Art by Cristi Balanescu
Saved commander deck
Shadowheart, Dark Justiciar
Generate tokens and recursive creatures to sacrifice for massive card draw, eventually winning through large board presence and combat damage.
Prompt: "I want to build a deck with Shadowheart, Dark Justiciar and green background as my commander. I enjoy card draw and creature beatdown, aiming to win by going wide with a large board of creatures in combat."
Commander
1 cards
Shadowheart, Dark Justiciar
{3}{B}Legendary Creature — Human Elf Cleric
Chosen commander for the requested strategy.
Ramp
11 cards
Mind Stone
{2}Artifact
Consistent mana acceleration that can be cashed in for a card later.
Jet Medallion
{2}Artifact
Reduces the cost of all mono-black spells significantly.
Leaden Myr
{2}Artifact Creature — Myr
A creature-based ramp source that can be sacrificed to Shadowheart in a pinch.
Crypt Ghast
{3}{B}Creature — Spirit
Doubles the mana output of Swamps and provides Extort triggers.
Black Market
{3}{B}{B}Enchantment
Generates huge amounts of mana as creatures die throughout the game.
Pitiless Plunderer
{3}{B}Creature — Human Pirate
Generates mana on creature death to fuel big turns and drain effects.
Card Draw
10 cards
Grim Haruspex
{2}{B}Creature — Human Wizard
Draws cards when nontoken creatures die.
Midnight Reaper
{2}{B}Creature — Zombie Knight
Draws cards on creature death at the cost of life.
Harvester of Souls
{4}{B}{B}Creature — Demon
Large body that draws cards on deaths.
Read the Bones
{2}{B}Sorcery
Excellent library manipulation and draw early in the game.
Greed
{3}{B}Enchantment
Repeatable card draw for a small life and mana investment.
Bolas's Citadel
{3}{B}{B}{B}Legendary Artifact
Allows playing cards off the top of the library to swarm the board.
Removal
7 cards
Feed the Swarm
{1}{B}Sorcery
Essential black removal that can deal with enchantments.
Hero's Downfall
{1}{B}{B}Instant
Standard instant-speed creature and planeswalker removal.
Mutilate
{2}{B}{B}Sorcery
Board wipe that scales with the number of Swamps you control.
Threats/Wincons
15 cards
Zulaport Cutthroat
{1}{B}Creature — Human Rogue Ally
Synergizes with sacrificing for card draw.
Hangarback Walker
{X}{X}Artifact Creature — Construct
Scalable creature that produces fliers on death.
Wurmcoil Engine
{6}Artifact Creature — Phyrexian Wurm
Strong lifelink body that leaves tokens behind.
Gray Merchant of Asphodel
{3}{B}{B}Creature — Zombie
Massive life drain based on devotion to black.
Abhorrent Overlord
{5}{B}{B}Creature — Demon
Creates many Harpy tokens and presents a high power for Shadowheart to sacrifice.
Ogre Slumlord
{3}{B}{B}Creature — Ogre Rogue
Generates Rats with deathtouch whenever nontoken creatures die.
Endrek Sahr, Master Breeder
{4}{B}Legendary Creature — Human Wizard
Consistently creates Thrull tokens for each creature spell cast.
Chittering Witch
{3}{B}Creature — Human Warlock
Brings multiple bodies to the board and acts as a removal outlet.
Grave Titan
{4}{B}{B}Creature — Giant
Efficiently produces a large board presence and high stats for sacrifice.
Marionette Apprentice
{1}{B}Creature — Human Artificer
Provides bodies and drains opponents upon artifact or creature death.
Ayara, First of Locthwain
{B}{B}{B}Legendary Creature — Elf Noble
Drains opponents as black creatures enter and provides a sacrifice outlet.
Dreadhorde Invasion
{1}{B}Enchantment
Consistent source of a single creature that keeps growing for sacrifice.
Utility
11 cards
Sifter of Skulls
{3}{B}Creature — Eldrazi
Creates Eldrazi Scions for mana and sacrifice fodder.
Pawn of Ulamog
{1}{B}{B}Creature — Vampire Shaman
Creates tokens on nontoken deaths for ramp/sac fodder.
Lightning Greaves
{2}Artifact — Equipment
Enables haste for tapping the commander immediately.
Dread Return
{2}{B}{B}Sorcery
Synergizes with sacrifice strategies by using flashback.
Phyrexian Reclamation
{B}Enchantment
Cheap way to recur key creatures from the graveyard.
Animate Dead
{1}{B}Enchantment — Aura
Efficient reanimation spell for high-value targets.
