(6.9) VARINA, Ruler of a Thousand Graves (0/0) by The.Witness

Format: Commander

Commander: Varina, Lich Queen

Bracket: 3

DeckCheck Threat Index: 25

Deck overview

This deck is an Esper Zombie tribal strategy piloted by Varina, Lich Queen. It leverages efficient early Zombie drops to establish early board presence before deploying Varina on Turn 4. Beginning on Turn 5, aggressive attacks convert combat into high-velocity card filtering, graveyard sculpting, and incidental life gain. The deck leverages discard synergies with payoffs like Archfiend of Ifnir, Bone Miser, and Faith of the Devoted, breaking parity on looted cards while fueling mass reanimation spells like Balthor the Defiled and Awakening Hall. Victory is achieved around Turns 7 through 9 through lethal go-wide combat bolstered by Akroma's Will or cumulative drain from Shepherd of Rot, The Scarab God, and Vengeful Dead. Interaction is strong, featuring versatile countermagic and board wipes, though the strategy remains vulnerable to mass exile and requires careful balancing of combat aggression against board wipe exposure.

Decklist (100 cards)

  • 1 Accursed Duneyard
  • 1 Akroma's Will
  • 1 Anguished Unmaking
  • 1 Anointed Procession
  • 1 Arcane Signet
  • 1 Archenemy's Charm
  • 1 Archfiend of Ifnir
  • 1 Balthor the Defiled
  • 1 Bone Miser
  • 1 Braids, Arisen Nightmare
  • 1 Cabal Coffers
  • 1 Cabal Ritual
  • 1 Cavern of Souls
  • 1 Chromatic Lantern
  • 1 Command Tower
  • 1 Crucible of Worlds
  • 1 Crypt of Agadeem
  • 1 Cryptcaller Chariot
  • 1 Cyclonic Rift
  • 1 Death Baron
  • 1 Demonic Tutor
  • 1 Dovin's Veto
  • 1 Erebos, God of the Dead
  • 1 Exotic Orchard
  • 1 Faith of the Devoted
  • 1 Feast of Sanity
  • 1 Fetid Heath
  • 1 Field of the Dead
  • 1 Flawless Maneuver
  • 1 Forbid
  • 1 Funeral Room // Awakening Hall
  • 1 Gisa and Geralf
  • 1 Gleaming Splendor
  • 1 God-Eternal Bontu
  • 1 Godless Shrine
  • 1 Grim Servant
  • 1 Hall of Heliod's Generosity
  • 1 Hallowed Fountain
  • 1 Hashaton, Scarab's Fist
  • 1 Havengul Lich
  • 1 Headless Rider
  • 1 Insidious Dreams
  • 3 Island
  • 1 Land Tax
  • 1 Lazotep Plating
  • 1 Library of Leng
  • 1 Lord of the Undead
  • 1 Malakir Rebirth // Malakir Mire
  • 1 Mikaeus, the Unhallowed
  • 1 Monument to Endurance
  • 1 Morphic Pool
  • 1 Mystic Gate
  • 1 Path of Ancestry
  • 1 Permission Denied
  • 1 Phyrexian Tower
  • 2 Plains
  • 1 Polluted Delta
  • 1 Prophet of the Scarab
  • 1 Raffine's Tower
  • 1 Ratadrabik of Urborg
  • 1 Reliquary Tower
  • 1 Renewed Solidarity
  • 1 Roaming Throne
  • 1 Rooftop Storm
  • 1 Shepherd of Rot
  • 1 Sol Ring
  • 1 Soul Manipulation
  • 1 Sunken Ruins
  • 5 Swamp
  • 1 Swan Song
  • 1 Teferi's Ageless Insight
  • 1 The Scarab God
  • 1 The Soul Stone
  • 1 Thought Vessel
  • 1 Three Tree City
  • 1 Tortured Existence
  • 1 Toxic Deluge
  • 1 Undead Augur
  • 1 Underground Sea
  • 1 Unholy Grotto
  • 1 Urborg, Tomb of Yawgmoth
  • 1 Varina, Lich Queen
  • 1 Vault of Champions
  • 1 Vengeful Dead
  • 1 Village Rites
  • 1 Wand of the Worldsoul
  • 1 Warren Soultrader
  • 1 Watery Grave
  • 1 Westvale Abbey // Ormendahl, Profane Prince
  • 1 Wilhelt, the Rotcleaver
  • 1 Yawgmoth's Will
  • 1 Zombie Master
  • 1 Zul Ashur, Lich Lord