Valgavoth, Harrower of Souls | Upping the Average

[@babygirlvenere]

UPPING THE AVERAGE IN 2025, WE’RE SO FUCKING BACK

[@DollarStore_Commander]

Glad to see this series is back!

[@shesgard37]

Greatly missed this series. Glad to see it back hopefully its here to stay

[@planarparty]

Temur Battle Rage and Not Of This World are the most underrated budget cards for Valgy! Also it's a huge relief to hear someone finally agree with wanting to kick Exotic Orchard out of 2 color decks

[@Slo-Mode]

Always loved this series. Glad to see another!!

[@Kaxxaa]

Great start to the new year! Awesome video!

[@nagashizzar3978]

Best magic channel

[@jacobtrahan1993]

Babe wake up! New upping the average!!

[@PlagueScholar]

Upping the Average is back, what a good way to start the new year

[@xanderjones6239]

Upping the average is BACK. This series is anything but average

[@jimstewart4929]

WELCOME BACK TO UPPING THE AVERAGE!!! WOOOP

[@AaKkisa]

Glad the series is back! The first win I had with my Valgovoth deck came after a long and grindy game, my Commander got removed at least 3 times so I finally had set up a Fate Unraveler, a Kederekt Parasite, a Razorkin Needlehead, and a Torture Pit. At the beginning of each player's upkeep, they took 9 damage each which was enough to kill all 3 as soon as it went to their turn.

[@nescaffier1524]

RETURN OF THE KING!

[@Antare5]

yoooo Upping the Average is back? Love to see it.

[@xanderjones6239]

Witch-King of Angmar is a great deterant. Also really resilient

[@shysonolmos2916]

Please never leave us Joey I've been fiending for upping the average for so long

[@RunikArcana]

I have missed this series so much!

[@ArmanyteGX]

Please do one for Ms. Bumbleflower!

[@Dragynstone1202]

As a builder of The Lord of Pain I'd love to see an Upping the Average on him as well!

[@Gimpocalypse]

So great to see the return of this series. Love the changes to this deck, I can see it being a monster with them, and downright insane with the non-budget suggestions. Well done =]

[@destinyhero]

Love Upping the Average! As someone that has played Valv since release definitely agree with the cuts, tips, budget recs, etc.

[@Joecool870]

HAPPY NEW YEAR!!

[@pedro-larez]

What an amazing surprise to start the year!

[@micahpayne6499]

So glad this series is back!

[@itslexactually]

I love punisher decks in the red-black-X family. Even mono red - Ojer Axonil is insanely powerful! (But he needs to be built around carefully AND he cares if his damage sources are red.) This is an extremely tempting deck to build, even though it’s quite similar to some others I have. The card draw stapled to a big flyer is quite the ingenious formula to reward a punisher deck! Also Revenge of Ravens is one of my favorite cards and I’m constantly looking for an excuse to add it into a list! Great episode 🥰 Happy 2025 everybody

[@DaKareerKilla]

Glad to see this series back, can't say the same for the featured menace ...I mean, Commander.

[@notgonnasay09]

I think cards like Fake Your Own Death or Persist might be worth a look in the protection department. Sure, they won't stop an errant Farewell or Path to Exile, but being able to bring Valvagoth right back along with a counter or a Treasure seem pretty valuable to dodge command tax.

[@The-0ni]

Definitely solid ideas! I used combat trick cards like “Rush of Vitality” to give lifelink and indestructible or “Oblivion’s Hunger” to give indestructible and draw a card if its any creature with a +1/+1 counter.

[@vioussy]

Persist is for specifically non legendary creatures unfortunately

[@notgonnasay09]

@@vioussy You are correct. My mistake.

[@burnsboy101]

No way, it’s back

[@imaginarymatter]

So, we're upping the average on Upping the Average uploads?

[@the_social_gammer1976]

NOW THIS IS STARTING THE YEAR RIGHT

[@EnordAreven]

Interesting 😎🤔 Happy new Year 🎉

[@failfurby]

Love to see these, hope you get to make more when you have the ability to. Id love to see you look at Satya, personally. The extreme nicheness and limited support for Energy means reference sources are few and far between

[@RavenUSIMP]

Yes! Great commander choice for the return of this series.

[@Azeria]

Magebane Lizard is a card I’m always surprised hasn’t seen more play in non-commander constructed formats. Maybe it’s just too techy.

[@philjacksonDP]

It can be a good side board card in certain metas.

