Vraska, Scheming Gorgon

Legendary Planeswalker — Vraska

+2: Creatures you control get +1/+0 until end of turn.

-3: Destroy target creature.

-10: Until end of turn, creatures you control gain deathtouch and "Whenever this creature deals damage to an opponent, that player loses the game."

Legality

Format	Legality
1v1 Commander	Legal
Archenemy	Legal
Arena	Legal
Block Constructed	Legal
Canadian Highlander	Legal
Casual	Legal
Commander / EDH	Legal
Commander: Rule 0	Legal
Custom	Legal
Duel Commander	Legal
Gladiator	Legal
Highlander	Legal
Historic	Legal
Legacy	Legal
Leviathan	Legal
Limited	Legal
Modern	Legal
Oathbreaker	Legal
Pioneer	Legal
Planechase	Legal
Quest Magic	Legal
Vanguard	Legal
Vintage	Legal

Discussion (31)

77hi77 on Restrictions to make commanders interesting?

1 week ago

I've been looking through my decks lately, and it's really hitting me how weird my deckbuilding style is. So while I don't consider myself an experienced player by any stretch of the imagination, I might have some perspectives to share.

Similar to what legendofa said, I'm a huge fan of messing with the colour pie. So, one deck I'm working on is Evra, Halcyon Witness, which most people would see as a life gain commander, I see it as a really specialized version of Hatred, but instead of "Pay X life", X is set for you. So that made me think, can I build a mono-white deck that plays like a mono-black? How many options does white have for paying life and sacrificing your own creatures? I'd like to do something similar with the other colours, like how many {U}{B} one-drops can I use to make a funky aggro deck?

A deck I'm still in the theorizing process for is the answer to the question "how funny would it be if I built a deck where I can't cast the commander?". Right now I'm thinking Inalla, Archmage Ritualist but build the deck in mono-blue and just go blue wizard tribal. Maybe I'd allow myself a Fellwar Stone and one card that can let me steal another player's mana rock, so that casting my commander becomes an achievement to celebrate. From there it's a balance of building a viable 99 that has a chance to win the game, while sticking to the idea that I want this deck to be funny. This was very much inspired by watching Commander at Home whenever Olivia gets incoherent from laughing so hard at her own shenanigans.

My favourite deck I've built yet, which still needs quite a bit of work, is Defile Me Daddy Rakdos. Rakdos the Defiler is the commander, and most decks I've seen with him as the commander focus on how painful it is to be hit by him, then double down on that pain. I thought, it'd be more fun if I were to lean into the politics of a commander like that. So I put in a whole bunch of cards that demand deals: Scheming Symmetry, Infernal Offering, Sower of Discord, and other effects that either say "two of us will get a very nice thing" or "two of us will get a very bad thing". I see it as forcing you to get in character, you kind of have to play like a demon to pilot this demon deck.

I've also been eyeing proliferating commanders, mostly because the lands and mana rocks that use counters of some sort are really cool. Peat Bog, Altar of Shadows and Pyramid of the Pantheon, for example. Then balance it with non-standard proliferating wincons, so instead of +1/+1 counters and infect, I've been thinking of cards like Strixhaven Stadium, or the ult on a few planeswalkers (Vraska, Scheming Gorgon immediately comes to mind).

Hope that gave you some ideas! I'm on the exact opposite journey, because I'm too good at restricting myself, and whenever I try to bring friends into the game I can't really lend them any of my decks.

wallisface on Knights of the Firststrike Table

11 months ago

Some thoughts/suggestions:

• modern decks typically don’t want to run more than 4 cards costing 4 mana, and often run nothing above this cost (this is to try avoid the deck becoming slow/clumsy). You’ve got 8 cards costing 4-or-more, which is a bit high. I’d recommend ditching all of Dearly Departed, Vraska's Scorn, and Vraska, Scheming Gorgon, because all of these cards are extremely weak for their mana cost.

• just from a mana efficiency persoective i’d also ditch Forebear's Blade (6 mana for +3/+0 is a pretty bad return), and Paladin Class (there are better white enchants, like Honor of the Pure).

• having a 12/12 Plains/Swamp split when almost all your creatures need 2 white mana on turn 2-or-3 seems really unideal, as you won’t be able to reliably achieve that. A better Plains/Swamp split might be 18/6 - though realistically if you only have access to basic lands, then your deck would be a lot stronger & more consistent just being mono-white.

