A Better Syr Konrad, the Grim - Strategy & Game Plan - Definitive Player Guide MTG Commander Primer

[@sirKonradical]

The most hilarious part is when they try to exile your yard but you just tainted strike konrad first❤❤

[@johnbarrie447]

This was a great video. I probably won't do the infinite mana plan in my Syr Konrad, but I really like the discard package you've got going on.

[@sirKonradical]

Konrad infect is my favorite

[@BetterCallKahl]

I built konrad as self mill with tons of creatures

[@brandonvanchieri7719]

I somehow pulled Syr Konrad and Leyline of the Void on the same day... I feel like it was a sign that i need to build a deck like this

[@LocalGameGroup]

It’s a sign! Yeah, I’m going through a box of Eldraine now with the crew 🧙‍♂️

[@SonOfSodium]

Ebon hand is cool, he makes the whole "ashnod's not phyrexian" altar oopsie go away in the same way and tbh in mono sometimes something as simple as turning mind stone into a black mana is clutch

[@tornadojoe87]

i made syr konrad around release and ended up finding a nice instant win that could be had as early as turn 2-3 ;) with butcher of truth and/or infinite gyre in the library with enough other creatures, all you have to do is cast Morality Shift :) I just opened Mana Crypt a couple days ago in a mystery booster pack so i am recreating my mtgo deck and filling in whatever i dont have :)

[@etchmfg]

Excited to try your ideas out - I've been optimizing my Syr Konrad for awhile now and it's in that odd zone where it's too much for many casual tables but gets shut out against more competitive decks without any interaction. I'm very curious how effective the discard package can mitigate the lack of interaction. Keep up the great work.

[@LocalGameGroup]

Thank you. Hope you enjoy some of the ideas offered here!

[@Jonathan-qk5ed]

I thought I was the only person that thought Arterial Flow was slept on from RoI

[@LocalGameGroup]

It’s gas, particularly in Commander. 🤘

[@54m0h7]

Nice strategy, I like how it's different from what you'd expect. Did you consider using Gemstone Array? (2 generic for a charge counter, remove a counter for mana of any color) It will let you filter with Monolith/Rings combo, and it's not a creature. I keep thinking there is a way to break the card with Mirage Mirror. lol

[@LocalGameGroup]

I had considered Array, but the setup cost is too high... Initiates offers an excellent filter at 1cmc and a recoverable one at that (a la Shallow Grave/Corpse Dance). Man, I would love to break Mirage Mirror... Not sure how though. Yet 🧙‍♂️

[@brethmint054]

Finally someone who also appreciates LOTV. I have no idea why people pass on her so often......

[@timothylaveau]

I had to stop and comment after I seen your first card. I don't know how much I like Mana web. I ran it in Yisan as a stax piece but making the blue players tap out just allowed the faster combo decks to untap and win without threat of interaction. If your deck is playing for turn 6+ it might hamper your chances.

[@LocalGameGroup]

It’s definitely a meta choice, but we can keep those same Decks in check from Turn to Turn. I’ve only ever experienced pure bliss with *Mana Web,* but something like *Tanglewire* could be opted in instead.

[@earvinmanansala5213]

I put him in Anje. Have him and Anje our and you can just keep discarding madness cards. Using Gravepurge and the other 3 cards that do the same thing to keep refilling.

[@jhager5684]

I almost won my weekly commander pod with this and Worldgorger/Animate Dead but he was taken out a turn shy of me being able to trigger the graveyard exile; I ended throwing Piranha Marsh instead. 🤘

[@LTJ]

I've built Konrad, and am in my third iteration with him. I didn't want to build a control/prison deck as I have one in Shirei. Discard was too slow, aristocrats just didn't work effectively enough, so I have doubled down on the milling everyone. The two key cards are Konrad and Mindcrank. In my last game I killed TWO people in a 4 person pod by attacking with Konrad, which triggered Mindcrank, so they milled and found creatures, which triggered Konrad, which triggered Mindcrank and so on. 97 points of damage later they were dead, and the other person was nearly dead. Brutal and fun. It's still not fast enough but I'm gonna triple down and concentrate on tutors for mindcrank, cards copying mindcrank to multiple the mill effects, and ramping like mad. It's already one of my favourite decks.

