How Can I Put Xira Into My Kresh Deck?
Commander Deck Help forum
Posted on Sept. 22, 2025, 9:08 p.m. by DemonDragonJ
I would like to put Xira, the Golden Sting into my Kresh the Bloodbraided EDH deck, because she is an excellent match for the theme of that deck, but I am not certain which card that I should remove to make room, for her, so I would like to ask the other users here, for advice on that matter.
The two cards that I am most likely to remove are either Butcher of Malakir or Vein Ripper, because they are very expensive, so replacing either of them with Xira would greatly reduce the mana curve of that deck; each of them does work very well with the theme of the deck, but I very much would like to put Xira in there, so I am asking everyone else here, about this.
What does everyone else say, about this subject? Which of those two creatures should I remove to make room for Xira, the Golden Sting in my Kresh the Bloodbraided EDH deck? I certainly am interested to hear your thoughts, on this matter!
DemonDragonJ says... #3
SaberTech, that makes sense, since Vein Ripper has a very color-heavy cost, so replacing it with Xira would not only lower this deck's mana curve, it would also improve the balance of colors, as well.
also, I do have Archpriest of Shadows in several of my other decks, because she is an amazing creature, but Charnelhoard Wurm is also a great creature, and this is the only deck in which it fits, so I would like to keep it, here.
September 23, 2025 9:53 p.m.
I do understand the inclination to want to keep Charnelhoard Wurm around. It's not the most efficient card by today's standards but it's just neat enough to want to use. I've been tempted to run it in some of my own decks. That's why I mentioned those spells that work with both the Wurm and Kresh. Chandra's Ignition in particular seems like a generally good board wipe to have in your deck and the fact that it gives you a repeatable way to clear the board when paired with the Wurm is a bit of icing on the cake.
SaberTech says... #2
If it is a choice between the two, then I think that you should replace the Vein Ripper. Your deck theme runs on benefiting from when creatures die. Vein Ripper is a payoff for things dying, but Butcher of Malakir helps to make things die in the first place. I also took a quick look at your deck and only saw a limited amount of mass token generation, which is what you would want alongside free sac outlets to really get the most out of Vein Ripper.
If you were looking for more ways to cut down on the deck's mana curve, one possibility is swapping out Charnelhoard Wurm for something like Archpriest of Shadows. Although, there is something a little fun that you can do with Charnelhoard Wurm. You can use the Wurm as the target for Soul's Fire or Chandra's Ignition, and then after the Wurm deals damage to an opponent you could get the spell back. Both of those spells could also hit really hard if you happened to have a massive Kresh on the board as an alternative target.
September 23, 2025 2:26 a.m.