Zhang Liao, Hero of Hefei

Gameplan

Suit up Zhang Liao with evasion and pump so his combat damage forces opponents to discard, grinding the table's hands down while you beat face. You play a disruptive mono-black control-aggro game, picking off threats and answers before they're cast, then close with a buffed commander or a discard-payoff finisher.

Key Cards

• Whispersilk Cloak — Grants unblockable plus shroud so Zhang Liao connects every turn and survives targeted removal.
• Rogue's Passage — Reliable repeatable way to make him unblockable and trigger his discard ability.
• Megrim — Punishes every forced discard with direct damage, turning his trigger into a kill engine.
• Liliana of the Veil — Stacks symmetric and targeted discard to empty hands faster than opponents can refill.
• Lightning Greaves — Haste and protection let him attack immediately and dodge removal.
• Bloodchief Ascension — Snowballs off discards into life loss and mill, closing games once active.

Upgrade Path

Add fast mana (Sol Ring, talismans) and more unblockable enablers so he connects every turn earlier. Lean into discard payoffs (Waste Not, Bloodchief Ascension) and efficient black tutors (Demonic Tutor, Vampiric Tutor) to assemble your engine, and include reanimation/recursion to recover from board wipes.