Mana is for weaklings, real men use their life points, because only those who are willing to sacrifice something are able to gain something...
> Introduction
K´rrik is one of the strongest mono black commanders and his ability fits absolutely well in the black color pie. As you can use your life as a resource, he can finish the game very quickly with the right cards or just be grindy because of the reanimation spells. How do you get the right cards? Well, we are playing black, so we are going to tutor what we need because we don't need luck, we just need enough life.
This deck will use its commander as an enabler for each infinite combo and trying to finish in early-to-mid game. K'rrik is also a good attacker and blocker. He can be a one-man show if you have to block creatures and will bring back life, which is mana and his ability to get bigger and bigger just by playing black spells makes him fearsome.
>Strategy
This deck is completely based on its commander and can win the game very quickly on turn 2-3, but is also strong in midgame. The key cards are Aetherflux Reservoir, Doomsday, Peer into the Abyss and Gray Merchant of Asphodel. We will use the ability of K'rrik to pay with life points instead of mana. We will try to get the four mana in turn one or two, so we can cast K'rrik with six life and four mana. After this, we are going to finish the game with an infinity combo of devotion dmg or Aetherflux reservoir. It is important to keep an eye on our life as a resource because if we don't have enough life we can't finish the game, so don't waste your life if it is not necessary.
As already mentioned, K'rrik has life steal and gets stronger for each black spell, so attack, if possible, to get life back or just keep him as a blocker if the enemies playing decks with combat dmg.
Use the recursion spells for K'rrik to get a comeback, for Vilis to draw a lot of cards for gary to get back life or for Chainer to finish the game.
>Win Cons
>Devotion
Gray Merchant of Asphodel Devotion DMG:
For this we need the following creatures:
Combo:
- Sacrifice Gray Merchant of Asphodel with Carrion Feeder
- bring Gray Merchant of Asphodel back again with the ability from Chainer, Dementia Master for 9 life
- Sacrifice Gray Merchant of Asphodel with Carrion Feeder
- bring Gray Merchant of Asphodel back again with the ability from Chainer, Dementia Master for 9 life till you win the game.
It is possible to use Chainers effect as an instant (with yawgmoth's will use Chainers ability before enemy draw step)
If someone tries to remove Chainer, you can pay 9 life again to bring back gray and start a new loop.
If Chainer is exiled - Corpse Dance and Blood Celebrant can do the same for 14 Life instead of 9
> Some easy ways to get the devotion win con:
-
Peer into the abyss
This card is actually the best way to get any of our win cons.
-
Buried Alive
Using Buried Alive in combination with a reanimate, animate dead, exhume, necromancy or yawgmoth's will and K'rrik, Son of Yawgmoth as an enabler is one of the easiest ways.
Bring Chainer back to the battlefield with an reanimation spell and then use his ability to bring back Feeder and Gray and start the loop.
-
Final Parting
Similar to buried alive, you can search for two combo pieces if you already have one.
-
Sidisi, Undead Vizier and Vile Entomber
Depends on life this can also be an easy way to get the combo.
We need Chainer, Dementia Master at least 2-6 mana and enough life.
Vile Entomber example (5 mana and 28 life needed) : Play Chainer, Dementia Master and Vile Entomber - search for Sidisi, Undead Vizier - use the ability of chainer - exploit Sidisi, Undead Vizier and search for entomb - cast entomb - search for Gray Merchant of Asphodel - revive Gray Merchant of Asphodel for some life - revive Sidisi, Undead Vizier and exploit sidisi - search for carrion feeder - play carrion feeder - sac Gray Merchant of Asphodel - start the loop
-
Depends on what you already have and need, you can play actually any tutor to find any win con.
> Aetherflux
Using Aetherflux Reservoir with K'rrik, Son of Yawgmoth to win the game.
Play Atherflux and then use a few options (depends on life and cards):
Combos:
- Play Carrion Feeder with Gravecrawler - Sac Gravecrawler and play him again for 2 life each time
- Play Leshrac's Sigil - Bounce it and play it again for 8 life each time
- Play Sensei's Divining Top and Bolas's Citadel - Draw with the ability of Sensei's Divining Top and play it again with Bolas's Citadel for 1 life each time
> Some easy ways to get the Aetherflux win con:
> Storm
Tendrils of Agony : Another possible win con if we use it correctly.
In combination with Peer into the Abyss or the Gravecrawler and Carrion Feeder, we are able to play plenty spells for the storm.
At the same time K'rrik, Son of Yawgmoth will get +1/+1 for each black spell.
So, try to play as many as possible black spells and attack with K'rrik to get life back and start casting more black spells and cast tendrils of agony or play tendrils of agony, get life back and cast more spells to power up K'rrik untill he will be 21/21 and swing out an enemy.
