Recursion from the Underworld

Commander / EDH* Reanimator WB (Orzhov)

Yosituna

Creature (25)

• 1x Angel of Despair
• 1x Archfiend of Depravity
• 1x Ashen Rider
• 1x Athreos, God of Passage
• 1x Avacyn, Angel of Hope
• 1x Burnished Hart
• 1x Crypt Ghast
• 1x Erebos, God of the Dead
• 1x Falkenrath Noble
• 1x Gray Merchant of Asphodel
• 1x Harvester of Souls
• 1x High Priest of Penance
• 1x Karmic Guide
• 1x Ob Nixilis, Unshackled
• 1x Obzedat, Ghost Council
• 1x Reya Dawnbringer
• 1x Sepulchral Primordial
• 1x Serra Avatar
• 1x Sheoldred, Whispering One
• 1x Sun Titan
• 1x Teysa, Envoy of Ghosts
• 1x Teysa, Orzhov Scion
• 1x Treasury Thrull
• 1x Viscera Seer
• 1x Vizkopa Guildmage

Instant (7)

• 1x Beckon Apparition
• 1x Mortify
• 1x Path to Exile
• 1x Rescue from the Underworld
• 1x Swords to Plowshares
• 1x Utter End
• 1x Vampiric Tutor

Land (39)

• 1x Bojuka Bog
• 1x Cabal Coffers
• 1x Caves of Koilos
• 1x Command Tower
• 1x Emeria, the Sky Ruin
• 1x Godless Shrine
• 1x Homeward Path
• 1x Isolated Chapel
• 1x Maze of Ith
• 1x Orzhov Basilica
• 1x Orzhov Guildgate
• 10x Plains
• 1x Scoured Barrens
• 14x Swamp
• 1x Tainted Field
• 1x Temple of Silence
• 1x Urborg, Tomb of Yawgmoth

Enchantment (14)

• 1x Attrition
• 1x Black Market
• 1x Blind Obedience
• 1x Dictate of Erebos
• 1x Exquisite Blood
• 1x Ghostly Prison
• 1x Gift of Immortality
• 1x Grave Betrayal
• 1x Grave Pact
• 1x Marshal's Anthem
• 1x Martyr's Bond
• 1x Palace Siege
• 1x Phyrexian Arena
• 1x Sanguine Bond

Commander (1)

Sorcery (14)

• 1x Day of Judgment
• 1x Debt to the Deathless
• 1x Demonic Tutor
• 1x Diabolic Tutor
• 1x Exsanguinate
• 1x Immortal Servitude
• 1x Killing Wave
• 1x Merciless Eviction
• 1x Obzedat's Aid
• 1x Reanimate
• 1x Rise of the Dark Realms
• 1x Victimize
• 1x Vindicate
• 1x Wrath of God

Artifact (4)

• 1x Ashnod's Altar
• 1x Orzhov Signet
• 1x Sol Ring
• 1x Whip of Erebos

Planeswalker (1)

• 1x Liliana Vess

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Maybeboard

Creature (30)

• 1x Basilica Guards
• 1x Basilica Screecher
• 1x Bogbrew Witch
• 1x Cartel Aristocrat
• 1x Cathedral Sanctifier
• 1x Desecration Demon
• 1x Doomed Necromancer
• 1x Festering Newt
• 1x Fiend Hunter
• 1x It That Betrays
• 1x Kingpin's Pet
• 1x Knight of Obligation
• 1x Magister of Worth
• 1x Massacre Wurm
• 1x Mortician Beetle
• 1x Mother of Runes
• 1x Ogre Slumlord
• 1x Pontiff of Blight
• 1x Reveillark
• 1x Scholar of Athreos
• 1x Skirsdag High Priest
• 1x Solemn Simulacrum
• 1x Suture Priest
• 1x Syndic of Tithes
• 1x Syndicate Enforcer
• 1x Thrull Parasite
• 1x Tithe Drinker
• 1x Vish Kal, Blood Arbiter
• 1x World Queller
• 1x Xathrid Necromancer

Land (16)

• 1x Ancient Tomb
• 1x Bottomless Vault
• 1x Crypt of Agadeem
• 1x Fetid Heath
• 1x Ghost Quarter
• 1x Icatian Store
• 1x Lake of the Dead
• 1x Marsh Flats
• 1x Miren, the Moaning Well
• 1x Nykthos, Shrine to Nyx
• 1x Opal Palace
• 1x Reflecting Pool
• 1x Reliquary Tower
• 1x Scoured Barrens
• 1x Scrubland
• 1x Temple of the False God

Enchantment (4)

• 1x Dark Tutelage
• 1x Field of Souls
• 1x Phyrexian Arena
• 1x Quest for the Gravelord

Sorcery (6)

• 1x Austere Command
• 1x Culling Sun
• 1x Mutilate
• 1x Profane Command
• 1x Sign in Blood
• 1x Syphon Soul

Instant (5)

• 1x Doom Blade
• 1x Hero's Downfall
• 1x Orzhov Charm
• 1x Pharika's Cure
• 1x Rootborn Defenses

Artifact (5)

• 1x Bubbling Cauldron
• 1x Elixir of Immortality
• 1x Expedition Map
• 1x Skullclamp
• 1x Spear of Heliod

Planeswalker (2)

• 1x Liliana of the Dark Realms
• 1x Sorin, Solemn Visitor

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Pacting is such sweet sorrow!

