BlackLegendary Creature — Phyrexian Vampire NobleAscendant Evincar
Mana value6Rank#11,087
The Commander
Flying (This creature can't be blocked except by creatures with flying or reach.)
Other black creatures get +1/+1.
Nonblack creatures get -1/-1.
Guide
Gameplan
Cast Ascendant Evincar as a flying mono-black lord that pumps your whole board +1/+1 while shrinking every nonblack creature your opponents control. You weaponize the -1/-1 effect as repeatable board control, grind value with black staples, and close games with a buffed go-wide team or big mono-black finishers.
Strengths
- Doubles as a one-sided anthem and a soft board wipe against nonblack creature decks
- Mono-black gives access to elite tutors, ramp, and removal for consistency
- Flying body protects itself and pressures opponents in the air
- Synergizes powerfully with token and devotion strategies
Weaknesses
- Six mana and dies to almost any spot removal, resetting your -1/-1 effect
- The -1/-1 is symmetrical-ish only against nonblack, so mono-color black opponents are unaffected
- Mono-black struggles to deal with resolved artifacts and enchantments
- Vulnerable to board wipes since you commit to a wide black board
Key Cards
- Cabal Coffers — Pairs with Urborg to generate explosive mana for recasting the Evincar and casting X spells.
- Urborg, Tomb of Yawgmoth — Turns all lands into Swamps, fueling Coffers and turning opposing nonblack creatures into black ones to dodge your own anthem—use carefully.
- Bloodghast — Recurring black body that thrives under the lord effect and feeds sacrifice loops.
- Crypt Ghast — Doubles Swamp mana and adds black devotion to power out your commander repeatedly.
- Endrek Sahr, Master Breeder — Floods the board with black tokens that all get buffed by the Evincar.
- Whip of Erebos — Grants lifelink to your buffed team and enables recursion, stabilizing aggressive starts.
Upgrade Path
Add fast mana and tutors (Vampiric Tutor, Demonic Tutor, Imperial Seal) plus protection like Lightning Greaves and Swiftfoot Boots to keep the Evincar online. Lean into a focused win engine—either Exsanguinate/Torment of Hailfire with Cabal Coffers ramp or a dedicated aristocrats package with Bolas's Citadel and recursion. Trim cute cards for efficient interaction (Toxic Deluge, Damnation, Bojuka Bog) to handle threats your color can't otherwise answer.
Core Cards
The most-played cards for this commander, built from aggregated deck data (the Mythic Graph). Build public decks to seed it.
Win Conditions
- ▸Swing wide with a buffed black creature team in the air and on the ground
- ▸Drain opponents out with aristocrats payoffs like Blood Artist and Zulaport Cutthroat
- ▸Cast an X-spell finisher like Exsanguinate or Torment of Hailfire off Coffers mana
- ▸Grind opponents to death after their nonblack boards are repeatedly wiped by -1/-1
Archetypes
- Devotion Aggro — Black symbols flood the battlefield while the anthem turns small creatures into real threats.
- Tokens — The +1/+1 buff makes wide token armies lethal while shrinking blockers.
- Control — The -1/-1 effect acts as a continuous sweeper against nonblack creature decks backed by black removal.
- Aristocrats — Buffed expendable bodies fuel sacrifice and drain engines.
Combos
- Godhead of Awe + Ascendant Evincar
→ All nonblack creatures die upon entering, Lock
- Darien, King of Kjeldor + Sanguinary Priest + Ascendant Evincar
→ Infinite death triggers, Infinite ETB, Infinite lifegain triggers
- Atzocan Archer + Dread Slaver + Ascendant Evincar
→ Infinite death triggers, Infinite ETB, Infinite LTB
Combos via Commander Spellbook.
Related Commanders
Same color identity (B), by popularity.
