leave them down below!

Top Ranked	Achieved #64 position overall 7 years ago
Date added	7 years
Last updated	6 years
Exclude colors	WG
Splash colors	R
Legality	This deck is not Commander / EDH legal.
Rarity (main - side)	17 - 0 Mythic Rares 49 - 0 Rares 16 - 0 Uncommons 9 - 0 Commons
Cards	100
Avg. CMC	3.02
Tokens	Emblem Jace, Vryn's Prodigy
Folders	Multiplayer Commander, Kess, Retired: Kess