GolgariLegendary Creature — Zombie ElfJarad, Golgari Lich Lord
Mana value4Rank#1,937
The Commander
Guide
Gameplan
Jarad fills the graveyard with creatures, then converts that pile into damage by sacrificing a fat creature to drain each opponent for its power. Early turns ramp and self-mill, midgame deploys big creatures and reanimation, and the kill is sacrificing a giant creature (often Jarad himself) to ping the whole table at once. The Swamp/Forest recursion makes him nearly impossible to keep down.
Strengths
- Self-recursive commander that dodges commander tax via the Swamp/Forest ability
- Grows huge for free as the graveyard fills, enabling a one-shot table kill
- Golgari graveyard synergies give incredible card advantage and resilience
- Sacrifice outlet built into the command zone supports aristocrats
Weaknesses
- Graveyard hate (Rest in Peace, Bojuka Bog) shrinks Jarad and shuts off the gameplan
- No evasion or protection on Jarad himself; easily chump-blocked or removed
- Vulnerable to sacrifice-restriction effects that turn off the drain
- Two colors limits access to counterspells and broad interaction
Key Cards
- Lord of Extinction — Its power scales with all graveyards, making it a one-card lethal payload when sacrificed to Jarad.
- Splinterfright — Self-mills creatures every upkeep and grows alongside Jarad's plan.
- Altar of Dementia — Free sac outlet that mills you for value and can close games by sacrificing a giant creature.
- Eternal Witness — Recurs key spells and sacrifice fodder loops with reanimation effects.
- Mortuary Mire — Cheap recursion that synergizes with the graveyard-centric engine.
- Sakura-Tribe Elder — Ramps, blocks, and fuels the graveyard as repeatable sac fodder.
Upgrade Path
Add fast mana and ramp (Sol Ring, Cabal Coffers, Deathrite Shaman) to deploy threats early, then build toward a deterministic combo like Lord of Extinction plus a free sac outlet for a one-turn kill. Include graveyard payoffs and recursion (Meren of Clan Nel Toth, Genesis, Phyrexian Reclamation) and protect your engine with hand disruption and a few free interaction pieces. Tighten the manabase with fetches and dual lands so the Swamp/Forest recursion always stays online.
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
- ▸Sacrifice a massive creature (Lord of Extinction, Jarad himself) to drain all opponents to zero
- ▸Combat damage with a giant Jarad, especially after a free recursion
- ▸Aristocrats grind: repeated sacrifice triggers chip away at each opponent
- ▸Mill yourself with Altar of Dementia then sac the biggest threat for lethal
Archetypes
- Aristocrats — Jarad's built-in sacrifice-for-damage outlet turns dying creatures into direct life loss.
- Reanimator — Self-mill plus reanimation cheats huge creatures into play to feed the drain.
- Graveyard Midrange — Recursion and graveyard payoffs grind out card advantage and resilience over long games.
- Combo — Jarad enables sacrifice loops that drain the whole table in one turn.
Combos
- Jarad, Golgari Lich Lord + Jumbo Cactuar
→ Near-infinite lifeloss, Each opponent loses the game
- Jarad, Golgari Lich Lord + Wall of Blood
→ Each opponent loses the game, Near-infinite lifeloss
- Jarad, Golgari Lich Lord + Phyrexian Devourer
→ Near-infinite damage
- Jarad, Golgari Lich Lord + Hatred
→ Each opponent loses the game, Near-infinite lifeloss
- Jarad, Golgari Lich Lord + Cosmogoyf + Demonic Consultation
→ Near-infinite lifeloss, Exile your library
Combos via Commander Spellbook.
Related Commanders
Same color identity (BG), by popularity.
