Syr Konrad, the Grim | Upping the Average

[@nik700]

It's like watching a proud parent talk about their kid

[@NicholasVella]

This is by far the best series on EDH at the moment. The decks are not budget, but not too obscene to break the bank.

[@jaymack9199]

I had a huge problem with this video.....I could only like it once! But in all seriousness that was some great insight! I too fell in love with this commander and it quickly became one of my favourite decks. You made some great points surrounding some of the mill creatures, and convinced me to make some slight adjustments. Thanks and keep up the great work!

[@bengisclips]

One card that isn’t even on Syr Konrad’s page but definitely should be is Tombstone Stairwell. Basically, every turn, everyone creates a zombie for each creature card in their graveyard then sacrifices them at end of turn, triggering syr konrad for a ton every turn. You don’t even have to worry about your opponents swinging in with a bunch of zombies, since you will most likely have more than them. It’s on the reserved list, but it’s pretty cheap for reserved list standards at around 20 bucks.

[@nanoacido5174]

I initially didn't like Sir Konrad, but after playing him in the 99... Wow he is really great. He also has great synergy with the best spell in MTG, which is of course Living Death

[@andersvigen7221]

Holy, didn’t even think of abhorrent overlord! Another great card that I use in Syr Konrad is Archfiend of despair. It’s expensive but after dealing 10-15 on a turn with Konrad it feels so good to drop this and start Chunking your opponents life.

[@krisstanek4842]

A. How did I not know that this page existed? B. This video gave me exactly what I was looking for in terms of info on how to fine tune my Konrad deck. Thank you for the upload 😊

[@ConradDubya]

As a Conrad myself, I approve of this episode

[@hectormorales4090]

Ok, ok... I was thinking about Syr K for a couple of weeks now and Boom! I'm so into this one! It's black magic at it's best! Love it!

[@alexbiersner3350]

I recently built a Konrad deck that focuses on self mill. It wasn't winning games and only went off once. So I thought I was playing it wrong. But it turns out that I have the wrong cards. I'm so glad I found this video to make my deck better

[@DrkshdwG]

"Konrad is my favorite deck" Don't think Meren of the clan Nel Toth will like to hear those words.

[@michelagustin1485]

This was my first Commander deck and has always been my favorite. My list and this are within 5 cards of one another.

[@tlamy1992]

Wow... That Mimic Vat interaction almost made me vomit. That's so gross, in the best kind of way!

[@caseywellington4761]

Same!!!

[@olivierdebilde4292]

Insane indeed ! Very nice pick, Joey !

[@chrisgallo2236]

Oh boy... building this as my next deck.

[@randyxu4951]

I also built a Konrad commander deck. Before this watching this video, I didn't know how lethal Mimic Vat can be in Konrad deck. Thanks, Joey!

[@rubyseverinwhitworth9066]

I would love to see you make Licia, Sanguine Tribune because she is missing one small thing which she really needs, LIFE GAIN. so I would love to see how you change her to make her deck strat work because she currently doesn't work like she really should and that is sad because she is quite interesting design

[@slickrick9152]

Great vid picked up some really cool cards and ideas!

[@UnreasonableOpinions]

Living Death is always the funniest possible move in a Konrad deck - you get a huge sweep of damage from the killing, and then a huge payoff from the part where you're been dumping into your graveyard all day. If Konrad doesn't kill them outright, you now have all the bodies in the world to finish the job.

[@justinayran]

Nice tech. I love Wake the Dead. I run it in my Shirei deck. Syr Konrad is actually one of the wincons of that deck.

[@darrenwilcockson7437]

I love it, first EDH deck I made. I happened to add Mimic Vat and didn't even realise that is how the steps work! Big fan of Chill haunting as well with Konrad.

[@Hashbrown1682]

I gotta say, this will leave our opponents to a rather GRIM fate

[@mortycremwatch]

Bolas’ Citadel could be really great here. Synergises well with Haunted Crossroads and Forever Young effects. Could save you from milling something important too. Mortuary is another interesting effect that puts creatures on top of your deck when they die but can lock you out fresh draws. With Citadel, Mortuary and a sac outlet you can loop Gary and Kokoshu to close out the game. You can loop a zero drop x/x too as long as you have a payoff

[@seliphsnom2596]

I was wondering when you were gonna do this Joey 👀

[@elfriedaarts1195]

I see you have a Mikaeus in your own deck and can see why he's not in budget upgrades, very fair. But while not super budget, a great fairly affordable upgrade would be a Geralf's Messenger. Who can etb's for 2 damage, dies, trigger, undying trigger so a Conrad AND an etb trigger. He can get work done.

