Grave Betrayal

Enchantment

Whenever a creature you don't control dies, return it to the battlefield under your control with an additional +1/+1 counter on it at the beginning of the next end step. That creature is a black Zombie in addition to its other colors and types.

Legality

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

Discussion (51)

Helgrind on the cum deck

3 months ago

Blood Artist, Clackbridge Troll, Massacre Wurm, Slaughter Specialist, Feed the Swarm, Syr Konrad, the Grim, Gisa, Glorious Resurrector, Falkenrath Noble, Burnished Hart, Thrummingbird, Sangromancer, Vedalken Humiliator, Gulping Scraptrap, Village Rites, Feign Death, Sign in Blood, Vat Emergence, Victimize, Night's Whisper, Contagion Clasp, Wayfarer's Bauble, Neurok Stealthsuit, Grave Betrayal, Infernal Genesis, Kaya's Ghostform, Eternal Thirst, Mind Stone, Commander's Sphere, Charcoal Diamond, Sky Diamond, Dimir Locket, Undying Malice, Supernatural Stamina, Corrupted Conviction, Fake Your Own Death, Ravenous Chupacabra, Doom Blade, Go for the Throat, Defile

Orange+ on Horobi and the Wailers ~100$

4 months ago

Hey, andmike.

Thanks for the comment :)

I dont have any immediate ideas for a 150$ build, but I guess you could consider adding some black staples. There are also some pretty decent death trigger cards that I dont play. There is probably much more interesting ways to add to the deck than introducing more staples (and making the deck much more similar to everyone elses), but finding good original cards is a harder process :)

Death trigger cards: Grave Betrayal, Massacre Wurm, and Revel in Riches.

Black staples: Cabal Coffers, Crypt Ghast, Cabal Stronghold, Vilis, Broker of Blood, Lightning Greaves, Skullclamp, Reanimate, Exhume, Dance of the Dead, Animate Dead, Necromancy, Grim Tutor, Bloodchief Ascension and Phyrexian Arena.

Best of luck!

DreadKhan on Unlimited Fodder, Kardur the Doomscourge budget

4 months ago

Angel's Trumpet might do some work in here? It's a source of Vigilance that also does damage to decks that won't swing (and make them unable to block). Goblin Diplomats can also force them to swing, if you consistently have the better board this can win games easily. If you know people are going to attack and you want their board to survive (or you want yours to survive swinging) you can try War Cadence, this is a sneaky enchantment that's easy to underestimate since you can activate it during anyone's turn.

If you expect other people's stuff to die, there is Kothophed, Soul Hoarder that can draw a bunch of cards. This can be extra good if your meta is fairly spiky, as this draws off of any sacrifice effect your opponent's use... this can also kill you technically vs a treasure (or other infinite sacrifice based combo). Mask of Griselbrand is pretty good with decks that expect to lose creatures a lot while attacking, Lifelink and evasion are sweet, cards are even better I find, this card is amazing with Rite of the Raging Storm (as are Berserkers' Onslaught and Exquisite Blood actually, not sure if they're within your budget).

If people play lots of non-basic lands vs you then Dwarven Miner and Dwarven Blastminer are disturbingly strong. Volcanic Offering can also torch 2 lands and 2 creatures in many matches. If people avoid non-Basics then these are bad cards, so beware.

Really random, but if you expect your opponent's stuff to be dying, you can use Grave Betrayal to steal them, letting you swarm them the next turn.

If you tend to have tokens that aren't very impressive, Hell's Caretaker can turn one into any creature in your graveyard by tapping.

DingoLingo03 on Goaded With The Sauce

5 months ago

Licecolony Thank you for the comprehensive message! I appreciate the input, especially on adding the smaller, more evasive creatures into the mix and removing some counterspells. Any time I build {U} I have a knee-jerk reaction to slot in some counters, even when they're not really necessary in the overall scheme of the deck.

Mirko Vosk, Mind Drinker, Gisa, Glorious Resurrector and, sadly, Taniwha are getting chopped. I share your love for the 'ol phasing sea serpent, but I agree that it's far too slow in games where it's seen play to warrant an inclusion. My thought process behind adding Mirko was to shift aggro onto an opponent's board. His ability certainly has bite, but I find he often becomes a pain in the neck for me in the late game. Puns intended. Gisa's just sorta not great.

I'm not so sure about cutting Tergrid. She acts as a foil to Jon: when my donations cause opponents to sac their good creatures, they become my defensive line against the hot garbage I've gifted them. I'll have to do some trial runs with and without to see if I can cut her out of the 99.

