Art by Chris Rallis
Saved commander deck
Wilhelt, the Rotcleaver
Generate an endless horde of resilient Zombie tokens by sacrificing non-decayed Zombies for card advantage and value, draining opponents through aristocrat triggers and swarm attacks.
Prompt: Wilhelt, the Rotcleaver commander deck
Commander
1 cards
Wilhelt, the Rotcleaver
{2}{U}{B}Legendary Creature — Zombie Warrior
Chosen commander for the requested strategy.
Ramp
10 cards
Thought Vessel
{2}Artifact
Provides mana acceleration and eliminates maximum hand size
Fellwar Stone
{2}Artifact
Low-cost artifact mana that regularly taps for blue or black
Crowded Crypt
{2}{B}Artifact
Taps for black and converts accumulated death triggers into a massive Zombie army
Rooftop Storm
{5}{U}Enchantment
Allows casting all Zombie spells for free, enabling explosive combo turns
Ashnod's Altar
{3}Artifact
Sacrifice outlet turning decayed Zombie tokens into two colorless mana each
Card Draw
10 cards
Undead Augur
{B}{B}Creature — Zombie Wizard
Draws a card whenever any Zombie dies, synergizing directly with Wilhelt
Midnight Reaper
{2}{B}Creature — Zombie Knight
Provides steady card draw as non-token creatures die
Grim Haruspex
{2}{B}Creature — Human Wizard
Replenishes resources when nontoken creatures are sacrificed
Morbid Opportunist
{2}{B}Creature — Human Rogue
Draws an extra card once each turn whenever any creature dies
Rhystic Study
{2}{U}Enchantment
Puts a tax on opponents or fuels massive continuous card draw
Distant Melody
{3}{U}Sorcery
Massive burst of card draw by naming Zombie on a wide board
Village Rites
{B}Instant
Cheap one-mana instant to cash in a decayed token for two cards
Deadly Dispute
{1}{B}Instant
Draws two cards and produces a Treasure by sacrificing an expendable Zombie
Plumb the Forbidden
{1}{B}Instant
Sacrifices an entire board of decayed tokens at instant speed to draw heavily
Removal
10 cards
Counterspell
{U}{U}Instant
Classic efficient interaction to stop game-ending threats or board wipes
Cyclonic Rift
{1}{U}Instant
One-sided mass bounce spell that resets opponent boards
Feed the Swarm
{1}{B}Sorcery
Removes problematic creatures or hard-to-answer enchantments in Dimir
Infernal Grasp
{1}{B}Instant
Unconditional two-mana creature destruction at instant speed
Bitter Triumph
{1}{B}Instant
Versatile removal hitting creatures or planeswalkers while enabling graveyard discard
Toxic Deluge
{2}{B}Sorcery
Flexible, cheap board wipe that bypasses indestructible creatures
Damnation
{2}{B}{B}Sorcery
Unconditional board wipe that re-triggers your aristocrat death engines
Malicious Affliction
{B}{B}Instant
Often destroys two creatures for just two mana thanks to effortless morbid activation
Negate
{1}{U}Instant
Stops opposing board wipes, planeswalkers, and high-impact noncreature spells
Threats/Wincons
24 cards
Diregraf Captain
{1}{U}{B}Creature — Zombie Soldier
Lords the team and drains opponents for one life whenever a Zombie dies
Lord of the Accursed
{2}{B}Creature — Zombie
Buffs Zombie power and grants evasion via menace
Death Baron
{1}{B}{B}Creature — Zombie Wizard
Gives Zombies +1/+1 and deathtouch, making decayed tokens lethal blockers or attackers
Cemetery Reaper
{1}{B}{B}Creature — Zombie
Provides an anthem, disrupts enemy graveyards, and spawns tokens
Undead Warchief
{2}{B}{B}Creature — Zombie
Substantially buffs Zombies by +2/+1 and reduces their casting costs
Master of Death
{1}{U}{B}Creature — Zombie Wizard
Surveils on entry and repeatedly returns from the graveyard for sacrificial fodder
Gravecrawler
{B}Creature — Zombie
Infinitely recastable Zombie engine piece when combined with a sacrifice outlet
Champion of the Perished
{B}Creature — Zombie
Grows rapidly into a lethal threat alongside consistent Zombie generation
Cryptbreaker
{B}Creature — Zombie
Converts excess cards into Zombies and taps untapped Zombies to draw cards
Headless Rider
{2}{B}Creature — Zombie
Creates 2/2 non-decayed tokens whenever nontoken Zombies die, doubling your sacrifice line
Cleaver Skaab
{3}{U}Creature — Zombie Horror
Sacrifices a Zombie to create two token copies of it, multiplying value
Poppet Stitcher // Poppet Factory
{2}{U}Creature — Human Wizard // Artifact
Transforms to remove decayed abilities, turning throwaway tokens into permanent 3/3s
Geralf, Visionary Stitcher
{2}{U}Legendary Creature — Human Wizard
Grants Zombies flying and creates giant flying Zombie tokens out of high-toughness bodies
Fleshbag Marauder
{2}{B}Creature — Zombie Warrior
Forces all players to sacrifice a creature while triggering your own death payoffs
Plaguecrafter
{2}{B}Creature — Human Shaman
Upgraded edict effect that attacks opponents' boards and hands
Noxious Ghoul
{3}{B}{B}Creature — Zombie
Shrinks non-Zombie creatures repeatedly to keep the opposing board clear
Gray Merchant of Asphodel
{3}{B}{B}Creature — Zombie
Devastating life drain win condition that synergizes with high black devotion
Archghoul of Thraben
{2}{B}Creature — Zombie Cleric
Digs through the deck for additional Zombie cards whenever your Zombies perish
Liliana, Untouched by Death
{2}{B}{B}Legendary Planeswalker — Liliana
Fills the yard, drains threats, and allows casting Zombies directly from the graveyard
Acererak the Archlich
{2}{B}Legendary Creature — Zombie Wizard
Combos with Rooftop Storm to endlessly venture into dungeons and drain the table
Tainted Adversary
{1}{B}Creature — Zombie
Early deathtouch body that can create an instant army of decayed tokens in late game
Ravenous Rotbelly
{4}{B}Creature — Zombie Horror
Sacrifices surplus decayed tokens to force each opponent to sacrifice multiple creatures
Hordewing Skaab
{4}{U}Creature — Zombie Horror
Gives the entire Zombie swarm flying and loots on combat damage
Mikaeus, the Unhallowed
{3}{B}{B}{B}Legendary Creature — Zombie Cleric
Grants undying to non-Humans, letting your nontoken Zombies die twice and generate double tokens
Utility
8 cards
Phyrexian Altar
{3}Artifact
Produces colored mana on sacrifice, completing infinite loops with Gravecrawler and Wilhelt
Living Death
{3}{B}{B}Sorcery
Simultaneously wipes the board and reanimates your entire graveyard
Zombie Apocalypse
{3}{B}{B}{B}Sorcery
One-sided mass reanimation spell for Zombies that also eliminates opposing Humans
Patriarch's Bidding
{3}{B}{B}Sorcery
Reanimates all Zombies in your graveyard to rebuild your board in one swing
Lightning Greaves
{2}Artifact — Equipment
Provides haste and protection for key engine pieces like Wilhelt
Swiftfoot Boots
{2}Artifact — Equipment
Protects your commander from targeted removal with hexproof
Dictate of Erebos
{3}{B}{B}Enchantment
Forces opponents to sacrifice creatures whenever any of your decayed tokens expire
Ghoulish Procession
{1}{B}Enchantment
Generates continuous decayed Zombie tokens across each player's turn
