Combos Browse all Suggest
Legality
| Format | Legality |
| 1v1 Commander | 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 |
| Historic Brawl | Legal |
| Legacy | Legal |
| Leviathan | Legal |
| Limited | Legal |
| Modern | Legal |
| Modern Beyond Horizons | Legal |
| Oathbreaker | Legal |
| Pioneer | Legal |
| Planar Constructed | Legal |
| Planechase | Legal |
| Quest Magic | Legal |
| Tiny Leaders | Legal |
| Vanguard | Legal |
| Vintage | Legal |
Bontu's Monument
Legendary Artifact
Black creature spells you cast cost less to cast.
Whenever you cast a creature spell, each opponent loses 1 life and you gain 1 life.
Czarnian90 on
Hellegion, Shadows and Flames (Raphael)
1 week ago
Commander Update: Shadows Rise, Flames Burn
After several games against tough opponents, I’ve made a few changes to the deck and, more importantly, swapped the commander of the Hellegion. The Balrog, Durin's Bane is still very much part of the deck—playing him as a commander was fun and flavorful, but I wanted a leader who can impact my board more directly and help set the pace of the game. The Balrog remains a force of nature, and having him lurking in the deck, ready to be unleashed, still feels great. I believe he’ll continue to be a major threat even when he's not always leading the charge.
Raphael, Fiendish Savior steps in as the new commander, supporting the game plan more consistently. He helps stabilize the board, buffs my army, and sets the stage for the Balrog’s arrival. I run several cards that can fetch him straight from the deck—Blood Speaker, Demonlord Belzenlok, Rune-Scarred Demon, Icon of Ancestry, Ob Nixilis, the Hate-Twisted, and others—so even as a lurking horror, he’s never too far away.
I also added more damage-dealing spells for better control and direct pressure on opponents. Beyond classics like Devil's Play, Terminate, and Dreadbore, I’ve added Hell to Pay and Rakdos's Return to punish hands and boards alike. On top of that, I doubled down on devil token synergy and death-triggered burn effects. These little fiends now serve not just as blockers or sac fodder, but as a win condition on their own—especially when paired with Raphael’s lifelink boost. Every dying devil becomes pain for the enemy and healing for me.
I’ve now included four versions of Ob Nixilis — yes, it’s a bit much, but each fills a unique role. This one Ob Nixilis, the Hate-Twisted punishes card draw and bolsters removal. Tibalt, Rakish Instigator is still here too, classic devil support: fueling tokens and preventing opponents from healing the damage my demons and devils dish out. They don’t live long, but if timed right, their impact is massive.
I’ve also added some recursion (Oversold Cemetery) and a spicy alternate wincon in Liliana's Contract.
Some bigger demons were swapped out for stronger synergy or pure flavor—welcome Asmodeus the Archfiend, Balor, Kardur, Doomscourge, and others to the Hellegion.
Sadly, a few cards had to go — Imskir Iron-Eater, Archfiend of Sorrows, some regenerating skeletons, and a handful of artifacts are no longer marching with the legion.
I still have a few cards waiting on the bench—Burn Down the House, Rakdos Keyrune, Doom Whisperer, Overseer of the Damned, Skirsdag High Priest, Spawn of Mayhem, Breath of Malfegor — and I’ll be testing space for them soon.
In the long run, I’d love to add some heavier hitters and staples like Kindred Dominance, Altar of Shadows, Bontu's Monument, Krav, the Unredeemed, Rite of Belzenlok, Demonic Tutor, Sudden Spoiling, Grave Pact, Dark Prophecy, Attrition, Vilis, Broker of Blood, Razaketh, the Foulblooded, Pestilence Demon, Lord of the Void, Archfiend of Depravity, and especially Karlach, Fury of Avernus.
We’ll see where the Hellegion marches next—and who joins, or falls, along the way.
Necramus on
Zombies Ate My Neighbors (Zul Ashur)
4 months ago
Goldberserkerdragon that specific example:
I go first.
t1: Swamp + Gravecrawler
t2: Swamp, Stitcher's Supplier, Sol Ring
t3: Swamp, Bontu's Monument + Dark Ritual + Warren Soultrader
No one actually got a t4, and I was the only one that got a t3. Turn 1 was mostly mana rocks or playing value tap lands, like the Surveil lands. Turn 2 was people mostly playing their ramp. The blue guy in the pod did hold up counter magic but funnily used it to stop the guy that played right after him to squash his Mana Vault. So, I shot my shot and no one had an answer. Like I said, people don't really see tribal zombies and think, "Oh, I should hold up interaction so they don't win on t3 or t4." That's part of the benefit :)
The pod was me, Urza, Lord High Artificer
, Sigarda, Font of Blessings and Godo, Bandit Warlord.
