Yawgmoth, Father of Machines: Suicide (AKA Blood-Storm) Mono-Black Control

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Post by benjameenbear » 3 years ago

Commander Legends Review
  • Armix, Filigree Thrasher - ok, first I need to say that there are some super awesome Phyrexian cards in this set. While this one doesn't directly synergize with the deck, this deck assembles quite a few artifacts on board with consistent frequency. I wouldn't be surprised if this was a consistent removal machine for the deck (pun totally intended) as long as I have cards in hand while being a low CMC sac fodder piece at the worst. I love the art, it's totally Phyrexian, and it's finding a spot in the deck... somehow.
  • Keskit, the Flesh Sculptor - woah, such a cool looking card. This card more directly fits into the overall strategy of the deck, so it's also finding a slot FOR SURE.
  • Opposition Agent - hearkening back to Yawgmoth's Sleeper Agents, this card will do EXCELLENT things for EDH as a format. Tutoring has been a sacred cow I've long wanted to have killed, and this card does it beautifully. This is a card advantage piece stapled onto a hate piece, so it's totally awesome. Definitely going in.
  • Phyrexian Rager - with the cool art, cheap reprint! I like the foily one I have with the Phyrexian watermark. It looks stunning.
  • Profane Transfusion - while this card is so totally awesome, it's CMC actually pushes it out of contention. I'll still grab a copy for my collection though because the art is fantastic.
  • Tevesh Szat, Doom of Fools - it's not often a non-Phyrexian card makes the list, but this guy does EVERYTHING this deck wants to do. Token generator. Card Advantage engine. And if you can trigger his ultimate... well, I can't imagine a more Phyrexian thing to do. All Commanders being compelated and joining your glorious cause? Sign. Me. Up.
  • Vampiric Tutor - another awesome reprint, definitely grab a copy while you can.
  • Arcane Signet - grab a copy while they're cheap. An overall welcome reprint.
  • Charcoal Diamond - another welcome reprint.
  • Thought Vessel - another welcome reprint you could easily include.
  • Jeweled Lotus - this card is all about having explosive plays. Being able to double-cast a sac fodder piece AND Yawgmoth at the same time is extremely powerful in advancing your board state. HOWEVER, I don't consider this a critical piece to a Yawgmoth list and the Phyrexian flavor isn't 100% there, so it may not even make my own for the flavor reasons. I won't deny the power of the card, however, and think it's worth a slot in the deck.
  • Phyrexian Triniform - if I'm going to try and squeeze a 9 CMC card into this list, this is the one I'm going to try and squeeze. The encore ability to spit out 12 3/3 golems is so appealing. It's like a Phyrexian made Army of the Damned.
Overall, this list now needs a huge overhaul with all the awesome cards that they've printed. I can't wait!

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Post by AeroMTG » 3 years ago

I'm building this deck off the primer, really loving all the flavor! What are your thoughts on the Kaldheim release? Not a whole lot of Phyrexian in the set, but with cards like the now infamous Tergrid would you make an exception? Replicating Ring is a little win-more but we can at least proliferate out the value a little quicker. Does the return of snow lands make it worth adding Snow-Swamps to the deck, maybe with Draugr Necromancer? Though in the end these cards don't add a lot to the core gameplay loop of the deck.

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Post by benjameenbear » 3 years ago

Hi there @AeroMTG! Welcome to MTGNexus!

I'm glad that the Primer has been helpful to you! This decklist and Primer is definitely Phyrexian flavor FIRST, card text semi-secondary. Tergrid, God of Fright // Tergrid's Lantern is an extremely powerful card, but I think she's better as the Commander of her own deck since her ability is so specific AND powerful. If you have a copy of her and want to slot her in, she's still a decent creature that can reward fringe actions your opponents take, particularly if they're sacrifice heavy with their decks (ie: Korvold, Teysa, most Golgari decks, etc.). She won't make it into my list because Yawgmoth is The Ineffable and intolerant of any other deity besides himself and she just doesn't quite fit.

I got a copy of Replicating Ring just to see how it would turn out. Being able to basically double your mana over time is pretty enticing and the opportunity cost is low. I'm willing to give it a try, but 3 CMC rocks are at a premium in this deck since they don't directly facilitate a T3 Yawgmoth.

I have hand-selected my full-art Swamps because of the ethos they evoke. I don't like the new Snow-Lands, and it's purely an aesthetic preference. There are some powerful cards that capitalize off of Snow permanents (Dead of Winter comes to mind) but Toxic Deluge is WAY more on theme.

Draugr Necromancer certainly rewards the snow permanent inclusion and would actually be the card that persuades me to use Snow lands. Getting the ability to Reanimate your opponent's creatures is very powerful, but again I don't personally think the flavor of the card makes it likely to get tested.

Thanks for reminding me on the Kaldheim review. Frankly, there isn't much for Yawgmoth. Here's my formal set review though:

Kaldheim Set Review
  • Burning-Rune Demon - this is a very powerful card, make no mistake. I would get a copy of this while it's cheap, as I suspect that it will rise in value as people catch on to its power. Sadly, I won't be personally including it in my list since the flavor of the card is off of what I'm aiming to do with my list.
  • Tergrid, God of Fright // Tergrid's Lantern - an EXTREMELY powerful card, she actually is better off as the Commander of her own deck OR to be included if a lot of your playgroup/meta includes sacrifice effects (think Fetch-lands, sacrifice outlets a la Korvold, Fae-Cursed King, etc.). She doesn't fit the flavor of the deck sadly, so I won't be giving her a go in the 99 of this deck.
  • Blood on the Snow - a very interesting card that rewards using Snow-lands as your mana base. I'm very content with my own totally subjective land preferences, so I'm passing on this card on aesthetics/theme alone.
  • Draugr Necromancer - again, another powerful Snow permanent reward card that doesn't quite fit the flavor of this deck.
  • Varragoth, Bloodsky Sire - VERY cool card to see that definitely doesn't fit the flavor of this deck.
  • Poison the Cup - totally something Yawgmoth would do! I'd support anyone who decided to run this card in their own Yawgmoth deck because the flavor is so on point.
  • Tyrite Sanctum - making Yawgmoth a God?! So flavorful, so on point. I'm getting a copy because the chance to turn Yawgmoth into a God is too good to pass up.
Frankly, not a lot for Yawgmoth from Kaldheim, but the Vorinclex, Monstrous Raider appearance makes me hopeful that a return to New Phyrexia is in the works eventually. I would LOVE to see who the new Black Praetor is... or if Elesh Norn has become the Mother of Machines.

