By A.J. Sobel
Value; it’s a somewhat nebulous concept in Magic: The Gathering. Ask five different players and you’ll get five different answers. What I’ve always boiled it down to is this: getting the absolute most for the absolute least.
With that in mind, I’m proud to present my build of Yarok, The Desecrated; a midrange combo deck that works to snowball small pieces of value into a win.
If you’ve read my build of Prossh, Skyraider of Kher, you’ll know that I prefer to tinker and optimize my decks a few cards at a time. This means that this deck, while it is fairly well optimized, it is by no means an absolute powerhouse that could run the tables at cEDH games. Overall, I’d give it an eight or eight and a half on the power scale (I know it’s a subjective ranking based on my meta, but it’s the easiest way for Commander players to place decks).
Without further ado, let’s get into the deck! I hope you enjoy it.
Lands
Three color decks live or die by their land bases, so I’ve spent an inordinate amount of time tweaking this one; note that the vast majority have the ability to come in untapped. My one piece of advice for you is this: When you ramp (and you will), always go for blue. Two green and two black sources can have you slinging most of the spells in those colors. You can never have enough blue.
BASICS:
Islands x7
Forest x7
Swamp x2
Heavily skewed towards Simic, the number of basics is high due to the amount of basic land ramp in the deck.
DUAL LANDS:
Staples in any multi-colored deck, the ones I’m running were chosen due to their speed.
Check Lands (Drowned Catacomb): Only the lonely here, it replaced a swamp to give me access to another blue source. Unless it’s your first drop of the game, it will come in untapped most of the time.
Pain Lands (Yavimaya Coast, Underground River): One life is well worth it for a dual land that comes in untapped. These replaced a forest and another swamp. (Are you seeing the trend yet? Blue, baby!)
Filter Lands (Flooded Grove, Sunken Ruins): A bit strange the first time you use them, cashing in a green mana or black mana for two blue never gets old.
Shock Lands (Breeding Pool, Watery Grave, Overgrown Tomb): Life is a resource, and nothing exemplifies that better than the shock lands. Ergo, I’ve got all three of them.
Fetch Lands (Misty Rainforest, Polluted Delta, Verdant Catacombs): Literally the last upgrade I’ve made to date. They’re stupid expensive (even with the Modern Horizons 2 reprints), but they’re also stupid good. They’re not essential, but they are definitely a force multiplier.
TRI-LANDS:
Highly useful, if a bit slow. Who doesn’t like perfect color fixing?
Opulent Palace: If something better comes along, rest assured, this will be swapped out.
Zagoth Triome: Just as slow as the Palace but… it’s fetchable, so it makes the cut in most cases.
Command Tower: Alright, so it may not technically be a tri-land, but it is in this deck. It’s a staple for a reason; if you don’t have one, get one.
UTILITY LANDS:
Boseiju, Who Shelters All: This card is a powerhouse in any deck in which you’re casting instants and sorceries (so, a lot of them). It protects your combos and counterspells for when you really need that haymaker play. That being said, it’s got quite a price tag, so if you’re on a budget, it can be cut.
Bojuka Bog: Absolutely wrecks graveyard strategies. If you’re in black, this card should be in your deck, in every case.
Volrath’s Stronghold: Here’s a little gem that nobody sees coming. Is it an essential piece of the overall strategy? No. But when you’ve just got to get that clutch creature back from the graveyard, it feels really good to have this panic button on your side. Not essential, so if you’re balling on a budget, this can get the ax.
Rocks and Ramp
Nothing really out of the ordinary here as far as green ramp packages go. You’ve seen it all before and it’s just as good here. Although the signets would be a good add for a lower cost build, I’ve got enough color fixing in this deck that they’ve become unnecessary.
LAND RAMP:
Three Visits: “Recently” reprinted, this little baby gets your shocks, triomes, and basic Forests (if you’ve already gotten the other two), and it comes into play untapped.
Farseek: Basically another Three Visits, but you can get a Swamp or an Island instead of a Forest, unfortunately it comes in tapped this time.
Nature’s Lore: This is a functional reprint of Three Visits, but it’s got a different name so you can bet it got in.
Kodama’s Reach: Everyone knows this card and its cousin that’s coming up next. If you’re in green, you’re running it.
Cultivate: See above.
Harrow: When I was just starting out, the thought of sacrificing a land appalled me. These days, Harrow is a great little card for color fixing when you really need the extra blue. (Hint: you’ll always need the extra blue.)
MANA ROCKS:
Sol Ring: It goes in every deck.