Plague Reaver is, tentatively, on the chopping block. Reaver's value and ability is just grand, but it does suck having to lose Jon for a turn. Assault Suit was a means of mitigating that issue, by keeping Jon off the board I could cast both cards while not having to face the backlash, then toss it around to all my opponents at their upkeeps. Suit is probably going to stay in the 99, because it still has great synergy with other creatures, especially those that sac at the player's upkeep.

Good calls on Dissipation Field, No Mercy, and Grave Betrayal. Diplomatic Immunity doesn't really work as intended anyway, and I very much prefer your replacements for AEtherize, so consider those cut. Dark Ritual I think will stay, always good to get a discount on higher cost spells. I'm leaving in Countersquall for now. I tend to shy away from cards that gift treasures to opponents, unless I've got a Dockside slotted into the 99. Redirect is, hands down, one of my favorite cards ever, and while Reversal is good, I think Redirect will stay.

I'm also going to take your suggestions on the sac-based removals as well.

Thanks again!

Licecolony on Goaded With The Sauce

5 months ago

I really like your manifest take on Jon. Consider Dulcet Sirens. It's a clever way to mitigate risk of having those horrible creatures for yourself. I'll definitely be adding Crawlspace and Endless Whispers to my list.

Suggested removals from deck Plague Reaver. While it's a nice card to give away, the turn you play it you'll have to sacrifice Jon Irenicus to Plague Reaver's trigger regardless of which order you put the abilities onto the stack. You'd rather not lose Jon.

Gisa, Glorious Resurrector. It's something you can't give away, which means it's good when you're ahead, but not great when you're behind,. Your mileage may vary, but I think getting something more immediately impactful on the board tends to be best.

Mirko Vosk, Mind Drinker. You're not running a mill strategy, you'll only be filling the graveyard of dedicate graveyard decks.

Taniwha. I love this creature and totally understand running it for the memes, but phasing triggers before your upkeep, which means that when you give it away, it'll be phased out for the first turn under your opponent, so they'll keep their lands and you won't draw a card from Jon's ability. The turn cycle has to make two full rounds before Taniwha does anything.

Tergrid, God of Fright  ^Flip. Unlike Sheoldred, Tergrid doesn't make the opponent do either of its effects. It's another creature you don't want to give away, and Jon makes cards unsacrificeable. It just won't trigger much unless you're against a sacrifice deck.

Ensnaring Bridge. The creatures you donate will often be quite big. Ensnaring bridge will prevent them from attacking your opponents and deny you card draw.

Chromatic Lantern. It's only good if you need the mana fixing. You don't need the mana fixing. Try something like Thought Vessel or Decanter of Endless Water or Midnight Clock instead.

Assault Suit doesn't goad the creatures itself. Often they'll swing at you if possible.

Dissipation Field. Not as good as it looks. Doubles ETB triggers. Anti synergy with cards like Endless Whispers.

No Mercy Jon just has better options for this slot. If you can replace a non-creature with a creature in this deck, you usually want to.

Grave Betrayal. That's 7 mana for a card that could ruin your game by forcing you to revive bad cards you do not want.

Diplomatic Immunity. You want instant speed protection and protection from board wipes. Something like March of Swirling Mist is more versatile offensively and defensively.

Dark Ritual. I'm uncertain what you're trying to ramp into so quickly that you would need this. Maybe I'm wrong.

Countersquall. You may as well play the one mana version in An Offer You Can't Refuse.

Redirect may be bested by Narset's Reversal? That's a matter of opinion.

AEtherize risks bouncing creatures attacking other opponents such as those you've goaded but want them to keep. Try replacing this with a more versatile effect like Reins of Power or a more aggressive effect in Illusionist's Gambit.

Damnation. Jon prefers sacrifice board wipes so that your opponents keep their shit creatures.

Overall I think you could run less counter-magic in favor of more proactive effects.

Cards to Consider Creatures Generally I want to focus on adding creatures that you can give away and then steal back later to win the game.

With Jon, you often want cheap evasive creatures to give out for early card draw with his ability. Right now you have 1 two-drop creature. Throwing in a Changeling Outcast or a Slither Blade can mean you can give a creature away for cheap and still hold up mana for other things. Slither blade wouldn't die to Heartless Summoning too.

In the two-drop slot, you can run creatures that are more defensive like Baleful Strix, or give you card draw like Sygg, River Cutthroat or just more powerful creatures like Flesh Reaver which is a goaded 6/6 that can deal 12 damage a turn or Wretched Anurid. Heck, you can even add a versatile two-drop in Dimir Infiltrator which can be given away in the early game or used as a tutor in the late-game.