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Post by benjameenbear » 3 years ago

I had a chance to play Yawgmoth with my brother's new Lathril deck and my wife's Kaalia deck. Spoiler: my wife got mana-screwed for most of the game, so it was fairly one-sided.

I started with two lands, Everflowing Chalice, Sidisi, Undead Vizier, Solemn Simulacrum, Kokusho, the Evening Star, and Weaponcraft Enthusiast. I drew into a third land and I knew my play pattern was going to be T2 Chalice into Solemn. That proceeded to happen while Kaalia didn't do much and Lathril played a couple of Elves, notable of which is Rhys the Exiled. Rhy gained my brother probably 20+ life over the course of the game. However, my wife played a Stony Silence which shut off my Grim Monolith and Chalice. So my mana was shut off for a while.

So there came a turn where my wife finally played nu-Kaalia, Zenith Seeker to get a blocker and my brother decided to attack with Lathril, Rhy, and some other Elf. I had the Enthusiast, two Servos, and Solemn. I sac'ed all my creatures to draw a ton of cards and to try and open up some favorable blocks for my wife. My brother then played an instant speed buff to his team, so my ploy failed. I knew I needed to get rid of that Stony Silence so I spent a few turn sequences to set up a tutor chain to find Meteor Golem to get rid of it. My wife played Kaalia of the Vast and swung in with Gisela, Blade of Goldnight to my brother to chunk his life total down. My brother eventually had VERY wide board of Elf tokens. The critical mass of Elves was getting dangerous, so I decided to pop my Oblivion Stone to clear the board. This pretty much knocked my wife out of the game (she'd only drawn 2 additional mana sources after 10+ cards drawn) and it was down to my brother and I basically.

I was able to do some sweet loops with Victimize and Cavalier of Night to rebuild my board and get Kokusho, the Evening Star back to play with my brother and wife and 7 and 9 life respectively. They didn't have an answer/blockers to my board (I used Massacre Wurm to clear my brother's board again (and chunked him for 20 life in one go, great feeling!). I attacked into them to bring them under 5 life, cast Tevesh Szat, Doom of Fools to sac Kokusho, and that was game.

I was sad that my wife didn't get a chance to play (mana-screw happens) but I was very impressed with how the deck ran. I missed only 1 land drop and constantly had options for growing my board while addressing my opponents. Tevesh Szat, Doom of Fools was the only new card I saw that game and he would have done brilliantly if the game had extended any longer.

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Post by benjameenbear » 3 years ago

Strixhaven Set Review
  • Professor Onyx - while a cool card, nu-Lili has no direct synergy with the deck and is not Phyrexian in flavor. Pass.
  • Oriq Loremage - a very cool card for Reanimator strategies, this card has no direct synergy with the deck. It's a very powerful card though and I think that it's worth exploring for other decks, particularly Kess, Dissident Mage.
  • Baleful Mastery - I think this is a pretty interesting card. The alternate cost is pretty reasonable and smooths over any hurt feelings that might come from exiling the creature. Yawgmoth isn't interested in politics. He crushes souls and dreams and then compleats them.
  • Plumb the Forbidden - this deck has quite a few token producers, so this is one of the few cards I'd look to actually add to the deck.
That's pretty much it. Nothing was super Phyrexian that was mono-Black sadly, so this set was mostly a wash for the Phyrexian theme I've been focusing on.

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Post by benjameenbear » 2 years ago

New Set, new set review! There's some cool cards and we're finally seeing the Phyrexian creature type come to fruition! I can't wait for Mirrodin 3 (whenever that comes out).

Modern Horizons 2 Set Review
  • Archon of Cruelty - a very cool card, it's like a mini-Cruel Ultimatum every time it attacks. Really, I just want a Cruel Ultimatum that hits all of my opponents at once. I would play that card so hard, but this Archon is probably the closest we'll get to it. Solid card, but not quite Phyrexian enough in flavor and its CMC is too high.
  • Dauthi Voidwalker - wow. Just, wow. It's a one-sided Leyline of the Void on a creature that allows you to cast a thing for free when you sac it. This is a PHENOMENAL card and I sincerely hope that the supply pushes its price down. It's a solid include simply for its power and it's kinda Phyrexian, since it was stuck in between the planes of Rath and Dominaria (it's a stretch...). Grab one when you can, for sure.
  • Magus of the Bridge - this is an excellent token producer for this deck and I'll be grabbing a copy for this deck once I sit down and place a pre-order. You can sacrifice it in response to its exile trigger and then reanimate it later with multiple things, interestingly with Cavalier of Night. Very good card and I'm glad they put it on a body.
  • Tourach, Dread Cantor - it's really cool that they decided to print Tourach himself. I was REALLY hoping they'd print a copy of Gix, but I suppose we'll have to wait for that. Sigh.
  • Unmarked Grave - a solid card to go and find Nether Traitor or Reassembling Skeleton. It's a great budget Entomb imo, so I definitely recommend grabbing a copy if Entomb is on your list of cards to acquire.
  • Vile Entomber - of you could get Entomb on a body! Great card for getting one of the self-rezzing creatures so that you have consistency with Yawgmoth's ability. Very cool card that I'll be grabbing a copy of shortly.
  • Batterbone - Batterskull's little brother! I'm grabbing a copy simply because it's Phyrexian and the effect is pretty decent. I just wish the equip cost wasn't as high. Frankly, it seems a little excessive to me, but with how much Batterskull pushed Caw-Blade over the top during its tenure during Standard I sympathize.
  • Kaldra Compleat - um, yeah. This has the word compleat in its title. Nearly an auto-include imo. I'm finding room for it because it's awesome. Terribly high equip cost and a decent effect. The dream would be to equip Yawgmoth with it so that he can be OP as hell and wield the Kaldra trio to completely annihilate his enemies.
  • Nettlecyst - gah, another good equipment that's Phyrexian! I'll be acquiring a copy of this card even though I don't think I'll play it. It sadly doesn't grant some form of evasion, so it'll just pump up a thing significantly and then get chump blocked.
  • Skirge Familiar - wow, the art on this card is freaking awesome. I'm getting a copy for that reason alone. I also appreciate that the Phyrexian creature type is officially a thing. Along with...
  • Bone Shredder - fun reprint, I love the fact that it's been updated to be a Phyrexian creature. It's. Awesome.
  • Cabal Coffers - SO glad they reprinted this. It'll still be an expensive card, but it was desperately needed to push down its price. It also makes me curious if mono-Black control will actually be a thing in Modern...
Well, that's it for Yawgmoth! I played a game a couple of weeks ago with my wife and my brother and it was a glorious match. It eventually ended with me casting a Living Death and finding a Gray Merchant of Asphodel to wrap up the game with 20 mana from my mana base + Crypt Ghast. Good times! Phyrexia continues to compleat!

