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A Karador, Ghost Chieftain "Murder in Innistrad" themed graveyard deck. Deck utilises low CMC creatures, a clue subtheme which interacts with the synergies between Ulvenwald Mysteries, Tamiyo's Journal, Tireless Tracker, and Bygone Bishop, and numerous recursion engines such as Deadbridge Chant and Emeria, the Sky Ruinto build a graveyard toolbox strategy with death at its epicentre.

I've tried to keep the deck as on theme as possible whilst also being a fully functional weenie reanimator build. There were some cards I'd considered for flavour reasons such as someone to play the Mayor   but the card just didn't perform that well in playtesting!

Camera pans over a barren moor. In the distance, a wolf howls, its call echoing over the desolate landscape. A man, his breath ragged, his lungs screaming for oxygen, sprints through the thicket. His robes, once white, now bloodstained, tear on the thorns around his shins. He stops, his eyes wide in horror. "My god..." he whispers to himself as a single crimson tear falls from the corner of his left eye. He pitches forwards, tumbling into the thorns, and lies still.

The Victim - A local priest. Mysteriously murdered on the moors.

Good Cop - A stickler for the rulebook. A pious, lawful good detective who aims to give back to the community working as a policeman. Records everything in his policeman's journal as he believes only through careful observation can the truth of this murder be discovered.

Bad Cop - Refuses to play by the rules. Tracks the murderer at all cost.

First Witness - Discovered the body whilst on an early morning stroll with their partner, the local gardener.

A Local Antique Dealer - The first lead. A suspicious trinket, their first Clue, is discovered near the body, which our Detective Duo takes to meet with this strange and reclusive figure.

A Village Meeting is Called - The crowd are in hysterics. Each villager vies to talk over the other, as the cacophony swells. The Village Elders raise their hands and all fall silent.

Chief of Police - Called in after Bad Cop gets caught breaking into a local shop searching for clues. No nonsense, down to earth Police Chief with a hard head but a heart of gold.

Second Witness - Witnessed the death of the Victim. Talks of a local healer capable of invoking the spirit of the deceased.

Whisper, Blood Liturgist - A local healer, often regarded with suspicion by the villagers. Consulted by the Detective Duo during the second act, wherein Whisper resurrects the Spirit of the Deceased for one final interrogation.

The Spirit of the Deceased - Resurrected spirit of the Deceased for one final macabre interrogation.

Westvale Abbey   - Final act reveal. Gutteral screams come echoing from the crypt, reverberating out into the desolate moorland beyond. The ground shakes, the walls of the chapel crack and splinter. So emerges the murderous and ancient evil inhabiting the local church. Explains why no priest has remained in the role for more than a few weeks. One went mad and was committed to a local institution, one immolated himself, one removed his organs and arranged them on the church altar. A great evil. Summons its Lieutenant in a final showdown between the living and the dead.

Sheoldred, Whispering One - a necromantic wizard entombed in the bowels of hell whilst his Master   gathers his strength.

A perilous and macabre mystery filled with Necromancy, intrigue, and a final, jawdropping showstopper.

Karador, Ghost Chieftain

Karador, Ghost Chieftain - A powerful recursion creature that almost never costs more than 3 mana to cast. Allows you to play creature spells from your graveyard, which this deck utilises in a relatively reactive way.

Abzan Ascendancy - Pumps the team one time, and nets you a spirit every time a nontoken creature dies. Included for spirit flavour which also serve as amazing Skullclamp targets.

Acidic Slime - Removal for pesky permanents and a brilliant blocker, which consequently sets up recursion and repetition of its effect. Pretty cool all things considered.

Aegis of the Gods - Targeted graveyard removal becomes somewhat more difficult here. Still hosed by the second mode of Relic of Progenitusfoil-like effects but still powerful in the right situation.

Anafenza, Kin-Tree Spirit - Affordable alternative to Melira, Sylvok Outcast in this deck. Pairs with Cauldron of Souls to allow you to recur your creatures, survive a wrath effect, or cause ETB shenanigans if you bolster as your creatures return to the battlefield after persist, negating the -1/-1 counter.

Ashnod's Altar - Free sac outlet and mana for spells all in one. Great in graveyard decks such as this.

Avacyn, Angel of Hope - Had a copy gathering dust and thought it was on theme to include her. Protects your permanents and is a prime reanimation target.

Blood Artist - Powerful drain effect, especially after a boardwipe. Can get out of hand fast.

Burnished Hart - Powerful ramp creature if used correctly. Can be recurred for maximum value.

Butcher of Malakir - Forces opponents to sacrifice their creatures whenever one of yours dies. A prime reanimation target and oppressive presence.

