How it grades
Fundamentals 72/100. Plays like Zombie Tribal and Reanimator / graveyard.
This reads as Zombie Tribal · Reanimator / graveyard, built around Gisa and Geralf. A Zombie deck at heart: the creatures share a type on purpose, and lords, payoffs, and type-matters synergies make the whole board bigger than its parts. Tribal decks trade individual card power for critical mass, so keep the zombie count high and let the synergy pay the bills. Its strongest fundamental is land count (39 lands. About 41 fits this curve for Zombie Tribal); the first thing to tighten is commander synergy: Only 24 of 60 spells play into your commanders' plan; they want graveyard, enters-the-battlefield support. Counts the builds players run with your commanders (Reanimator, Tokens; from EDHREC).
- AMana reliability
- A+Land count
- BMana curve
- BRamp
- A-Card draw
- A+Interaction
- C+Commander synergy
- AWin conditions
- B+Card quality
- A+Legality & size
Where it falls short
- BMana curve22% of spells cost ≤2, 17% cost 6+.
- BRamp8 ramp effects (want 11+ for this curve for Zombie Tribal).
- C+Commander synergyOnly 24 of 60 spells play into your commanders' plan; they want graveyard, enters-the-battlefield support. Counts the builds players run with your commanders (Reanimator, Tokens; from EDHREC).
- B+Card qualityMedian EDHREC rank #4,704
Strong on mana reliability, land count, card draw, interaction, win conditions and legality & size.
76 cards graded: A- 3, B+ 19, B 44, B- 10. The command zone is the plan, so it isn't graded.
Upgrades
Made together, they take Grave Danger from B- to B+.
Archmage Emeritus2UU$0.61
In place of Spark Reaper: weakest slot in the deck (60/100)
Fills the draw gap (you're at 9 of 10+). Pays off your instant-and-sorcery engine (17 producers). Works with the commander directly.
Urza, Lord High Artificer2UU$16.37
In place of Unstable Obelisk: weakest slot in the deck (68/100)
Fills the ramp gap (you're at 8 of 11+). Pays off your artifact engine (9 producers). Fuels your token payoffs (3 in deck).
Forsaken Monument5$6.59
In place of Heraldic Banner: weakest slot in the deck (71/100)
Pays off your token engine (10 producers). Fits the token build players run with your commanders. Top-5% staple by play data.
Valley Floodcaller2U$4.16
In place of Geralf's Mindcrusher: weakest slot in the deck (54/100)
Fits the commander's plan. Pays off your instant-and-sorcery engine (17 producers). Works with the commander directly.
Talrand, Sky Summoner2UU$1.86
In place of Unbreathing Horde: weakest slot in the deck (55/100)
Pays off your instant-and-sorcery engine (17 producers). Fuels your token payoffs (3 in deck). Fits the token build players run with your commanders.
Conjurer's Closet5$4.05
In place of Lazotep Reaver: weakest slot in the deck (56/100)
Pays off your enters-the-battlefield engine (19 producers). Pays off the commanders' enters-the-battlefield plan. Top-5% staple by play data.
Yawgmoth, Thran Physician2BB$28.31
In place of Laboratory Drudge: weakest slot in the deck (63/100)
Pays off your +1/+1 counter engine (7 producers). Fills the draw gap (you're at 9 of 10+). Works with the commander directly.
Banner of Kinship5$7.41
In place of Scourge of Nel Toth: weakest slot in the deck (58/100)
Pays off your go-wide engine (22 producers). Pays off your token engine (10 producers). Fits the token build players run with your commanders.
Essence FluxU$1.85
In place of Enter the God-Eternals: weakest slot in the deck (58/100)
Pays off your enters-the-battlefield engine (19 producers). Pays off the commanders' enters-the-battlefield plan. Top-5% staple by play data.
Marionette Apprentice1B$2.04
In place of Grimoire of the Dead: weakest slot in the deck (58/100)
Pays off your artifact engine (9 producers). Fuels your token payoffs (3 in deck). Fits the token build players run with your commanders.
Save a copy to try them. The editor's Improve list has these and more, with the swaps one click each.
Decklist
Commander 1
Creatures 29
- B-
- B
- B+
- B
- B-
- B
- B+
- B+
- B
- B-
- B-
- B
- B
- B
- B
- B
- B-
- B
- B
- B
- B
- B
- B
- B+
- B
- B
- B-
- B
- B+
Planeswalkers 1
- B
Instants 5
- B
- B+
- B
- B
- B
Sorceries 12
- B
- B
- B
- B
- B+
- B-
- B+
- B+
- B
- B-
- B+
- B
Artifacts 9
- B-
- A-
- A-
- B+
- B+
- A-
- B+
- B+
- B+
Enchantments 4
- B
- B
- B
- B+
Lands 39
- B+
- B
- B+
- B
- B+
- B
- B-
- B
- B×4
- B×3
- B×3
- B×3
- B×5
- B×5
- B×4
- B×4
Prices are current market estimates, not what the sealed product costs. Magic: The Gathering is © Wizards of the Coast.