This deck is as much of a "good stuff" deck that I have ever put together. It runs a ton of removal, recursion, and card draw (and it could run even more if the deck needed it), so the deck naturally wants to play a very controlling game. The deck wins with multiple Jarad activations, overwhelming players with card advantage, or a timely Living Death, Genesis Wave, or Profane Command.
There are tons and tons of cards that the deck could run; its just a mater of getting the deck down to 99 cards and still including most of what you want that is the hard part for me. With BG being one of my favorite color combinations, I could end up making a complete deck with just the cards I cut...
Recent Cuts
-1 Withered Wretch - With the recent additions of Scavenging Ooze and Deathrite Shaman, this became less necessary for straight graveyard removal
-1 Bane of the Living - I really like this card, but I figured I had enough sweepers and I liked most of the Sorcery options too much to cut them over this.
-1 Ink-Eyes, Servant of Oni - I hated to see this go (especially in combination with the various Wood Elves variants), but it didn't fit the theme as well once I converted this from Nath.
-1 Cloudthresher - Another casualty of 'too many sweepers', but this one was significantly worse than anything else I was running and it came out so that I could run Polukranos.
-1 Kamahl, Fist of Krosa - This is high on my list of cards to put back into the deck. Having a tutorable Overrun effect like this in the deck would often come in handy.
-1 Visara the Dreadful - A sad day when Visara is not good enough, but I was already flooded with 6-drops and I didn't need the added removal.
-1 Grave Titan - As pure value he is very good, but in the end he was not as good as the other 6-drops I wanted to run.
-1 Avatar of Woe - I didn't need the added removal even in light of the fact that this would often come down for only BB.
-1 Rancor - Solid card that is somewhat unnecessary when better creature choices are made.
-1 Green Sun's Zenith - I had to cut one of the creature tutors when I added Birthing Pod and this was the worst.
-1 Hurricane - I love having X-spell finishers in the deck, but I rarely got myself into a position where this was game-ending
-1 Harmonize - I don't have a problem with having too few cards in this deck. Harmonize would often rot in my hand with no need to ever cast it.
-1 Liliana of the Veil - Another relic of when this was a Nath deck, this is a great card that is now not very relevant with the theme
-1 Garruk Wildspeaker - This is an awesome Planeswalker for EDH that I cut purely for space. It was a close call between this and Garruk, Primal Hunter
-1 Vraska the Unseen - Included in the deck primarily because of her colors, she is actually a fairly decent deal for the cost. She was cut mostly to just being redundant with other removal already in the deck.
4/24/2017:
+1 Protean Hulk - Card was just unbanned today, so I'm going to put it into the deck that naturally wants it the most.
-1 Terastodon - Nasty Terasty was basically in there as a 8-drop cap for Birthing Pod, but I can live without it.
5/22/2018:
+1 Blackblade Reforged, -1 Pitiless Plunderer: Pitiless Plunderer was not as good as I thought it would be in this deck.
+1 Demonlord Belzenlok, -1 Greenwarden of Murasa: Trading in one form of CA for another.
+1 Multani, Yavimaya's Avatar, -1 Massacre Wurm - The Wurm is a decent sweeper and an occasional source of damage, but I think Multani has much more damage potential as a huge creature to fling with Jarad.
+1 Llanowar Wastes, -1 Temple of the False God - the deck has all sorts of tricky mana requirements, so I needed to cut a colorless land. I use all the other 4 all the time, so TotFG had to go.
As you can see by the card choices, the deck runs very few "cute" cards or cards that only synergize with Jarad. Instead of being a deck that relies on its commander, this deck uses Jarad mostly as a finisher so synergy with Jarad is not a high priority. Coupled with the various forms of creature tutoring available in the deck (Survival of the Fittest, Fauna Shaman, and Birthing Pod), we can be very select with our sacrificial fodder.
