Art by Aleksi Briclot
Commander deckBR
Exava, Rakdos Blood Witch
Unleash an aggressive carnival of horrors by utilizing +1/+1 counters and haste granted by Exava to overwhelm opponents with high-impact, circus-themed Rakdos performers and spectacle.
Asked for“Exava, Rakdos Blood Witch with circus themed”
Deck anatomy
What this list actually runs on: how cheaply it casts things, and whether it has enough ramp, card draw and interaction to keep up at the table. Each block is one card — hover for its name.
Mana curve · 62 nonland cards
The working parts
Counted from Scryfall’s community card tags, not from the builder’s own labels. A card that does two jobs counts twice, so these add up to more than the deck. The hatched band is a common rule of thumb, not a law — combo decks run leaner, battlecruiser decks heavier.
Colored mana symbols
Commander
1Exava, Rakdos Blood Witch
2BRLegendary Creature — Human Cleric
Chosen commander for the requested strategy.
Ramp
9
Card Draw
10
Morbid Opportunist
2BCreature — Human Rogue
Draws cards as circus performers die in combat
Removal
10
Bedevil
BBRInstant
Thematic and flexible removal for creature, artifact, or planeswalker
Carnival // Carnage
BR // 2BRInstant // Sorcery
Thematic circus burn and hand disruption
Terminate
BRInstant
Classic efficient unconditional creature removal fitting the Rakdos theme.
Threats/Wincons
23
Carnival Hellsteed
4BRCreature — Nightmare Horse
Unleash haste beater straight from the Rakdos carnival
Rakdos Cackler
BRCreature — Devil
Early unleash clown attacker with +1/+1 counters
Gore-House Chainwalker
1RCreature — Human Warrior
Efficient unleash circus performer
Spawn of Mayhem
2BBCreature — Demon
Demon performer that enters with counters and burns players
Judith, the Scourge Diva
1BRLegendary Creature — Human Shaman
Circus master that buffs performers and pings on death
Juri, Master of the Revue
BRLegendary Creature — Human Shaman
Carnival performer that grows with counters and deals massive death damage
Rakdos, Lord of Riots
BBRRLegendary Creature — Demon
The grandmaster of the Rakdos circus, discounts massive beaters
Grim Initiate
RCreature — Zombie Warrior
First strike creature that creates a token with counters
Tavern Swindler
1BCreature — Human Rogue
Carnival gamble creature fitting the Rakdos atmosphere
Bloodsoaked Champion
BCreature — Human Warrior
Resilient circus arena fighter that returns from the grave
Dockside Chef
BEnchantment Creature — Human Citizen
Sacrifice outlet that converts performers into resources
Marionette Master
4BBCreature — Human Artificer
Puppeteer entering with +1/+1 counters and deadly life drain
Yahenni, Undying Partisan
2BLegendary Creature — Aetherborn Vampire
Free sacrifice outlet that grows with +1/+1 counters and gains indestructible
Drana, Liberator of Malakir
1BBLegendary Creature — Vampire Ally
Distributes +1/+1 counters to the whole circus troupe on combat damage
Spiteful Prankster
2RCreature — Devil
Mischievous clown that burns opponents when creatures die
Oona's Prowler
1BCreature — Faerie Rogue
Aggressive evasive imp fit for a carnival troupe
Captive Audience
5BREnchantment
The quintessential circus death show that cripples an opponent down to 4 life.
Hellhole Flailer
1BRCreature — Ogre Warrior
Unleash creature that gains haste from Exava and can be sacrificed to burn an opponent.
Spike Jester
BRCreature — Goblin Warrior
Flavorful Rakdos jester delivering immediate aggressive pressure on turn two.
Fireblade Artist
BRCreature — Human Shaman
Hasty circus performer that can sacrifice expendable creatures to throw direct damage.
Utility
10
Swiftfoot Boots
2Artifact — Equipment
Protects Exava from removal and grants hexproof
Lightning Greaves
2Artifact — Equipment
Protects key circus ringleaders with shroud
Uncivil Unrest
4REnchantment
Doubles damage dealt by creatures with +1/+1 counters and gives riot
The Ozolith
1Legendary Artifact
Conserves +1/+1 counters when circus performers fall in battle
Animation Module
1Artifact
Creates circus servo tokens whenever +1/+1 counters are placed
Rakdos Charm
BRInstant
Versatile utility against graveyards, artifacts, or wide swarms
Agitator Ant
2RCreature — Insect
Goads opponents while giving counters to grant haste under Exava
Spiteful Banditry
XRREnchantment
Circus greed enchantment creating treasures when creatures die
Havoc Festival
4BREnchantment
Turns the game into a chaotic carnival where players rapidly lose life and cannot heal.
