Goad for the throat by jankclonk

Format: Commander

Commander: Marchesa, Dealer of Death

Bracket: 3

DeckCheck Threat Index: 36

Deck overview

This Grixis deck combines Marchesa, Dealer of Death with a heavy goad and reanimation strategy. The primary game plan uses low-cost crime triggers—such as Desert ping lands, targeted interaction, and goad auras—to activate Marchesa's ability, drawing cards while filling the graveyard with high-cost bombs. Cards like Kardur, Doomscourge, Geode Rager, and The Rani force opponents to attack one another, draining their life totals and neutralizing threatening attackers while Propaganda and No Mercy protect your board. Once opposing life totals are depleted and key creatures are in graveyards, the deck finishes the game using reanimation spells like Reanimate, Animate Dead, and Rise of the Dark Realms to bring back threats like Lord Xander, the Collector and Ancient Brass Dragon, or by casting Insurrection and Mob Rule to turn the entire battlefield against the remaining players for a decisive combat victory.

Decklist (100 cards)

  • 1 Alexios, Deimos of Kosmos
  • 1 An Offer You Can't Refuse
  • 1 Ancient Brass Dragon
  • 1 Anger
  • 1 Animate Dead
  • 1 Arcane Signet
  • 1 Birgi, God of Storytelling // Harnfel, Horn of Bounty
  • 1 Blasphemous Act
  • 1 Blightstep Pathway // Searstep Pathway
  • 1 Blood Crypt
  • 1 Bloodstained Mire
  • 1 Bloodthirsty Blade
  • 1 Bojuka Bog
  • 1 Bothersome Quasit
  • 1 Brash Taunter
  • 1 Chaos Warp
  • 1 City of Brass
  • 1 Clearwater Pathway // Murkwater Pathway
  • 1 Command Tower
  • 1 Curse of Opulence
  • 1 Dance of the Dead
  • 1 Deadly Rollick
  • 1 Entomb
  • 1 Eroded Canyon
  • 1 Eye of Nidhogg
  • 1 Faithless Looting
  • 1 Fellwar Stone
  • 1 Fierce Guardianship
  • 1 Firkraag, Cunning Instigator
  • 1 Forbidden Orchard
  • 1 Frantic Search
  • 1 Frenzied Gorespawn
  • 1 Geode Rager
  • 1 Ghoulish Impetus
  • 1 Gitaxian Probe
  • 1 Grenzo, Havoc Raiser
  • 1 Incarnation Technique
  • 1 Insurrection
  • 1 Island
  • 1 Jagged Barrens
  • 1 Jeska's Will
  • 1 Karazikar, the Eye Tyrant
  • 1 Kardur, Doomscourge
  • 1 Kazuul, Tyrant of the Cliffs
  • 1 Living Death
  • 1 Lord Xander, the Collector
  • 1 Luxury Suite
  • 1 Marchesa, Dealer of Death
  • 1 Maze of Ith
  • 1 Metamorphosis Fanatic
  • 1 Mob Rule
  • 1 Morphic Pool
  • 2 Mountain
  • 1 Necromancy
  • 1 No Mercy
  • 1 Orcish Bowmasters
  • 1 Otawara, Soaring City
  • 1 Pinnacle Monk // Mystic Peak
  • 1 Plaza of Heroes
  • 1 Polluted Delta
  • 1 Prismatic Vista
  • 1 Propaganda
  • 1 Rakdos, Patron of Chaos
  • 1 Reanimate
  • 1 Reflecting Pool
  • 1 Ripples of Undeath
  • 1 Rise of the Dark Realms
  • 1 Scalding Tarn
  • 1 Sepulchral Primordial
  • 1 Servant of the Stinger
  • 1 Shinka, the Bloodsoaked Keep
  • 1 Shipwreck Marsh
  • 1 Shivan Reef
  • 1 Shizo, Death's Storehouse
  • 1 Sink into Stupor // Soporific Springs
  • 1 Sol Ring
  • 1 Soured Springs
  • 1 Star Athlete
  • 1 Steam Vents
  • 1 Stitch Together
  • 1 Sulfurous Springs
  • 2 Swamp
  • 1 Swan Song
  • 1 Takenuma, Abandoned Mire
  • 1 Talisman of Creativity
  • 1 Talisman of Dominance
  • 1 Talisman of Indulgence
  • 1 The Lord of Pain
  • 1 The Rani
  • 1 Thought Scour
  • 1 Toxic Deluge
  • 1 Urborg, Tomb of Yawgmoth
  • 1 Vengeful Ancestor
  • 1 Victimize
  • 1 Volatile Stormdrake
  • 1 Watery Grave
  • 1 Windfall
  • 1 Xander's Lounge