Grim Haruspex

Creature — Human Wizard

Morph {B} (You may cast this card face down as a 2/2 creature for {3}. Turn it face up at any time for its morph cost.)

Whenever a nontoken creature you control dies, draw a card. (Is put into the graveyard form the battlefield.)

Tokens

• Morph 2/2 C

Legality

Format	Legality
1v1 Commander	Legal
Alchemy	Legal
Archenemy	Legal
Arena	Legal
Block Constructed	Legal
Canadian Highlander	Legal
Casual	Legal
Commander / EDH	Legal
Commander: Rule 0	Legal
Custom	Legal
Duel Commander	Legal
Gladiator	Legal
Highlander	Legal
Historic	Legal
Legacy	Legal
Leviathan	Legal
Limited	Legal
Modern	Legal
Oathbreaker	Legal
Pioneer	Legal
Planechase	Legal
Quest Magic	Legal
Tiny Leaders	Legal
Vanguard	Legal
Vintage	Legal

Discussion (50)

Last_Laugh on Marchesa, the Black Rose

1 week ago

I have several suggestions for you. I'll keep things budget friendly and if you're picking up what I'm putting down, I can also help suggest some cuts.

First off is enchantment removal. There's hardly any options in th5ese colors but I recommend running all 3 so problematic enchantments like Solemnity or Rest in Peace don't wreck your day. Chaos Warp, Feed the Swarm, and Canoptek Tomb Sentinel are all budget friendly and worth their weight in gold here. Another good boardwipe here is Last One Standing.

I don't really do theft in my Marchesa list, but Gisa, Glorious Resurrector is the exception and holy crap does she put in some dirty work.

Next is card draw. Liliana's Standard Bearer, Lethal Scheme, Plumb the Forbidden, and Sage of Fables are all good budget options here. Sage will also come down before Marchesa and immediately give her or any other wizards you run a +1+1 counter. Plumb in response to boardwipes or right before your turn will refill your grip (instant speed and pseudo dodging counterspells makes this card). Also, Danny Pink's price has been sloooowly climbing but it's a very real possibility you'll find one in your LGS dollar binder and omg is this thing absolutely nuts!

On the subject of alternate sources of +1+1 counters... Thran Vigil only works on your turn but it'll get new counters on anything you stole and sac'ed on your turn. Vigean Graftmage let's you sac 2 creatures on everyone's turn (itself + whatever) to abuse etb/death triggers like Gray Merchant of Asphodel or even Grim Haruspex card draw. Spark Double I guess falls into this category and copies either Marchesa for double Dethrone or whatever your meanest etb/death trigger is at the time.

I'm also guessing Rakdos Locket was supposed to be Rakdos Signet.

Feel free to check out my list for ideas. It's far from budget friendly overall but I run everything I recommended. Upvotes on any of my decks are appreciated. Every Masochist Needs a Marchesa to Love Them

euqinU on What to add in my …

1 month ago

I have the Necron Dynasties precon that's currently being upgraded, let me know what I should add next or remove to make it more appealing and competitive in the casual pod. This seems to be a really good commander deck full of sacrifices. Here's the list of the cards on the deck:

Illuminor Szeras Grim Haruspex Scrapyard Recombiner Gate to the Afterlife Sojourner's Companion Dross Scorpion Frogmite Smothering Abomination Meteor Golem Noxious Gearhulk Workshop Assistant Diabolic Tutor Scrap Trawler Marionette Master Foundry Inspector Gray Merchant of Asphodel Myr Retriever Disciple of the Vault Staff of Domination Psychomancer Triarch Praetorian Dread Return Cranial Plating Mask of Memory Sol Ring Barren Moor Myriad Landscape Arcane Signet Mind Stone Wayfarer's Bauble Desert of the Glorified Vault of Whispers Anrakyr the Traveller Chronomancer Cryptek Lokhust Heavy Destroyer Necron Deathmark Out of the Tombs Royal Warden Shard of the Nightbringer Shard of the Void Dragon Skorpekh Lord Technomancer Their Name is Death Their Number is Legion Trazyn the Infinite Canoptek Scarab Swarm Canoptek Spyder Canoptek Tomb Sentinel Cryptothrall Ghost Ark Sceptre of Eternal Glory Tomb Fortress Living Death Reliquary Tower Mutilate Caged Sun Mystic Forge Sculpting Steel 30 Swamp

Profet93 on Infinite Wheels of Death

2 months ago

JimboSliceJr

Thank you for taking the time to list your combos. I never heard of the last one, that one is particularly effective!

On the one hand, you mention efficiency, on the other you mention how Pharaoh's statue can be good if you ramp into it. But I respect your decision and agree if you ramp into it, your opponents have a very bad time.

For something more on theme, have you considered Grim Haruspex?

Or if you really want to add some more control, perhaps an Infernal Darkness? It doesn't shut off your coffers like contamination does and you can hold it for 1-2 turns pretty easily in the mid-late game. Having contamination redundancy in conjunction with karn will shut them off of mana, as any mana dorks you can easily kill.

Last_Laugh on Marchesa's Undying Sac

2 months ago

Alternate sources of +1+1 counters enables you to sacrifice the same creatures on everyone's turn instead of once per round and being less reliant on attacking to get those counters is HUGE here. I run all these personally (except Drana, which got dropped for the sword).

