How to Play Korvold, Fae-Cursed King in Commander

Bracket 4 · Our Korvold decklist · Aristocrats

Our Korvold list is Jund sacrifice and Treasure. Korvold makes you sacrifice a permanent whenever he enters or attacks, but every sacrifice puts a +1/+1 counter on him and draws a card.

The deck fuels him with Treasure from Pitiless Plunderer, Academy Manufactor and Xorn, free sacrifice outlets like Ashnod's Altar and Viscera Seer, and drains the table with Blood Artist, Zulaport Cutthroat and Mayhem Devil.

Strategy
Aristocrats
Bracket
4
Avg. mana value
2.68
Lands
34
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01The Commander

Korvold, Fae-Cursed King is a five-mana 4/4 flier. Whenever he enters or attacks, you sacrifice another permanent. Whenever you sacrifice a permanent, Korvold gets a +1/+1 counter and you draw a card.

Any sacrifice counts: Treasure, Food, Clues, lands, creatures. Cracking a Treasure for mana draws a card, and so does a fetch land.

With a free outlet like Ashnod's Altar and a stream of tokens, Korvold becomes a huge flier and draws a fresh hand every turn.

02How This Deck Wins

  1. 1

    Make fodder

    Pitiless Plunderer, Academy Manufactor, Xorn, Tireless Provisioner and Chatterfang, Squirrel General make Treasure and tokens to sacrifice.

  2. 2

    Sacrifice for value

    Every sacrifice draws with Korvold. Ashnod's Altar, Phyrexian Altar, Viscera Seer and Goblin Bombardment let you sacrifice whenever you like.

  3. 3

    Drain and swing

    Blood Artist, Zulaport Cutthroat, Mayhem Devil and Mirkwood Bats drain with every death, and Korvold swings in the air.

03Deck at a Glance

Bracket 4 · Aristocrats · 100 cards

Composition

  • Commander1
  • Creatures29
  • Instants & sorceries21
  • Artifacts & enchantments15
  • Planeswalkers0
  • Lands34
  • Tokens7

Mana Curve

10
121
182
243
44
25
26
27+

Color Split

72colored
symbols
  • Black 36%
  • Red 25%
  • Green 39%

By the Numbers

2.68avg. mana value
34lands (12 basic)
5Game Changers
7token types included

Cards by Role

Treasure and Token Makers18
Sacrifice Outlets15
Drain and Recursion9
Ramp and Tutors16
Interaction7

04Treasure and Token Makers

Every token is a card with Korvold.

Academy ManufactorEvery Clue, Food or Treasure becomes one of each. That is three sacrifices instead of one.
Pitiless PlundererA Treasure whenever another of your creatures dies.
XornAn extra Treasure every time you make Treasure.
Chatterfang, Squirrel GeneralEvery token comes with a Squirrel, and Squirrels sacrifice for removal.
Bootleggers' StashEvery land taps for a Treasure.

Also in this role

Tireless Provisioner
Mahadi, Emporium Master
Revel in Riches
Ruthless Technomancer
Warren Soultrader
Impulsive Pilferer
Black Market Connections
Awakening Zone
Goldspan Dragon
Old Gnawbone
Professional Face-Breaker
Ragavan, Nimble Pilferer
The Reaver Cleaver

05Sacrifice Outlets

Each sacrifice puts a counter on Korvold and draws a card.

Ashnod's AltarSacrifice a creature for two colorless.
Phyrexian AltarSacrifice a creature for one mana of any color.
Goblin BombardmentSacrifice a creature to ping any target.
Viscera SeerFree sacrifice and a scry.
Braids, Arisen NightmareSacrifice each end step to make opponents sacrifice or lose 2 life, and you draw.

Also in this role

Juri, Master of the Revue
Ziatora, the Incinerator
Deadly Dispute
Diabolic Intent
Eldritch Evolution
Victimize
Crop Rotation
Harrow
Springbloom Druid
Sakura-Tribe Elder

06Drain and Recursion

Death triggers and creatures that come back to die again.

Mayhem DevilOne damage whenever any player sacrifices a permanent, including Treasure.
Blood ArtistDrains whenever any creature dies.
Zulaport CutthroatDrains each opponent whenever your creatures die.
Mirkwood BatsEach opponent loses 1 whenever you create or sacrifice a token.
Reassembling SkeletonReturns from the graveyard for two, over and over.

Also in this role

Squee, the Immortal
Eternal Witness
Reanimate
Underworld Breach

07Ramp and Tutors

Get Korvold out early and find the engine pieces.

Demonic TutorAny card for two.
Vampiric TutorAny card on top for one.
Worldly TutorAny creature on top.
Birds of ParadiseTaps for any color.

Also in this role

Ignoble Hierarch
Delighted Halfling
Sol Ring
Arcane Signet
Lotus Petal
Dark Ritual
Farseek
Nature's Lore
Cultivate
Rhythm of the Wild
Lightning Greaves
Swiftfoot Boots

08Interaction

Jund answers and protection.

Abrupt DecayUncounterable removal for cheap permanents.
Assassin's TrophyDestroys any permanent.
Culling RitualWipes cheap permanents and gives you mana.
Heroic InterventionSaves your board from a wipe.
Deflecting SwatFree redirect with Korvold out.

Also in this role

Beast Within
Blasphemous Act

09Combos and Key Interactions

+

Mayhem Devil + Academy Manufactor

Each Treasure, Food and Clue you sacrifice pings once and draws a card with Korvold.

+

Reassembling Skeleton + Ashnod's Altar

Sacrifice for two mana, then pay two to return it. Every loop draws with Korvold and drains with Blood Artist.

+

Underworld Breach + Korvold, Fae-Cursed King

Recast sacrifice spells from your graveyard, drawing cards with each sacrifice.