Card Choices
Creatures Deathrite Shaman - A nice collection of abilities that allow for the deck to ramp in the mid or late game, but its biggest use is to keep the opponent's graveyard clear of creatures prior to casting Living Death. Sakura-Tribe Elder - The perfect ramp card for this deck; can be recurred with Oversold Cemetery or Genesis o help ramp into our late game cards. Nezumi Graverobber - Keeps opposing graveyard shenanigans to a minimum until it flips where it turns opposing creatures against their opponent. Fauna Shaman - One of the decks three main tutoring engines that also feed Oversold Cemetery and help set up Genesis. Viridian Zealot - One of a couple of different cards for removing artifacts or enchantments, this one does me a favor and puts itself in the graveyard to be recurred. It also gets around Torpor Orb if the need arises. Scavenging Ooze - More graveyard hate that also doubles as a small lifegain engine. Wood Elves, Farhaven Elf, Yavimaya Dryad - Creature-based forms of ramp are perfect here. The provide ideal fodder for Skullclamp and are all recurrable with Cemetery and Genesis. Yavimaya Elder - The green Ancestral Recall is perfect for a recursion deck. Eternal Witness - When you don't need to recur a creature you recur this to get back whatever Instant, Sorcery, Enchantment, or Artifact you might need. Burnished Hart - Another ideal form of ramp for a graveyard deck. Bone Shredder - Some spot creature removal that provides Skullclamp fodder or sacrifices itself to be recurred. Oracle of Mul Daya - A green staple of card advantage and ramp. Solemn Simulacrum - Value-town coming and going, its a great card to recur when building up resources Nantuko Vigilante - Another sweet removal spell disguised as a creature Ravenous Baloth - There is a small lifegain theme in the deck that allows the deck to come back from otherwise dire positions. Disciple of Bolas - Lifegain is nice but the card draw is the primary reason to run this. Polukranos, World Eater - I like this card. Running more sweepers makes less sense once you have control of the board, but running a few cards like this that can take out a few problematic creatures at once can really break open a game. Acidic Slime - One of the best removal spells in the game Shriekmaw - More inexpensive creature kill that is recurrable Kagemaro, First to Suffer - One of many sweepers in black, this one is recurrable and can get huge once your hand refills. Thragtusk - Lifegain plus it leaves a body behind if killed or sacrificed. Genesis - One of you many recursion engines Arashi, the Sky Asunder - Sometimes you just need to clear the air and leave your ground forces alone Lord of Extinction - The primary creature Jarad will Fling for the victory Seedguide Ash - Another value creature when it gets killed or sac'd to Jarad Duplicant - More spot removal, this one takes care of any pro-black creatures that might be lurking Wurmcoil Engine - Value when killed or sacrificed, it also provides a ton of value and lifegain Kokusho, the Evening Star - The ultimate recursions creature that provides the deck with reach and huge lifegain swings Gleancrawler - Another recursion engine, this one is stapled to a 6/6 Trampler Massacre Wurm - A nice way to get rid of a mass of tokens, it also provides some reach Mikaeus, the Unhallowed - Almost unfair with how much this guy can create an impenetrable wall of creatures, it is also a great way to recur stuff once Jarad is online Brutalizer Exarch - More removal or creature tutoring as the need may be Krosan Tusker - Solid value when cycled, its also ne of only two 7-drops that the deck runs for Birthing Pod Pelakka Wurm - Another creature that provides lots of value whether its coming or going, it also provides another 7-drop Terastodon - One of the best removal creatures in the game, it is the only 8-drop for a reason
Instant/Sorcery Rampant Growth, Nature's Lore, Kodama's Reach, Cultivate - We are green, ergo we ramp Maelstrom Pulse, Putrefy - One needs a few spot removal spells. Beast Within is also a reasonable choice Damnation, Decree of Pain, Dregs of Sorrow - We are black, ergo we kill creatures en masse Living Death - Mass creature kill coupled with mass creature recursion... what's not to like? Primal Command - Creature tutoring, killing non-creature permanents, and graveyard hate all wrapped into one package. It can also gain a nice bit of life in a pinch. Promise of Power - An underrated form of card advantage that spits out massive Demons in the late game Praetor's Counsel - Almost always game over when it resolves Profane Command - Will almost always be a Fireball to one players head, the other 3 modes are all very useful Genesis Wave - Another card that spells virtual game over when it resolves
Artifacts Mana Crypt, Sol Ring - The two best mana sources in the game Skullclamp - There is lots to clamp in the deck, not to mention a +1 boost in damage for Jarad Sensei's Divining Top - It was either this or Sylvan Library and either is a fine choice Mimic Vat - Another great recursion engine Birthing Pod - Creature tutoring that feeds the graveyard
Enchantments Oversold Cemetery - The primary recursion engine Survival of the Fittest - The prime creature tutor engine Phyrexian Arena - The drawback on Necropotence can be a big bummer, so its little brother gets the call here Greater Good - Card draw, sac outlet and a great way to get unwanted cards out of your hand
Planeswalkers Garruk, Primal Hunter - There are a ton of good Planeswalkers in black and green, but this version of Garruk is the best for what this deck needs/wants in my opinion.
A lot of expansions to look at since I last updated this thread, although there ended up not being a ton of options:
Commander 2014 Ghoulcaller Gisa - Plays directly into what this deck wants to do Grave Sifter - I think you need more of a tribal theme than what I am running, but this is pretty good in any deck that can control the opponent's graveyards. It wasn't bad, but it also wasn't good either. I think that this card will find a place somewhere, jut not here. Lifeblood Hydra - Surprisingly good, yet it is too mana inefficient.
Fate Reforged Palace Siege - This deck wants a lot of this effect.
Dragons of Tarkir Sidisi, Undead Vizier - I wanted to try a little tutoring in the deck, and this fits the theme.
Magic Origins
Nothing - Nissa, Vastwood Seer seemed like it might have a place, but in the end I never even tried it.
Battle For Zendikar Catacomb Sifter - I tried it out for the Scry 1 whenever a creature dies, but it ended up being uninspiring at best Ob Nixilis Reignited - Great card, but ultimately this deck wants everything to be done via creatures as much as possible Greenwarden of Murasa - Another Eternal Witness effect is well worth checking out. Smothering Abomination - The key is to get a little value out of it, then sac it to Jarad ASAP
Commander 2015 Mazirek, Kraul Death Priest - Amazing little creature that ended up in my Ghave deck, but it was perfectly fine here too. Meren of Clan Nel Toth - Another amazing little card that deserves its own deck. Here, I found that I could recur it and keep driving up the experience counters, but if I was recurring it then I didn't need it...
Oath of the Gatewatch Seed Guardian - I wanted to try this out because it had been a while since I tested Mitotic Slime and I wanted to know how this would stack up.
