My original list started as an untap-shenanigan brew, and evolved to be far more thematic, like a "non-vampire-creature but still vampire-tribal" theme. It originally used all the good x-bleed life-gain (Drain Life variants) spells as the true deck's win condition, which was supposed to help recover from the gratuitous amount of life-loss the cards in this deck cause. That theme felt pretty vampy. More vampy than tribal-vampire. If one is familiar with the lore behind Shauku, it felt perfect, as if we as the planeswalker had become subservient to Shauku while visiting her library.
Since then I've already rebuilt many far better mono-black x-spell bleed decks (like the current Maralen of the Mornsong deck I currently maintain). I've chosen a different path here while revisiting Shauku, and fitted her in a swamps-matter design;
From what other decks I've seen and chatter regarding Shauku, most people seem to be pretty concerned about her attack clause. Well, she isn't really designed to attack in this deck. Building a deck with the intention of attacking with a 7-cmc general that isn't a power-house like maelstrom wanderer, is just a bad idea. She is a removal machine, and the deck is designed to use untap-shennanigans while building up swamps for big creatures like nightmare or equipment like nightmare lash to take us to victory.
This doesn't mean that she will never attack tho, and can easily grow to a gross size when combined with Umbral Mantle + mana.
There are a few other untap-tricks I could run like saddlebags, staff of domination, and sword of the paruns, but felt that the mana investment was too high. There are also quite a few other tap-creatures that I could play like Cao Cao, Lord of Wei, but felt that in a multiplayer environment, some of these were just not good enough, or would warrant unnecessary spite/retaliation.
Additional specific exclusions are more personal preference since I'm still running Maralen and didn't want a copy+paste second deck. I'm specifically trying mono-black EDH while excluding my favorite go-to toys of Pestilence/Withering Wisps+Stuffy Doll, and while I love drain life spells, only Exsanguinate and Blood Tribute are included.
Shauku is most likely a weaker commander than what Visara the Dreadful has to offer, but exile is fun. Yes Visara does have better cleavage, but I'm interested in giving Dominaria's ancient vamp some love.
What do you all think? Am I missing anything helpful to this sort of build?
Trading Post is fantastic in nearly every deck, and you have a bunch of artifacts and are in special need of lifegain. It's a little limited in terms of what it does for your deck, but Eon Hub would keep Shauku at bay indefinitely and might occasionally hose a random Dark Confidant or something.
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You would never guess, at the terrifying sight of the man, that Hunding was as charming a companion as one could wish for.
If you're going the untap/tap route to exile creatures with Shauku, what about adding King Macar, the Gold-Cursed to the 99? Actually, this duo is kind of a neat pairing for a format I'm working on that's basically 2 commanders at once (found here).
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A few days ago I made a random comment in a thread about unused edh commanders regarding Visara the Dreadful, and my silly brain got stuck on revisiting a general I had ran briefly a few years ago; Shauku, Endbringer!
My original list started as an untap-shenanigan brew, and evolved to be far more thematic, like a "non-vampire-creature but still vampire-tribal" theme. It originally used all the good x-bleed life-gain (Drain Life variants) spells as the true deck's win condition, which was supposed to help recover from the gratuitous amount of life-loss the cards in this deck cause. That theme felt pretty vampy. More vampy than tribal-vampire. If one is familiar with the lore behind Shauku, it felt perfect, as if we as the planeswalker had become subservient to Shauku while visiting her library.
