Edgar Markov Commander Deck

Commander / EDH

pitterpolo

Creature (27)

• 1x Anowon, the Ruin Sage
• 1x Asylum Visitor
• 1x Blood Artist
• 1x Bloodline Necromancer
• 1x Bloodlord of Vaasgoth
• 1x Butcher of Malakir
• 1x Captivating Vampire
• 1x Champion of Dusk
• 1x Dark Impostor
• 1x Dusk Legion Zealot
• 1x Falkenrath Aristocrat
• 1x Forerunner of the Legion
• 1x Indulgent Aristocrat
• 1x Legion Lieutenant
• 1x Malakir Cullblade
• 1x Oathsworn Vampire
• 1x Olivia's Bloodsworn
• 1x Patron of the Vein
• 1x Rakish Heir
• 1x Sanctum Seeker
• 1x Sangromancer
• 1x Shadow Alley Denizen
• 1x Stromkirk Captain
• 1x Thief of Blood
• 1x Vampire Hexmage
• 1x Vampire Nighthawk
• 1x Yahenni, Undying Partisan

Sorcery (7)

• 1x Ambition's Cost
• 1x Ancient Craving
• 1x Barter in Blood
• 1x Cleansing Nova
• 1x Decree of Pain
• 1x Read the Bones
• 1x Syphon Mind

Land (38)

• 1x Akoum Refuge
• 1x Bloodfell Caves
• 1x Bojuka Bog
• 1x Command Tower
• 1x Dragonskull Summit
• 1x Esper Panorama
• 1x Evolving Wilds
• 1x Exotic Orchard
• 1x Ghost Quarter
• 1x Grixis Panorama
• 1x Jund Panorama
• 1x Mortuary Mire
• 3x Mountain
• 1x Nomad Outpost
• 3x Plains
• 1x Scoured Barrens
• 16x Swamp
• 1x Tainted Field
• 1x Unclaimed Territory

Instant (8)

• 1x Cast Down
• 1x Curtains' Call
• 1x Doom Blade
• 1x Go for the Throat
• 1x Hero's Downfall
• 1x Mortify
• 1x Terminate
• 1x Utter End

Enchantment (3)

• 1x Cathars' Crusade
• 1x Phyrexian Reclamation
• 1x Vampiric Rites

Commander (1)

Artifact (16)

• 1x Blade of the Bloodchief
• 1x Boros Signet
• 1x Commander's Sphere
• 1x Darksteel Ingot
• 1x Eldrazi Monument
• 1x Fellwar Stone
• 1x Gilded Lotus
• 1x Hedron Archive
• 1x Marble Diamond
• 1x Mind Stone
• 1x Nihil Spellbomb
• 1x Orzhov Signet
• 1x Rakdos Signet
• 1x Sol Ring
• 1x Thought Vessel
• 1x Urza's Incubator

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Hello,

I recently started to play MTG again (after ~ 10-12 years, before I mainly played 'kitchen table MTG', plain casual style) and one format I am very interested in is EDH/Commander. My very first deck is using Edgar Markov as the commander and is a vampire tribal deck. The basic deck list is adapted from The Commanders Quarters and can be seen here. The video explaining the idea behind the deck list:

I like this deck list as the cards can easily be obtained and aren't that expensive; furthermore, it serves as a starting point from which you can continuously build up your deck.

As with (nearly?) every deck, you can always tweak and improve certain things. Using tappedout.net, I will try to keep my deck list up to date and share it with other MTG players and those who might have some suggestions and ideas to improve it. I appreciate every comment, thank you in advance. <3

Why did you chose Edgar Markov as your commander for your very first EDH/Commander deck?

