Phyrexian Purge

Sorcery

Destroy any number of target creatures. You lose 3 life for each creature targeted this way.

Legality

Format	Legality
1v1 Commander	Legal
Archenemy	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
Oathbreaker	Legal
Planechase	Legal
Premodern	Legal
Quest Magic	Legal
Vanguard	Legal
Vintage	Legal

Discussion (31)

DreadKhan on Favorite mtg art

8 months ago

I've often been surprised how much mileage you can get out of old cards, provided they are either doing something very unusual (like Preacher) or do something you often want to be doing (like Phyrexian Purge), but it's true that most old cards aren't the best at what they do, and you take a hit in power level to run them. If you are building some 6s instead of 7s and 8s you can get away with more old cards, and if you mix new (and extremely pushed) stuff with some of the better old stuff you can certainly do okay, but it's hard to find a proper home for Spectral Bears or Dwarven Pony, even in an 'anything goes' format like EDH, too bad they have such cool art!

DreadKhan on thantis and the boys

10 months ago

I don't think Thantis should leave home without Rite of the Raging Storm, this way everyone has stuff to swing as your opponents, but nobody has extra vs you, but it also should work with Garruk's Uprising. Akroan Horse is another so-so source of bodies that get better with supporting buffs. I am always surprised at how much work War Cadence can do in a meta with lots of attacking, it can even play like a Stax effect if the board is pretty big, because you can turn any swing into an unblockable one at instant speed. Mask of Griselbrand is a pretty impressive equipment in practice, Flying is great evasion, Lifelink is a great ability on a large creature and that much card draw can change a game's outcome very easily.

If you're looking seriously at cards like Assassinate, I feel I should point out that it's a Sorcery and has targeting limitations. If you want to run sorcery speed removal then I strongly recommend Make an Example and Phyrexian Purge, both of those are quite a bit better. I think you could also look at Beast Within and Road / Ruin, both are very useful spells, offering versatility of effect.

Have you drawn Nikya in many games yet? I feel like with only 31 creatures in the 99 that you'll not want to cast him very often, it'll interfere with your other spells.

I'm not sure that Dragon Whelp is a very reliable Commander card, it's not that much less mana than a Shivan Dragon, and it's a much worse card. I would note that most people who play Shivan Dragon in Commander are playing it as a pet card, there are other better cards you could play. I think you could just play something like Avatar of Fury even, it's janky but it's very easy for it to cost 2 mana later game, or maybe Cavalier of Flame if you want something pricier.

Since Thantis can get pretty big, I suspect anything like Return of the Wildspeaker or Rishkar's Expertise would be pretty solid in here.

I'm not sure how much of a target Thantis ends up being, but Angel's Trumpet is a nice back up option that does something similar.

DreadKhan on tBZ_Garna-Bloodfist

1 year ago

I suspect cards like Rite of the Raging Storm would probably work in here, you'd either get in for 5 each turn or get a card, and nobody else can swing at you with the tokens/changelings. Since you can also use Goblin Bombardment after a creature has dealt damage, you can kill any creature before combat actually ends, so you'd still get the card even if they let the creatures hit them. Any token generator that would ever be worth using is probably good in here too, even Orochi Hatchery could draw a lot of cards if people have to block. The best way to force people to block would be any kind of power buff that is global, I like Berserkers' Onslaught in Red, double damage also works well with any other buffs you can add. I guess there is stuff like Judith, the Scourge Diva too. The effect is pretty clunky, but with your Commander Captive Audience looks a lot better, those tokens are much more valuable, and it still usually a death sentence for one player.

Zulaport Cutthroat is a great Aristocrat to look at, I usually don't bother with it but at your budget maybe Butcher of Malakir can be a real nuisance, as can Ogre Slumlord if you're losing lots of non-tokens. If you find yourself running more wipes/removal, Sangromancer can generate a lot of life.

Not sure if they're within your budget, but Fire Covenant and Phyrexian Purge can both clear a ton of other people's stuff. Make an Example might be the best sorcery speed removal effect ever printed, it's non-targeted and uses sacrifice, but you choose the piles that die so you always hit what you need to hit with it. Ashes to Ashes/Reckless Spite can clear a couple bodies. In Rakdos I feel like you want some of the following, Feed the Swarm, Chaos Warp and Wild Magic Surge to deal with awkward permanent types.