Shadows Over Innistrad The Gitrog Monster - This card also kinda deserves its own deck, but it found a home here for the time being.
Eldritch Moon Ishkanah, Grafwidow - There is a lot to like here, but it feels weak overall.
Conspiracy: Take the Crown
Nothing
Kaladesh
Nothing
Commander 2016
Nothing
Aether Revolt Rishkar's Expertise - Interesting ard to try here, but card draw is not an issue with the deck.
Another update of cards that I considered for this deck:
Amonkhet
*Bontu the Glorified - The deck doesn't run a ton of sac outlets as it normally relies on Jarad for most of it's sacrificing. Bontu gives the deck a very in-theme way to turn creatures into both damage and card advantage that survives my Wrath effects. Liliana, Death's Majesty - Having some reanimation and some way to feed Oversold Cemetery was nice, but the ultimate is very lacking for a deck that only had 3-4 Zombies.
*Rhonas the Indomitable -From granting Trample to high power creatures to pumping up a creature pre-flingage by Jarad to surviving my Wrath effects, Rhonas is a solid card in this deck. Vizier of the Menagerie - I liked this card, but in the end I had better card advantage options.
Hour of Devastation Apocalypse Demon - I had a copy so I tried it out. It's not bad as Jarad fodder, but overall it just didn't make sense to run it over my other 6-drops options. Razaketh, the Foulblooded - This is a good card that ended up in another deck, but was otherwise fine to run here despite the high casting cost.
*Uncage the Menagerie - Amazing at X = 3 through 6 in this deck.
Ixalan Boneyard Parley - This card is a beating post-Wrath. This barely doesn't make the deck
*Growing Rites of Itlimoc - Amazing card is amazing Vraska, Relic Seeker - Solid removal and token generator, but overall it wasn't anything that the deck really needed.
Rivals of Ixalan Ghalta, Primal Hunter - The potential to get 12 power worth of creature into play on the cheap is something to look at, but I don't think its going to make the deck in the long run. Journey to Eternity - This card was made for this deck, although I'm not sure about how much I'm willing to open myself up to 2 for 1's with it.
*Pitiless Plunderer - I really liked this card once I got a few more sac outlets into the deck.
*Twilight Prophet - Another amazing little card that replaced Phyrexian Arena Vona's Hunger - I didn't like this as much here as I did in other decks. When this deck needs a sweeper, the sweeper needs be able to take everything out and not leave the opponent with their best creature behind. World Shaper - By adding in a few fetchlands I felt this might have a shot.
Other Sets
*Greenwarden of Murasa - I tried this card out again at the suggestion of another player and I felt like it had to have a permanent spot in the deck.
*Palace Siege - I wanted to reinforce that this deck really wants to recur creatures.
The underperformers that I wanted to replace were as follows: Phyrexian Arena - Pulled for Twilight Prophet Fauna Shaman - With Birthing Pod and Survival of the Fittest already in the deck, I felt this was unnecessary Ravenous Baloth - I like that it self-sacrifices, but it doesn't do enough otherwise. Arashi, the Sky Asunder - I like the anti-Flyer Wrath that is recurrable, but I have better removal options overall. Brutalizer Exarch - I've just cooled on this card over time; it's plenty of value but it costs too much. Sensei's Divining Top - I'm just pulling it for space considerations. Primal Command - Great card that isn't necessary in this deck anymore. Burnished Hart - Another good card, but I had a glut of 3-mana land searchers and this was the worst one.
Blackblade Reforged: Since Jarad, Golgari Lich Lord's ability cares about the creature's power, this seems like an ideal fit for doling our tons of damage. With 8 Legendary creatures already in the deck and potentially more coming in, this seems worth testing. This deck is also pretty good at generating mana, so perhaps Equip isn't really a problem.
Demonlord Belzenlok: I'm thinking that this might be able to replace either Gleancrawler or Greenwarden of Murasa, as both of those cards have some overlap (they recur cards fro the graveyard) and are 6 drops. Belzenlok would also provide card advantage, but doesn't rely on the graveyard (where I already have tons of recursion). Being a 6/6 Flyer is also better stats-wise than the others, not to mention it can carry Blackblade Reforged a little easier.
Helm of the Host: I think this would be good here, but I don't want to overload on equipment or expensive cards.
Multani, Yavimaya's Avatar: I'm pretty sure I can get this up to pretty epic proportions given a game going long enough, and I love that it has Trample. It's another Legendary creature that could hold Blackblade Reforged on the cheap, and I think it just plays so well with the land-ramp theme that I should look at including it somehow.
Thallid Soothsayer: I have been really liking this card in my Endrek Sahr deck, and I think it could be good here. For the most part, this deck doesn't generate a lot of small fodder to feed an effect like this; it's mostly geared towards Jarad Flingage of fatties. I think I'm going to keep the decks distinct enough from one another that I'm going to pass on this.
The Eldest Reborn: I'm a little on the fence about Sagas in general, but this one seems like it would be pretty good here. It will be harder to recur than a creature if I want to get multiple uses out of it, but if I can get a 7-for-1 over three turns (assuming a 4-player game) then that seems well worth it.
The Mending of Dominaria: Chapters I and II seem great, but Chapter III shuffling my graveyard back into my library is a deal-breaker for me.