• You need ways to interact with your opponent, as just letting them do what they want is a recipe for disaster. I’d recommend adding in Path to Exile and/or Lay Down Arms.

• I get what you’re trying to do with Basilisk Collar, but an all-first-strike deck is already incredibly strong defensively (because you can double-block). It feels more cute-than-useful, imo.

77hi77 on Zombie Tribal - Deciding My …

1 year ago

Max_Hammer I do actually have Liliana, Dreadhorde General, she's just in another deck (which would probably benefit more from Liliana of the Dark Realms, it's a whole thing). I think you're right, Varina will involve more milling and would enjoy Liliana, Death's Majesty. I've never considered Liliana, Death Mage, thank you!

You know what, I'm getting a very subtle sense that you don't like Nevvy, but I'm not so sure.

No, I definitely hear you, I think the biggest challenge in building that deck will be to make it fun to play against. The other deck I'm referencing (the one that my Dreadhorde General is currently in), I BEG YOUR F@CKING PARDON??!!! - Razaketh, is so far proving to be a failure at that. I was hoping to make something chaotic that results in a laugh, I ended up building a deck where the wincons involve no interaction with the other players, I just tutor and cast two cards (Fraying Omnipotence and Wound Reflection), and it really doesn't matter what the actual board state looks like. Everyone calls it my bullshit deck, it's not overpowered or tuned in any real way, it just lives in its own world and ends the game way too suddenly to be fun.

So with Nevvy, I like him because he seems to bring that same self-destructive chaos I was hoping to capture (and, down the line, will hope to capture again when I build a Rakdos the Defiler deck), my challenge will be to have that chaos without it feeling like I'm stopping others from playing. It's why I'm exploring a few different commanders, I want to see what leads to the most fun Zombie deck, without it being the exact same Zombie deck that everyone plays/expects to see.

As an aside, I do also have a proliferate deck in mind, but it'd be to pull off shenanigans like Vraska, Scheming Gorgon's -10.

TheoryCrafter on

2 years ago

Personally I'd forget about Phage the Untouchabe. Your graveyard interaction is dependent upon creatures entering straight from the battlefield. That's not doable for Phage because she can't enter the battlefield from anywhere other than your hand without you losing the game. Not without at least first having Lich's Mastery (which I wouldn't recommend for your deck) or Platinum Angel on the battlefield first. If you still want mono black options that have the same alternate kill condition there's Vorpal Sword and Vraska, Scheming Gorgon. If you have your heart set on Phage then I'd suggest replacing Beacon of Unreat with it since it'll have the least effect on your mana curve and you won't have to drop a creature.

You have a lot of lifeloss in this deck, but this is expected considering your Commander. Crypt Ghast and Whip of Erebos are good, but you'll need early game lifegain. May I suggest replacing all your instants and sorceries that give you mana with creatures with lifelink? Except for Dark Ritual because it's the only one to guarantee you a turn 2 casting of K'rrik, Son of Yawgmoth. Such cards with early game potential include, but are not limited to, Archfiend's Vessel, Banehound and Vampire of the Dire Moon. Doing so should allow you to lean more into K'rrik's 2nd ability. Another card I'd like to recommend is Font of Agonies because paying life will allow you to destroy creatures.

I hope this helps. Happy Hunting!

MeatMancer on Kelsien, the Plague

2 years ago

KingKilvas all great suggestions, I probably wont consider Vraska, Scheming Gorgon as Keisen cant ping players and Im not really a huge fan of alternate win cons. Hooded Blightfang unfortunately doesn't do as much as expected. Goblin Sharpshooter is fantastic, but I'm just not willing to buy one, absolutely run the card if you are willing or have it already. Same thing for Quietus Spike and Vault of the Archangel. I originally had Call of the Death-Dweller in but I don't want to rely on Keisen being in the graveyard because if it gets countered that's a huge letdown. Reaper's Talisman should actually be in here, I originally didn't have it in because I didn't realize Keisen had vigilance. I appreciate the recommendations.

KingKilvas on Kelsien, the Plague

2 years ago

Looks like a fun deck! Have you considered Vraska, Scheming Gorgon as an alternate wincon? Hooded Blightfang, Blood Cultist, Goblin Sharpshooter, Call of the Death-Dweller, Viridian Longbow, Quietus Spike, Reaper's Talisman, and Vault of the Archangel all also fit your theme pretty well. Hope this helps!

