The Real Archnemesis by slate_golem

Format: Commander

Commander: Zenos yae Galvus // Shinryu, Transcendent Rival

Bracket: 3

Deck overview

This mono-black control deck uses Zenos yae Galvus as a selective board wipe and a bridge to Shinryu, Transcendent Rival. Zenos enters for {3}{B}{B}, gives other creatures -2/-2, and transforms into an 8/8 flying Dragon when the chosen creature dies. Shinryu wins the game outright when its chosen opponent loses, so you only need to kill one player. You control the board with dense single-target removal, force the transform, then protect Shinryu with equipment for hexproof, shroud, and evasion. Backup wins do not need combat: Gray Merchant of Asphodel, Exsanguinate, and Torment of Hailfire drain the table, doubled by Bloodletter of Aclazotz and fueled by Crypt Ghast and Cabal Coffers.

Decklist (100 cards)

  • 1 Ad Nauseam
  • 1 Arcane Signet
  • 1 Astarion's Thirst
  • 1 Black Market Connections
  • 1 Bloodletter of Aclazotz
  • 1 Bubbling Muck
  • 1 Cabal Coffers
  • 1 Charcoal Diamond
  • 1 Command Beacon
  • 1 Commander's Plate
  • 1 Crypt Ghast
  • 1 Cut Down
  • 1 Dark Confidant
  • 1 Dark Ritual
  • 1 Deadly Rollick
  • 1 Defile
  • 1 Detection Tower
  • 1 Enduring Tenacity
  • 1 Exsanguinate
  • 1 Feign Death
  • 1 Fireshrieker
  • 1 Go for the Throat
  • 1 Gray Merchant of Asphodel
  • 1 Grim Servant
  • 1 Grim Tutor
  • 1 Infernal Grasp
  • 1 Jet Medallion
  • 1 Kaya's Ghostform
  • 1 Liliana of the Dark Realms
  • 1 Maha, Its Feathers Night
  • 1 Malakir Rebirth // Malakir Mire
  • 1 Massacre Wurm
  • 1 Maze of Ith
  • 1 Minas Morgul, Dark Fortress
  • 1 Mind Stone
  • 1 Morbid Opportunist
  • 1 Necropotence
  • 1 Night's Whisper
  • 1 No Mercy
  • 1 Not Dead After All
  • 1 Opposition Agent
  • 1 Quietus Spike
  • 1 Read the Bones
  • 1 Reanimate
  • 1 Rogue's Passage
  • 1 Scheming Silvertongue // Sign in Blood
  • 1 Sheoldred's Edict
  • 1 Sheoldred, the Apocalypse
  • 1 Shizo, Death's Storehouse
  • 1 Sign in Blood
  • 1 Snuff Out
  • 1 Sol Ring
  • 1 Sorin Markov
  • 1 Summon: Primal Odin
  • 30 Swamp
  • 1 Swiftfoot Boots
  • 1 Temporal Extortion
  • 1 Thran Dynamo
  • 1 Torment of Hailfire
  • 1 Tragic Slip
  • 1 Trailblazer's Boots
  • 1 Undying Malice
  • 1 Unstable Molecule Suit
  • 1 Unstoppable Slasher
  • 1 Urborg, Tomb of Yawgmoth
  • 1 Village Rites
  • 1 Vorpal Sword
  • 1 Whispersilk Cloak
  • 1 Winter Orb
  • 1 Worn Powerstone
  • 1 Zenos yae Galvus // Shinryu, Transcendent Rival