Deck of the Day Primer:
Abby & Ellie – Tag-Team Survivalists in Commander
Are you tired of convoluted combo lines, Rube Goldberg wincons, or your playgroup’s latest “infinite squirrel” deck? Do you want to hit the table with a deck that’s brutally honest, expertly grindy, and refreshingly straightforward? Then meet today’s Deck of the Day: Abby, Merciless Soldier + Ellie, Vengeful Hunter. These two aren’t here to showboat – they’re here to survive, scrap, and slowly dominate the table with relentless value and removal. New to Commander? This deck is a fantastic starting point for learning combat, the stack, and resource management in black, red, and green.
The Commander
Let’s meet the stars:
- Abby, Merciless Soldier: She’s your on-board executioner, ready to remove threats with ruthless efficiency. Abby excels at turning death on the battlefield into advantage for you, often by triggering when creatures die or are sacrificed.
- Ellie, Vengeful Hunter: Ellie brings the pain post-combat. She rewards you for attacking, picking off weakened opponents and generating even more value once things start dying around her.
Together, they create a relentless, grindy tag-team: Abby keeps the battlefield clean, Ellie punishes anyone who dares rebuild, and both commanders fuel your deck’s powerful recursion and sacrifice synergies.
Color Identity: Black, Red, Green (Jund). This gives you all the best tools for removal, ramp, and recursion – and plenty of flavor for fans of the apocalyptic survival genre.
Game Plan
This deck plays like a “greatest hits” album of Jund midrange. Your goals:
- Remove threats
- Control the board through combat and sacrifice
- Generate value off every creature death
- Grind out incremental advantage until you’re the last survivor standing
Key Synergies & Combos
Sacrifice & Death Triggers
- Blood Artist, Mayhem Devil, and Bastion of Remembrance mean that every time something dies, you’re draining opponents or pinging their resources.
- Goblin Bombardment and Ashnod’s Altar turn your little creatures and tokens into instant speed interaction or mana.
- Gravecrawler, Nether Traitor, and Jadar, Ghoulcaller of Nephalia keep the graveyard churning and the triggers flying.
Value Engines
- Meren of Clan Nel Toth and Erebos, Bleak-Hearted ensure you never run out of creatures, and your dead dudes keep coming back for more.
- Mazirek, Kraul Death Priest turns every death into a buff for your whole team—big swings can rapidly become lethal.
- Morbid Opportunist, Midnight Reaper, and Grim Haruspex: Because Jund never says no to drawing cards when things die.
Removal & Board Control
- Blasphemous Edict, Deadly Brew, and Culling Ritual wipe out problematic boards and ramp you in the process.
- Artifact Mutation is a spicy, flexible answer to artifacts, converting a threat into a swarm of tokens.
Recursive Threats
- Dread Return, Living Death, and Eldritch Evolution let you rebuy your best creatures or pivot into a new plan mid-game.
- Korvold, Fae-Cursed King: Sometimes you just need a flying, card-drawing, ever-growing monster to finish out a grindy game.
Token & Sacrifice Fodder
- Golgari Germination, Dreadhorde Invasion, and Mahadi, Emporium Master keep your board full of bodies to sacrifice, block, or swing with abandon.
How To Pilot
- Ramp early with mana rocks and signets. Get both commanders online ASAP.
- Establish death triggers – get your Blood Artist, Bastion, or Mayhem Devil set up.
- Control the board: Pick off key threats with Abby & Ellie, and never let opponents develop unchecked.
- Sacrifice cleverly: Don’t be shy about tossing your own creatures in the bin—every death is value here.
- Close out games: Use attrition, well-timed board wipes, and a flurry of death triggers to grind opponents into submission. Finish with a big Living Death or Korvold swing.
Power & Bracket
Power Level: 0/10 Bracket: 1 (Beginner/Casual)
Let’s be honest: this deck isn’t going to keep up with “Turbo Ad Naus” or instant-speed Thoracle wins. That’s by design! Abby & Ellie are here to teach, entertain, and play interactive, honest Magic. There are no infinite combos, no unbreakable locks, and no “oops, I win” moments. Just solid, grindy, value-based Magic—the kind that makes every turn engaging and educational for new and returning players alike.
Should You Build It?
If you love a deck that rewards smart plays and combat decisions, grows stronger the longer the game goes, and lets you savor every sacrifice trigger, Abby & Ellie are your ideal pair. This deck is a masterclass in Jund fundamentals—removal, recursion, and resource management—wrapped up with flavorful, synergistic commanders.
It’s also highly upgradeable: swap in pricier lands, chase powerful mythics, or tweak to your local budget and meta. But even stock, it’s a perfect way to experience everything Commander can be—especially if you’re looking to get friends into the game.
Final verdict: If you want to out-value, outlast, and out-survive—without outspending—Abby & Ellie are ready to lead you into battle. Grab a chair, shuffle up, and let the arena games begin!
