Karlov's Tithes

Commander / EDH Lifegain Multiplayer Soul Sisters WB (Orzhov)

LordBlackblade

Creature (22)

• 1x Archangel of Thune
• 1x Auriok Champion
• 1x Blood Artist
• 1x Cliffhaven Vampire
• 1x Crested Sunmare
• 1x Deathgreeter
• 1x Divinity of Pride
• 1x Epicure of Blood
• 1x Grand Abolisher
• 1x Heliod, Sun-Crowned
• 1x Kambal, Consul of Allocation
• 1x Marauding Blight-Priest
• 1x Mother of Runes
• 1x Serra Ascendant
• 1x Soul Warden
• 1x Soul's Attendant
• 1x Sunscorch Regent
• 1x Tree of Perdition
• 1x Tymna the Weaver
• 1x Vito, Thorn of the Dusk Rose
• 1x Vizkopa Guildmage
• 1x Voice of the Blessed

Enchantment (11)

• 1x Ashes of the Abhorrent
• 1x Authority of the Consuls
• 1x Blind Obedience
• 1x Bloodchief Ascension
• 1x Dawn of Hope
• 1x Exquisite Blood
• 1x Necropotence
• 1x No Mercy
• 1x Phyrexian Arena
• 1x Sanguine Bond
• 1x Smothering Tithe

Land (32)

• 1x Brightclimb Pathway  ^Flip
• 1x Caves of Koilos
• 1x Command Tower
• 1x Eiganjo, Seat of the Empire
• 1x Fetid Heath
• 1x Godless Shrine
• 1x Isolated Chapel
• 1x Marsh Flats
• 9x Plains
• 1x Rogue's Passage
• 1x Shattered Sanctum
• 1x Shizo, Death's Storehouse
• 8x Swamp
• 1x Tainted Field
• 1x Takenuma, Abandoned Mire
• 1x Urborg, Tomb of Yawgmoth
• 1x Vault of Champions

Instant (11)

• 1x Anguished Unmaking
• 1x Despark
• 1x Fracture
• 1x Generous Gift
• 1x Hagra Mauling  ^Flip
• 1x Kabira Takedown  ^Flip
• 1x Path to Exile
• 1x Sejiri Shelter  ^Flip
• 1x Swords to Plowshares *f-etch*
• 1x Teferi's Protection
• 1x Vanishing Verse

Commander (1)

Artifact (15)

• 1x Aetherflux Reservoir
• 1x Arcane Signet
• 1x Fellwar Stone
• 1x Lightning Greaves
• 1x Loxodon Warhammer
• 1x Orzhov Signet
• 1x Pristine Talisman
• 1x Shadowspear
• 1x Sol Ring
• 1x Sun Droplet
• 1x Swiftfoot Boots
• 1x Talisman of Hierarchy
• 1x The Ozolith
• 1x Umezawa's Jitte
• 1x Well of Lost Dreams

Sorcery (8)

• 1x Damn
• 1x Damnation
• 1x Farewell
• 1x Night's Whisper
• 1x Read the Bones
• 1x Sign in Blood
• 1x Slash the Ranks
• 1x Wrath of God

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My second EDH deck, and my first foray into the multicolored. An obvious work in progress. The main idea of the deck is to benefit from multiple life gain triggers while steadily draining life from your opponents. My experience with EDH thus far has definitely helped to shape this deck. It is coming together much more efficiently than my first, and I am much more aware of what does and does not work in EDH. Looking forward to some constructive feedback. I play pretty much every Saturday at my LGS, so any changes take about a week to be "battle-tested" in a real game.

Try setting sort to Custom to see my thought process when designing the deck!

The Commander

Karlov of the Ghost Council is a powerful, versatile commander. His triggered ability powers him up every time you gain life. This makes him strong enough to make commander damage a real threat. His activated ability is even more powerful. By paying two mana and removing six counters (read three triggers worth) of counters from him, we can exile any creature. This repeatable, easily-charged removal helps deal with threats and make holes in the enemy line for Karlov to slip through.

