edhseer Commander synergy, explained

Precons › Commander 2014

Sworn To Darkness

Commander precon · Commander 2014 · 2014 · led by Ob Nixilis of the Black Oath

Main theme: Aristocrats · Synergy 2.3/5 (developing) · Bracket 1–2 · Ob Nixilis of the Black Oath works with 1 of its cards

Upgrades at bracket 1–2

No Game Changers and no infinite combos: the level of an unchanged precon. Game Changers are cards on WotC's official list of cards that make a deck much stronger.

4 swaps, and after them the report reads the deck at bracket 1–2.

Its cards work together more: synergy 2.3 → 3.3 of 5, from developing to connected. It is a little more consistent: Build 4.7 → 5.0 of 5, still on target; no longer short on ramp, no longer short on card advantage. That is what this page measures: how well the deck holds together, not how strong it is.

Ramp

  1. Take out Lashwrithe: Lashwrithe is next on the report's cut list. Works with nothing else in this deck. Put in Starting Column: Ramp: you were 2 short; Starting Column counts as ramp. When Starting Column is in the graveyard, Victimize can bring it back.
  2. Take out Tendrils of Corruption: Tendrils of Corruption is next on the report's cut list. Its only links come from cards that make others cheaper, or easier to find or bring back. Put in Arcane Signet: Ramp: you were 2 short; Arcane Signet counts as ramp.

Card advantage

  1. Take out Nantuko Shade: Nantuko Shade is next on the report's cut list. Works with 2 other cards: with 2 again and again. Put in The Master of Lake-town: Card advantage: you were 1 short; The Master of Lake-town counts as card advantage.

Cards that work together

  1. Take out Sudden Spoiling: Sudden Spoiling works with 1 card in this deck, none of it on its theme; Blasting Station works with 17 cards, all of them on it, and with your commander. Put in Blasting Station: Blasting Station puts cards into the graveyard that Victimize can bring back

Upgrades at bracket 3

Up to three Game Changers, and no two-card infinite combo that costs 6 or less.

7 swaps, and after them the report reads the deck at bracket 3.

Its cards work together more: synergy 2.3 → 3.3 of 5, from developing to connected. It is a little more consistent: Build 4.7 → 5.0 of 5, still on target; no longer short on ramp, no longer short on card advantage. That is what this page measures: how well the deck holds together, not how strong it is.

Ramp

  1. Take out Lashwrithe: Lashwrithe is next on the report's cut list. Works with nothing else in this deck. Put in Starting Column: Ramp: you were 2 short; Starting Column counts as ramp. When Starting Column is in the graveyard, Victimize can bring it back.
  2. Take out Tendrils of Corruption: Tendrils of Corruption is next on the report's cut list. Its only links come from cards that make others cheaper, or easier to find or bring back. Put in Arcane Signet: Ramp: you were 2 short; Arcane Signet counts as ramp.
  3. Take out Charcoal Diamond: Charcoal Diamond is weaker ramp than Chrome Mox. Put in Chrome Mox: Chrome Mox is ramp too, and one of the strongest cards in Commander: a Game Changer, which this bracket allows.
  4. Take out Worn Powerstone: Worn Powerstone is weaker ramp than Mana Vault. Put in Mana Vault: Mana Vault is ramp too, and one of the strongest cards in Commander: a Game Changer, which this bracket allows.

Card advantage

  1. Take out Nantuko Shade: Nantuko Shade is next on the report's cut list. Works with 2 other cards: with 2 again and again. Put in The Master of Lake-town: Card advantage: you were 1 short; The Master of Lake-town counts as card advantage.
  2. Take out Skeletal Scrying: Skeletal Scrying is weaker card draw than The One Ring. Put in The One Ring: The One Ring is card draw too, and one of the strongest cards in Commander: a Game Changer, which this bracket allows.

Cards that work together

  1. Take out Sudden Spoiling: Sudden Spoiling works with 1 card in this deck, none of it on its theme; Blasting Station works with 17 cards, all of them on it, and with your commander. Put in Blasting Station: Blasting Station puts cards into the graveyard that Victimize can bring back

Upgrades at bracket 4–5

No limits on Game Changers or combos.