DreadKhan on unthinkable apocalypse

1 year ago

I'm not certain the Commander has enough explosive power to consistently win vs 2 decks, but I have very good results in 1 v 1 with my Rakdos deck, and it often has spare cards by the end of the game, be it wipe or removal, because the deck just runs so much of those, with lots of the removal hitting more than 1 target (I love stuff like Phyrexian Purge, Fire Covenant, Make an Example, and Volcanic Offering can each be a terror of a card, and a deck running all of them has lots of pinpoint removal that will clear lots of stuff out. Ashes to Ashes and Reckless Spite also exist fwiw, and if you aren't certain you'll have creatures out, Tergrid's Shadow can do a bit of work, as can Plaguecrafter or Demon's Disciple, cards Sedris can recur for 2B even. Another value card is Dredge the Mire, which can cheat in the 3 worst creatures in people's graveyards, note certain creatures will kill you if you control them, so check before playing! Necromantic Selection not only clears the field, it also gives you back the best thing, this is extra juicy if you use some sort of Indestructible creature(s) that won't die. If you consistently have a fairly big creature, or one with Deathtouch and Lifelink, Chandra's Ignition is one sided by definition, one of many cards that shines brightly with Basilisk Collar (which is also very good with Jaya Ballard, Task Mage or even good old Banshee, Jaya's 6 damage wipe really is amazing if you've got Collar on her, though it'll kill her too). If you expect to have multiple opponents, Goad is a very strong effect, Karazikar, the Eye Tyrant is potentially pretty solid, lots of card draw. There is also Kardur, Doomscourge that will force everyone's hand. Spectacular Showdown is a great card if you've actually got a board of your own to finish people off, keep in mind that on your next turn, you not only won't have been attacked by any pre-existing creature, everyone else will have swung for the fences with Double Strike, and they will likely have nothing left to defend with, making your Double Strikers very effective. Another Goad source that is great with a creature heavy board is Agitator Ant, which is hilarious a lot of the time. If you're using Goad effects, War Tax can let an opponent have a way around them, if there is a tax to attack Goad fails, and War Cadence is absolutely devastating with Goad, even a tax of 1 to block can make blocking impossible for weenie decks, and you can use either on anyone's turn.

As you've got access to Blue, there are a few non-Rakdos tricks you can use, the most hilarious I know of is Mass Diminish, note that it lasts until your next turn and have a good laugh. There is also Sudden Spoiling, which is powerful but lasts for that turn, or Polymorphist's Jest, which is similarly a 1 turn solution. I use Mass Diminish more aggressively, to make a player hyper-vulnerable to attackers (and make them unable to counter attack), getting two casts is just savage. Visions of Duplicity can create some chaos with it's two casts, Cultural Exchange is obscene if someone else has better creatures. Bident of Thassa is glorious if you want both of it's effects, forcing people to attack is incredibly mean, and this doesn't require you to run a weenie like Goblin Diplomats, but that's also a fun card fwiw. If you're going to run Oriq Loremage, you might slip in a huge creature to Unearth, something like Dragon Tyrant can be huge and not break the bank, Double Strike and Firebreathing are really good together, and you won't have to pay the upkeep with Unearth, he's dead before that matters.

I was looking at your land count and average Mana Value and I think you probably are running too few lands at this point, it's very tempting to cut them, but 30 is probably too few for a MV that is over 2.5. You might get away with adding 2 mana ramp, but I'd still aim for at least 36 lands (or MDFCs that count as a land, you probably already have the best two MDFCs in those colours, but people also run Malakir Rebirth  ^Flip) to ensure you can consistently cast stuff. There is a smattering of ways you can run less lands/ramp, but these all come with downsides, but in Grixis you can run 4 solid Bounce Lands, Dimir Aqueduct and Guildless Commons should be in here as well if you want a lower land count, these let you hit another land drop when you draw them. You might also run stuff like Thran Dynamo or Worn Powerstone to help you hit higher MVs sooner, ramping by only 1 mana feels bad compared to hitting a land drop most of the time, there is also Gilded Lotus, but hitting 5 mana can be rough. Coalition Relic can charge for 1 turn, Skyclave Relic is super versatile/rugged, and Everflowing Chalice can be huge if you want, 6-10 mana is absurd but sometimes comes up. Cantrips like Ponder and Preordain are also good at digging for a land, but I know in Talrand it stings pretty bad when you Preordain and don't find a land and I needed one. As for some cards to remove, I'll take a look, but if I'm trying to build a deck that can handle attention, I look first at cards that will hurt only 1 player, unless that card will almost certainly end that player, either right away or in a few turns.