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Post by benjameenbear » 2 years ago

Set Review for Forgotten Realms! Not much here for Yawgmoth, but I'm absolutely delighted to return to New Phyrexia in the coming year. Just gotta be patient...

Forgotten Realms Set Review
  • The Book of Vile Darkness - this is actually a decently solid token producer in the deck... but it's not Phyrexian in flavor AT ALL. Pass.
  • Acererak the Archlich - this would probably be the only card I'd consider playing in the deck because it's just good. 3 mana for a 5/5 that can produce bodies on attacking is nothing to scoff at. I wouldn't fault anyone for giving it a try in their own Yawgmoth deck, but I'll stand by my Phyrexian puritanism.
  • Lolth, Spider Queen - this is actually a pretty cool depiction of Tsabo Tavoc... who already has a card. Meh. Not Phyrexian.
  • Sphere of Annihilation - this is something I could see Yawgmoth having done during his war against the coalition. Very interesting effect that definitely captures what Thran technology could have looked like. I'll pick up a copy just because.
  • Hive of the Eye Tyrant - while it won't get a slot in my deck, it's certainly an interesting man-land that can be repeatable 'yard hate. Not a bad card. Too bad it ETB tapped most of the time...
  • Lorcan, Warlock Collector - this is actually a pretty cool way to get more value from Yawgmoth's natural ability to kill all the things. Could be too greedy, but I might be willing to give it a try at some point to see if it's actually valuable.
  • Death Tyrant - while this card is decidedly NOT Phyrexian, the effect is good enough for consideration. Being able to spawn 2/2 tokens every time a creature an opponent controls dies is a powerful way to keep a Yawgmoth chain going. Look at this card like a pseudo-Nest of Scarabs card and you'll be able to evaluate the card the right way. I'll be picking up a copy for that reason. The fact that it can hop out of the 'yard is also pretty powerful too.

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Post by benjameenbear » 2 years ago

Another set, another review!

Innistrad 3.0 Set Review
  • Jerren, Corrupted Bishop // Ormendahl, the Corrupter - DEFINITELY a great card for this deck. Spawns a token, gives Yawgmoth lifeline, and with Yawgmoth's ability to control your life total the chances of flipping Jerren into Ormendahl is pretty easy. Having another Yawgmoth backup is extremely powerful and while this card isn't super Phyrexian, it's good enough to get a slot in the deck. Gotta evaluate what to cut...
  • The Meathook Massacre - a cool Wrath effect that puts a gain/drain effect on a unique permanent type. It's questionable from a flavor perspective but cool enough that I could see it getting a slot.
  • Mask of Griselbrand - cool effect and probably the closest thing we'll see to Griselbrand being allowed in the format. Sigh... Since Yawgmoth can sac creatures at will, this card should get a ton of mileage for your deck. I can't say that it will make it into my list, since it's very non-Phyrexian in nature (hurry up Mirrodin 3.0), but I won't deny its power.
  • Tainted Adversary - a mini-Grave Titan, it's pretty decent if you have enough mana. It's not as good as other token producers since it requires so much mana, but it's still solid.
Not too many cards from this set, but Jerren is an excellent card that I'll happily include in the list somehow.

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Post by benjameenbear » 2 years ago

Had an excellent game with Yawgmoth even though I lost on Friday night. I'll try and remember how it went down, but I remember being in the pole position the entire time until I suddenly died in one turn.

I was playing against Ur-Dragon Dragon Tribal, the Jund Warweaver spider legend, and Ob Nix Planeswalker Commander. I opened with Swamp, Swamp, Plague Myr, Myr Sire, Everflowing Chalice, Coldsteel Heart, and a Necropotence. We all played land-go for the first turn, and I was 3rd in turn order. I T2 the Plague Myr so I can double spell Chalice into the Sire if I miss a land drop, which happened. But, I was able to draw into a Jeweled Lotus (which I don't think I've added to the OP) which helped get Yawgmoth down on my T4. I sac'ed the Myr Sire and the Plague Myr and luckily drew into Thran Dynamo and Sol Ring and another Swamp to keep my mana production up. Ob Nix played a draw spell and Ur-Dragon focused mostly on ramping while Jund Spider guy also focused on ramping. After T4, I drew into a Crypt Ghast that took my mana production to a whole new level. Jund Spider guy was still ramping and had played out a Wasitora, Nekoru Queen alongside his Commander and was forcing everyone to attack. Ur-Dragon played a couple of mediocre Dragons that Yawgmoth was able to kill and Ob Nix was just building card advantage, tutoring out a Cabal Coffers on his T5. I untap with the Ghast, and play out a Noxious Gearhulk and Hangarback Walker for X=10 that I had drawn. I sacc'ed the Walker to get some more tokens and drew into a Endrek Sahr, Master Breeder. The rest of the table didn't do much on their T6 except attack into each other and me (argh) and play out some battelcruiser creatures (notably a Vigor by the Jund Spider guy), but then I played out Endrek Sahr and a Geth. I felt like I had solid control of the table with the recursion engine alongside Ghast and I knew if I untapped it was probably gonna be game over as I had drawn into Gray Merchant of Asphodel to recoup my dangerous life total. Sadly, when it got to the Jund Spider guy I was at 6 life and he did Vigor + Chandra's Ignition. I could have killed myself to kill his Vigor, but I decided not to so he could have the play (and I'd already won 2 out of the 4 games that night).

Overall, Yawgmoth ran extremely smoothly and I didn't get a chance to test out Jerren, Corrupted Bishop // Ormendahl, the Corrupter or any recent new cards, sadly. So even though it registered a loss, it was an acceptable loss that I had no real qualms with; I got greedy and left myself vulnerable to a direct-damage spell!

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Post by benjameenbear » 2 years ago

Quick note: there's a Commander Collection drop for Black (like the green one that came out this year) that has a bunch of Phyrexian flavored cards. I'll personally be preordering a copy of it since the Phyrexian Arena and Toxic Deluge art look so effing cool.

