Belzenlok, Godo's Ugly Cousin

Commander / EDH Combo Competitive Infinite Combo Mono-Black Multiplayer Primer

Bazzul

Lands - Ramp (22)

• 1x Ancient Tomb
• 1x Bottomless Vault
• 1x Branch of Vitu-Ghazi
• 1x Cabal Coffers
• 1x City of Traitors
• 1x Cloudpost
• 1x Crystal Vein
• 1x Ebon Stronghold
• 1x Gemstone Caverns
• 1x Glimmerpost
• 1x Lake of the Dead
• 1x Mage-Ring Network
• 1x Myriad Landscape
• 1x Peat Bog
• 1x Scorched Ruins
• 1x Subterranean Hangar
• 1x Temple of the False God
• 1x Terrain Generator
• 1x Thespian's Stage
• 1x Untaidake, the Cloud Keeper
• 1x Vesuva
• 1x Zoetic Cavern

Tutors (5)

• 1x Beseech the Mirror
• 1x Beseech the Queen
• 1x Diabolic Tutor
• 1x Insidious Dreams
• 1x Mastermind's Acquisition

Combo (14)

• 1x Cackling Imp
• 1x Cinderhaze Wretch
• 1x Deepwood Legate
• 1x Dread
• 1x Dread Return
• 1x Grim Poppet
• 1x Hollow One
• 1x Makeshift Mannequin
• 1x Necrotic Ooze
• 1x Phantasmagorian
• 1x Sibsig Muckdraggers
• 1x Skirge Familiar
• 1x Skithiryx, the Blight Dragon
• 1x Unmask

Utility Cards (9)

• 1x Baleful Mastery
• 1x Boompile
• 1x Grief
• 1x Massacre
• 1x Snuff Out
• 1x Soul Spike
• 1x Virtue of Persistence
• 1x Whack
• 1x Whip of Erebos

Lands - Swamps (35)

• 35x Snow-Covered Swamp

Commander (1)

Lands - Utility (14)

• 1x Blast Zone
• 1x Cavern of Souls
• 1x Command Beacon
• 1x Crypt of Agadeem
• 1x Glacial Chasm
• 1x Mouth of Ronom
• 1x Ominous Cemetery
• 1x Radiant Fountain
• 1x Sheltered Valley
• 1x The Tabernacle at Pendrell Vale
• 1x Underdark Rift
• 1x Urborg, Tomb of Yawgmoth
• 1x War Room
• 1x Yavimaya, Cradle of Growth

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Maybeboard

Alternative combo pieces (25)

• 1x Argivian Avenger
• 1x Betrayal of Flesh
• 1x Bone Miser
• 1x Bone Picker
• 1x Dross Golem
• 1x Endling
• 1x Ever After
• 1x Exquisite Blood
• 1x Lich
• 1x Living Death
• 1x Lotus Guardian
• 1x Mikaeus, the Unhallowed
• 1x Nightmare Void
• 1x Repay in Kind
• 1x Sanguine Bond
• 1x Solarion
• 1x Souldrinker
• 1x Staff of Nin
• 1x Sultai Scavenger
• 1x Syr Konrad, the Grim
• 1x Trazyn the Infinite
• 1x Triskelion
• 1x Twilight's Call
• 1x Voltaic Construct
• 1x Zombify

Ramp (11)

• 1x Crypt Ghast
• 1x Crystalline Crawler
• 1x Firemind Vessel
• 1x Geode Golem
• 1x Gilded Lotus
• 1x Hedron Archive
• 1x K'rrik, Son of Yawgmoth
• 1x Sceptre of Eternal Glory
• 1x Sisay's Ring
• 1x Thran Dynamo
• 1x Ur-Golem's Eye

Less efficient tutors (6)

• 1x Dark Petition
• 1x Demonic Collusion
• 1x Increasing Ambition
• 1x Insidious Dreams
• 1x Liliana Vess
• 1x Razaketh's Rite

Avoid deck out (3)

• 1x Blightsteel Colossus
• 1x Darksteel Colossus
• 1x Dread

Utility Lands (25)