Note: All the 0 mana rocks are also spells and with Yawgmoth's Will we can cast some of the spells and also tendrils of agony twice.
> Oracle
Need 2 Blue mana (Lion's Eye Diamond, Mox Diamond, Mox Opal, Lotus Petal or multicolored lands like Exotic Orchard) 1-3 generic mana and at least 6 life.
- Use Praetor's Grasp or opposition agent to grab Thassas Oracle
- Play Demonic Consultation or tainted pact
- Play Thassas Oracle
- Win
> Starting Hand
We should try to hold a hand that generates four mana quickly and at least one part of our combo and a tutor. There are even hands that can win in the first turn, but you should aim at turn two or three to go infinite or try to play till midgame because of the grind potential.
Try to play K'rrik in turn one or two, so he can block and let you pay life for the spells. It is easily possible to finish in turn two or three if you have the right cards in hand, if not just try to hold a hand with some draw or ramp and get to the midgame. Prepare yourself to win in one turn with some protection cards if possible.
It is no problem if you keep a hand with just one land if you can produce four mana quickly and cast spells with K'rrik.
> Single Card Discussion
> Inclusions
- Baleful mastery: Exile a creature or a planeswalker in black is an excellent removal, which can be very cheap for {1} and 2 life - the downside is, that you will let an enemy draw a card, but you can choose the enemy so just choose the weakest one.
- blood celebrant: One of the best cards in this deck. You can use your life for colorless mana.
- bile blight: Great single target removal, also good against indestructible and token decks like krenko.
- Bolas's Citadel: Part of the combo and also a good way to go through the deck with necropotence and/or Sensei's Divining Top.
- Boseiju, who shelters all: Protect your spells like shallow grave, Yawgmoth's Will, corpse dance or Peer into the abyss.
- Cavern of Souls: Choose “minion” and don't let your enemies counter your K'rrik or Chainer.
- Command Beacon: Our commander is important, and commander taxes will hurt us, so try to avoid them.
- Conqueror's Flail & Defense grid: just to protect your turn to start your infinite combo.
- Darkness: Prevent combat damage if someone tries to kill you or make a lot of dmg. Also, possible to prevent some combat dmg triggers.
- Dauthi Voidwalker: Can attack planeswalker with his shadow ability, block other creatures with shadow, has the same effect as leyline of the void and can generate value. Good against gitrog, mulldrotha or meren and all ltb trigger decks. And this all just for four life.
- Demonic Consultation: see tainted pact.
- Exhume: nice reanimation spell, but be careful and check enemy graveyard.
- Thoughtseize and Inquisition of Kozilek: use them to get an overview about the hand of the other players and get rid of counter- or removal spells and protect your game.
- homeward path: For the gilded drakes and other stealing stuff, to bring back our enabler.
- Lightning greaves: protect our commander and let him swing asap.
- Peer into the Abyss: Can win the game with still 1 life left after resolve (trust me, it already happened a few times). Drawing the half of the library is equal to a win because of the 0 cmc mana rocks, zuran orb and K'rriks ability. One of the main cards in this deck.
- Tainted pact: Without any cards twice in this deck (only one swamp and one snow-covered swamp) you can go through your deck and find the missing card for your win. Also, a win condition with thassas oracle which you can grab with Praetor's Grasp or if Oracle is in the enemy graveyard use a reanimation spell and tainted pact to win.
- Sign in Blood: Draw two cards for the doomsday pile or top deck tutor.
- Sidisi, Undead Vizier: A etb tutor which we can "cheat" into the battlefield with chainer or other reanimator spells.
- Urza's Saga: A land which can replace itself for a sol ring, Lion's Eye Diamond, mana vault, mana crypt or a senseis divining top.
- Vilis, Broker of Blood: Our yawgmoth's bargain, pay 4 life and draw 4 cards. As a bonus, you can kill some tiny creatures.
- Vile Entomber: an etb entomb which we can "cheat" into the battlefield with chainer or other reanimator spells.
- Praetor's Grasp: Flexible usage to get a Doomsday or get rid of a combo piece from the enemy if needed. Also, a win condition with thassa's oracle and Demonic Consultation. Or just look for a tutor for yourself.
- Final Parting: Usually brings a reanimate into your hand, and Vilis, Broker of Blood, into your graveyard for a quick set-up. This can also put Chainer, Dementia Master in hand, and put Gray Merchant of Asphodel in the graveyard for a solid 2/3 combo pieces at the ready.
- Imp's Mischief: change the target of a counterspell or removal.
- Font of Agonies Paying 2 life and 1 mana to destroy a creature and get back 2 counter because we paid 2 life.
> Exclusions
- Ad Nauseam: Paying life to draw cards can be good, but this card is more a gambling in K'rrik. Paying too much life will inhibit the play, and the {3} generic mana are too expensive for such a gambling. The Instant speed doesn't make it better because winning with instant speed is very difficult in this deck.