SlayaZes on
Zombies.
6 months ago
multimedia Thornbite Staff is the most powerful combo piece in the deck, Ghoulcaller Gisa requires tapping and sacing a creature as a cost, after which the staff will untap her. This lets you dump all your mana into her to make zombies, also it goes infinite when combined with cards like Pitiless Plunderer or Gravecrawler + Bontu's Monument. Now Warren Soultrader while not infinite with this combo by it self, it is still good value.
multimedia on
Zombies.
6 months ago
Hey, those are good changes since Warren Soultrader is an infinite sac combo with Gravecrawler + Bontu's Monument, this gives you a wincon without needing to attack.
Three cuts to consider are Bad Moon, Stoneforge Masterwork and Gruesome Fate since these cards do nothing without having creatures in your control and even then I don't think they are needed. Now that you may be adding Soultrader then I don't think you need Fate. Fate could potentially be a wincon if you can't attack with your Zombie horde, but now Soultrader combo can be the nonattacking wincon and you don't need a Zombie horde to win.
For other cuts to consider, some of the lesser removal spells Murder, Poison the Cup, Assassin's Ink since the others you have here are better. Next cuts could be switching recursion Ghoulcaller's Chant, Cemetery Recruitment, Stitch Together for more lower mana cost reanimation. Stitch could be reanimation, but not in the early game where you want it.
You could cut two cards that are only good with Gisa Thornbite Staff (is there a combo here with Staff that I don't see?) and Patriar's Seal, replacing them with more haste enablers. The haste enablers are good with Gisa plus they can protect her, but also with any creature you reanimate as well as protecting Soultrader when combo.
Other cuts to consider could be some of the lesser creatures Gempalm Polluter, Nested Shambler, Death Tyrant for some better reanimation targets. Consider cutting the 3-4 drop ramp Heraldic Banner, Nyx Lotus for draw?
Feed the Swarm can be an important removal spell for mono black since it can remove an enchantment. Vile Mutilator can be reanimated and it makes each opponent sac an enchantment as well as a creature. Bubbling Muck with 30x Swamps could produce a lot of mana on your turn. If you want more ramp then Muck/Mind Stone/Jet Medallion are good options.
HeavenlyAxe on
1 year ago
Hey Indie,
First off I really like the lands you have assembled and the suggestions from SufferFromEDHD are all good.
You are definitely going to want an artifact ramp package.
Sol Ring, Mana Crypt, Arcane Signet, Fellwar Stone, Gilded Lotus, Thran Dynamo
Special Mention to Nyx Lotus, it could be good being in mono black. and Jeweled Lotus, pays for your commander for free on turn 1 even.
Sword of the Animist is not bad ramp at all and buffs yours rats
Commander's Plate might be cute.
Liliana of the Dark Realms, makes sure you always get a land drop and could make your swamps tap for four.
Chittering Witch if your playing with more opponents.
Crypt Ghast is sort of ramp, but doubles your swamps. Very good in mono black.
Dauthi Voidwalker is not on theme at all but is just sooo much value in a two cost card I have to recommend it.
God-Eternal Bontu is excellent draw power in the right situation.
Dont forget you can run any number of Relentless Rats
Gray Merchant of Asphodel will heal you up a lot and hurt your opponents
Krav, the Unredeemed is also great card draw.
Yawgmoth, Thran Physician, has card draw, removal, and proliferate all on one card
Deadly Rollick, potentially free removal
Defile, cheap good removal
Thrilling Encore saves you from a board wipe or lets you bring everything back after sacrificing it all to like God-Eternal Bontu
Phyrexian Arena some ok card draw.
Bojuka Bog if you are worried about graveyards
Mutilate, a good board wipe in mono black
Night's Whisper, Read the Bones, Sign in Blood, are a great draw package for mono black
Toxic Deluge a great board wipe for when things need resetting, and you could follow with Thrilling Encore and get it all back
Syphon Mind is great draw if your playing with more players
Victimize - is really really strong, get rid of one weak thing for two of your best things
Yawgmoth's Will - lets you treat your graveyard like your hand for a turn
Lord Skitter, Sewer King makes rats
Marrow-Gnawer - lets you make lots of rats
Infectious Inquiry - good draw and gives poison
Ogre Slumlord - makes rats when your creatures or your opponents creatures die.
