Art by Manuel Castañón
Saved commander deck
Gideon the Oathless
Punish opponents for developing their boards by amplifying Gideon's enter-the-battlefield ping triggers, gifting them creature tokens, and utilizing classic mono-black group slug and drain effects to close out the game.
Prompt: Gideon the Oathless commander deck
Commander
1 cards
Gideon the Oathless
{2}{B}Legendary Creature — Human Mercenary
Chosen commander for the requested strategy.
Ramp
8 cards
Card Draw
11 cards
Black Market Connections
{2}{B}Enchantment
Flexible source of card draw, ramp, and board presence
Morbid Opportunist
{2}{B}Creature — Human Rogue
Draws cards as opponents' creatures die
Species Specialist
{2}{B}{B}Creature — Human Warrior
Draws cards as creature types die
Bolas's Citadel
{3}{B}{B}{B}Legendary Artifact
Massive card advantage engine straight from the library
Ayara, First of Locthwain
{B}{B}{B}Legendary Creature — Elf Noble
Card draw engine and additional incidental drain
Removal
11 cards
Feed the Swarm
{1}{B}Sorcery
Essential black removal for creatures or enchantments
Dismember
{1}{B/P}{B/P}Instant
Flexible cheap removal that bypasses indestructible
Invoke Despair
{1}{B}{B}{B}{B}Sorcery
Pressures opponents' creatures, enchantments, and planeswalkers
Threats/Wincons
23 cards
Genesis Chamber
{2}Artifact
Forces opponents to create tokens, triggering Gideon repeatedly
Slaughter Specialist
{1}{B}Creature — Vampire Warrior
Gives opponents creature tokens upon entry to trigger Gideon
Clackbridge Troll
{3}{B}{B}Creature — Troll
Gifts opponents three tokens to guarantee Gideon triggers
Tombstone Stairwell
{2}{B}{B}World Enchantment
Spawns continuous tokens each turn to trigger Gideon repeatedly
Bloodletter of Aclazotz
{1}{B}{B}{B}Creature — Vampire Demon
Doubles all life loss Gideon and other cards deal during your turn
Wound Reflection
{5}{B}Enchantment
Doubles the life lost by each opponent at end of turn
Sheoldred, the Apocalypse
{2}{B}{B}Legendary Creature — Phyrexian Praetor
Punishes card draw and cushions life total
Vito, Thorn of the Dusk Rose
{2}{B}Legendary Creature — Vampire Cleric
Weaponizes lifegain into lethal opponent life loss
Gray Merchant of Asphodel
{3}{B}{B}Creature — Zombie
Massive life drain finisher scaling with devotion
Syr Konrad, the Grim
{3}{B}{B}Legendary Creature — Human Knight
Pings whenever creatures enter the graveyard or die
Zulaport Cutthroat
{1}{B}Creature — Human Rogue Ally
Drains the table when your creatures perish
Blood Artist
{1}{B}Creature — Vampire
Pings opponents whenever any creature on board dies
Braids, Arisen Nightmare
{1}{B}{B}Legendary Creature — Nightmare
Forces opponents to sacrifice permanents or lose life and give cards
Tergrid, God of Fright // Tergrid's Lantern
{3}{B}{B}Legendary Creature — God // Legendary Artifact
Steals permanents that opponents sacrifice or discard
Massacre Wurm
{3}{B}{B}{B}Creature — Phyrexian Wurm
Punishes small creature boards with heavy life loss
Dauthi Voidwalker
{B}{B}Creature — Dauthi Rogue
Graveyard hate and evasive damage source
Painful Quandary
{3}{B}{B}Enchantment
Forces opponents to lose life or discard on every spell cast
Kaervek, the Spiteful
{2}{B}{B}Legendary Creature — Human Warlock
Weakens enemy tokens and creatures across the board
Utility
7 cards
Lightning Greaves
{2}Artifact — Equipment
Protects Gideon with shroud and grants haste
Basilisk Collar
{1}Artifact — Equipment
Gives Gideon deathtouch and lifelink on ping triggers
Shadowspear
{1}Legendary Artifact — Equipment
Provides trample, lifelink, and strips hexproof/indestructible
Gorgon's Head
{1}Artifact — Equipment
Gives Gideon deathtouch to eliminate any entering creatures
