Resident Evil by DrZsasZ

Format: Commander

Commander: Varina, Lich Queen

Bracket: 3

DeckCheck Threat Index: 36

Deck overview

This Esper Commander deck leverages Varina, Lich Queen at the helm of a Zombie Tribal Aristocrats and Reanimator engine. The strategy focuses on establishing early Zombie board presence with resilient low-cost threats, converting attack steps into card selection and life buffer through Varina's triggered ability. Discarded creatures quickly turn the graveyard into a second hand, primed for explosive mass reanimation through Living Death, Zombie Apocalypse, and Agadeem's Awakening. Continuous life loss is applied through aristocrat staples such as Corpse Knight, Wayward Servant, Plague Belcher, and Diregraf Captain, while Tombstone Stairwell and Noxious Ghoul create overwhelming asymmetric board control. Supported by flexible removal, targeted countermagic, and sacrifice outlets like Phyrexian Altar and Warren Soultrader, the deck steadily grinds down opponents before closing the game with unblockable swampwalk combat or lethal burst drain.

Decklist (100 cards)

  • 1 Agadeem's Awakening // Agadeem, the Undercrypt
  • 1 An Offer You Can't Refuse
  • 1 Anguished Unmaking
  • 1 Arcane Signet
  • 1 Binding Mummy
  • 1 Black Market Connections
  • 1 Bleachbone Verge
  • 1 Bone Miser
  • 1 Cavern of Souls
  • 1 Caves of Koilos
  • 1 Champion of the Perished
  • 1 Command Tower
  • 1 Corpse Knight
  • 1 Crypt of Agadeem
  • 1 Cryptbreaker
  • 1 Cryptcaller Chariot
  • 1 Cyclonic Rift
  • 1 Damn
  • 1 Dark Ritual
  • 1 Death Baron
  • 1 Demonic Tutor
  • 1 Diregraf Captain
  • 1 Diregraf Colossus
  • 1 Drowned Catacomb
  • 1 Entomb
  • 1 Exotic Orchard
  • 1 Field of the Dead
  • 1 Flooded Strand
  • 1 Foulmire Knight // Profane Insight
  • 1 Gloomlake Verge
  • 1 Godless Shrine
  • 1 Graveborn Muse
  • 1 Gravecrawler
  • 1 Gray Merchant of Asphodel
  • 1 Hallowed Fountain
  • 1 Hashaton, Scarab's Fist
  • 1 Headless Rider
  • 2 Island
  • 1 Isolated Chapel
  • 1 Living Death
  • 1 Lord of the Undead
  • 1 Marsh Flats
  • 1 Master of Death
  • 1 Midnight Reaper
  • 1 Monument to Endurance
  • 1 Morphic Pool
  • 1 Necroduality
  • 1 Noxious Ghoul
  • 1 Phyrexian Altar
  • 1 Plague Belcher
  • 2 Plains
  • 1 Polluted Delta
  • 1 Prophet of the Scarab
  • 1 Raffine's Tower
  • 1 Reanimate
  • 1 Reconnaissance
  • 1 Relentless Dead
  • 1 Reliquary Tower
  • 1 Repository Skaab
  • 1 Rooftop Storm
  • 1 Sea of Clouds
  • 1 Shadowy Backstreet
  • 1 Shepherd of Rot
  • 1 Sidisi, Regent of the Mire
  • 1 Sol Ring
  • 4 Swamp
  • 1 Swan Song
  • 1 Swords to Plowshares
  • 1 Talisman of Dominance
  • 1 Talisman of Hierarchy
  • 1 Teferi's Ageless Insight
  • 1 Temmet, Naktamun's Will
  • 1 Teval's Judgment
  • 1 The Ghoul, Gunslinger
  • 1 The Meathook Massacre
  • 1 The Soul Stone
  • 1 Three Tree City
  • 1 Tombstone Stairwell
  • 1 Undead Augur
  • 1 Undead Hand Ninja
  • 1 Undead Warchief
  • 1 Undercity Sewers
  • 1 Underground River
  • 1 Unholy Grotto
  • 1 Urborg, Tomb of Yawgmoth
  • 1 Varina, Lich Queen
  • 1 Vault of Champions
  • 1 Warren Soultrader
  • 1 Watery Grave
  • 1 Wayward Servant
  • 1 Wilhelt, the Rotcleaver
  • 1 Wizard's Staff
  • 1 Zombie Apocalypse
  • 1 Zombie Master
  • 1 Zul Ashur, Lich Lord