Elas, Death by 1000 Cuts by asek74

Format: Commander

Commander: Elas il-Kor, Sadistic Pilgrim

Bracket: 2

Deck overview

This Orzhov aristocrats deck, helmed by Elas il-Kor, Sadistic Pilgrim, aims to drain opponents incrementally through death triggers and lifegain payoffs. The primary game plan involves deploying cheap creatures and sacrifice outlets, generating value from every death via Blood Artist, Zulaport Cutthroat, and Bastion of Remembrance. Lifegain synergies with Defiant Bloodlord and Enduring Tenacity convert life gain into direct damage. The deck also includes token generation (Ocelot Pride, Ghoulcaller Gisa) and recursion (Phyrexian Reclamation, Sheoldred, Whispering One) to grind out long games. While it lacks infinite combos, it can overwhelm opponents through repeated drain loops and a resilient board presence. The commander itself is a cheap, repeatable drain engine that triggers on both creature entry and death, making it a key piece but not strictly essential.

Decklist (100 cards)

  • 1 Aerith Gainsborough
  • 1 Altar of Dementia
  • 1 Angel's Grace
  • 1 Arcane Signet
  • 1 Archon of Cruelty
  • 1 Ardbert, Warrior of Darkness
  • 1 Aron, Benalia's Ruin
  • 1 Ashnod's Altar
  • 1 Ayara, First of Locthwain
  • 1 Barad-dûr
  • 1 Bartolomé del Presidio
  • 1 Basilisk Collar
  • 1 Bastion of Remembrance
  • 1 Blood Artist
  • 1 Bone Shards
  • 1 Braids, Arisen Nightmare
  • 1 Castle Ardenvale
  • 1 Command Tower
  • 1 Corpse Knight
  • 1 Dark Petition
  • 1 Dark Ritual
  • 1 Dauthi Voidwalker
  • 1 Dawn's Truce
  • 1 Defiant Bloodlord
  • 1 Defile
  • 1 Drana and Linvala
  • 1 Dread Summons
  • 1 Duty Beyond Death
  • 1 Elas il-Kor, Sadistic Pilgrim
  • 1 Enduring Tenacity
  • 1 Eriette's Lullaby
  • 1 Evolving Wilds
  • 1 Fain, the Broker
  • 1 Fetid Heath
  • 1 Forlorn Flats
  • 1 Ghoulcaller Gisa
  • 1 Gisa, the Hellraiser
  • 1 Gray Merchant of Asphodel
  • 1 Idyllic Grange
  • 1 In Garruk's Wake
  • 1 Isolated Chapel
  • 1 Jet Medallion
  • 1 Land Tax
  • 1 Liesa, Shroud of Dusk
  • 1 Lightning Greaves
  • 1 Lotho, Corrupt Shirriff
  • 1 Luminous Broodmoth
  • 1 Marionette Apprentice
  • 1 Massacre Wurm
  • 1 Memorial to Folly
  • 1 Minas Tirith
  • 1 Moment of Reckoning
  • 1 Mortify
  • 1 Mortuary Mire
  • 1 Nine-Lives Familiar
  • 1 Ocelot Pride
  • 1 Ornithopter of Paradise
  • 1 Orzhov Guildgate
  • 1 Phyrexian Arena
  • 1 Phyrexian Reclamation
  • 6 Plains
  • 1 Priest of Forgotten Gods
  • 1 Ratadrabik of Urborg
  • 1 Reassembling Skeleton
  • 1 Reliquary Tower
  • 1 Reprieve
  • 1 Revenge of Ravens
  • 1 Sam's Desperate Rescue
  • 1 Scoured Barrens
  • 1 Serra Ascendant
  • 1 Shattered Sanctum
  • 1 Sheoldred's Edict
  • 1 Sheoldred, Whispering One
  • 1 Sol Ring
  • 1 Storm Herd
  • 1 Sunscorch Regent
  • 9 Swamp
  • 1 Swords to Plowshares
  • 1 Syr Konrad, the Grim
  • 1 Syr Vondam, Sunstar Exemplar
  • 1 Talisman of Hierarchy
  • 1 Teysa Karlov
  • 1 Unearth
  • 1 Valkyrie Harbinger
  • 1 Vault of the Archangel
  • 1 White Sun's Twilight
  • 1 Zulaport Cutthroat