10How to Play

Opening hand

Keep hands with two or three lands, a dork or ramp spell, and a token maker. Korvold on turn four is ideal.

1

Early gameturns 1-3

Ramp with Birds of Paradise or Sakura-Tribe Elder and play token makers like Tireless Provisioner.

2

Mid gameturns 4-7

Cast Korvold and sacrifice a token or land to his trigger. Add outlets like Ashnod's Altar and payoffs like Mayhem Devil.

3

Late gameturn 8+

Sacrifice everything spare for cards and counters, drain with Blood Artist and Zulaport Cutthroat, and swing with a huge flying Korvold.

Tips

  • Cracking a Treasure counts as a sacrifice, so each one draws with Korvold.
  • Fetch lands and Crop Rotation also trigger Korvold.
  • Korvold's enter and attack triggers need another permanent, so keep a token ready.
  • Mayhem Devil triggers on opponents' sacrifices too.

Common mistakes

  • Sacrificing real cards to Korvold's trigger when a token would do.
  • Overextending without Heroic Intervention.
  • Running out of fodder for Korvold's attack trigger.
  • Forgetting Treasure sacrifices draw cards.

Watch out for

  • Graveyard hate on your recursion.
  • Removal on Korvold.
  • Artifact wipes that remove Treasure.
  • Effects that stop tokens.

11Bracket and Rule 0

1Exhibition
2Core
3Upgraded
4Optimized
5cEDH
Bracket4

Our list runs 5 Game Changers (Crop Rotation, Demonic Tutor, Underworld Breach, Vampiric Tutor, Worldly Tutor). That is more than the Bracket 3 limit of three, so we call it Bracket 4 at the table.

Reassembling Skeleton, Ashnod's Altar and Underworld Breach can make long value loops, so mention them before the game.

12Full Decklist

Every card in our Korvold proxy deck (100 cards). Hover or tap a name to see the card.

Commander

  • 1Korvold, Fae-Cursed King2BRG

Creatures (29)

  • 1Birds of ParadiseG
  • 1Delighted HalflingG
  • 1Ignoble HierarchG
  • 1Impulsive PilfererR
  • 1Ragavan, Nimble PilfererR
  • 1Viscera SeerB
  • 1Blood Artist1B
  • 1Juri, Master of the RevueBR
  • 1Reassembling Skeleton1B
  • 1Sakura-Tribe Elder1G
  • 1Zulaport Cutthroat1B
  • 1Academy Manufactor3
  • 1Braids, Arisen Nightmare1BB
  • 1Chatterfang, Squirrel General2G
  • 1Eternal Witness1GG
  • 1Mahadi, Emporium Master1BR
  • 1Mayhem Devil1BR
  • 1Professional Face-Breaker2R
  • 1Springbloom Druid2G
  • 1Squee, the Immortal1RR
  • 1Tireless Provisioner2G
  • 1Warren Soultrader2B
  • 1Xorn2R
  • 1Mirkwood Bats3B
  • 1Pitiless Plunderer3B
  • 1Ruthless Technomancer3B
  • 1Goldspan Dragon3RR
  • 1Ziatora, the Incinerator3BRG
  • 1Old Gnawbone5GG

Instants (11)

  • 1Crop RotationG
  • 1Dark RitualB
  • 1Vampiric TutorB
  • 1Worldly TutorG
  • 1Abrupt DecayBG
  • 1Assassin's TrophyBG
  • 1Deadly Dispute1B
  • 1Heroic Intervention1G
  • 1Beast Within2G
  • 1Deflecting Swat2R
  • 1Harrow2G

Sorceries (10)

  • 1ReanimateB
  • 1Demonic Tutor1B
  • 1Diabolic Intent1B
  • 1Farseek1G
  • 1Nature's Lore1G
  • 1Cultivate2G
  • 1Eldritch Evolution1GG
  • 1Victimize2B
  • 1Culling Ritual2BG
  • 1Blasphemous Act8R

Artifacts (9)

  • 1Lotus Petal0
  • 1Sol Ring1
  • 1Arcane Signet2
  • 1Lightning Greaves2
  • 1Swiftfoot Boots2
  • 1Ashnod's Altar3
  • 1Phyrexian Altar3
  • 1The Reaver Cleaver2R
  • 1Bootleggers' Stash5G

Enchantments (6)

  • 1Goblin Bombardment1R
  • 1Underworld Breach1R
  • 1Awakening Zone2G
  • 1Black Market Connections2B
  • 1Rhythm of the Wild1RG
  • 1Revel in Riches4B

Lands (34)

  • 1Blood Crypt
  • 1Bloodstained Mire
  • 1Boseiju, Who Endures
  • 1Cinder Glade
  • 1Command Tower
  • 1Dragonskull Summit
  • 1Evolving Wilds
  • 1Exotic Orchard
  • 1Fabled Passage
  • 4Forest
  • 4Mountain
  • 1Overgrown Tomb
  • 1Phyrexian Tower
  • 1Reliquary Tower
  • 1Savage Lands
  • 1Smoldering Marsh
  • 1Stomping Ground
  • 4Swamp
  • 1Terramorphic Expanse
  • 1Undergrowth Stadium
  • 1Verdant Catacombs
  • 1Windswept Heath
  • 1Wooded Foothills
  • 1Woodland Cemetery
  • 1Ziatora's Proving Ground
Korvold proxy deck cover

Get the deck

Korvold Aristocrats proxy deck

Korvold turns every sacrifice into a card. Make fodder, sacrifice it, drain the table, and fly over.

Every card in this guide is shown exactly as it prints in the deck you get, sleeve-ready, with tokens.

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Every card named in this guide is in our deck, and every image is our own proxy card, rendered from the art in this deck.