Black Reanimation / Control by Lethal2411

Format: Commander

Commander: Balthor the Defiled

Bracket: 4

DeckCheck Threat Index: 50

Deck overview

This deck is a dedicated mono-black mass reanimator strategy piloted by Balthor the Defiled. The primary game plan centers on rapidly stocking the graveyard during the early turns with targeted entombers like Buried Alive and Entomb, alongside continuous self-mill from Mesmeric Orb and Ripples of Undeath. Once a critical mass of devastating creatures is loaded into the graveyard, the deck generates 7 mana to deploy and instantly activate Balthor from the command zone. This returns every creature card to the battlefield at once. The reanimated suite combines the massive life drain of Gray Merchant of Asphodel, haste and intimidate from Mogis's Marauder, and end-step life-loss doubling from Archfiend of Despair to eliminate all three opponents in a single turn. Backed by solid spot removal and redundant reanimation spells like Living Death, the deck delivers reliable, explosive mid-game finishes.

Decklist (100 cards)

  • 1 Abhorrent Overlord
  • 1 Altar of Dementia
  • 1 Angel of Suffering
  • 1 Arcane Signet
  • 1 Archfiend of Despair
  • 1 Balthor the Defiled
  • 1 Bitter Triumph
  • 1 Blasphemous Edict
  • 1 Breach the Multiverse
  • 1 Buried Alive
  • 1 Cabal Coffers
  • 1 Crypt of Agadeem
  • 1 Damnation
  • 1 Defile
  • 1 Doom Whisperer
  • 1 Elder Brain
  • 1 Entomb
  • 1 Feed the Swarm
  • 1 Fell the Profane // Fell Mire
  • 1 Funeral Rites
  • 1 Go for the Throat
  • 1 Grave Titan
  • 1 Gray Merchant of Asphodel
  • 1 Hoarding Broodlord
  • 1 Imp's Mischief
  • 1 Incarnation Technique
  • 1 Infernal Grasp
  • 1 Jet Medallion
  • 1 Kaya's Ghostform
  • 1 Lightning Greaves
  • 1 Lively Dirge
  • 1 Living Death
  • 1 Lord of the Void
  • 1 Maha, Its Feathers Night
  • 1 Malakir Rebirth // Malakir Mire
  • 1 Massacre Wurm
  • 1 Matzalantli, the Great Door // The Core
  • 1 Mesmeric Orb
  • 1 Millikin
  • 1 Mogis's Marauder
  • 1 Morality Shift
  • 1 Murderous Rider // Swift End
  • 1 Night's Whisper
  • 1 Out of the Tombs
  • 1 Perpetual Timepiece
  • 1 Razaketh, the Foulblooded
  • 1 Reanimate
  • 1 Ripples of Undeath
  • 1 Rise of the Dark Realms
  • 1 Rune-Scarred Demon
  • 1 Saw in Half
  • 1 Sheoldred, Whispering One
  • 1 Shriekmaw
  • 1 Sign in Blood
  • 1 Snuff Out
  • 1 Sol Ring
  • 1 Stitcher's Supplier
  • 1 Sudden Spoiling
  • 32 Swamp
  • 1 Swiftfoot Boots
  • 1 Sword of Body and Mind
  • 1 Syr Konrad, the Grim
  • 1 The Master of Lake-town
  • 1 Undead Butler
  • 1 Unmarked Grave
  • 1 Valgavoth, Terror Eater
  • 1 Victimize
  • 1 Vile Entomber
  • 1 Withering Torment