Arcane Signet: See comments on Sol Ring.
Instants and Sorceries
I’ll be subdividing this section into counters, tutors, and everything else just in case anyone is looking for something a little more specific.
COUNTERS:
Pact of Negation: A counterspell your opponent usually won’t see coming. In a stroke of brilliant card design, WoTC made the cost of this spell so high that you really have to pick your moment when you’re deciding whether to cast it.
Swan Song: This little birdy boi has become one of the most hated cards in my meta. It has saved the table from combos and board wipes more times than any other card in our playgroup.
Veil of Summer: Though not technically a counter, Veil of Summer protects you and your stuff when you’re trying to go off. That’s just as good in my book.
Arcane Denial: A hard counter that replaces itself next turn. Sure your opponent gets to draw two cards, but you can’t have everything. The advantage they’ll get from it is usually pretty negligible.
Negate: It’s a little on the conditional side, but in this deck, more often than not, you’re not too concerned about the creatures hitting the battlefield.
Counterspell: The classic and namesake. Two blue is a little high if you’re going for a fully optimized build, but it’s lasted this long for a reason.
Narset’s Reversal: Bouncing a spell off the stack and then getting a copy of it is a really good effect. Looking at you Torment of Hailfire.
Disallow: Spells and abilities are at risk from this card. That being said, three mana is a lot to hold up, so if you’ve got a Mana Drain or a Force of Will, feel free to swap it out. (I hope to do the same, one day.)
Repudiate/Replicate: The dark horse of this section, I threw it in on a whim and it immediately proved itself to be a nice addition. Still, if you’ve got that Mana Drain I was talking about before, I’d probably still swap it out.
TUTORS:
Worldly Tutor: In a creature-based deck, it’s a really good idea to be able to grab whatever creature you want, when you need it.
Mystical Tutor: For your Windfalls, Tooth and Nails, and Living Deaths.
Vampiric Tutor: For whatever you need, whenever you need it. Usually on your opponent’s end step.
Demonic Tutor: My grail card. I have wanted one of these since I first started playing MTG. I love it so damned much that I’d put it in every deck if I could.
EVERYTHING ELSE (INSTANTS):
Rapid Hybridization: A nice little piece of removal for your problematic Razakeths, or what have you. Easily swappable for Pongify.
Essence Flux: You’ll find that flicker is a little subtheme of this build. With so many ETB abilities, you’d be a fool not to try and take advantage of them.
Cyclonic Rift: Clear the way for your combo, or simply reset the board for everyone but you. You don’t have to overload it, but it is highly advised.
Teferi’s Time Twist: Hits any permanent you control and protects them by keeping them off the battlefield until the next end step. The +1/+1 is usually meaningless, but it’s a nice little perk.
Displace: Hits two creatures for recurrent value. Three mana might be a little steep, but it’s so worth it.
Ghostly Flicker: Same as Displace but with a little bit more versatility, allowing you to hit artifacts and lands as well.
Beast Within: A touch more targeted removal to hit anything. If you wanted to change the build, you can pull this and Rapid Hybridization for more ETB effects or counters.
Blue Sun’s Zenith: An integral combo piece, which we’ll discuss in more detail later. It can bail you out in a pinch if you’re stuck top-decking and gets shuffled back into your library when it’s done.
EVERYTHING ELSE (SORCERIES):
Windfall: Always useful, very political, who doesn’t like drawing a fresh hand? Time it right and you can destroy an opponent’s game plan.
Eldritch Evolution: I firmly believe this card should go in every green deck. Trade up two mana or get a utility creature when you need it the most.
Victimize: Lets you recover from a board wipe, reset the combo, or simply gain some fast value from ETB abilities.
Rite of Replication: I’ll rarely cast this card without the kicker cost. If you can’t win the game with five copies of any creature on the battlefield, then something has gone terribly, terribly wrong.
Living Death: An undo button for any board wipe, this is a card that nobody sees coming.
Tooth and Nail: This card should basically read “I win”. Grabbing two out of three combo pieces and windmill slamming them onto the battlefield always feels so good.
Artifacts and Enchantments
We’re a little light on this section as we’re not focusing on too much beyond ETBs, but the cards in this suite are some of the most powerful cards in MTG that help hone that focus.
Sensei’s Divining Top: Smooths out your draws and helps you dig for that clutch card you desperately need.
Cloudstone Curio: Recurrent value in every sense of the word. Cast a Coiling Oracle to bounce your Risen Reef, which you then cast and bounce your Coiling Oracle, which you then… you get the idea.
