INTRODUCTION
Expect sacs. Make stacks. Welcome to the deck. Your mission (if you choose to accept it) is to win the game. This means we are interacting with the board very little. Because if we win, we don't care what was on the board before we won. Because it's over. Similarly, as we do not get attached to each game, we also do not get attached to our permanents. If you have a permanent that's half way decent but you see a chance to force someone to sac their only creature (see: Dictate of Erebos) then SAC IT! The goal of the early game is to search for our early mana dorks like Llanowar Elves or Ignoble Hierarch. The moment these cards ramp us to our commander, we need to consider our next step.
1. Is anyone holding up mana to remove our Commander?
It could be that you recognize someone is hold up one BUT they're about to untap and play their commander next turn. If you hold off on casting your commander, then you could let an opponent tap out while you spend time developing your other combo pieces. That way when you cast your commander, you're online and free from any hindrances.
2. If I get my Commander out, can I do anything with it?
Korvold, Fae-Cursed King is key to us winning the game here. We want to get him out and immediately start saccing card after card. Ideally Treasure tokens, but Mana dorks, combat-focused creatures, lands, EVERYTHING is on the table to get us cards, get more treasures, find our combos, and win. Sometimes getting out Korvold early can be good. But if we don't have anything to work with, maybe we need to spend time developing instead.
THE PIECES
Let's talk pieces of the puzzle. As of this writing (7/12/2024) we are pretty light on card draw, removal, and protection. We're essentially all-in on making Korvold work ASAP. When removing pieces to add in draw, removal, or protection from the maybe board, consider taking out the entire combo. This list of combos isn't even all of our combos. Virtually every combo here hinges upon a sac outlet. So if you see Viscera Seer in a combo, it can probably also be one of our Altars or Warren Soultrader, or whatever. Combos are listed below:
Requires
Chatterfang, Squirrel General must be on the battlefield. Pitiless Plunderer must be on the battlefield. You control at least two additional Squirrels. Mana needed:
Activate Chatterfang by paying and sacrificing two other Squirrels.
The Squirrels die, triggering Pitiless Plunderer twice, creating two Treasure tokens and two 1/1 Squirrel tokens.
Activate a Treasure token by tapping and sacrificing it, adding .
Repeat.
Resolve all Chatterfang abilities, causing any number of target creatures to get +2/-2 until end of turn any number of times.
Results
Infinite colored mana. Infinite death triggers. Infinite ETB. Infinite LTB. Infinite sacrifice triggers. Infinite Treasure tokens. Reduce all opponents' creatures to 0 toughness.
Requires
Dockside Extortionist must be in hand. Revel in Riches must be on the battlefield. Opponents control at least ten artifacts and/or enchantments. Mana needed:
Cast Dockside Extortionist by paying .
Dockside Extortionist enters the battlefield, creating at least ten Treasure tokens.
At the beginning of your next upkeep, Revel in Riches' second ability triggers, causing you to win the game.
Results
Win the game at the beginning of your next upkeep. THIS COMBO WORKS WITH ANY TREASURE GENERATOR BUT DOCKSIDE IS OUR BEST ONE.
Requires
Reassembling Skeleton must be on the battlefield. Pitiless Plunderer must be on the battlefield. Ashnod's Altar must be on the battlefield.
Activate Ashnod's Altar by sacrificing Reassembling Skeleton, adding .
When Reassembling Skeleton dies, Pitiless Plunderer triggers, creating a Treasure artifact token.
Activate the Treasure by tapping and sacrificing it, adding .
Activate Reassembling Skeleton by paying , returning it from your graveyard to the battlefield.
Repeat.
Results
Infinite colorless mana. Infinite death triggers. Infinite ETB. Infinite LTB. Infinite sacrifice triggers.
Requires
Dockside Extortionist must be in hand. Temur Sabertooth must be on the battlefield. Opponents control at least four artifacts and/or enchantments. Mana needed:
Cast Dockside Extortionist by paying .
When Dockside Extortionist enters the battlefield, it triggers, creating at least four Treasure artifact tokens.
Activate four Treasure tokens by tapping and sacrificing them, adding .
Activate Temur Sabertooth by paying , returning Dockside Extortionist from the battlefield to your hand.
Repeat.
If opponents control at least five artifacts and/or enchantments, this combo nets infinite Treasure tokens.
Results
Infinite blinking of green creatures. Infinite colored mana. Infinite ETB. Infinite LTB. Infinite storm count. Infinite Treasure tokens.
Requires
Squee, the Immortal must be on the battlefield. Food Chain must be on the battlefield.
Activate Food Chain by exiling Squee, adding that can only be spent to cast creature spells.
Cast Squee from exile by paying .
Repeat.
Results
Infinite colored mana that can only be spent to cast creature spells. Infinite ETB. Infinite LTB. Infinite storm count.
Requires
Saw in Half must be in hand. Dockside Extortionist must be on the battlefield. Eternal Witness must be in hand. Your opponents control at least five artifacts and/or enchantments. Mana needed:
Cast Saw in Half by paying , destroying Dockside Extortionist and creating two token copies of it with base power equal to half the destroyed creature's power and base toughness equal to half the destroyed creature's toughness, rounding up each time.
