VarinAnimator by DoctorFireFarts

Format: Commander

Commander: Varina, Lich Queen

Bracket: 3

DeckCheck Threat Index: 38

Deck overview

This deck is an Esper Zombie Reanimator strategy commanded by Varina, Lich Queen. The primary game plan establishes early Zombie presence using efficient creatures like Gravecrawler and Jadar, Ghoulcaller of Nephalia, paving the way for Varina on Turn 4. Once Varina attacks, her triggered ability loots through the library, sculpting the hand and depositing high-impact reanimation targets like Archon of Cruelty, Archfiend of Despair, and Sheoldred, Whispering One directly into the graveyard. On Turn 5, the deck utilizes cheap reanimation spells such as Reanimate, Animate Dead, and Necromancy to cheat these massive threats into play ahead of curve. The engine converts discarded cards into fresh 2/2 Zombie tokens, compounding board presence while lords like Death Baron and Diregraf Captain provide evasion, deathtouch, and death-trigger drain. A resolved Living Death or lethal combat swing under Archfiend of Despair cleanly eliminates the entire table by Turn 7.

Decklist (100 cards)

• 1 Adarkar Wastes
• 1 Angel of Sanctions
• 1 Anguished Unmaking
• 1 Animate Dead
• 1 Arcane Signet
• 1 Archfiend of Despair
• 1 Archfiend of Ifnir
• 1 Archon of Cruelty
• 1 Avacyn, Angel of Horror
• 1 Blessed Ghoul
• 1 Bone Miser
• 1 Brightclimb Pathway // Grimclimb Pathway
• 1 Carrion Feeder
• 1 Caves of Koilos
• 1 Cemetery Reaper
• 1 Clearwater Pathway // Murkwater Pathway
• 1 Command Tower
• 1 Consecrated Sphinx
• 1 Counterspell
• 1 Damn
• 1 Dance of the Dead
• 1 Death Baron
• 1 Diregraf Captain
• 1 Diregraf Colossus
• 1 Doomed Necromancer
• 1 Dreadhorde Invasion
• 1 Drowned Catacomb
• 1 Esper Charm
• 1 Exotic Orchard
• 1 Extract from Darkness
• 1 Fatal Push
• 1 Festering Mummy
• 1 Flooded Strand
• 1 From Under the Floorboards
• 1 Gisa and Geralf
• 1 Glacial Fortress
• 1 Glasspool Mimic // Glasspool Shore
• 1 Godless Shrine
• 1 Gravecrawler
• 1 Hallowed Fountain
• 1 Hengegate Pathway // Mistgate Pathway
• 1 Horrid Shadowspinner
• 2 Island
• 1 Isolated Chapel
• 1 Jadar, Ghoulcaller of Nephalia
• 1 Liliana, Death's Majesty
• 1 Living Death
• 1 Lord of the Accursed
• 1 Marsh Flats
• 1 Master of Death
• 1 Meticulous Archive
• 1 Mirrormade
• 1 Miscast
• 1 Morphic Pool
• 1 Murderous Rider // Swift End
• 1 Murmuring Volume
• 1 Necromancy
• 1 Nezahal, Primal Tide
• 1 Ob Nixilis, the Ascended
• 1 Path of Ancestry
• 1 Phyrexian Delver
• 2 Plains
• 1 Polluted Delta
• 1 Poppet Stitcher // Poppet Factory
• 1 Priest of Fell Rites
• 1 Psychic Frog
• 1 Raffine's Tower
• 1 Reanimate
• 1 Sea Gate Restoration // Sea Gate, Reborn
• 1 Sea of Clouds
• 1 Search for Azcanta // Azcanta, the Sunken Ruin
• 1 Serra's Emissary
• 1 Shadow Kin
• 1 Sheoldred, Whispering One
• 1 Sink into Stupor // Soporific Springs
• 1 Sol Ring
• 4 Swamp
• 1 Swords to Plowshares
• 1 Tainted Isle
• 1 Talisman of Dominance
• 1 Talisman of Hierarchy
• 1 Talisman of Progress
• 1 Toxic Deluge
• 1 Unburial Rites
• 1 Undead Augur
• 1 Undercity Sewers
• 1 Underground River
• 1 Varina, Lich Queen
• 1 Vault of Champions
• 1 Vindicate
• 1 Void Rend
• 1 Watery Grave
• 1 Wilhelt, the Rotcleaver
• 1 Windfall
• 1 Witch Enchanter // Witch-Blessed Meadow