Kess EDH [4] - Queen of Spellslinging Necromancy

Format: Commander

Commander: Kess, Dissident Mage

Bracket: 4

DeckCheck Threat Index: 52

Deck overview

This deck is a high-power Grixis Spellslinger and Reanimator Control deck commanded by Kess, Dissident Mage. The strategy revolves around early mana acceleration and efficient looting to stock the graveyard with high-impact spells and massive creatures. Once Kess is deployed, she grants access to the graveyard as an extended hand, doubling the efficiency of cheap interaction, card draw, and rituals. The primary game plan transitions into overwhelming board presence and inevitability through reanimating powerhouse threats such as Hullbreaker Horror, Vilis, Broker of Blood, and Terror of the Peaks, or chaining rituals with Bonus Round into a game-ending Torment of Hailfire. A dense package of low-cost countermagic, spot removal, and sweepers like Cyclonic Rift provides robust defense and disruption throughout all stages of the game. Redundant graveyard outlets like Lier, Disciple of the Drowned and Vohar, Vodalian Desecrator ensure resilience against removal, allowing the deck to close out games swiftly after establishing control.

Decklist (100 cards)

  • 1 Abrade
  • 1 An Offer You Can't Refuse
  • 1 Arcane Denial
  • 1 Arcane Signet
  • 1 Baral, Chief of Compliance
  • 1 Blood Crypt
  • 1 Bloodstained Mire
  • 1 Bonus Round
  • 1 Brainstorm
  • 1 Breach the Multiverse
  • 1 Cabal Coffers
  • 1 Cabal Ritual
  • 1 City of Brass
  • 1 Cleansing Wildfire
  • 1 Clearwater Pathway // Murkwater Pathway
  • 1 Command Tower
  • 1 Consider
  • 1 Counterspell
  • 1 Cyclonic Rift
  • 1 Dark Fortress
  • 1 Dark Petition
  • 1 Dark Ritual
  • 1 Deadly Rollick
  • 1 Demonic Tutor
  • 1 Dimir Aqueduct
  • 1 Dimir Signet
  • 1 Dragonskull Summit
  • 1 Drossforge Bridge
  • 1 Drowned Catacomb
  • 1 Exotic Orchard
  • 1 Faerie Mastermind
  • 1 Fell the Profane // Fell Mire
  • 1 Fellwar Stone
  • 1 Final Parting
  • 1 Flame of Anor
  • 1 Frantic Search
  • 1 Gitaxian Probe
  • 1 Hidden Lair
  • 1 Hullbreaker Horror
  • 1 Island
  • 1 Izzet Signet
  • 1 Jace, Vryn's Prodigy // Jace, Telepath Unbound
  • 1 Jeska's Will
  • 1 Kess, Dissident Mage
  • 1 Ledger Shredder
  • 1 Lier, Disciple of the Drowned
  • 1 Luxury Suite
  • 1 Magus of the Wheel
  • 1 Mana Confluence
  • 1 Mana Sculpt
  • 1 Mercurial Spelldancer
  • 1 Mistvault Bridge
  • 1 Morphic Pool
  • 1 Mountain
  • 1 Mox Amber
  • 1 Mystical Dispute
  • 1 Nightscape Familiar
  • 1 Polluted Delta
  • 1 Pongify
  • 1 Preordain
  • 1 Rakdos Signet
  • 1 Reanimate
  • 1 Resculpt
  • 1 Rona, Herald of Invasion // Rona, Tolarian Obliterator
  • 1 Rune-Scarred Demon
  • 1 Scalding Tarn
  • 1 Sea Gate Restoration // Sea Gate, Reborn
  • 1 See the Truth
  • 1 Sheoldred's Edict
  • 1 Sheoldred, the Apocalypse
  • 1 Shipwreck Marsh
  • 1 Shivan Reef
  • 1 Silverbluff Bridge
  • 1 Sink into Stupor // Soporific Springs
  • 1 Snap
  • 1 Sol Ring
  • 1 Spellseeker
  • 1 Steam Vents
  • 1 Stitch Together
  • 1 Sulfur Falls
  • 1 Sunken Ruins
  • 1 Swamp
  • 1 Tainted Indulgence
  • 1 Talisman of Creativity
  • 1 Talisman of Dominance
  • 1 Talisman of Indulgence
  • 1 Terror of the Peaks
  • 1 Torment of Hailfire
  • 1 Toxic Deluge
  • 1 Training Center
  • 1 Trinket Mage
  • 1 Underground River
  • 1 Urborg, Tomb of Yawgmoth
  • 1 Urza's Saga
  • 1 Vilis, Broker of Blood
  • 1 Vohar, Vodalian Desecrator
  • 1 Watery Grave
  • 1 Windfall
  • 1 Winged Words
  • 1 Xander's Lounge