So for this update I'm going to change things up as follows:
+1 Blackblade Reforged, -1 Pitiless Plunderer: Pitiless Plunderer was not as good as I thought it would be in this deck.
+1 Demonlord Belzenlok, -1 Greenwarden of Murasa: Trading in one form of CA for another.
+1 Multani, Yavimaya's Avatar, -1 Massacre Wurm - The Wurm is a decent sweeper and an occasional source of damage, but I think Multani has much more damage potential as a huge creature to fling with Jarad.
+1 Llanowar Wastes, -1 Temple of the False God - the deck has all sorts of tricky mana requirements, so I needed to cut a colorless land. I use all the other 4 all the time, so TotFG had to go.
Jarad, Golgari Lich Lord is the evolution of one of my oldest EDH decks. It was originally Savra, Queen of the Golgari, then Nath of the Gilt-Leaf, but once Jarad was released I converted the deck and never looked back.
This deck is as much of a "good stuff" deck that I have ever put together. It runs a ton of removal, recursion, and card draw (and it could run even more if the deck needed it), so the deck naturally wants to play a very controlling game. The deck wins with multiple Jarad activations, overwhelming players with card advantage, or a timely Living Death, Genesis Wave, or Profane Command.
There are tons and tons of cards that the deck could run; its just a mater of getting the deck down to 99 cards and still including most of what you want that is the hard part for me. With BG being one of my favorite color combinations, I could end up making a complete deck with just the cards I cut...
My latest incarnation of the deck is here:
Deck updated 5/22/2018 through Dominaria
1 Jarad, Golgari Lich Lord
Creatures - 38
1 Deathrite Shaman
1 Sakura-Tribe Elder
1 Nezumi Graverobber
1 Viridian Zealot
1 Scavenging Ooze
1 Wood Elves
1 Farhaven Elf
1 Yavimaya Elder
1 Yavimaya Dryad
1 Eternal Witness
1 Bone Shredder
1 Bontu the Glorified
1 Rhonas the Indomitable
1 Oracle of Mul Daya
1 Solemn Simulacrum
1 Disciple of Bolas
1 Twilight Prophet
1 Smothering Abomination
1 Vindictive Lich
1 Sidisi, Undead Vizier
1 Ghoulcaller Gisa
1 Acidic Slime
1 Shriekmaw
1 Kagemaro, First to Suffer
1 Thragtusk
1 Genesis
1 Lord of Extinction
1 Seedguide Ash
1 Kamahl, Fist of Krosa
1 Duplicant
1 Wurmcoil Engine
1 Kokusho, the Evening Star
1 Gleancrawler
1 Demonlord Belzenlok
1 Mikaeus, the Unhallowed
1 Multani, Yavimaya's Avatar
1 Krosan Tusker
1 Protean Hulk
1 Rampant Growth
1 Nature's Lore
1 Kodama's Reach
1 Cultivate
1 Maelstrom Pulse
1 Putrefy
1 Damnation
1 Living Death
1 Promise of Power
1 Praetor's Counsel
1 Decree of Pain
1 Dregs of Sorrow
1 Uncage the Menagerie
1 Genesis Wave
Artifacts - 5
1 Mana Crypt
1 Sol Ring
1 Skullclamp
1 Blackblade Reforged
1 Birthing Pod
Enchantments - 5
1 Oversold Cemetery
1 Survival of the Fittest
1 Growing Rites of Itlimoc
1 Greater Good
1 Palace Siege
Planeswalkers - 1
1 Garruk, Primal Hunter
Lands - 36
1 Bayou
1 Overgrown Tomb
1 Twilight Mire
1 Woodland Cemetery
1 Tainted Wood
1 Llanowar Wastes
1 Verdant Catacombs
1 Polluted Delta
1 Wooded Foothills
1 Command Tower
1 Grim Backwoods
1 Svogthos, the Restless Tomb
1 Dust Bowl
1 High Market
1 Treetop Village
1 Okina, Temple to the Grandfathers
1 Shizo, Death's Storehouse
1 Gaea's Cradle
12 Forest
6 Swamp
Recent Cuts
-1 Withered Wretch - With the recent additions of Scavenging Ooze and Deathrite Shaman, this became less necessary for straight graveyard removal
-1 Bane of the Living - I really like this card, but I figured I had enough sweepers and I liked most of the Sorcery options too much to cut them over this.
-1 Ink-Eyes, Servant of Oni - I hated to see this go (especially in combination with the various Wood Elves variants), but it didn't fit the theme as well once I converted this from Nath.
-1 Cloudthresher - Another casualty of 'too many sweepers', but this one was significantly worse than anything else I was running and it came out so that I could run Polukranos.
-1 Kamahl, Fist of Krosa - This is high on my list of cards to put back into the deck. Having a tutorable Overrun effect like this in the deck would often come in handy.
-1 Visara the Dreadful - A sad day when Visara is not good enough, but I was already flooded with 6-drops and I didn't need the added removal.
-1 Grave Titan - As pure value he is very good, but in the end he was not as good as the other 6-drops I wanted to run.
-1 Avatar of Woe - I didn't need the added removal even in light of the fact that this would often come down for only BB.
-1 Rancor - Solid card that is somewhat unnecessary when better creature choices are made.
-1 Green Sun's Zenith - I had to cut one of the creature tutors when I added Birthing Pod and this was the worst.
