Shirei, the shadowborn apostle deck by somedudeufollow

Format: Commander

Commander: Shirei, Shizo's Caretaker

Bracket: 3

DeckCheck Threat Index: 50

Deck overview

This deck is an Aristocrats combo-control strategy centered on Shirei, Shizo's Caretaker and 29 copies of Shadowborn Apostle. The primary game plan deploys six Apostles across the opening turns, utilizing Shirei's end-step recursion to sacrifice Apostles repeatedly without permanent card loss. Sacrificing six Apostles tutors powerful Demons directly onto the battlefield, headlined by Razaketh, the Foulblooded, Vilis, Broker of Blood, and Archfiend of Despair. Once Razaketh is established alongside Shirei, the deck transforms recurring Apostles into on-demand tutors at every player's end step. This engine rapidly fetches asymmetric attrition pieces like Grave Pact to wipe opposing creature boards, alongside drain engines such as Blood Artist, Zulaport Cutthroat, Bastion of Remembrance, and Syr Konrad, the Grim. Mass recursion tools like Echoing Return and Patriarch's Bidding provide immense resilience against board wipes. The deck consistently achieves critical onset by Turn 5 and closes the game on Turn 6 through overwhelming life drain and doubled end-step damage.

Decklist (99 cards)

  • 1 Archfiend of Despair
  • 1 Bastion of Remembrance
  • 1 Blasphemous Edict
  • 1 Blood Artist
  • 1 Bojuka Bog
  • 1 Bubbling Muck
  • 1 Cabal Stronghold
  • 1 Charcoal Diamond
  • 1 Dark Ritual
  • 1 Defile
  • 1 Echoing Return
  • 1 Feed the Swarm
  • 1 Go for the Throat
  • 1 Grave Pact
  • 1 Harvester of Souls
  • 1 Jet Medallion
  • 1 Lightning Greaves
  • 1 Malakir Rebirth // Malakir Mire
  • 1 Master of Dark Rites
  • 1 Mithril Coat
  • 1 Ob Nixilis, Unshackled
  • 1 Patriarch's Bidding
  • 1 Phyrexian Tower
  • 1 Razaketh, the Foulblooded
  • 1 Rune-Scarred Demon
  • 1 Secret Salvage
  • 29 Shadowborn Apostle
  • 1 Shirei, Shizo's Caretaker
  • 1 Sol Ring
  • 33 Swamp
  • 1 Swiftfoot Boots
  • 1 Syr Konrad, the Grim
  • 1 Taborax, Hope's Demise
  • 1 Tragic Slip
  • 1 Victimize
  • 1 Vilis, Broker of Blood
  • 1 Village Rites
  • 1 Viscera Seer
  • 1 Zulaport Cutthroat