Deathkeeper, shaman spellcaster- looking for card suggestions and tips

Commander Deck Help forum

Posted on Sept. 17, 2020, 12:07 p.m. by Juuluk

Decklist: Sek'Kuar, Shamankeeper

Hello everyone, this is my first post. I'm looking for some advice on a few of my combos in my Sek'kuar the deathkeeper edh deck. It's my first edh deck and the first time i've built singleton as well, so i hope to gain some insight from some more experienced deckbuilders.

First of all, it's shaman tribal, and i have most of my creature slots handled. My main combo in the deck is Mortuary coupled with Verdant Succession. Together, those two can get me infinite if I have my commander or Judith, the Scourge Diva and any green creature if it sacs itself, which shamans are good at. I think this one is solid, but i'd like a second opinion if anyone can see a flaw i can't.

That's my main win combo, but i have a blow your top off style combo for the win as well. This one i'm mainly focused on instants and sorceries being in my graveyard. It involves Finale of Promise and a Shaman's Trance, as well as two valid targets in my graveyard to cast, or yours. This one i'm more concerned about, and I'm juggling several spells to include. Right now I have Sins of the Past and Decree of Pain as well as Searing Wind and Haunting Hymn in the instants pile. Also considering Worst Fears and Wit's End.

The idea with this is to either use an emergence zone to do it on my opponents turn or to do it on my main phase, thats why I thought the hymn would be good. The Sins of the Past is a questionable replacement for a Yawgmoth's Will, but if I copy it with the finale, I could target multiple spells in everyone's graveyard with it, correct? Idk though, it feels janky. If anyone has some streamlining suggestions for either win condition I'd really appreciate it, thanks.

Also: whenever I try to link my commanders card it pops up with decklists. He gives 3/1 graveborn tokens with haste when nontoken creatures die in case anyone doesn't know. Hence why the Mortuary combo would be so effective, since they can't really stop all the sac triggers. At least, i dont think it can be interfered with really. I'm just getting back into magic after a four or five year break, so sorry if I seem especially dumb rn.

griffstick says... #2

Another combo I came up with that uses Mortuary is Deathrender + something that draws cards from a creature dying. Like Harvester of Souls a sac outlet of your choice like Ashnod's Altar + Mortuary. Making an infinite loop where you draw the creature you sacrificed and putting it back into play with Deathrender. You can kill the table with some really good enters the battlefield effects like Gray Merchant of Asphodel.

September 17, 2020 12:29 p.m.

TriusMalarky says... #3

First, I'm stealing Mortuary-Succession combo for my Korvold. And adding Deathrender because Korvold's a piece in that loop.

Personally, in sac decks you don't want to use too many instants/sorceries. You should really attempt to assemble some Persist combos, with cards like Rhythm of the Wild and Grumgully, the Generous, Melira and a sac outlet. You can probably get 3-5 sac outlets and 3+ Persist disablers, as well as a good handful of Persist creatures, of which Rendclaw Trow and Scuzzback Marauders are best as they can also be used with with Mortuary-Succession loop. Add some black ones though.

Then, you could run Commune with the Gods which, although a 1-of, hits every single one of your main combo pieces in the deck.

I don't know how much ramp you're running, but you can get to about 4 1-mana dorks(more if you want ones that sac themselves to add mana) and a good 3-6 2-mana rocks, although dorks are better here because you can sacrifice them. I'd use Sakura-Tribe Elder as a great one.

Also, if you're using Succession, get a few Relentless Rats or Rat Colony. Also Seven Dwarves. Add Thrumming Stone, and basically make sure that most of your deck is either ramp, Rats or Combo pieces. Mostly because it's funny and gives Succession another use other than combo.

September 17, 2020 12:34 p.m.

Juuluk says... #4

griffstick thanks! That’s exactly the type of advice I was looking for. I considered Harvester of Souls but I thought it wouldn’t be powerful enough, Deathrender really changes it tho. I’ve got Dark-Dweller Oracle in the same role, but that card can be risky because of the exile too, so this could be perfect, thank you. :)

September 17, 2020 12:35 p.m.

Juuluk says... #5

TriusMalarky I see, thank you for the advice. I mostly have the finale combo because I wanted to include both Shamanic Revelation and Shaman's Trance because, honestly, my Vorthos outweighs my Johnny, but I think you might be right.

As for ramp, I have Sachi, Daughter of Seshiro who makes all my shamans dorks for double green, and then I was considering a gemstone array because ashnods altar and sachi can both make two mana to start throwing counters on it. Along with Molten Echoes and cards like Burning-Tree Shaman I can make a lot of mana through the mortuary trigger as well. Of course, the elder was one of the first cards I chose, as he’s perfect for the role, being in my tribe and all.

I really like the combo potential with thrumming stone tho, and the suggestion of commune with the gods as well. Thanks a lot :)

September 17, 2020 12:48 p.m.

TriusMalarky says... #6

Ooh, Burning-Tree Emissary! Also, that's a cool hecking ramp creature. What low-cost 1-2 mana shamans do you have?

September 17, 2020 1:07 p.m.

TriusMalarky says... #7

Apparently there's a bunch of random Shamans that are really good.

September 17, 2020 1:11 p.m.

