Glissa, Queen of Stax

Commander / EDH* Artifact BG (Golgari) Competitive Cruel Control Stax

eternaldarkness

Creature (10)

• 1x Azusa, Lost but Seeking
• 1x Duplicant
• 1x Eternal Witness
• 1x Grave Titan
• 1x Graveborn Muse
• 1x Kokusho, the Evening Star
• 1x Metalworker
• 1x Oracle of Mul Daya
• 1x Solemn Simulacrum
• 1x Wurmcoil Engine

Planeswalker (2)

• 1x Freyalise, Llanowar's Fury
• 1x Liliana of the Veil

Land (38)

• 1x Ancient Tomb
• 1x Bayou
• 1x Bloodstained Mire
• 1x Bojuka Bog
• 1x Cabal Coffers
• 1x Command Tower
• 1x Forbidden Orchard
• 1x Llanowar Wastes
• 1x Marsh Flats
• 1x Maze of Ith
• 1x Misty Rainforest
• 1x Overgrown Tomb
• 1x Phyrexian Tower
• 1x Phyrexia's Core
• 1x Polluted Delta
• 6x Snow-Covered Forest
• 6x Snow-Covered Swamp
• 1x Strip Mine
• 1x Tainted Wood
• 1x Twilight Mire
• 1x Urborg, Tomb of Yawgmoth
• 1x Verdant Catacombs
• 1x Vesuva
• 1x Volrath's Stronghold
• 1x Wasteland
• 1x Windswept Heath
• 1x Wooded Foothills
• 1x Woodland Cemetery

Enchantment (10)

• 1x Awakening Zone
• 1x Bitterblossom
• 1x Contamination
• 1x Exploration
• 1x Necropotence
• 1x Nether Void
• 1x Pernicious Deed
• 1x Phyrexian Arena
• 1x Sylvan Library
• 1x The Abyss

Artifact (26)

• 1x Claws of Gix
• 1x Coalition Relic
• 1x Crucible of Worlds
• 1x Darksteel Ingot
• 1x Ensnaring Bridge
• 1x Executioner's Capsule
• 1x Expedition Map
• 1x Golgari Signet
• 1x Ichor Wellspring
• 1x Mana Crypt
• 1x Memory Jar
• 1x Mimic Vat
• 1x Mox Diamond
• 1x Nihil Spellbomb
• 1x Oblivion Stone
• 1x Sculpting Steel
• 1x Sensei's Divining Top
• 1x Skullclamp
• 1x Smokestack
• 1x Sol Ring
• 1x Sphere of Resistance
• 1x Static Orb
• 1x Sword of Feast and Famine
• 1x Tangle Wire
• 1x Trading Post
• 1x Winter Orb

Instant (3)

• 1x Beast Within
• 1x Krosan Grip
• 1x Vampiric Tutor

Sorcery (10)

• 1x Cruel Tutor
• 1x Damnation
• 1x Death Cloud
• 1x Demonic Tutor
• 1x Diabolic Tutor
• 1x Exsanguinate
• 1x Life from the Loam
• 1x Pox
• 1x Toxic Deluge
• 1x Yawgmoth's Will

Commander (1)

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Maybeboard

Creature (2)

• 1x Chainer, Dementia Master
• 1x Sheoldred, Whispering One

Enchantment (1)

• 1x Desolation

Artifact (7)

• 1x Forcefield
• 1x Helm of Possession
• 1x Krark-Clan Ironworks
• 1x Staff of Domination
• 1x Strionic Resonator
• 1x Tawnos's Coffin
• 1x Thornbite Staff

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This is my first competitive deck that I have made for EDH. It is my take on B/G Stax Control that uses Glissa, the Traitor as an engine of recursion to grind out advantage over my opponents. There are several Stax elements in the deck, with my main focus on the sacrificing of permanents and tapping down resources (Sphere of Resistance doesn't fit these themes but that card just does so much work!).

How It Runs

Early Game

Develop mana base while slowing my opponents down with low key Stax effects such as Tangle Wire,Sphere of Resistance, and Braids, Cabal Minion and getting token producers such as Bitterblossom online.

Mid Game

The most important part of mid game is keeping the other players off of your back as you let the Stax effects slowly eat away at them. Around Turn 6-7, effects such as The Abyss and Smokestack should be played assuming you have set up the proper countermeasures such as tokens for the Abyss. Smokestack can be dealt with by the replaying of artifacts to sack thanks to Glissa's recursion. Death Cloud and Pox should be played when you know you can rebound faster than your opponents. The deck has a lot of draw power such as Memory Jar and Necropotence to keep fuel in your hand. What is very important is you know which opponent is your biggest threat at the table as that threat should be taken out by any means necessary, usually through the use of Strionic Resonator to double up on Stax effects, Crucible of Worlds + Strip Mine , or beat down with a fatty. Static Orb and Winter Orb are most devastating in thee Mid Game, especially when you can sack them right before your turn with Claws of Gix or Phyrexia's Core and recur them with Glissa.

Late Game

This goes one of two ways. If you are "sitting on the throne", the path of victory can easily come from several interactions.

1. The recursion of Kokusho through Volrath's Stronghold while saccing him to a sac outlet.

2. Cabal Coffers + Exsanguinate + Urborg, Tomb of Yawgmoth (Yawgmoth's Will is available if the first Exsang. doesn't kill the table.

3. Straight up beats with fatties such as Grave Titan (also a good token producer) and Wurmcoil Engine.

IF you are not in the pole position, Oblivion Stone, Damnation, and Pernicious Deed need to be utilized so that you have time to establish dominance. Death Cloud can also be very useful here if you have the most lands and/or lots of mana rocks as you can Armageddon everyone at the table and reestablish.

Overall, the deck is extremely powerful and can thrive in extremely competitive metas. Just know that you should not build this deck if your group leans more casual because Stax is considered the bane of casual players existence. Suggestions wanted!

Date added	10 years
Last updated	9 years
Key combos	Crucible of Worlds + Strip Mine Cabal Coffers + Exsanguinate + Urborg, Tomb of Yawgmoth
Legality	This deck is not Commander / EDH legal.
Rarity (main - side)	14 - 0 Mythic Rares 56 - 0 Rares 13 - 0 Uncommons 5 - 0 Commons
Cards	100
Avg. CMC	2.85
Tokens	Beast 3/3 G, Copy Clone, Eldrazi Spawn 0/1 C, Elf Druid 1/1 G, Faerie Rogue 1/1 B, Goat 0/1 W, Spirit 1/1 C, Wurm 3/3 C w/ Deathtouch, Wurm 3/3 C w/ Lifelink, Zombie 2/2 B
Folders	bant ideas, EDH - Cocka, EDH Inspiration