Panharmonicon: Does what Yarok does, only slightly worse. For our purposes, it’s basically another Yarok, just one mana cheaper.
Mystic Remora: A cEDH staple, a Mystic Remora on turn two or three can help you dig a ridiculous amount, allowing you to expertly sculpt the perfect hand.
Guardian Project: This card had to have been designed with Commander in mind despite it being in a Standard set. It turns every creature that enters the battlefield into a cantrip. Works especially well with the flicker enablers in the deck and will also double up the card draw with Yarok out.
Creatures
At last, we come to the lifeblood of the deck. For the most part, it’s nothing out of the ordinary. Any ETB-based deck in Sultai will be running the majority of these cards. Since they’re all utility in one form or another, I’ll be subdividing this section by mana value. As an aside, the beauty of most of the creatures in this deck is that after they’ve entered the battlefield, they’re completely expendable. Unless you need to start flickering, they can all be used as blockers.
TWO-DROPS:
Baleful Strix: We’re most concerned about the draw ETB, but the flying and deathtouch create a nice little buffer between us and the rest of the battlefield.
Elvish Visionary: A classic, it hits the board, draws you a card and can be used as a blocker for the rest of the game.
Wall of Blossoms: A little more survivable than Elvish Visionary, we don’t really care about the Defender.
Dusk Legion Zealot: The weakest creature in the “pay two, draw one” section. Yes, life is a resource, but it’s one I’d like to hang on to for as long as I can.
Coiling Oracle: A staple in the deck, Coiling Oracle’s utility cannot be overstated. No matter what, you draw a card; but if it’s a land, you can play it untapped.
Lotus Cobra: This card is bonkers in this deck. Yarok’s ability generates you two mana off the landfall trigger. Pair it with something like Harrow or Springbloom Druid and things can get out of hand quickly.
Lonis, Cryptozoologist: A recent addition that I’m in the process of testing. I swapped it in for a Rhystic Study (sacrilege, I know), and I like what I’m seeing so far. The clues are doubled with Yarok or Panharmonicon and can be cracked in a pinch for card draw. The second ability, while very cool, is just gravy on top.
THREE-DROPS:
Risen Reef: Like Coiling Oracle, but both better and worse. The cool thing is that Yarok actually triggers the ability, too.
Springbloom Druid: Harrow on a stick, the bad news is that the lands come into play tapped.
Uro, Titan of Nature’s Wrath: This controversial little card is good. Real good. He’s even better with Yarok or Panharmonicon on the field.
Wood Elves: More ramp is never a bad thing. Plus, the land comes into play untapped.
Farhaven Elf: Slightly worse Wood Elves, but still pretty good.
Eternal Witness: It’s a staple for a reason. Pull a card or two out of the graveyard when you need them the most.
Reclamation Sage: Another staple, Rec Sage has come in clutch more times than I care to mention.
FOUR-DROPS:
Ravenous Chupacabra: Yes, it hits any creature, and can even hit two under the right conditions. Still a little expensive and will probably be first on the chopping block should something better come along.
Thassa, Deep-Dwelling: Thassa has proved herself on more than one occasion to be an integral part of the deck. Pair her with any of the other creatures and you’re going to see some real value.
Spark Double: Copy any creature. Any creature. Legendary or not. We aren’t too concerned about copying planeswalkers, but it’s nice to have the option if we need it.
Phyrexian Metamorph: Could even be included in the three-drop section since nobody ever pays the blue. Copy a creature or an artifact. You won’t know how good it feels to have two Panharmonicons until you actually do it.
FIVE-DROPS:
Underrealm Lich: It may be out of left field, but the amount of digging this card lets you get done is insane. It also protects itself from board wipes and most targeted removal. It may be a little expensive, but this card will never be coming out of this deck.
Sidisi, Undead Vizier: A Demonic Tutor on a pretty relevant stick. Sidisi has proved herself time and again to be an all-star.
Mulldrifter: Again, should probably be in the three-drop slot, because who’s casting it for five? It’s a staple; maybe not the best staple but drawing four cards for three mana feels pretty good.
Peregrine Drake: A backup combo piece, it can still put in some serious work with Yarok or Panharmonicon on the field.
SIX-DROP:
Deadeye Navigator: One of the core pieces of the combo. Pairs nicely with anything else in the deck as well. If this card resolves, it’s almost impossible to get rid of.
SEVEN-DROPS:
Palinchron: Another core piece. Before Yarok was printed, it needed Deadeye Navigator to go infinite. With the addition of Yarok, Palinchron’s second ability is now not only relevant, but essential to the game.