Bygone Bishop - Part of the clue subtheme. Can make numerous clues throughout the game and powerful in conjunction with other parts of the subtheme. Murder mysteries just got a whole lot more interesting now Billy the Bygone Bishop is on the case.

Cauldron of Souls - Grants persist to creatures, allowing them to recur from the graveyard and maximising ETB value. Great in conjunction with Anafenza, Kin-Tree Spirit.

Commander's Sphere - Mana fixing and draw in a pinch. Recurrable with Restoration Specialist for a somewhat janky draw engine if required.

Dauntless Escort - Will probably be replaced by Selfless Spirit eventually but a great way of making your board more resilient to wrath effects.

Deadbridge Chant - My favourite card ever. Returns a random card to your hand / play each turn, allowing for a fun recursion engine. It's ten card ETB mill can sometimes come in handy as well.

Demon of Dark Schemes - The "downside" of the -2/-2 to all creatures is often not a problem for you - you simply replay all your creatures! And the ability to steal and recur graveyarded creatures is not to be sniffed at. In the right situation, a powerhouse.

Dosan the Falling Leaf - Slows down control decks and generally keeps fast paced strategies somewhat in check.

Dread Return - Backup recursion for that Avacyn, Angel of Hope or that Elesh Norn, Grand Cenobite. Can be flashbacked if needed too!

Elesh Norn, Grand Cenobite - The big daddy of the Phyrexia Praetors. I had a copy gathering dust and figured this might be the place for it! A prime reanimation target and great with spirits and weenies alike!

Elvish Visionary - Draws a card. Simple but effective. Even better when introduced to Skullclamp.

Eternal Witness - A low CMC recursion creature that can do work in this deck. Best played then Skullclamped, then played the following turn. Then Skullclamped again!

Evolutionary Leap - Is your creature about to die? Sacrifice it to this and net yourself another creature for a single green mana. Great for a cheap but random tutor.

False Prophet - An often one-sided wrath that can be recurred. Best used after sacrificing all other creatures (to ensure they go to the graveyard) then sacrificing him to exile all creatures.

Farhaven Elf - Creature-based ramp and colour fixing. Can also be Skullclamped for bonus value.

Fecundity - Powerful card draw engine. Yes it often nets your opponents cards, but it will almost always be heavily in your favour.

Fiend Hunter - Best used in conjunction with a free sac outlet. Sacrifice him immediately to organise the triggers so the second one resolves first, exiling a creature permanently. Very useful removal.

Fleshbag Marauder - Recurrable sacrifice trigger. Best if used to sacrifice itself to itself (like Odin and Yggdrasil).

Golgari Signet - Ramp and mana fixing.

Golgari Thug - A dredge and recursion engine that is efficient and low cost. Fits in with the deck's low to the ground theme and very powerful in the right situations.

Gutter Grime - Can easily get out of control following deaths of nontoken creatures. Makes Oozes that can get huge.

Hallowed Spiritkeeper - A surprising card in the deck. Can often produce a silly number of spirits, can be recurred, and can win games by leaving behind his spirit-army in certain situations.

Kami of False Hope - A fog on a stick. Best recurred with Karador or other recursion creatures to stop combat-heavy strategies.

Karmic Guide - Creature recursion on a creature. Can be recurred with Reveillark and is best if the echo cost is unpaid.

Kuon, Ogre Ascendant   - Your things dying is easy for this deck so flipping him is not difficult. Making players sacrifice a creature every turn is great for you, as you can just recur whatever you kill!

Leonin Relic-Warder - Similar mechanically to Fiend Hunter, allowing for the permanent exile of an artifact or enchantment.

Liliana, Heretical Healer   - Usually can be instantly flipped, nets you a zombie token, and a powerful recursion engine. If you can pop the ultimate ability, the game basically plays itself. Far and away one of the best cards in the deck. Oh, and it costs three mana.

Merciless Executioner - An alternative to Fleshbag Marauder. Recur and sacrifice to its own trigger to clear away pesky creatures.

Nyx Weaver - A 3 CMC graveyard filling engine and recursion in a pinch. Not terrible in a deck like this.

Orzhov Signet - Ramp and Mana fixing.

Perilous Forays - Best used to tutor for nonbasic lands such as Godless Shrinefoil and Canopy Vista, especially for triggering Emeria, the Sky Ruin's seven plains clause. Useful ramp and a good sac outlet if needed.

Qasali Pridemage - Removal of pesky artifacts and enchantment. Great to recur, cheap and efficient.

Ramunap Excavator - Magus of the Crucible can do loads of work here. Recurring lands put into the graveyard by Deadbridge Chant (thus thinning the options!), costs 3 mana so can work with Bygone Bishop and can be sacrificed and recurred for TWO lands from the graveyard. Very potent in the right situation.

