Deck of the Day: Duo of Vengeance — Abby & Ellie Primer Deck
Step aside, Gruul smash and Simic ramp—today, we’re going full post-apocalyptic with a tag-team that brings new meaning to the phrase “survival of the fittest.” For DeckStir’s Deck of the Day, we present Duo of Vengeance: Abby & Ellie Primer Deck—a battle-tested lesson in the fine art of comeback plays, relentless creatures, and making your opponents regret every combat step. If you like your Magic both thematic and educational, and you’ve got a soft spot for “I’ll take my triggers with a side of removal, please,” read on.
The Commander: Abby, Merciless Soldier & Ellie, Vengeful Hunter
The beating heart(s) of this deck? Abby, Merciless Soldier and Ellie, Vengeful Hunter, a dynamic dual commander setup that turns the battlefield into your personal playground of pain and retribution.
- Abby brings aggression, thriving on attacking and pushing through damage, often rewarding you for picking fights and going on the offensive. She wants you to throw your weight around and isn’t afraid to get messy in combat.
- Ellie rewards your enemies for hurting you (bad move, pal), enabling value plays whenever your creatures die or you take hits. She’s the embodiment of “revenge is a dish best served with an EtB trigger.”
Together, they teach two of Commander’s most essential skills: threat assessment (when to swing, when to hold back) and resource management (getting the most out of every sacrifice, every block, and every lost creature).
Game Plan: Board Control With Bite
1. Relentless Creatures and Card Advantage
This deck is less about big flashy win-cons and more about staying alive while your value engine churns. Cards like Jadar, Ghoulcaller of Nephalia and Dreadhorde Invasion spit out tokens turn after turn, giving you a steady stream of creatures to attack, block, and—let’s be honest—sacrifice for profit.
2. Sacrifice & Death Triggers
The deck’s bread and butter: generating value when your creatures bite the dust. Blood Artist, Butcher of Malakir, and Ayara, First of Locthwain turn every death into incremental advantage. Goblin Bombardment and Ashnod’s Altar serve as sacrifice outlets, letting you control when and how your creatures leave the table—and punishing your opponents for every misstep.
- Bastion of Remembrance and Grave Pact turn the mere act of sacrificing into a board-warping threat.
- Need to reset a cluttered board? Living Death and Dread Return flip the table, bringing back your lost squad for round two (or three).
3. Removal and Resilience
With so many creatures hitting the bin, you’ll have no trouble triggering Mayhem Devil or Morbid Opportunist for even more value. And when things look grim, cards like Blasphemous Edict and Culling Ritual let you clean house, leaving Abby and Ellie poised to pick off what’s left.
Artifact Mutation and Deadly Brew provide flexible removal, while the likes of Mazirek, Kraul Death Priest and Meren of Clan Nel Toth reward you for playing the long game and recurring your best threats.
4. Mana, Tutoring, and Consistency
You’re not going to out-ramp Simic mages, but Arcane Signet, Golgari Signet, and Gruul Signet keep your mana base humming along. Fauna Shaman and Diabolic Intent ensure you find just the right creature or answer as the game unfolds.
Field of the Dead? Mandatory in a deck that churns out bodies like this.
Power & Bracket: Why 0/10?
Let’s be clear: this deck isn’t designed to dominate cEDH tables, nor is it likely to combo out before turn six. Our 0/10 power rating and Bracket 1 placement are deliberate; this is a teaching tool, not a tournament slayer. Here’s why:
- No infinite combos. You won’t be going off with Protean Hulk shenanigans here.
- Limited tutors and fast mana. Aside from basics like Arcane Signet, you’re not turbo-charging into busted lines.
- Intentional jank. Cards like Boggart Trawler/Boggart Bog and Funeral Room/Awakening Hall provide flavor and learning opportunities, not just raw efficiency.
This deck is perfect for helping new players learn the ropes of combat, threat assessment, and value generation without overwhelming power spikes.
Should You Build It?
Absolutely—if you’re looking to learn, teach, or just bash skulls with the post-apocalyptic power couple. Abby and Ellie thrive in casual pods, rewarding creative play and tight decision-making. You’ll practice everything from sequencing and bluffing to recognizing when it’s time to go on the offensive or hold back for the perfect retribution play.
Best of all? Every game feels different, every creature counts, and every sacrifice is a learning moment. If you love decks that force your tablemates to read their cards twice and keep everyone involved until the bitter end, this is the duo for you.
Come for the theme, stay for the vengeance. DeckStir out!
