Varina, Lich Queen test by Thisisdumb

Format: Commander

Commander: Varina, Lich Queen

Bracket: 4

DeckCheck Threat Index: 50

Deck overview

This deck is an optimized Esper Aristocrats combo-control strategy commanded by Varina, Lich Queen. It leverages Zombie tribal synergies and aggressive looting to sculpt its hand and fill the graveyard with recursion targets. While capable of generating wide zombie swarms and applying creature pressure with lords like Death Baron and Undead Warchief, its primary route to victory is assembling an infinite sacrifice loop using Gravecrawler, a sacrifice outlet such as Phyrexian Altar or Warren Soultrader, and a life-drain payoff like Corpse Knight, Diregraf Captain, or Ayara, First of Locthwain. Backed by high-tier free interaction (Force of Will, Fierce Guardianship, Deadly Rollick) and turn-silencing protection (Grand Abolisher, Silence), the deck reliably protects its developmental turns. Broad attrition pieces like Grave Pact and Dictate of Erebos keep opposing creature boards clear while the engine prepares to execute a same-turn table kill around Turn 5.

Decklist (100 cards)

• 1 Animate Dead
• 1 Arcane Signet
• 1 Ayara, First of Locthwain
• 1 Bolas's Citadel
• 1 Carrion Feeder
• 1 Cemetery Reaper
• 1 City of Brass
• 1 Corpse Knight
• 1 Counterspell
• 1 Culling the Weak
• 1 Cyclonic Rift
• 1 Dark Ritual
• 1 Deadly Rollick
• 1 Death Baron
• 1 Demonic Tutor
• 1 Deserted Beach
• 1 Diabolic Intent
• 1 Dictate of Erebos
• 1 Diregraf Captain
• 1 Diregraf Colossus
• 1 Enlightened Tutor
• 1 Entomb
• 1 Esper Sentinel
• 1 Eternal Skylord
• 1 Fierce Guardianship
• 1 Flawless Maneuver
• 1 Fleshbag Marauder
• 1 Folk Hero
• 1 Force of Will
• 1 Ghoulcaller Gisa
• 1 God-Eternal Bontu
• 1 Godless Shrine
• 1 Grand Abolisher
• 1 Grave Pact
• 1 Gravecrawler
• 1 Gray Merchant of Asphodel
• 1 Grimgrin, Corpse-Born
• 1 Hallowed Fountain
• 1 Hordewing Skaab
• 5 Island
• 1 Jadar, Ghoulcaller of Nephalia
• 1 Kalitas, Traitor of Ghet
• 1 Lich Lord of Unx
• 1 Liliana, Death's Majesty
• 1 Lord of the Accursed
• 1 Lord of the Undead
• 1 Lotus Petal
• 1 Loyal Subordinate
• 1 Mana Drain
• 1 Marsh Flats
• 1 Mikaeus, the Unhallowed
• 1 Morphic Pool
• 1 Mox Amber
• 1 Mystic Remora
• 1 Pact of Negation
• 1 Path to Exile
• 1 Phyrexian Altar
• 1 Phyrexian Tower
• 4 Plains
• 1 Polluted Delta
• 1 Raffine's Tower
• 1 Reanimate
• 1 Rhystic Study
• 1 Scalding Tarn
• 1 Shipwreck Marsh
• 1 Silence
• 1 Smothering Tithe
• 1 Sol Ring
• 8 Swamp
• 1 Swan Song
• 1 Swords to Plowshares
• 1 Teferi's Protection
• 1 Three Tree City
• 1 Tomb Tyrant
• 1 Toxic Deluge
• 1 Turbulent Moor
• 1 Undead Warchief
• 1 Vampiric Tutor
• 1 Varina, Lich Queen
• 1 Vault of Champions
• 1 Verdant Catacombs
• 1 Void Rend
• 1 Warren Soultrader
• 1 Watery Grave
• 1 Wilhelt, the Rotcleaver
• 1 Zul Ashur, Lich Lord