-1 Hurricane - I love having X-spell finishers in the deck, but I rarely got myself into a position where this was game-ending
-1 Harmonize - I don't have a problem with having too few cards in this deck. Harmonize would often rot in my hand with no need to ever cast it.
-1 Liliana of the Veil - Another relic of when this was a Nath deck, this is a great card that is now not very relevant with the theme
-1 Garruk Wildspeaker - This is an awesome Planeswalker for EDH that I cut purely for space. It was a close call between this and Garruk, Primal Hunter
-1 Vraska the Unseen - Included in the deck primarily because of her colors, she is actually a fairly decent deal for the cost. She was cut mostly to just being redundant with other removal already in the deck.
3/26/2017:
+1 Ghoucaller Gisa
+1 Sidisi, Undead Vizier
+1 Smothering Abomination
+1 The Gitrog Monster
-1 Mimic Vat - This decks wants its recursion to occur from the graveyard and this sometimes gets in the way of that.
-1 Profane Command - I usually like having 1 or 2 X-spell finishers, but this is rarely how this deck ends games and this ended up not being necessary
-1 Polukranos, World Eater - There is plenty of creature kill already and this is inefficient at best.
-1 Nantuko Vigilante - I had overdone the artifact/enchantment kill a bit
4/24/2017:
+1 Protean Hulk - Card was just unbanned today, so I'm going to put it into the deck that naturally wants it the most.
-1 Terastodon - Nasty Terasty was basically in there as a 8-drop cap for Birthing Pod, but I can live without it.
9/3/2017:
-1 Gitrog Monster - just felt out of place
-1 Pelakka Wurm - Underwhelming as sacrifice fodder
+1 Vindictive Lich - Amazing as sacrifice fodder
+1 Kamahl, Fist of Krosa - Having a tutorable Overrun was needed
3/10/2018:
+1 Bontu the Glorified
+1 Rhonas the Indomitable
+1 Uncage the Menagerie
+1 Growing Rites of Itlimoc
+1 Pitiless Plunderer
+1 Twilight Prophet
+1 Greenwarden of Murasa
+1 Palace Siege
-1 Fauna Shaman
-1 Burnished Hart
-1 Ravenous Baloth
-1 Arashi, the Sky Asunder
-1 Brutalizer Exarch
-1 Pyrexian Arena
-1 Primal Command
-1 Sensei's Divining Top
5/22/2018:
+1 Blackblade Reforged, -1 Pitiless Plunderer: Pitiless Plunderer was not as good as I thought it would be in this deck.
+1 Demonlord Belzenlok, -1 Greenwarden of Murasa: Trading in one form of CA for another.
+1 Multani, Yavimaya's Avatar, -1 Massacre Wurm - The Wurm is a decent sweeper and an occasional source of damage, but I think Multani has much more damage potential as a huge creature to fling with Jarad.
+1 Llanowar Wastes, -1 Temple of the False God - the deck has all sorts of tricky mana requirements, so I needed to cut a colorless land. I use all the other 4 all the time, so TotFG had to go.
As you can see by the card choices, the deck runs very few "cute" cards or cards that only synergize with Jarad. Instead of being a deck that relies on its commander, this deck uses Jarad mostly as a finisher so synergy with Jarad is not a high priority. Coupled with the various forms of creature tutoring available in the deck (Survival of the Fittest, Fauna Shaman, and Birthing Pod), we can be very select with our sacrificial fodder.
Card Choices
Creatures
Deathrite Shaman - A nice collection of abilities that allow for the deck to ramp in the mid or late game, but its biggest use is to keep the opponent's graveyard clear of creatures prior to casting Living Death.
Sakura-Tribe Elder - The perfect ramp card for this deck; can be recurred with Oversold Cemetery or Genesis o help ramp into our late game cards.
Nezumi Graverobber - Keeps opposing graveyard shenanigans to a minimum until it flips where it turns opposing creatures against their opponent.
Fauna Shaman - One of the decks three main tutoring engines that also feed Oversold Cemetery and help set up Genesis.
Viridian Zealot - One of a couple of different cards for removing artifacts or enchantments, this one does me a favor and puts itself in the graveyard to be recurred. It also gets around Torpor Orb if the need arises.
Scavenging Ooze - More graveyard hate that also doubles as a small lifegain engine.
Wood Elves, Farhaven Elf, Yavimaya Dryad - Creature-based forms of ramp are perfect here. The provide ideal fodder for Skullclamp and are all recurrable with Cemetery and Genesis.
Yavimaya Elder - The green Ancestral Recall is perfect for a recursion deck.
Eternal Witness - When you don't need to recur a creature you recur this to get back whatever Instant, Sorcery, Enchantment, or Artifact you might need.
Burnished Hart - Another ideal form of ramp for a graveyard deck.
Bone Shredder - Some spot creature removal that provides Skullclamp fodder or sacrifices itself to be recurred.
Oracle of Mul Daya - A green staple of card advantage and ramp.
Solemn Simulacrum - Value-town coming and going, its a great card to recur when building up resources
Nantuko Vigilante - Another sweet removal spell disguised as a creature
Ravenous Baloth - There is a small lifegain theme in the deck that allows the deck to come back from otherwise dire positions.
Disciple of Bolas - Lifegain is nice but the card draw is the primary reason to run this.