Chandra585 on Lord Windgrace et al.

3 years ago

You should be playing basically every walker in your colors that can put bodies on the board. Once you have that, I think Domri, Anarch of Bolas becomes good enough, as does Ugin, the Ineffable. Vraska, Scheming Gorgon and Vraska, Regal Gorgon (talk about uncreative naming) might also make it in. Finally, I think you should be playing all 9 true fetches in your colors (not Azorius) because deckthinning is kinda useful and they have good synergy with your commander.

jakeelephant006 on its too late they are already under your bed

3 years ago

This deck performs very well with some decently large deficiencies. I think you need to cut some weaker cards (sorceries and creatures mostly) and add in more Ninjas and ninja synergies.

Cards to Cut: Creatures: Definite cuts are Jeskai Infiltrator, but I'd also heavily consider trimming Dark Impostor, Deathcult Rogue, Etrata, the Silencer, and Nezumi Cutthroat.

Sorceries: Definitely cut Hour of Eternity, Kefnet's Last Word, Paranoid Delusions and consider trimming Ghostform, Slip Through Space, or Stealth Mission.

Artifacts, Enchantments, Instants, Planeswalkers, and Lands: I would definitely cut Briber's Purse, Fatal Push, and Vraska, Scheming Gorgon while also giving thought to the merits of including Skygames, Bontu's Monument, Forge of Heroes, Unclaimed Territory, and of, or at least the Amonkhet, cycling lands.

The cards I have recommended are either slow, have low to zero synergy with the rest of the deck, or are typically weak in commander.

Cards to Add Creatures: Ninjas, ninjas, and more ninjas (plus some cheaper unblockables for good measure). There are 19 Ninjas in mtg history (excluding changelings). You have 11 in this deck. I think you ought to have more. The cheapest are Mistblade Shinobi, Okiba-Gang Shinobi, Skullsnatcher, Throat Slitter, and Walker of Secret Ways. Higure, the Still Wind and Ink-Eyes, Servant of Oni are both reasonable splurges in terms of powerful Ninjas to acquire. Now for other creatures to enable Ninjitsu. First off, I could have included Changeling Outcast in the last section since it is also a Ninja and you should absolutely be running it in here. Other small unblockables for you to Ninjitsu into are Gudul Lurker, Slither Blade, Tormented Soul, Faerie Seer, Mothdust Changeling, Gingerbrute, Dimir Infiltrator, Baleful Strix, Invisible Stalker, Augury Owl, Sage Owl, Spire Owl, and Cloud of Faeries. All of these cards are less than 3 cmc, and are either entirely unblockable or have good etb/ltb or dealing combat damage synergy (and are mostly pretty cheap too). I'd recommend adding at least 3 or 4 of them in addition to the above ninjas.

Other cards: This section is mostly for general things that you could do to make this deck more consistent and enjoyable to pilot, but there are a couple specific synergies I think you're missing out on. They're both pretty intertwined so I'll just address them together. I think you could be putting in a few more cards that are good to reveal off of Yuriko's trigger and ways to manipulate the top of your library so you get those card when they are most impactful. I am referring to cards like Treasure Cruise, Sibsig Muckdraggers, Temporal Trespass, Dig Through Time, Draco, Consign / Oblivion, Murderous Cut, Far / Away, Curtains' Call, Into the Story, Submerge, Commandeer, Commit / Memory, Discovery / Dispersal, Rags / Riches, In Garruk's Wake, and any other high cost card that has an alternate mana cost, mana reducing ability, split card, or is a high impact card. Then you could also throw in a few ways to manipulate the top of your library like Brainstorm, Ponder, Serum Visions, Tamiyo's Epiphany, and Crystal Ball. The only other synegystic thing you could put in here is making your other creatures Ninjas as well with Conspiracy, Xenograft, Arcane Adaptation, and Amorphous Axe.

Otherwise, you could probably add in some more ramp (Sol Ring, Mind Stone, Star Compass, etc.), card draw (see cantrips above and Last Thoughts), board wipes (could probably replace Bontu's Last Reckoning with some of the ones from the last section or just add those ones or some other good boardwipes) and spot removal or counterspells (I don't see a lot of good ways to deal w/ non-creature permanents in here).