[@EDHRECast]

Super here for this suggestion :)

[@elfriedaarts1195]

For added fun, you can add an infinite combo in Joey's deck by using any sac outlet, Mikaeus, Konrad and a Tatterkite. ;)

[@justinayran]

You could also set up a budget infinite combo: Pitiless Plunderer + Ashnod's Altar + Reassembling Skeleton

[@Crymble]

Ok, I was talking out of my ass, checked the prices and you're right. It's a budget combo.

[@cbn_42]

Great video! Love the series. Please do one for Xenagos

[@spencersonnier1]

I don’t usually play black but I might build this. I have a few of the cards. I told myself I’m gonna build outside my wheel house this year

[@lwhitty721]

Nicely done Joey. My playgroup will really dislike my upgraded Konrad 😅

[@RyanEglitis]

Really nice explanation of the deck. It mirrors a lot of the thoughts I had when I tried building him, but I didn't go as far cutting mill. Some definitley interesting ideas here to help with my rebuild. One interesting one you missed was Nim Devourer - it's basically tortured existance all in one card, but it can trigger other things like blood artist.

[@leonardocorreia5058]

dark ritual is amazing, konrad is very important for this deck dark ritual can make a turn one konrad with the right hand. Or turn 3 in a budget.

[@leonardocorreia5058]

And i preffer golgari thug over stinkweed imp, just because.rhug dies to skullclamp, imp not

[@BradleyRubin]

I am so tempted to build a Syr Konrad deck after watching this, but 2 of my 5 EDH decks are already mono-black, and I'm trying to branch out to other colors. Life is rough.

[@kaiokenx100]

it's not the flashiest card but Rank Officer from Modern Horizons could be a nifty little inclusion in the deck. Any time a card says "each opponent" on it you have to pay attention.

[@blindcommander]

Glad to see Syr Konrad, All hail nercromancy! My Konrad uses no milk. I'm all in on sac outlets and resurrection!

[@artofyesterday1398]

I really like to give Konrad lifelink. You are in black so you pay lots of life and konrad is always a target because of the damage, so your opponents will attack you most of the times to deal with the problem. keeping your lifetotal high and theirs low.

[@joshpickering5039]

I’ve won games with him through Lifelink. I run Shadow spear, Basilisk Collar & Whip of Erebos

[@Pantuflein]

Konradbros, Tombstone Stairwell is * chef kiss *

[@michaelchristopher2378]

"Witness the milling!" so metal/epic

[@ankhma5349]

My next mono black commander. Thank you! Please do an Upping the Average on Anje Falkenrath please!

[@andrewricotta2830]

Would Ayara, first of lochtwain be around the same build? Could you do an Ayara deck?

[@youantgotbling2000]

Honestly, I actually added empty the catacombs, although could be detrimental if it doesn't off the opponents, but to me, if each person has 5 creature in graveyard, with us having I'm certain more, it can be a humorous way to end, and if they have to discard.... well you know

[@Pairsath]

now THIS is what i play commander for!!! Disgusting and I like it :)

[@davidsisbarro1501]

If there is a boardwipe with Mimic Vat out and Konrad dies, does Konrad see the triggers from Mimic Vat? Or only the initial creature deaths from the boardwipe?

[@alexcantrell6578]

Could you do an upping the average for depala pilot exemplar? I copied the omnath one and it is working beautifully

[@MagicMonkZA]

Have you considered playing Peer into the Abyss on your own library? If you have enough mana, following up with Forever Young should finish your opponents off

[@violist55]

Any thoughts on Undertaker as a budget possibility? I like the idea of that Tortured Existence effect on a creature/without the restriction of needing a creature in hand, though...maybe too slow?

[@mrsnufflegums]

Konrad's great as a combo engine. I run him with Doom Whisperer and Tainted Strike to just murder the table.

[@danieltye2111]

I'd LOVE to see a video on Lathiel, the Bounteous dawn. I have a deck for her and I honestly think there are alot of misleading things on her edhrec page

[@PulledPurk]

My first commander

[@CaptainRoss]

Can you do one for Gallowbraid? I know there is only 5 decks but as a player of one of those decks I would appreciate it. I know it's beyond fringe but hey you never know.

