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Heart of Darkness Challenge - Pt. II - Yarok

Commander / EDH Bracket 3 Casual Horror Mill Theme/Gimmick Tokens

Andramalech


Maybeboard


This deck is a cited commitment to a challenge from kamarupa. This follow-up to the original challenge keeps with the same spirit, but shares the deck-building and we both get a shot! I'll be piloting my build based on what kamarupa chose first.

My choice of construction is a Sultai () colored build with Yarok, the Desecrated as the leader.

We're going to be focused on ETB triggers as a core concept of the deck. The main component of what Yarok does leads itself to a reanimator shell, so I won't shy away from that. I'm going to believe in the power of Horrors as a whole to deliver on ETB synergies. I didn't explicitly spell this out with my first iteration on this challenge- I didn't use any guidance to my spells or usage of resources other than gatherer searching the creatures that held up "horror" typing. The same is going to be done here, and I'm just going to pay attention to what gets the most love from ETB.

The other core component is literally just running those ETBs into the ground- I mean it. The deck self-mills to reanimate the spells and creatures faster, there's at least one win-condition type effect involving this and Dross Harvester.

The sub-theme of that graveyard shenanigan is that we are reanimating our stuff as it dies. This is to ensure that the graveyard sees it and does a thing, when it re-enters is how we get our biggest payoff.

The deck has to function within the confines of rules set out prior to construction began, and the challenge is more or less an opportunity to present a labor of love for the aforementioned and Balaam__ as judges to the end results.

The new challenge extended to kamarupa is revolving around how Balaam__ will be left scratching their head and wondering what's happening. I joke, but we've discussed that we have to nominate new judges. I'll take this opportunity and reiterate this point in the comments, but I nominate:

..as potential judges for this assignment.

There's going to be so much to discuss here and I'm thrilled that I accepted the challenge. I'm going to take the chance while building this to really try and think about what I need in order to succeed.

Otherwise, I'll see at least two of you in the comments giving me my report card. Everyone else is welcome to chime in, too.

Suggestions

Updates Add

Initially when I put together this construction, I had forgotten to include a lot of super important creatures. I had overlooked things like Dinrova Horror, and the importance of what has recently become one of my favorite Black spells- Saw in Half.

I'm having a lot of fun with the overlapping ETB synergies I've created here, and Balaam__ made great commentary about that necessity. I will only defend myself by saying I was tired and under-committed in the moment. After closely recombing over the build, I have found that the formula for success is pretty easy here!

  • we lead with something something small, or do our best to ramp early with things like Rampant Growth or Farseek. Having out some punk dorks like Ulvenwald Captive  Flip could be pretty useful, but the hardest effort regarding this deck is the lack of... friendship.

  • I was pretty spot on that Three Tree City is a flavor fail because none of these guys really have fun together. However, when you arrange them all around their favorite toys such as Panharmonicon, they tend to get along pretty well. Plus, a factor that normally represents card-death and dead-draws, not sure how i wanna describe it.. anyways that associated feeling is made moot by the prospect of Yarok's phrasing- we are increasing whenever a permanent we control does the thing, and not being just limited to creatures is a pretty big deal.

  • My favorite formula right now is Tutor + Ramp/Mill + Creature + Saw in Half = Profit. This deck became a lot more fun once I had slept, and now that I've really laid out my decklist, I'm ready for the true feedback!

Comments View Archive

93% Casual

Competitive

Revision 2 See all

(3 days ago)

-1 Cryptolith Rite main
-1 Insidious Roots main
+1 Krosan Grip main
+1 Mystical Tutor main
+1 Natural State main
+1 Nature's Claim main
+1 Panharmonicon main
+1 Saw in Half main
+1 Slum Reaper main
+1 Three Tree City main
+1 Unearth main
+1 Virtue of Knowledge main
Top Ranked
Date added 3 days
Last updated 3 days
Exclude colors UBG
Legality

This deck is Commander / EDH legal.

Rarity (main - side)

14 - 0 Mythic Rares

43 - 0 Rares

16 - 0 Uncommons

18 - 0 Commons

Cards 100
Avg. CMC 2.76
Tokens Copy Clone, Everywhere, Horror, On an Adventure, Wicked
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