• 1x Bojuka Bog
• 1x Castle Locthwain
• 1x Cavern of Souls
• 1x Crystal Grotto
• 1x Deserted Temple
• 1x Emergence Zone
• 1x Inkmoth Nexus
• 1x Mishra's Factory
• 1x Mouth of Ronom
• 1x Mutavault
• 1x Ominous Cemetery
• 1x Radiant Fountain
• 1x Scrying Sheets
• 1x Sheltered Valley
• 1x Springjack Pasture
• 1x Strip Mine
• 1x Sunken Citadel
• 1x The Grey Havens
• 1x Treasure Vault
• 1x Underdark Rift
• 1x Volrath's Stronghold
• 1x War Room
• 1x Wasteland
• 1x Yavimaya, Cradle of Growth
• 1x Zhalfirin Void

Discard (to protect combo) (9)

• 1x Agonizing Memories
• 1x Extortion
• 1x Haunted Cadaver
• 1x Head Games
• 1x Mind Sludge
• 1x Nightsnare
• 1x Persecute
• 1x Splitting Headache
• 1x Voices from the Void

Hate removal (8)

• 1x Blast Zone
• 1x Boompile
• 1x Introduction to Annihilation
• 1x Meteor Golem
• 1x Nevinyrral's Disk
• 1x Perilous Vault
• 1x Scour from Existence
• 1x Steel Hellkite

Instant speed (1)

• 1x Vedalken Orrery

Cheap spells (18)

• 1x Baleful Mastery
• 1x Contagion
• 1x Curtains' Call
• 1x Deadly Rollick
• 1x Death Rattle
• 1x Grief
• 1x Hagra Mauling  ^Flip
• 1x Massacre
• 1x Muck Drubb
• 1x Murderous Cut
• 1x Nemesis Trap
• 1x Never / Return
• 1x Outbreak
• 1x Price of Fame
• 1x Ravenous Trap
• 1x Shriekmaw
• 1x Spinning Darkness
• 1x Virtue of Persistence

Stax (12)

• 1x Erebos, God of the Dead
• 1x Infernal Darkness
• 1x Karn, the Great Creator
• 1x Koskun Falls
• 1x Lethal Vapors
• 1x Leyline of the Void
• 1x Stench of Evil
• 1x Tainted AEther
• 1x Teferi's Puzzle Box
• 1x The Abyss
• 1x The Tabernacle at Pendrell Vale
• 1x Ward of Bones

Damage prevention/reduction (8)

• 1x Chancellor of the Dross
• 1x Deadly Wanderings
• 1x Glacial Chasm
• 1x Homicidal Seclusion
• 1x Phyrexian Obliterator
• 1x Silent Arbiter
• 1x Uncle Istvan
• 1x Whip of Erebos

Board wipes (4)

• 1x Bane of the Living
• 1x Damnation
• 1x Languish
• 1x Mutilate

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This is a zero-card combo deck from the command zone (like its cousin Godo, Bandit Warlord). If not interrupted, you cast Demonlord Belzenlok and you win on the spot (usually turn 4). If interrupted, this deck efficiently threatens to combo off in the following turns...

Combo

Requirements:

• {4}{B}{B}, an opponent controlling a Forest and you controlling a Swamp,
OR
• {4}{B}{B}{B},
OR
• Deal combat damage to a player with Geode Golem.

Combo:

• 1) Pay {4}{B}{B} to cast Demonlord Belzenlok, putting all the non-land cards from your deck to your hand. (taking at most 28 damage)
- (If low on life you can have Glacial Chasm, Whip of Erebos, Deadly Wanderings or Homicidal Seclusion in play to prevent this damage)
• 2) Cast free spells to protect yourself (exiling non-combo section cards). Grief against the player you suspect has interaction. Massacre to board wipe weak creatures. Soul Spike to kill a problematic creature (stax or combo piece)
- (If you think it is unsafe to proceede, stop here, cast Unmask targeting a player to remove more interaction/combo pieces and attempt a win next turn (see section combo follow up))
• 3) Exile a non-combo section black card to cast Unmask on yourself and discard Phantasmagorian.
• 4) Discard Skirge Familiar, Dread Return, and a non-combo section card to return Phantasmagorian to your hand.
• 5) Cast Deepwood Legate for free.
- (If nobody has a Forest or you don't have a Swamp, you will need an additional {B}; then activate Phantasmagorian two additional times (holding priority, discarding 6 non-combo section cards) to have enough cards to delve into Sibsig Muckdraggers to only pay {B} for it. Also, since Sibsig Muckdraggers’s trigger is not a may, you need an additional creature in the graveyard when the trigger happens to avoid returning Skirge Familiar to your hand, usually the best target is Grief to use another discard)
• 6) Cast Hollow One for free.
• 7) Flash back Dread Return, sacrificing Demonlord Belzenlok, Hollow One and Deepwood Legate to return Skirge Familiar.
- (I recommend casting Hollow One last because you can dodge artifact removal, since you regain priority after Hollow One resolves and sacrificing to Dread Return is a cost)
• 8) Use Skirge Familiar's ability to discard: Skithiryx, the Blight Dragon, Cackling Imp, Grim Poppet, Cinderhaze Wretch and Dread to add {B}{B}{B}{B}{B}.
- (If you want to be extra safe against graveyard hate cards like Endurance; after Skirge Familiar resolves, if you have not cast Sibsig Muckdraggers you may cast it before this step and without discarding any of the aforementioned cards, then get back Grief for a last check. Avoid doing this if you are running out of cards for Skirge Familiar activations, as you may need to pay {B} to give Necrotic Ooze haste on top of interactions against it)
• 9) Pay {B}{B}{B}{B} to cast Necrotic Ooze.
- (If Necrotic Ooze gets countered you can return it with Makeshift Mannequin or Sibsig Muckdraggers)
• 10) Pay {B} to give Necrotic Ooze haste (ability gained from Skithiryx, the Blight Dragon).
• 11) Tap Necrotic Ooze to make an opponent lose 1 life (ability gained from Cackling Imp).
• 12) Put a -1/-1 counter on Necrotic Ooze to untap it (ability gained from Cinderhaze Wretch).
• 13) Target any creature other than Necrotic Ooze, remove the -1/-1 counter from Necrotic Ooze as a cost. Then, before the "Put a -1/-1 counter on another target creature" resolves hold priority (ability gained from Grim Poppet).
• 14) With the "Put a -1/-1 counter on another target creature" on the stack, repeat steps 11-14 until all your opponents are dead.
- (If an opponent attempts to interact after Necrotic Ooze enters the battlefield you may redo steps 10-14 on top of any interaction making Necrotic Ooze practically immune to creature removal cards (without split-second) such as Swords to Plowshares)

Combo follow-up (if interrupted)

Interruption before Belzenlok's ETB:

Ramp and attempt to cast Demonlord Belzenlok again...

Interruption after Belzenlok's ETB and before Skirge Familiar enters the battlefield:

Second attempt: End your turn, keep the following hand at the cleanup step: Necrotic Ooze, Makeshift Mannequin, Sibsig Muckdraggers, Snuff Out and 3 other cards (usually lands). By discarding Dread, it will go to the top of your library, preventing a deck-out next turn, and giving you a second chance to cast Necrotic Ooze (which now has Skirge Familiar's ability). Note that, if during your upkeep another player attempts to kill you by making you draw a card or cast Silence, you can attempt an instant speed win by using Phantasmagorian's ability from the graveyard to discard Necrotic Ooze and follow up with Makeshift Mannequin.

Third attempt: If your second attempt is thwarted, you can use Phantasmagorian's ability from the graveyard to discard Dread a second time, again preventing a deck-out next turn, and giving you a third chance to combo off by reviving Necrotic Ooze with Sibsig Muckdraggers.

Fourth attempt: If your third attempt is thwarted, next turn, during your upkeep, revive Necrotic Ooze with Makeshift Mannequin. If successful, you will combo off without decking-out.

