Teysa Karlov, Death Aristocrat

Commander / EDH CaptainBanana42

SCORE: 42 | 36 COMMENTS | 9185 VIEWS | IN 19 FOLDERS


War of the Spark Update —May 9, 2019

With the new Set "War of the Spark" we got some new sweet cards for this deck.

Cruel Celebrant: This card is another Blood Artist like card. You can never have enough of them. Cut: Deathgreeter

Dreadhorde Invasion: The poor mans Bitterblossom. It is not as good as Bitterblossom but I think it will do a better job then Hidden Stockpile which I cut for it.

Liliana, Dreadhorde General: So this card is probably everything you want to have in this deck. Great for producing tokens and drawing cards and it is also a sacoutlet/removel. And if you are able to ultimate her the game should be over. Cut: Teysa, Envoy of Ghosts

PyroSwardsman says... #1

Kalitas, Traitor of Ghet is a replacement effect that makes it so creatures are exiled instead of dying. This sort of makes you miss out on any death triggers caused by opponents.

January 27, 2019 8:54 a.m.

PyroSwardsman this is true but I get a 2/2 Zombie Token instead which I can sac whenever I want. So the death trigger is not lost.

January 27, 2019 9:05 a.m.

bushido_man96 says... #3

If all you want out of Kalitas, Traitor of Ghet is a zombie token, Ghoulcaller Gisa would be a much better choice to run, that way you don't miss out on your opponent's creatures death triggers.

January 27, 2019 2:53 p.m.

Kalitas is not just in this deck to get the zombie token. The main function of Kalitas is that the opponents creatures are exiled if they die. The token is just a nice way to get an death trigger out of your opponents creatures even though they get exiled.

Ghoulcaller Gisa is a great card. Sadly I don't own one and the card is a little bit pricy. If I get one I will put it in this deck.

January 27, 2019 3:14 p.m.

TheSimikBOat says... #5

Hey CaptainBanana42,

As suggestions I think that Hidden Stockpile and Hallowed Spiritkeeper can be great cards for this deck:

January 27, 2019 5:41 p.m.

Hey TheSimikBOat, thank you for commenting. Hallowed Spiritkeeper is already in the deck. Hidden Stockpile seems like a good fit but I wonder if it is better then the token makers or sacoutlets I already have. The low CMC is really good but it needs some setup to get going. Which card would you cut for it?

January 27, 2019 6:03 p.m.

multimedia says... #7

Hey, looks good.

Consider Mesmeric Orb and Altar of Dementia ? These cards support the Guide + Lark combo and Spiritkeeper since they can put creatures into your graveyard. Three of the best interactions with Teysa's ability. Dementia is also a no mana cost repeatable sac outlet.

Why the large number of basic lands in the manabase? At least include the playable Orzhov dual lands: Command Tower , City of Brass , Mana Confluence , Reflecting Pool , Forbidden Orchard , Caves of Koilos , Godless Shrine , Fetid Heath , Concealed Courtyard and Tainted Field .

January 28, 2019 9:16 a.m.

Hey multimedia, thanks for the upvote and the suggestions.

The manabase will get an upgrade. Most of the lands you suggested will be in it. I totally forgot to complete the manabase.

What is the Guide + Lark combo? I did not hear about it.

I thought about Altar of Dementia it is a very good sac outlet. I didn't thought about self milling me with it but it is a good idea. I don't know if Mesmeric Orb is worth the price for this deck and I don't own one. I will keep an eye on this card.

January 28, 2019 9:36 a.m.

TheSimikBOat says... #9

I think that you may cut Promise of Bunrei . It is similar to Hidden Stockpile , and I think that Hidden Stockpile is best because Promise of Bunrei creates a token only one time, instead, with Hidden Stockpile you need to pay but you may get a token every turn, you may sacrifice creatures that can activate a trigger and you Scry to get good draws.

January 28, 2019 12:30 p.m.

TheSimikBOat thanks for the upvote!

Yes Hidden Stockpile seems better then Promise of Bunrei . I will update the list. Thanks for your help.

January 28, 2019 12:38 p.m.

multimedia says... #11

Hey, the Guide + Lark combo or "Reveillark Combo" is Reveillark infinitely reanimating Karmic Guide which then with Guide infinitely reanimates Lark giving you infinite ETB or die abilities of one or more 2 or less power creatures. It can be done here by adding a sac outlet to continually sac both Guide and Lark. Since Lark's leaves the battlefield trigger is considered a die trigger then with Teysa also in play you can reanimate four creatures with power 2 or less each time Lark leaves the battlefield. This is not needed for the combo, but can be a ETB/die value engine.

Adding a sac outlet such as Viscera Seer , Ashnod's Altar , Phyrexian Altar , Altar of Dementia , Blasting Station can add a win condition.

  1. Seer scry whatever you want on top of your library.
  2. Ashnod creates infinite colorless mana.
  3. Phyrexian creates infinite mana of any color.
  4. Dementia mill out all opponents.
  5. Station kill all opponents with damage.

There are other sac outlets, but these are the most powerful.

There's several 2 or less power creatures that are very good with this combo:

  1. Zulaport Cutthroat kill all your opponents.
  2. Solemn Simulacrum draw your deck and put all your basic lands into play tapped with Phyrexian as sac outlet play all cards in your hand.
  3. Mirror Entity can be a sac outlet since you can pay 0 mana to make all your creatures 0/0 creatures which kills them including both Guide and Lark.
  4. Stitcher's Supplier mill your deck and reanimate with Lark all your 2 or less power creatures.

