Building a Commander Proxy Deck: Braids, Cabal Minion

Building a Commander Proxy Deck: Braids, Cabal Minion

Braids was recently unbanned along with five more others such as Coalition Victory, Gifts Ungiven, and more after Magic's first format change last year.

If you want to create a unique and interactive deck, let’s explore building a playtest EDH proxy deck around the potential salty commander: Braids, Cabal Minion. This powerful Mono-black commander can bring both excitement and toxicity to players, revolving around the theme of sacrificing and manipulating permanents and stealing them with the Tergrid in the battlefield.

Commander Overview: Braids, Cabal Minion

Braids, Cabal Minion

Braids, Cabal Minion is a 1/1 creature for three mana (one black and two generics) that allows you to have each player sacrifice a permanent during their upkeep. This ability can lead to interesting strategies, as you can control the game's pace by forcing your opponents to make tough decisions.

The Strategy

1. Sacrifice Mechanics: Since Braids forces sacrifice each turn, you'll want to capitalize on that effect. You should include permanents that benefit you from being sacrificed, such as creatures with death triggers or beneficial enchantments.

2. Card Advantage: To keep the pressure on your opponents, look for ways to draw cards or recover from sacrifices. Cards that allow you to draw when you sacrifice a creature can be vital in maintaining your hand size.

3. Permanents to Sacrifice: Include low-cost permanents that can be sacrificed easily without losing your grip on the game. Tokens and utility creatures are great for this. Look for cards that generate tokens or put multiple permanents on the battlefield.

4. Control Elements: Keeping control of the game will be crucial. Discard spells, spot removal, and board wipes can help you maintain superiority while your opponents constantly lose resources.

5. Win Conditions: Your win conditions can vary from overwhelming your opponents with sacrifice synergy to direct damage or alternate victory conditions. Think about how you want to end the game, whether through combat or combo with Tergrid, God of Fright stealing sacrificed permanents.

 

Sample Proxy Deck List

Here’s a sample deck structure for your Braids, Cabal Minion Commander deck:

Commander

Braids, Cabal Minion

Creatures (12)

Enchantments (12)

Artifacts (29)

  • Ashnod's Altar  
  • Crucible of Worlds (to recover sacrificed lands)  
  • Arcane Signet
  • Sol Ring
  • Chrome Mox
  • Cursed Totem
  • Ensnaring Bridge
  • Fellwar Stone
  • Grim Monolith
  • Jet Medallion
  • Jeweled Amulet
  • Lotus Petal
  • Mana Crypt
  • Mana Vault
  • Mind Stone
  • Mox Diamond
  • Mox Opal
  • Sensei's Divining Top
  • Lightning Greaves
  • Smokestack
  • Sol Ring
  • Sphere of Resistance
  • Static Orb
  • Tangle Wire
  • Thorn of Amethyst
  • Torpor Orb
  • Trinisphere
  • Winter Orb

Instants and Sorceries (18)

Lands (29)

  • Swamp x15  
  • Cabal Coffers  
  • Waste Land
  • Volrath's Stronghold
  • Urborg tomb of yawgmoth
  • Strip Mine
  • Polluted Delta
  • Marsh Flats
  • Ebon Stronghold
  • Drownyard Temple
  • Command Beacon
  • City of Traitors
  • Cavern of Souls
  • Boseijui Who Shelters All
  • Bojuka Bog

We're inspired by this EDH deck created by ub3rlegen in Moxfield

 

Final Thoughts

Creating a Braids, Cabal Minion deck is all about finding that perfect balance between creating threats and managing your own resources. Be prepared for some challenging decisions and ensure that you're making the most of each player’s sacrifice. 

This deck can be a lot of fun, especially at casual tables where everyone loves unexpected interactions!

Remember, the beauty of Commander is the personal touch, so feel free to proxy this with our NSFW or the anime vesion. Happy brewing!

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