The Black is Soothing

Commander / EDH Battlecruiser Casual Competitive Mono-Black Multiplayer Voltron

GobboE

Sorcery (4)

• 1x Damnation
• 1x Decree of Pain
• 1x In Garruk's Wake
• 1x Mutilate

Enchantment (5)

• 1x Cover of Darkness
• 1x Greed
• 1x Intimidation
• 1x Oversold Cemetery
• 1x Phyrexian Arena

Artifact (25)

• 1x Armillary Sphere
• 1x Chariot of Victory
• 1x Darksteel Plate
• 1x Expedition Map
• 1x Haunted Cloak
• 1x Helm of Kaldra
• 1x Jet Medallion
• 1x Kusari-Gama
• 1x Lashwrithe
• 1x Loxodon Warhammer
• 1x Mind's Eye
• 1x Nightmare Lash
• 1x Ring of Xathrid
• 1x Shield of Kaldra
• 1x Sol Ring
• 1x Staff of Nin
• 1x Swiftfoot Boots
• 1x Sword of Fire and Ice
• 1x Sword of Light and Shadow
• 1x Sword of Vengeance
• 1x Thran Dynamo
• 1x Traveler's Amulet
• 1x Vedalken Orrery
• 1x Wanderer's Twig
• 1x Whispersilk Cloak

Planeswalker (2)

• 1x Liliana of the Dark Realms
• 1x Ob Nixilis Reignited

Creature (26)

• 1x Artisan of Kozilek
• 1x Avatar of Woe
• 1x Baleful Force
• 1x Big Game Hunter
• 1x Bloodgift Demon
• 1x Butcher of Malakir
• 1x Draco
• 1x Dread Cacodemon
• 1x Gorgon Recluse
• 1x Grave Scrabbler
• 1x Graveborn Muse
• 1x Hypnox
• 1x Kuro, Pitlord
• 1x Mikaeus, the Unhallowed
• 1x Muck Drubb
• 1x Necropolis Fiend
• 1x Overseer of the Damned
• 1x Pestilence Demon
• 1x Phage the Untouchable
• 1x Reiver Demon
• 1x Rune-Scarred Demon
• 1x Sepulchral Primordial
• 1x Sheoldred, Whispering One
• 1x Sibsig Muckdraggers
• 1x Soul of Innistrad
• 1x Umbra Stalker

Land (37)

• 1x Cabal Coffers
• 1x Crypt of Agadeem
• 1x Ghost Quarter
• 1x Nykthos, Shrine to Nyx
• 1x Rogue's Passage
• 1x Shizo, Death's Storehouse
• 1x Strip Mine
• 26x Swamp
• 1x Tectonic Edge
• 1x Thawing Glaciers
• 1x Urborg, Tomb of Yawgmoth
• 1x Volrath's Stronghold

Commander (1)

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Sideboard

Sorcery (2)

• 1x Exsanguinate
• 1x Languish

Enchantment (1)

• 1x Gravestorm

Artifact (3)

• 1x Caged Sun
• 1x Lightning Greaves
• 1x Well of Discovery

Creature (2)

• 1x Bane of Bala Ged
• 1x Scourge of Nel Toth

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Volrath the Fallen is one of those commanders that somehow never made it to the A list of my decks...now it is time for him to step out of the shadows of the B list category and head a deck entirely of its own.

True, this deck is about winning. But it is also meant to be fun (to a degree) for all those involved, without taking short cuts like 'infect' (so no Grafted Exoskeleton or life drain) This deck is a 75% deck so to speak.

Tactics

The idea behind this deck is brutally simple: discard creatures to Volrath the Fallen, and win through commander (general) damage. So give haste, trample and start discarding. Yes, in many ways this is a mono-black voltron deck.

There is plenty to discard, from Phage the Untouchable, Soul of Innistrad, Hypnox to Draco, and Dread Cacodemon...all of the creatures can be discarded to Volrath the Fallen

Synergy and Combo

Obviously, some creatures have more synergy than others.

I used both creatures with madness (discard them to Volrath, cast them for less): Big Game Hunter, Gorgon Recluse, and the protection of Muck Drubb (I've always wanted to use him in a deck), Grave Scrabbler

As well as creatures that can recur or animate, return from the ashes so to speak: Sepulchral Primordial, Soul of Innistrad

Artisan of Kozilek + Sepulchral Primordial - reanimate the Sepulchral Primordial with the Artisan - gives you a huge advantage

Lashwrithe + Urborg, Tomb of Yawgmoth : great extra boost for Volrath the Fallen

Avatar of Woe + Volrath the Fallen and Volrath the Fallen + Crypt of Agadeem also like a full graveyard

Refilling your hand

Chances are, you need to restock and draw more cards: Phyrexian Arena, Staff of Nin, Greed, Mind's Eye, Graveborn Muse, Ob Nixilis Reignited. Not enough? : add Underworld Connections, the underused (and undervalued) Mercadian Atlas, and/or Well of Discovery from the sideboard

But you can also return creatures from your graveyard to your hand (or top of library): Oversold Cemetery, Volrath's Stronghold (flavour!), Sheoldred, Whispering One, Artisan of Kozilek, Grave Scrabbler, Sword of Light and Shadow

Haste and Trample

Most likely, people will guess what you are up to, so provide haste and trample: Swiftfoot Boots, Chariot of Victory, Haunted Cloak, Whispersilk Cloak, Brawler's Plate

What no Lightning Greaves? Indeed, that one gives shroud and I felt it worked counterproductive (it is in the sideboard though)

Wipe

What can I say? Damnation, In Garruk's Wake, Decree of Pain, Mutilate

Mana

It is important to build a mana base quickly with a deck like this (some cards have a very high cmc, and Volrath is bound to die once or twice): Thawing Glaciers (extra land draw, and increases the chances of hitting a creature), Thran Dynamo, Sol Ring, Expedition Map, Armillary Sphere, Liliana of the Dark Realms and such.

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If you like it: please upvote +1

This deck is build as the fifth instalment of my mono-coloured series. Here are my others: Red, Green, Blue, White

Date added	7 years
Last updated	7 years
Key combos	Artisan of Kozilek + Sepulchral Primordial Lashwrithe + Urborg, Tomb of Yawgmoth Avatar of Woe + Volrath the Fallen Crypt of Agadeem + Volrath the Fallen
Legality	This deck is Commander / EDH legal.
Rarity (main - side)	9 - 0 Mythic Rares 42 - 5 Rares 17 - 3 Uncommons 6 - 0 Commons
Cards	100
Avg. CMC	5.10
Tokens	4/4 C Token Legendary Creature Avatar, Emblem Liliana of the Dark Realms, Emblem Ob Nixilis Reignited, Phyrexian Germ 0/0 B, Zombie 2/2 B