Dark Avacyn: Shudder Before The Beautiful by Chizuri

Format: Commander

Commander: Avacyn, Angel of Horror

Bracket: 4

DeckCheck Threat Index: 59

Deck overview

This deck is an optimized mono-black Aristocrats combo build led by Avacyn, Angel of Horror. While the commander provides late-game recursion for nontoken creatures, the deck primarily operates as a proactive, fast-moving combo engine. It leverages efficient mana acceleration such as Dark Ritual, Sol Ring, and Mana Vault to establish early board presence and fuel potent card advantage engines including Necrodominance and Yawgmoth, Thran Physician. The primary path to victory is an infinite sacrifice loop utilizing Gravecrawler alongside free sacrifice outlets such as Warren Soultrader or Phyrexian Altar and drain permanents like Blood Artist or Zulaport Cutthroat. Because Warren Soultrader is a Zombie, it satisfies Gravecrawler's recast requirement independently, enabling an immediate same-turn kill on Turn 4. Secondary strategies include storming through the library with Bolas's Citadel and Aetherflux Reservoir, or establishing oppressive resource attrition via Tergrid, God of Fright and Rottenmouth Viper.

Decklist (100 cards)

  • 1 Aetherflux Reservoir
  • 1 Agadeem's Awakening // Agadeem, the Undercrypt
  • 1 Altar of Dementia
  • 1 Ancient Tomb
  • 1 Ashnod's Altar
  • 1 Avacyn, Angel of Horror
  • 1 Basalt Monolith
  • 1 Bastion of Remembrance
  • 1 Blood Artist
  • 1 Blood Pet
  • 1 Blood Vassal
  • 1 Bolas's Citadel
  • 1 Bubbling Muck
  • 1 Cabal Coffers
  • 1 Cabal Ritual
  • 1 Cabal Stronghold
  • 1 Carrion Feeder
  • 1 Cavern of Souls
  • 1 Crypt Ghast
  • 1 Crystal Vein
  • 1 Culling the Weak
  • 1 Damnation
  • 1 Dark Ritual
  • 1 Deadly Rollick
  • 1 Demonic Tutor
  • 1 Dire Fleet Hoarder
  • 1 Dismember
  • 1 Emeritus of Woe // Demonic Tutor
  • 1 Erebos, Bleak-Hearted
  • 1 Fleshbag Marauder
  • 1 Funeral Room // Awakening Hall
  • 1 Gemstone Caverns
  • 1 Geralf's Messenger
  • 1 Gravecrawler
  • 1 Gray Merchant of Asphodel
  • 1 Greedy Freebooter
  • 1 Grim Haruspex
  • 1 Heartless Summoning
  • 1 Imp's Mischief
  • 1 Jet Medallion
  • 1 Lotus Petal
  • 1 Mana Vault
  • 1 Marionette Apprentice
  • 1 Necrodominance
  • 1 Nykthos, Shrine to Nyx
  • 1 Orcish Bowmasters
  • 1 Phyrexian Altar
  • 1 Phyrexian Tower
  • 1 Plaguecrafter
  • 1 Popular Egotist
  • 1 Priest of Forgotten Gods
  • 1 Ravenous Chupacabra
  • 1 Reanimate
  • 1 Rottenmouth Viper
  • 1 Saw in Half
  • 1 Sensei's Divining Top
  • 1 Sephiroth, Fabled SOLDIER // Sephiroth, One-Winged Angel
  • 1 Shambling Ghast
  • 1 Sheoldred, the Apocalypse
  • 1 Skullport Merchant
  • 1 Snuff Out
  • 1 Sol Ring
  • 1 Solemn Simulacrum
  • 22 Swamp
  • 1 Tergrid, God of Fright // Tergrid's Lantern
  • 1 The Ghoul, Gunslinger
  • 1 The Sibsig Ceremony
  • 1 The Soul Stone
  • 1 Toxic Deluge
  • 1 Twilight Diviner
  • 1 Umbral Collar Zealot
  • 1 Urborg, Tomb of Yawgmoth
  • 1 Urza's Saga
  • 1 Vampiric Tutor
  • 1 Warren Soultrader
  • 1 Withering Torment
  • 1 Yahenni, Undying Partisan
  • 1 Yawgmoth, Thran Physician
  • 1 Zulaport Cutthroat