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Magic: The Gathering's Warhammer 40,000 Commander Deck preview season trucks on, with the full reveal of the third of its four decks. Today, we're looking at the only mono-coloured deck of the lot, with the mono-black artifact creature-focused Necron Dynasties.

RELATED: Magic: The Gathering – Warhammer 40,000 Commander Deck Previews: The Ruinous Powers

In Warhammer 40,000, the Necrons have been sleeping since long before humanity was born, having transformed themselves into cold, brutal robotic beings under the watch of their Silent King, Szarekh.

The Commander: Szarekh, The Silent King

Szarekh-the-Silent-King-1

Out of the four face commanders for the Warhammer 40,000 decks, Szarekh, The Silent King is probably the least impressive, at least in isolation. While he's certainly not bad – and will be especially useful for Greasefang, Okiba Boss decks – for the face of a preconstructed deck, milling three cards and returning to more obscure artifact types back from the graveyard isn't up there as an all-timer.

However, more than many other Commander decks, Szarekh seems to be in service to the 99, instead of the other way around. In a deck jam-packed with artifact creatures and Vehicles, you're likely going to get a lot more value off of Szarekh than you might elsewhere. Mono-Black Artifacts isn't a hugely prevalent archetype in Commander, and yet Szarekh is really making it work with this deck.

Imotekh-the-Stormlord-1

Bucking the trend for the Warhammer 40K decks, Necron Dynasties' secondary commander is likely more complex than the main face. Imotekh leans more specifically into artifact creature Tribal, allowing you to easily produce more Necron artifact creature tokens and give one artifact creature menace until the end of the turn.

Like Szarkh, Imotekh doesn't feel like a big, splashy play until you remember the critical mass of artifact creatures and graveyard recursion this deck has. You'll only be making two Necrons each turn, but that's in addition to anything you pull out of your graveyard. You could be doing this every turn, giving you an ever-growing swarm of Necrons to swing out with when the time is right.

Throwing more artifacts onto the battlefield could also help with other artifact decks, particularly those that focus on affinity and improvise to gain their value. Again, like Szarekh, this might not be your commander outside of the Necron Dynasties deck, but it'll slot very nicely into any black-using artifact deck.

Every New Card

Anrakyr the Traveller by L J Koh
Anrakyr the Traveller by L J Koh

It would be easy to criticise the Necron Dynasties deck for being yet another black graveyard-matters strategy, but that would be disregarding everything new and exciting about it. This isn't just playing with your graveyard, it's giving black a real artifact-matters theme of its own, with artifact creatures entering and leaving play for value.

It's so easy cast artifacts, thanks to almost every creature in the deck being an artifact as well, and with cards like Skorpekh Destroyer, and Canoptek Spyder all triggering and giving you value from artifacts being played.

Not to mention this deck is full of easy token producers like Canoptek Scarab Swarm, Biotransference, Imotekh, and Their Number Is Legion can help up your artifact count considerably, ready for you to swing in after casting a Their Name Is Death to get those filthy organise creatures your opponents have out of the way.

Image

Name

Text

Szarekh, the Silent King

Szarekh, the Silent King

One generic, three black legendary artifact creature – Necron – 3/4:


Flying


My Will Be Done — Whenever Szarekh, the Silent King attacks, mill three cards. You may put an artifact creature card or Vehicle card from among the cards milled this way into your hand.

Anrakyr the Traveller

Anrakyr the Traveller

Four generic, one black legendary artifact creature – Necron – 4/4:


Lord of the Pyrrhian Legions — Whenever Anrakyr the Traveller attacks, you may cast an artifact spell from your hand or graveyard by paying life equal to its mana value rather than paying its mana cost.

Biotransference

Biotransference

Two generic, two black enchantment:


Creatures you control are artifacts in addition to their other types. The same is true for creature spells you control and creature cards you own that aren’t on the battlefield.


Whenever you cast an artifact spell, you lose 1 life and create a 2/2 black Necron Warrior artifact creature token.

Chronomancer

Chronomancer

One generic, one black artifact creature – Necron Wizard – 1/1: Flying


Atomic Transmutation — One generic, tap, Sacrifice another artifact: Draw a card.


