Mono-black in Commander just keeps getting better. We’re actually kind of astounded by how many cool new Commanders the color has had recently, and thanks to Crimson Vow, we now have another excellent legendary creature to add to this ever-growing and all-powerful pantheon.
This one’s a bit different though, as they’re sort of a legendary version of a creature we’ve all known and loved for years. We are, of course, talking about Henrika Domnathi
Henrika DomnathiFlying
At the beginning of combat on your turn, choose one that hasn't been chosen —
• Each player sacrifices a creature of their choice.
• You draw a card and you lose 1 life.
• Transform Henrika., the new Vampire Nighthawk.
Henrika is a powerhouse
Henrika DomnathiHenrika DomnathiFlying
At the beginning of combat on your turn, choose one that hasn't been chosen —
• Each player sacrifices a creature of their choice.
• You draw a card and you lose 1 life.
• Transform Henrika. is a four-mana black 1/3 with flying that reads, “At the beginning of combat on your turn, choose one that hasn’t been chosen – Each player sacrifices a creature. You draw a card and you lose 1 life. Transform Henrika Domnathi.” These are all fun options anyway, because they give an insight into Henrika’s ability to work as a sacrifice engine, or just to draw cards, but the other side of Henrika is where it gets really cool.
Henrika, Infernal SeerHenrika, Infernal SeerFlying
At the beginning of combat on your turn, choose one that hasn't been chosen —
• Each player sacrifices a creature of their choice.
• You draw a card and you lose 1 life.
• Transform Henrika. is a 3/4 with flying, deathtouch, and lifeline. Along with that, they’ve got an ability that costs three mana and reads, “Each creature you control with flying, deathtouch, and/or lifelink gets +1/+0 until end of turn.” All of a sudden, we’ve got a keywords matter deck that can be really aggressive.
There are definitely a few different ways you can build a Henrika deck, but one of the cool things about them is that it doesn’t take a huge amount of thought or effort to make them powerful. It’s a nice change of pace for players who might be newer to the format, because it’s good to have a new legendary creature that’ll make for a fun deck, but also one that’s not going to turn them off of the format because it’s not too complex.
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Fly my pretties
Even if all you do is fill your deck with flying creatures, you can have a mono-black deck that can buff your entire board state with ease. Plus, because we’re in mono-black, it means you can utilise cards like Nykthos, Shrine to Nyx
Nykthos, Shrine to Nyx{T}: Add {C}.
{2}, {T}: Choose a color. Add an amount of mana of that color equal to your devotion to that color. (Your devotion to a color is the number of mana symbols of that color in the mana costs of permanents you control.), and the Cabal Coffers
Cabal Coffers{2}, {T}: Add {B} for each Swamp you control. and Urborg, Tomb of Yawmoth
Urborg, Tomb of YawmothEach land is a Swamp in addition to its other land types. combo to generate loads of mana and activate the ability multiple times.
Even with only five creatures with flying other than Henrika, you can swing in and activate the ability twice to add twelve points of damage onto whatever else is going on there. That’s usually going to be enough to finish off most players. This is only vaguely thinking about it too, with some testing we’re confident that Henrika can become a truly obnoxious new commander.
It’s not like they’re only going to be good at the head of a deck either. If you’re going to be playing a deck like Katrhil, Aspect Warper
Katrhil, Aspect WarperWhen Kathril enters, put a flying counter on any creature you control if a creature card in your graveyard has flying. Repeat this process for first strike, double strike, deathtouch, hexproof, indestructible, lifelink, menace, reach, trample, and vigilance. Then put a +1/+1 counter on Kathril for each counter put on a creature this way., you could easily have them popping off thanks to the likes of Kathril themselves, along with Akroma, Vision of Ixidor allowing them to instantly become a 6/7 with literally no additional effort.
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