[@LocalGameGroup]

My meta isn’t very Creature heavy, maybe 2-5 avg. per Deck (outside of Commander), so *Mindcrank* wouldn’t hit all too often. Outside of that, I can see it being effective. Not much by way of ramp in Mono-Black, but throw in Arcane, Gilded & Thran to get to Konrad/Ability and you’re good for sure. Might even consider Hedron Archive for when your Hand gets low.

[@GabeBurch]

Hey there Lee. Would you mind sharing your deck lists?

[@LTJ]

@@GabeBurch sure. It's still very much a work in progress but if I get enough time I'll stick it up 😁

[@GabeBurch]

@@LTJ Thanks. I've been trying to put him together but I feel like I'm all over the place as far as his triggers are concerned. Milling myself, milling them, graveyard recursion, etc... Maybe I should focus

[@LTJ]

@@GabeBurch I had exactly the same problem, so I decided that milling them specifically was the key, and the recursion in the deck was for artifacts so I can get mindcrank back...its CRUCIAL and you need to protect it, tutor it, copy it, and recur it. The only issue with this deck is being in a creature light pod really hurts you, as your triggers dont go off...so I've also included two cards that give Syr K infect, I NEVER play infect usually, but for once I think this deck justifies it and increases the threat level exponentially...

[@robert2063]

I was proposed a challenge using the uncommon legendary knights as our comander. I got Syr Konrad. One of the challenges are you can only use common and uncommon only, so pauper. What would be your strategy?

[@LocalGameGroup]

Likely the self-mill route, with a bunch of Creatures. The board presence never hurts and the damage output would be solid/symmetrical. Definitely go that route.

[@knutti9536]

If 5 creatures leaves the graveyard does my opponent Then take five damage?

[@smirkmcflerkin2371]

Hed be good with my gitrog dackmoor salvage , gaia blessing and something like perpetual timepiece maybe

[@daveaustin4261]

How does Leyline of the void work with Syr Konrad? I would have thought the cards would be exiled instead of entering the graveyard so the effect wouldn't trigger

[@LocalGameGroup]

It’s a replacement, so they are exiled. So, if we Exile everyone’s library still good.

[@geotle]

@@LocalGameGroup but how are you ensuring you don't mill yourself out first? If Leyline is out then you won't get your reshuffle off of Kozilek, right?

[@geotle]

How do you feel about Meteor Golem as an answer to things like Null Rod/Cursed Totem? I know you've brewed to get around Grafdigger's Cage, but you do have Entomb/Shallow Grave. Might be worth trying?? I do understand why Engineered Explosives/Blast Zone are probably better tho

[@LocalGameGroup]

I mean, yeah... You can slam face with Meteor Golem reanimated. Not a bad call at all.

[@kyleguerrero9196]

Necropotence combo is what Im thinking with him though

[@LocalGameGroup]

What combo might that be? Storm?

[@kyleguerrero9196]

Necro creates two separate triggers from entering the graveyard and exiling the card from the graveyard.... sooo maybe pay 30 life and discard 20 creatures?

[@LocalGameGroup]

I’d have to see those Creatures, haha. Two out of every three cards is pretty insane. There are some decent Creatures in Mono-Black though.

[@MagicMonkZA]

I know the infinite combo thing is not everyone’s thing, but have you used Forsaken Monument and Basalt Monolith combo?

[@LocalGameGroup]

I have not! However, there are definitely play lines there.

[@TD4355-e7u]

Grindstone and painter servant self mill win.

[@LocalGameGroup]

At best, this Combo can only knock out one Opponent.

[@TD4355-e7u]

@@LocalGameGroup we are milling ourselves to reshuffle the eldrazi that kills the whole table.

[@LocalGameGroup]

That doesn’t work, read Grindstone carefully... The Triggered Effect of the Titan hits the stack after Grindstone’s effect concludes: you will not get Shuffle Triggers *during* Grindstones activation.

