Sideboard


"It was Traft who called them, and they answered his summons. Up from the ground, swooping down from the roiling sky, soaring toward them from the High City, came hundreds of glowing white forms. Out from the mausoleums and the Blessed Grafs, the spirits of the dead came to the aid of the living. Some rode on spectral steeds, some carried ghostly spears and swords, some were aged and battle-hardened, and some were little children."

~

As the fog rolls in, temperatures drop, and supernatural dread blankets the land, the legions of the fallen return to haunt the corporeal world. Death can neither sever the departed's ties to the world nor stop their inexorable march, and even as they fade in battle other spirits quickly take their place in the ranks. As assured as the inescapably of death, the army of the forgotten is as inexhaustible and unending.

They linger, recalcitrant and shackled to the waking world, compelled to find closure to questions and conflicts left unresolved in life. Saint Traft was once a renowned and valorous demon slayer who fought alongside angels from on-high before his tragic fall in unholy combat. Seeking retribution, Traft's restless spirit endured to continue his crusade. Still blessed with a guardian angel ever at his side, the Geist of Saint Traft remains ardent, leading the endless charge of lost souls to protect the living and rain down holy terror on the impure.


Make Contact:

  1. Uncover the ghostly secrets of your deck by following clues; cards with the unique “Investigate” mechanic unearth more cards to discover and utilize at your convenience. Some of these cards (Hard Evidence, Humble the Brute, etc.) are single-use with various effects, while others like Bygone Bishop and Search the Premises will continually trigger as long as they remain on the field. Erdwal Illuminator can assist you in your search for clues.

  2. Members of your ephemeral army are generally low-cost and passive, and serve a variety of roles as they haunt the battlefield: they sift through the deck and maintain momentum (Geist of the Archives, Sturmgeist, etc.), support and protect each other (Drogskol Captain, Spectral Shepherd, etc.), and suppress threats (Topplegeist, Niblis of Frost, etc). In addition to being faithful blockers, many spirits can also go on the offensive and that can slip through opponents' defenses due to their flying ability.

  3. The Geist of Saint Traft is aggressively-costed and features natural protection, so he's perfectly suited to powering up and going on the offensive. The arsenal of Auras in the deck are split between powering up Traft or your other creatures (Ghostly Wings, Hope Against Hope, etc.) and maintain advantage (Curiosity and Call to the Kindred), or even to subdue opposing creatures (Sleep Paralysis, Spectral Prison, etc). Stall with unobtrusive spirits while you carefully and slowly construct a selection of Aura equipment for Traft to close out the game.

  4. Traft’s angel token is not only an elusive attacker that dodges in and out of battles, but also a combo piece for cards like Bishop of Wings, Seraph Sanctuary and Sanctifier of Souls. You can double the angelic fury by equipping another creature with Invocation of Saint Traft, or even equip it to Traft himself to call forth two angels when he attacks.

  5. Death is a mere inconvenience for your deck, and your creatures can continue serve from beyond the grave. Overwhelmed Archivist  and Dennick, Pious Apprentice  return to the field as spirits with new stats and effects, and Nearheath Chaplain can exile himself for extra spirit tokens. Dorothea, Vengeful Victim  returns in the form of an Aura that behaves similarly to Traft's angel, and Seance allows you to relive a different one of your spirit's effects each turn-- potentially to have them serve as blockers as well.


Sub-Commander Option

Millicent, Restless Revenant: Formerly a kindhearted mayor hoping to heal the broken and dire lives of her parishioners, this banshee has now united the unquieted dead under her rule, and their mournful chorus of vengeance will be heard all across Innistrad as they aim to make the living suffer just as they had.

With Millicent as your commander, the deck’s focus completely shifts from relying on one creature to relying on a full field of creatures to overwhelm opponents. Whereas Traft makes an early impact and continues to be supported throughout the game with Enchantments, Millicent requires a proper field of spirits in order for her to be cast efficiently. Once she’s out though your Spirit army will grow exponentially and she can be re-cast with ease. With Millicent at the forefront, the deck’s innate strength of hard-to-block fliers is highlighted also.


Part of a 5-way Innistrad Pentagram/ Commander series:

1) Leinore’s Witching Hour- Humans assemble to outlive opponents, escalating in formability and bolstering their ranks.

2) Saint Traft's Lost Army- Spirits and Angels attack effortlessly from above to slowly grind opponents to the bone.

3) Wilhelt's Graveyard Smash- Zombies rise from the grave to overwhelm opponents, entirely overrunning the field.

4) Florian's Sanguine Soiree- Vampires strengthen themselves and swarm the field to strike opponents when they're vulnerable.

5) Tovolar's Full Moon Slaughter- Werewolves transform to butcher opponents and curse them to manipulate the state of the game.

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Comments

98% Casual

Competitive

Date added 6 years
Last updated 1 year
Legality

This deck is Commander / EDH legal.

Rarity (main - side)

5 - 1 Mythic Rares

33 - 0 Rares

22 - 0 Uncommons

10 - 0 Commons

Cards 100
Avg. CMC 3.22
Tokens Angel 4/4 W, Clue, Copy Clone, Crab, Morph 2/2 C, Spirit 1/1 U, Spirit 1/1 W, Spirit 4/4 W
Folders need to build, Commander, edh decks, Decks to try, Guy Fieri's Flavortown, inspiration for budget commander decks, EDH, Innistrad EDH, Commander decks
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