There are several personal reasons why I chose this commander to start my EDH/Commander 'adventures'. ;-)

• I like Edgar Markovs artwork, as Volkan Baga is my favourite MTG artist; he also designed many other vampire creature cards. Also check the following video:

• Being one of the four C17 commanders, the 'eminence' ability is particularly appealing to me, as it allows the generation of vampire tokens without Edgar Markov being on the battlefield himself. I think such kind of ability gives new players like me some kind of feeling of security - even without (expensive) staple cards, you can somehow 'widen and enrich' your board and put pressure on your opponents. If you get cards with better effects (as I will discuss below), the eminence ability can be (more) powerful and threatening throughout the game.

• The idea behind the deck is simple and beginner friendly (cast vampires, create tokens, buff the vampires, swing in). ;-)

• There are more (powerful) vampires than the basic deck list contains which allows you to adjust your play style.

Some thoughts on improvements

In the following, I will list some potential cards which can be swapped in and used in the deck. Furthermore, I will list some potential combos/card synergies I came up with. This is just some brainstorming, time and playtesting will show how viable these ideas and potential tweaks might be.

Potential artifact (creature) spells

Blade of the Bloodchief: Very effective, low-cost (in terms of mana) equipment for pumping up vampires. Creatures dying? Nice, give me the +2/+2 counters!

Adaptive Automaton: Choose vampires - +1/+1 counters for the win!

Metallic Mimic: Like Adaptive Automaton - choose vampires and pump 'em up!

Burnished Hart: Mana source/land finder.

Geode Golem: If made unblockable (shroud, fear etc.), this could be a nice way to get your commander without any mana cost onto the battlefield.

Argentum Armor: High cost, but potential high reward. Might be combined with some kind of unblockability (e.g., fear).

Armory of Iroas: Good equipment for pumping up.

Basilisk Collar: Deathtouch + lifelink - nice combination.

Bonehoard: Depending on the circumstances, this card can yield in immense buff.

Champion's Helm: +2/+2 and hexproof if legendary.

Cloak and Dagger: +2/+0 and shroud.

Coat of Arms: This can immensely power up any creature of the same type and can be used in any tribal-like deck. When combined with many tokens, the board can get wide and tall very fast.

Darksteel Plate: Indestructible artifact + indestructible equipped creature.

Dead-Iron Sledge: If you equip weak vampire tokens with this, they can be become a huge threat.

Deathrender: +2/+2 and when equipped creature dies, you can put another creature from your hand onto the battlefield and equip this to it.

Dowsing Dagger  : Small buff, but the transformed ability is more interesting.

Elbrus, the Binding Blade  : The transformed ability seems to be fun. :-D

Everflowing Chalice: Mana ramp.

Explorer's Scope: Potential mana ramp.

Godsend: +3/+3, blocked and blocking creatures are exiled and can't be cast the whole game.

Hedron Blade: Small buff and nice againt colorless creatures.

Herald's Horn: Tribal power enhanced.

Hero's Blade: Small buff.

Hot Soup: Unblockable + fun effect? :-D

Illusionist's Bracers: Nice to 'abuse' token generation or other useful effects (non-mana abilities).

Infiltration Lens: Prevent damage or card draw? Nice effect.

Lashwrithe: Nice buff in any predominantly black deck.

Lightning Greaves: Staple.

Loxodon Warhammer: Buff + lifelink.

Manaforce Mace: Nice, if you have many basic lands.

Manriki-Gusari: The equipment destroy effect is probably more important than the small (but useful) buff.

Mask of Avacyn: Buff + hexproof.

Mask of Memory: Potential card draw.

Masterwork of Ingenuity: Copy any equipment on the battlefield!

Nim Deathmantle: If you have enough mana, you can practically keep your board.

O-Naginata: Buff + trample with a slight restriction.

Prowler's Helm: Unblockable.

Quietus Spike: Deathtouch + nice multiplayer effect. :-D

Shield of Kaldra: Indestructible.

Spellbinder: If you can ensure permanent attacks, this can be lethal depending on the chosen card.

Stoneforge Masterwork: Nice buff, especially in tribal decks.

Sunforger: Probably more important than the buff is its (restricted) tutor ability.

