Lazav, Dimir Mind Thief [[Retired]]

Commander / EDH UB (Dimir)

resplendentobscurity

Land (37)

• 1x Bojuka Bog
• 1x Choked Estuary
• 1x Command Tower
• 1x Darkwater Catacombs
• 1x Dimir Aqueduct
• 1x Dimir Guildgate
• 1x Drowned Catacomb
• 1x Evolving Wilds
• 1x Halimar Depths
• 10x Island
• 1x Myriad Landscape
• 1x Reliquary Tower
• 1x Shimmering Grotto
• 8x Swamp
• 1x Tainted Isle
• 1x Temple of Deceit
• 1x Temple of the False God
• 1x Terramorphic Expanse
• 1x Transguild Promenade
• 1x Underground River
• 1x Warped Landscape

Draw (8)

• 1x Ancient Excavation
• 1x Consecrated Sphinx
• 1x Greed
• 1x Jace's Archivist
• 1x Recurring Insight
• 1x Rhystic Study
• 1x Whispering Madness
• 1x Windfall

Beater (6)

• 1x Consuming Aberration
• 1x Guiltfeeder
• 1x Lord of the Void
• 1x Nemesis of Reason
• 1x Sepulchral Primordial
• 1x Wrexial, the Risen Deep

Evasion (3)

• 1x Swiftfoot Boots
• 1x Thassa, God of the Sea
• 1x Whispersilk Cloak

Copy/Steal (14)

• 1x Clever Impersonator
• 1x Diluvian Primordial
• 1x Dimir Doppelganger
• 1x Domineering Will
• 1x Entrancing Melody
• 1x Geth, Lord of the Vault
• 1x Hostage Taker
• 1x Lord of the Void
• 1x Nightveil Specter
• 1x Phyrexian Metamorph
• 1x Reins of Power
• 1x Rite of Replication
• 1x Spelltwine
• 1x Wrexial, the Risen Deep

Mill (13)

• 1x Altar of Dementia
• 1x Altar of the Brood
• 1x Consuming Aberration
• 1x Geth, Lord of the Vault
• 1x Jace's Archivist
• 1x Lord of the Void
• 1x Memory Erosion
• 1x Mindcrank
• 1x Nemesis of Reason
• 1x Phenax, God of Deception
• 1x Traumatize
• 1x Whispering Madness
• 1x Windfall

Recur (7)

• 1x Animate Dead
• 1x Dimir Doppelganger
• 1x Geth, Lord of the Vault
• 1x Mimic Vat
• 1x Rise of the Dark Realms
• 1x Sepulchral Primordial
• 1x Wrexial, the Risen Deep

Mil (1)

• 1x Nightveil Specter

Commander (1)

Control (13)

• 1x Arcane Denial
• 1x Black Sun's Zenith
• 1x Counterspell
• 1x Crawlspace
• 1x Cyclonic Rift
• 1x Damnation
• 1x Decree of Pain
• 1x Delay
• 1x Dream Fracture
• 1x Muddle the Mixture
• 1x Murder
• 1x Nevinyrral's Disk
• 1x Reins of Power

Ramp (8)

• 1x Chromatic Lantern
• 1x Dimir Cluestone
• 1x Dimir Keyrune
• 1x Dimir Signet
• 1x Dowsing Dagger  ^Flip
• 1x Sol Ring
• 1x Solemn Simulacrum
• 1x Talisman of Dominance

Utility (6)

• 1x Baleful Strix
• 1x Duskmantle Guildmage
• 1x Mimic Vat
• 1x Muddle the Mixture
• 1x Nihil Spellbomb
• 1x Trophy Mage

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Maybeboard

Other (2)

• 1x In Garruk's Wake
• 1x Torrential Gearhulk

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What does the Deck want to do?

Basically, control threats, draw a bunch of cards, and put cards into graveyards and get use out them going/being in the graveyard. Cards like, Lazav, Dimir Mastermind, Rise of the Dark Realms, Geth, Lord of the Vault, Sepulchral Primordial, Consuming Aberration, etc. all help to achieve this end.

How does it achieve this

Through milling, mostly. I wanted to avoid just pure and non-repeatable single target milling unless it's big and has potential for other uses; i.e. Traumatize and Mind Grind are big and pair well with Consuming Aberration, Bloodchief Ascension, etc.

I've also added in Myojin of Night's Reach just to help get stuff in the yard, and screw with people's hands.

Hidden Strength

This deck has the ability to draw a ton of cards. Which, after playing it many times, is it's strength. Consecrated Sphinx is obviously good, and can win you the game. But having more than one is even better! This is a primary clone target - but it will paint you as a huge threat.

Want to draw your whole deck? Notion Thief + Windfall . Often times, I have 15-20 cards in hand, so wheeling into Notion Thief can be hilarious, but very dangerous.

In the original construction I didn't realize how many cards I would be drawing most games, so I thought Reliquary Tower would be fine. Also, one of it's weaknesses is not being able to gain life. As a result, I'm adding Venser's Journal. There have been so many games where I have 20+ cards in hand, and need life.

Hidden Gems

One of the funnest cards in the deck is Delay. Often times 3 turns is enough time to be able to plan for / deal with what's coming. It gives the whole board the potential prioritize that player if what he's casting is a threat to them, and as far as politics go, it doesn't feel as bad a hard counter spell. It may not seem like it, but it is definitely an over performer most of the time.

