chthonian grind by ithilbun

Format: Commander

Commander: Braids, Arisen Nightmare

Bracket: 4

DeckCheck Threat Index: 54

Deck overview

This mono-black attrition deck uses Braids, Arisen Nightmare to convert cheap, disposable permanents into massive card advantage and life drain. The deck specializes in sacrificing unusual permanent types—specifically Jace planeswalker tokens generated via empower spells, Wicked Role enchantment tokens, and cantrip artifacts—ensuring opponents rarely have matching permanents to sacrifice. This yields up to 3 extra cards and 6 total table damage every single turn cycle starting as early as Turn 3. The massive influx of resources quickly transitions into lethal life drain through cards like Sheoldred, the Apocalypse, Mirkwood Bats, and Bloodchief Ascension. The deck caps off its attrition plan with recursive Gray Merchant of Asphodel lines powered by Chthonian Nightmare and efficient reanimation spells. Backed by free removal like Deadly Rollick and hate pieces like Dauthi Voidwalker, it systematically grinds out opposing life totals while maintaining total control of the resource ledger.

Decklist (100 cards)

  • 1 Agadeem's Awakening // Agadeem, the Undercrypt
  • 1 Arcane Signet
  • 1 Ayara, First of Locthwain
  • 1 Bastion of Remembrance
  • 1 Beseech the Mirror
  • 1 Bitterbloom Bearer
  • 1 Bitterblossom
  • 1 Black Market Connections
  • 1 Bloodchief Ascension
  • 1 Bloodghast
  • 1 Bloodstained Mire
  • 1 Bontu's Monument
  • 1 Braids, Arisen Nightmare
  • 1 Bubbling Muck
  • 1 Cabal Coffers
  • 1 Cabal Ritual
  • 1 Chthonian Nightmare
  • 1 Crypt Ghast
  • 1 Dark Ritual
  • 1 Dauthi Voidwalker
  • 1 Deadly Rollick
  • 1 Defile
  • 1 Demonic Counsel
  • 1 Demonic Tutor
  • 1 Diabolic Intent
  • 1 Dismember
  • 1 Dreadhorde Invasion
  • 1 Entomb
  • 1 Feed the Swarm
  • 1 Fellwar Stone
  • 1 Gemstone Caverns
  • 1 Gray Merchant of Asphodel
  • 1 Greedy Freebooter
  • 1 Ichor Wellspring
  • 1 Imp's Mischief
  • 1 Insidious Dreams
  • 1 Jadar, Ghoulcaller of Nephalia
  • 1 Jet Medallion
  • 1 Kaya's Ghostform
  • 1 Liliana Vess
  • 1 Lord Skitter's Blessing
  • 1 Marsh Flats
  • 1 Mirkwood Bats
  • 1 Mithril Coat
  • 1 Mox Amber
  • 1 Mycosynth Wellspring
  • 1 Night's Whisper
  • 1 Not Dead After All
  • 1 Orcish Bowmasters
  • 1 Phyrexian Reclamation
  • 1 Phyrexian Tower
  • 1 Pitiless Plunderer
  • 1 Polluted Delta
  • 1 Priest of Gix
  • 1 Prismatic Vista
  • 1 Prized Statue
  • 1 Ral Zarek, Guest Lecturer
  • 1 Reanimate
  • 1 Rewrite Regrets
  • 1 Sephiroth, Fabled SOLDIER // Sephiroth, One-Winged Angel
  • 1 Shambling Ghast
  • 1 Sheoldred, the Apocalypse
  • 20 Snow-Covered Swamp
  • 1 Snuff Out
  • 1 Sol Ring
  • 1 Solve for Disappointment
  • 1 Swiftfoot Boots
  • 1 Takenuma, Abandoned Mire
  • 1 The One Ring
  • 1 The Soul Stone
  • 1 Treacherous Blessing
  • 1 Unearth
  • 1 Urborg, Tomb of Yawgmoth
  • 1 Verdant Catacombs
  • 1 Volrath's Stronghold
  • 1 Vraska's Final Mercy
  • 1 Warren Soultrader
  • 1 Way of the Deathbringer
  • 1 Way of the Necromancer
  • 1 Witch's Cottage
  • 1 Withering Torment