Unspeakable Symbol gets used in response to removal or to abuse an etb/death trigger. Don't proactively put counters on everyone or you will run out of life quick. This card is quite simply amazing here when used correctly.

Sage of Fables immediately protects Marchesa and any other wizards you have.

Metallic Mimic typically names humans or wizards to protect Marchesa but the creature type can be reset with a simple sac.

Vigean Graftmage looks unassuming but he allows you to abuse any etb/death trigger on everyone's turn and it's 2 free triggers per turn for stuff like Grim Haruspex (itself and 1 other creature).

Mikaeus, the Unhallowed is about as budget friendly as he'll ever be. It's well worth a spot if you splurge on occasion.

Uncivil Unrest is the best card printed for sacrifice Marchesa decks in a loooong time. This thing borderline feels like you're cheating somehow lol.

Anduril, Narsil Reforged if it's in your budget and/or Drana, Liberator of Malakir as a perfectly usable budget alternative. These both allow you to swing at any opponent instead of only attacking the highest life.

Thran Vigil only works on your turn, but it either protects your guys after you sac on your turn or it let's you sac them 1 more time on an opponent's turn.

Feel free to check out my list for inspiration. I've had Marchesa built for about 9 years now and I'm still loving the deck. Upvotes on any of my decks are appreciated. Every Masochist Needs a Marchesa to Love Them

Last_Laugh on Demon Conspiracy

4 months ago

Metallic Mimic will immediately protect your dudes as they enter.

Archfiend of Depravity is a good demon here that hoses go-wide strategies.

Danny Pink and Grim Haruspex don't fit the tribe but they're some of your best draw engines here and are worth it anyways imo.

Feel free to check out my list for ideas. Upvotes on any of my decks are appreciated. Every Masochist Needs a Marchesa to Love Them

Last_Laugh on Marchesa, immortal army

4 months ago

Get Chaos Warp out of your maybeboard and into the deck. It along with Feed the Swarm and Canoptek Tomb Sentinel are your only answers to enchantments in these colors. I highly recommend all 3.

Unspeakable Symbol is worth its weight in gold here. Don't proactively put counters on everyone, just in response to removal as needed.

Uncivil Unrest is one of the grossest cards ever printed for Marchesa.

Danny Pink / Grim Haruspex are 2 of the best draw engines for this deck.

Anduril, Narsil Reforged is amazing here.

Feel free to check out my list for more ideas. Upvotes on any of my decks are appreciated. Every Masochist Needs a Marchesa to Love Them

TheSurgeon on Verminous

5 months ago

Profet93- Thanks for the upvote and for asking!

Boardwipes are a problem for any deck that requires a board state. As there are few spells to truly combat boardwipes in mono black, this deck accepts that inevitability, and takes it a step further to exploit its own low toughness of the creatures, to squeeze as much benefit as we can from it.

Zulaport Cutthroat makes a nice aristocratic win, while Elixir gives another shot at a Thrumming Stone play, should a board wipe be limited to creatures. Both Grim Haruspex and Species Specialist allow for a hand refill should your board disappear, and the Elixir keeps your library full.

Ogre Slumlord replaces your nontoken rats with 1/1 rats, while also counting your opponents' dying critters, giving you ALL the rats, for a go-wide win.

Early game, hitting early and aggressively with 3/1 - 5/1 creatures puts you within win range around t6 with some form of modified evasion on a single creature (Rogue's Passage, Whispersilk Cloak, fear from Marrow-Gnawer, and either gravepact or Dictate of Erebos, or the zulaport cutthroat on the board.

Hope I could clear that up, if you have any more questions or suggestions, please feel free to comment further!

Optimator on Roses of May -- (Marchesa Threaten)

5 months ago

I'm glad you love the deck elliotmward97!! I've had her for many years and I love her dearly. I even love Marchesa enough to have a five-color "Secret Marchesa" deck: Special Snowflakes. My playgroup ranges from precons and upgraded precons to "powerful casual" and this deck seems to hang with their stronger decks very well. It's certainly not cEDH, nor would I really want it to be. One of the reasons I kept the Threaten subtheme going string from it's budget days.

As far as "very little" card draw...

Bloodtracker, Braids, Arisen Nightmare, Grim Haruspex, River Kelpie, Sage of Fables, Scorn-Blade Berserker, Yawgmoth, Thran Physician, Phyrexian Arena, Jeska's Will, Syphon Mind, and Skullclamp are all card draw. That's eleven.

Phyrexian Reclamation is big-time card advantage if my goons keep getting whacked, Viscera Seer is decent card selection when the engine is running, and the non-Treaten theft cards could even be viewed as card-advantage if you squint (looping Thalakos Deceiver and Puppeteer Clique and Keiga, the Tide Star, Zara, Renegade Recruiter getting lucky a few times, Grave Betrayal sticking, etc).

Actually seems above-average to me, elliotmward97.

Perhaps it's light in more pure Concentrate- and Tidings-style draw, but I like the creature-based draw that synergizes with Marchesa. Makes the deck feel like it has more character, and the ceiling is quite high when the engine is rolling. Lower floor, perhaps. I've thought about including more draw effects like Bident of Thassa, Reconnaissance Mission, and Coastal Piracy since the deck swings out so much, but I like where things are right now.