Tangled Colony - if your opponent has to block it or it dies to like Blasphemous Act will make you rats
Vraska's Fall removal and poison counter
Drown in Ichor removal and poison
Bontu's Monument all your creatures cost less
Rat Colony can have any number and they buff themselves, and cost less mana than Relentless Rats
Typhoid Rats deathtouch rat opponents wont want to block
Crypt Rats can board wipe but can also win the game if you give it infect, doesnt work with your commander because toxic specifies combat damage but does work if you give it infect and deal damage with it's ability.
Ratcatcher tutors rats, and gives you card advantage
Ashcoat of the Shadow Swarm - buffs your rats and lets you get rats back
Wave of Rats has blitz and reanimates itself
Ink-Eyes, Servant of Oni rat that steals opponents stuff
Nashi, Moon Sage's Scion rat that steals opponents stuff
Adaptive Automaton is a rat and buffs rats
Okiba-Gang Shinobi rat makes opponents discard and has ninjutsu
Filth gives all your rats swampwalk pairs well with Urborg, Tomb of Yawgmoth
Dark Ritual lets your get a head start or some extra mana a turn you need it
Tainted Strike instant speed infect, funny in multiplayer because you can use it on anyone's creatures.
Phyresis Outbreak gives poison and might kill opponents creatures
Feed the Swarm enchantment removal in black
Vat Emergence gets a creature back and proliferates
Spread the Sickness destroys a creatures and proliferates
Pact of the Serpent strong tribal card draw
Living Death swap graveyards with battlefields, great after sacrificing your whole board to draw cards
Skullclamp sack small rats for card draw
Thrumming Stone if you go the Relentless Rats or Rat Colony route
Coat of Arms your rats will be huge
Bolas's Citadel this card is dumb lol, lots of casting power and then you hit Gray Merchant of Asphodel and keep going lol
Icon of Ancestry kinda draw buffs rats...is ok
Contagion Engine proliferate twice each time you activate
Eldrazi Monument gives creatures flying indestructible and +1/+1
Grafted Exoskeleton gives a creature infect, great with Crypt Rats
Sword of Truth and Justice proliferate sword
Bad Moon buff all black creatures, opponents too
Phyresis gives infect again good with Crypt Rats
Greed card draw
Vraska, Betrayal's Sting proliferate planes walker
I know that's a lot but hopefully gave you some ideas to work with!
Argy on
We killed 1/3 of Europe
1 year ago
I have many building thoughts about this.
38 lands is a minimum, these days.
Adding would give this deck some more decent tools, like Path to Exile, Swords to Plowshares, and Eerie Interlude (one of the best Commander cards, imo).
You are missing all of the excellent Artifacts that help you Ramp.
Sol Ring
Arcane Signet
Mind Stone (which you can sac in the late game)
Command Tower (see above)
I believe Bontu's Monument is too slow.
Lose some of the rats, replace some of the Artifacts, and put Palace Siege in.
MELLT on
Licia Commander
1 year ago
- Aetherflux Reservoir
- Alhammarret's Archive
- Astarion's Thirst
- Blade of the Bloodchief
- Blind Obedience
- Bontu's Monument
- Boros Charm
- Captivating Vampire
- Champion of Dusk
- Cordial Vampire
- Dusk Legion Duelist
- Elenda, the Dusk Rose
- Exsanguinate
- Falkenrath Noble
- Forerunner of the Legion
- Gifted Aetherborn
- Gray Merchant of Asphodel
- Heliod, Sun-Crowned
- Herald's Horn
- Mithril Coat
- Nighthawk Scavenger
- Olivia's Wrath
- Path to Exile
- Phyrexian Arena
- Sangromancer
- Shadowspear
- Solemn Simulacrum
- Sorin Markov
- Sorin, Vengeful Bloodlord
- Stroke of Midnight
- Stromkirk Captain
- Swiftfoot Boots
- Swords to Plowshares
- The Ozolith
- Twilight Prophet
- Weathered Wayfarer
- Wayfarer's Bauble
I would suggest switching out some of the cards that are a bit too focused, if that makes sense. For example Soothing Balm for Exsanguinate or Bishop's Soldier for Gifted Aetherborn. Otherwise this looks great! I included a few suggestions for mana fixing and protections. Need to keep your commander alive! Some of these are a bit expensive so they can be substituted later if you end up liking the deck and want to upgrade it.
| Have (2) | metalmagic , Azdranax |
| Want (2) | beesaurs , ACrispyTaco |