Here's the link to find out more info! https://magic.wizards.com/en/articles/a ... 2021-08-24

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Post by benjameenbear » 2 years ago

Main Decklist update! There's a pretty substantial number of cards coming in and others coming out, so it's pretty notable. Alright, here we go:
  • + Jeweled Lotus - being able to cast Yawgmoth early is great and being able to cast him late and help pay for Commander tax is also great. I wasn't sure about this card, but having seen it in action now multiple times, I can confirm this card was definitely worth its price tag. It's a great addition to the deck and highly recommend it.
  • + Grim Tutor - I really wanted to add in a touch more consistency to the deck in finding specific pieces on time, and I had a spare copy of this guy.
  • + Damnation - I also wanted to add a little more consistency with mass removal effects, so this card and the next one are included to address this need.
  • + Massacre Girl - since a ton of the creatures in the deck are 1/1's, I usually have enough creatures to start a board-clearing chain pretty reliably. Besides, she also has Massacre in the title and I think that's incredibly Phyrexian in nature.
  • + Phyrexian Walker - I found a copy in an old box and it definitely needs to go in here. It's a free sac creature for Yawgmoth and the art is kinda eerie. Also, it's Phyrexian.
  • + Treacherous Pit-Dweller - the power of Undying creatures is REALLY apparent in this deck. I wanted to include one more Undying creature and I really like the CMC of this one. The other one that is slightly more Phyrexian in flavor is Evernight Shade, but I don't like the CMC. So the Pit-Dweller it is and I justify it because Treachery is definitely Phyrexian in flavor.
  • + Genesis Chamber - it's one of the Birthing Vats that Phyrexian newts come out of! I totally forgot about this card and was happy to add it back in to increase the token creation density. The fact that it gives creature tokens to my opponents hasn't been as much of an issue as I thought and it in fact synergizes EXTREMELY well with Massacre Girl and Massacre Wurm.
  • + Magus of the Bridge - another great token producer, this card has been quite powerful in keeping Yawgmoth well-fed and the cards flowing. It also helps to create a powerful board state alongside Mikaeus, the Unhallowed and Yawgmoth to swarm the board. AND, the fact that he's standing on a bridge of living corpses in the art is something that I could totally see a Phyrexian priest doing in the plane of Phyrexia. Great card all around.
  • - Armix, Filigree Thrasher - while it's a cool card, it wasn't quite as powerful as I had hoped. So out it comes.
  • - Priest of Gix - this came out for Jeweled Lotus. The Priest might come back in, but I'm not worried about it.
  • - Phyrexian Totem - I want to add in more token producers and I had to make a cut somewhere, so the Totem goes.
  • - Dross Harvester - I'm testing out Genesis Chamber in place of the Harvester. I'm thinking about slotting it back in because I've noticed my life total getting very precarious at times and the Harvester would often get me 8-10 life gained in one cycle, sometimes more.
  • - Contamination - a great card, I decided to cut it to give my group a break from cutting them out of the games
  • - Meteor Golem - this card often just sat in hand. While it's a good effect, I didn't see a need to deploy it.
  • - Abhorrent Overlord - it took too long to deploy and the Phyrexian flavor isn't quite as strong as some of the new additions.

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Post by benjameenbear » 2 years ago

Crimson Vow Set Review

Crimson Vow Review
  • Cemetery Desecrator - it's weird that this creature of the Cemetery cycle doesn't have the trigger on attacking whereas other ones do. That's too bad. Either way, this is a decent card, since it acts as 'yard removal on ETB AND creature removal on ETB (more often than not) with the upside of killing another creature at death. Can't say that it's particularly good for this deck's theme, so I think I'll pass.
  • Dying to Serve - this could be interesting with Yawgmoth's second ability, but the fact that it only triggers once each turn is a lame restriction. And it's not Phyrexian enough in flavor IMO. Pass
  • Toxrill, the Corrosive - WOW, this card is amazing. It kills creatures, has an ability that can be proliferated with Yawgmoth's second ability, AND creates tokens when opponent's creatures die. Uh, definitely auto-include and I'll be - wait, what? What do you mean it's a Dimir card? (Reads the activated ability). NOOOOOOOOO! I'll still HIGHLY recommend getting a copy of this card because it has SUCH a powerful triggered ability. The amount of mana and board advantage it can create in a turn cycle is overwhelming, especially if you put it in a big mana deck that doesn't mind recasting it a few times. VERY powerful card that really should have been mono-Black...
Honestly, that's really it for the deck. There aren't a ton of Yawgmoth synergies in this set (no surprise, really), but there weren't a ton of good generic black cards either. Sigh. Oh well!

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Post by plaganegra » 2 years ago

Hey I love your primer and I love Yawgmoth even more. I have been working on a list for a long time now - its not meant to be super powerful but is able to compete in every game I play with it. Also easy to tailor my playstyle to the power level of the table I am at.

I also focused on a "Yawgmoth" Theme as best I could and I just really want to revel in Yawgmoth flavor with you (not everything in my deck is flavorful, but I shoehorned a lot in). So here is what I have made:
Decklist

Lord of Wastes:

Approximate Total Cost:

Can't wait to hear your thoughts! Apologize for the over the top categories rofl
Zombies ate my brains.
My Varina Decklist
Also: Yawgmoth, Tinybones, Blim, Krenko, Kaalia, Beckett Brass, Chatterfang, Evelyn, Kodama-East, Kozilek, Breya, Morophon, U-Braids, Ashcoat.
MTG since 2003

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Post by benjameenbear » 2 years ago

Hey @plaganegra, good to see you! Us compleated must join together to spread the glory of Phyrexia across the multiverse.

