Sol'Kanar, The Old Demon King

Commander / EDH* Demons Equip Lifegain Theme/Gimmick Toolbox UBR (Grixis) Voltron

GrimlockVIII

Creature (25)

• 1x Ardent Elementalist
• 1x Azra Oddsmaker
• 1x Blood Speaker
• 1x Burning-Rune Demon
• 1x Cavalier of Night
• 1x Clattering Augur
• 1x Demon of Wailing Agonies
• 1x Demon's Herald
• 1x Dread Presence
• 1x Filth
• 1x Gutterbones
• 1x Kediss, Emberclaw Familiar
• 1x King Crab
• 1x Marauding Blight-Priest
• 1x Master of Death
• 1x Murderous Rider
• 1x Obosh, the Preypiercer
• 1x Ogre Slumlord
• 1x Painter's Servant
• 1x Paragon of Open Graves
• 1x Prince of Thralls
• 1x Rakdos, Lord of Riots *f-etch*
• 1x Rakka Mar
• 1x Rakshasa Debaser
• 1x Varragoth, Bloodsky Sire

Sorcery (9)

• 1x Cut / Ribbons
• 1x Devil's Play
• 1x Diabolic Tutor
• 1x In Garruk's Wake
• 1x Meteor Shower
• 1x Rags / Riches
• 1x Read the Bones
• 1x Sign in Blood
• 1x Vandalblast

Land (37)

• 1x Bojuka Bog
• 1x Command Tower
• 1x Crumbling Necropolis
• 1x Dragonskull Summit
• 1x Fabled Passage
• 1x Fetid Pools
• 1x Field of Ruin
• 1x Flooded Strand
• 1x Grixis Panorama
• 6x Island
• 8x Mountain
• 1x Rakdos Carnarium
• 1x Steam Vents
• 9x Swamp
• 1x Terramorphic Expanse
• 1x Tolaria West
• 1x Urborg, Tomb of Yawgmoth

Artifact (10)

• 1x Aetherflux Reservoir
• 1x Arcane Signet
• 1x Bolas's Citadel
• 1x Bontu's Monument
• 1x Demon's Horn
• 1x Guardian Idol
• 1x Sol Ring
• 1x Staff of the Death Magus
• 1x Swiftfoot Boots
• 1x Wand of Orcus

Commander (1)

Instant (13)

• 1x Clutch of the Undercity
• 1x Commit / Memory
• 1x Countersquall
• 1x Crosis's Charm
• 1x Dihada's Ploy
• 1x Hagra Mauling  ^Flip
• 1x Infernal Grasp
• 1x Lazotep Plating
• 1x Rakdos Charm
• 1x Sickening Shoal
• 1x Soul Shatter
• 1x Unlicensed Disintegration
• 1x Wrecking Ball

Enchantment (2)

• 1x Sanguine Bond
• 1x Scuttletide

Planeswalker (2)

• 1x Lolth, Spider Queen
• 1x Ral, Storm Conduit

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Maybeboard

Sorcery (4)

• 1x Brainspoil
• 1x Increasing Ambition
• 1x Vandalblast
• 1x Volcanic Salvo

Artifact (2)

• 1x Vorpal Sword
• 1x Whip of Erebos

Instant (3)

• 1x Mizzium Skin
• 1x Silumgar's Command
• 1x Soul Manipulation

Creature (2)

• 1x Graveshifter
• 1x Loyal Subordinate

Enchantment (2)

• 1x Phyrexian Reclamation
• 1x Tortured Existence

Land (2)

• 1x Sulfurous Springs
• 1x Underground River

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Show

This has kind of been a pet project I've been trying to develop for awhile now, as I actually own Sol'Kanar personally. He's kind of innocuous up front if you don't know what to expect, since his Swampwalk and lifegain abilities seem relatively underwhelming at first glance. This already is perfect because, in a game of Commander, Sol'Kanar's low profile ensures that I don't have an immediate target on my back.

I kinda built this deck with the goal of trying to match the Smoldering Lake and Old Demon Ruins of Dark Souls 3, so every inclusion in the 99 has some sort of equivalent from the video game area, whether it be an enemy, item, or attack. For instance, Obosh, the Preypiercer invokes the Carthus Sandwurm miniboss that can be found just in front of the entrance to the Old Demon King's fog wall, while King Crab invokes the giant crab enemies that try to beat the shit out of you while you collect items and avoid the giant ballista bolts in the middle of the Smoldering Lake. (Funnily enough King Crab's ability to fling green creatures back to the top of the deck parallels the crabs from the game picking you up and throwing you several feet.)

Aetherflux Reservoir sort of can be interpreted as The Old Demon King's last resort attack that triggers when he's at 10% health, wherein he uses his own life force to unleash an explosion from within his own body that leaves himself severely weakened and crippled afterwards.

I'm conflicted about including Painter's Servant because not only is it unreasonably expensive, but also because there's no equivalent from the game. However, the card is integral in any higher power Sol'Kanar deck since it turns every cast spell into a black spell for you to gain life from Sol'Kanar's triggered ability. I'd take out Nightscape Familiar for it since there's a bit a nombo between the two cards.

Date added	2 years
Last updated	10 months
Legality	This deck is not Commander / EDH legal.
Rarity (main - side)	7 - 0 Mythic Rares 33 - 0 Rares 26 - 0 Uncommons 10 - 0 Commons
Cards	99
Avg. CMC	3.65
Tokens	Copy Clone, Crab, Elemental 3/1 R, Emblem Lolth, Spider Queen, Rat 1/1 B, Spider 2/1 B, Zombie 2/2 B, Zombie Army 0/0 B