A master of mimicry and malice, Skinshift turns death into dominance. Volrath slips into any corpse and weaponizes it, spreading decay with precision. Through -1/-1 counters, graveyard recursion, and shapeshifting control, this deck overwhelms with inevitability, not speed—until it’s already too late.
Overview:
This Sultai deck leverages Volrath, the Shapestealer as a versatile engine and threat amplifier within a -1/-1 counters and proliferate strategy. The primary game plan involves distributing -1/-1 counters via cards like Hapatra, Vizier of Poisons, Yawgmoth, Thran Physician, and Volrath himself, generating value through token swarms (Nest of Scarabs, Bastion of Remembrance), creature theft (Necroskitter), and potent sacrifice outlets. The deck wins via infinite combos (Devoted Druid lines, Mikaeus + Triskelion), overwhelming board states fueled by token armies and counter synergies, or grindy value/life drain from cards like Toxrill, the Corrosive and The Meathook Massacre. Volrath acts as a resilient threat (7/5 body), a flexible copy effect enabling combo lines or evasion, and a key counter distributor, but the deck functions well without him.
Primer:
Core Strategy Execution:
Setup & Value (Turns 1-4): Prioritize ramp (Sol Ring, Birds of Paradise, Bloom Tender, land tutors) and counter sources. Deploy key engines like Hapatra, Nest of Scarabs, or Yawgmoth. Use Rhystic Study, Sylvan Library, or Phyrexian Arena for card advantage. Protect key pieces with free counterspells (Force of Will, Fierce Guardianship).
Counter Distribution & Synergy (Turns 3-6): Actively place -1/-1 counters via Volrath's combat trigger, Yawgmoth, Leeching Bite, or Geralf's Messenger. Generate tokens from Nest/Hapatra. Leverage proliferate engines (Inexorable Tide, Evolution Sage, Contagion Engine) to grow counters. Reanimate key threats (Mikaeus, Massacre Wurm) using Reanimate, Animate Dead, or Victimize.
Win Condition Execution (Turns 4-8):
Combo: Assemble:
Infinite Mana: Devoted Druid + Swiftfoot Boots/Lightning Greaves (untap infinitely) -> Cast Walking Ballista/Triskelion for lethal.
Infinite Damage: Mikaeus, the Unhallowed + Triskelion (remove counters to ping, Undying returns it).
Yawgmoth Combo: Yawgmoth, Thran Physician + Undying Creature (e.g., Geralf's Messenger) + Free Sac Outlet (Ashnod's Altar) + Blood Artist effect = Draw deck, drain opponents.
Combat/Value: Overwhelm with deathtouch Snakes, stolen creatures via Necroskitter, or massive threats like Toxrill. Drain life globally with The Meathook Massacre, Bastion of Remembrance, or Blood Artist.
Control Lock: Establish Toxrill + Proliferate or Sludge Monster to cripple opposing boards.
Mulligan Priorities:
Keep hands with 2-3 lands, including at least one black source.
Prioritize early ramp (dorks, Sol Ring, Arcane Signet) or a key engine (Hapatra, Yawgmoth, Nest of Scarabs).
Look for interaction (free counter, Assassin's Trophy) or a tutor (Demonic Tutor, Worldly Tutor) if lacking engines.
Hands with combo pieces (Devoted Druid + Boots/Greaves, Mikaeus + Triskelion) and protection are ideal.
Avoid slow hands lacking ramp, engines, or interaction.
Key Tips:
Volrath Flexibility: Copy creatures with counters for value/combo: Copy Bloom Tender for mana, Necroskitter to steal, Deepglow Skate to double counters, or combo pieces like Triskelion. His 7/5 body threatens commander damage.
Proliferate Power: Use proliferate on -1/-1 counters for removal, +1/+1 counters for threats, poison, or planeswalkers. Evolution Sage + Fetches/Life from the Loam is potent.
Graveyard Synergy: Leverage Muldrotha, the Gravetide, Living Death, and Buried Alive (dump combo pieces/engines) for immense recursion. Entomb finds key answers or combo parts.
