Tourach, Dread Cantor: Casual EDH Discard Deck

There are a lot of good choices for commander in Modern Horizons 2; some very powerful and many terribly expensive mana-wise. So, thinking of a cheaper mana value choice, I came upon Tourach, Dread Cantor.

Despite the fact that it has the optional kicker mechanic, it is, at its base, a two drop which makes it easily a reoccuring threat.

It also makes it weak to removal and an easy target. So paying for the kicker and ramping it up would probably be a good choice. You should also have another cheap ‘opponent discards’ card available to ramp it, at least one more time; taking it out of the range of most cheap burn cards.

Something I didn’t include in this deck, but might be worth including, are some of those great protection instants that give your creature hexproof or indestructible.

But the real purpose of this deck is to (A) make Tourach as big as possible as fast as possible and (B) make sure your opponent has NO hand. The main concern I have with this build is that it is TOO much discard. It is one of those decks I would have to play first to see. But, you may get half way through a game, your opponents have NO hand and all you have to play are more discard cards. Let me know what you find.

Discard is the name of the game

First of all, I chose cards that allow me to pick through my opponent’s hand and toss the card of my choice. Most modern cards like that stipulate nonland card, but with cards like Blackmail and Pulse of the Dross, you can pick ANYTHING.

Then, I went one step further and went after cards that makes them discard their WHOLE hand, but many, if not all, of these make you do it too, so be careful. There are also cards that target a player to discard X cards. They’re usually pretty cheap and are great mid to late game if one of your opponents starts to outpace you; with like an excessive draw deck. But imagine if you could make your opponent flush a big hand with Tourach on the field!

There’s a decent set of cards out there (looks like they’re all sorcerys) that make your opponent discard a card AT RANDOM! Now, this is more of a gamble, but it is also as much of a gamble for them. Neither of you get to choose the card and image them having to toss that one big bad. So much fun to be had!

There’s always those cards that punish your opponent in some way either in the process of discarding or gives them a choice to either discard or take a punishment. Or maybe for having no hand at all.

This deck is mono-black so using that devotion to possibly wipe your opponent’s hand is an optimal play.

Or better yet, punish that opponent who also plays their mono color deck with PERSECUTE. Chosing a color and making them discard ALL the cards of this color could also end up in an empty hand.

CREATURES OF DISCARD

Rats are strangely caught up in the whole discard game. Ravenous Rats, Burglar Rat and Rotting Rats are in this deck just for that fact. Rotting Rats has unearth which gives it one more discard effect.

There are also many creatures that make your opponent discard a card when entering or doing combat damage. Bloodhusk Ritualist even has multikick for one swamp which could also be a hand wipe.

The Haunt of Hightower is one of those few that ramp to discard or, to be precise, when any card is put into an opponent’s graveyard. This means death also. Abyssal Nocturnus gets a temporary +2/+2 and fear for every opponent discard. You may have to drop a few cards like Demonic Tutor to bring these guys to the battlefield faster.

ENCHANTMENTS