Bracket 3 · Our The Serpent Society decklist · Deathtouch
Our Serpent Society list is Golgari deathtouch and sacrifice. Whenever another creature you control with deathtouch dies, each opponent sacrifices a nontoken creature.
The deck fills the board with cheap deathtouch Snakes, feeds them to Ashnod's Altar, Skullclamp and Village Rites, stacks Grave Pact effects on top, and finishes with drain, poison counters or Triumph of the Hordes.
- Strategy
- Deathtouch
- Bracket
- 3
- Avg. mana value
- 2.58
- Lands
- 34
01The Commander
The Serpent Society is a three-mana 3/4 with deathtouch. Its ward makes any opponent who targets it get five poison counters.
Whenever another creature you control with deathtouch dies, each opponent sacrifices a nontoken creature of their choice. It counts any death: combat, removal or your own sacrifice.
Your deathtouch tokens count too. A Snake from Ophiomancer or an Insect from Hornet Queen dies and costs every opponent a real creature.
02How This Deck Wins
- 1
Build a deathtouch board
Cheap Snakes like Ankle Biter, Moss Viper and Ambush Viper, plus token makers like Ophiomancer and Hapatra, Vizier of Poisons, give the Society fodder.
- 2
Sacrifice for value
Ashnod's Altar, Skullclamp and Village Rites turn each deathtouch creature into mana or cards and an edict on every opponent.
- 3
Drain or poison the table
Poison-Tip Archer and South Wind Avatar drain as creatures die, while Fynn, the Fangbearer and Triumph of the Hordes pile on poison counters.
03Deck at a Glance
Bracket 3 · Deathtouch · 100 cards
Composition
- Commander1
- Creatures33
- Instants & sorceries18
- Artifacts & enchantments13
- Planeswalkers1
- Lands34
- Tokens4
Mana Curve
Color Split
symbols
- Black 43%
- Green 57%
By the Numbers
Cards by Role
04Deathtouch Bodies
Every one of these is an edict waiting to happen.
Also in this role
05Sacrifice Outlets and Edicts
Turn your own creatures into table-wide sacrifices.
Also in this role
06Drain and Poison Finishers
Close the game while their boards empty.
Also in this role
07Card Draw and Mana
Keep the fodder coming.
Also in this role
08Interaction
Golgari answers and protection.
Also in this role
09Combos and Key Interactions
The Serpent Society + Ashnod's Altar
Sacrifice each deathtouch creature for {C}{C}, and each one makes every opponent sacrifice a nontoken creature.
The Serpent Society + Skullclamp
Equip a 1/1 deathtouch creature. It dies, you draw two cards, and each opponent sacrifices a nontoken creature.
The Serpent Society + Vraska, the Silencer
Each creature they sacrifice to the Society can come back to you as a Treasure for {1}.
10How to Play
Opening hand
Keep hands with three lands, a ramp piece and a couple of cheap deathtouch creatures. The Society on turn three is ideal.
Early gameturns 1-3
Play cheap Snakes like Ankle Biter and Moss Viper, mana creatures like Nightshade Dryad, and The Serpent Society on turn three.
Mid gameturns 4-7
Add a sacrifice outlet like Ashnod's Altar or Skullclamp and token makers like Ophiomancer. Trade deathtouch creatures freely.
Late gameturn 8+
Stack Grave Pact or Dictate of Erebos with the Society, then drain with Poison-Tip Archer or swing with Triumph of the Hordes.
Tips
- The Society only triggers when a creature with deathtouch dies, so give your board deathtouch with Vraska Joins Up or Saryth, the Viper's Fang.
- Opponents must sacrifice nontoken creatures, so their tokens can't protect their real threats.
- Grave Pact and Dictate of Erebos trigger separately from the Society, so one death can make each opponent sacrifice twice.
- Ward makes opponents take five poison counters to target the Society, which also counts toward a poison win.
Common mistakes
- Sacrificing a creature that doesn't have deathtouch and expecting a Society trigger.
- Using Saryth's deathtouch on untapped creatures. Only tapped ones have it.
- Running out of fodder before the Society or Grave Pact is on the battlefield.
- Forgetting Unstoppable Slasher only returns if it had no counters on it.