Protection is Key: Counter critical removal targeting your engines (Yawgmoth, Doubling Season) or combo pieces. Swan Song, Pact of Negation, Force of Will are essential. Boots/Greaves protect Devoted Druid/Volrath.
Sacrifice Value: Use Ashnod's Altar, Greater Good, and Yawgmoth to sacrifice creatures with -1/-1 counters or tokens for mana, cards, or direct damage via Blood Artist effects. Phyrexian Tower ramps and fuels reanimation.
Weaknesses:
Critical
Graveyard Hate: Rest in Peace, Leyline of the Void, Soul-Guide Lantern cripple reanimation, Living Death, Muldrotha, and combo lines relying on Undying/Mikaeus.
Artifact/Enchantment Lockdown: Stony Silence, Collector Ouphe shut down Ashnod's Altar, Staff of Domination, Walking Ballista, mana rocks, and equipment protecting Devoted Druid.
Anti-Counter Measures: The One Ring (hexproof), Solemnity (prevents all counters), or Melira, Sylvok Outcast (prevents -1/-1 counters) devastate the core strategy.
Moderate
Wide Board Wipes: While packed with sweepers itself (Toxic Deluge, Damnation), recovering from early wipes before engines are online can be slow. Farewell is particularly devastating.
Targeted Removal on Engines: Killing Yawgmoth, Hapatra, or Doubling Season significantly slows down the counter/token generation engine.
Rule of Law Effects: Deafening Silence, Eidolon of Rhetoric hinder the ability to chain spells and execute combos efficiently.
Minor
Land Destruction: Non-basic land hate can disrupt the optimized mana base (Cabal Coffers/Urborg), but the deck has ample fixing/ramp.
Tax Effects: Thalia, Guardian of Thraben or Sphere of Resistance slow the deck but are less crippling than other stax pieces.
Most Important Cards:
Yawgmoth, Thran Physician (Engine: Draws cards, distributes -1/-1 counters, proliferates, combo piece)
Mikaeus, the Unhallowed (Combo piece with Triskelion, enables Undying for value/protection)
Doubling Season (Amplifies tokens and counters, accelerates wins)
Devoted Druid (Primary infinite mana combo piece)
Demonic Tutor (Finds any answer, combo piece, or engine)
Hapatra, Vizier of Poisons (Core counter distributor and token generator)
Force of Will (Free interaction to protect combos/key pieces)
Buried Alive (Sets up graveyard for reanimation combos/recursion)
Toxic Deluge (Premier board wipe, handles indestructible threats)
Necroskitter (Creature theft engine with -1/-1 counters)
Attribute Ratings:
Speed: 8/10
Capable of T4 wins with perfect draws (e.g., T1 ramp, T2 Devoted Druid + Boots/Greaves, T3 Mikaeus/Triskelion/Ballista). Consistent T5-7 win/lock threats.
Resilience: 7/10
High-quality free interaction protects key plays. Robust recursion (Muldrotha, Reanimate, Living Death) and multiple combo lines/wincons provide recovery paths. Vulnerable to specific, common hate cards.
Consistency: 8/10
Extensive tutor suite (10+ tutors including Demonic, Vampiric, Worldly, Entomb, Buried Alive, Neoform) and strong card draw (Rhystic, Sylvan, Yawgmoth, Greater Good) reliably find key pieces.
Interaction: 8/10
Excellent mix of free/cheap counterspells (Force, Fierce Guardianship, Swan Song, Pact), versatile removal (Assassin's Trophy, Abrupt Decay, Toxic Deluge, Cyclonic Rift), and targeted hate (Scavenging Ooze). Lacks stack interaction for resolved noncreatures.
Rating Justification:
This deck possesses cEDH-viable speed (T4-5 win/lock potential) and exceptional consistency through tutors and draw, but its resilience is hampered by critical vulnerabilities to widely played graveyard and artifact hate, preventing it from reaching higher tiers. Its power level aligns with High Power, capable of fast wins but fragile to disruption common in competitive metas.
Power level: 8.0 - 8.5
