Teysa Karlov - Death is Only the Beginning

Commander / EDH WB (Orzhov)

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Mana Base (38)

• 1x Agadeem's Awakening  ^Flip
• 1x Bojuka Bog
• 1x Brightclimb Pathway  ^Flip
• 1x Cabal Coffers
• 1x Command Tower
• 1x Fabled Passage
• 1x Field of the Dead
• 1x Godless Shrine
• 1x High Market
• 1x Malakir Rebirth  ^Flip
• 1x Marsh Flats
• 1x Mortuary Mire
• 1x Ondu Inversion  ^Flip
• 1x Phyrexian Tower
• 2x Plains
• 1x Polluted Delta
• 1x Prismatic Vista
• 1x Reliquary Tower
• 1x Sejiri Shelter  ^Flip
• 1x Shattered Sanctum
• 2x Snow-Covered Plains
• 4x Snow-Covered Swamp
• 1x Strip Mine
• 3x Swamp
• 1x Urborg, Tomb of Yawgmoth
• 1x Vault of Champions
• 1x Vault of the Archangel
• 1x Verdant Catacombs
• 1x Volrath's Stronghold
• 1x War Room
• 1x Windswept Heath

Token Creation (14)

• 1x Bastion of Remembrance
• 1x Elenda, the Dusk Rose
• 1x Field of the Dead
• 1x Hallowed Spiritkeeper
• 1x Hangarback Walker
• 1x Hunted Witness
• 1x Liliana, Dreadhorde General
• 1x Nightmare Shepherd
• 1x Ogre Slumlord
• 1x Pawn of Ulamog
• 1x Requiem Angel
• 1x Sifter of Skulls
• 1x Spawning Pit *list*
• 1x Wurmcoil Engine

Drain and/or Gain (6)

• 1x Bastion of Remembrance
• 1x Blood Artist
• 1x Cruel Celebrant
• 1x Sengir, the Dark Baron
• 1x Syr Konrad, the Grim
• 1x Zulaport Cutthroat

Force Sac (3)

• 1x Dictate of Erebos
• 1x Liliana, Dreadhorde General
• 1x Priest of Forgotten Gods

Sac Outlet (1)

• 1x High Market

Death Triggers (20)

• 1x Bastion of Remembrance
• 1x Blood Artist
• 1x Cruel Celebrant
• 1x Dark Prophecy
• 1x Dictate of Erebos
• 1x Elenda, the Dusk Rose
• 1x Hallowed Spiritkeeper
• 1x Hangarback Walker
• 1x Hunted Witness
• 1x Massacre Wurm
• 1x Nightmare Shepherd
• 1x Ogre Slumlord
• 1x Pawn of Ulamog
• 1x Pitiless Plunderer
• 1x Requiem Angel
• 1x Sengir, the Dark Baron
• 1x Sifter of Skulls
• 1x Syr Konrad, the Grim
• 1x Wurmcoil Engine
• 1x Zulaport Cutthroat

Ramp/Rock (16)

• 1x Arcane Signet
• 1x Archaeomancer's Map
• 1x Ashnod's Altar
• 1x Cabal Coffers
• 1x Crypt Ghast
• 1x Land Tax
• 1x Orzhov Signet
• 1x Pawn of Ulamog
• 1x Phyrexian Altar
• 1x Phyrexian Tower
• 1x Pitiless Plunderer
• 1x Sifter of Skulls
• 1x Smothering Tithe
• 1x Sol Ring
• 1x Solemn Simulacrum
• 1x Wayfarer's Bauble

Sac Outlets (10)

• 1x Ashnod's Altar
• 1x Costly Plunder
• 1x Diabolic Intent
• 1x Disciple of Bolas
• 1x Phyrexian Altar
• 1x Priest of Forgotten Gods
• 1x Skullclamp
• 1x Spawning Pit *list*
• 1x Vampiric Rites
• 1x Village Rites

Fetch (6)

• 1x Fabled Passage
• 1x Marsh Flats
• 1x Polluted Delta
• 1x Prismatic Vista
• 1x Verdant Catacombs
• 1x Windswept Heath

Utility (2)

• 1x Reliquary Tower
• 1x Vault of the Archangel

Commander (1)

Card Draw/Advantage (17)

• 1x Agadeem's Awakening  ^Flip
• 1x Bolas's Citadel
• 1x Costly Plunder
• 1x Dark Prophecy
• 1x Diabolic Intent
• 1x Disciple of Bolas
• 1x Enlightened Tutor
• 1x Grim Haruspex
• 1x Liliana, Dreadhorde General
• 1x Necropotence
• 1x Night's Whisper
• 1x Priest of Forgotten Gods
• 1x Skullclamp
• 1x Solemn Simulacrum
• 1x Vampiric Rites
• 1x Village Rites
• 1x War Room

Removal/Protection (16)