I think you have all the right elements of a successful Yawgmoth deck present. I do have some observations and questions, which I'll summarize here:
  • How has Phyrexian Obliterator been for you? I have a copy sitting in my binder and I constantly wonder if I should take out Traxos, Scourge of Kroog and replace it with the Obliterator. Both are technically Phyrexian, but Traxos hits just a bit harder by itself and often has pseudo-vigilance with its untap trigger to help protect me from the crackback.
  • Huh, I didn't even think about Prowling Geistcatcher. Great find! I don't think it's quite Phyrexian enough in flavor for me, but the utility and power of the Geistcatcher alongside an active Yawgmoth could be SUPER powerful.
  • I tested Necroskitter in a very early iteration of the decklist and it didn't perform as well as I had hoped it would. I noticed that I'd often tutor for almost any other creature before this one, particularly Gray Merchant of Asphodel to help recoup my life (which I don't see in your list for some reason?). Have you had good results with the 'Skitter?
  • Profane Transfusion is a sweet card (with incredible art!), but the CMC has routinely been too much for my particular decklist. I actually would recommend cutting it for some additional ramp effects.
  • Which leads me to my next point: your list looks a little mana-lite with 34 lands. Do you ever find yourself mana-starved? If so, then I recommend adding in 1-3 more pieces of 2 CMC ramp to help smooth out your decklist. I HIGHLY recommend Culling the Weak and Dark Ritual and Plague Myr could give you a very niche Infect angle that would complement your Ichor Rats. That's my main criticism of your list, so trimming off some high CMC cards to fit in more ramp would probably make your deck more consistent.
  • Midnight Banshee takes too long to get going. If you want to put mass -1/-1 counters on your opponent's creatures, may I recommend Archfiend of Ifnir? By using Yawgmoth's 2nd ability, the Archfiend's discard trigger goes on the stack above Yawgmoth's proliferate trigger (so Yawgmoth will see a -1/-1 counter on each of your opponent's creatures to proliferate), so for bb you get total control over how often AND when you put -1/-1 counters on your opponent's board. The Banshee is cool, but it's just too slow and too expensive (mana-value-wise) IMO.
  • I also tested Dreadhorde Invasion and Bitterblossom in an early version of the list and they also were much too slow. Unless you play in a meta where there's a ton of board-wipes and you need consistent token generation, I've found that Yawgmoth craves bodies that either create more bodies on ETB or when they die. I would highly recommend Weaponcraft Enthusiast and Hangarback Walker for you to consider since they fill the same roles as the enchantments do, just more explosively.


Happy to discuss any of these further or if you have any questions about Yawgmoth generally!

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Post by pokken » 2 years ago

Can I ask a dumb question about Treacherous Pit-Dweller? Is there some interaction I am missing there? It seems like you'd sac it once, someone else gets it, then...you can reset it?

Annnd reading comprehension fail, his transitioning control is a trigger you can respond to.

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Post by benjameenbear » 2 years ago

@pokken You've got it exactly right! I may even consider adding in another Undying creature because of how powerful they are with Yawgmoth, but we'll see. Undying is a very Phyrexian-flavored mechanic and I STRONGLY hope that they use it in Mirrodin 3.0 (whenever we get there again)...

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Post by plaganegra » 2 years ago

benjameenbear wrote:
2 years ago
Hey @plaganegra, good to see you! Us compleated must join together to spread the glory of Phyrexia across the multiverse.

I think you have all the right elements of a successful Yawgmoth deck present. I do have some observations and questions, which I'll summarize here:
  • How has Phyrexian Obliterator been for you? I have a copy sitting in my binder and I constantly wonder if I should take out Traxos, Scourge of Kroog and replace it with the Obliterator. Both are technically Phyrexian, but Traxos hits just a bit harder by itself and often has pseudo-vigilance with its untap trigger to help protect me from the crackback.
  • Huh, I didn't even think about Prowling Geistcatcher. Great find! I don't think it's quite Phyrexian enough in flavor for me, but the utility and power of the Geistcatcher alongside an active Yawgmoth could be SUPER powerful.
  • I tested Necroskitter in a very early iteration of the decklist and it didn't perform as well as I had hoped it would. I noticed that I'd often tutor for almost any other creature before this one, particularly Gray Merchant of Asphodel to help recoup my life (which I don't see in your list for some reason?). Have you had good results with the 'Skitter?
  • Profane Transfusion is a sweet card (with incredible art!), but the CMC has routinely been too much for my particular decklist. I actually would recommend cutting it for some additional ramp effects.
  • Which leads me to my next point: your list looks a little mana-lite with 34 lands. Do you ever find yourself mana-starved? If so, then I recommend adding in 1-3 more pieces of 2 CMC ramp to help smooth out your decklist. I HIGHLY recommend Culling the Weak and Dark Ritual and Plague Myr could give you a very niche Infect angle that would complement your Ichor Rats. That's my main criticism of your list, so trimming off some high CMC cards to fit in more ramp would probably make your deck more consistent.
  • Midnight Banshee takes too long to get going. If you want to put mass -1/-1 counters on your opponent's creatures, may I recommend Archfiend of Ifnir? By using Yawgmoth's 2nd ability, the Archfiend's discard trigger goes on the stack above Yawgmoth's proliferate trigger (so Yawgmoth will see a -1/-1 counter on each of your opponent's creatures to proliferate), so for bb you get total control over how often AND when you put -1/-1 counters on your opponent's board. The Banshee is cool, but it's just too slow and too expensive (mana-value-wise) IMO.
  • I also tested Dreadhorde Invasion and Bitterblossom in an early version of the list and they also were much too slow. Unless you play in a meta where there's a ton of board-wipes and you need consistent token generation, I've found that Yawgmoth craves bodies that either create more bodies on ETB or when they die. I would highly recommend Weaponcraft Enthusiast and Hangarback Walker for you to consider since they fill the same roles as the enchantments do, just more explosively.


Happy to discuss any of these further or if you have any questions about Yawgmoth generally!
So I have a bunch of suboptimal answers haha. I will preface everything by sharing that I started out with probably an 8/10 version of this deck and have intentionally nerfed it over time. I just want to always be able to play this deck at any table I sit down at and not either be hated out, win super easily, or roll over. I think right now its at that balance while still being capable of some powerful interactions. There is plenty of room for improvement within that context though, so I appreciate your feedback!

Phyrexian Obliterator is in the deck because it is so effing cool and oozes with flavor. That's really it lol. It does perform though - it effectively stops all attacks at me and is fantastic at eating good removal spells lol. Traxos seems cool, might have to get one!

Prowling Geistcatcher - seems SO synergistic I want to ask if this was made for Yawgmoth lol.

Regarding flavor in the deck, I see generic creatures as being flavor neutral, phyrexian cards and thematic cards as being flavor positive, and named cards that don't "fit" (like Gisa for example) as flavor negative. My goal is a balance that results in an overall positive flavor experience. I mean, in the multiverse maybe its possible that Gisa moved on from Wilhelt to Worship Yawgmoth lol jk. I feel prowling geistcatcher is flavor neutral. Some of the flavor negative cards I have in the deck just to make it work better or because I really like the card. This deck is literally a pet deck made in selfish love for the color black in mtg. Another thing I should share - this whole deck is either foil or a resonably "original copy nonfoil" and often old border foil whenever possible. The lands are all one of each old border foil and various old border foils. Old borders are preferred for flavor. So sometimes this also factors into my deckbuilding decisions. I really enjoy the experience of playing the deck that also includes some of my favorite collectables. I can just stare at my cards and be happy while I am playing. I know, this is not normal and I need help. I was very stir-crazy during lockdown lol.