Polukranos, World Eater - I like this card. Running more sweepers makes less sense once you have control of the board, but running a few cards like this that can take out a few problematic creatures at once can really break open a game.
Acidic Slime - One of the best removal spells in the game
Shriekmaw - More inexpensive creature kill that is recurrable
Kagemaro, First to Suffer - One of many sweepers in black, this one is recurrable and can get huge once your hand refills.
Thragtusk - Lifegain plus it leaves a body behind if killed or sacrificed.
Genesis - One of you many recursion engines
Arashi, the Sky Asunder - Sometimes you just need to clear the air and leave your ground forces alone
Lord of Extinction - The primary creature Jarad will Fling for the victory
Seedguide Ash - Another value creature when it gets killed or sac'd to Jarad
Duplicant - More spot removal, this one takes care of any pro-black creatures that might be lurking
Wurmcoil Engine - Value when killed or sacrificed, it also provides a ton of value and lifegain
Kokusho, the Evening Star - The ultimate recursions creature that provides the deck with reach and huge lifegain swings
Gleancrawler - Another recursion engine, this one is stapled to a 6/6 Trampler
Massacre Wurm - A nice way to get rid of a mass of tokens, it also provides some reach
Mikaeus, the Unhallowed - Almost unfair with how much this guy can create an impenetrable wall of creatures, it is also a great way to recur stuff once Jarad is online
Brutalizer Exarch - More removal or creature tutoring as the need may be
Krosan Tusker - Solid value when cycled, its also ne of only two 7-drops that the deck runs for Birthing Pod
Pelakka Wurm - Another creature that provides lots of value whether its coming or going, it also provides another 7-drop
Terastodon - One of the best removal creatures in the game, it is the only 8-drop for a reason
Instant/Sorcery
Rampant Growth, Nature's Lore, Kodama's Reach, Cultivate - We are green, ergo we ramp
Maelstrom Pulse, Putrefy - One needs a few spot removal spells. Beast Within is also a reasonable choice
Damnation, Decree of Pain, Dregs of Sorrow - We are black, ergo we kill creatures en masse
Living Death - Mass creature kill coupled with mass creature recursion... what's not to like?
Primal Command - Creature tutoring, killing non-creature permanents, and graveyard hate all wrapped into one package. It can also gain a nice bit of life in a pinch.
Promise of Power - An underrated form of card advantage that spits out massive Demons in the late game
Praetor's Counsel - Almost always game over when it resolves
Profane Command - Will almost always be a Fireball to one players head, the other 3 modes are all very useful
Genesis Wave - Another card that spells virtual game over when it resolves
Artifacts
Mana Crypt, Sol Ring - The two best mana sources in the game
Skullclamp - There is lots to clamp in the deck, not to mention a +1 boost in damage for Jarad
Sensei's Divining Top - It was either this or Sylvan Library and either is a fine choice
Mimic Vat - Another great recursion engine
Birthing Pod - Creature tutoring that feeds the graveyard
Enchantments
Oversold Cemetery - The primary recursion engine
Survival of the Fittest - The prime creature tutor engine
Phyrexian Arena - The drawback on Necropotence can be a big bummer, so its little brother gets the call here
Greater Good - Card draw, sac outlet and a great way to get unwanted cards out of your hand
Planeswalkers
Garruk, Primal Hunter - There are a ton of good Planeswalkers in black and green, but this version of Garruk is the best for what this deck needs/wants in my opinion.
Lands
Bayou, Overgrown Tomb, Twilight Mire, Woodland Cemetery - The best BG duals available
Tainted Wood - The tainted lands are underrated
Verdant Catacombs, Polluted Delta, Wooded Foothills - The deck needs to run a few fetches to smooth out the mana, but they also help feed Dethrite Shaman and shuffle the deck when needed
Command Tower - Staple
Grim Backwoods, High Market - The deck likes sac outlets and these are the best. Miren, the Moaning Well is also an option
Svogthos, the Restless Tomb - Expensive to use, but it gets really big in the late game
Temple of the False God - This deck has no issue getting and staying at 6 lands
Dust Bowl - I never leave home without a little non-basic hate
Treetop Village - One of the few man-lands worth running
Okina, Temple to the Grandfathers, Shizo, Death's Storehouse - The deck runs several legendary creatures and these help out a lot, plus they contribute to Jarad commander damage kills when necessary
Gaea's Cradle - A nice mid-game mana boost
12 Forest, 6 Swamp - The deck could actually use a few more basic lands. I've actually cut down the number of non-basics
Jalira, Master Polymorphist | Endrek Sahr, Master Breeder | Bosh, Iron Golem | Ezuri, Renegade Leader
Brago, King Eternal | Oona, Queen of the Fae | Wort, Boggart Auntie | Wort, the Raidmother
Captain Sisay | Rhys, the Redeemed | Trostani, Selesnya's Voice | Jarad, Golgari Lich Lord
Gisela, Blade of Goldnight | Obzedat, Ghost Council | Niv-Mizzet, the Firemind | Vorel of the Hull Clade
Uril, the Miststalker | Prossh, Skyraider of Kher | Nicol Bolas | Progenitus
Ghave, Guru of Spores | Zedruu the Greathearted | Damia, Sage of Stone | Riku of Two Reflections
Commander 2014
Ghoulcaller Gisa - Plays directly into what this deck wants to do
Grave Sifter - I think you need more of a tribal theme than what I am running, but this is pretty good in any deck that can control the opponent's graveyards. It wasn't bad, but it also wasn't good either. I think that this card will find a place somewhere, jut not here.
