Rise of the Lich

Commander / EDH Aristocrats Mono-Black

Noblecrumpet

Creature (36)

• 1x Apprentice Necromancer
• 1x Burnished Hart
• 1x Champion of Stray Souls
• 1x Corpse Augur
• 1x Crypt Ghast
• 1x Custodi Lich
• 1x Dark Hatchling
• 1x Disciple of Bolas
• 1x Doomed Necromancer
• 1x Endrek Sahr, Master Breeder
• 1x Gilt-Leaf Winnower
• 1x Grave Titan
• 1x Graveborn Muse
• 1x Gray Merchant of Asphodel
• 1x Josu Vess, Lich Knight
• 1x Magus of the Coffers
• 1x Magus of the Mirror
• 1x Magus of the Will
• 1x Marsh Flitter
• 1x Murderous Rider
• 1x Nether Traitor
• 1x Nirkana Revenant
• 1x Ophiomancer
• 1x Pack Rat
• 1x Phylactery Lich
• 1x Phyrexian Delver
• 1x Reassembling Skeleton
• 1x Sengir Autocrat
• 1x Sengir Nosferatu
• 1x Sewer Nemesis
• 1x Skeletal Vampire
• 1x Sling-Gang Lieutenant
• 1x Stromgald Cabal
• 1x Stronghold Assassin
• 1x Vindictive Lich
• 1x Wall of Blood

Artifact (12)

• 1x Armillary Sphere
• 1x Charcoal Diamond
• 1x Coalition Relic
• 1x Commander's Sphere
• 1x Gauntlet of Power
• 1x Lich's Mirror
• 1x Lightning Greaves
• 1x Mesmeric Orb
• 1x Panharmonicon
• 1x Pristine Talisman
• 1x Skullclamp
• 1x Sol Ring

Sorcery (7)

• 1x Decree of Pain
• 1x Diabolic Intent
• 1x Diabolic Tutor
• 1x Necromantic Selection
• 1x Peer into the Abyss
• 1x Repay in Kind
• 1x Victimize

Enchantment (5)

• 1x Deathgrip
• 1x Lich
• 1x Lich's Mastery
• 1x Necropotence
• 1x Nefarious Lich

Commander (1)

Land (38)

• 1x Barren Moor
• 1x Buried Ruin
• 1x Cabal Coffers
• 1x Desert of the Glorified
• 1x Ghost Quarter
• 1x Polluted Mire
• 1x Radiant Fountain
• 1x Reliquary Tower
• 29x Swamp
• 1x Urborg, Tomb of Yawgmoth

Instant (1)

• 1x Thrilling Encore

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Maybeboard

Artifact (2)

• 1x Immortal Coil
• 1x Lich's Tomb

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This deck was specifically built to take somewhat-fair advantage of Lich effects as well as include several lich creatures. To feed the graveyard-dependent lich effects, the deck has a few methods of intense self-mill and card draw (to discard into the graveyard). Meanwhile, most of the effects in the deck are permanents or make large numbers of tokens to feed permanent-eating lich effects.

Ayara serves as one of the win conditions of the deck if the lich cards don't work out, but the other goal for the Liches are to get low and then use Magus of the Mirror or Repay in Kind to switch your low or sub-zero life with someone else, and also likely drawing a ton of cards from the new life gain. Ayara is great for card draw when a lich is in play, but she can prove counterintuitive when going for a low life total, so it's important to maintain balance.

Deathgrip and Stromgald Cabal are there for a teeny bit of protection in case someone wants to destroy your phylacteries.

In paper, I don't actually own Lich, so I would put in one of the maybeboard items instead. They both lack the intense card draw but do at least have the "can't die at 0 life" aspects. If anyone has any suggestions please feel free to comment. The deck is fun right now but I could use suggestions for how to hone it.

Date added	3 years
Last updated	3 years
Legality	This deck is Commander / EDH legal.
Rarity (main - side)	6 - 0 Mythic Rares 38 - 0 Rares 20 - 0 Uncommons 7 - 0 Commons
Cards	100
Avg. CMC	3.94
Tokens	Bat 1/1 B, Bat 1/2 B, Copy Clone, Goblin 1/1 R, Goblin Rogue 1/1 B, Serf 0/1 B, Snake 1/1 B, The Monarch, Thrull 1/1 B, Zombie 2/2 B, Zombie Knight 2/2 B