Man in the Woods by REGELDUDES

Format: Commander

Commander: Istvan, Butcher of Eln

Bracket: 3

DeckCheck Threat Index: 39

Deck overview

This deck leverages Istvan, Butcher of Eln as both an immovable combat wall and an exponential voltron threat. By running a dense package of fleshbag-style edict creatures and sacrifice spells, the deck systematically clears opposing boards while simultaneously granting Istvan two +1/+1 counters for every opposing creature that dies. Because Istvan prevents all creature damage dealt to him, he easily survives creature combat while attacking each turn. The game plan accelerates mana in the early turns, establishes Istvan by turn 3 or 4, and uses continuous board wipes and sacrifice effects to grow him into lethal commander damage range by turn 5. Direct life loss cards like Rite of Consumption and Essence Harvest convert Istvan's massive power into instant player eliminations, bypassing blockers and closing games around turn 7.

Decklist (100 cards)

  • 1 Accursed Marauder
  • 1 Arcane Signet
  • 1 Beseech the Mirror
  • 1 Black Market Connections
  • 1 Blade of the Bloodchief
  • 1 Bloodline Recollector // Ancestral Craving
  • 1 Bojuka Bog
  • 1 Bubbling Muck
  • 1 Cabal Ritual
  • 1 Castle Locthwain
  • 1 Charcoal Diamond
  • 1 Dark Ritual
  • 1 Defile
  • 1 Demon's Disciple
  • 1 Drivnod, Carnage Dominus
  • 1 Essence Harvest
  • 1 Eternal Thirst
  • 1 Extract a Confession
  • 1 Feed the Swarm
  • 1 Fell the Profane // Fell Mire
  • 1 Fellwar Stone
  • 1 Final Strike
  • 1 Flare of Malice
  • 1 Fleshbag Marauder
  • 1 Gravelighter
  • 1 Imp's Mischief
  • 1 Infernal Grasp
  • 1 Istvan, Butcher of Eln
  • 1 Jet Medallion
  • 1 Leaden Myr
  • 1 Lich's Relic
  • 1 Lightning Greaves
  • 1 Lotus Petal
  • 1 Make an Example
  • 1 Malakir Rebirth // Malakir Mire
  • 1 Mandate of Abaddon
  • 1 Massacre Wurm
  • 1 Maximum Overdrive
  • 1 Merciless Executioner
  • 1 Midnight Reaper
  • 1 Momentum Breaker
  • 1 Morbid Opportunist
  • 1 Necrosynthesis
  • 1 Night's Whisper
  • 1 Oblivion's Hunger
  • 1 Orcish Medicine
  • 1 Ornithopter of Paradise
  • 1 Pestilence
  • 1 Phyrexian Arena
  • 1 Plaguecrafter
  • 1 Plaza of Heroes
  • 1 Reverent Howl
  • 1 Rise of the Deathbringer
  • 1 Rite of Consumption
  • 1 Rogue's Passage
  • 1 Rush of Vitality
  • 1 Sadistic Glee
  • 1 Sheoldred's Edict
  • 1 Shizo, Death's Storehouse
  • 1 Sign in Blood
  • 1 Sinister Gnarlbark
  • 1 Snuff Out
  • 1 Sol Ring
  • 1 Soul Shatter
  • 25 Swamp
  • 1 Swiftfoot Boots
  • 1 Tarrian's Soulcleaver
  • 1 The Masamune
  • 1 Toxic Deluge
  • 1 Tragic Slip
  • 1 Tyrite Sanctum
  • 1 Virtus's Maneuver
  • 1 War Room
  • 1 Witch's Clinic
  • 1 Witch's Cottage
  • 1 Withering Torment