Zombie Answer by Angra

Format: Commander

Commander: Varina, Lich Queen

Bracket: 3

DeckCheck Threat Index: 28

Deck overview

This Esper Zombie deck is commanded by Varina, Lich Queen, executing a proactive tribal aristocrats strategy. In the early game, the deck curves out low-cost Zombie creatures and utility mana rocks. Once Varina enters the battlefield, attacking triggers a powerful looting and lifegain engine that fills the graveyard with high-impact creatures while sculpting a tailored hand. The mid-game leverages discard and death payoffs like Bone Miser, Necroduality, and Undead Augur to amass a wide token army and maintain steady card advantage. Rather than relying on infinite combos, the deck closes out games around Turn 8 through evasive combat damage alongside cumulative life drain from Diregraf Captain, Wayward Servant, Corpse Knight, and Gray Merchant of Asphodel. While graveyard exile and mass sweepers can interrupt its momentum, strong redundant recursion and independent lord engines provide resilient recovery.

Decklist (100 cards)

• 1 Arcane Sanctum
• 1 Arcane Signet
• 1 Archghoul of Thraben
• 1 Ashiok, Dream Render
• 1 Ashnod's Altar
• 1 Barren Moor
• 1 Bladestitched Skaab
• 1 Bone Miser
• 1 Carrion Feeder
• 1 Cemetery Reaper
• 1 Cleaver Skaab
• 1 Command Tower
• 1 Commander's Sphere
• 1 Corpse Knight
• 1 Diregraf Captain
• 1 Diregraf Colossus
• 1 Divine Gambit
• 1 Doomskar
• 1 Endless Ranks of the Dead
• 1 Feast of Sanity
• 1 Feed the Swarm
• 1 Fleshbag Marauder
• 1 Forgotten Creation
• 1 Geralf, Visionary Stitcher
• 1 Ghoulcaller Gisa
• 1 Gisa and Geralf
• 1 Gleaming Overseer
• 1 God-Eternal Bontu
• 1 Graveborn Muse
• 1 Gravedigger
• 1 Gray Merchant of Asphodel
• 1 Heraldic Banner
• 1 Hordewing Skaab
• 8 Island
• 1 Jadar, Ghoulcaller of Nephalia
• 1 Liliana, Death's Majesty
• 1 Lord of the Accursed
• 1 Martyr's Bond
• 1 Midnight Reaper
• 1 Myriad Landscape
• 1 Narfi, Betrayer King
• 1 Necroduality
• 1 Nevinyrral, Urborg Tyrant
• 1 Obscura Charm
• 1 Orzhov Signet
• 1 Overcharged Amalgam
• 1 Patchwork Crawler
• 6 Plains
• 1 Prairie Stream
• 1 Ratadrabik of Urborg
• 1 Ravenform
• 1 Ravenous Rotbelly
• 1 Return to Dust
• 1 Rogue's Passage
• 1 Rooftop Storm
• 1 Scoured Barrens
• 1 Secluded Steppe
• 1 Silversmote Ghoul
• 1 Skycloud Expanse
• 1 Sol Ring
• 1 Solemn Simulacrum
• 1 Spark Reaper
• 1 Strixhaven Stadium
• 8 Swamp
• 1 Tainted Field
• 1 Temple of Silence
• 1 The Scarab God
• 1 Time Wipe
• 1 Tomb Tyrant
• 1 Tormod, the Desecrator
• 1 Transmogrant Altar
• 1 Twilight's Call
• 1 Undead Alchemist
• 1 Undead Augur
• 1 Undead Butler
• 1 Vampiric Tutor
• 1 Vanquisher's Banner
• 1 Varina, Lich Queen
• 1 Vengeful Dead
• 1 Wayfarer's Bauble
• 1 Wayward Servant