Introduction
I keep coming back to GRIXIS it does the thing I like doing in Magic the absolute best, draw cards, make mana and cast spells. My first 'serious' Commander deck was a Nekusar, the Mindrazer and while he would work for this deck he isn't quite what I was looking for, also he is kind of obvious being one of the win conditions of his own deck (Jeleva is too but less obviously). The other problem is each of the guilds that can be pulled from this shard is severly lacking in a piece that makes their combination work so well.
I am also the designated combo player in the group I regularly play, I play with a lot of aggro and removal and disruption and mid range decks, I have a giant bullseye on my head at all times even if it doesn't seem like it. Any incidental damage seems to head my way. I don't resent this, rather I see it is a compliment of these piles of cards that I craft I and I strive to raise to the occasion presented. Certain 'all in' strategies like Doomsday are not impossible but extremely fragile I personally find.
My version in that case dives headfirst into disruption and a bit of chaos to keep everyone off their games and disallow people from building a stable footing on board or in their hands.
Other Commander Options
Looking at the list below you may wonder just why it isn't Nekusar, the Mindrazer it is very simple, everyone really likes drawing cards. I would know because I enjoy it greatly/ So playing a commander that makes people not want to do that draws giant bullseyes onto that Commander, and a lot of time spent playing that deck is protecting the Commander from all sides.
Also Nek with this list creates a vortex and everything swirls around and requires Nek to function properly, no thank you. I like having a Commander but I like something that can also be a feint or a bluff and Nek can never be that.
Jeleva Herself
Pros
Flying (saves my ass more than you want to know)
Scales well for multiplayer
Can win the game
Deck is built in a way that doesn't really care how long she survives
The amount of value she can pull makes her a target people almost have to get rid of, thus making her a great bait for counters and removal
People don't like their libraries being exiled
Wizard
Cons
She ain't winning any fights
Kiss Commander Damage win goodbye (well unless you want to swap in a Hatred)(or I guess take all the turns and poke people to death)
Potential to exile cards you don't want her to
Too many things to cast on each combat
If she is left alone and runs out of spells with no removal she becomes a pretty dead card
Engines
The deck plays fine, playing creatures, countering spells, drawing cards, removing threats, and then one of a handful of cards shows up and the deck switches gears and it is off to races. Obviously these engines can also be set up through tutoring means and combining more than one of them at the same time typically leads to the game ending.
1) Waste Not
This deck runs 6 Discard Wheels the way it typically works is you start by casting a Wheel that is not
Dark Deal
, you get more Zombies and Extra Draw from this first Wheel because people are rarely holding that many lands (unless it is turn 3). The second wheel is where all the mana comes into play. The biggest trick at this point is balancing Blue and Red mana so you aren't stuck with all black mana with Blue/Red hand (this is why the color mana rocks are so good, especially the Mox that is whichever one you need for a card you just drew off the wheel)
2)
Mind's Desire
The most value you can get off a single cast in this game IMO, also the most chance to fall on your face hitting the first 3 copies into Lands is really tense, typically I like to stack up to double digit storm before casting as 10+ usually guarantees some good hits but in a pinch using this for 3 random cards can save a loosing situation.
Flipping Yawgmoth's Will Dark Ritual and Gilded Lotus with this is when you know the deck likes you :)
There are dozens of patterns this card can flip into that can completely change and alter the game (including a Remand for the original copy or a Rewind for the untaps)
I always make sure to let opponent cut between cards because fair is fair.
3) Yawgmoth's Will
It is called YawgWin for a reason, it just says do it all again.
Shaman's Trance
allows you to cast every spell in all opponent yards as well as yours if anyone else has any Ritual Effect you can cast, you have infinite of that color of mana because Will only exiles cards that go back to your graveyard.
Will can be a double edged sword because as you wheel with it active everything you discard is going away.
I recently added Mirror of Fate to the deck and a Will active is the same as a Rest in Peace in that it exiles the Mirror so you can put it back to set up some really bonkers stuff.
4) Past in Flames
Safe Yawgmoth's Will, versatile because of the flashback it has itself and the double uses you can get from it extremely powerful to hit off of Jeleva or Mind's Desire
Ending
Engines are fun and all but you need ways to actually end the game that is what these cards do.
1) GuttersnipeThis deck can make a very high storm count (Gilded Lotus + Ghostly Flicker + Archaeomancer infinite even), the Snipe turns all those spells into extra damage which whittles and can kill.
2) Laboratory ManiacThe more I play with this guy the more he seems to work well, playing a wheel and a Notion Thief drawing into him and another wheel especially Windfall is usually a hard thing for most deck to deal with.
3) Liliana's CaressThis deck wheels a lot and 20 cards discard is not that many.
4) Mirror of FateTypically sets up Laboratory Maniac wins in very intricate ways involving things most people don't expect because they already exiled that threat or I did with some delving
6) Tendrils of AgonyHard without infinite to kill a table early but later in a game when people are weak this card picks off those that need to die.
7)
Crypt Ghast
The stuff that applies to Guttersnipe applies here as long a you have a bunch of mana you can Extort the table to death.
Infinite
These are the shells, more cards can be bolted on to add more effects but these are what is required for infinite
1) Ghostly Flicker + Dualcaster Mage
2) Gilded Lotus + Ghostly Flicker + Archaeomancer
3) Reiterate +
Turnabout
4) Archaeomancer + Time Stretch + Riptide Laboratory
5) Reiterate +
Inner Fire
Cards I want to add but don't have due to not having or budget
-Lion's Eye Diamond
-Demonic Consultation
I can't stay away from this Grixis nonsense, if you have any suggestions I would love to hear them.
