Another Use-Varolz, the Scar-Striped Primer

Commander / EDH BG (Golgari) Budget Counters Reanimator

poliscrusher

Creature (33)

• 1x Acidic Slime
• 1x Brawn
• 1x Corpse Connoisseur
• 1x Corpsejack Menace
• 1x Deathcap Cultivator
• 1x Deathrite Shaman
• 1x Elves of Deep Shadow
• 1x Elvish Mystic
• 1x Eternal Witness
• 1x Fauna Shaman
• 1x Fleshbag Marauder
• 1x Force of Savagery
• 1x Grim Strider
• 1x Hunted Horror
• 1x Hunted Troll
• 1x Jarad, Golgari Lich Lord
• 1x Llanowar Elves
• 1x Lotleth Troll
• 1x Nyx Weaver
• 1x Nyxathid
• 1x Phyrexian Soulgorger
• 1x Ramunap Excavator
• 1x Reaper of the Wilds
• 1x Reclamation Sage
• 1x Riftsweeper
• 1x Satyr Wayfinder
• 1x Sheltering Ancient
• 1x Splinterfright
• 1x Stinkweed Imp
• 1x Troll Ascetic
• 1x Winding Constrictor
• 1x World Shaper
• 1x Yargle, Glutton of Urborg

Land (35)

• 1x Bojuka Bog
• 1x Command Tower
• 1x Evolving Wilds
• 10x Forest
• 1x Foul Orchard
• 1x Geier Reach Sanitarium
• 1x Golgari Guildgate
• 1x Golgari Rot Farm
• 1x Grim Backwoods
• 1x Jungle Hollow
• 1x Llanowar Wastes
• 1x Rogue's Passage
• 11x Swamp
• 1x Tainted Wood
• 1x Temple of the False God
• 1x Terramorphic Expanse

Instant (8)

• 1x Abrupt Decay
• 1x Golgari Charm
• 1x Grapple with the Past
• 1x Grisly Salvage
• 1x Mausoleum Secrets
• 1x Putrefy
• 1x Sudden Reclamation
• 1x Tainted Strike

Artifact (6)

• 1x Embalmer's Tools
• 1x Golgari Signet
• 1x Sol Ring
• 1x Swiftfoot Boots
• 1x Whip of Erebos
• 1x Whispersilk Cloak

Commander (1)

Sorcery (10)

• 1x Buried Alive
• 1x Commune with the Gods
• 1x Final Parting
• 1x Gaze of Granite
• 1x Harmonize
• 1x Jarad's Orders
• 1x Life's Legacy
• 1x Maelstrom Pulse
• 1x Mulch
• 1x Treasured Find

Enchantment (6)

• 1x Deadbridge Chant
• 1x Deathreap Ritual
• 1x Death's Presence
• 1x Phyresis
• 1x Rancor
• 1x Retribution of the Ancients

Planeswalker (1)

• 1x Vraska the Unseen

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When playing Varolz, the Scar-Striped , every creature has more than just one use. Sure, they can be great on the board but even in death they provide more uses to your board state through scavenging for +1/+1 counters.

The Scavengers

So what do we want to put in the graveyard? There are lots of great creatures in green and black that have really high power but a cheap casting cost. These usually come with some severe downsides, but in a Varolz deck the downsides triggered by casting are irrelevant. The best creature to scavenge in this deck is Force of Savagery . You get 8 +1/+1 counters for 3 mana? That’s pretty good. Phyrexian Soulgorger is the same value, but for all colorless mana. Again, very good. Nyxathid provides 7 +1/+1 counters for 3 mana, but it also has double black in the cost so it likely isn’t going to be the first tutor target. Hunted Troll and Hunted Horror have some minor downsides when cast, but no downsides when scavenged, making them prime targets in our deck.

The Scavenger Targets

A deck can have plenty of targets for Varolz’s ability, but they aren’t any good if we don’t have solid targets for the scavenges. Lotleth Troll is my personal favorite, and is the creature I hope to be able to bulk up every game because of the trample, and the ability to regenerate for just 1 black mana. Nyx Weaver is a great defensive target to protect your life total from fliers, and can even go on the offensive to put pressure on your opponents. Gyre Sage can produce an insane amount of mana after just one good scavenge. Splinterfright gets huge late in the game, and can get pumped up even more with a couple good scavenges. Even Varolz, the Scar-Striped himself can be a scavenge target if you can give him trample and kill your opponents with commander damage. Any creature in the deck can be a scavenge target because with the huge creatures in our graveyard they can quickly become a major threat.

Filling up the Graveyard

Scavenge is a great mechanic, but there’s no use if the cards aren’t in our graveyard. Nyx Weaver is free mill every turn. It’s only two cards but that can add up and dump some of our best cards into the yard. Fauna Shaman can get rid of any of the good scavenge targets in your hand and search for one of the best creatures to scavenge onto. Buried Alive is always amazing in any graveyard strat. Deadbridge Chant is lots of fun and can even get some of the noncreature cards accidentally milled back into your hand. Grisly Salvage and Satyr Wayfinder are the golgari graveyard bread and butter, easy way to get what you want in both you hand and graveyard.

Other Utility

Corpsejack Menace is a powerhouse in this deck, and it’s easy to see why. Doubling the amount of counters for the same mana cost is just amazing. Brawn gives your huge creatures trample. Riftsweeper can get back a scavenged creature to do it all again. Diabolic Tutor , Jarad's Orders , and Final Parting search for whatever cards you need. Whip of Erebos can gain you an incredible amount of life even if creatures get chump blocked. Death's Presence is targeted removal insurance, meaning you can get another creature huge when one dies. Retribution of the Ancients is great repeatable removal in any deck focused on +1/+1 counters.

With all of the outstanding golgari generals like Meren of Clan Nel Toth , I think Varolz gets overlooked a lot, while he is one of the most powerful and consistent generals in black and green. Just like the name implies, every creature has more than one use and death is no obstacle to Varolz, just like most golgari generals. He’s a lot of fun to play and I encourage you to give it a try, as well as leaving any suggestions you might have.

Date added	5 years
Last updated	5 years
Exclude colors	WUR
Legality	This deck is Commander / EDH legal.
Rarity (main - side)	3 - 0 Mythic Rares 26 - 0 Rares 33 - 0 Uncommons 16 - 0 Commons
Cards	100
Avg. CMC	2.86
Tokens	Assassin 1/1 B w/ Player Killer, Centaur 3/3 G w/ Pro Black, Faerie 1/1 U
Folders	Commander