Carth, Marching over Planes

Commander / EDH BG (Golgari)

RinceRaven

Land (40)

• 1x Bayou
• 1x Blooming Marsh
• 1x Bojuka Bog
• 1x Cabal Coffers
• 1x City of Brass
• 1x Command Tower
• 1x Darkbore Pathway  ^Flip
• 1x Deathcap Glade
• 1x Dryad Arbor
• 1x Exotic Orchard
• 1x Gilt-Leaf Palace
• 1x Llanowar Wastes
• 1x Marsh Flats
• 1x Nurturing Peatland
• 1x Overgrown Tomb
• 1x Phyrexian Tower
• 11x Snow-Covered Forest
• 7x Snow-Covered Swamp
• 1x Takenuma, Abandoned Mire
• 1x Thran Portal
• 1x Undergrowth Stadium
• 1x Urborg, Tomb of Yawgmoth
• 1x Verdant Catacombs
• 1x Yavimaya, Cradle of Growth

Instant (5)

• 1x Abrupt Decay
• 1x Beast Within
• 1x Crop Rotation
• 1x Nature's Claim
• 1x Vampiric Tutor

Enchantment (4)

• 1x Black Market Connections
• 1x Sylvan Library
• 1x Utopia Sprawl
• 1x Wild Growth

Planeswalker (21)

• 1x Freyalise, Llanowar's Fury
• 1x Garruk Wildspeaker
• 1x Grist, the Hunger Tide
• 1x Liliana Vess
• 1x Liliana of the Dark Realms
• 1x Liliana of the Veil
• 1x Liliana, Death's Majesty
• 1x Liliana, Dreadhorde General
• 1x Liliana, Waker of the Dead
• 1x Liliana, the Last Hope
• 1x Nissa of Shadowed Boughs
• 1x Nissa, Vital Force
• 1x Nissa, Voice of Zendikar
• 1x Nissa, Who Shakes the World
• 1x Professor Onyx
• 1x Sorin Markov
• 1x Tevesh Szat, Doom of Fools
• 1x Ugin, the Spirit Dragon
• 1x Vraska the Unseen
• 1x Vraska, Golgari Queen
• 1x Vraska, Relic Seeker

Sorcery (8)

• 1x Blood on the Snow
• 1x Chain of Smog
• 1x Culling Ritual
• 1x Damnation
• 1x Demonic Tutor
• 1x Diabolic Intent
• 1x Green Sun's Zenith
• 1x Toxic Deluge

Artifact (3)

• 1x Damping Sphere
• 1x Ensnaring Bridge
• 1x Sol Ring

Commander (1)

Creature (18)

• 1x Arbor Elf
• 1x Birds of Paradise
• 1x Collector Ouphe
• 1x Dark Confidant
• 1x Dauthi Voidwalker
• 1x Elves of Deep Shadow
• 1x Elvish Mystic
• 1x Eternal Witness
• 1x Fyndhorn Elves
• 1x Llanowar Elves
• 1x Ophiomancer
• 1x Opposition Agent
• 1x Spore Frog
• 1x Tendershoot Dryad
• 1x Vorinclex, Monstrous Raider
• 1x Wall of Roots
• 1x Witherbloom Apprentice
• 1x Yawgmoth, Thran Physician

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Maybeboard

Land (20)

• 1x Blooming Marsh
• 11x Snow-Covered Forest
• 6x Snow-Covered Swamp
• 1x Takenuma, Abandoned Mire
• 1x Thran Portal

Sorcery (2)

• 1x Blood on the Snow
• 1x Green Sun's Zenith

Creature (4)

• 1x Arbor Elf
• 1x Collector Ouphe
• 1x Ophiomancer
• 1x Vorinclex, Monstrous Raider

Enchantment (1)

• 1x Black Market Connections

Planeswalker (3)

• 1x Garruk Wildspeaker
• 1x Nissa of Shadowed Boughs
• 1x Tevesh Szat, Doom of Fools

Artifact (1)

• 1x Ensnaring Bridge

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DESCRIPTION OUTDATED, PAGE TO BE UPDATED SHORTLY

So while performing just fine, when finding the stronger pieces in the deck together it would take over the game with long turns and not really a wincondition, drawing out games. While I did enjoy playing the deck a lot, so I've gone and really upgraded the list to instead play in high power meta's. Deck has done very well so far, and while the manabase is a bit too tight I can't spend on fetches + a Bayou right now so that's for longer term consistency. Mana issues now are Dauthi Voidwalker almost never castable on 2, Liliana of the Veil and Liliana, the Last Hope not always castable on turn 3, Arbor Elf and Utopia Sprawl being a little tight on forests, and Blood on the Snow potentially being tight on snow mana. Haven't been able to test that last one yet and I'm not sure how to calculate for it. If I can consistently get to 4 snowlands I have 9 reanimatable targets which should be enough almost always. At 6 snow it can get anything beside Ugin, the Spirit Dragon, but I'm not sure how feasible that will be.

NO LONGER: 'Tradebinder' Carth the Lion from the apparently large amount of BG planeswalkers I had lying around gathering dust. This is not exactly how I would build the deck from scratch but other than some 'better cards generating the same effect' there isn't much. I want an extra boardwipe and a couple walkers, could cut some creatures but the deck plays really well right now as is. I'm considering upgrading the list, but right now don't want to spend the money after buying and updating other decks very recently.

