MTG Salvation

Is Crypt Champion the most competitive deck in Pauper EDH? Not even close. Is it the most ridiculous, most over-the-top, most murder-laden death metal dead guy? Maybe, probably!

I wanted to build this deck because I've always thought crypt champion was just cool, if cheesy. He's a zombie, he's got black and red mana, he has superfluous blades on his arms, he has double strike, this is happening.

As far as the actual deck, it's mainly voltron, aiming to punch through commander damage with CChampion's double strike. His recursion ability adds some longevity and card advantage, and takes a bit of the sting out of having to cast him multiple times. A significant chunk of the deck is 3 cmc utility dorks and a smattering of red looting, combining with CChampion to make his ability useful (and sometimes even efficient!) Then round things out with some goodstuff, mana rocks, graveyard hate, removal, and so forth, and bam, we have a deck.

If you don't like the symmetry of Crypt Champion's ability, or if he's just too cool and hardcore for you, Swift Warkite's ability is extremely similar and could be pretty great, especially since 6 cmc means you get the savagery that is free-recurring Dragon Breath. However, since you can expect to have to cast your commander several times in a game, the Warkite's starting at 6 mana rather than CC's 4 does matter quite a bit.

Input always appreciated! If you have a card suggestion, it's especially helpful if you can suggest what card in the deck it should replace.

Decklist with maybeboard on tappedout here



Thanks for looking, cheers.

Wild Guess is Tormenting Voice's best friend that you're not running!

Also, is Grotesque Mutation and Traitor's Clutch really good enough?

Have you considered giving Crypt Champion infect for a insta-kill? What about Shade's Form? Looking good in general though! I think this commander is very cool

Hey! I love the commander idea! I've always liked Crypt Champion (and Rakdos colours in general), and he seems powerful enough to be a great commander!

I'd want the effect to be as one-sided as possible. Vile Rebirth, Tormod's Crypt, Rotfeaster Maggot, Relic of Progenitus and Grave Birthing all seem like cards that would be powerful enough to fit in your list. Obviously you can't devote 5 more slots to it, but maybe another 2 wouldn't be bad.

If you're exiling a lot of cards, Eldrazi Processor cards could be really interesting. Mind Raker and Ruin Processor could be interesting synergy for you.

I'm not sure you're running enough creatures to warrant things like Vulturous Aven and Altar's Reap. I understand that you want to take advantage of your Commander's ability, but I'm certain your creatures will find their way to the graveyard by themselves often enough anyways.

Creatures with double strike are awesome because they make the best use out of auras that only pump power. I would favour stuff like Dark Favor, Deviant Glee, Inferno Fist (I highly recommend this one), Taste for Mayhem and Sinister Strength.

Street Wraith doesn't seem particularly useful here. Neither does Monstrous Carabid.

Could Bloodfire Dwarf see some play here? Any creature that costs less than 3 and that has a decent ability when sacrificed would be interesting, really.Generator Servant and Martyr of Ashes come to mind as potentially powerful choices as well.

That's all I can think of for now! I hope some of it was useful!

Thanks for the input my dudes

Okay yeah I should probably be running tainted strike, all champion needs to make that a 1 hit kill is +2/+0. Gross. Phyresis is worse but probably still strong. It's fortunate that if he dies after dealing out some poison counters, that damage still counts toward commander damage.

It's tricky to decide the number and type of voltron pieces, but I think as people start to catch on that you really have to block crypt champion, I'll probably switch out instants for trample auras like deviant glee or bestial fury. I considered shade's form briefly but since champion dies if he enters the battlefield and wasn't cast, I don't think it's worth 1BB to cast + additional mana for any pump. (By the way, mistmeadow witch's ability wrecks crypt champion and marrow chomper something fierce)

Traitor's clutch has been VERY good. Even without its synergy with looting effects it would still be really good. Grotesque mutation is hit or miss with its trickiness, and should probably be a card that isn't only good when you have an unblocked crypt champion, like one of those trample auras or brute strength. Killing someone and gaining a 10+ chunk of life is pretty fantastic but it basically requires the opponent to mis-evaluate crypt champion.

I have my clear top 5 graveyard hate pieces here (spellbomb, bog, faerie, crypt incursion, cremate) but it wouldn't hurt to work in tormod's or the maggot, though the maggot is pretty defensive and cumbersome. I might even go headstone or is that just too lolbad?

Street wraith and carabid make death denied/reaping/recover work at max power, but I could see cutting one

I think rather than slot in something like bloodfire dwarf whose main utility would be clearing out chump blockers, I'd rather just play a card that invalidates chump blocking like bestial fury. I haven't encountered a lot of utility x/1s playing this format yet (don't know any mistmeadow witch player personally) but when I do I'll bring in stuff like vithian stinger. Martyr is interesting but my deck is too light on red for it to be consistently strong. Same issue with the wild guess, RR mana cost makes this card bad enough here to not make room for.

Have you considered tortured existence? The card is powerfull enough that it got a deck build around it in general pauper and it seems awesome with your general.

I dunno, feel like I'd rather just have a regular old raise dead or gravedigger effect. Or maybe undertaker, who can discard lands and rocks. Crypt Champion mitigates the frailty of undertaker a bit.

Maybe I am undervaluing the ability to pitch creatures but I feel like something like urborg uprising or death's duet or whatever would just be better.

That does remind me, though, that stinkweed imp is an obvious include I somehow missed. Thanks! lol