Both Dockside Extortionist tokens enter the battlefield, creating at least ten Treasure tokens.
Activate nine Treasure tokens by tapping and sacrificing them, adding .
Cast Eternal Witness by paying .
Eternal Witness enters the battlefield, returning Saw in Half from your graveyard to your hand.
Cast Saw in Half by paying , destroying Eternal Witness and creating two token copies of it with base power equal to half the destroyed creature's power and base toughness equal to half the destroyed creature's toughness, rounding up each time.
Both Eternal Witness tokens enter the battlefield, returning Eternal Witness and Saw in Half from your graveyard to your hand.
Repeat.
Results
Infinite colored mana. Infinite creature tokens. Infinite death triggers. Infinite ETB. Infinite LTB. Infinite magecraft triggers. Infinite sacrifice triggers. Infinite storm count. Infinite Treasure tokens.
Requires
Ruthless Technomancer must be on the battlefield. Dockside Extortionist must be in hand. Viscera Seer must be on the battlefield. Opponents control at least five artifacts and/or enchantments. Mana needed:
Cast Dockside Extortionist by paying .
Dockside Extortionist enters the battlefield, creating at least five Treasure tokens.
Activate three Treasure tokens by tapping and sacrificing them, adding .
Activate Viscera Seer by sacrificing Dockside Extortionist, causing you to scry 1.
Activate Ruthless Technomancer by paying and sacrificing a Treasure token, returning Dockside Extortionist from your graveyard to the battlefield.
Repeat from step 2.
Results
Infinite colored mana. Infinite death triggers. Infinite ETB. Infinite LTB. Infinite sacrifice triggers. Infinite scry 1. Infinite Treasure tokens.
Requires
Saw in Half must be in hand. Culling the Weak must be in hand. Eternal Witness must be on the battlefield. You control at least one additional creature. Mana needed: b
Cast Culling the Weak by paying and sacrificing another creature, adding .
Cast Saw in Half by paying , destroying Eternal Witness and creating two token copies of it with base power equal to half the destroyed creature's power and base toughness equal to half the destroyed creature's toughness, rounding up each time.
When the Eternal Witness tokens enter the battlefield, they trigger, returning Saw in Half and Culling the Weak from your graveyard to your hand.
Repeat.
Results
Infinite creature tokens. Infinite death triggers. Infinite ETB. Infinite LTB. Infinite magecraft triggers. Infinite storm count.
Requires
Korvold, Fae-Cursed King must be on the battlefield. Animation Module must be on the battlefield. Ashnod's Altar must be on the battlefield. You control an additional creature.
Activate Ashnod's Altar by sacrificing other creature you control, adding .
Korvold's second ability triggers, putting a +1/+1 counter on it and draw a card.
Animation Module triggers, causing you to pay to create a 1/1 Servo artifact creature token.
Repeat.
Results
Infinite card draw. Infinite death triggers. Infinite ETB. Infinite LTB. Infinite sacrifice triggers. Near-infinite colorless mana.
Requires
Stimulus Package must be on the battlefield. Pitiless Plunderer must be on the battlefield. Ashnod's Altar must be on the battlefield. You control a Treasure.
Activate Stimulus Package by sacrificing a Treasure, creating a 1/1 Citizen creature token.
Activate Ashnod's Altar by sacrificing the Citizen, adding .
The Citizen dies, triggering Pitiless Plunderer, creating a Treasure token.
Repeat.
Results
Infinite colorless mana. Infinite death triggers. Infinite ETB. Infinite LTB. Infinite sacrifice triggers.
Requires
Aggravated Assault must be on the battlefield. Old Gnawbone must be on the battlefield. You control creatures that can deal at least six combat damage that cannot be blocked by an opponent.
Attack with the creatures to deal at least six combat damage to a player, triggering Old Gnawbone's ability, creating at least six Treasure tokens.
Activate five Treasure tokens by tapping and sacrificing them, to add .
Activate Aggravated Assault by paying to untap all creatures you control and to get an additional combat phase and an additional main phase after that.
Repeat.
Results
Infinite colored mana. Infinite combat phases. Infinite Treasure tokens. Infinite untap triggers.
Requires
Living Death must be in hand. Eternal Witness must be on the battlefield. Phyrexian Altar must be on the battlefield. At least three additional creature cards in your graveyard and/or on the battlefield. Mana needed:
Activate Phyrexian Altar by sacrificing Eternal Witness and all other creatures you control, adding for each creature sacrificed.
Cast Living Death by paying , causing each player to exile all creatures from their graveyard, sacrifice all creatures they control, then return the exiled cards to the battlefield.
When Eternal Witness enters the battlefield, it triggers, returning Living Death from your graveyard to your hand.
Repeat any number of times.
If you have one additional creature, this combo produces infinite colored mana.
Results
Infinite blinking. Infinite colored mana. Infinite death triggers. Infinite ETB. Infinite LTB. Infinite sacrifice triggers.
Chatterfang, Squirrel General must be on the battlefield. Warren Soultrader must be on the battlefield. You control at least one additional creature.