This deck has three main parts:

• Sacrificing creatures and Grave Pact-style effects: Dictate of Erebos, Martyr's Bond

• Recursion, especially via and for creatures: Athreos, God of Passage, Reya Dawnbringer, Karmic Guide, Marshal's Anthem, Reanimate (this also includes mass recursion such as Liliana Vess and Rise of the Dark Realms)

• Life drain: Gray Merchant of Asphodel, Exsanguinate, Debt to the Deathless

The main engine of this deck is through Athreos' ability to recur creatures if life is not paid. By selecting creatures that have either helpful ETB or sac effects (Gray Merchant, Angel of Despair, etc.), you can recur them to repeat those effects, while also activating pact effects to get rid of your opponents' creatures.

Since Athreos' own ability gives the opponent a choice, there are a lot of other less easily stopped recursion abilities, in case your opponents get wise and pay the three life: Gift of Immortality, Rescue from the Underworld, Immortal Servitude, etc. Some of these abilities can also work like a reanimator deck, in case you never get up to the 9 mana to get Reya Dawnbringer out.

Your opponents will be focused on your recursion strategy; meanwhile, you can put out a Liliana and/or drain the crap out of them, hopefully reducing their ability to pay that 3 life without completely screwing themselves over.

Boardwipes are also useful, both for dealing with imminent zerg rushes and for filling up graveyards before ulting Liliana Vess or casting a Rise of the Dark Realms. (Or even better, having a Grave Betrayal out!) Avacyn, Angel of Hope can ensure that the boardwipes stay one-sided, if that helps you out. Merciless Eviction won't fill up your graveyards and will wipe your own board too, but it will help take out, for example, an artifact deck using Darksteel Forge, or a rival Avacyn, Angel of Hope + Asceticism deck (or any other deck that combines indestructible + hexproof). With those, sometimes all you can do is burn the world and start over from scratch.

Wincons are an Exsanguinate or Debt to the Deathless for lethal, the Exquisite Blood + Sanguine Bond or Exquisite Blood + Vizkopa Guildmage combo, or a mass recursion such as Rise or Liliana Vess' ultimate.

Currently working on foiling this out (or at least the cards I'm almost certain are staying in). I'm also clearly a few cards over my limit here, so any ideas on what to cut/add/replace?

Key combos/synergies:

• Exquisite Blood + Sanguine Bond , Exquisite Blood + Vizkopa Guildmage : Already mentioned.

• Crypt Ghast + Debt to the Deathless , Crypt Ghast + Exsanguinate : Ramp + draining = awesome. Have you ever Debted for 80 before? Now you might!

• Avacyn, Angel of Hope + Day of Judgment , Avacyn, Angel of Hope + Wrath of God , Day of Judgment + Grave Betrayal , Grave Betrayal + Wrath of God : All ways to make your board wipes essentially asymmetrical. Either wipe everyone else's board while leaving yours intact, or wipe everything, make them pay life for every creature of yours that they don't want returning to your hand, and then put all of theirs back into play as Zombies under your control. What's not to love?

• Dictate of Erebos + Rescue from the Underworld , Grave Pact + Rescue from the Underworld : Rescue asks you to sac a creature to get both that creature and another back from your graveyard at your next upkeep. That sacrifice will still trigger any Grave Pact effects, however, without leaving you down any creatures.

Date added	9 years
Last updated	6 years
Key combos	Exquisite Blood + Sanguine Bond Exquisite Blood + Vizkopa Guildmage Crypt Ghast + Debt to the Deathless Avacyn, Angel of Hope + Wrath of God Day of Judgment + Grave Betrayal Crypt Ghast + Exsanguinate Avacyn, Angel of Hope + Day of Judgment Grave Betrayal + Wrath of God Dictate of Erebos + Rescue from the Underworld Grave Pact + Rescue from the Underworld
Legality	This deck is not Commander / EDH legal.
Rarity (main - side)	15 - 0 Mythic Rares 41 - 0 Rares 16 - 0 Uncommons 8 - 0 Commons
Cards	105
Avg. CMC	4.17
Tokens	Spirit 1/1 W, Spirit 1/1 WB
Folders	Edh stuff, Orzhov (Athreos), Faves