[@jacknelson8640]

Upping the average wooooo ! Arabella next please 😁😁😁

[@Neonst3r]

I like Risk Factor in this deck. It reads as a lose/lose for your opponent and can later get rud of an extra land in your hand. Plus you always have the option to bully someone into the desired result

[@jwhalliday5308]

I really missed upping the average

[@hugmonger]

I love seeing how excited people get about Valgavoth... It's a nicer version of Ob Nixilis and still very fun and strong

[@newt8655]

Thanks for the vid. I don't run Valgavoth but I do have a rakdos group slug deck with Val in the 99 and there's some good general advice in this vid that helped out

[@jdune8867]

Thank god this series is back. Peak eating viewing material

[@DutchSnake]

Yes Ojer Axonil, Deepest Might doesn't alway's track in the deck with red and lifeloss but an absolutely hilarious menace with Manabarbs (or Pyrohemia). And flipping it back is easily achieved (it doesn't say opponents) just 4 non-combat damage...

[@spencerparsons3849]

OH MY GOD YES THANK GOD ITS BACK 😭😭😭😭 GREATLY MISSED

[@caldazar7345]

wow it's been quite some times since the last one

[@lancearmada]

New Year’s resolution idea, more of these?

[@lightfut]

I realize it's very not budget, but as a Ben Wheeler and Spike feeders content consumer, I feel compelled to recommend Copper tablet step

[@Dragynstone1202]

I was just thinking i hadnt seen one of these in a long time!

[@rubyseverinwhitworth9066]

I have missed Upping the Average so much, sad a lot of commanders from the break probably won't get covered

[@SilentGe42]

I player this deck exactly like this, but with kardur as commander. Now this deck is everywhere and i dismantled mine, since sitting at tables with a valgavoth is pretty common nowadays. 😢 One if my fav cards in the deck was viscous shadows. A real good (and costy) finisher if you or someone wipes the board

[@MikotoTsukuyomi]

A fun include I like to use is Seizan, Perverter of Truth. Makes everyone draw 2 cards and lose 2 life during the beginning of each players upkeep. "I heard people like Phyrexian Arena so how about two of them for everyone."

[@PlagueScholar]

I am a big fan of Harsh Mentor, but it's definitely not consistent 😅

[@brendans1983]

1:48 Dark Ritual, first cut right there. One of the biggest trap cards in commander.

[@charliebanks8979]

I think people play it because it’s very good in brawl on arena so people just take their decks from there into 4 player and the deck is still tuned for 1v1

[@gingrsnap1951]

Dark ritual is underrated

[@nathones]

Yay! Aminatou next?

[@BFG93]

YOOO BEST START TO NEW YEAR!

[@lucky777seven5]

Joey, if you don't upper the Winter Precon average, I swear!!! (Happy new year sweetheart ❤)

[@Chrysaries]

I still like Decree of Pain, but Valgavoth is a high velocity card advantage engine. It's easy to draw +3 cards each turn cycle and you can't capitalize on that if you're drawing a bunch of >=5 mv spells. That's why I've tried to have a bunch more 1 and 2 mv spells in my version, such as cheap protection spells. Decree of pain is better in decks that might develop their creature board slowly but generare a lot of mana. Then it's a good way to wipe up a clean slate and draw into gas as soon as you have your ramp deployed

[@ryanfeery7361]

Missed upping the average ❤

[@Dclem742]

I'd love to see one for Baylen or Helga

[@adamlsplash4338]

HOLY MOLY IT IS BACK!!!🥳🎉

[@rwaaful]

Ayy what up Joey!

[@Hennesg]

All Cards in that Deck got so expensive when it released

[@steven.d6492]

WE’RE SO BACK!!!!!

[@lrogan4634]

Lets go its back!

[@JetNAmplify]

We are so back!

[@Phaymyr91]

Yoooo!! We are baaaack!!

[@exige021]

I've missed upping the average!

[@tomatwww]

Isn't Ob Nixilis a better commander in general?

[@warrentang7459]

Probably, but strength of a commander is only part of why people pick a commander to play. I personally prefer ob nixilis but this guy seems cool too

[@segagenesisMTG91]

Did my New Year Resolution just came true? Upping the Average videos making a comeback for 2025?!🎉

[@THEAbXtreme]

Some ideas to throw about; Budget; Obsidian Fireheart (only if you have a lot of red mana, basically a mini Chandra, Awakened Inferno that can tag lands” Aether Sting; “4 Mana Enchantment that affects players who like to cast creatures” Marchesa’s Decree; “not as much budget Revenge of Ravens with added card draw from Monarchy (can make you more of a target however)” Vengeful Tracker; “Artifact hate piece for 1R, Tithe players will hate this” Hissing Iguanar; “2R reverse Blood Seeker which pings which let’s you ping target players whenever ANOTHER creature hits the yard, makes people who want to wrath second guess themselves” Cemetery Gatekeeper; “a more better Harsh Mentor, hate a colour you’re not playing, exile that land, hate an enchantress deck, exile an enchantment” Burning Earth “In my pools, Manabarbs is a set up to fall, people will stop everything to destroy you because it’s way too oppressive. Burning Earth to me is way more fairer, people will run nonbasics in Commander so I’d rather have them be punished for that than just any land.” Sardian Avenger “Like Vengeful Tracker, hate to anything Artifacts, also you can casually swing anyone who likes to stack them because they buff him up as well” nonbudget; Mindcrank; “I mean if you’re running Bloodchief, you may as well run this as well, another way to win if people hate your moth” Gix, Yawgmoth Praetor; “for the first ability alone, gives them the incentive to swing else where while getting hurt doing it on their turn, helping the Moth, just don’t do it’s second ability when you have a Roiling Vortex out 😅”

