When I first saw Gonti, Lord of Luxury spoiled, I thought, "I want to build an EDH deck around that." Then I thought, "I'm hungry," so I ate a sandwich. Then I got distracted by doing something else. Eventually, after many distractions and various items of the food variety, I got around to creating this list.
This list is all about abusing enter-the-battlefield (ETB) triggers. Black isn't generally known as the best color for ETB, but it actually has some pretty fun and even competitive options. And the way I've built the list, you can use artifacts to get around some of the limitations of mono-black (no Beast Within or even Utter End for artifacts and enchantments, no stack control, etc.).
Basically, you'll like the deck if you like:
- Abusing ETB triggers without having to play white or blue for blink effects
- Killing anything that moves
- Bringin' back the dead (often combined with killing anything that moves)
- Grinding out insane value by combining all of the above
- Winning by steadily draining the entire board
- Playing around with Big Black Mana
You probably won't like the deck if you:
- Hate fun
- Have to win with your commander
- Want an infinite amount of infinite combos (I only run two)
- Like winning in the first few turns
- Think other colors are kewl
With the assortment of creatures and artifacts in the deck, you can go forth and conquer with a titillating array of ETB triggers, such as:
There are generally three ways to win the game:
- Grind out value turn after turn through superior recursion
- One-shot the table with a Big Black Mana-fueled Exsanguinate
- Go almost infinite with ridiculous Gray Merchant of Asphodel chains.
Infinite Combo
As mentioned, I only run two infinite combos. The first is the classic Grave Titan+Ashnod's Altar+Nim Deathmantle combo that generates infinite zombie tokens and infinite colorless mana. You can pair it with Exsanguinate if you can't attack because of Ghostly Prison effects.
You can also win with Marionette Master, which is superior to Grave Titan because you don't have to attack with your infinite Servos. You can kill them on the spot because each time you sac a Servo, Marionette Master punches your opponents in the throat equal to her power.
The second combo is my favorite in the entire world of Magic. Combine Mikaeus, the Unhallowed with Ashnod's Altar, Grim Poppet, and your commander and you can strip everyone's deck of EVERY SINGLE NONLAND CARD and then CAST EVERYTHING with infinite mana. Pulling off this combo is one of the most fun things I've ever done. If you want to make it more consistent, throw in Buried Alive, have the Altar on the field and your commander in the yard or on the battlefield, and use a mass resurrection spell of your choice for fun shenanigans. This combo doesn't automatically win the game in that it doesn't actually kill your opponents, but everyone will scoop immediately because they'll be dead soon enough, one way or the other. Fun fun.
Big Black Mana
As mentioned, you can win through Big Black Mana. The foundation is Urborg, Tomb of Yawgmoth+Cabal Coffers, plus Vesuva or Thespian's Stage to double or triple up on Coffers.
In addition, you have Magus of the Coffers, Crypt Ghast, and Nirkana Revenant as ways to generate tons of mana. And if you have devotion - which you eventually will - you'll play with my best friend from RTR/THS Standard, Nykthos, Shrine to Nyx.
Generate a ton of mana and suck their blood to death in one shot, or use your mana to bounce and replay dudes, which leads us to...
Value Town
There are several ways to abuse ETB triggers. Strionic Resonator is your best friend because you can double any ETB trigger. Panharmonicon allows you to do the same, because it's a freakin' sweet card. Erratic Portal provides an easy way to return creatures to your hand so you can do it all again. Cloudstone Curio accomplishes the same thing as long as you have one creature on the board and one in your hand, and Conjurer's Closet and Mimic Vat allow for more ETB shenanigans. Finally, there's the delicious Blade of Selves that doubles, triples, or quadruples your ETB triggers. (Slap it on Gray Merchant of Asphodel and drink in delicious tears of sorrow.)
Plus, you have sac outlets like Ashnod's Altar, Disciple of Bolas, and Merciless Executioner to throw your dudes in the yard so you can resurrect them with:
With enough devotion and a few tools - like Gray Merchant of Asphodel+Cloudstone Curio+any other creature+ plenty of mana - you can drain the entire board fairly quickly.
THE BEST PART OF THE ENTIRE DECK
Oh, did I mention the best part? YOU CAN PLAY ANY SPELL IN THE GAME. ANY OF THEM.
Want to counter some weak, pathetic ploy to win the game? Play Counterspell. Want to watch the entire world burn? Play Comet Storm. Feel like a bunch of artifacts and enchantments are just pissing you off? Throw down Bane of Progress.
How do you do this? How do you play in all five colors? You play Gonti, Lord of Luxury, that's how. You can steal cards from their library and play them using the deck this mana can produce, no matter what the color, as long as the card is exiled. Gonti doesn't even have to be on the field.
That is awesome, guys and gals. You haven't lived until you've countered a game-winning combo from your opponent with their own spell. Suck it, blue players. Suck it.
Anyway, if you like abusing the hell out of ETB triggers and playing a really fun commander that never plays the same game twice, try ol' Gonti, Lord of Luxury.
