The instant I found Phenax, God of Deception, I started putting this together.
Obviously it's a bit harder to mill in commander (100 cards vs 60 cards) but I think with the right setup I can do it.
Quick combo for speedreaders: Consuming Aberration
+
Phenax, God of Deception
+
Traumatize
also with Thousand-Year Elixir for the surprise mill win
I'll go ahead and discuss why I put each cards in and my thoughts related to that. Hope you have some spare time.
AEther Adept (good utility - cheapest ETB return to hand effect, and scales with Intruder Alarm if I get it out)
Aphetto Alchemist (untaps and morph for surprise mills)
Avatar of Woe (it scales with the deck focus and has good removal)
Consecrated Sphinx (card draws, good toughness for ability + mana cost)
Consuming Aberration (OP scaling with Phenax, God of Deception)
Crenellated Wall (this is probably the first card I'll remove since it doesn't have devotion for color and the ability is kind of crappy in the deck, however, Crenellated Wall
+
Eater of the Dead
is usually insta-mill)
Desecration Demon (very good creature values for mana cost)
Disowned Ancestor (good toughness/mana ratio)
Djinn of Infinite Deceits (this deck is based around defenders and not attackers, so I can trade them a defender of mine for a big scary guy of theirs and be happy, also the power trade-off came out of his attack and not toughness so he scales with the commander)
Eater of the Dead (possible insta-win combo and counters Reanimator decks, unfortunately doesn't work against creatureless)
Glacial Wall (the toughness/mana ratio is over 2.0)
Hover Barrier (dragons are becoming meta with the new sets and I don't want to insta-die just because some dragon-things flew over my walls)
Isleback Spawn (scales with the deck focus and has shroud)
Jace's Archivist (draw/discard is one way to remove cards from a deck. this affects each player AND gets me cards in my hand)
Lazav, Dimir Mastermind (aw, too bad your Emrakul, the Aeons Torn is now in your graveyard...)
Lord of the Void (remove cards and hopefully grab creatures for your cause)
Mirko Vosk, Mind Drinker (repeatable Mind Funeral)
Nemesis of Reason (toughness/mana ratio is over 1.0 and 10 cards is a LOT)
Nighthowler (I can make Voltron out of any of my creatures)
Rotting Mastodon (1.6 toughness/mana ratio)
Shield Sphere (now THAT's value)
Silent Arbiter (go away Zoo decks)
Spellskite (the commander needs to be on the battlefield for this deck to work)
Stitcher Geralf (scales with the deck focus and makes more tappable cards)
Venser, Shaper Savant (counter whatever you want, also you can return AEther Adept or anything to proc Intruder Alarm)
Wall of Blood (get nuked)
Wall of Frost (slows down aggro and has toughness/mana ratio over 2.0)
Wall of Junk (toughness/mana ratio over 3.0, emergency trample blocker)
Wrexial, the Risen Deep (at the rate you're milling them, they will have plenty of useful instants and sorceries in their graveyards, 40% chance to be unblockable)
Xathrid Gorgon (has OK toughness/mana ratio, removes scary creatures)
Glimpse the Unthinkable (value)
Hidden Strings (probably one of the most valuable cards in the deck - TWO untaps for two mana!! the only other place there's value like this is Freed from the Real, and that's super targetted)
Traumatize (half of their cards)
Animate Dead (wait, I can just take their cards? and this is a dollar? wow)
Aspect of Gorgon (I would suggest not attacking me)
Intruder Alarm (I mill faster and they mill themselves)
Treachery (value)
Ensouled Scimitar/Slagwurm Armor (+5 and +6 toughness equip)
Minamo, School at the Water's Edge (untaps Phenax, Stitcher Geralf, and hopefully big Lazav, Dimir Mastermind
Triton Tactics (+6 toughness and two untaps?!!?! and a defensive boost??! 100% most useful card in the deck)
Open to any suggestions! I haven't tried this deck out in a game yet.
Currently considering: Duskmantle Guildmage + Mindcrank
