Burn and Drain (or: Creatureless Kaervek)

Commander / EDH BR (Rakdos) Burn Competitive Control Creatureless Multiplayer

GobboE

Instant (13)

• 1x Breath of Malfegor
• 1x Comet Storm
• 1x Fork
• 1x Increasing Vengeance
• 1x Inferno
• 1x Magmaquake
• 1x Reiterate
• 1x Reverberate
• 1x Searing Wind
• 1x Starstorm
• 1x Sulfurous Blast
• 1x Urza's Rage
• 1x Volcanic Fallout

Sorcery (26)

• 1x Anger of the Gods
• 1x Banefire
• 1x Blasphemous Act
• 1x Breath of Darigaaz
• 1x Burn from Within
• 1x Damnation
• 1x Decree of Pain
• 1x Dregs of Sorrow
• 1x Earthquake
• 1x Evincar's Justice
• 1x Exsanguinate
• 1x Fireball
• 1x In Garruk's Wake
• 1x Incite Rebellion
• 1x Kaervek's Purge
• 1x Kaervek's Torch
• 1x Killing Wave
• 1x Languish
• 1x Plague Wind
• 1x Profane Command
• 1x Shattering Spree
• 1x Shatterstorm
• 1x Soul Burn
• 1x Syphon Soul
• 1x Void
• 1x Volcanic Vision

Enchantment (6)

• 1x Exquisite Blood
• 1x Polluted Bonds
• 1x Spreading Plague
• 1x Stranglehold
• 1x Subversion
• 1x Wound Reflection

Artifact (17)

• 1x Altar of Shadows
• 1x Armillary Sphere
• 1x Darksteel Plate
• 1x Expedition Map
• 1x Jet Medallion
• 1x Magebane Armor
• 1x Mercadian Atlas
• 1x Nevinyrral's Disk
• 1x Rakdos Cluestone
• 1x Rakdos Keyrune
• 1x Rakdos Signet
• 1x Ruby Medallion
• 1x Shield of Kaldra
• 1x Sol Ring
• 1x Sword of Fire and Ice
• 1x Thran Dynamo
• 1x Well of Discovery

Land (37)

• 1x Akoum Refuge
• 1x Auntie's Hovel
• 1x Blood Crypt
• 1x Bloodfell Caves
• 1x Bloodstained Mire
• 1x Command Tower
• 1x Ghitu Encampment
• 1x Graven Cairns
• 1x Keldon Megaliths
• 1x Maze of Ith
• 1x Mishra's Factory
• 1x Molten Slagheap
• 9x Mountain
• 1x Mystifying Maze
• 1x Rakdos Carnarium
• 1x Spawning Pool
• 11x Swamp
• 1x Urborg, Tomb of Yawgmoth
• 1x Zoetic Cavern

Commander (1)

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Sideboard

Instant (2)

• 1x Parallectric Feedback
• 1x Radiate

Sorcery (7)

• 1x Arc Blade
• 1x Demonfire
• 1x Disintegrate
• 1x Drain Life
• 1x Hammer of Bogardan
• 1x Pyroclasm
• 1x Rakdos's Return

Enchantment (3)

• 1x Caustic Tar
• 1x Pestilence
• 1x Pyrohemia

Artifact (3)

• 1x Charcoal Diamond
• 1x Fire Diamond
• 1x Jayemdae Tome

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Maybeboard

Land (1)

• 1x The Tabernacle at Pendrell Vale

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This deck is not a nice, or friendly, deck: it will spit fire, roll destruction over the playing field and (resultantly) draw massive hate. But I figured: the number of 'power spells' is so huge in EDH, why not try to take it to the next level? There is so much creature removal being played (for understandable reasons) why no try to create a creatureless deck that burns and drains and either goes down in a blazing bonfire, or that might actually have a chance of winning? So, each spell in this deck will either do damage or result in the loss of life.

Main (and only) creature is the dreaded Kaervek the Merciless. This general is a combo piece onto itself in this creatureless deck since he deals damage to target creature or opponent for the converted mana cost of the spell being cast: so even removal spells will result in your opponent's life loss.

The idea is very, very simple and straight forward:

• sweep and wipe

• wipe everything; Pyroclasm-ish spells (such as Evincar's Justice, Sulfurous Blast, Anger of the Gods), for early game wipes, tokens and the little creatures. Inferno, Damnation, Nevinyrral's Disk and the like for the larger problems

• prepare to take damage (players will attack you, and most spells will deal damage to you too)

• and take all players on at once (if you don't, they will attack you since you will draw massive hate)

Some synergy examples:

• Sword of Fire and Ice: if you don't have this sword, the deck be played without (and yes, you can win: I have done so). Still it is powerful in this deck. it utilizes extra card draw, and damage, and gives Kaervek the Merciless protection from Red (with all the Red blasting going on this is no luxury). Think of Breath of Darigaaz + Sword of Fire and Ice , or Magmaquake + Sword of Fire and Ice

• Exquisite Blood: You'll be dealing massive damage, so why not reclaim it as life? Think of Exquisite Blood + Inferno , or Exquisite Blood + Exsanguinate

• On the same note, why not make it double damage with Wound Reflection: for instance Inferno + Wound Reflection , or Exquisite Blood + Exsanguinate

So don't hesitate to play your Shatterstorm (you are not playing much artifacts anyway). Or lash out with Inferno, Comet Storm (ideally doubled by Fork or Increasing Vengeance) - you are not playing much creatures anyway.

The few artifacts each have their function, such as:

• Mercadian Atlas , Well of Discovery , Sword of Fire and Ice for extra card draw

• the mana artifacts for extra ramp

Yes, I said no creatures...but not entirely true. The deck does feature lands and artifact that can be turned into creatures but that are immune to the many destructive spells you play. For instance: Mishra's Factory, Ghitu Encampment , Zoetic Cavern, Spawning Pool , and Rakdos Keyrune .

Note: I've also created this deck's counterpart in the all creature Ruric Thar deck With Tooth and Claw (All Creatures All Play)

Exclusions:

• 'Wheels' (Wheel of Fortune and the like) I want to keep the cards I have, thank you. Also, since the spells are all rather high casting cost so you will not be casting more than one, tops two a turn: a wheel effect might actually benefit your opponents more than it would you

• 'Arena's' (Phyrexian Arena and such): good card, but with this deck you'll loose massive life...the card advantage will turn into a life disadvantage

• Also: I do not play enough mountains to really benefit from Valakut, the Molten Pinnacle so I left it out

Date added	8 years
Last updated	7 years
Key combos	Exquisite Blood + Exsanguinate Breath of Darigaaz + Sword of Fire and Ice Magmaquake + Sword of Fire and Ice Exquisite Blood + Inferno Inferno + Wound Reflection
Legality	This deck is Commander / EDH legal.
Rarity (main - side)	2 - 1 Mythic Rares 47 - 5 Rares 20 - 6 Uncommons 10 - 3 Commons
Cards	100
Avg. CMC	3.75
Tokens	Morph 2/2 C
Folders	options, Check out later, EDH ideas