A few to consider removing (I may be missing why you have them in, so user discretion is advised or something): Archive Trap, Outpost Siege, Palace Siege, Ponder, Preordain, Haunting Echoes, Cruel Ultimatum (this seems insanely hard to cast, and hits only 1 player, unless you can copy it I'd run Captive Audience if I want to hose one player hard), Cranial Extraction, Cormela, Glamour Thief, Kess, Dissident Mage, Kroxa, Titan of Death's Hunger, Lobber Crew, Loyal Subordinate, Nekusar, the Mindrazer, Obeka, Brute Chronologist, Phenax, God of Deception, Runo Stromkirk  ^Flip, Spear Spewer, and Thermo-Alchemist.Some maybe cards include Angrath, Captain of Chaos, and Cryptolith Fragment  ^Flip (for another land, maybe a better rock, there is Thought Vessel, but fixing is sweet in Grixis).

Hope some of this is helpful!

DreadKhan on Mishra's attackers

1 year ago

Berserkers' Onslaught is pretty handy if you've got big attackers, double power and first strike is sweet for 5 mana. Rite of the Raging Storm can help by giving you a 5/1 every turn to swing with, while also giving everyone else one to swing at anyone but you, which helps create some chaos as long as people don't run big blockers, and even if most people do, just someone not having a blocker will make that 5/1 a slow, steady source of damage, and people must hold back a blocker for it or take the 5. I like Onslaught with Rite, and if I can get a Mask of Griselbrand and Exquisite Blood you can do a tremendous amount of work with a 5/1, including drawing 5 cards when it dies. Mask is good in general in my experience, evasion is helpful in Rakdos, as is Lifelink for various 'pay life' effects that you might want to run. Some of those include Phyrexian Purge and Fire Covenant, both very strong old cards in many metas, but they work best with some life gain. 2 more cards that cost life and tend to feel pretty good in EDH are Ashes to Ashes and Reckless Spite, hitting 2 bodies is pretty helpful, and black Exile isn't super-common.

Kyren Negotiations are an interesting option if you have lots of goblins but can't swing through a Propaganda. Make an Example is very good value, you choose what dies (not targeted), and each player loses at least their best creature, maybe more). Volcanic Offering is a really solid card that can deal with 4 things that are bothering you if someone else is feeling helpful, but it can never directly hurt you, this can shut down an archenemy with one spell. If you find yourself troubled by Blue decks, there are Boil, Boiling Seas, Omen of Fire, and Citadel of Pain that are pretty helpful vs Blue and 2 colour Blue decks.

DreadKhan on Sacrifices Must Be Made

1 year ago

If nothing else, Make an Example is a shockingly good card in Rakdos as removal that dodges almost any form of protection, and it hits all opponents at once. Do or Die is also worth a look, but it never hits your opponent's best stuff with any reliability. Final sorcery that's really good in Rakdos is Phyrexian Purge, which is a very one-sided wipe that only costs 4 mana.

I feel repetitive at this point, but Rite of the Raging Storm is very much worth a look in Juri, it gives a sac every turn and it also just generates chaos. It also synergizes with great stuff like Mask of Griselbrand and Exquisite Blood, which also loves Citadel of Pain (and Protection Racket, which is like Phyrexian Arena did a giant bag of steroids as long as you're not on obvious combo).

I feel like Agitator Ant is a solid card here, Ogre Slumlord is also very good with lots of removal/sacrifice effects, Mayhem Devil is probably an auto-include unless I'm missing something, not sure if it's relevant, but Infernal Tribute can both let you sac any non-token and draw cards at the same time, it's like really wonky Necropotence Plus with your Commander, only you pay mana and permanents to draw cards and deal damage. Very weird but Whip of Erebos would let Juri (and everything else) have Lifelink, which can be handy, it can also bring something back if you want.

DreadKhan on Sacrificial Deer Two the Cat

1 year ago

I feel like stuff like Make an Example or Do or Die can kill a ton of creatures (or people's very important ones), it's pricier but Phyrexian Purge can clear a bunch of stuff out, it's very good with Sangromancer fwiw. Not sure if it's too pricey, but Vona's Hunger can clear a ton of opponent's stuff out for you. I could be wrong, but I think Necromantic Selection is absolutely hilarious with your Commander, you can just choose your Commander and you get a treasure for each creature that died, including your Commander. Rise of the Dread Marn is maybe good enough.