EDH Staples

Some cards have a place in (nearly) every EDH deck. Most of these so-called staples serve one purpose: color fixing. As the number of colors in a deck increases, so too does the need for color fixing. The primary method of color fixing in the deck is through effective use of dual and fetch lands. My research on the topic has lead me to create what I believe to be an optimized mana base for the deck. This was achieved by removing as many tap lands as possible and replacing them with dual lands that have a way to enter the battlefield untapped.

The Battlebond Lands Show

These lands come in untapped if you have two or more opponents. In casual EDH, that should be the vast majority of games.

• Vault of Champions

The Check Lands Show

These lands check to see if you have a given land type under your control. We'll usually have a basic land under our control, making this an easy requirement to meet.

• Isolated Chapel

Command Tower Show

The land of lands in EDH, Command Tower should be in every multicolor EDH deck.

• Command Tower

The Fetch Lands Show

The ideal use of the fetch lands is to tutor for our shock lands. Barring that, they can also be used for early game mana fixing.

• Marsh Flats

The Filter Lands Show

These lands are able to tap for a colorless mana on their own, or can be used to filter mana of one color into another color.

• Fetid Heath

The Pain Lands Show

An underrated type of dual land, the pain lands deal one damage to you when tapped for either of their colors; however, they can also be tapped for a colorless mana at no penalty.

• Caves of Koilos

The Pathways Show

These relatively simple lands are great! They always come in untapped, and let you choose what you need on the spot. I'm not saying they are as good as the fetch lands; however, their ability to fix you is quite high.

• Brightclimb Pathway  

The Shock Lands Show

Get Shocked in order to get an untapped dual land into play. The shock lands are true color-fixing staples in any format.

• Godless Shrine

The Signets Show

Another true color fixing staple, the signets are used in a majority of EDH decks as a colorless source of mana-fixing.

• Orzhov Signet

The Slow Lands Show

Strictly better battle lands. Only punish you on turns 1 and 2, which is not the majority of the game. Most of the time they function as untapped dual lands.

• Shattered Sanctum

The Tainted Lands Show

The tainted lands are a form of black-only dual land originally printed in the Torment set. They have since all received a modern reprint save for Tainted Peak. They are excellent duals and function most similarly to the check lands.

• Tainted Field

The Talismans Show

Two mana rocks are very good, and the talismans can even produce colored mana. They are now available for every two color combination.

• Talisman of Hierarchy

Miscellaneous Mana Fixers Show

These cards don't fit into the other mana-fixing staple categories, but are used still widely used and can be quite powerful.

• Arcane Signet - Two mana and produces either of our colors. A staple

• Fellwar Stone - It's ceiling is a better Arcane Signet, and it's floor is a worse Mind Stone. Usually pretty solid

• Rogue's Passage - Taps for colorless. Can also make one creature unblockable, albeit at a somewhat high cost

• Shizo, Death's Storehouse - Taps for black, but more importantly can give our commander fear

• Smothering Tithe - Might seem bold calling it a staple, but I think this rising star from Ravnica Allegiance will earn its place

• Sol Ring - As the old saying goes, "Sol Ring, nintey-eight cards to go" Has a slot in any EDH deck

• Urborg, Tomb of Yawgmoth - A staple in any black deck. Allows all of our lands to tap for black

Noteworthy Combos and Synergies

The majority of the combos in the deck rely on parts of the infamous Exquisite Blood + Sanguine Bond combo.

• Aetherflux Reservoir + Exquisite Blood - As long as activating Aethflux Reservoir doesn't kill you, you can essentially use it for free or at a greatly reduced cost by regaining the life spent

• Cliffhaven Vampire + Exquisite Blood - A retool of the classic combo subbing in Cliffhaven Vampire for Sanguine Bond

• Exquisite Blood + Sanguine Bond - The classic black infinite combo. Cause any loss of life while these are out an infinitely drain your opponents' life

• Exquisite Blood + Tree of Perdition - You set an opponent's life total to thirteen and gain all the life they lose

• Exquisite Blood + Vizkopa Guildmage - A retool of the classic combo subbing in Vizkopa Guildmage for Sanguine Bond

• Exquisite Blood + Vito, Thorn of the Dusk Rose - A retool of the classic combo subbing in Vito, Thorn of the Dusk Rose for Sanguine Bond

Removal Suite

Removal is a key concept in many EDH decks. If your deck doesn't have the ability to counter a spell, removal is the next best option. The key deciding factor for removal spells in this deck is versatility. Any spell that does more than simply destroy a creature is an outstanding choice.