7 swaps, and after them the report reads the deck at bracket 3. These are the same swaps as at bracket 3: none of the stronger cards bracket 4–5 allows does any of these jobs strictly better, so aiming higher changes nothing for this deck.

Its cards work together more: synergy 2.3 → 3.3 of 5, from developing to connected. It is a little more consistent: Build 4.7 → 5.0 of 5, still on target; no longer short on ramp, no longer short on card advantage. That is what this page measures: how well the deck holds together, not how strong it is.

Ramp

  1. Take out Lashwrithe: Lashwrithe is next on the report's cut list. Works with nothing else in this deck. Put in Starting Column: Ramp: you were 2 short; Starting Column counts as ramp. When Starting Column is in the graveyard, Victimize can bring it back.
  2. Take out Tendrils of Corruption: Tendrils of Corruption is next on the report's cut list. Its only links come from cards that make others cheaper, or easier to find or bring back. Put in Arcane Signet: Ramp: you were 2 short; Arcane Signet counts as ramp.
  3. Take out Charcoal Diamond: Charcoal Diamond is weaker ramp than Chrome Mox. Put in Chrome Mox: Chrome Mox is ramp too, and one of the strongest cards in Commander: a Game Changer, which this bracket allows.
  4. Take out Worn Powerstone: Worn Powerstone is weaker ramp than Mana Vault. Put in Mana Vault: Mana Vault is ramp too, and one of the strongest cards in Commander: a Game Changer, which this bracket allows.

Card advantage

  1. Take out Nantuko Shade: Nantuko Shade is next on the report's cut list. Works with 2 other cards: with 2 again and again. Put in The Master of Lake-town: Card advantage: you were 1 short; The Master of Lake-town counts as card advantage.
  2. Take out Skeletal Scrying: Skeletal Scrying is weaker card draw than The One Ring. Put in The One Ring: The One Ring is card draw too, and one of the strongest cards in Commander: a Game Changer, which this bracket allows.

Cards that work together

  1. Take out Sudden Spoiling: Sudden Spoiling works with 1 card in this deck, none of it on its theme; Blasting Station works with 17 cards, all of them on it, and with your commander. Put in Blasting Station: Blasting Station puts cards into the graveyard that Victimize can bring back

Opens a route: Tergrid, God of Fright // Tergrid's Lantern. 10 of its cards reach Grave Titan through it.

Also short, against a typical Commander deck: ramp 11 of 13, card advantage 13 of 14.

The decklist

Creatures

Abyssal Persecutor · Bloodgift Demon · Burnished Hart · Butcher of Malakir · Crypt Ghast · Demon of Wailing Agonies · Disciple of Bolas · Drana, Kalastria Bloodchief · Evernight Shade · Flesh Carver · Ghoulcaller Gisa · Grave Titan · Gray Merchant of Asphodel · Liliana's Reaver · Magus of the Coffers · Morkrut Banshee · Nantuko Shade · Nekrataal · Overseer of the Damned · Pestilence Demon · Phyrexian Gargantua · Pontiff of Blight · Raving Dead · Reaper from the Abyss · Shriekmaw · Skirsdag High Priest · Vampire Hexmage · Xathrid Demon

Instants and sorceries

Aether Snap · Annihilate · Black Sun's Zenith · Dread Return · Dregs of Sorrow · Infernal Offering · Malicious Affliction · Mutilate · Necromantic Selection · Profane Command · Promise of Power · Read the Bones · Sign in Blood · Skeletal Scrying · Spoils of Blood · Sudden Spoiling · Syphon Mind · Tendrils of Corruption · Tragic Slip · Victimize · Wake the Dead

Artifacts and enchantments

Bad Moon · Charcoal Diamond · Commander's Sphere · Jet Medallion · Lashwrithe · Mind Stone · Sol Ring · Swiftfoot Boots · Unstable Obelisk · Worn Powerstone

Lands

Arcane Lighthouse · Barren Moor · Bojuka Bog · Crypt of Agadeem · Everglades · Ghost Quarter · Myriad Landscape · Polluted Mire · 32 Swamp

Other Commander 2014 precons