AYARA Rules by Nivkey

Format: Commander

Commander: Ayara, First of Locthwain

Bracket: 4

DeckCheck Threat Index: 54

Deck overview

Ayara, First of Locthwain commands a focused mono-black aristocrats combo deck centered on incremental drain, high-velocity card draw, and compact sacrifice loops. The deck establishes an early engine on Turn 3 by deploying Ayara alongside recursive token producers like Bitterblossom and Jadar, Ghoulcaller of Nephalia. Ayara converts this steady stream of disposable creatures into card advantage while steadily eroding opponents' life totals. A dense suite of black tutors and fast mana accelerates the deck toward a decisive Turn 5 win window. The primary winning line unites Ayara with Warren Soultrader and Gravecrawler for infinite drain, supported by high-impact alternates such as Plague of Vermin, Bolas's Citadel, and Mikaeus, the Unhallowed with Putrid Goblin. While highly resilient against destroy-based removal through cheap reanimation, the deck must navigate its vulnerability to instant-speed creature exile, graveyard hate, and noncreature combo strategies.

Decklist (100 cards)

  • 1 Abhorrent Overlord
  • 1 Animate Dead
  • 1 Arcane Signet
  • 1 Archenemy's Charm
  • 1 Army of the Damned
  • 1 Ashnod's Altar
  • 1 Ayara, First of Locthwain
  • 1 Beseech the Mirror
  • 1 Bitterbloom Bearer
  • 1 Bitterblossom
  • 1 Black Market Connections
  • 1 Blasphemous Edict
  • 1 Bloodghast
  • 1 Bloodletter of Aclazotz
  • 1 Bojuka Bog
  • 1 Bolas's Citadel
  • 1 Cabal Coffers
  • 1 Carrion Feeder
  • 1 Castle Locthwain
  • 1 Chittering Witch
  • 1 Crypt Ghast
  • 1 Culling the Weak
  • 1 Dark Ritual
  • 1 Deadly Rollick
  • 1 Demonic Tutor
  • 1 Diabolic Intent
  • 1 Dreadhorde Invasion
  • 1 Entomb
  • 1 Expedition Map
  • 1 Exsanguinate
  • 1 Fell the Profane // Fell Mire
  • 1 Flare of Malice
  • 1 Geralf's Messenger
  • 1 Grave Pact
  • 1 Gravecrawler
  • 1 Gray Merchant of Asphodel
  • 1 Grim Servant
  • 1 Insatiable Avarice
  • 1 Jadar, Ghoulcaller of Nephalia
  • 1 Kokusho, the Evening Star
  • 1 Lively Dirge
  • 1 Malakir Rebirth // Malakir Mire
  • 1 Mikaeus, the Unhallowed
  • 1 Moseo, Vein's New Dean
  • 1 Nim Deathmantle
  • 1 Nine-Lives Familiar
  • 1 Not Dead After All
  • 1 Nykthos, Shrine to Nyx
  • 1 Ophiomancer
  • 1 Orcish Bowmasters
  • 1 Phyrexian Altar
  • 1 Phyrexian Tower
  • 1 Plague of Vermin
  • 1 Putrid Goblin
  • 1 Reanimate
  • 1 Saw in Half
  • 1 Skullclamp
  • 1 Sol Ring
  • 1 Spymaster's Vault
  • 1 Supernatural Stamina
  • 28 Swamp
  • 1 The Meathook Massacre
  • 1 The Soul Stone
  • 1 Timeline Culler
  • 1 Toxic Deluge
  • 1 Urborg, Tomb of Yawgmoth
  • 1 Urza's Cave
  • 1 Vein Ripper
  • 1 Victimize
  • 1 Vile Entomber
  • 1 Warren Soultrader
  • 1 Withering Torment
  • 1 Yawgmoth, Thran Physician