• Anguished Unmaking - Exile any nonland permanent for three mana and three life

• Damn - A flexible Wrath of God. Seems decent

• Damnation - Literally a black Wrath of God

• Despark - A rising star from War of the Spark. While the removal is conditional, you'll usually have a target, and its a bargain at two CMC

• Eiganjo, Seat of the Empire - Extremely situational removal; however, costs us literally nothing to run

• Farewell - An arguably more flexible Merciless Eviction , minus the ability to hit planeswalkers

• Fracture - Versatile, appropriately-costed removal

• Generous Gift - A white Beast Within is pretty great

• Hagra Mauling   - Usually an over-costed Murder; however, it has a low opportunity cost to run

• Kabira Takedown   - Situational removal, but low opportunity cost to run

• Path to Exile - A white staple. One mana answer to most creatures

• Slash the Ranks - Wipes the board and leaves us with our commander (which will usually be the strongest of the remaining creatures)

• Swords to Plowshares - Strictly better Path to Exile

• Vanishing Verse - Only exiles monocolored permanents, but is well-costed for its effect

• Wrath of God - The original board wipe. Sets the standard

The Strategy

The deck has more ways to win than one might expect for a life gain deck. The most basic win-con is for us to stack any off the life gain triggers below in order to make Karlov of the Ghost Council enormous, and then swing for commander damage. In addition to these, there are a few other, somewhat more insidious win conditions tucked away within the deck.

Life Gain Triggers Show

This is the core of the deck, and enables the majority of victory conditions in the deck. The general idea was to add cards to give us a life gain trigger as part of any action.

• Aetherflux Reservoir - Easy life gain on casting spells. Also able to nuke players once our life total gets high enough

• Ashes of the Abhorrent - Gain one life whenever something dies. Bonus bit of graveyard hate

• Auriok Champion - Gain one life whenever a creature enters the battlefield. Bonus protection from black and red

• Authority of the Consuls - Gain one life whenever a creature enters the battlefield. Bonus disruption by tapping down opponents' creatures

• Blind Obedience - Gives an extort trigger to our spells and disrupts our opponents by tapping their creatures and artifacts

• Blood Artist - Drains one life from an opponent whenever a creature dies

• Bloodchief Ascension - Once active, drains two life from an opponent whenever a card goes to their graveyard

• Deathgreeter - Essentially Ashes of the Abhorrent minus the graveyard hate

• Divinity of Pride - Almost always an 8/8 flying lifelinker for five mana

• Kambal, Consul of Allocation - Drains two life from an opponent whenever they cast a noncreature spell

• Loxodon Warhammer - Lifelink is a reliable form of lifegain. Slap this on Karlov of the Ghost Council and watch him swing

• Pristine Talisman - Tap to add one mana to you mana pool and gain one life

• Serra Ascendant - Almost always an 6/6 flying lifelinker for one mana

• Shadowspear - Loxodon Warhammer light plus added utility for Karlov of the Ghost Council's ability

• Soul Warden- Gain one life whenever a creature enters the battlefield

• Soul's Attendant - Soul Warden Mk.II

• Sun Droplet - A hidden powerhouse. Essentially slowly regenerates your life.

• Sunscorch Regent - Gain one life whenever an opponent casts a spell and he gets a +1/+1 counter

• Umezawa's Jitte - A normally awesome equipment becomes even better when used with Karlov of the Ghost Council. The third mode gains us two life, and puts two counters on Karlov if he is out, essentially giving two of the mode effects for the price of one

Win Conditions Show

The deck's win conditions can be grouped into three categories: Beaters, Instant Win, and Life Adjustment.