• 1x Anguished Unmaking
• 1x Attrition
• 1x Austere Command
• 1x Bojuka Bog
• 1x Deadly Rollick
• 1x Feign Death
• 1x Guardian of Faith
• 1x Malakir Rebirth  ^Flip
• 1x Massacre Wurm
• 1x Ondu Inversion  ^Flip
• 1x Oubliette
• 1x Sejiri Shelter  ^Flip
• 1x Strip Mine
• 1x Swords to Plowshares
• 1x Teferi's Protection
• 1x Toxic Deluge

Recursion (7)

• 1x Luminous Broodmoth
• 1x Lurrus of the Dream-Den
• 1x Mortuary Mire
• 1x Nightmare Shepherd
• 1x Reanimate
• 1x Reassembling Skeleton
• 1x Volrath's Stronghold

Token Utility (2)

• 1x Anointed Procession
• 1x Divine Visitation

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Maybeboard

Other (5)

• 1x Exquisite Blood
• 1x Luminous Broodmoth
• 1x Mentor of the Meek
• 1x Sanguine Bond
• 1x Victimize

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DECK SUMMARY OUT OF DATE. LIST UP-TO-DATE.

"Get busy living or get busy living again."

Aristocrats!

Game Plan

The primary goal is to abuse Teysa's ability in typical aristocrats style.

Sac Fodder

We want to sac sac sac and we want to abuse death triggers and have even more sac fodder. As such, we want token related triggers and token creators. In that vein, cards like Hidden Stockpile, Ogre Slumlord, Nightmare Shepherd, and Sifter of Skulls. We also have additional token creators like Hangarback Walker and Elspeth, Sun's Champion. Finally, we have token utility like Divine Visitation and Anointed Procession. Their is quite a bit of token creation in the ramp cards as well.

Sac it

To make our plan work, we need sac outlets to facility our death triggers. We've got the key ramp based sac outlets like Ashnod's Altar, Ashnod's Altar, and Phyrexian Tower. High Market is also in here as another sac option. These are very straightforward sac option, but there are other means of killing creatures. Combat is an obvious option, of course, but even cards like Toxic Deluge or Ob Nixilis, the Hate-Twisted can facilitate this and the last one gives us the benefit of drawing us cards.

Recursion

Since we want to abuse are death triggers, the ability to recur from our graveyard is pretty useful. Hell's Caretaker, Lurrus of the Dream-Den, and Reanimate all do this. We've also included the new Agadeem's Awakening   and Rise of the Dark Realms for more impact

Draw, Ramp, Removal, and Protection

There are a lot of staples in here and we try and take advantage of our aristocrats strategy. That's where Ashnod's Altar, Phyrexian Altar, Crypt Ghast, and Pitiless Plunderer come into play aisde from your common Urborg, Tomb of Yawgmoth/Cabal Coffers combo along with rocks like Arcane Signet and Sol Ring.

For Removal and protection, we run a suite that feeds into our strategy as well. Archon of Justice gives us a death trigger for targeted removal. Toxic Deluge can do the same. Staples in our colors like Utter End, Despark and Mortify are here. Board wipes like Austere Command and the before mentioned Toxic Deluge give us options. Finally, Elesh Norn, Grand Cenobite can ruin our opponents plans and buff us if needed, while Teferi's Protection is an auto-include.

Not sure there are many draw surprises in here and we lean into our tokens and triggers to make it happen. Bolas's Citadel, Costly Plunder, Harvester of Souls, and Disciple of Bolas all do this. The typical token staple of Skullclamp is here.

Death and Damage

The deck might get wide sometimes, but its goal is to strangle our opponents through triggered damage. Sure, you have typical Blood Artist shenanigans. I mean how many of these effects can we have? Quite a lot, as it turns out. Bastion of Remembrance, Cruel Celebrant, and Zulaport Cutthroat will do. Adding in the synergistic Butcher of Malakir, Masscre Wurm, and Dictate of Erebos.

Concerns

Vault of the Archangel is a little bit of an odd card out. It can apply pressure and keep us sticking around longer, but I am just not sure it adds enough value. Solemn Simulacrum is also an old staple that isn't played nearly as much anymore and really is in here because the death trigger will double some times and draw a whopping 2 cards instead of one. That's not enough value and there are probably other options that fit the bill better, even something less efficient like Dark Tutelage.

Feedback is welcome, especially from the maybe board and what to replace. Thanks!

Date added	5 years
Last updated	2 years
Legality	This deck is Commander / EDH legal.
Rarity (main - side)	14 - 0 Mythic Rares 45 - 0 Rares 20 - 0 Uncommons 10 - 0 Commons
Cards	100
Avg. CMC	3.11
Tokens	2/2 C Artifact Creature Spawn, Angel 4/4 W, Angel 4/4 W w/ Vigilance, Companion Zone, Copy Clone, Eldrazi Scion 1/1 C, Eldrazi Spawn 0/1 C, Human Soldier 1/1 W, Morph 2/2 C, Rat 1/1 B, Soldier 1/1 W w/ Lifelink, Spirit 1/1 W, Thopter 1/1 C, Treasure, Vampire 1/1 W, Wurm 3/3 C w/ Deathtouch, Wurm 3/3 C w/ Lifelink, Zombie 2/2 B
Folders	edh ideas