Razaketh, the Foulblooded - A repeatable tutor on a huge creature. Great to reanimate and the loss of life doesn't mean as much in EDH games.

Reclamation Sage - Removes artifact or enchantments with ease and can be recurred for added value. Solid removal.

Renegade Rallier - Can fetch value permanents, almost never misses out on its revolt trigger, and can be recurred.

Restoration Specialist - Artifact and Enchantment recursion on a creature. Can regain removed permanents and has a low CMC.

Reveillark - In a weenie deck like this, Reveillark can be an incredibly powerful recursion engine.

Reya Dawnbringer - A less-powerful, more-budget-friendly alternative to Sheoldred, Whispering One's recursion effect. A great reanimation target and bonus graveyard recursion every upkeep.

Riftsweeper - A useful counter to exiling graveyard hate effects such as Crook of Condemnation and Relic of Progenitusfoil. Get back exiled combo pieces and recurrable for maximum value.

Sakura-Tribe Elder - A great low CMC ramp creature. Best used to sacrifice itself in response to a block, reducing damage taken and gaining a tapped basic land. Recurrable with Renegade Rallier amongst others for value.

Satyr Wayfinder - Digs through your library for a land, fills the graveyard, and is a prime Skullclamp target.

Selesnya Signet - Mana fixing and ramp.

Shriekmaw - Can be evoked for its effect. Powerful nonblack creature removal.

Skullclamp - A powerful draw engine in a weenie deck. Many creatures die when equipped or can be sacrificed to sac outlets for draw value.

Stinkweed Imp - A powerful blocker and a dredge engine to boot. Great, low costing creature.

Sun Titan - A great recursion engine, can return destroyed signets, lands, enchantments, creatures. You name it, this guy can most likely recur it. Best used to get Renegade Rallier for a revolt trigger.

Tajuru Preserver - Stops other decks from forcing you to sacrifice. A defensive creature against certain strategies.

Tamiyo's Journal - Part of the clue subtheme. Can often net a tutor a turn combined with Bygone Bishop or Ulvenwald Mysteries.

Teysa, Orzhov Scion - With all the spirits, this card can be a powerful sac outlet. Exile creatures, make spirits, Teysa does it all!

Tidehollow Sculler - Similar to Fiend Hunter and Leonin Relic-Warder, the triggers can be ordered so that the opponent's card is exiled permanently.

Ulvenwald Mysteries - Part of the clue subtheme. Nets you clue tokens which can be sacrificed, then nets you soldier tokens which can be Skullclamped. Very fun and on-theme.

Unburial Rites - Flashback-able graveyard recursion. Can be powerful in certain situations.

Vampire Nighthawk - An all-star blocker. Included for its sheer defensive power against aggro-focussed decks due to its deathtouch keyword.

Viridian Emissary - A great early blocker and a valuable Skullclamp target. Not to be underestimated in the right circumstances.

Viscera Seer - Free sac outlet and a scry engine. Opponent trying to steal your beater? Sacrifice it to Viscera Seer and recur it next turn.

Yavimaya Granger - Ramp on a creature. Best if the echo cost isn't paid, which fills the graveyard and makes it easier to recur it later on. A Farhaven Elf substitute that kill itself on your upkeep. Great in Karador.

Gameplan coming soon
  1. You enjoy reanimation and graveyard strategies. This deck lets you dredge away to your hearts content.
  2. You like a generally quite reactive style of play. You have answers to problems in your graveyards to react to anything that gets thrown your way (bonus points if you pull off a Spore Frog lock!)
  3. You are a fan of pretending to be in a murder mystery (Optional but against the spirit of the deck to ignore entirely). The game is afoot, and the zany Detective Duo are on the case.
Combos coming soon

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Revision 51 See all

(1 month ago)

-1 Farhaven Elf main
+1 Insidious Fungus main
+1 Patchwork Beastie main
-1 Swamp main
Date added 7 years
Last updated 1 month
Exclude colors UR
Legality

This deck is Commander / EDH legal.

Rarity (main - side)

10 - 0 Mythic Rares

52 - 0 Rares

17 - 0 Uncommons

9 - 0 Commons

Cards 100
Avg. CMC 3.09
Tokens Blood, Clue, Dungeon: Dungeon of the Mad Mage, Dungeon: Lost Mine of Phandelver, Dungeon: Tomb of Annihilation, Emblem Liliana, Defiant Necromancer, Energy Reserve, Goblin 1/1 R, Human Cleric 1/1 BW, Human Soldier 1/1 W, Insect 1/1 BG, Insect 1/1 G, Morph 2/2 C, Servo 1/1 C, Skeleton 1/1 B, Spirit 1/1 W, Spirit 1/1 WB, The Atropal, Treasure, Zombie 2/2 B
Folders Karador archetype, Decks I Like, Commander Ideas
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