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Black Bolt

Sometimes you just have to break the rules. Playing 30+ of the same non-land card is not typically possible in a singleton format like EDH. That is why this deck is so different from others as we flood the battlefield with Shadowborn Apostle, use them to tutor up powerful demons, and let Athreos, God of Passage do damage or bring them back.

The deck is named Black Bolt because the commander throws Lightning Bolts at opponents.

Inspired by the powered version.

  • If combat damage is not possible due to blockers or control, there aren't many win conditions available to aggro decks that have reach or can target multiple opponents at once.
  • Combat-based win conditions are typically Overrun effects that can be generic as they are popular answers for any aggro deck. Having a win condition specific to a sacrifice or reanimation style is interesting and more on theme.
  • The combos here are fair in that it requires 4 or more permanents on the battlefield, making it fragile and open to disruption. For example, exile Athreos, God of Passage or Phyrexian Altar and the combo is dead. Graveyard hate also shuts off most the deck and usually must be answered to win.

  • You prefer to play your commander in every game.
  • You want to take advantage of all zones of play, especially the graveyard.
  • You enjoy uncommon strategies and playing in ways few other decks can.
  • You like being the surprise threat at the table.
  • You consider putting cards together in unique combinations to be some of the best fun in Magic.

  • You don't want to rely on your commander in most games.
  • You don't like playing 30+ of the same card.
  • Nuking the table out of nowhere is not your style.
  • Your meta is filled with graveyard hate.

“Aristocrats” is a Magic deck archetype that seeks to sacrifice its own creatures, especially many low-cost and/or token creatures, to accumulate game-winning benefits. Aristocrats decks use a combination of sacrifice outlets and cards that trigger when their creatures enter and/or leave the battlefield.

  1. Play all the Shadowborn Apostle.
  2. Sacrifice them to draw cards, do damage, and cheat a demon into play.
  3. Then use Athreos, God of Passage to do more damage or return them to hand.
  4. Rinse, Repeat.

Which demon to choose?

Did an opponent take 18 damage to put all of the Shadowborn Apostles in the graveyard instead of back to your hand due to Athreos, God of Passage? Punish them by putting Archfiend of Despair into play and now they take 36 damage!

If not, put Razaketh, the Foulblooded into play and sac creatures to get combo pieces.

Need removal? Vilis, Broker of Blood can help while also drawing cards.

Whenever in doubt, choose Rune-Scarred Demon and put Thrumming Stone into your hand. That will give you all the Shadowborn Apostle activations to find a finisher and sometimes win on the spot.

  1. Aristocrat Damage from Elas il-Kor, Sadistic Pilgrim, The Meathook Massacre, and Athreos, God of Passage. See combos below.
  2. Combat damage. Even if combo pieces get blown up, demons are big flying creatures that can help close out games.

Ripple

  1. With Phyrexian Altar and Thrumming Stone in play, cast a Shadowborn Apostle.
  2. This should almost always put every Shadowborn Apostle remaining in the library into play.
  3. Sacrifice a Shadowborn Apostle to Phyrexian Altar to generate and then activate Shadowborn Apostle's ability and put Rune-Scarred Demon into play.
  4. Thanks to Athreos, God of Passage, the six Shadowborn Apostle that were sacrificed should either do 18 damage to an opponent or they have to put them back into your hand.
  5. Rune-Scarred Demon tutors for a damage source like Elas il-Kor, Sadistic Pilgrim or The Meathook Massacre. Play it using mana from Phyrexian Altar.
  6. Then just keep sacrificing Shadowborn Apostles to Phyrexian Alter, doing damage, and replaying them.

Shadow Cannon

  1. Sacrifice a Shadowborn Apostle to Phyrexian Altar to generate .
  2. This triggers Remembrance to tutor another Shadowborn Apostle from your library to your hand which you can cast thanks to the mana you just generated.
  3. Each time you repeat this loop, Elas il-Kor, Sadistic Pilgrim, Ayara, First of Locthwain, or The Meathook Massacre pings an opponent for 1 damage until nearly all 32 Apostles have been fetched and sacrificed.
  4. With Athreos, God of Passage in play, these Apostles keep coming back once an opponent can't afford 3 life to keep each one in the graveyard.

  • Surprise value.
  • Unique gameplay.
  • Resilience.
  • Combo wins feel fair.

  • Vulnerable to graveyard hate.
  • Heavy reliance on commander.
  • Some variance.

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74% Casual

26% Competitive

Revision 18 See all

(9 months ago)

-1 Culling the Weak main
+1 Swamp main
Date added 1 year
Last updated 9 months
Exclude colors URG
Legality

This deck is Commander / EDH legal.

Rarity (main - side)

4 - 0 Mythic Rares

34 - 0 Rares

10 - 0 Uncommons

37 - 0 Commons

Cards 100
Avg. CMC 2.09
Tokens Human Cleric 1/1 BW
Folders Decks to Play
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