Juuluk says... #8

TriusMalarky Shamans are so good. My favorite tribe, they have so many spell-on-a-stick creatures, though they're lacking in supporting their own tribe unfortunately. My faves to put out with the Emissary are Tilonalli's Summoner, Fauna Shaman, Bloodline Shaman, Wild Cantor (A druid, but it fits in this deck, Deathrite Shaman, Dark-Dweller Oracle, Sakura-Tribe Elder, Rix Maadi Reveler, and Vexing Shusher (Phenomenal card. I started playing during Lorwyn and the shusher was the first shaman I fell in love with. Unfortunately, a lot of the spell on a stick shamans are in the three and up range, though with Molten Echoes on the field I net four mana, which gives me a lot more range.

I think if i add in Rhythm of the wild as you suggested I could probably fit in fauna shaman or bloodline along with some persisters. Idk though, you've given me a lot to think about.

September 17, 2020 1:22 p.m.

Gidgetimer says... #9

The reason you get a deck is that there is no "the" in his name. Sek'Kuar, Deathkeeper

September 17, 2020 2:27 p.m.

Juuluk says... #10

Gidgetimer oh shit, you right. Lol, I’m so used to calling him the deathkeeper instead of sek’kuar I didn’t even realize. Thx :)

September 17, 2020 2:48 p.m.

MagicMarc says... #11

Verdant Succession does not work with Relentless Rats, Rat Colony or Seven Dwarves. It only triggers for Green nontoken creatures.

Thrumming Stone will not trigger from Verdant Succession either if that was the intent. The stone look spells you cast not for creatures that get put into play by an effect.

I do like the combo, and I like the deck build.

Juuluk, if you post the deck to T/O you could link it which would help people provide suggestions as well as the good stuff suggested already.

September 17, 2020 5:14 p.m. Edited.

Juuluk says... #12

Thanks for the suggestion MagicMarc I'll do that. I saw that the rats and dwarves wouldn't work with succession. That's too bad about the thrumming stone, but I see what you're saying. I thought about using it with mortuary and something like Plaguecrafter, but I don't know if that would work either now.

Could I also get your opinion on the Finale of Promise and Shaman's Trance combination? I decided that I really can't deny the flavor of th trance, even though it's hot garbage. I don't want to only be using it as an interrupt though, or having to rely on my opponent having flashback or escape cards i can play that turn, that's why I made that jank. It's not optimal, but it's basically throwing cards into my grave with an Underrealm Lich or cycling a Decree of Pain, then just making things explode. I thought it would be cool if it worked with Sins of the Past too, but I feel like I should bring that to a rules board.

September 17, 2020 5:46 p.m.

Juuluk says... #13

Here's my deck list. I left it kinda bare for now, about ten or so cards under where it should be in terms of non-lands.

Sek'Kuar, Shamankeeper

https://tappedout.net/mtg-decks/sekkuar-shamankeeper/

September 17, 2020 7:06 p.m.

MagicMarc says... #14

I am all for using fun or flavorful combos instead of just building a perfect "I win every game" deck.You have to first decide how much you like the janky combo of Finale of Promise and Shaman's Trance. Is it more important than your main win condition? Is it important enough to fill the deck with cards that support it?

The honest truth is, if you like the combo then keep it in. The hard part is deciding how much or how little to support it. Every card you add just to fill your graveyard with instants and sorceries could instead just be a card that advances your main win condition.

If I put an alternate win condition in a deck, and it's janky or just for fun, I generally won't put any cards in to support it. If it goes off, yay for me. If it doesn't, I still have my main win condition and my main strategy happening anyways.

September 17, 2020 10:28 p.m.

Is anyone seeing that Mortuary and Verdant Succession combo all alone with Uro, Titan of Nature's Wrath??? Draw your entire deck while putting all your lands into play...seems legit.

September 18, 2020 8:43 a.m.

griffstick says... #16

I love this discussion because I have loved Mortuary for 6 or more yrs now and have been waiting for this combo potential card to be busted wide open.

September 18, 2020 9:20 a.m.

griffstick says... #17

I think Wild Pair + sac outlet + Mortuary is an infinite loop too

Nope it isn't never mind

September 18, 2020 9:21 a.m. Edited.

MagicMarc says... #18

UpperDeckerTaco, the nice thing about that combo is that it can interrupt itself so you won't auto-lose a game because of a unstoppable combo. Since Verdant Succession includes "may" you can interrupt it any time. If it did not include may and you had to do it, you would also need an instant to destroy one of the enchantments in response to one of their triggers.

September 18, 2020 2:19 p.m.

MagicMarc says... #19

Juuluk, about your Finale of Promise + Shaman's Trance jank;

It is up to you. You already acknowledge it's not an optimized play. But if its fun for you and you like it, then keep it in.

I don't know if I would bother adding more support for it though. It is still a secondary win condition for this deck.

It may have a home in it's own deck...built around using your opponent's cards and creatures to win.

September 18, 2020 2:23 p.m. Edited.

Juuluk says... #20

MagicMarc thanks for the advice, I appreciate it. I’m getting closer to a final version now. I decided to scale back on Finale of Promise + Shaman's Trance and only include a Decree of Pain and a Decree of Savagery so I’ll have two good targets in my own grave, plus anything good in the opponents. On top of that, Mindclaw Shaman is added value.

September 20, 2020 7:55 p.m.

griffstick says... #21

Vitalizing Wind could be another option.

September 20, 2020 9:11 p.m.

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