Gameplan

The deck really wants to cast a ramp spell on turn 1 or 2, followed by T3 Carth, then as many planeswalkers you can afford to before boardwiping and recasting Carth. Hands without ramp need to be really good in order to keep (or contain demonic tutor). The main way to close out the game is through multiple ultimates from your planeswalkers creating huge advantages or threatening kills by themselves. Also be sure to plan ahead and play fast because later in the game the deck is prone to taking long turns.

Weaknesses

The main weaknesses of the deck are fast combo decks that you can't interact well with as a lot of your magic happens at sorcery speed, and fast aggro decks that can keep your planeswalkers off the board. To combat combo you can add stax pieces like Collector Ouphe and Winter Orb (be sure to pair that one with walkers that untap lands and less land-based ramp)

Individual Card discussion

Languish solid spell but doesn't kill nearly enough. Don't want to drop the wipe.

Dryad of the Ilysian Grove couldn't not play the Fiona Staples artwork and I don't currently have any other green decks that want it either. It is a really strong card. In practise, it being a 3-drop makes it not ramp into T3 Carth. Still strong, especially if you also have a T1 elf, just doesn't really fit.

Read the Bones solid card but it can be hard to pay 3 mana next to an expensive planeswalker. Sign in Blood is probably just better. Maybe just play both

The Elderspell Almost nobody in my meta plays planeswalkers, and while sacrificing one or two of my own for a big ulti can be very worth it, I haven't had great success so far. Probably just stays in though.

Expedition Map worse Sylvan Scrying in almost all cases

Settle the Score Bad removal but extra loyalty out of nowhere can catch opponents off guard a lot of the time.

Skemfar Elderhall and Grim Backwoods If I'm activating these I have probably been incredibly unlucky and the game is probably lost already or am not playing enough carddraw and also just kind of lose. Might want to just play basics.

Creakwood Liege pet card of mine, probably better off playing something like Bitterblossom or Tendershoot Dryad

Bolas's Citadel Incredible card, but the expensive nature of planeswalkers makes it pale to Kodama of the East Tree in this deck.

Malicious Affliction Plenty better cards, but it does the job at a good mana value.

Spider Spawning Don't have nearly enough creatures for this card to be 'good' but it does an okay job at protecting walkers still.

Dread Presence Draws cards, pings utility creatures, 4 mana is a lot though. Often gets stuck in my hand until later in the game where it has less and less value for every lost trigger.

Cast Down Own the japanese promo with Liliana on it. That's it.

Abrupt Decay Also doesn't shoot everything but it usually finds something that needs to die and becomes better as peoples decks become stronger and more efficient.

Liliana's Triumph Only in here because I run 9 Liliana's and even then probably should go out.

Vraska, Swarm's Eminence not actually very good, though the tokens are good blockers and I'm already low on planeswalkers

Liliana, Death Mage Typical planeswalker deck'' card that costs too much mana and has fairly lackluster abilities, but again, I need more planeswalkers. At least she can recycle a sakura-tribe elder or shoot that must-answer creature.

Spore Frog League of Legends player gotta run that secret lair Gromp.

Missing Cards

Field of the Dead Insane card, does force a fairly expensive or incredibly slow mana base usually

Urza's Saga Makes up to 2 tokens or chains into Sol Ring for T3 Carth if in opener

Arachnogenesis Imagine being attacked

Vorinclex, Monstrous Raider Hypercharges planeswalkers and hoses some decks

2 more boardwipes

At least 4 more planeswalkers. Carth misses too often with the current number.

Potential Planeswalkers: Show

Ugin, the Ineffable Nissa, Who Shakes the World Tevesh Szat, Doom of Fools Vivien, Monsters' Advocate Wrenn and Seven Nissa of Shadowed Boughs I think I have one somewhere. Otherwise not spectacular Lolth, Spider Queen Professor Onyx Vivien Reid Sorin the Mirthless Ob Nixilis of the Black Oath Vivien on the Hunt Be sure to add a (few) good 5 mana creature(s) for when occasionally saccing Carth might be a good play.

Notable Absent cards

To be written

Shortlist for changes:

• Black Sun's Zenith, Crux of Fate, Decree of Pain, Lolth, Spider Queen, Tevesh Szat, Doom of Fools, Ugin, the Ineffable, Professor Onyx, Wrenn and Seven, Field of the Dead, Tendershoot Dryad, Arachnogenesis, Vorinclex, Monstrous Raider

• Liliana's Triumph, Vraska, Swarm's Eminence, Liliana, Death Mage, Creakwook Liege, Dread Presence, Arasta of the Endless Web, Languish, Spider Spawning, Dryad of the Ilysian Grove, Bolas's Citadel, Timeless Withness, Malicious Affliction

Need to also edit mana base to accomodate Field of the Dead

Date added	1 year
Last updated	1 year
Legality	This deck is Commander / EDH legal.
Rarity (main - side)	25 - 0 Mythic Rares 37 - 0 Rares 8 - 0 Uncommons 12 - 0 Commons
Cards	100
Avg. CMC	3.15
Tokens	Assassin 1/1 B w/ Player Killer, Beast 3/3 G, City's Blessing, Elf Druid 1/1 G, Emblem Liliana of the Dark Realms, Emblem Liliana, Waker of the Dead, Emblem Liliana, the Last Hope, Emblem Nissa, Vital Force, Emblem Nissa, Who Shakes the World, Emblem Vraska, Golgari Queen, Insect 1/1 BG, Pirate 2/2 B, Plant 0/1 G, Saproling 1/1 G, Shapeshifter 3/2 C, Snake 1/1 B, Thrull 0/1 B, Treasure, Zombie 2/2 B
Folders	EDH decks