Rune-Scarred Demon: Another Demonic Tutor on a pretty big stick. Less essential than it used to be, but still pretty damned good.
TEN-DROP:
Kozilek, Butcher of Truth: I’ve caught more flak for this than I care to mention but hear me out. Kozilek is not in this deck to be cast (although you still can if things go horribly wrong). He’s in this deck as protection against milling strategies which were prevalent in a playgroup I was with way back when. Completely recycling your graveyard is no small thing, especially when you have the capacity to dig that this deck does. Unless a card has been exiled, nothing is ever really out of your reach.
The Commander
Yarok, The Desecrated has fast become one of my favorite cards in Magic. He is good in almost every format and in almost every situation. His ability is versatile and he’s a fairly big threat as just a creature. I would be hard pressed to find a better card to run as the Commander of this deck.
How to Play
This deck is intended as a dedicated combo deck, as such you won’t really be looking to deal damage or interact with your opponents beyond trying to stop someone else at the table from winning. You’re working with a sizable suite of counterspells, but they’re not unlimited.
Pick your battles, keep your head down, and look for ways to get the combo off.
When starting a game, ramp as much as you can as quick as you can. Play some little value creatures, draw a card here and there, keep your footprint small so nobody looks at you as a threat.
In the mid-game you’re starting to watch for other players, making sure nobody gets too far ahead of the pack. A little bit of politicking here wouldn’t go amiss, either. Slap down a Windfall or use your Reclamation Sage to get rid of a powerful threat. The beautiful part of this deck is that your commander doesn’t need to be out. If you can cast him, great; but be aware he draws a lot of aggro once you start doubling up your ETB triggers.
The late game is all about the combo. By now, you should have enough mana to get it on to the board and protect it (very important, as casting a Tooth and Nail tells everyone you’re going to win). Tutors and card draw will help you get that last key piece but don’t burn them all at once. Opponents will be watching you at this point.
Due to the fact that the deck itself is fairly streamlined but not completely optimized, the turn average for the win can be slightly variable. I’ve gone off as early as turns four and five, but I’ve also completely whiffed and been forced into top decking on turns eight and nine.
The Combo
In the original build of this deck, the combo revolved around Deadeye Navigator, Palinchron, and Rune-Scarred Demon. Deadeye Navigator and Palinchron generate infinite mana while Deadeye Navigator and Rune-Scarred Demon pull Blue Sun’s Zenith out of the deck to draw your opponents out as many times as you need.
It’s a high mana cost combo that’s very resilient since flickering your creatures makes them almost impossible to target.
As the deck evolved and new cards were printed, Yarok became a core piece of the puzzle as it now allowed Palinchron to generate infinite mana without being flickered with Deadeye Navigator. Palinchron can double the number of lands you can untap and then bounce itself back to your hand with its second ability, allowing you to cast it again. The whole process generates a net positive of three mana per cycle.
Peregrine Drake serves as a backup for Palinchron should it get exiled; but the downside is that you have to use it with either Cloudstone Curio and Yarok, or Deadeye Navigator. It can’t bounce itself back to your hand.
As more and more cantrip creatures were added, I became less reliant on Rune-Scarred Demon, as infinitely flickering an Elvish Visionary to draw my deck netted the same effect as searching specifically for Blue Sun’s Zenith.
To sum up: You’re looking to generate infinite mana and cast Blue Sun’s Zenith enough times to draw out all the players at the table. There are plenty of ways to get there, you just need to find the right one. (I know, I know, easier said than done.)
Get Desecrating!
Yarok, the Desecrated is a fairly advanced deck that relies on a multitude of triggers to get where it wants to go. It may seem a little daunting at first but believe me when I say that getting the combo off for the first time is incredibly satisfying.
As the saying goes: It’s not the destination, it’s the journey; half the fun of getting there is finding new and interesting interactions that you may not have thought of before (I decked myself once using a kicked Rite of Replication on a Risen Reef with Yarok on the battlefield).
I wouldn’t recommend this deck for new players as it is a lot to wrap your head around at first; but well-established players should have no problems.
Thanks for checking out my primer for Yarok, the Desecrated, and I’ll see you on the battlefield!
Longtime Timmy player, A.J. Sobel started playing Magic during the New Phyrexia block. Though he’s dabbled in numerous archetypes across the color wheel, he always seems to come back to the simplicity of tribal in all its forms. A.J. is also a published author and enjoys working on various writing projects.
Check him out on his website at: www.ajsobel.com
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