[@TD4355-e7u]

@@LocalGameGroup i see now so sad would have been awesome :(

[@artificium_]

@@LocalGameGroup sooo you would shuffle after the grindstone ability concludes and still get the Konrad triggers

[@jacksunflare]

Would you consider doing a better Elsha of the Infinite? She seems really versatile but everyone wants to just lean all in on the Top combo

[@LocalGameGroup]

🤔 I’ll have to ask one of the boiz on that. Working on a few lists currently. However, there’s a lot of potential with *Elsha.*

[@jacksunflare]

@@LocalGameGroup I agree, she's got lots of interesting tech outside of the simple storm route.

[@ferryjayadi3316]

The 99 kykar or elsha, i would debate both which one is the best jeskai deck.

[@LocalGameGroup]

Man, I really like Kykar as well, haha. I’d personally play that list - as I have an affinity for Swan-like flyers 🦢 - but they’re both excellent, storm/combo-manders.

[@jacksunflare]

@@LocalGameGroup I think Kykar is the better storm commander while Elsha has the ability to play a more versatile tempo type of strategy.

[@NumberFreak2000]

How could you not see the potential of Syr Conrad?

[@LocalGameGroup]

I clearly got over that. ;)

[@NumberFreak2000]

@@LocalGameGroup I always go straight for the uncommons! I built a Grumgully, the Generous deck already!

[@homebrewhorus7110]

Can you please do kothoped demons maybe as a request

[@lindowqq]

what about adding words of waste and shrieking affliction

[@LocalGameGroup]

*Words of Waste* perhaps... I do like the selective effect of being able to cause a Discard over a Draw. However, I’m not too concerned with Life Loss (or Damage) until it’s the Combo Turn. Words is an excellent Discard utility though that’s repeatable. Not opposed.

[@lindowqq]

@@LocalGameGroup Library of Leng could be a good idea if you have more of a discard theme. toss in a mindslicer or Rankle

[@c0ym0nty]

I'd play this Syr with Grindstone and PS.

[@LocalGameGroup]

Unfortunately, that combo does not go Infinite here... Grindstone will continue to mill until you have no library. After the effect has finished, the game will check for any Triggers that may have activated (Kozilek) and place them on the stack. After which, Grindstone will be tapped. If there are enough Creatures this may work, but not in this particular build.

[@c0ym0nty]

@@LocalGameGroup I target the opponent's ☺ hit one creature deck, but yeah, I like your build too 👍 made me rethink that infinite mana combo

[@artificium_]

Diregraf collosus + Gravecrawler + Phyrexian Altar for infinite Mana tho

[@LocalGameGroup]

Relies on the graveyard, which we’re trying to avoid with this build.

[@MasterQuestMaster]

Will the red commander be Torbran?

[@LocalGameGroup]

Yes! However, I have yet to crack the code on him... Not really enjoying his gameplay. 😵

[@alexbiersner3350]

I always thought Torbran and Wort Warmaiden could combo nicely. All of the burn spells your slinging and coping could be even bigger

[@david191cm]

Why not play lanter control with him

[@LocalGameGroup]

Not sure how effective that same strategy would be in Commander... However, *Lantern of Insight* could certainly be considered here as an aid to the single target removal pieces. That’d be useful. 🧙‍♂️

[@intelligentcounterspell16]

Wow my guy nothing to deal with artifacts? How about artifacts ? And there is plenty of enchantment hate and graveyard hate in there too . Mono black is the best

[@artificium_]

So umbral mantle is a dead card if you don't have the magus

[@LocalGameGroup]

No more dead than a Phyrexian Altar would be. If we Draw into Umbral, we know our game plan should aim for Magus and with our Tutors we’ll get there.

[@joshuaboyd6253]

Some of those cards are really bad for this deck. You want creatures to hit the graveyard

[@LocalGameGroup]

If you’re milling infinitely, you’ll only need 1 Creature to hit the Graveyard: we’re well over that amount here.