Interruption after Skirge Familiar enters the battlefield and before Necrotic Ooze enters the battlefield :

As mentioned before, if Necrotic Ooze gets countered you can return it with Sibsig Muckdraggers or Makeshift Mannequin.

Interruption after Necrotic Ooze enters the battlefield:

You can use Necrotic Ooze's activated abilities on top of any interaction, making Necrotic Ooze very hard to deal with. Other than split-second cards, you can re-do steps 10-14 on top of any spell or ability.

Mulligan guide

Your primary goal is to have {4}{B}{B} by turn 4. The deck contains 24 lands that "ramp" depending on the board. You usually want a combination of them in your opening hand that allows you to threaten a win by that turn.

With the London mulligan rule you can go very aggressive with your mulligans down to 4 or even 3 cards.

Tutor guide

These are the most commonly tutored cards:

1) "Ramp" lands (Lake of the Dead, Ancient Tomb, City of Traitors and Temple of the False God): The best "ramp" land in the deck is Lake of the Dead, since you only need 3 swamps in play to go off. It may seem weird to tutor for lands, but sometimes on turn 3, you can tutor for an specific land that allows you to have {4}{B}{B} on turn 4. Effectively turning your tutor cards into ramp.

2) Hate removal (Boompile and Introduction to Annihilation): I personally prefer Boompile over other hate removal cards. It's the cheapest and luck is on your side (you have two flips, during the first turn cycle and at the beginning of your next turn). Also, the other options usually can't be activated the turn you play them (Nevinyrral's Disk and Perilous Vault) therefore they could be destroyed before you can use them.

3) Damage mitigation (Glacial Chasm and Whip of Erebos): Sometimes people will focus on attacking you early to prevent you from surviving Demonlord Belzenlok's ETB trigger. You may be forced to tutor these cards to protect your life total.

4) Geode Golem : Allows you to have a lot of free mana the turn Demonlord Belzenlok is cast. With this mana, you can hard cast Skirge Familiar, which in turn allows you to pay for Necrotic Ooze directly as well (making it a fully creature-based win). If Skirge Familiar gets countered, you can simply follow up with the normal combo (thus giving you two shots at comboing off). You can also use the extra mana to exile a hate card with Scour from Existence.

Small word about playing against stax

The deck is surprisingly unaffected by some common stax cards such as Null Rod. Specifically, most hate bears can just be killed with Snuff Out or Soul Spike after you have drawn your deck.

Other stax cards prevent you from casting multiple spells in one turn, effectively preventing us from winning the turn you cast Demonlord Belzenlok. However, you can still attempt to cast Necrotic Ooze in the following turns. Common examples are Arcane Laboratory, Damping Sphere among others.

Finally, these are the stax cards that completely prevent us from winning:

• Commander hate: Drannith Magistrate.
• ETB hate (any card): Torpor Orb, Doorkeeper Thrull, Hushbringer, Tocatli Honor Guard, Hushwing Gryff, Elesh Norn, Mother of Machines.
• Graveyard hate (excluding Grafdigger's Cage and creatures): Leyline of the Void, Rest in Peace...
• Creature activated ability hate (must affect mana abilities and not be a creature): Cursed Totem.

Our only way out of is to use hate removal cards: Boompile, Introduction to Annihilation and Blast Zone. Therefore, against stax heavy decks, it's probably worth keeping slower hands that have tutors or hate removal to avoid getting shut down.

Top Ranked	Achieved #1 position overall 5 years ago
Date added	5 years
Last updated	9 months
Legality	This deck is Commander / EDH legal.
Rarity (main - side)	7 - 0 Mythic Rares 28 - 0 Rares 22 - 0 Uncommons 8 - 0 Commons
Cards	100
Avg. CMC	4.93
Tokens	A Mysterious Creature, Morph 2/2 C, On an Adventure
Folders	Cool decks, cEDH, Dark Roast w/ Caramel and Cinnamon, Fun EDH ideas, Deck ideas, Potential deck list., Other Peoples Dope Decks, cool commander, CCMD, builds