Overview

Plunder the Graves is a sacrifice and recursion deck. Meren of Clan Nel Toth gives you an experience counter whenever another creature you control dies, and at the beginning of your end step you choose a creature card in your graveyard: if its mana value is less than or equal to your experience counters, it returns to the battlefield, otherwise it goes to your hand. Every creature you lose is a future creature you get back.

The 99 cards are 37 creatures, 7 artifacts, one enchantment, 6 instants, 10 sorceries and 38 lands. Sacrifice outlets such as Blood Bairn, Phyrexian Plaguelord, Eater of Hope, Altar's Reap and High Market turn creatures into value, while recursion cards such as Eternal Witness, Skullwinder, Victimize, Rise from the Grave, Diabolic Servitude and Champion of Stray Souls bring them back. Graveyard payoffs include Jarad, Golgari Lich Lord, Kessig Cagebreakers, Spider Spawning and Corpse Augur.

Key Cards

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Jarad, Golgari Lich Lord
Graveyard Payoff · Drain
A 2/2 for {B}{B}{G}{G}. It gets +1/+1 for each creature card in your graveyard, and for {1}{B}{G} and a sacrificed creature each opponent loses life equal to that creature's power. It is a growing body and a sacrifice-based drain.
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Kessig Cagebreakers
Token Maker · Graveyard Payoff
A 3/4 for {4}{G}. Whenever it attacks, you create a 2/2 green Wolf creature token tapped and attacking for each creature card in your graveyard. It turns your graveyard into an army.
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Scourge of Nel Toth
Recursion · Flying
A 6/6 for {5}{B}{B}. It has flying, and you may cast it from your graveyard by paying {B}{B} and sacrificing two creatures instead of its mana cost. It is a 6/6 flyer that keeps coming back.
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Eater of Hope
Sacrifice Outlet · Removal
A 6/4 for {5}{B}{B}. It has flying, for {B} and a sacrificed creature it regenerates, and for {2}{B} and two sacrificed creatures it destroys target creature. It turns spare bodies into protection and removal.

Playing the Deck

The early game is about mana and a first sacrifice outlet. Sol Ring, Golgari Signet, Thought Vessel, Wood Elves, Sakura-Tribe Elder and Viridian Emissary ramp you, Phyrexian Rager, Wall of Blossoms and Mulch fill your hand and graveyard, and Lotleth Troll and Blood Bairn are early threats. Skullclamp turns small creatures into cards.

The middle of the game is about the recursion engine. Meren of Clan Nel Toth returns a creature each turn, Eternal Witness, Skullwinder and Victimize get more value, Mazirek, Kraul Death Priest grows the team whenever anything is sacrificed, and Extractor Demon mills players when creatures leave. Jarad, Golgari Lich Lord and Kessig Cagebreakers grow with the graveyard.

The late game is about huge threats and resets. Scourge of Nel Toth, Terastodon, Verdant Force and Caller of the Pack are big finishers, Eldrazi Monument makes your army flying and indestructible, Barter in Blood makes each player sacrifice two creatures, and Cloudthresher has reach and damages every flyer. Pathbreaker Ibex and Overwhelming Stampede push damage through.

Strengths & Weaknesses

Strengths: The deck has a high number of creatures, plenty of recursion and a lot of ways to turn creatures into value. It also has strong interaction, including Putrefy, Shriekmaw, Sever the Bloodline, Acidic Slime, Tribute to the Wild and Golgari Charm.

Weaknesses: Graveyard hate such as an exile effect can stop the whole plan, and Meren is the engine of the deck, so removal on Meren slows it down. Eldrazi Monument makes you sacrifice a creature each turn, and Barter in Blood hurts your board too.

Want to improve it? See the Plunder the Graves upgrade guide: twelve swaps with the data behind each one.

Verdict
Plunder the Graves is a classic, powerful value deck with a satisfying recursion engine. It is a good choice for players who like sacrifice themes and getting more out of every creature.

Want to see what a fully optimised Meren of Clan Nel Toth build looks like? Try the Oracle.

✦ Build with The Oracle

Frequently Asked Questions

What cards are in the Plunder the Graves decklist?
The Plunder the Graves precon is a 100-card Commander deck led by Meren of Clan Nel Toth. The full Plunder the Graves decklist, with every card, current prices and a button to copy the list into your deck builder, is on this page.

When was Plunder the Graves released?
Plunder the Graves was released on November 13, 2015 as part of Commander 2015.

Who is the commander of Plunder the Graves?
Plunder the Graves is led by Meren of Clan Nel Toth, a Golgari (B/G) legendary creature.

How many creatures are in Plunder the Graves?
The 99 cards besides Meren of Clan Nel Toth include 37 creatures.

How many lands does Plunder the Graves have?
Plunder the Graves has 38 lands in the 99 cards besides Meren of Clan Nel Toth, including basic lands.

Full Decklist

All 100 cards from the out-of-the-box Plunder the Graves precon, with current prices. Click any card to expand it.

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