Since then I've already rebuilt many far better mono-black x-spell bleed decks (like the current Maralen of the Mornsong deck I currently maintain). I've chosen a different path here while revisiting Shauku, and fitted her in a swamps-matter design;
1x Shauku, Endbringer
Creature (16)
1x Avatar of Woe
1x Burnished Hart
1x Coffin Queen
1x Crypt Ghast
1x Cuombajj Witches
1x Guardian Beast
1x Korlash, Heir to Blackblade
1x Liliana's Shade
1x Nightmare
1x Royal Assassin
1x Sepulchral Primordial
1x Solemn Simulacrum
1x Sorceress Queen
1x Squelching Leeches
1x Visara the Dreadful
1x Xathrid Gorgon
Instant (6)
1x Imp's Mischief
1x Moonlight Bargain
1x Skeletal Scrying
1x Vampiric Tutor
1x Withering Boon
1x Wretched Confluence
1x All Is Dust
1x Ambition's Cost
1x Ancient Craving
1x Blood Tribute
1x Decree of Pain
1x Demonic Tutor
1x Exsanguinate
1x Grim Discovery
1x Mutilate
1x Necromantic Selection
1x Night's Whisper
1x Read the Bones
1x Rise of the Dark Realms
1x Sign in Blood
Enchantment (2)
1x Oubliette
1x Shade's Form
Planeswalker (4)
1x Karn Liberated
1x Liliana of the Dark Realms
1x Liliana Vess
1x Ugin, the Spirit Dragon
Artifact (20)
1x Batterskull
1x Caged Sun
1x Champion's Helm
1x Darksteel Plate
1x Expedition Map
1x Gauntlet of Power
1x Glaring Spotlight
1x Illusionist's Bracers
1x Lashwrithe
1x Lightning Greaves
1x Loxodon Warhammer
1x Magewright's Stone
1x Nightmare Lash
1x Puppet Strings
1x Rings of Brighthearth
1x Sol Ring
1x Swiftfoot Boots
1x Thousand-Year Elixir
1x Umbral Mantle
1x Wayfarer's Bauble
1x Arcane Lighthouse
1x Cabal Coffers
1x Myriad Landscape
32x Swamp
1x Temple of the False God
1x Urborg, Tomb of Yawgmoth
From what other decks I've seen and chatter regarding Shauku, most people seem to be pretty concerned about her attack clause. Well, she isn't really designed to attack in this deck. Building a deck with the intention of attacking with a 7-cmc general that isn't a power-house like maelstrom wanderer, is just a bad idea. She is a removal machine, and the deck is designed to use untap-shennanigans while building up swamps for big creatures like nightmare or equipment like nightmare lash to take us to victory.
This doesn't mean that she will never attack tho, and can easily grow to a gross size when combined with Umbral Mantle + mana.
There are a few other untap-tricks I could run like saddlebags, staff of domination, and sword of the paruns, but felt that the mana investment was too high. There are also quite a few other tap-creatures that I could play like Cao Cao, Lord of Wei, but felt that in a multiplayer environment, some of these were just not good enough, or would warrant unnecessary spite/retaliation.
Additional specific exclusions are more personal preference since I'm still running Maralen and didn't want a copy+paste second deck. I'm specifically trying mono-black EDH while excluding my favorite go-to toys of Pestilence/Withering Wisps+Stuffy Doll, and while I love drain life spells, only Exsanguinate and Blood Tribute are included.
Shauku is most likely a weaker commander than what Visara the Dreadful has to offer, but exile is fun. Yes Visara does have better cleavage, but I'm interested in giving Dominaria's ancient vamp some love.
What do you all think? Am I missing anything helpful to this sort of build?
Links to my most current deck lists;
Primary EDH; Rakka Mar Token Perfection, Crosis Mnemonic Betrayal, Cromat Villainous, Judith Gravestorm, Rakdos Empty Storm, Exava Artifacts, Bant Trash, & Fumiko Voltron!
EDH kept at home; Ruzzian Isset & Rakdos LoR!
EDH (nostalgic/pimp/retired) in storage;
Latulla Burns, Akroma Smash, Jeska Voltron, Rakdos Storm, Bladewing Darghans, Lyzolda Worldgorger, Xantcha Steals your Heart, Jori Storm, Wydwen Permission, Gwendlyn Paradox, Jeleva Warps, & Sigarda Brick!
Legacy Showanimator and High Tide!
BGU [Primer] Sidisi, Brood Tyrant BGU | BG [Primer] Mazirek, Kraul Death Priest BG | G [Primer] Polukranos, World Eater G
My YouTube Channel:
The Commander Tavern - a channel I just started where I'll post deck techs and gameplays. Please support by checking it out. Maybe you'll like its content and subscribe! Thanks!
Credit to DolZero for this awesome sig!