Surestrike Trident: Shortcut if you can't directly attack.....

Sword of Feast and Famine: Good, expensive.

Sword of Fire and Ice: Good, expensive.

Sword of Kaldra

Sword of Light and Shadow: Good, expensive.

Sword of the Animist: Nice mana ramp.

Sword of Vengeance: Buff + some abilities.

Tenza, Godo's Maul: Potential nice buff for red vampire creatures.

Trailblazer's Boots: Nonbasic landwalk.

Whispersilk Cloak: Unblockable + hexproof.

Potential creature spells

Arvad the Cursed: Deathtouch, lifelink, and +2/+2 for legendary creatures - Edgar approves!

Bishop of Binding: Exile a creature (hello indestructible ones) and add to a vampire its power - sounds good to me!

Bishop of Rebirth: You lost a <= 3 CMC vampire? No problem, get it back during your combat step!

Bishop of the Bloodstained: You have many vampires - good, cast this one and see the life points of a target opponent go down! What is even weirder - use some kind of sacrifice/return (see below) mechanism and subdue your fellow players!

Blood Baron of Vizkopa: Holy - lifelink, protection from white and from black and +6/+6 in potential mid- to endgame!

Blood-Cursed Knight: A potential 4/3 with lifelink for 3 CMC - I like that!

Bloodhusk Ritualist: You have some spare untapped swamps? - Let somebody discard his/her entire hand!

Bloodline Keeper  : Do you think Edgar is the only vampire token machine in this set-up? What about some 2/2 tokens WITH flying?!

Bloodline Necromancer: Lifelink + bring back one fellow bloodsucker!

Bloodsworn Steward: Do you remember Arvad the Cursed? This is one is only for our beloved Edgar!

Bloodtracker: Some spare untapped swamps and many life poins? Pump him up, and when he dies - draw some cards!

Butcher of Malakir: There is no way to say "I love you" in commander other than to let your fellow players sacrifice creatures. <3

Crimson Honor Guard: 4 damage each turn to your fellow players while Edgar is chilling on the battlefield with some hot blood tea - cool!

Defiant Bloodlord: Lifelink is cool, but share your happiness with a fellow player and let his/her life points crumble. ;-)

Drana's Emissary: Flying, life gain to us, life loss to the others - everything is ok!

Drana, Kalastria Bloodchief: Bye, bye indestructible creatures! <3

Drana, Liberator of Malakir: Hooh boy, +1/+1 every time combat damage dealt is to a player? Vampire madness is real!

Elenda, the Dusk Rose: Creatures die, Elanda rises - and when she falls, she will leave some vampire tokens WITH lifelink!

Falkenrath Exterminator: The second ability can be good, but combat damage to player with this one? I have to look.....

Falkenrath Marauders: Flying, haste and +2/+2 when combat damage dealt to player? This creature can get pretty big when left alone!

Gatekeeper of Malakir: The kicker ability is ok.

Griselbrand: Just for card drawing, but when effectively used can get you a net win/loss of 0 life points.

Havengul Vampire: If you can't deal combat damage to a player - don't worry, this one pumps up when everbody is dying around him. ;-)

Kalastria Highborn: Hmm.... for a 2/2 with a little punishing effect - this is ok.

Kalastria Nightwatch: You gain life, this guys gains flying - sounds fair to me. ;-)

Kalitas, Bloodchief of Ghet: Wow - destroy a target creature and create a 'copy' token of it - nice!

Kalitas, Traitor of Ghet: Exile target creatures leaving the battlefield and generate 2/2 zombie tokens + pump up ability - cool!

Kazarov, Sengir Pureblood: We have some vampires dealing damage to players - this one is profiting from it in the form of +1/+1 counters.

Kheru Bloodsucker: More life gain for us, life loss for the others, and pump up ability - cool!

Licia, Sanguine Tribune: Crazy vampire which can get very big very fast!