I find that necroskitter combos well with a lot of things in the deck. Its not the *most* competitive thing, but it has won me a game or 2. Pairs super well with BSZ and yawg (and any other mass -1/-1 effect)

Gray Merchant of Asphodel is not in the deck solely because I use the card too much in my decks and I hate the flavor fail on this one because it compounds with that. (like - you use Gary in every deck and you say your Yawg deck is thematic?). I am just sick of winning with this one card all the time lol. So I swapped it out for Profane Transfusion - a HUGE downgrade that accomplishes the same goal (but with lols). The flavor on PT is through the roof and I have actually won with this card. Sometimes I can't cast it when I want, but that is rare.

I am mana lite I would say, borderline greedy in my mana base. I do need to fix that - this is the first time I have put the list into something that can show me the curve and costs in a constructive way. Also lol - i realized when uploading I had 101 cards in the deck, so rather than think about what to cut I just removed a land for the post. I think 35-36 is fine with the ramp and draw I have, but probably not optimal. How many lands do you think I should run?

I am running a lot of mana generating effects in the list, and do run bubbling muck and dark ritual. I had culling the weak in the deck but felt it was unnecessary. Plague Myr is flavorful fodder - nice.

You are right, Midnight Banshee kinda sucks lol. I just like the card and it reminds me of when EDH was a simpler game with cool cards that weren't always the most cutthroat. I have used Ifnir, and will probably switch back after you pointed this out. It is time...

I have found bitterblossom and dreadhorde invasion to be two of my best token makers because of how early and consistently they produce. If anything I would keep bitterblossom of the two. I do love the creature suite you are running. I am going to followup this post with a few change ideas to my list.

I am not sure if I want to go deeper into aristocrat theme, or pure flavor theme at this point. I think most of my flavor negative cards are almost exclusively aristocrat enablers. Up until now the deck has been through many different versions of both with various power levels.

Any flavor suggestions you can make that will help me decide? I started playing mtg in 2004 and didnt really know much about Yawgmoth Lore until the last few years. Black has always been my main jam though and I played mono black in every major format at some point. Pox was always my favorite deck in modern and legacy. i would love to hear your thoughts!
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Post by benjameenbear » 2 years ago

plaganegra wrote:
2 years ago

So I have a bunch of suboptimal answers haha. I will preface everything by sharing that I started out with probably an 8/10 version of this deck and have intentionally nerfed it over time. I just want to always be able to play this deck at any table I sit down at and not either be hated out, win super easily, or roll over. I think right now its at that balance while still being capable of some powerful interactions. There is plenty of room for improvement within that context though, so I appreciate your feedback!

Phyrexian Obliterator is in the deck because it is so effing cool and oozes with flavor. That's really it lol. It does perform though - it effectively stops all attacks at me and is fantastic at eating good removal spells lol. Traxos seems cool, might have to get one!

Prowling Geistcatcher - seems SO synergistic I want to ask if this was made for Yawgmoth lol.

Regarding flavor in the deck, I see generic creatures as being flavor neutral, phyrexian cards and thematic cards as being flavor positive, and named cards that don't "fit" (like Gisa for example) as flavor negative. My goal is a balance that results in an overall positive flavor experience. I mean, in the multiverse maybe its possible that Gisa moved on from Wilhelt to Worship Yawgmoth lol jk. I feel prowling geistcatcher is flavor neutral. Some of the flavor negative cards I have in the deck just to make it work better or because I really like the card. This deck is literally a pet deck made in selfish love for the color black in mtg. Another thing I should share - this whole deck is either foil or a resonably "original copy nonfoil" and often old border foil whenever possible. The lands are all one of each old border foil and various old border foils. Old borders are preferred for flavor. So sometimes this also factors into my deckbuilding decisions. I really enjoy the experience of playing the deck that also includes some of my favorite collectables. I can just stare at my cards and be happy while I am playing. I know, this is not normal and I need help. I was very stir-crazy during lockdown lol.

I find that necroskitter combos well with a lot of things in the deck. Its not the *most* competitive thing, but it has won me a game or 2. Pairs super well with BSZ and yawg (and any other mass -1/-1 effect)

Gray Merchant of Asphodel is not in the deck solely because I use the card too much in my decks and I hate the flavor fail on this one because it compounds with that. (like - you use Gary in every deck and you say your Yawg deck is thematic?). I am just sick of winning with this one card all the time lol. So I swapped it out for Profane Transfusion - a HUGE downgrade that accomplishes the same goal (but with lols). The flavor on PT is through the roof and I have actually won with this card. Sometimes I can't cast it when I want, but that is rare.

I am mana lite I would say, borderline greedy in my mana base. I do need to fix that - this is the first time I have put the list into something that can show me the curve and costs in a constructive way. Also lol - i realized when uploading I had 101 cards in the deck, so rather than think about what to cut I just removed a land for the post. I think 35-36 is fine with the ramp and draw I have, but probably not optimal. How many lands do you think I should run?

I am running a lot of mana generating effects in the list, and do run bubbling muck and dark ritual. I had culling the weak in the deck but felt it was unnecessary. Plague Myr is flavorful fodder - nice.

You are right, Midnight Banshee kinda sucks lol. I just like the card and it reminds me of when EDH was a simpler game with cool cards that weren't always the most cutthroat. I have used Ifnir, and will probably switch back after you pointed this out. It is time...

I have found bitterblossom and dreadhorde invasion to be two of my best token makers because of how early and consistently they produce. If anything I would keep bitterblossom of the two. I do love the creature suite you are running. I am going to followup this post with a few change ideas to my list.

I am not sure if I want to go deeper into aristocrat theme, or pure flavor theme at this point. I think most of my flavor negative cards are almost exclusively aristocrat enablers. Up until now the deck has been through many different versions of both with various power levels.

Any flavor suggestions you can make that will help me decide? I started playing mtg in 2004 and didnt really know much about Yawgmoth Lore until the last few years. Black has always been my main jam though and I played mono black in every major format at some point. Pox was always my favorite deck in modern and legacy. i would love to hear your thoughts!
Yup, mono-Black was the first color that I really, truly enjoyed. I didn't become a full-scale Dimir mage until they printed Cryptic Command and then Cruel Ultimatum. 5 Color Control was my favorite 60 card pile deck, hands down, and I LOVED how powerful it was.

Anyways...

If you want to read a full history of Yawgmoth's history, I actually have a bio at the very beginning of the Primer, right in the introduction. It's spoilered (so that it doesn't take up a ton of webspace), but it's the most comprehensive history of Yawgmoth available I believe. It's a fun read, and I definitely recommend reading through it!