• Archangel of Thune - Coupled with any of our life gain triggers, she grows our board quickly

• Cliffhaven Vampire - Can replace Sanguine Bond in the famous Exquisite Blood + Sanguine Bond combo

• Crested Sunmare - Coupled with any of our life gain triggers, this card can flood our board with indestructible horses

• Epicure of Blood - Can replace Sanguine Bond in the Exquisite Blood + Sanguine Bond combo

• Exquisite Blood - Half of the Exquisite Blood + Sanguine Bond combo

• Heliod, Sun-Crowned - Increases Karlov of the Ghost Council's efficiency and can give him lifelink at minimal cost

• Marauding Blight-Priest - Essentially a cheaper Cliffhaven Vampire

• Sanguine Bond - Half of the Exquisite Blood + Sanguine Bond combo

• Tree of Perdition - Tap to set an opponent's life total to thirteen

• Vito, Thorn of the Dusk Rose - Can replace Sanguine Bond in the Exquisite Blood + Sanguine Bond combo

• Vizkopa Guildmage - Can replace Sanguine Bond in the Exquisite Blood + Sanguine Bond combo

• Voice of the Blessed - A low-costed threat. With all of our life gain triggers, can function as a backup Karlov of the Ghost Council

Sub-Themes

Any given deck has a number of sub-themes running in the background of the overall deck architecture. In this particular deck, our two sub-themes are rather minor, but still present and powerful nonetheless.

Card Advantage Show

Being able to draw more cards allows us to see more of our deck in a given game. Black gives the deck access to several powerful draw engines.

• Dawn of Hope - Two generic mana to draw a card whenever you gain life

• Necropotence - The archetypal black draw draw engine. With as much life gain as the deck has, we can easily pay to keep a full hand

• Night's Whisper - Two mana and two life draws you two cards

• Phyrexian Arena - A classic black draw card. The cost in life is negligible compared to the deck's life gain

• Read the Bones - Scry two, draw two cards, and lose two life all for three mana

• Sign in Blood - The more popular version of Night's Whisper

• Takenuma, Abandoned Mire - Overcosted card recovery; however, costs us nothing to run

• Tymna the Weaver - With the deck's somewhat aggro playstyle, her ability is an easy way to net a few cards each turn

• Well of Lost Dreams - Pay mana to draw card whenever you gain life

Protection Show

The deck includes several cards designed to make our commander and ourselves less than ideal targets.

• Grand Abolisher - Prevents counterspells and combat shenanigans during our turn

• Lightning Greaves - The classic commander protector. Be aware that shroud prevents targeting by our spells as well

• Mother of Runes - Offensive and defensive applications. Ideally used to protect Karlov from removal, but can also be used to sneak him through enemy lines

• No Mercy - A fantastic deterrent to attackers. Most players will look elsewhere to avoid devastating their own board state

• Sejiri Shelter   - A more expensive Stave Off; however, being an MDFC makes it playable

• Swiftfoot Boots - Ideally used to give Karlov some form of defense from removal

• Teferi's Protection - Basically the best protection spell white has to offer. A staple

• The Ozolith - Doesn't directly protect Karlov; however, enables a smoother recovery if he gets removed

Weaknesses

The decks biggest weakness is being in a state of being unable to gain life. This is usually due to opponents' interference: Erebos, God of the Dead, Sulfuric Vortex, Rain of Gore, etc. However, it can also be a failing of our own if we fail to play any life gain engines early enough in the game. A first turn Soul Warden or Authority of the Consuls is a great foundation towards victory when starting out. Failing to drop those early life gain triggers can dramatically affect the deck's overall performance.

Date added	7 years
Last updated	2 years
Key combos	Exquisite Blood + Sanguine Bond Exquisite Blood + Vizkopa Guildmage Aetherflux Reservoir + Exquisite Blood Cliffhaven Vampire + Exquisite Blood Exquisite Blood + Tree of Perdition Exquisite Blood + Vito, Thorn of the Dusk Rose
Legality	This deck is Commander / EDH legal.
Rarity (main - side)	7 - 0 Mythic Rares 48 - 0 Rares 17 - 0 Uncommons 10 - 0 Commons
Cards	100
Avg. CMC	2.69
Tokens	Elephant 3-3 G, Horse 5/5 W, Soldier 1/1 W w/ Lifelink, Treasure
Folders	decks, EDH, Completed Decks