[@thony_reis]

UPPING THE AVERAGE AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAH

[@johnnyborbon5085]

YEEEEESSSSS YEEEEEESSSS WELCOME BACK UPPING THE AVERAGE

[@kelhammel8793]

Pestilence, lightning bolt, mana barbs, torbran.. it doesn't matter if you lose life as long as they lose more than you.

[@abluedragon78]

.... Holy shit it's back ...

[@marcoortiz6616]

We miss you

[@paultrujillo8539]

Will we be seeing an upping the average for mothman in 2025??? 😮😮

[@GigaLordShinyMudkip1]

I am crying tears of joy. A light in the darkness of terrible edh content. I am excited to see what decks are tackled in 2025. Maybe some old ones will be nice, but you got stay trendy.

[@warrentang7459]

What terrible edh content are you watching hahahaha

[@rorixcreations4770]

I missed Upping the Average

[@danieldragotti2608]

The Monarch work great with val. Marchesa Decree great, and speaking of rad counters scorch beast making zombies for mills is dose work

[@will2jenk]

Welcome

[@federicorodriguez451]

2 dais and im already making changes

[@martinheraud1744]

I proxied this deck because it was sold for 100+ dollars as a precon. Lots of fun but need to be prepared for a lot of hate

[@billwibbly1492]

UPPING THE AVERAGE IS BACK 2025 IS REAL

[@mcbuckets2399]

It's been so long

[@Hashbrown1682]

UTA IN 2025 *WE STARTING THE YEAR OF WITH A PAIN!!!!!!*

[@whipstitchzombie]

we're heeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeere

[@philippniemann8842]

10:25 seriously? They removed the most beautiful Seb McKinnon art from the card for this?!

[@RickyG93]

Add Defense Grid to this. Insanely good for Valgavoth I have in my 99. Also for protection, Malakir Rebith and for drawing attention away from you and onto someone else, Aura Curses like Curse of Oppulence and Curse of Chaos are pretty good.

[@hanschristopherson8056]

Does this average even need to be upgraded though cause valgavoth is busted

[@joemariani115]

I will say, a huge inclusion in this list should be Seizan and Magus of the Wheel. All of the draw pingers are incidentally so good in the deck, seizan will not only trigger Valgavoth on its own, it synergizes so well with the pingers. Magus of the Wheel is then a win condition in the deck when you want to deal a massive amount of damage if it survives the turn rotation

[@joemariani115]

And magus serves as a one of wheel effect that honestly every deck should aim to have

[@markbrierley6367]

It's not that amazing that a website that skews heavily towards recency shows higher rates of popularity for a recently printed legendary.

[@crazyswimmer12]

Now do Mayael or Rashmi

[@FLEXmen1]

If you have the money and wanna be very annoying play Copper Tablet XD

[@okgut2033]

i feel like there are only two ways to up valgavoth: - downgrade it and the precon. - dont play valgavoth as your commander. cause its a target for every removal as long there arent stronger cards.

[@geezlueaze1951]

When I play this deck, i play recklessly aggressive and win. Cards like Untimely Malfunction/Bolt Bend/Deflecting Swat with 'Greaves and 'Boots is good enough to keep Rakdos Mean Moth alive.

[@bruvaroni]

Maybe it's just my meta but I've been stomping the boys with Valley G

[@The-0ni]

Depends on your meta. At the end of the day if you look at Valgavoth by itself you can make a Black Red Voltron commander. Some people just like games that are a little quicker and thats why they make group slug.

[@okgut2033]

for me burn is fine. i myself love that playstyle, but mostly cause its a puzzle for me and my enermies that wants to be solved. means they get time to prepare and i need to think for what i want them to loose life and when. valgavoth takes that away by just drawing enough that you start pooping everywhere.

[@The-0ni]

@@okgut2033 Burn and group slug are very different though. They both accelerate the game so yea having valgavoth and a burn deck in your pod isn’t good. Group slug isn’t targeted burn, it punishes or taxes people for playing the game just like rhystic study or smothering tithe. It’s on your opponents now on how they play to get the least burnt vs you thinking and targeting them.

[@handfulloftrash]

As always your deck list doesn’t have enough lands

[@michaelc51388]

In my valgavoth I took out a mana rock of goldspan dragon 🤌🌶️