Braids by JNicholson

Format: Commander

Commander: Braids, Arisen Nightmare

Bracket: 3

DeckCheck Threat Index: 50

Deck overview

This mono-black aristocrats deck is commanded by Braids, Arisen Nightmare, leveraging an aggressive sacrifice-for-value engine. By deploying early cheap artifacts, enchantments, and recursive creatures like Ichor Wellspring, Bitterblossom, and Jadar, Ghoulcaller of Nephalia, Braids forces opponents into a difficult dilemma: sacrifice their own matching permanents or take direct life loss while feeding you massive card advantage. The deck transitions into the midgame by establishing asymmetric board locks with Grave Pact and Dictate of Erebos, systematically wiping opposing creature boards. Victory is achieved through substantial burst-drain effects like Gray Merchant of Asphodel, Kokusho, the Evening Star, and Massacre Wurm, amplified by Bloodletter of Aclazotz and recursive loops via Living Death and Phyrexian Reclamation.

Decklist (100 cards)

  • 1 Accursed Marauder
  • 1 Animate Dead
  • 1 Arcane Signet
  • 1 Arcum's Astrolabe
  • 1 Ashnod's Altar
  • 1 Beseech the Queen
  • 1 Bitterblossom
  • 1 Blood Artist
  • 1 Bloodchief Ascension
  • 1 Bloodghast
  • 1 Bloodletter of Aclazotz
  • 1 Bojuka Bog
  • 1 Bolas's Citadel
  • 1 Braids, Arisen Nightmare
  • 1 Bubbling Muck
  • 1 Cabal Coffers
  • 1 Cabal Stronghold
  • 1 Carrion Feeder
  • 1 Case of the Stashed Skeleton
  • 1 Culling the Weak
  • 1 Dark Ritual
  • 1 Diabolic Intent
  • 1 Dictate of Erebos
  • 1 Dreadhorde Invasion
  • 1 Drownyard Temple
  • 1 Everflowing Chalice
  • 1 Feed the Swarm
  • 1 Fell the Profane // Fell Mire
  • 1 Flare of Malice
  • 1 Grave Pact
  • 1 Gray Merchant of Asphodel
  • 1 Ichor Wellspring
  • 1 Jadar, Ghoulcaller of Nephalia
  • 1 Jet Medallion
  • 1 Junji, the Midnight Sky
  • 1 Kaya's Ghostform
  • 1 Kokusho, the Evening Star
  • 1 Lich's Relic
  • 1 Lightning Greaves
  • 1 Living Death
  • 1 Malakir Rebirth // Malakir Mire
  • 1 Marionette Apprentice
  • 1 Massacre Girl
  • 1 Massacre Wurm
  • 1 Mind Stone
  • 1 Momentum Breaker
  • 1 Muraganda Raceway
  • 1 Mycosynth Wellspring
  • 1 Nine-Lives Familiar
  • 1 Omen of the Dead
  • 1 Ophiomancer
  • 1 Phyrexian Obliterator
  • 1 Phyrexian Reclamation
  • 1 Phyrexian Tower
  • 1 Pitiless Plunderer
  • 1 Prized Statue
  • 1 PuPu UFO
  • 1 Reanimate
  • 1 Reassembling Skeleton
  • 1 Reliquary Tower
  • 1 Saw in Half
  • 1 Skullclamp
  • 22 Snow-Covered Swamp
  • 1 Snuff Out
  • 1 Sol Ring
  • 1 Soul Shatter
  • 1 Takenuma, Abandoned Mire
  • 1 Terrain Generator
  • 1 The Meathook Massacre
  • 1 Thought Vessel
  • 1 Tithing Blade // Consuming Sepulcher
  • 1 Tortured Existence
  • 1 Undying Malice
  • 1 Viscera Seer
  • 1 Vraan, Executioner Thane
  • 1 Walking Atlas
  • 1 Will of the Abzan
  • 1 Witch's Cottage
  • 1 Yahenni, Undying Partisan