Art by Greg Staples
Commander deckBR
The Lord of Pain
Constrict opponents' resources through symmetrical discard, tax effects, and passive damage, breaking parity before resolving The Lord of Pain to punish every remaining play.
Asked for“I want to play a lord of pain edh deck. Attrition and grindy games based, where ressources become scarcer and scarcer for eventually the lord of pain to drop and people having no choice but to play cards. i want to look sublte, lowjey not a menace. there is some group slug where i take damage and am punished too, but just a little bit less. so stax is the game !”
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
1The Lord of Pain
3BRLegendary Creature — Human Assassin
Chosen commander for the requested strategy.
Ramp
10
Talisman of Indulgence
2Artifact
Untapped colored ramp that fits the self-damage theme.
Worn Powerstone
3Artifact
Accelerates toward high-impact stax and commander casts.
Card Draw
10
Black Market Connections
2BEnchantment
Flexible card advantage, ramp, and board presence at life cost.
Sign in Blood
BBSorcery
Low-cost card draw that can also target an opponent for lethal.
Morbid Opportunist
2BCreature — Human Rogue
Draws cards off frequent creature attrition.
Dark Confidant
1BCreature — Human Wizard
Subtle, low-profile card advantage that bleeds life.
Florian, Voldaren Scion
1BRLegendary Creature — Vampire Noble
Digs deep each turn thanks to pervasive group-slug damage.
Removal
10
Feed the Swarm
1BSorcery
Low-mana removal for creatures or troublesome enchantments.
Bedevil
BBRInstant
Unconditional removal for creatures, artifacts, or planeswalkers.
Threats/Wincons
24
Mogis, God of Slaughter
2BRLegendary Enchantment Creature — God
Indestructible source of constant sacrifice or burn.
Kaervek the Merciless
5BRLegendary Creature — Human Shaman
Heavily punishes opponents for casting spells in the late game.
Zo-Zu the Punisher
1RRLegendary Creature — Goblin Warrior
Taxes lands and mana development equally.
Harsh Mentor
1RCreature — Human Cleric
Damages opponents whenever they activate non-mana abilities.
Roiling Vortex
1REnchantment
Pings everyone, blocks life gain, and punishes free spells.
Spellshock
2REnchantment
Stacks damage on every spell cast, synergizing with your commander.
Sulfuric Vortex
1RREnchantment
Puts the table on a tight clock and stops life gain.
Eidolon of the Great Revel
RREnchantment Creature — Spirit
Punishe low-curve plays and cheap interaction.
Scab-Clan Berserker
1RRCreature — Human Berserker
Damages opponents whenever they cast noncreature spells.
Descent into Avernus
2REnchantment
Accelerates the game rapidly with escalating table-wide burn.
Syr Konrad, the Grim
3BBLegendary Creature — Human Knight
Turns graveyard churn and creature deaths into burn.
Spiteful Visions
2BRBREnchantment
Forces draws while damaging players for each card drawn.
Braids, Arisen Nightmare
1BBLegendary Creature — Nightmare
Forces recurring sacrifices or yields cards and life loss.
Rankle, Master of Pranks
2BBLegendary Creature — Faerie Rogue
Applies symmetrical pressure across hands, boards, and life totals.
Oppression
1BBEnchantment
Forces players to discard a card every time they cast a spell.
Wound Reflection
5BEnchantment
Doubles all life loss suffered by opponents each turn.
Price of Glory
2REnchantment
Discourages opponents from interacting on other players' turns.
Immolation Shaman
1RCreature — Lizard Shaman
Taxing body that burns on activated abilities.
Utility
8
Dauthi Voidwalker
BBCreature — Dauthi Rogue
One-sided graveyard hate that steals an opponent's key card.
Opposition Agent
2BCreature — Human Rogue
Stops tutors and denies opponents key resources.
Bloodchief Ascension
BEnchantment
Easily turns on to provide heavy life drain and healing.
Lightning Greaves
2Artifact — Equipment
Protects your commander and key hate creatures.
Swiftfoot Boots
2Artifact — Equipment
Hexproof protection for high-priority targets.
Cursed Totem
2Artifact
Neutralizes activated creature abilities across the board.
Defense Grid
2Artifact
Forces opponents to play on their own turns, running into your pain triggers.