Rite of the Raging Storm should probably be considered, it'll give you a treasure almost guaranteed each of your turns, and hits only opponents on each opponent's turn. It's also budget atm, it might go up. Rite is very good with Mask of Griselbrand, a card that is better than it looks in my experience.

Nettlecyst might be decent? It's bigger than Cranial Plating, but you can't move it at instant speed, maybe still good?

If you can get enough tokens out, Kyren Negotiations can let them ping opponents you can't swing at.

Not sure you need another, but Sifter of Skulls is another Pawn of Ulamog. Both like Bog Initiate in my experience.

If you like reanimation, there is Hell's Caretaker, which can turn a token into any creature in your graveyard. Not sure if other people in your area play graveyard decks, but Callous Bloodmage is a nice solution to such decks that also can be used to generate a card or a Pest.

It's probably as cheap as it'll get, but Grim Hireling is both great with Treasures in general, but also can generate them for you, especially if you have evasive creatures. In reference to Treasure generation, there is also Academy Manufactor, a very good card if you want potential life gain/card draw when you generate treasures.

DreadKhan on unthinkable apocalypse

1 year ago

There is Kaervek the Merciless, this might work well with your fairly high MV. Also with the higher MV, you could look at Protection Racket, which is mostly a problem if your deck cares about specific cards, as long as your deck is just a bunch of cards that are all good together it's one of the best cards in Black, it can draw you more cards than Rhystic Study in some metas, or just drain everyone of life if they're really, really responsible and always pay. Finally, Timesifter is hilarious if your opponents have a deck with a noticeably lower MV, or a lot of lands compared to you. You could toss in some really high MV spells like Blasphemous Act and/or Reckless Endeavor, wipes are handy I find, even in a deck that usually is ahead, sometimes you face a faster deck, or a deck that has one sided wipes. I think if your MV is over 3.75 you probably could look at all but Timesifter, for that you might want to go even higher. Another way to raise your average MV is MDFs like Hagra Mauling  ^Flip, as a spell you would never run it, but in place of a land it is both versatile and has it's MV for any effect that cares about it, the only question is if you can afford a tapped land (or want to pay for the Mythics, can enter untapped in a pinch). Some of these cards are just incredible value IMHO, like Valakut Awakening  ^Flip, but some seem bad, afaik the best way to rate these is to consider if the effect is valuable period in Commander (is it worth a card in theory), not to worry as much about the cost because the alternative of hitting a land drop is almost never a terrible thing.

If you run a lot of creatures, I like Court of Cunning and Court of Ambition, both are annoying cards that can also draw you cards, and Cunning is a great source of repeated mill vs something like Glimpse. Also if you run a lot of creatures, Bident of Thassa is perhaps the best non-Frostfang version of this effect, the forced attack can be backbreaking to some decks. Another decent one is Reconnaissance Mission, the worst of the lot is Coastal Piracy. Grim Hireling and Professional Face-Breaker are also nice cards. Thalakos Deceiver and Thalakos Dreamsower are nice Blue Shadows, Dauthi Voidwalker is a really good Black one, each of these is really hard to block and comes with a substantial upside. It's a bit janky in Commander, but Sower of Temptation isn't a terrible card, you just can't count on stealing anything too game breaking, as long as you steal something not worth spending another card on you'll get an evasive 2/2 that can sneak damage in for triggers.

If you want a one-sided nearly-Wrath, you might consider Make an Example or Phyrexian Purge. Example is able to pinpoint remove the best creature of each opponent, by any metric, and it's almost impossible to get around with present day cards (it's a chosen, not targeted sacrifice effect), while Purge lets you clear out the best 4 or 5 creatures so you can just take over, Purge likes having access to some life gain, it's especially good with something like Sangromancer, but if you want life gain in Grixis it's hard to do better than Exquisite Blood, but I'm almost never unhappy with Mask of Griselbrand, I think that card is slept on somewhat in Commander.

If you do go with Kraum or some other beefy Commander for your deck, Agitator Ant is a pretty strong card, but you either need the biggest thing on board already or to be able to remove stuff as needed. Kraum having evasion means you'll usually be able to get in against someone, so +2 power is great, and you being Goaded wears off before your next attack step anyways, so it only matters if someone steals it I guess (at which point it can't attack you I suppose??), Agitator Ant also works with any super-evasive creatures, so if your deck has lots of Flying or Shadow it

Hope some of these ideas are helpful!