There's lots more interactions, but hopefully this gives you the idea.

January 28, 2019 5:32 p.m. Edited.

Hey multimedia, thanks for breaking down the combo for me. I feel like a fool right now because I know the Reveillark + Karmic Guide interaction. I just did not get the name Guide + Lark Combo, sorry for that. This is a very good break down though and I hope it helps people who read the comment section of this deck.

I feel like I already have a lot of interactions with these two cards in my deck and the most sac outlets you mentioned. This combo seems to be very powerfull.

If I may I would like to put your combo breakdown in my deck description. If you allow it I will credit you with it.

January 28, 2019 5:56 p.m.

multimedia says... #13

You're welcome. It's fine with me if you want to add the breakdown to the deck description and you don't have to credit me, thanks for offering :)

January 30, 2019 2:48 p.m.

TzickyT says... #14

wondering why u don't play Su-Chi

February 4, 2019 5:34 a.m.

TzickyT this question is easy to answere. I don't own Su-Chi and it is really expensive. It would be a nice fit though.

February 4, 2019 5:44 a.m.

ThoAlmighty says... #16

Ministrant of Obligation , Sengir Autocrat , and Weaponcraft Enthusiast seem strong for sheer amount of bodies. You also have enough triggers for Panharmonicon and Strionic Resonator to be worth it. +1 from me!

February 4, 2019 1:10 p.m.

Hey ThoAlmighty thanks for the upvote and the suggestions.

I have to figure out which cards I should cut. I thought about putting in some cards which bring tokens with them.

Strionic Resonator seems good to get an additonal death trigger out of my creatures but I don't know if it is worth it. I think I must try it.

Panharmonicon only synergize with enter the battlefield effects and I have just 3 in my deck so I think it is not worth it. But overall Panharmonicon is a great card.

February 4, 2019 1:20 p.m.

Voronel says... #18

Athreos, God of Passage could be a good addition to the deck. Specially with Teysa Karlov doubling Athreos, God of Passage trigger. This deck is amazing btw

February 5, 2019 10:45 a.m.

Voronel thanks for the comment and the suggestion.

You are right Athreos, God of Passage would be awesome in this deck. I thought about including him. Unfortunately he is expensiv and I don't own one yet. I will definitfly include him if I get one.

February 5, 2019 10:50 a.m.

multimedia says... #20

Hey Captain, how's the deck coming along? There's another infinite combo to consider adding and it's powerful with many different cards in the deck including Teysa:

How it works:

  1. Warden has to be in your graveyard, but that is not difficult with all the sac outlets or Buried Alive .
  2. Cast Cutthroat or have him already on the battlefield. Cutthroat or equivalent needs to be on the battlefield before you create the dies loop.
  3. Cast Animate and animate Warden. When Warden ETB target Animate and exile it. This now creates a loop of sacing Warden and reanimating it with Animate. It's a dies loop because when Animate leaves the battlefield you sac the creature that it was enchanting. Since you enchanted Warden with Animate this lets Warden exile Animate thus it leaves the battlefield. When Animate leaves the battlefield Warden is saced and when Warden leaves the battlefield Animate comes out of exile back onto the battlefield able to reanimate Warden who's in the graveyard.

It's a dies loop since Warden is being saced over and over again by Animate; it's dying therefore this is infinite dies triggers from Cutthroat. Warden has a leave the battlefield ability and if this ability happens as a result of him dying then he will trigger Teysa meaning double triggers from any dies abilities you have on the battlefield from this loop.


Other than Cutthroat doing infinite opponent life loss, add any other powerful card with a dies ability that triggers when other creatures die or a sac outlet. Here's some examples:

You can break the loop easily which is important. As long as there's another creature in any graveyard you can target it with Animate. When Warden dies and Animate comes out of exile and back onto the battlefield target a different creature in a graveyard, not Warden. Best not to create the loop unless you can break it :)


Using or adding a sac outlet to the loop is also good. Adding for example Razaketh, the Foulblooded lets you have a lot of tutor effects by paying 2 life each time you sac Warden which can be over and over again. Razaketh's sac trigger can be used at instant speed thus you can target Warden while the loop is happening and use him as sac fodder to tutor for lots of cards. Warden is going to die anyway and when he does back onto the battlefield Animate comes to reanimate him so it doesn't matter how Warden gets into the graveyard when he has Animate in exile. Razaketh is another reason to add Buried Alive because if you get him into your graveyard you can reanimate him faster with Karmic Guide . Letting you begin the process of tutoring for all the combo pieces starting with Warden.

February 12, 2019 9:26 a.m.

Hey multimedia thanks for another great comment.

Sadly I was not able to test the deck yet. I hope this will change soon. I still have to get some of the cards but I am really excited to test the deck.

The combo you suggested looks awesome and seems not to be too broken because you need some pieces to make the combo work. First I will test the deck without a second infinite combo because I don't want to make this deck too strong for my meta. We don't have a lot of infinite combos in decks.

If I feel like the deck needs another win condition after playing some games with it I will test it with this combo because it looks sweet and the missing combo pieces are easy to get.

Thanks again for the great suggestion. I appreciate your effort for this deck.

February 12, 2019 10:02 a.m.

Lord_Europa says... #22

I think Pitiless Plunderer has potential to be a great ramp card

March 12, 2019 12:50 p.m.

NKlim says... #23

Dance of the Dead functions the same as animate dead for the leonin sac loop. Additional redundancy is always great. Nice work!

March 20, 2019 9:08 a.m.