Unearth: two generic, one black (Two generic, one black: Return this card from your graveyard to the battlefield. It gains haste. Exile it at the beginning of the next end step or if it would leave the battlefield. Unearth only as a sorcery.)

Cryptek

Cryptek

Three generic, one black artifact creature – Necron Wizard – 3/3:


One black, tap: Choose another target artifact creature you control. When that creature dies this turn, return it to the battlefield tapped under your control.

Flayed One

Flayed One

Two generic, one black artifact creature – Necron – 4/1:


Lifelink


Flesh Flayer — When Flayed One enters the battlefield, mill three cards.

Hexmark Destroyer

Hexmark Destroyer

Four generic, two black artifact creature – Necron – 6/6:


Multi-threat Eliminator — Hexmark Destroyer can’t be blocked except by six or more creatures.


Unearth: Four generic, two black. (Four generic, two black: Return this card from your graveyard to the battlefield. It gains haste. Exile it at the beginning of the next end step or if it would leave the battlefield. Unearth only as a sorcery.)

Illuminor Szeras

Illuminor Szeras

Two generic, one black legendary artifact creature – Necron – 3/3:


Secrets of the Soul — Tap, Sacrifice another creature: Add an amount of black equal to the sacrificed creature’s mana value.

Imotekh the Stormlord

Imotekh the Stormlord

Two generic, two black legendary artifact creature – Necron – 3/3:


Phaeron — Whenever one or more artifact cards leave your graveyard, create two 2/2 black Necron Warrior artifact creature token.


Grand Strategist — At the beginning of combat on your turn, another target creature you control gets +2/+2 and gains menace until end of turn.

Lokhust Heavy Destroyer

Lokhust Heavy Destroyer

One generic, three black artifact creature – Necron – 3/2:


Flying


Enmitic Exterminator — When Lokhust Heavy Destroyer enters the battlefield, each plater sacrifices a creature.


Unearth: Five generic, three black. (Five generic, three black: Return this card from your graveyard to the battlefield. It gains haste. Exile it at the beginning of the next end step or if it would leave the battlefield. Unearth only as a sorcery.)

Lychguard

Lychguard

Two generic, one black artifact creature – Necron – 2/3:


Guardian Patrols — Three generic, one black, Sacrifice Lychguard: Return all legendary creature cards from your graveyard to your hand.

Necron Deathmark

Necron Deathmark

Three generic, two black artifact creature – Necron – 5/3:


Flash


Synaptic Disintegrator — When Necron Deathmark enters the battlefield, destroy up to one target creature and target player mills three cards.

Necron Overlord

Necron Overlord

Two generic, two black artifact creature – Necron Noble – 2/5:


Relentless Mind — X generic, Tap, Tap X untapped artifacts you control: Target opponent loses X life.

Out of the Tombs

Out of the Tombs

Two generic, one black enchantment:


At the beginning of your upkeep, put two eon counters on Out of the Tombs, then mill cards equal to the number of eon counters on it.


If you would draw a card while your library has no cards in it, instead return a creature card from your graveyard to the battlefield. If you can’t, you lose the game.

Plasmancer

Plasmancer

Two generic, two black artifact creature – Necron Wizard – 3/3:


Flying


Dynastic Advisor — When Plasmancer enters the battlefield, search your library for a basic Swamp card, reveal it, put it into your hand, then shuffle.

Psychomancer

Psychomancer

One generic, one black artifact creature – Necron Wizard – 1/1:


Flying


Harbinger of Despair — Whenever Psychomancer or another nontoken artifact you control is put into a graveyard from the battlefield or is put into exile from the battlefield, each opponent loses 1 life and you gain 1 life.

Royal Warden

Royal Warden

Three generic, two black artifact creature – Necron – 3/2:


Phalanx Commander — When Royal Warden enters the battlefield, create two tapped 2/2 black Necron Warrior artifact creature tokens.


Unearth: Three generic, one black. (Three generic, one black: Return this card from your graveyard to the battlefield. It gains haste. Exile it at the beginning of the next end step or if it would leave the battlefield. Unearth only as a sorcery.)

