The Nightmare King

Casual Budget Discard Mill Theme/Gimmick UB (Dimir) Vorthos

KrimeFyta

Creature (13)

• 3x Consuming Aberration
• 2x Dream Stalker
• 4x Faceless Butcher
• 2x Mesmeric Fiend
• 2x Somnophore

Enchantment (4)

• 2x Dream Leash
• 2x Sleep Paralysis

Artifact (2)

• 2x Mistvein Borderpost

Land (24)

• 2x Dismal Backwater
• 2x Dismal Backwater
• 10x Island
• 6x Swamp
• 4x Temple of Deceit

Instant (4)

• 2x Send to Sleep
• 2x Terror

Sorcery (11)

• 3x Extract from Darkness
• 2x Nightsnare
• 2x Sleep
• 4x Startled Awake  ^Flip

Planeswalker (2)

• 2x Ashiok, Nightmare Weaver

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Maybeboard

Creature (3)

• 1x Hypnox
• 1x Psychic Symbiont
• 1x Swimmer in Nightmares

Enchantment (2)

• 1x Ashiok's Erasure
• 1x Dismiss into Dream

Sorcery (1)

• 1x Worst Fears

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Tremble at the terrifying powers of the Nightmare King! This is a black and blue casual deck that makes use of illusions, horrors, and anything else that I've personally deemed theme-appropriate. Being that it shares the colors of House Dimir, there's some milling to be found in here. I often play against this grinning fool by the name of Jay-Key, and there's nothing more satisfying than watching him solemnly distribute his precious, fancy cards into his graveyard.

Construction

There's a set of ridiculous and specific rules that I kept in mind when I constructed this Jay-Key-stomper, and they include these:

1.) NON-NIGHTMARES NEED NOT INQUIRE | It's a nightmare deck, isn't it!? Nightmares and illusions are the creature-type I'm rolling with, because we're trying to access a central theme. It's more fun for me if that theme is achieved, and my table-banter benefits from it. What are you afraid of, Jay-Key!?

2.) UNAFFILIATED ILLUSIONS ONLY | These nightmares are mine to control. Horrors who have a tattoo (a.k.a. "watermark") of their chosen clan or guild (such as Horror of the Dim for example,) may not ride in the Nightmare King's company van. They've chosen their lot in life--much like that aforementioned, wild-eyed baboon, Jay-Key. The keen-eyed among you might notice Consuming Aberration, a Dimir-aligned heavy among my nightmare creatures--but it's the Commander 2016 printing, which features no watermark!

3.) STARTLED AWAKE IS INTRACTABLY AWESOME | When Startled Awake  was printed, I decided to collect a playset of them and build this deck. I mean, isn't it a rad card? I don't know if it's a "good" card per se, but I do love it so.

Consideration

Motivation: When building and/or playing the Nightmare King deck, it's important to keep in mind that raw, primal fear and impenetrable darkness swirl around you like octopus ink as the horrific imaginings of mortals frolic in depravity for your sadistic pleasure.

Concerns: Decks that thrive on a big graveyard would not be the ideal opponent for this deck. I'm worried that zombies aren't really concerned about bad dreams.

Date added	7 years
Last updated	4 years
Exclude colors	WRG
Legality	This deck is Casual legal.
Rarity (main - side)	6 - 0 Mythic Rares 11 - 0 Rares 5 - 0 Uncommons 20 - 0 Commons
Cards	60
Avg. CMC	3.67
Folders	Possible new deck, KrimeFyta's Shadow Council, Fan Decks, Ideas