Ayara v4 by ferayoshida

Format: Commander

Commander: Ayara, First of Locthwain

Bracket: 4

DeckCheck Threat Index: 36

Deck overview

This deck is an optimized mono-black aristocrats and devotion strategy commanded by Ayara, First of Locthwain. The game plan establishes early incremental value by pairing low-cost token generators such as Bitterblossom, Ophiomancer, and Jadar, Ghoulcaller of Nephalia with Ayara's enter-the-battlefield life drain and sacrifice-to-draw ability. As the game transitions into the midgame, the deck leverages high black devotion and mana doublers like Cabal Coffers and Crypt Ghast to deploy catastrophic life-drain finishers, primarily Gray Merchant of Asphodel, Bolas's Citadel, Kokusho, the Evening Star, and Bloodletter of Aclazotz. A suite of 1-mana undying instants (Feign Death, Not Dead After All, Undying Malice) doubles as protection for key threats and immediate trigger duplication when combined with sacrifice outlets. While the deck boasts immense life swing potential, robust recursion, and potent creature suppression, it remains vulnerable to noncreature permanent locks, exile-based board wipes, and dedicated graveyard hate.

Decklist (100 cards)

  • 1 Abhorrent Overlord
  • 1 Arcane Signet
  • 1 Ashnod's Altar
  • 1 Ayara, First of Locthwain
  • 1 Bitterbloom Bearer
  • 1 Bitterblossom
  • 1 Bloodletter of Aclazotz
  • 1 Bolas's Citadel
  • 1 Bubbling Muck
  • 1 Cabal Coffers
  • 1 Cabal Stronghold
  • 1 Case of the Stashed Skeleton
  • 1 Chthonian Nightmare
  • 1 Coiling Rebirth
  • 1 Consuming Corruption
  • 1 Crowded Crypt
  • 1 Crux of Fate
  • 1 Crypt Ghast
  • 1 Dark Confidant
  • 1 Dark Ritual
  • 1 Darkness
  • 1 Darkstar Augur
  • 1 Defile
  • 1 Dreadhorde Invasion
  • 1 Emeritus of Woe // Demonic Tutor
  • 1 Enduring Tenacity
  • 1 Erebos, God of the Dead
  • 1 Expedition Map
  • 1 Exsanguinate
  • 1 Feign Death
  • 1 Force of Despair
  • 1 Gray Merchant of Asphodel
  • 1 Hoarding Broodlord
  • 1 Jadar, Ghoulcaller of Nephalia
  • 1 K'rrik, Son of Yawgmoth
  • 1 Kalitas, Traitor of Ghet
  • 1 Keen Duelist
  • 1 Kokusho, the Evening Star
  • 1 Liliana, Dreadhorde General
  • 1 Lord Skitter, Sewer King
  • 1 Malakir Rebirth // Malakir Mire
  • 1 Marauding Blight-Priest
  • 1 March of Wretched Sorrow
  • 1 Massacre Wurm
  • 1 Moseo, Vein's New Dean
  • 1 Mutilate
  • 1 Not Dead After All
  • 1 Ophiomancer
  • 1 Reanimate
  • 1 Saw in Half
  • 1 Scheming Silvertongue // Sign in Blood
  • 1 Sengir Autocrat
  • 1 Skullclamp
  • 1 Sol Ring
  • 1 Soul Shatter
  • 1 Starscape Cleric
  • 1 Supernatural Stamina
  • 31 Swamp
  • 1 Szat's Will
  • 1 Takenuma, Abandoned Mire
  • 1 The Darkness Crystal
  • 1 Toxic Deluge
  • 1 Tragic Slip
  • 1 Undying Malice
  • 1 Veinwitch Coven
  • 1 Viscera Seer
  • 1 Vito, Thorn of the Dusk Rose
  • 1 Warren Soultrader
  • 1 Westvale Abbey // Ormendahl, Profane Prince
  • 1 Witch of the Moors