Sautekh Immortal

Sautekh Immortal

Two generic, one black artifact creature – Necron – 2/2:


Flash


Elite Troops — Sautekh Immortal enters the battlefield with a +1/+1 counter on it for each creature that died this turn.

Shard of the Nightbringer

Shard of the Nightbringer

Five generic, three black creature – C'tan – 8/8:


Flying


Drain Life — When Shard of the Nightbringer enters the battlefield, if you cast it, target opponent loses half their life, rounded up. You gain life equal to the life lost this way.

Shard of the Void Dragon

Shard of the Void Dragon

Four generic, two black creature – C'tan – 7/7:


Flying


Sphere of the Void Dragon — Whenever Shard of the Void Dragon attacks, each opponent sacrifices a nonland permanent.


Matter Absorption — Whenever an artifact is put into a graveyard from the battlefield or is put into exile from the battlefield, put two +1/+1 counters on Shard of the Void Dragon.

Skorpekh Destroyer

Skorpekh Destroyer

Two generic, two black artifact creature – Necron – 4/2:


Deathtouch


Hyperphase Threshers — Whenever an artifact enters the battlefield under your control, Skorpekh Destroyer gains first strike until end of turn.

Skorpekh Lord

Skorpekh Lord

Two generic, one black artifact creature – Necron Noble – 3/2:


Menace


Command Protocols — Other artifact creatures you control get +1/+0 and have menace.

Technomancer

Technomancer

Five generic, two black artifact creature – Necron Wizard – 5/1:


When Technomancer enters the battlefield, mill three cards, then return any number of artifact creature cards with total mana value 6 or less from your graveyard to the battlefield.

The War in Heaven

The War in Heaven

Three generic, three black enchantment – Saga:


(As this Saga enters and after your draw step, add a lore counter. Sacrifice after three.)


One — You draw three cards and you lose 3 life.


Two — Mill three cards.


Three — Choose up to three target creature cards with total mana value 8 or less in your graveyard. Return each of them to the battlefield with a necrodermis counter on it. They’re artifacts in addition to their others types.

Their Name Is Death

Their Name Is Death

Three generic, three black sorcery:


Destroy all nonartifact creatures.

Their Number Is Legion

Their Number Is Legion

X generic, four black sorcery:


Create X tapped 2/2 black Necron Warrior artifact creature tokens, then you gain life equal to the number of artifacts you control. Exile Their Number Is Legion.


You may cast Their Number Is Legion from your graveyard.

Tomb Blade

Tomb Blade

Four generic, two black artifact creature – Necron – 5/4:


Flying


Whenever Tomb Blade deals combat damage to a player, that player loses life equal to the number of creatures they control unless they sacrifice a creature.


Unearth: six generic, two black. (Six generic, two black: Return this card from your graveyard to the battlefield. It gains haste. Exile it at the beginning of the next end step or if it would leave the battlefield. Unearth only as a sorcery.)

Tomb Fortress

Tomb Fortress

Land:


Tomb Fortress enters the battlefield tapped. Tap: Add one black. Two generic, three black, tap, Exile Tomb Fortress: Mill four cards, then return a creature card from your graveyard to the battlefield. Activate only as a sorcery.

Trazyn the Infinite

Trazyn the Infinite

Four generic, two black legendary artifact creature – Necron – 4/6:


Deathtouch


Prismatic Gallery — As long as Trazyn the Infinite is on the battlefield, it has all activated abilities of all artifact cards in your graveyard.

Triarch Praetorian

Triarch Praetorian

One generic, one black artifact creature – Necron – 2/1:


Flying


Dynastic Codes — When Triarch Praetorian enters the battlefield from a graveyard, you draw two cards and you lose 2 life.


Unearth: four generic, one black. (Four generic, one black: Return this card from your graveyard to the battlefield. It gains haste. Exile it at the beginning of the next end step or if it would leave the battlefield. Unearth only as a sorcery.)

Triarch Stalker

Triarch Stalker

Three generic, two black artifact creature – Necron – 4/5:


Targeting Relay — At the beginning of combat on your turn, choose an opponent.


Creatures attacking the last chosen player have menace.

