JulesTownsend
10.7k views16 months ago
Commander
Size: 100Salt sum: 41.69
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Commander
Astarion, the Decadent
Deathtouch, lifelink
At the beginning of your end step, choose one —
• Feed — Target opponent loses life equal to the amount of life they lost this turn.
• Friends — You gain life equal to the amount of life you gained this turn.
At the beginning of your end step, choose one —
• Feed — Target opponent loses life equal to the amount of life they lost this turn.
• Friends — You gain life equal to the amount of life you gained this turn.
Legendary Creature - Vampire Elf Rogue
Commander
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Artifact
Bolas's Citadel
You may look at the top card of your library any time.
You may play lands and cast spells from the top of your library. If you cast a spell this way, pay life equal to its mana value rather than pay its mana cost.
, Sacrifice ten nonland permanents: Each opponent loses 10 life.
You may play lands and cast spells from the top of your library. If you cast a spell this way, pay life equal to its mana value rather than pay its mana cost.
, Sacrifice ten nonland permanents: Each opponent loses 10 life.
Legendary Artifact
Scytheclaw
Living weapon (When this Equipment enters, create a 0/0 black Phyrexian Germ creature token, then attach this to it.)
Equipped creature gets +1/+1.
Whenever equipped creature deals combat damage to a player, that player loses half their life, rounded up.
Equip
Equipped creature gets +1/+1.
Whenever equipped creature deals combat damage to a player, that player loses half their life, rounded up.
Equip
Artifact - Equipment
Swiftfoot Boots
Equipped creature has hexproof and haste. (It can't be the target of spells or abilities your opponents control. It can attack and no matter when it came under your control.)
Equip (: Attach to target creature you control. Equip only as a sorcery.)
Equip (: Attach to target creature you control. Equip only as a sorcery.)
Artifact - Equipment
Artifact
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Creature
Virtus the Veiled
Partner with Gorm the Great (When this creature enters, target player may put Gorm into their hand from their library, then shuffle.)
Deathtouch
Whenever Virtus deals combat damage to a player, that player loses half their life, rounded up.
Deathtouch
Whenever Virtus deals combat damage to a player, that player loses half their life, rounded up.
Legendary Creature - Assassin Azra
Creature
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Enchantment
Black Market Connections
At the beginning of your first main phase, choose one or more —
• Sell Contraband — Create a Treasure token. You lose 1 life.
• Buy Information — Draw a card. You lose 2 life.
• Hire a Mercenary — Create a 3/2 colorless Shapeshifter creature token with changeling. You lose 3 life. (It is every creature type.)
• Sell Contraband — Create a Treasure token. You lose 1 life.
• Buy Information — Draw a card. You lose 2 life.
• Hire a Mercenary — Create a 3/2 colorless Shapeshifter creature token with changeling. You lose 3 life. (It is every creature type.)
Enchantment
Enchantment
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Instant
Instant
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Land
Land
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Mana Rock
Mana Rock
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Planeswalker
Ajani, Strength of the Pride
+1: You gain life equal to the number of creatures you control plus the number of planeswalkers you control.
−2: Create a 2/2 white Cat Soldier creature token named Ajani's Pridemate with "Whenever you gain life, put a +1/+1 counter on this token."
0: If you have at least 15 life more than your starting life total, exile Ajani and each artifact and creature your opponents control.
−2: Create a 2/2 white Cat Soldier creature token named Ajani's Pridemate with "Whenever you gain life, put a +1/+1 counter on this token."
0: If you have at least 15 life more than your starting life total, exile Ajani and each artifact and creature your opponents control.
Legendary Planeswalker - Ajani
Planeswalker
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Sorcery
Sorcery
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Maybeboard
Ajani Goldmane
+1: You gain 2 life.
−1: Put a +1/+1 counter on each creature you control. Those creatures gain vigilance until end of turn.
−6: Create a white Avatar creature token. It has "This token's power and toughness are each equal to your life total."
−1: Put a +1/+1 counter on each creature you control. Those creatures gain vigilance until end of turn.
−6: Create a white Avatar creature token. It has "This token's power and toughness are each equal to your life total."
Legendary Planeswalker - Ajani
Kaya, Intangible Slayer
Hexproof
+2: Each opponent loses 3 life and you gain 3 life.
0: You draw two cards. Then each opponent may scry 1.
−3: Exile target creature or enchantment. If it wasn't an Aura, create a token that's a copy of it, except it's a 1/1 white Spirit creature with flying in addition to its other types.
+2: Each opponent loses 3 life and you gain 3 life.
0: You draw two cards. Then each opponent may scry 1.
−3: Exile target creature or enchantment. If it wasn't an Aura, create a token that's a copy of it, except it's a 1/1 white Spirit creature with flying in addition to its other types.
Legendary Planeswalker - Kaya
Sorin the Mirthless
+1: Look at the top card of your library. You may reveal that card and put it into your hand. If you do, you lose life equal to its mana value.
−2: Create a 2/3 black Vampire creature token with flying and lifelink.
−7: Sorin deals 13 damage to any target. You gain 13 life.
−2: Create a 2/3 black Vampire creature token with flying and lifelink.
−7: Sorin deals 13 damage to any target. You gain 13 life.
Legendary Planeswalker - Sorin
Sorin, Grim Nemesis
+1: Reveal the top card of your library and put that card into your hand. Each opponent loses life equal to its mana value.
−X: Sorin deals X damage to target creature or planeswalker and you gain X life.
−9: Create a number of 1/1 black Vampire Knight creature tokens with lifelink equal to the highest life total among all players.
−X: Sorin deals X damage to target creature or planeswalker and you gain X life.
−9: Create a number of 1/1 black Vampire Knight creature tokens with lifelink equal to the highest life total among all players.