If you're looking for a pseudo-Aristocrat effect, you could look at Dross Harvester. It gains life whenever ANY creature dies, which is honestly the most important part of the Aristocrat function for this particular strategy.

I could actually see Ayara as being a representation of one of the stewards of Rath (a Phyrexian controlled plane), Belbe to be specific. While she has her own card (see Belbe, Corrupted Observer), she has the heinous g in her mana cost (why she does, I have no idea...). So I think you could easily keep her in the deck since she provides card advantage and the life gain this deck needs.

While the flavor is really good, I found Soul of New Phyrexia to be too expensive mana-value-wise for the deck. I run Wurmcoil Engine instead for a lifegain effect that furthers the token strategy that is the real core of the deck. I think you could easily cut the Soul and the Banshee for another land and another mana producer. Those would be my first suggestions.

Also, totally respect the nostalgia and the all-foil aspect of the deck. I want to eventually collect all Phyrexian Secret Lair Swamps, but they're nearly impossible to find for a reasonable price. But, if I get a bonus from my company that I can reasonably expect, then I'll definitely splurge for this deck. It's one of my favorites.

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Post by plaganegra » 2 years ago

Yeah lol. I collected my foil old border lands right before the phyrexian swamp was printed! Im really happy with the set and it looks stunning in the deck, but I do envy the foil phyrexian swamps! I have my only onw in the deck from my secret lair lol

I generally find it pretty easy to generate a crap-ton of mana at various stages in the mid-late game that lets me play all of these expensive things.

I try to stay away from tutors in this deck as much as I can, so when I get a combo naturally it doesnt feel bad and I can enjoy the decks power. But I do think I need to add an expedition map to find cabal coffers.

Soul of new phyrexia is only in there for flavor, and some utility.

Nice about the history! I cant wait to read it fully! Thanks man
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Post by plaganegra » 2 years ago

Okay so here is what I am thinking of changing:
  • +1 Dross Harvester (so much flavor. totally forgot about this, had it in one of my earlier builds)
    -1 Mikaeus, the Unhallowed (flavor)
  • +1 Plague Myr (nice flavorful dork)
    -1 Darkness (love the flavor, rarely useful)
  • +1 Genesis Chamber (had this early on, would like it back)
    -1 Dreadhorde Invasion
  • +1 Hangarback Walker (can't believe I missed this entirely)
    -1 Blood Artist
  • +1 Archfiend of Ifnir (kills things good, and synergistically)
    -1 Midnight Banshee
  • +1 Reassembling Skeleton (boring but oh so useful)
    -1 Syr Konrad, the Grim (flavor)
  • +1 Swamp (boring but oh so useful)
    -1 Agadeem's Awakening // Agadeem, the Undercrypt (flavor)
  • +1 Phyrexian Delver (cant believe I didnt pick up a foil forever ago)
    -1 Gisa, Glorious Resurrector (flavor)
  • +1 Peer into the Abyss (seems flavorful and very good, combo potential)
    -1 Vilis, Broker of Blood (very good, not flavorful - fair trade with Peer)
  • +1 Skirge Familiar (flavorful, discard outlet, combo win options)
    -1 Sheoldred, Whispering One (love the flavor, but not the best)
  • +1 No rest for the Wicked
    -1 Rise of the Dread Marn (flavor)
  • +1 Blight Mound
    -1 Bitterblossom (flavor)
  • +1 Swamp
    -1 Zulaport Cutthroat
  • +1 Inkmoth Nexus (flavor, poison proliferate plan)
    -1 Cabal Stronghold (want higher swamp density)
  • +1 Skinrender +1 Noxious Gearhulk +1 Victimize (more flavorful win conditions)
    -1 Butcher Ghoul -1 Treacherous Pit-Dweller -1 Geralf's Messenger
  • +1 Culling the Weak
    -1 Praetor's Grasp
  • +1 Swamp
    -1 Wasteland
  • +1 Necropotence
    -1 decree of pain
Mainly focusing on amping up the fun, synergy, and flavor. The deck probably runs smoother and has slightly less power with these changes. Really focusing on theme and flavor though. Only a few cards in there now that don't match...


Decklist

Lord of Wastes:

Approximate Total Cost:

Cards I am curious about your experiences with: I had westvale abbey in my deck for a long time, and never activated it once. Always used the fodder to draw over this effect. Do you use it?

Why don't you run ophiomancer?
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Post by benjameenbear » 2 years ago

I love most of the changes @plaganegra except the removal of the Undying creatures. They are by far one of the more powerful creature types in the deck because, with two of them in play and an active Yawgmoth, create an Undying creature loop. And, with all the Artistocrat effects in your deck, this can easily be a life-neutral infinite card-draw loop OR a legitimate win condition that your playgroup may overlook the first couple of times.

I'll answer your questions in turn!
  • Magus of the Bridge does exactly what Blight Mound does with the key distinction that it's a creature. Being able to sacrifice the Magus itself to Yawgmoth's ability has really helped maximize every useful card slot in the deck, since Yawgmoth craves creatures so keenly. I've been quite pleased with it and it's occasionally done a good job of creating a Zombie swarm to help overwhelm the table. That, and I think it's a much more flavorful card relative to the overall goal of the deck.
  • Traxos, Scourge of Kroog untaps everytime you cast a Legendary creature or spell AND artifacts. So, with a little sequencing, you can attack with him and then cast a mana rock or Legendary spell during your 2nd main phase to untap him. Often times, I'll be casting or recasting Yawgmoth during my 2nd main phase which will trigger Traxos' untap ability. It's usually one of the biggest creatures in play and equipping Batterskull to it is a REALLY wonderful feeling that's a complete flavor win. Putting Vigilance on Traxos ANd Lifelink is the real deal.
  • Massacre Girl has been an extremely effective Board Wipe for the deck. Since a majority of the creatures in the deck have X/1 toughness, it's incredibly easy to start a Massacre chain and wipe the field. Additionally, I believe that if any creature you control dies, even after her initial ETB trigger resolves, you'll still be able to give the board another round of -1/-1 which could be the final reach you need to get the whole board dead. I added her on a whim and she's been nothing short of phenomenal.
  • Phyrexian Walker - yup, just a simple cantrip creature card with sweet art and the word Phyrexian in the name. That's it.
  • Vault of Whispers - this is where New Phyrexia really began to grow and is the best approximation of what Phyrexia (the plane itself) looked like.
  • Cavalier of Night - it's a lifelinking body that can utilize the heavy Token theme in the deck that often reanimates something good when it dies. There's been a couple of powerful turn cycles where I sac the Cavalier to Yawgmoth to get a token-producing creature back into play and then I sac one of the tokens to Victimize to bring back the Cavalier and another creature. It also helps to represent the Knights that served Yawgmoth during his invasion into Dominaria, so it's a great flavor win IMO.
  • Ophiomancer is right on that edge of being powerful enough to include in the deck... but she creates Snake tokens. So far as I'm aware, no Phyrexian creature/minion created snakes, nor do they really have a place in Phyrexian mythos. That's really the only reason that she's not in the deck, because she's an extremely powerful token producer with Yawgmoth out.

