Carmen v4 by DmcKinley87

Format: Commander

Commander: Carmen, Cruel Skymarcher

Bracket: 4

DeckCheck Threat Index: 72

Deck overview

This deck is a high-power Orzhov Aristocrats and Reanimator strategy led by Carmen, Cruel Skymarcher. It leverages dense 0-to-1 CMC fast mana and top-tier black tutors to deploy recurring sacrifice engines and oppressive stax pieces early. The primary win condition is a deterministic infinite drain combo combining Warren Soultrader, Gravecrawler, and Blood Artist, which can be set up in a single action using Buried Alive and cheap reanimation spells. In games where the combo is delayed, the deck controls the board through asymmetric sacrifice effects like Grave Pact, Dictate of Erebos, and Tergrid, God of Fright, repeatedly wiping opposing creatures with Plaguecrafter and Accursed Marauder while Carmen grows into a massive flying threat that recurs key permanents on every attack. Heavy card advantage engines like Skullclamp and Braids, Arisen Nightmare keep resources flowing, making the deck exceptionally resilient against removal and board wipes.

Decklist (100 cards)

  • 1 Accursed Marauder
  • 1 Ancient Tomb
  • 1 Anguished Unmaking
  • 1 Animate Dead
  • 1 Arcane Signet
  • 1 Archon of Cruelty
  • 1 Black Market Connections
  • 1 Blood Artist
  • 1 Blood Pet
  • 1 Bloodstained Mire
  • 1 Braids, Arisen Nightmare
  • 1 Brightclimb Pathway // Grimclimb Pathway
  • 1 Buried Alive
  • 1 Cabal Coffers
  • 1 Cabal Ritual
  • 1 Carmen, Cruel Skymarcher
  • 1 Carrion Feeder
  • 1 Castle Locthwain
  • 1 Charismatic Conqueror
  • 1 Children of Korlis
  • 1 Chrome Mox
  • 1 Command Tower
  • 1 Corrupted Conviction
  • 1 Culling the Weak
  • 1 Dark Ritual
  • 1 Dauthi Voidwalker
  • 1 Deadly Dispute
  • 1 Demon's Disciple
  • 1 Demonic Tutor
  • 1 Diabolic Intent
  • 1 Dictate of Erebos
  • 1 Entomb
  • 1 Esper Sentinel
  • 1 Flooded Strand
  • 1 Godless Shrine
  • 1 Grave Pact
  • 1 Gravecrawler
  • 1 Gravelighter
  • 1 Gray Merchant of Asphodel
  • 1 Grim Haruspex
  • 1 High Market
  • 1 Kalitas, Traitor of Ghet
  • 1 Kami of False Hope
  • 1 Kaya's Guile
  • 1 Lotho, Corrupt Shirriff
  • 1 Lotus Petal
  • 1 Mana Vault
  • 1 Marsh Flats
  • 1 Master of Dark Rites
  • 1 Merciless Executioner
  • 1 Mind Stone
  • 1 Mother of Runes
  • 1 Mox Diamond
  • 1 Necromancy
  • 1 Ocelot Pride
  • 1 Pawn of Ulamog
  • 1 Phyrexian Tower
  • 1 Plaguecrafter
  • 6 Plains
  • 1 Polluted Delta
  • 1 Prismatic Vista
  • 1 Ranger-Captain of Eos
  • 1 Reanimate
  • 1 Scrubland
  • 1 Selfless Savior
  • 1 Selfless Spirit
  • 1 Sheoldred's Edict
  • 1 Silent Clearing
  • 1 Skullclamp
  • 1 Smothering Tithe
  • 1 Sol Ring
  • 1 Songs of the Damned
  • 1 Stroke of Midnight
  • 8 Swamp
  • 1 Swords to Plowshares
  • 1 Takenuma, Abandoned Mire
  • 1 Talisman of Hierarchy
  • 1 Tergrid, God of Fright // Tergrid's Lantern
  • 1 Torment of Hailfire
  • 1 Toxic Deluge
  • 1 Urborg, Tomb of Yawgmoth
  • 1 Vampiric Tutor
  • 1 Vault of Champions
  • 1 Verdant Catacombs
  • 1 Village Rites
  • 1 Viscera Seer
  • 1 Vona's Hunger
  • 1 Warren Soultrader