[@lanesteele240]

I watched the mimic vat section 10 times and i still dont understand it

[@TheSilverFox442]

Holding out hope for one of these on Kels, Fight Fixer eventually. That average list feels like it has a few rough spots. I’m just worried she’s not popular enough for it.

[@DarkX64]

How do you feel about Infernal Genesis? There is for sure a danger about giving your opponents creatures and filling their yards... but with your more focused look at creature death, putting Konrad out on a board teeming with bunch of shrimpy easy to kill minion tokens that can result in boatloads of damage seems like a straight slam dunk...if you can stomach the 6 cmc enchantment that does nothing at first x3 Still, I think the potential upside is ridiculous

[@ExandShadow]

You do know there are 4 other colors in the game, right Joey? :P

[@emmkestrel442]

haunting misery is good in this deck right?

[@nardzf8805]

Thank you for covering my favorite mono black commander :) Could you please do Breya, Etherium Shaper next? Please? :)

[@kalestu_]

no tombstone stairwell? surprised to see that missing

[@EDHRECast]

It's nearly $20 so it's out of budget, but it's definitely a terrific card for Konrad

[@kalestu_]

@@EDHRECast would have loved to see it at least for higher budget options....and if i am not mistaken, the deck should still be lower budget even with it. But its a small point anyways. Good video

[@viniciusrodrigues8052]

Please do a Upping the Average on Neheb, the eternal.

[@sirknightdude2587]

1. Big ritual effects to get started like Mana Geyser, Jeska's Will. Good add: Seething Song 2. Efficient ways to damage each opponent or each player: Flame Rift, Fiery Confluence, Earthquake X=5 (so to not kill Neheb) Acidic Soil. Good add: Price of Progress 3. Damage Doublers + Torbran / Copy spells for more oomph and utility. Good add: Primal Amulet 4. A payoff to sink mana like Comet Storm and Fall of the Titans. Good add: Jaya's Immolating Inferno --That's all for categories, moving on to changes. So take out the bad card draw like wheels and faithless looting, you need real draw, but its Red... So I run rummage spells (when copying the spell you don't need to pay additional discard cost and just get to draw. If you add in recur able pitch cards like Squee, Chandra's Phoenix, and Punishing fire the discard cost is negated, also they have other uses, and trigger easily). The discard hand draw three with Ox of Agonas and Bedlam Reveler are often discounted because of lots of instants, sorceries, and rummaging and are very efficient. Take out bad creatures like Neheb, Dreadhorde Champion, Chandra's Incinerator, Combustible Gearhulk, Toralf, God of Fury, Leyline Tyrant. You need creatures that move you towards your finale, not provide some weird after effect like mana storage or damage overflow. Evasive dragons Drakuseth, Shivan Dragon, Avatar of Fury, Stormbreath Dragon, Timeshifted Akroma, etc are good to drop defensively and when attacking, are very good at getting damage through. Sometimes they get activated haste from the mana base if you add those lands. Ramp stuff: Burnished Hart, Wayfarer's Bauble Draw stuff: Past in Flames, Outpost Siege, Cathartic Reunion, Staff of Nin to replace Endless Atlas (even adds mana with the ping), Tormented Voice, Wild Guess Copy stuff: Bonus Round, Final of Promise, Repeated Reverberation, Howl of the Horde (has downsides but good budget pick) Doublecast, Dual Casting (goes well with Thermo-Alchemist.) Use it to replace Dualcaster Mage.

[@yoshiman9521]

assuming 1 plague crafter causes 4 creatures to die, how many konrad triggers do you get if you have mimic vat in play?

[@soleo2783]

7 (nevermind, its 8)

[@BrunoNunes83]

when you sacrifice a token, it hitz your gy and immediately leaves the gy? two triggers? 🤔

[@haztyrmori4050]

Token never enters the graveyard, it works more like exile effects but not entering exile zone also

[@coreyroberson4550]

@@haztyrmori4050 Tokens do enter the graveyard when they die, then the cease to exist. Just look at the card Mitotic Slime.

[@haztyrmori4050]

@@coreyroberson4550 Yeah, tokens never exist in the graveyard, they can have death triggers like the one on mitotic slime's token, aka 'put into graveyard', but at no point they are counted as an object in the graveyard, state-based actions my mate.

[@coreyroberson4550]

@@haztyrmori4050 But they do enter the graveyard and trigger Konrad.

