Creature (20)
- 4x Cacophony Scamp
- 4x Dreadhorde Butcher
- 4x Fireblade Charger
- 4x Lyzolda, the Blood Witch
- 4x Serrated Scorpion
Sorcery (4)
Instant (16)
Land (20)
Sideboard
Maybeboard
Creature (2)
Enchantment (1)
I happened across a great EDH deck by user Kcin and while I don’t play Commander, it did inspire me to make a Modern variation. Check out the original source material here: "The Ritual Sacrifice is Complete"
Ancient Carthage is synonymous with blood and fire, and thus the perfect backdrop for our sacrifice heavy, Rakdos deck. Let’s take a tour of this hostile environment.
•Smoldering Marsh has the drawback of fact checking for 2 basic lands in order to enter untapped, but on the plus side it’s a true dual and plays nice with the next land.
•To get the most out of Dragonskull Summit we need either a Swamp or a Mountain in play, but as the rest of our lands are one or the other (or both) this isn’t much of a problem.
•12 basic lands (8 Mountains, 4 Swamps) brings the total count to an even 20—teetering on the verge of not enough for the format. However, the exceptionally low average cmc means 20 should suffice.
One of the commanders in Kcin’s deck caught my eye, the sensational Lyzolda, the Blood Witch. A Grinchly smile spread across my face as I imagined her potential in a fast paced, creature heavy deck with a low mana curve.
Once in play, paying and sacrificing one of our other creatures has Lyzolda cap for 2 damage and/or replenish our hand with a draw, depending on the color(s) of the creature we off’d. Multiply that a dozen or so times and you’ve got one heck of a hecatomb engine. Salammbô.
Lyzolda’s innate ability is average, but to make it viable we need some help in the form of synergistic creatures. We’re looking for acolytes that want to throw themselves at Lyzolda’s feet, pledging their lives in forfeit if need be. After all, what good is being the Big Cheese in a sacrificial cult if no one wants to drink the kool aid?
The following creatures pair especially well with Lyzolda, each creating an advantageous set of circumstances upon death.
•Cacophony Scamp, Fireblade Charger and Dreadhorde Butcher all deal damage to any target equal to their power at the time of death.
•Serrated Scorpion is the odd man out, as buffing it any further produces no additional benefit—but worry not, it comes with its own built in bonus. for 4 damage and 2 free life points is sort of the Rakdos version of Lightning Helix, no?
The goal is to pump up particular creatures as much as possible before sacrificing them, which will in turn amplify the damage we output. However, be mindful of exactly which creature(s) you’re targeting with these spells. Lyzolda herself only ever pings for 2; it’s in the rules text of certain creatures that allows for the path to bonus damage.
We specifically want to enhance Cacophony Scamp, Fireblade Charger and Dreadhorde Butcher as their text states they deal damage equal to their power to any target upon death.
To facilitate additional damage we run the following:
•Ashnod's Intervention grants an extra 2 to power (and thereby damage on death), with the added benefit of returning the recently deceased to our hand for redeployment. Very cost effective, this.
•Since we’re only concerned with the +3 to Power, running Brute Force and Infuriate is effectively running 8 copies of the same card.
•Remove the most pressing threats with Thoughtseize and Lightning Bolt while establishing a board presence of creatures just dying to be sacrificed.
•Cast Lyzolda, the Blood Witch
•Dramatically increase the power of select creatures with cheap spells like Brute Force and Infuriate, then capitalize on Lyzolda’s built in fling ability to maximize damage output.
•Bojuka Bog covers graveyard hate while giving us extra sources of , if necessary.
•Cling to Dust can be a lifesaver. We don’t fare well against burn decks or aggro strategies, so the ability to stave off lethal chip damage is welcome.
•Extirpate is worse than Surgical Extraction yes, but it’s significantly cheaper and functionally the same. Unless you’re going to donate a playset, this is what I have.
•Professor's Warning is a nice way to spare Lyzolda from impending calamity, but can also be used as part of the main combo engine. Lots of use cases here, good sideboard material.
”And are you still defiling yourselves to this day by offering sacrifices to all your disgusting idols, making your sons pass through the fire?”
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50% Casual
50% Competitive
| Top Ranked |
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| Date added | 10 months |
| Last updated | 1 month |
| Legality | This deck is Modern legal. |
| Rarity (main - side) | 20 - 4 Rares 12 - 4 Uncommons 16 - 7 Commons |
| Cards | 60 |
| Avg. CMC | 1.30 |
| Folders | Modern, Mazos funny, This looks amazeballs and I want to play it, pauper fun, Ideas |
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