Breathe and you die by bcf2001

Format: Commander

Commander: Valgavoth, Harrower of Souls

Bracket: 3

DeckCheck Threat Index: 40

Deck overview

This Rakdos deck centers around Valgavoth, Harrower of Souls, transforming symmetrical and opponent-focused life loss into substantial card advantage and rapid commander growth. The primary game plan deploys cheap, persistent life-loss triggers like Underworld Dreams, Fate Unraveler, and Kederekt Parasite on early turns. Once Valgavoth enters on Turn 4, every opponent turn triggers a +1/+1 counter and a fresh card draw whenever an opponent loses life for the first time that turn. This steady engine draws up to three additional cards per table rotation, quickly fueling your hand with removal and protection. Heavy attrition pieces like Painful Quandary, The Lord of Pain, and Mogis, God of Slaughter accelerate life loss across the table while Valgavoth applies lethal flying combat pressure. The deck protects its key threats using low-cost undying resurrection instants and closes games around Turn 8 through accumulated burn and evasive combat damage.

Decklist (100 cards)

  • 1 Abrade
  • 1 Arcane Signet
  • 1 Bastion of Remembrance
  • 1 Bitter Triumph
  • 1 Blood Artist
  • 1 Blood Bairn
  • 1 Blood Seeker
  • 1 Bloodfell Caves
  • 1 Brash Taunter
  • 1 Bushmeat Poacher
  • 1 Chaos Warp
  • 1 Commander's Sphere
  • 1 Decorum Dissertation
  • 1 Emeritus of Woe // Demonic Tutor
  • 1 Everflowing Chalice
  • 1 Fake Your Own Death
  • 1 Falkenrath Noble
  • 1 Fate Unraveler
  • 1 Feed the Swarm
  • 1 Feign Death
  • 1 Florian, Voldaren Scion
  • 1 Foreboding Ruins
  • 1 Gleeful Arsonist
  • 1 Go for the Throat
  • 1 Harsh Mentor
  • 1 Heated Argument
  • 1 Hissing Iguanar
  • 1 Kaervek the Merciless
  • 1 Kardur, Doomscourge
  • 1 Kederekt Parasite
  • 1 Leechridden Swamp
  • 1 Lightning Greaves
  • 1 Lightning Strike
  • 1 Mayhem Devil
  • 1 Mogis, God of Slaughter
  • 1 Mortician Beetle
  • 17 Mountain
  • 1 Murder
  • 1 Nightshade Harvester
  • 1 Painful Quandary
  • 1 Rakdos Carnarium
  • 1 Rakdos Charm
  • 1 Rampaging Ferocidon
  • 1 Seize the Spoils
  • 1 Shadowblood Ridge
  • 1 Shivan Gorge
  • 1 Sign in Blood
  • 1 Sol Ring
  • 1 Stargaze
  • 1 Stormfist Crusader
  • 1 Supernatural Stamina
  • 18 Swamp
  • 1 Syr Konrad, the Grim
  • 1 Tainted Peak
  • 1 Talisman of Indulgence
  • 1 Temple of Malice
  • 1 Terramorphic Expanse
  • 1 The Lord of Pain
  • 1 Thermo-Alchemist
  • 1 Thought Vessel
  • 1 Underworld Breach
  • 1 Underworld Dreams
  • 1 Undying Evil
  • 1 Undying Malice
  • 1 Valgavoth, Harrower of Souls
  • 1 Vampire Nighthawk
  • 1 Village Rites