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Post by plaganegra » 2 years ago

@benjameenbear

Thanks for the detailed response!

I have won with that combo many times in my yawgmoth deck (I have actually been playing him for just over a year or so). I figured I would give them a little bit of a brak to see what the deck does without them. So I think in the reverse order of what you did haha.

But, maybe I'll keep in butcher ghoul and treacherous pit-dweller I think and just remove Mike because of the anti-theme.

What was your experience playing yawgmoth without undying?

I am trying to go deeper into flavor just to see what it would be like with the goal of removing anything that is obviously "anti-flavor" while allowing for some flexibility on important cards that are not plane specific, especially since I am choosing a few sub-optimal inclusions just for flavor. What do you think of these changes to the last list:
SPOILER
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Decklist

Lord of Wastes:

Counters Matter:

Approximate Total Cost:

Other than those, a few still seem iffy for me on flavor, but I don't know magic lore as well as you do:

Is it anti-thematic to include stuff related to the cabal?

I think I read in your review of commander legends that you feel Tvesh Szat is anti-thematic. I just went to ready the wiki on him and it seems like it fits quite well actually? Looks like he had dealings with Phyrexia and betrayed Urza.

Liliana - is there any justification for including her at all? lol. How about Ashnod's Altar?

Anything else in my list stick out as obviously anti-themiatic?

Have you tried Marionette Master? It seems like it would be good in your list and looks pretty "phrexian"
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Post by benjameenbear » 2 years ago

For myself, I have found the Undying creatures to be EXTREMELY powerful. I've even tutored for them a time or two because they've been consistent sources of Card Advantage for me that open up combo lines potentially. Even if I don't actively go for the Undying creature loops, they're still able to get high mileage out of a solid board because I can sac a non-Undying creature to cancel out the +1/+1 counter that the Undying creature has.

I approve of the changes you've made! Not sure that you need it though. But the changes help emphasize the Phyrexian flavor while still keeping a lot of the functionality that the deck needs.

Alright, to answer your questions:
  • Any references to the Cabal are decent IMO. The Cabal built its power on the power of sacrifice and blood, and Phyrexia kind of mirrors this. It's not the most flavorful concept out there, but I think Magus of the Coffers is really quite powerful for mono-Black strategies and Whisper, Blood Liturgist is very powerful with a heavy token strategy. I feel like both of those Cabal minions are definitely appropriate for a Phyrexian deck!
  • Tevesh Szat, Doom of Fools - the reason that I imagined hi as being anti-thematic is because he was part of Urza's attack on Phyrexia. Granted, he then betrayed Urza due to a possible deal with Phyrexia, but he was initially part of the attack on Phyrexia. However, he's been absolutely phenomenal in the deck, being a highly resilient and effective source of token generation. I wouldn't ever cut him from the deck at this point because of the traction I've been able to get from him. So, I now rationalize him as definitely being Phyrexian in philosophy.
  • Liliana, Dreadhorde General is absolutely amazing for the deck. She has zero synergy with Phyrexia, but she's absolutely too good not to run in the deck. This is one of my few non-Phyrexian concessions due to the sheer power of the card. I haven't had a chance to ultimate her yet, but should that happen it's pretty much game over and is exactly how Phyrexia would want to win the game.
  • Marionette Master is definitely a great card and certainly Phyrexian, I just wish that I had 1-2 more artifact token producers to really maximize its utility. That's pretty much the only reason it's not in the deck, and with the future return to Phyrexia I'm hopeful that we'll see more effective token producers and, fingers crossed, a rebirth of Yawgmoth in God form in Atraxa's colors. I've slowly been buying up Atraxa Phyrexian staples in preparation...
I think your deck is in an awesome place, frankly. I'm actually curious, how has The Meathook Massacre been for you? It looks like a solid Aristocrat effect that can also function as a board wipe when necessary, and I regret not grabbing a copy of it when it was preordering at about $20.

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Post by benjameenbear » 2 years ago

You know, over at @pokken's Toxrill thread I suggested the Kormus Bell + Urborg, Tomb of Yawgmoth combo as a win condition and then I realized...

Why shouldn't I just play this combo in Yawgmoth?

Sure, it's not going to be a one-shot, one-sided Armageddon like it is with an active Toxrill, but being able to snipe opponent's lands at instant-speed with Yawgmoth's ability alongside Kormus Bell + Urborg, Tomb of Yawgmoth still seems EXTREMELY powerful and VERY on theme with what Yawgmoth would do (in his god form). I know that this happened when Yawgmoth invaded Dominaria with his god-essence and his presence corrupted Serra's Realm as well, so I think it's a flavor-win as well. And it would simply be one card that would need to be added to the deck in order to create a lopsided Armageddon effect in mono-Black. The more I think about it, the more I like it. Hmm...

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Post by pokken » 2 years ago

benjameenbear wrote:
2 years ago
You know, over at @pokken's Toxrill thread I suggested the Kormus Bell + Urborg, Tomb of Yawgmoth combo as a win condition and then I realized...

Why shouldn't I just play this combo in Yawgmoth?

Sure, it's not going to be a one-shot, one-sided Armageddon like it is with an active Toxrill, but being able to snipe opponent's lands at instant-speed with Yawgmoth's ability alongside Kormus Bell + Urborg, Tomb of Yawgmoth still seems EXTREMELY powerful and VERY on theme with what Yawgmoth would do (in his god form). I know that this happened when Yawgmoth invaded Dominaria with his god-essence and his presence corrupted Serra's Realm as well, so I think it's a flavor-win as well. And it would simply be one card that would need to be added to the deck in order to create a lopsided Armageddon effect in mono-Black. The more I think about it, the more I like it. Hmm...
The risk there is mostly other people girking your lands, getting Zealous Persecution'd or something :P With Toxrill I think it's more defensible because of free countermagic to defend.

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