Gorm & Virtus: Hurt Them Half to Death

Commander / EDH* Aggro BG (Golgari) Combo Group Slug Multiplayer Voltron

AceTrainerKen

Land (36)

• 1x Barren Moor
• 1x Blighted Woodland
• 1x Blooming Marsh
• 1x Bojuka Bog
• 1x Command Tower
• 4x Forest
• 1x Golgari Rot Farm
• 1x Hissing Quagmire
• 1x Homeward Path
• 1x Jungle Hollow
• 1x Llanowar Wastes
• 1x Mana Confluence
• 1x Maze of Ith
• 1x Overgrown Tomb
• 1x Pendelhaven
• 1x Pine Barrens
• 1x Reflecting Pool
• 1x Reliquary Tower
• 1x Rogue's Passage
• 1x Shizo, Death's Storehouse
• 6x Swamp
• 1x Tainted Wood
• 1x Temple of Malady
• 1x Temple of the False God
• 1x Tranquil Thicket
• 1x Twilight Mire
• 1x Urborg, Tomb of Yawgmoth
• 1x Woodland Cemetery

Enchantment (9)

• 1x Asceticism
• 1x Canopy Cover
• 1x Exquisite Blood
• 1x Leshrac's Rite
• 1x Lure
• 1x Painful Quandary
• 1x Phyrexian Arena
• 1x Sanguine Bond
• 1x Wound Reflection

Artifact (20)

• 1x Basilisk Collar
• 1x Commander's Sphere
• 1x Darksteel Plate
• 1x Fireshrieker
• 1x Golgari Signet
• 1x Grappling Hook
• 1x Hammer of Nazahn
• 1x Helm of the Host
• 1x Infiltration Lens
• 1x Lightning Greaves
• 1x Nemesis Mask
• 1x Quietus Spike
• 1x Scytheclaw
• 1x Sol Ring
• 1x Strionic Resonator
• 1x Swiftfoot Boots
• 1x Sword of Body and Mind
• 1x Sword of Feast and Famine
• 1x Trailblazer's Boots
• 1x Whispersilk Cloak

Creature (14)

• 1x Archfiend of Depravity
• 1x Archfiend of Despair
• 1x Brass Squire
• 1x Dire Fleet Ravager
• 1x Eternal Witness
• 1x Filth
• 1x Glissa, the Traitor
• 1x Golgari Decoy
• 1x Noble Quarry
• 1x Prized Unicorn
• 1x Raving Dead
• 1x Siege Behemoth
• 1x Taunting Elf
• 1x Tree of Perdition

Planeswalker (2)

• 1x Sorin Markov
• 1x Vraska the Unseen

Commanders (2)

Sorcery (9)

• 1x Cultivate
• 1x Deadly Allure
• 1x Deadly Tempest
• 1x Diabolic Tutor
• 1x Exsanguinate
• 1x Killing Wave
• 1x Kodama's Reach
• 1x Profane Command
• 1x Temporal Extortion

Instant (8)

• 1x Beast Within
• 1x Destined / Lead
• 1x Golgari Charm
• 1x Heroic Intervention
• 1x Hero's Downfall
• 1x Krosan Grip
• 1x Putrefy
• 1x Worldly Tutor

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Maybeboard

Instant (1)

• 1x Vampiric Tutor

Sorcery (1)

• 1x Demonic Tutor

Enchantment (1)

• 1x Sylvan Library

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Welcome to my build of Virtus and Gorm, in which I'll be looking to take the largest chunks of life from my opponents as often as possible. With some combos I'll mention later, I'll be looking to get some one hit kills going as well. To accomplish this, evasion will be the primary focus, whether it be done through provide Virtus with a form of unblockable or using Gorn's (and other) blocking shenanigans....

To maximize the damage that Virtus can dish out through his ability, this deck will look to make him unblockable as often as possible using cards such as Filth, Leshrac's Rite, and Trailblazer's Boots to give swampwalk/landwalk. Intimidate, fear, and color protection effects (ie. Sword of B+M/F+F) help get Virtus through without him being outright unblockable through Whispersilk Cloak and Rogue's Passage.

When Virtus has the ability to make combat cards such as Grappling Hook and Fireshrieker can provide Double Strike to cut 2/3 of the oppositions life away from them. Similarly, Helm of the Host can provide multiple copies of Virtus to deal massive damage to multiple foes while avoiding the Legendary Creature Rule.

Outside of Virtus, there are a few cards in this deck designed to give myself advantages while chipping away at my opponents rapidly dwindling life totals. Cards like Temporal Extortion, Deadly Tempest, and Painful Quandary, Sorin Markov, Quietus Spike, Scytheclaw, and Tree of Perdition can help put our opponents in the ideal kill-range.

Cards such as Exsanguinate, Profane Command, Torment of Hailfire, and even Killing Wave can help bop opponents within this aforementioned kill-range without needing to worry about straight-forward combat.

While Gorn isn't the focus of the deck, his ability and recastable nature as a commander is vital to Virtus hitting the opponent. To ensure we have this ability active as often as possible, Golgari Decoy, Noble Quarry, Prized Unicorn, Taunting Elf, Lure, and the Nemesis Mask Equipment will give us a similar ability to Gorn's consitently. These blocking shenanigans are made even better when paired with cards that supply deathtouch and/or indestructible.

While halving our opponents life totals is great, it won't always kill. For that I have the combo pieces Strionic Resonator, Wound Reflection, and Archfiend of Despair. These cards allow us to get a second pop out of Virtus once he gets his hit in, and with his ability rounding up, these doubling abilities almost ensure a quick yet untimely death for the enemy. Vraska the Unseen also gives us a humorous alternative win condition if she's allowed to get out of control. Sanguine Bond and Exquisite Blood is another pretty standard alternate win con.

While this deck may lend itself to some quick games, I think it offers some variance in the strategies often present in the Golgari colors in EDH.

If you like the deck list, feel free to leave an up-vote and a comment. I'm sure there are many other great ideas for this deck, so I would greatly appreciate any recommendations and suggestions!

I will be updating the deck bio as any changes occur

Date added	5 years
Last updated	3 years
Exclude colors	WUR
Legality	This deck is Commander / EDH legal.
Rarity (main - side)	9 - 0 Mythic Rares 38 - 0 Rares 33 - 0 Uncommons 9 - 0 Commons
Cards	100
Avg. CMC	3.36
Tokens	Assassin 1/1 B w/ Player Killer, Beast 3/3 G, Copy Clone, Phyrexian Germ 0/0 B, Wolf 2/2 G
Folders	commander, Funny