Watch out for
- Graveyard and enchantment removal.
- Decks with lots of tokens to feed your edicts.
- Board wipes that clear your fodder.
- Fliers, since only a few of your creatures have reach.
11Bracket and Rule 0
Our list runs no Game Changers.
This is a Bracket 3 (Upgraded) style deck with no Game Changers.
It has no infinite combos, but stacked Grave Pact effects can lock creature decks out, and Aphelia, Unstoppable Slasher and Vraska, Betrayal's Sting can end games fast. Mention it at Rule 0.
12Full Decklist
Every card in our The Serpent Society proxy deck (100 cards). Hover or tap a name to see the card.
Commander
- 1The Serpent Society1BG
Creatures (33)
- 1Ankle BiterG
- 1Bilious SkulldwellerB
- 1Dragon SniperG
- 1Fang of ShigekiG
- 1Moss ViperG
- 1Tinybones, the PickpocketB
- 1Venerated RotpriestG
- 1Ambush Viper1G
- 1Aphelia, Viper Whisperer1B
- 1Chevill, Bane of MonstersBG
- 1Frog Butler1G
- 1Fynn, the Fangbearer1G
- 1Hapatra, Vizier of PoisonsBG
- 1Nightshade Dryad1G
- 1Noxious Newt1G
- 1Tower Winder1G
- 1Black Widow, Deadly Hunter2B
- 1Bloated Contaminator2G
- 1Bloodroot Apothecary2G
- 1Evolution Sage2G
- 1Glissa Sunslayer1BG
- 1Hooded Blightfang2B
- 1Leyline Prowler1BG
- 1Ophiomancer2B
- 1Unstoppable Slasher2B
- 1Vraska, the Silencer1BG
- 1Aveline de Grandpré2GG
- 1Poison-Tip Archer2BG
- 1Questing Beast2GG
- 1Saryth, the Viper's Fang2GG
- 1South Wind Avatar3B
- 1Ohran Frostfang3GG
- 1Hornet Queen4GGG
Planeswalkers (1)
- 1Vraska, Betrayal's Sting4BB/P
Instants (9)
- 1Dark RitualB
- 1Village RitesB
- 1Assassin's TrophyBG
- 1Deadly Dispute1B
- 1Heroic Intervention1G
- 1Infectious Bite1G
- 1Beast Within2G
- 1Vraska's Fall2B
- 1Deadly Rollick3B
Sorceries (9)
- 1ReanimateB
- 1Nature's Lore1G
- 1Rampant Growth1G
- 1Smell Fear1G
- 1Three Visits1G
- 1Cultivate2G
- 1Infectious Inquiry2B
- 1Victimize2B
- 1Triumph of the Hordes2GG
Artifacts (8)
- 1Skullclamp1
- 1Sol Ring1
- 1Viridian Longbow1
- 1Arcane Signet2
- 1Golgari Signet2
- 1Talisman of Resilience2
- 1Ashnod's Altar3
- 1Cauldron of Essence1BG
Enchantments (5)
- 1Vraska Joins UpBG
- 1Phyrexian Arena1BB
- 1Grave Pact1BBB
- 1Guardian Project3G
- 1Dictate of Erebos3BB
Lands (34)
- 1Bojuka Bog
- 1Command Tower
- 1Deathcap Glade
- 9Forest
- 1Karn's Bastion
- 1Llanowar Wastes
- 1Overgrown Tomb
- 1Phyrexian Tower
- 9Swamp
- 1Tainted Wood
- 1Twilight Mire
- 1Undergrowth Stadium
- 1Urborg, Tomb of Yawgmoth
- 1Verdant Catacombs
- 1Vernal Fen
- 1Wastewood Verge
- 1Woodland Cemetery
- 1Yavimaya, Cradle of Growth
Get the deck
The Serpent Society Deathtouch proxy deck
The Serpent Society makes every Snake an edict. Build the board, sacrifice it, and leave the table empty.
Every card in this guide is shown exactly as it prints in the deck you get, sleeve-ready, with tokens.
Shop the deck · $45Every card named in this guide is in our deck, and every image is our own proxy card, rendered from the art in this deck.