Activate Warren Soultrader ability by paying 1 life and sacrificing a creature, creating a Treasure token and a 1/1 Squirrel creature token.
Activate Warren Soultrader ability by paying 1 life and sacrificing a Squirrel, creating a Treasure token and a 1/1 Squirrel creature token.
Repeat.
Results
Near infinite death triggers. Near infinite ETB. Near infinite LTB. Near infinite sacrifice triggers. Near infinite Treasure tokens.
Putrid Goblin must be on the battlefield. The Great Henge must be on the battlefield. Phyrexian Altar must be on the battlefield.
Sacrifice Putrid Goblin to Phyrexian Altar's ability, adding of any color
Putrid Goblin's Persist ability triggers, returning it to the battlefield.
When Putrid Goblin ETBs, The Great Henge's ability triggers, adding a +1/+1 counter, canceling out the -1/-1 counter, and you draw a card.
Repeat.
Results
Infinite death triggers. Infinite ETB. Infinite LTB. Infinite sacrifice triggers. Infinite mana. Infinite card draw.
Requires
Chthonian Nightmare must be on the battlefield. Dockside Extortionist must be in the graveyard. You have at least two energy counters. Opponents control at least four artifacts and/or enchantments. You control another nontoken creature with mana value 4 or less.
Activate Chthonian Nightmare by paying , sacrificing a nontoken creature with mana value 4 or less and returning Chthonian Nightmare from the battlefield to your hand, returning Dockside Extortionist from your graveyard to the battlefield.
When Dockside Extortionist enters the battlefield, it triggers, creating at least four Treasure tokens.
Activate four Treasures by tapping and sacrificing them, adding .
Cast Chthonian Nightmare by paying .
When Chthonian Nightmare enters the battlefield, it triggers, causing you to get .
Activate Chthonian Nightmare by paying at most , sacrificing Dockside Extortionist and returning Chthonian Nightmare from the battlefield to your hand, returning a creature with mana value 4 or less from your graveyard to the battlefield.
Cast Chthonian Nightmare by paying 1b.
When Chthonian Nightmare enters the battlefield, it triggers, causing you to get .
Repeat.
If opponents control five or more artifacts and/or enchantments, this combo nets infinite Treasure tokens and colored mana.
If the creature sacrificed has mana value 3 or less, this combo nets infinite energy counters.
Results
Infinite colored mana. Infinite death triggers. Infinite energy counters. Infinite ETB. Infinite LTB. Infinite sacrifice triggers. Infinite storm count. Infinite Treasure tokens.
OK NOW THAT THE COMBOS ARE OUT OF THE WAY LET'S TALK EVERYTHING ELSE.
There are a lot of fun interactions in this deck that you may not necessarily expect. Treasure tokens are a clear theme of being self-sacing to add mana AND get a card while Korvold is out. But Korvold doesn't just trigger off of Treasures and Creatures. It's ALL of our Permanents. There are 3 lands in this deck that can be sacrificed to go search for one of your main land types (see Verdant Catacombs. Entish Restoration and Springbloom Druid also sac lands to get us more lands. But of course when we sacrifice a land, we get to draw cards. There's also Vexing Bauble, Mind Stone, Sakura-Tribe Elder to get us more cards at little cost once Korvold comes in. Cheap and immediate sac payoffs are what we need to get started, so maybe hold off on sacrificing things on your board until Korvold is out. Once we have a combo in place with our commander, we need to try to get out one of our pinging creatures like Mayhem Devil, Mirkwood Bats, or Zulaport Cutthroat. Once it all comes together, the game is yours. Don't be afraid to mulligan down to 5 or 6 looking for an early mana dork or ramp. Remember, all we need is to get a couple pieces to compliment Korvold, then we'll be off to the races.
This deck has a lot of non-combo cards that are very strong with the sacrifice theme. Dictate of Erebos, Braids, Arisen Nightmare, Crime Novelist, Goldspan Dragon, Impulsive Pilferer and Xorn are all examples of excellent cards that go with our theme and benefit us. But they are NOT combo pieces. They can provide resources to get us combo pieces or they hold our opponents back. If you're looking to cut cards to add more commanderless draw, ramp, tutoring, or protection look to cards like these. Xorn and Impulsive Pilferer for example are very good if we have Korvold out; they provide mana and card draw opportunities. But Night's Whisper and Sign in Blood provide the same card draw every time. This is to say, we're currently built as greedily as possible. Banking on using our Commander to sacrifice Treasure to get value.
As for the maybe-board; there's a lot of removal, protection, and more casual pieces that are a bit slower, but offer strong long-term value. Brass's Bounty and Bootleggers' Stash are excellent cards, but they're very expensive. If the game slows down, we can certainly include them, but I view them in the same way I view the cards I mentioned in the last paragraph: If they aren't ramping us, getting more cards, or providing protection, they may not be necessary.
So that's the deck! I hope it's fun to play and takes some exciting victories. Be sure to test often to see what your best starting hands are, and just how far you can push the value train once things get going. Thanks for reading, good luck and have fun!