[@haztyrmori4050]

@@coreyroberson4550 yes, cause of the first clause of 'Whenever another creature dies', since they can trigger death triggers.

[@ChadZeluff]

Thanks, Joey! Also your personal list is awesome. I do wonder why you don't run Mana Crypt, though?

[@StingRay0000]

Late reply, but I think the series tries to keep the average price of the deck (after upgrades) roughly similar to the EDHREC average

[@blindcommander]

I run almost no mill on Konrad. Is almost all about sacrifice and resurrection with graveyard manipulation.

[@schattenlicht9109]

I would add in a Sequestered Stash. It brings you mill and as you have a lot of artifacts so you can bring back one

[@johnstemel8619]

Joey, I've been trying to tell you since you've built this deck. PLAY FRAYING OMNIPOTENCE!! It is almost always a finisher in my deck. Its interactions with Syr Konrad are stupid brutal.

[@caligo7918]

that's just ridiculous for Konrad!

[@surdal11]

Ulamog /kozilek for double dmg from konrad. Fun stuffs

[@EZ2BCHEEZY36]

Built this 2 days ago and went 4-2 in my pod 😅

[@dus65]

Arcane Signet seems unnecessary? In a mono colored deck is the need to produce colored mana that important? Maybe it’s because I’m a budget guy but theres other 2cmc rocks that make colorless.

[@Pantuflein]

sadly is one of the best 2 cms rocks

[@dus65]

@@Pantuflein but that’s only based on the fact that it makes colores mana right? I mean arcane signet in a mono colored deck only makes one color. You could be running Prismatic Lens, Everflowing Chalice, Guardian Idol, etc

[@Pantuflein]

@@dus65 yes, comes untapped and makes black mana

[@thrasherftw]

I think the option to hit your black pips, not just the colorless is the reason.

[@Lcngopher]

I built my syr konrad as more of an aristocrat deck than mill. I do have mindcrank and morality shift in the deck but i can win without needing syr konrad

[@Circular_Square]

It's not Ghave, but damn this is amazing.

[@dorituz62]

Please make Imotekh

[@zackkelley2940]

Can't help noticing neither carnval of souls nor black market are in here. Also consider the new Crowded Crypt. Gets counters when your creatures die, can be sacced to make a zombie for every counter you have on it, and is a mana rock when you're not using it to make zombies.

[@noahz42]

just died to this commander in planechase since we hit a plane that milled each player for 10 each turn and we could never planeswalk away :|

[@Saxus43]

Have used Konrad and Doom whisperer to kill my friends so many times it's not even funny

[@vasylpark2149]

I don't even think this version of the deck is as tuned as it could be. You know when you said that Omnath decks have criminally few lands. yeah I see this same thing here. To me there should be closer to 35-40 creature cards here. There creatures that we could cycle, that could come in draw us one card, that could go back to our hand, that could sacrifice another creature to draw us a bunch a cards (based on its power hint hint). I really think some of these effects on a enchantment could be replaced with a creature. I would like to see an Upping the Average on his lady, Ayara, First of Lochthwain

[@Nathanimal]

If you don't run tainted strike you're doing it wrong lol

[@Mr.SpocksBrain]

Mimic vint is not as good as you want to make us believe. Cut the mimic and bring one or two eldrazi, cause the „shuffle everything back“ trigger is broken and wouldn’t interact very well with mimic vat

[@davixoff8337]

ok i get on tournament and events wizzard does not allow proxy but.. everyone is playing online ... so why the hell people does not play woth proxy of needed reprint card . not talking about proxy the all deck but duals fetches and special lands like this are the classic example of what we SHOULD be proxyng... this would mean less people looking for the card ,price will go down and wizzard will reprint the card!!!!people you have the power i personally do that and ASK activly to proxy what they want... within reason and as long it does not ruin the game....

[@HaloxCake]

Taking milikin out makes no sense to me. A two for one every turn that gives you mana and mills you. Uhhhhh you okay bud? It’s literally better than arcane signet in the deck, a card you added

[@frenchertoast]

A bad tutor is still a good card in commander

[@scaredycat3146]

The result seems like a somewhat generic black goodstuff list tbh. It has some synergies and the cards are good of course but it's still kinda boring. Edit: Maybe a little bit to harsh of a comment. I just hoped for something a little more inspirational for one of his pet decks. It is certainly an improvement.

[@jessiem437]

I think the average deck of Syr Konrad is boring, as well as your version, none of the builds here have me interested or excited to play him like other builds.