Canoptek Scarab Swarm

Canoptek Scarab Swarm

Four generic artifact creature – Insect – 1/1:


Flying


Feeder Mandibles — When Canoptek Scarab Swarm enters the battlefield, exile target player’s graveyard. For each artifact or land card exiled this way, create a 1/1 colorless Insect artifact creature token with flying.

Canoptek Spyder

Canoptek Spyder

Five generic artifact creature – Spider – 4/4:


Flying


Fabricator Claw Array — Whenever another nontoken artifact creature or Vehicle enters the battlefield under your control, draw a card.

Canoptek Tomb Sentinel

Canoptek Tomb Sentinel

Four generic artifact creature – Insect – 4/3:


Vigilance


Exile Cannon — When Canoptek Tomb Sentinel enters the battlefield from a graveyard, exile up to one target nonland permanent.


Unearth: seven generic. (Seven generic: Return this card from your graveyard to the battlefield. It gains haste. Exile it at the beginning of the next end step or if it would leave the battlefield. Unearth only as a sorcery.)

Canoptek Wraith

Canoptek Wraith

Three generic artifact creature – Wraith – 2/1:


Wraith Form — Canoptek Wraith can’t be blocked.


Transdimensional Scout — When Canoptek Wraith deals combat damage to a player, you may pay three generic and sacrifice it. If you do, search your library for up to two basic land cards with the same name as a land you control, put them onto the battlefield tapped, then shuffle.

Convergence of Dominion

Convergence of Dominion

Three generic artifact:


Dynastic Command Node — As long as you control your commander, activated abilities of cards in your graveyard cost two generic less to activate. This effect can’t reduce the mana in that ability’s activation cost to less than one mana.


Translocation Protocols — three generic, tap: Mill three cards.

Cryptothrall

Cryptothrall

Four generic artifact creature – Construct – 3/3:


Protector — Other artifact creatures you control have hexproof.

Ghost Ark

Ghost Ark

Four generic artifact – Vehicle – 3/3:


Flying


Repair Barge — Whenever Ghost Ark becomes crewed, each artifact creature card in your graveyard gains unearth: three generic until end of turn.


Crew 2 (Tap any number of creatures you control with total power two or more: This Vehicle becomes an artifact creature until end of turn.)

Necron Monolith

Necron Monolith

Seven generic artifact – Vehicle – 7/7:


Flying, indestructible


Eternity Gate — Whenever Necron Monolith attacks, mill three cards. For each creature card milled this way, create a 2/2 black Necron Warrior artifact creature token.


Crew 4 (Tap any number of creatures you control with total power four or more: This Vehicle becomes an artifact creature until end of turn.)

Night Scythe

Night Scythe

Three generic artifact – Vehicle – 3/1:


Flying


Invasion Beams — When Night Scythe enters the battlefield, create a 2/2 black Necron Warrior artifact creature token. Crew 2 (Tap any number of creatures you control with total power two or more: This Vehicle becomes an artifact creature until end of turn.)

Resurrection Orb

Resurrection Orb

Two generic artifact – Equipment:


Equipped creature has lifelink.


Whenever equipped creature dies, return that card to the battlefield under its owner’s control at the beginning of the next end step.


Equip: four generic. (Four generic: Attach to target creature you control. Equip only as a sorcery.)

Sceptre of Eternal Glory

Sceptre of Eternal Glory

Four generic legendary artifact:


Tap: Add one mana of any color.


Tap: Add three mana of any one color. Activate only if you control three or more lands with the same name.

The Full Decklist

Dread Return by L J Koh
Dread Return by L J Koh

As with the other Warhammer 40,000 decks, Necron Dynasties has more brand new cards than reprints. However, as it's a mono-colour deck, it doesn't struggle as much with its lands.

In fact, this deck ramps quite nicely, with cards like Myriad Landscape, Gilded Lotus and Hedron Archive helping with ramp. While you could upgrade it with more mono-coloured lands, as 30 basic Swamps is a bit much, it isn't as critical for upgrading this one as it is the others.

As for the other reprints, there are some good inclusions, such as Living Death, Mutilate, Caged Sun, and Dread Return. There's no standout bomb reprints here, but it all comes together in an impressing, unassuming package.

NEXT: Magic: The Gathering – Warhammer 40,000 Commander Deck Previews: Tyranid Swarm