Some of the other cards that unexpectedly do lot of work are: Recurring Insight - usually I'm drawing 10-14 cards for 6 mana. I'm never disappointed to see this card.

Altar of the Brood - It's very low CMC. It's not threatening, but over the course of the game it's milling 20+ cards if played early.

Similarly, Memory Erosion - This card typically flies under the radar. It's very rarely a prioritized threat, but much like Rhystic Study, it gives you a ton of incremental advantage when left unchecked.

Win Conditions

Part of the fun of the deck is finding your win con. Aside from Duskmantle Guildmage / Bloodchief Ascension + Mindcrank the deck has no built in wins. Instead, I'm adapting to what's being played / at my disposal, I'm looking to steal my opponents win cons / big threats through cards like Praetor's Grasp, the Primordials, and Lord of the Void type cards.

Also, but big fatties can do the job: Guiltfeeder is great when it gets in

Consuming Aberration gets huge fast, and is a great target for Whispersilk Cloak. It can one, two punch people out the game. Make him unblockable, hit someone for a ton, and sac to Altar of Dementia to mill someone else out.

Threat removal

I've opted for heavy use of counter spells instead of a bunch of single target kill spells. I thought, counter spells remove anything, as long as I have the mana, and single target kills can overlap with board clears, of which I have 4. As I've played the deck more, I have added in Murder and may include one or two more, just to be safe, but things like Propaganda and Crawlspace help deal with combat damage pretty well.

Fun interactions: Reins of Power can obviously win you a game, but if you need to clear somebody's board without making the whole table hate you, Altar of Dementia + Reins of Power is a lot of fun.

If used right, Domineering Will can save you / make you some friends in the politics game.

Praetor's Grasp, Lord of the Void, Nightveil Specter, plus the clones in the deck can lead to interactions / combos that aren't part of the design or available to you because of color restrictions. Which, was part of the original design of the deck.

Under performers / Replacements / Experiments

Nightveil Specter - I wanted a something on theme that I could play early, but often it sits in my hand, it's hardly ever the right play except maybe on turn three, and even then, it doesn't do much. Propaganda will take its place.

Mind Grind - Out of the many times I have played this deck, I've probably cast this 1 or 2 times. It can be a decent late game finisher with Consuming Aberration, or Duskmantle Guildmage/Bloodcheif Ascension. I'm keeping it because I need the mill, but very rarely excited to this card in my hand, especially early.

Lazav, Dimir Mastermind - it probably shouldn't be a surprise. An akido type commander that relies on RNG is really swingy. Sometimes it a Consecrated Sphinx, sometimes its a 4/4 with no relevant abilities because having a 4/4 is better than a 3/3.

I've considered replacing him with The Scarab God, but he's really mana heavy, and I'd probably have to do a lot of reworking of my ramp, and add in cards like Training Grounds, and more zombies / cards like Xenographt to take advantage of the scrying. Or, Taigam, Sidisi's Hand, and just putting more reanimation cards in it because having card selection with the ability to at least use my graveyard to remove stuff seems better than relying on RNG and my opponents to have creatures I want to copy. But, we'll see!

Replacements Show

I took out Wrexial, the Risen Deep because it's high CMC, plus it's decent stats and his unblock ability makes it and you a target. PLUS he has to connect with a player, which means you're waiting a whole round before you can start to get value. I may try him again later, but I put in Diluvian Primordial + Spelltwine had have cast both multiple times, and always pretty happy with the result.

Dreamborn Muse - Because my hand is usually larger that anyone else's. Haven't replaced it with a mill card

Experimentations Show

Dowsing Dagger   - Always looking to ramp more, and I cracked it the pre-release so I thought I'd give it a shot

Thaumatic Compass   - Again, cracked it at the pre-realse, don't have a Maze of Ith so I thought I'd give it a go

Also, Leyline of Anticipation is probably something I will add in at somepoint, because this deck could use the ability to lay down things like Lord of the Void, Consuming Aberration, Rise of the Dark Realms, etc. right before your turn.

Notable exclusions:

Glimpse the Unthinkable, et al. It’s single target non-repeatable mill. No thanks.

Bribery: It’s a bit pricey. Might get it later.

Mesmeric Orb: Probably my inexperience talking, but the self mill seems like a huge downside. Might pick it up later and see how it goes.

Sword of Body and Mind: Trying to cut costs. Doesn’t seem like an essential. Though it might be good to have on Lazav for additional evasion, and self triggering copy from the mill.

Overall, I am very happy with this deck. It's the first one I have built myself, and though I am still tinkering here and there, I am fairly satisfied with the deck list. It's a lot of fun, and never quite plays the same, thanks to clones, copies, and steal effects. It also means that your opponents best card(s) have the chance of being YOUR best cards.

I’m happy to hear critiques! I love feedback!

Date added	7 years
Last updated	3 years
Key combos	Bloodchief Ascension + Mindcrank Notion Thief + Windfall Altar of Dementia + Reins of Power Diluvian Primordial + Spelltwine
Legality	This deck is Commander / EDH legal.
Rarity (main - side)	8 - 0 Mythic Rares 36 - 0 Rares 18 - 0 Uncommons 18 - 0 Commons
Cards	100
Avg. CMC	3.56
Tokens	Copy Clone, Plant 0/2 G
Folders	Dimir thief