Mephidross Vampire: "Who wants to be a (strong) vampire?" No problem using this creature.

Mirror Entity: Depending on the board state, this creature can potentially lead to your win. Have many vampires and tokens, make them strong and swing in.

Necropolis Regent: If you have some creatures with protection/menace or any other ability which lets you deal direct combat damage to a player - the attacking creature can get pretty big very fast!

Nirkana Assassin: You gain life, this one gets deathtouch.

Nirkana Revenant: As you can see, many vampires are black creatures - since you will have many swamps, this card is a great source.

Patron of the Vein: Just read the text - a must have!

Patron of the Vein card text Show

Flying

When Patron of the Vein enters the battlefield, destroy target creature an opponent controls.

Whenever a creature an opponent controls dies, exile it and put a +1/+1 counter on each Vampire you control.

Regal Bloodlord: Since many vampires can let you gain life points via lifelink or other static abilities, this one generates bat tokens at each end step when life is gained. A possible card combination/combo is described below.

Vampire Champion: Deathtouch, nothing special.

Vampire Nocturnus: Potential +2/+1 AND flying for every vampire on the battlefield!

Vengeant Vampire: "You killed me? Give me one of your creatures (and some life points) and we're even, buddy." :-D

Vish Kal, Blood Arbiter: "Too many vampire on the battlefield?" Sacrifice them for a better cause. ;-)

Vona, Butcher of Magan: "Too many life points? Let us exile some cards so that our fellow player get a chance of winning." ;-)

Potential instant spells

Potential sorcery spells

Potential enchantments

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Potential lands

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Potential planeswalkers

If you want to stay true to your vampire tribe, some planeswalker in the form of Sorin Markov might be used:

• Sorin, Lord of Innistrad
• Sorin, Solemn Visitor
• Sorin, Grim Nemesis
• Sorin Markov

Potentially, every one of them can be fun and useful, but in my experience planeswalkers normally don't stay long on the battlefield to use some of their more powerful abilities. :-D I haven't included any planeswalker yet, but this might change in the future.

Potential strategies/card synergies

These are just some suggestions how certain abilities and effects might interplay with each other to generate an overall stronger effect than all single pieces. Just some ideas, constructive criticism and comments are much appreciated.

Edgar Markov can generate vampire tokens when vampire creatures are cast. Other vampiric token generators include Bloodline Keeper  , Elenda, the Dusk Rose, Kalitas, Traitor of Ghet, Regal Bloodlord. Most of these tokens are just 1/1 or 2/2 (at the beginning). With the new GRN set, a card was revealed with which you can pump up your tokens pretty fast: Divine Visitation. For this, you also need Mephidross Vampire and Intangible Virtue.

With this combination, you get 4/4 flying vampiric angels (or angelic vampires?). Since they also profit from some of the '+1/+1 counter effects' (see above), you can generate a wide, strong board (theoretically speaking)...

Razaketh, the Foulblooded + Oathsworn Vampire + Blood Artist + Falkenrath Noble

You sacrifice Oathsworn Vampire and 2 life points using the ability of Razaketh, the Foulblooded, then you search your library for a desired card; then the abilities of Blood Artist and Falkenrath Noble trigger, you get 2 life points and can cast Oathsworn Vampire to the battlefield again; as you cast him (according to the text on Edgar Markov), you will also get a new vampire token. I am not sure, but I think this would be a good strategy for tutoring + vampire token generation if I am not mistaken. :-) But you need the right set-up, so this is a strategy which you might not pull off every game.

Thank you for visiting and checking my commander deck list, I appreciate all kind of ideas and constructive tips!

Date added	5 years
Last updated	3 years
Legality	This deck is Commander / EDH legal.
Rarity (main - side)	3 - 0 Mythic Rares 20 - 0 Rares 34 - 0 Uncommons 19 - 0 Commons
Cards	100
Avg. CMC	3.21
Tokens	Vampire 1/1 B