- Asmodeus the Archfiend + Necrotic Ooze + Skirge Familiar: With this combo, we can draw our entire deck without K'rrik. Also, possible to draw a bunch of cards with K'rrik + Asmodeus and a sac outlet. But why going for this combo with for example buried alive, when we can directly go for the chainer combo and finish the game? We can't use these cards standalone, so the combo is just nice, but not needed.
- Wandering Archaic: Nice Stax, but very vulnerable with his creature subtype and quickly becomes the target of removal spells. It also costs {5} mana, which we cannot reduce with K'rrik's ability.
- Buried Ruin: Recursion for the Aetherflux reservoir but never used.
- Dark Confidant / Phyrexian Arena: too slow.
- Drag to the Underworld: a better version of victim of night, but not required since Baleful mastery is the better removal
- Duress: since no creatures are possible, too restricted
- Scheming Symmetry: Without a cantrip, a draw spell or an opposition agent you will let an enemy find an answer for you or even worse he will go infinite with this free tutor.
- Diabolic Intent: with only 11 creatures (one of them is K'rrik himself) I don't think that this tutor will be consistent in this deck.
- Slaughter pact: The nonblack requirement and the two mana in the upkeep makes this removal only good to interrupt someone to win the game with a nonblack creature combo piece. Deadly Rollick is better.
- Cruel Bargain: Only good for a doomsday pile, I prefer sign in blood.
- Dimir Machinations: Primary a tutor for Doomsday, Corpse Dance, Necropotence, Buried Alive, Necromancy or Yawgmoth's Will. Not as good as shred memory but can counter play the top deck manipulation from an enemy. Still not good enough to play
- Varragoth, Bloodsky sire: too slow for a top deck tutor.
- Overeager Apprentice: too slow to ramp.
- Contamination: Only good for one turn, because we don't run enough creatures to hold this card on the battlefield.
- Phyrexian obliterator: Not necessary in this deck, it will get removed or ignored.
- Cremate: cling to dust is more flexible.
- phyrexian altar / ashnod's altar: carrion feeder costs 2 life to play, while phyrexian altar or ashnod's altar need 3 generic mana and can't be found with buried alive. Also, we don't need that many sac outlets and carrion feeder combos well with gravecrawler.
- Stinging Study: Draw 7 cards for {4} Mana and 9 life with instant speed is really nice but like ad nauseam it is too expensive, and 9 life is like 22.5% of our starting life.
- Viscera Seer: I decided to play carrion feeder over viscera seer just for the possibility of another Aetherflux infinite combo.
- Extort: It does not work as well as many people thought. For example, you will drain 3 opponents, you have to pay 2 life to get 3 life back, but you also need to pay mana for a spell which will trigger extort. So, in best case you have to pay 2 life for the spell and 2 life for the extort cost and will get back 3 life which means 2 instances of extort will bring back the life lost in this case. But what if the spell costs more than just one {b}? And every mana besides of black mana can't be replaced with life, which means you need to use blood celebrant to change out mana for life. This means that you need a lot of pieces to even get this loop started.
Another problem is, that you usually need 3 opponents to stay alive while using the loop, so if one of them die because he had the lowest life, you can’t continue with the loop. In this case, you need to try to win another way if you haven’t gotten your other opponents low enough to kill them before you kill yourself by continue the loop in a life-negative situation.
> Strengths and Weaknesses
> Strengths
- This deck is extremely fast and can tutor all important combo pieces without mana just with life.
- It is just mono black, so in a cEDH group it shouldn't get the most attention, use this and finish the game out of the nowhere.
- High comeback potential (midgame) if you don't play too aggressive.
- Grind because of all the reanimator spells.
- Unpredictable because of the phyrexian mana, we can interact while outtapped.
- Lot of tutors, for each situation, just tutor the right card.
> Weaknesses
- Just mono black, lack of counter and protection.
- K'rrik as an important component and at the same time bottleneck of this deck.
- Late game, lack of lands and engines (and the life loss will bring us into a dangerous position).
- Countermagic can be a problem.
- Lack of artifact removal, I know we could play gate to phyrexia or phyrexian tribute, but we don't run enough creatures. (Try with hand hate)
> Budget alternatives
If you don't have the budget to buy all these cards, there are few budget cards which you can play instead
Old doomsday version: https://deckstats.net/decks/118014/2400468--cedh-k-rrik-the-sleeper-agent/de
Why no Doomsday? Because Doomsday is not a wincon, it is just a way to get the win con but it needs too much card slots to be useful at all and it was only good in early game.
It is better to use the "doomsday only" slots for more tutors, interaction and non tapped lands.
> Changelog
See revision: https://deckstats.net/decks/118014/1634363--primer-k-rrik-the-dark-prince#show__revisions
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