In the three drop slot, I think your idea of adding Steel Golem is a great one to make sure the only creatures your opponent has are the ones you're giving them. It's a brutal card. Rotting Regisaur is a card you don't mind giving away early, and can take back later to win. Phyrexian Soulgorger can be donated to an opponent as a goaded 10/10. They won't have to pay the upkeep, but that's a great body to give someone as a political tool. Cephalid Facetaker is also worth consideration though I personally don't run it.

In the four-drop slot, like you mentioned, Grid Monitor is a proactive creature counter. Abyssal Persecutor can save you from death. Archfiend of the Dross is risky but fun (it comes back to your control after the opponent dies).

In the 5-drop slot, both of the evil-eye cards are absolute ALL STARS. They work so well every game I've drawn them. They can also replace some of your weaker defenses like No Mercy and Dissipation Field

As a sidenote, I also like Deep-Sea Kraken as an unblockable 8/8 that can win you the game with homeward path.

Removal I recommend running more sacrifice-based removal since it'll mean your opponents keep the crap you give them. Things like Tergrid's Shadow or Vona's Hunger or All is Dust (one of my favorites) or Killing Wave. I also prefer Toxic Deluge to some of your other removal since it goes through hexproof. Curse of the Swine is also an exile effect that can be selective and works really well. You can also run single-target removal like Reality Shift or Pongify if you'd rather instant speed interaction. Feed the Swarm is quality. If you really don't care about cruelty, you can run Torment of Hailfire, but that card is honestly always too boring for me to want in my decks.

Card Draw Jon has access to some great card draw that most decks can't take advantage of. Fateful Handoff is a card draw spell that also donates (though does not goad). Sygg, River Cutthroat works well with evasive threats you give away (though should not be donated). Verity Circle works great with Jon's ability since it donates the creature first, and then taps it down. Teferi's Ageless Insight allows you to double your draw triggers from Jon.

Equipment Remember that you can donate creatures while they're equipped and you still control the equipment so they can't re-equip it. Pact Weapon makes the attacking creature bigger, while ensuring you can't die, and will draw you another card whenever the donated creature attacks. Dowsing Dagger  ^Flip works effectively on evasive creature to get you ramped. Vorpal Sword is a win condition on your unblockable evasive creatures.

Goad Dulcet Sirens, Bloodthirsty Blade.

Misc Graveyard removal is king. Throw in a Scavenger Grounds. My favorite card to run is Reality Shift. Make an Avenger of Zendikar spawn a dozen Wretched Anurids. It's not GREAT, but it is always funny. Cultural Exchange is a fun time too with all your manifest and shitty creatures.

That is all. Hope it was helpful.

NV_1980 on Konsul of Bearhate

5 months ago

I play-tested this a few times and found that the land-count is a bit low. You have some rocks, cheap-to-cast draw, one instant-mana spell and one ramp-spell in here to compensate but I found mana was still lacking in most cases. It's probably enough to increase your land-count by 4 (and keep the above mentioned cards of course :)).

As for other feedback, I think Opposition Agent fits extremely well with the themes you mentioned in your description. Another pretty good fit would be Command the Dreadhorde; you can compensate the cost of life-loss with the deck's lifegain ability after all. Karmic Justice puts a rather severe tax on lots of actions opposing players might want to use against you (so opposing spells you didn't manage to counter, could still end up hurting opponents). Royal Assassin could be superb in this deck; makes any opponent think twice about creatures without vigilance attacking or using tap-abilities. Lastly, Grave Betrayal seems tailor-made for the strategy you want to follow. It's a bit of an expensive cast, but omg is it worth it in a deck that goes all out on destroying the opposing armies.

Hope you deck works out for you.

Xalor90 on Fully Loaded Zombie Throwing Caution to the Wind

6 months ago

Likedabeast I like the potential of both Grave Betrayal & Call to the Grave, and I have actually considered using Dictate of Erebos, I just don’t want a bunch of cards that cost more than 3 mana. I am currently working on some potential changes to the deck and will take these suggestions into account. I will update this list if the play testing goes well.

KBK7101 on God-Eternal Bontu, Grave Betrayal

8 months ago

Depends. God-Eternal Bontu's trigger is a may ability.

Grave Betrayal only cares about opponents' creatures. If Bontu is an opponents' creature, they have the choice of it staying in the graveyard or putting it third from the top (or command zone if we're talking about commander). If they choose to put it third from the top, it won't return to the battlefield with Grave Betrayal's delayed end step trigger.

Per Scryfall's ruling on Grave Betrayal:

• If the creature card leaves the graveyard before the delayed triggered ability resolves, it won’t return to the battlefield. This is also true if the card leaves the graveyard and returns to the graveyard before that ability resolves.

If Bontu is yours, then you have the choice of keeping it in the graveyard or putting it third from the top (or command zone if we're talking about commander).