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Witherbloom is one of the most intriguing colleges at Strixhaven because of its conflicting beliefs. These contrasts are clearly shown in the Witherbloom Pestilence Commander pre-con deck. Out of five new Magic: The Gathering pre-constructed decks, this one stands out if you’re interested in balancing life gain with sacrifice mechanics.
Led by a Dryad Druid named Dina, this green and black Commander deck focuses on strengthening creatures just to sacrifice them for a greater purpose. Here’s what we know so far about the deck and some ideas for improvements.
Witherbloom Pestilence Deck List
As with most Secrets of Strixhaven pre-cons, aside from Prismari Artistry which was leaked, detailed information about the Witherbloom Pestilence deck remains limited. We’ll keep you updated once more spoilers are available.
Sample Cards in the Deck Include:
- Dina, Essence Brewer — a legendary creature costing 1 black, 1 green, and 1 colorless.
- Sol Ring — an artifact costing 2 colorless.
- Arcane Signet — another artifact costing 2 colorless.
- Talisman of Resilience — an artifact costing 2 colorless.
Commander Breakdown
Dina, Essence Brewer, serves as the deck’s Commander. Her main ability allows you to draw a card each time you sacrifice a creature, but only once per turn. This means you can sacrifice creatures on your opponent’s turn to draw cards if you prefer.
Additionally, for two mana and tapping Dina, you can sacrifice a creature and gain X life while putting X +1/+1 counters on another creature you control. For example, sacrificing a 4/4 creature grants four life and adds four +1/+1 counters to a different creature.
Deck Themes & Strategy
The college’s conflicting beliefs stem from Dean Lisette, who promotes nurturing and protecting all life, versus Dean Valentin, who sees death and decay as natural and essential. This duality is reflected in the deck’s mechanics, which pair life gain with sacrifice.
Expect cards that focus on gaining +1/+1 counters, interacting with the graveyard, and draining opponents’ life totals. The deck is likely built around developing strong creatures to deal big damage, then sacrificing them to maintain high life totals or activate other battlefield effects that harm opponents.
Upgrades
While specific cards haven’t been identified for removal, updates will be provided once the full deck list is revealed. Some cards may be reprints included in the deck, which could be swapped out if necessary. Expect the complete deck list to be available in late March or early April.
Dina, Soul Steeper
It’s notable that many cards from Strixhaven are useful in this new Commander deck, including Dina, Soul Steeper. This 1/3 legendary creature drains one life from each opponent whenever you gain life. Its ability to sacrifice other creatures and add their power to Dina until the end of turn makes it a valuable component of the deck.
Infuse With Vitality is a common instant spell that complements the deck’s themes. It grants a creature deathtouch and allows it to return tapped to its owner’s hand when it dies. This lets you sacrifice small creatures in combat, knowing they will return afterward, and also triggers life gain.
Tend the Pests fits well too; it sacrifices a creature and produces X pest tokens, where X is the sacrificed creature’s power. These tokens are pitiful on their own, but when they die, you gain extra life.
Diregraf Rebirth is a versatile sorcery costing five mana that gets cheaper as creatures die during the turn. It allows you to return a creature from your graveyard to the battlefield, with a flashback option for seven mana, providing flexibility for resurrection strategies.
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