Teysa Karlov by chestnut

Format: Commander

Commander: Teysa Karlov

Bracket: 3

DeckCheck Threat Index: 45

Deck overview

This deck is an Orzhov Aristocrats strategy built around Teysa Karlov, utilizing death triggers, sacrifice outlets, recursive creatures, and drain effects to grind value and execute game-ending combos. The deck establishes an early foundation with low-cost recursive fodder like Gravecrawler and Bloodsoaked Champion paired with sacrifice outlets such as Viscera Seer and Ashnod's Altar. Once engines like Skullclamp, Smothering Abomination, or Teysa Karlov hit the board, card draw accelerates rapidly. The primary route to victory is assembling an infinite death-and-drain loop, most notably through Putrid Goblin and Vizier of Remedies with a sacrifice outlet and drain artist like Blood Artist or Zulaport Cutthroat, finishing all three opponents on the spot on Turn 6. While the deck boasts high internal redundancy and explosive draw velocity, it operates without dedicated tutors, making it reliant on heavy draw digging and somewhat susceptible to graveyard-exile effects and instant-speed creature removal.

Decklist (100 cards)

  • 1 Accursed Marauder
  • 1 Afterlife Insurance
  • 1 Arcane Signet
  • 1 Ashnod's Altar
  • 1 Avenger of the Fallen
  • 1 Bastion of Remembrance
  • 1 Blood Artist
  • 1 Bloodghast
  • 1 Bloodsoaked Champion
  • 1 Braids, Arisen Nightmare
  • 1 Cauldron Haze
  • 1 Command Tower
  • 1 Cruel Celebrant
  • 1 Deadly Dispute
  • 1 Dockside Chef
  • 1 Eirdu, Carrier of Dawn // Isilu, Carrier of Twilight
  • 1 Elas il-Kor, Sadistic Pilgrim
  • 1 Enlightened Ascetic
  • 1 Etched Familiar
  • 1 Exotic Orchard
  • 1 Exsanguinate
  • 1 Fanatical Devotion
  • 1 Fetid Heath
  • 1 Fourth Bridge Prowler
  • 1 Gnawing Vermin
  • 1 Golgari Thug
  • 1 Gravecrawler
  • 1 Greedy Freebooter
  • 1 Hallowed Spiritkeeper
  • 1 Isolated Chapel
  • 1 Living Death
  • 1 Luminous Broodmoth
  • 1 Market Gnome
  • 1 Mortuary Mire
  • 1 Ninja Teen
  • 1 Nocturnal Feeder
  • 1 Open the Graves
  • 1 Orzhov Basilica
  • 1 Outlaw Medic
  • 1 Pawn of Ulamog
  • 1 Pitiless Plunderer
  • 1 Plaguecrafter
  • 7 Plains
  • 1 Plumb the Forbidden
  • 1 Priest of Forgotten Gods
  • 1 Putrid Goblin
  • 1 Reassembling Skeleton
  • 1 Reliquary Monk
  • 1 Rite of Oblivion
  • 1 Serrated Scorpion
  • 1 Sifter of Skulls
  • 1 Skullclamp
  • 1 Smothering Abomination
  • 1 Sol Ring
  • 1 Soldevi Adnate
  • 22 Swamp
  • 1 Swords to Plowshares
  • 1 Syr Konrad, the Grim
  • 1 Tainted Field
  • 1 Talisman of Hierarchy
  • 1 Teysa Karlov
  • 1 Tithe Taker
  • 1 Umbral Collar Zealot
  • 1 Vampiric Rites
  • 1 Vat of Rebirth
  • 1 Vengeful Bloodwitch
  • 1 Victimize
  • 1 Village Rites
  • 1 Vindicate
  • 1 Viscera Seer
  • 1 Vizier of Remedies
  • 1 White Sun's Twilight
  • 1 Zulaport Cutthroat