Lifeblood Hydra - Surprisingly good, yet it is too mana inefficient.
Fate Reforged
Palace Siege - This deck wants a lot of this effect.
Dragons of Tarkir
Sidisi, Undead Vizier - I wanted to try a little tutoring in the deck, and this fits the theme.
Magic Origins
Nothing - Nissa, Vastwood Seer seemed like it might have a place, but in the end I never even tried it.
Battle For Zendikar
Catacomb Sifter - I tried it out for the Scry 1 whenever a creature dies, but it ended up being uninspiring at best
Ob Nixilis Reignited - Great card, but ultimately this deck wants everything to be done via creatures as much as possible
Greenwarden of Murasa - Another Eternal Witness effect is well worth checking out.
Smothering Abomination - The key is to get a little value out of it, then sac it to Jarad ASAP
Commander 2015
Mazirek, Kraul Death Priest - Amazing little creature that ended up in my Ghave deck, but it was perfectly fine here too.
Meren of Clan Nel Toth - Another amazing little card that deserves its own deck. Here, I found that I could recur it and keep driving up the experience counters, but if I was recurring it then I didn't need it...
Oath of the Gatewatch
Seed Guardian - I wanted to try this out because it had been a while since I tested Mitotic Slime and I wanted to know how this would stack up.
Shadows Over Innistrad
The Gitrog Monster - This card also kinda deserves its own deck, but it found a home here for the time being.
Eldritch Moon
Ishkanah, Grafwidow - There is a lot to like here, but it feels weak overall.
Conspiracy: Take the Crown
Nothing
Kaladesh
Nothing
Commander 2016
Nothing
Aether Revolt
Rishkar's Expertise - Interesting ard to try here, but card draw is not an issue with the deck.
Jalira, Master Polymorphist | Endrek Sahr, Master Breeder | Bosh, Iron Golem | Ezuri, Renegade Leader
Brago, King Eternal | Oona, Queen of the Fae | Wort, Boggart Auntie | Wort, the Raidmother
Captain Sisay | Rhys, the Redeemed | Trostani, Selesnya's Voice | Jarad, Golgari Lich Lord
Gisela, Blade of Goldnight | Obzedat, Ghost Council | Niv-Mizzet, the Firemind | Vorel of the Hull Clade
Uril, the Miststalker | Prossh, Skyraider of Kher | Nicol Bolas | Progenitus
Ghave, Guru of Spores | Zedruu the Greathearted | Damia, Sage of Stone | Riku of Two Reflections
Amonkhet
*Bontu the Glorified - The deck doesn't run a ton of sac outlets as it normally relies on Jarad for most of it's sacrificing. Bontu gives the deck a very in-theme way to turn creatures into both damage and card advantage that survives my Wrath effects.
Liliana, Death's Majesty - Having some reanimation and some way to feed Oversold Cemetery was nice, but the ultimate is very lacking for a deck that only had 3-4 Zombies.
*Rhonas the Indomitable -From granting Trample to high power creatures to pumping up a creature pre-flingage by Jarad to surviving my Wrath effects, Rhonas is a solid card in this deck.
Vizier of the Menagerie - I liked this card, but in the end I had better card advantage options.
Hour of Devastation
Apocalypse Demon - I had a copy so I tried it out. It's not bad as Jarad fodder, but overall it just didn't make sense to run it over my other 6-drops options.
Razaketh, the Foulblooded - This is a good card that ended up in another deck, but was otherwise fine to run here despite the high casting cost.
*Uncage the Menagerie - Amazing at X = 3 through 6 in this deck.
Ixalan
Boneyard Parley - This card is a beating post-Wrath. This barely doesn't make the deck
*Growing Rites of Itlimoc - Amazing card is amazing
Vraska, Relic Seeker - Solid removal and token generator, but overall it wasn't anything that the deck really needed.
Rivals of Ixalan
Ghalta, Primal Hunter - The potential to get 12 power worth of creature into play on the cheap is something to look at, but I don't think its going to make the deck in the long run.
Journey to Eternity - This card was made for this deck, although I'm not sure about how much I'm willing to open myself up to 2 for 1's with it.
*Pitiless Plunderer - I really liked this card once I got a few more sac outlets into the deck.
*Twilight Prophet - Another amazing little card that replaced Phyrexian Arena
Vona's Hunger - I didn't like this as much here as I did in other decks. When this deck needs a sweeper, the sweeper needs be able to take everything out and not leave the opponent with their best creature behind.
World Shaper - By adding in a few fetchlands I felt this might have a shot.
Other Sets
*Greenwarden of Murasa - I tried this card out again at the suggestion of another player and I felt like it had to have a permanent spot in the deck.
*Palace Siege - I wanted to reinforce that this deck really wants to recur creatures.
The underperformers that I wanted to replace were as follows:
Phyrexian Arena - Pulled for Twilight Prophet
Fauna Shaman - With Birthing Pod and Survival of the Fittest already in the deck, I felt this was unnecessary
Ravenous Baloth - I like that it self-sacrifices, but it doesn't do enough otherwise.
Arashi, the Sky Asunder - I like the anti-Flyer Wrath that is recurrable, but I have better removal options overall.
