drain grind by ithilbun

Format: Commander

Commander: Braids, Arisen Nightmare

Bracket: 3

DeckCheck Threat Index: 50

Deck overview

This mono-black deck leverages Braids, Arisen Nightmare as an asymmetric card-draw and group-slug engine. By deploying cheap, expendable artifacts, enchantments, and recursive creatures in the opening turns, the deck consistently casts Braids on Turn 3 and immediately begins drawing 2 to 3 cards per turn cycle while applying steady life loss to the table. The resulting resource surplus fuels big-mana acceleration through Cabal Coffers and Crypt Ghast, quickly ramping into devastating mid-game threats such as Bloodletter of Aclazotz, Archfiend of Despair, Sheoldred, the Apocalypse, and Grave Pact. Opponents are subjected to crushing creature attrition and graveyard hate via Dauthi Voidwalker and The Darkness Crystal. The deck closes the game around Turn 7 through compounded aristocrat drain triggers, doubled life loss, and massive devotion swings from Gray Merchant of Asphodel.

Decklist (100 cards)

  • 1 Agadeem's Awakening // Agadeem, the Undercrypt
  • 1 Arcane Signet
  • 1 Archfiend of Despair
  • 1 Ayara, First of Locthwain
  • 1 Bastion of Remembrance
  • 1 Bitterbloom Bearer
  • 1 Bitterblossom
  • 1 Black Market Connections
  • 1 Bloodchief Ascension
  • 1 Bloodghast
  • 1 Bloodletter of Aclazotz
  • 1 Bloodstained Mire
  • 1 Bontu's Monument
  • 1 Braids, Arisen Nightmare
  • 1 Bubbling Muck
  • 1 Cabal Coffers
  • 1 Cabal Ritual
  • 1 Crypt Ghast
  • 1 Dark Ritual
  • 1 Dauthi Voidwalker
  • 1 Deadly Rollick
  • 1 Defile
  • 1 Demonic Counsel
  • 1 Demonic Pact
  • 1 Diabolic Intent
  • 1 Dismember
  • 1 Dreadhorde Invasion
  • 1 Entomb
  • 1 Feed the Swarm
  • 1 Fellwar Stone
  • 1 Funeral Room // Awakening Hall
  • 1 Gemstone Caverns
  • 1 Grave Pact
  • 1 Gray Merchant of Asphodel
  • 1 Greedy Freebooter
  • 1 Hopeless Nightmare
  • 1 Ichor Wellspring
  • 1 Imp's Mischief
  • 1 Jadar, Ghoulcaller of Nephalia
  • 1 Jet Medallion
  • 1 Kaya's Ghostform
  • 1 Kokusho, the Evening Star
  • 1 Leechridden Swamp
  • 1 Lord Skitter's Blessing
  • 1 Mai, Scornful Striker
  • 1 Marionette Apprentice
  • 1 Marsh Flats
  • 1 Mirkwood Bats
  • 1 Mithril Coat
  • 1 Mycosynth Wellspring
  • 1 Night's Whisper
  • 1 Not Dead After All
  • 1 Phyrexian Reclamation
  • 1 Phyrexian Tower
  • 1 Polluted Bonds
  • 1 Polluted Delta
  • 1 Prismatic Vista
  • 1 Prized Statue
  • 1 Ral Zarek, Guest Lecturer
  • 1 Reanimate
  • 1 Rewrite Regrets
  • 1 Saw in Half
  • 1 Shambling Ghast
  • 1 Sheoldred, Whispering One
  • 1 Sheoldred, the Apocalypse
  • 19 Snow-Covered Swamp
  • 1 Sol Ring
  • 1 Swiftfoot Boots
  • 1 Takenuma, Abandoned Mire
  • 1 The Darkness Crystal
  • 1 The Soul Stone
  • 1 Treacherous Blessing
  • 1 Urborg, Tomb of Yawgmoth
  • 1 Verdant Catacombs
  • 1 Victimize
  • 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