Legendary Planeswalker - Sorin
Maybeboard
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Next Upgrade!
Unstoppable Slasher
Deathtouch
Whenever this creature deals combat damage to a player, they lose half their life, rounded up.
When this creature dies, if it had no counters on it, return it to the battlefield tapped under its owner's control with two stun counters on it.
Whenever this creature deals combat damage to a player, they lose half their life, rounded up.
When this creature dies, if it had no counters on it, return it to the battlefield tapped under its owner's control with two stun counters on it.
Creature - Zombie Assassin
Next Upgrade!
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RLY DEPATING
Sorin of House Markov
Lifelink
Extort (Whenever you cast a spell, you may pay . If you do, each opponent loses 1 life and you gain that much life.)
At the beginning of each of your postcombat main phases, if you gained 3 or more life this turn, exile Sorin, then return him to the battlefield transformed under his owner's control.
Extort (Whenever you cast a spell, you may pay . If you do, each opponent loses 1 life and you gain that much life.)
At the beginning of each of your postcombat main phases, if you gained 3 or more life this turn, exile Sorin, then return him to the battlefield transformed under his owner's control.
Legendary Creature - Human Noble
Warlock Class
(Gain the next level as a sorcery to add its ability.)
At the beginning of your end step, if a creature died this turn, each opponent loses 1 life.
: Level 2
When this Class becomes level 2, look at the top three cards of your library. Put one of them into your hand and the rest into your graveyard.
: Level 3
At the beginning of your end step, each opponent loses life equal to the life they lost this turn. (Damage causes loss of life.)
At the beginning of your end step, if a creature died this turn, each opponent loses 1 life.
: Level 2
When this Class becomes level 2, look at the top three cards of your library. Put one of them into your hand and the rest into your graveyard.
: Level 3
At the beginning of your end step, each opponent loses life equal to the life they lost this turn. (Damage causes loss of life.)
Enchantment - Class
RLY DEPATING
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Tokens & Extras
Tokens & Extras
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Wishlist :)
Wishlist :)
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Deck Info
Deck stats
CategoriesQtyOdds
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Deck extras (0)
Description
{"ops":[{"attributes":{"bold":true},"insert":"Orzhov Syndicate:"},{"attributes":{"header":2},"insert":"\n"},{"insert":"\n"},{"attributes":{"bold":true},"insert":"Real Men Like Heaven"},{"attributes":{"header":1},"insert":"\n"},{"insert":"(Astarion, the Decadent)\n\n"},{"attributes":{"bold":true},"insert":"Whys:"},{"attributes":{"header":3},"insert":"\n"},{"insert":"\n"},{"attributes":{"underline":true,"bold":true},"insert":"Why Astarion for Orzhov?"},{"insert":"\nOrzhov was the first Magic deck I ever created, and it remains my favorite color combination. Like many new players, I was drawn to lifegain as a way to keep up with more experienced opponents. Lifegain was my first love in Magic, and it’s probably the keyword I’ve spent the most time searching for in Scryfall. My first deck—a 60-card Orzhov lifegain deck, mostly found in a dumpster thanks to a friend—was eventually powered up with my first single-card purchase: four copies of Sanguine Bond.\nThis deck was my starting point, and I tweaked it for two years until it became a strong competitor in my local dumpster meta. When I discovered Commander, it was the first deck I converted, evolving through multiple commanders until I found the perfect fit in Astarion. His gain/drain theme with no subtype aligned perfectly with the Orzhov ideal of taking life freely and mercilessly. Orzhov, to me, embodies ruthless efficiency—seizing life directly rather than solely relying on taxes or elaborate schemes. If they can bind a spirit to debt even in death, why wouldn’t they seize life whenever it benefits them?\n\n"},{"attributes":{"underline":true,"bold":true},"insert":"Why Vampires?"},{"insert":"\nWhile this deck isn’t vampire tribal, vampires show up here for a reason. Vampires are the ultimate Orzhov creatures: draining others’ life to sustain themselves. Vampires in Magic—and in culture—are aristocratic, intellectual, and wealthy, which aligns them with Orzhov’s strict hierarchy. The deck includes oligarchs, pontiffs, and aristocrats, creating a picture of an intimidating vampire figure walking the streets of Ravnica, high enough in rank to oppress anyone who crosses their path.\n\n"},{"attributes":{"underline":true,"bold":true},"insert":"Set/Setting"},{"insert":"\nI’ve refined the land choice to better fit the Orzhov theme with Ravnica city scenes:\nSwamps: Dark, foreboding Ravnica streets, fitting the oppressive Orzhov vibe"},{"attributes":{"list":"bullet"},"insert":"\n"},{"insert":"Plains: Gloomy cityscapes, with Orzhov-themed details and subtle threats in the environment"},{"attributes":{"list":"bullet"},"insert":"\n"},{"insert":"These lands help set the intended scene: a royal, pretentious atmosphere where the Syndicate elites walk among towering, oppressive architecture. The lands evoke a sense of intimidation, superiority, and control, emphasizing the oppressive and hierarchical nature of the Orzhov Syndicate. This deck should feel merciless and commanding, contrasting with the defensive feel of some of my other decks.\n\n"},{"attributes":{"underline":true,"bold":true},"insert":"Win Condition"},{"insert":"\nThis deck wins through life drain, often taking half an opponent’s life with one card, then letting Astarion finish them off during end step. There are also combos and creatures that bypass blockers or steadily drain over time.\n\n"},{"attributes":{"underline":true,"bold":true},"insert":"Questions/Notes"},{"insert":"\nThis deck has a higher mana curve, less ramp, and less draw than most of my others, yet it rarely struggles in these areas. This might be because I built it gradually, making adjustments as I went along. It’s the deck I know best, and it’s always a joy to play. \n\n"}]}