The Revolving Dead by MetalPanda7

Format: Commander

Commander: Shirei, Shizo's Caretaker

Bracket: 3

DeckCheck Threat Index: 40

Deck overview

This deck is a focused mono-black aristocrats and attrition strategy commanded by Shirei, Shizo's Caretaker. The central game plan revolves around deploying cheap creatures with power 1 or less that possess powerful enters-the-battlefield or death triggers, such as Elderfang Disciple, Dusk Legion Zealot, and Serrated Scorpion. Once Shirei and a sacrifice outlet like Carrion Feeder or Ashnod's Altar are on the board, the deck sacrifices these small creatures on every player's turn, triggering Shirei at the beginning of each end step to return them to play. This results in four trigger cycles per table rotation, rapidly draining life totals, drawing massive amounts of cards, and stripping opposing hands bare. While the deck possesses explosive card advantage and oppressive board control, it is fundamentally reliant on keeping a fragile 2/2 commander alive and preserving its graveyard access against exile effects.

Decklist (100 cards)

  • 1 Armor of Shadows
  • 1 Ashnod's Altar
  • 1 Ayara, First of Locthwain
  • 1 Baleful Mastery
  • 1 Basal Thrull
  • 1 Big Game Hunter
  • 1 Blood Artist
  • 1 Blood Pet
  • 1 Bloodchief Ascension
  • 1 Bojuka Bog
  • 1 Bolas's Citadel
  • 1 Cadaver Imp
  • 1 Carrion Feeder
  • 1 Cauldron Familiar
  • 1 Corrupted Conviction
  • 1 Culling the Weak
  • 1 Dark Privilege
  • 1 Dark Ritual
  • 1 Deadly Dispute
  • 1 Deadly Precision
  • 1 Decorum Dissertation
  • 1 Desecrated Tomb
  • 1 Dusk Legion Zealot
  • 1 Elderfang Disciple
  • 1 Embrace Oblivion
  • 1 Exsanguinate
  • 1 Feign Death
  • 1 Gollum, Obsessed Stalker
  • 1 Grave Pact
  • 1 Gray Merchant of Asphodel
  • 1 Greedy Freebooter
  • 1 High Market
  • 1 Imp's Mischief
  • 1 Insatiable Avarice
  • 1 Jet Medallion
  • 1 Killing Wave
  • 1 Lash of the Balrog
  • 1 Lightning Greaves
  • 1 Marionette Apprentice
  • 1 Masterful Flourish
  • 1 Morbid Opportunist
  • 1 Nine-Lives Familiar
  • 1 Not Dead After All
  • 1 Phoenix Fleet Airship
  • 1 Phyrexian Arena
  • 1 Pilgrim's Eye
  • 1 Pitiless Plunderer
  • 1 Priest of Forgotten Gods
  • 1 Professor's Warning
  • 1 Raise Dead
  • 1 Royal Assassin
  • 1 Scheming Silvertongue // Sign in Blood
  • 1 Serrated Scorpion
  • 1 Servant of the Stinger
  • 1 Shambling Ghast
  • 1 Shirei, Shizo's Caretaker
  • 1 Sinister Gnarlbark
  • 1 Skullclamp
  • 1 Skullport Merchant
  • 1 Sol Ring
  • 1 Stronghold Assassin
  • 30 Swamp
  • 1 The Darkness Crystal
  • 1 Toxic Deluge
  • 1 Undying Malice
  • 1 Village Rites
  • 1 Westvale Abbey // Ormendahl, Profane Prince
  • 1 Witch's Cottage
  • 1 Without Weakness
  • 1 Woe Strider
  • 1 Zulaport Cutthroat