As Commander has risen to become Magic’s most popular format, Wizards’ approach to designing legendary creatures has shifted in turn. Most new legends are clearly intended as build-arounds, typically being better Commanders than their older peers as a result. Some of the MTG classics still hold up today, however, with Sedris, the Traitor King being a prime example. Even 18 years after its first printing, this Grixis icon remains a unique and powerful Reanimator Commander.
Sedris, The Traitor King MTG
Sedris, the Traitor King may have just a single ability, but it’s an absolute doozy. Granting every creature in your ‘yard Unearth essentially gives you access to Necromancy on tap. While you do lose the creature at the end of the turn, the right target can still make this more than worthwhile. The likes of Sepulchral Primordial and Archon of Cruelty can totally change the course of a game this way, for example.
With enough self-mill and enough big creatures to bring back, this ability is fantastic by itself. You can make it even better, however, by bringing in Heartstone, Convergence of Dominion and Embalmer’s Tools. These artifacts makes your Unearth costs cheaper, letting you pump out more creatures per turn. The latter duo also stock your graveyard in the bargain, which really helps keep things flowing.
Once you’ve got a discount established, you can take advantage of some ‘leaves your graveyard’ synergy pieces. Cards like Teval’s Judgment and Flayer of the Hatebound are fantastic here, offering extra value on top of your existing enters triggers. In a similar vein, Terror of the Peaks and Warstorm Surge can let you push for combo-esque damage bursts as you reanimate multiple chunky creatures a turn.
To take things to the next level, there are ways to get around Unearth’s exile-based downside that Sedris can leverage, too. Cards that end the turn on the spot, like Sundial of the Infinite and Obeka, Brute Chronologist, can erase the end-of-turn exile from the stack. You can also use blink effects like Conjurer’s Closet and Deadeye Navigator to reset Unearthed creatures, bringing them back for full value. Teferi’s Veil is a particularly nice option here, saving all of your Unearthed creatures from exile for a very low mana investment.
In The Loop
Sedris, the Traitor King is powerful in a vacuum, but it gets even better when you consider its combo applications. Most of these make use of Void Maw, an obscure Coldsnap creature that lets you rescue cards from exile. This gets around the exile downside of Unearth, letting you loop creatures in and out of your graveyard with a sacrifice outlet.
What’s particularly nice about these combo lines is how budget-friendly they are. With Sedris, Void Maw, Priest of Gix, and Viscera Seer, you can create an infinite enters/dies loop for under $2. Add in Bastion of Remembrance for a $0.23 drain effect, and you’ve got yourself a lethal instant win.
If you want to splash a bit more cash, you can use an outlet like Altar of Dementia or Goblin Bombardment to win without another piece, too. Sub in Witch Engine for Priest, or a mana-producing outlet like Phyrexian Altar for Seer, and you’ll actually go mana-positive here, meaning infinite mana wins with Walking Ballista are also on the table.
If you can assemble Ashnod’s Altar and Pitiless Plunderer, you can actually pull off this loop with any given creature. This lets you win with any creature that pings or mills, like Orcish Bowmasters or Overwhelmed Apprentice. Alternatively, since Void Maw buffs itself infinitely through this loop too, you can just target it with Chandra’s Ignition for a massive burn finish.
Using the Ashnod’s Altar and Pitiless Plunderer setup also lets you loop Eternal Scourge infinitely without needing Void Maw. You will need an extra piece to close here, with Impact Tremors and Altar of the Brood being good options. This extra investment opens up the potential for earlier wins in the deck, however, giving it an edge in high-power playgroups.
Time For A Comeback?
As a three-color build-around legend that predates even the original 2011 Commander precons, Sedris, the Traitor King very much feels like an OG of the format. Despite this venerable status, however, the card doesn’t actually see very much play at all these days. According to EDHREC data, just under 2,000 players run Sedris as their Commander, and only 4.91k run it in the 99. Considering the continued popularity of Reanimator as an archetype, it’s surprising that one of its best Grixis options is going so neglected.
Unfortunate as it is, this low play rate does mean that Sedris is an extremely affordable card currently. Near-mint copies of the base version, from either Shards of Alara or Double Masters 2022, are available for around $0.50 right now. Even if you want to get fancy, the gorgeous Ian Miller Borderless version and the Foil Etched printing are just $1.25 and $1.45, respectively. At these prices, Sedris makes a great foundation for a budget Reanimator brew, especially considering how cheap much of its specific tech cards are.
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