Brutalizer Exarch - I've just cooled on this card over time; it's plenty of value but it costs too much.
Sensei's Divining Top - I'm just pulling it for space considerations.
Primal Command - Great card that isn't necessary in this deck anymore.
Burnished Hart - Another good card, but I had a glut of 3-mana land searchers and this was the worst one.
So in the end, the changes round out as follows:
+1 Bontu the Glorified
+1 Rhonas the Indomitable
+1 Uncage the Menagerie
+1 Growing Rites of Itlimoc
+1 Pitiless Plunderer
+1 Twilight Prophet
+1 Greenwarden of Murasa
+1 Palace Siege
-1 Fauna Shaman
-1 Burnished Hart
-1 Ravenous Baloth
-1 Arashi, the Sky Asunder
-1 Brutalizer Exarch
-1 Pyrexian Arena
-1 Primal Command
-1 Sensei's Divining Top
Jalira, Master Polymorphist | Endrek Sahr, Master Breeder | Bosh, Iron Golem | Ezuri, Renegade Leader
Brago, King Eternal | Oona, Queen of the Fae | Wort, Boggart Auntie | Wort, the Raidmother
Captain Sisay | Rhys, the Redeemed | Trostani, Selesnya's Voice | Jarad, Golgari Lich Lord
Gisela, Blade of Goldnight | Obzedat, Ghost Council | Niv-Mizzet, the Firemind | Vorel of the Hull Clade
Uril, the Miststalker | Prossh, Skyraider of Kher | Nicol Bolas | Progenitus
Ghave, Guru of Spores | Zedruu the Greathearted | Damia, Sage of Stone | Riku of Two Reflections
Blackblade Reforged: Since Jarad, Golgari Lich Lord's ability cares about the creature's power, this seems like an ideal fit for doling our tons of damage. With 8 Legendary creatures already in the deck and potentially more coming in, this seems worth testing. This deck is also pretty good at generating mana, so perhaps Equip isn't really a problem.
Demonlord Belzenlok: I'm thinking that this might be able to replace either Gleancrawler or Greenwarden of Murasa, as both of those cards have some overlap (they recur cards fro the graveyard) and are 6 drops. Belzenlok would also provide card advantage, but doesn't rely on the graveyard (where I already have tons of recursion). Being a 6/6 Flyer is also better stats-wise than the others, not to mention it can carry Blackblade Reforged a little easier.
Helm of the Host: I think this would be good here, but I don't want to overload on equipment or expensive cards.
Multani, Yavimaya's Avatar: I'm pretty sure I can get this up to pretty epic proportions given a game going long enough, and I love that it has Trample. It's another Legendary creature that could hold Blackblade Reforged on the cheap, and I think it just plays so well with the land-ramp theme that I should look at including it somehow.
Slimefoot, the Stowaway: I think that for the sake of space I'm unlikely to find a home for this here, but I like the idea of being able to churn out Saprolings as fodder for Skullclamp, Bontu the Glorified, or Ghoulcaller Gisa.
Thallid Soothsayer: I have been really liking this card in my Endrek Sahr deck, and I think it could be good here. For the most part, this deck doesn't generate a lot of small fodder to feed an effect like this; it's mostly geared towards Jarad Flingage of fatties. I think I'm going to keep the decks distinct enough from one another that I'm going to pass on this.
The Eldest Reborn: I'm a little on the fence about Sagas in general, but this one seems like it would be pretty good here. It will be harder to recur than a creature if I want to get multiple uses out of it, but if I can get a 7-for-1 over three turns (assuming a 4-player game) then that seems well worth it.
The Mending of Dominaria: Chapters I and II seem great, but Chapter III shuffling my graveyard back into my library is a deal-breaker for me.
Yawgmoth's Vile Offering: This self-exiling makes it a bust for me.
So for this update I'm going to change things up as follows:
+1 Blackblade Reforged, -1 Pitiless Plunderer: Pitiless Plunderer was not as good as I thought it would be in this deck.
+1 Demonlord Belzenlok, -1 Greenwarden of Murasa: Trading in one form of CA for another.
+1 Multani, Yavimaya's Avatar, -1 Massacre Wurm - The Wurm is a decent sweeper and an occasional source of damage, but I think Multani has much more damage potential as a huge creature to fling with Jarad.
+1 Llanowar Wastes, -1 Temple of the False God - the deck has all sorts of tricky mana requirements, so I needed to cut a colorless land. I use all the other 4 all the time, so TotFG had to go.
That leaves out The Eldest Reborn for now.
Jalira, Master Polymorphist | Endrek Sahr, Master Breeder | Bosh, Iron Golem | Ezuri, Renegade Leader
Brago, King Eternal | Oona, Queen of the Fae | Wort, Boggart Auntie | Wort, the Raidmother
Captain Sisay | Rhys, the Redeemed | Trostani, Selesnya's Voice | Jarad, Golgari Lich Lord
Gisela, Blade of Goldnight | Obzedat, Ghost Council | Niv-Mizzet, the Firemind | Vorel of the Hull Clade
Uril, the Miststalker | Prossh, Skyraider of Kher | Nicol Bolas | Progenitus
Ghave, Guru of Spores | Zedruu the Greathearted | Damia, Sage of Stone | Riku of Two Reflections