I wanted to check off a combo I've wanted to build for a while: Filth and Urborg, Tomb of Yawgmoth.

Filth is an Incarnation, like Anger or Wonder, that gives our team an ability while it's in our graveyard and we control a Land of its type. In this case, that ability is Swampwalk. That was nasty good back in FIVE-COLOR, where players were much more likely to have Swamps in their decks. Commander is a bit different. We can't count on every opponent having one.

That's where the nasty Urborg comes in. Urborg, Tomb of Yawgmoth makes every Land on the battlefield a Swamp in addition to its other types. Now our whole team can Swampwalk right through our opponents and head straight for the win.

The Commander

I'm heading to Grixis () for the classic Legends (LEG) Sol'Kanar the Swamp King.

Sol'Kanar is a five-drop 5/5 Demon with Swampwalk already built in. Whenever any player casts a Black spell, we gain 1 life. That gives us a nice bit of life gain while we play the game, and his Swampwalk fits this deck perfectly.

He also has "Swamp" right there in his name, so you know I had to do it. Once Urborg, Tomb of Yawgmoth joins the party, Sol'Kanar can walk right past our foes and connect. Before Filth shows up, he can still serve as a backup win-con through Commander Damage. A 5/5 with built-in evasion can end a game pretty fast when nobody can block him.

Mana Matters

Blanket of Night costs three mana for an Enchantment that makes all Lands Swamps in addition to their other types. That gives us another way to turn on our Swampwalk plan. It also works nicely with Urborg, Tomb of Yawgmoth, since both cards give every Land the Swamp type.

Then we have Nirkana Revenant, a six-drop 4/4 Shade that doubles the amount of Black mana we get from our Swamps. She can also spend one Black mana to get +1/+1 until end of turn. That makes her a strong mana sink when we have extra Black mana lying around. If nobody can block her, she can also become a pretty nasty win-con.

Next up are three ways to find the Lands we need. Expedition Map costs one mana and can tap and Sacrifice for two mana to find any Land and put it into our hand. Here, our first target is usually Urborg, Tomb of Yawgmoth, followed by Cabal Coffers once we have Urborg online.

Then we have Magus of the Coffers. This 4/4 can tap for an amount of Black mana equal to the number of Swamps we control, but it costs two mana to activate. With Urborg turning our nonbasics into Swamps, that can make a pile of mana. Finally, Gem of Becoming costs three mana and can Sacrifice to find up to three Basic Lands: an Island, a Swamp, and a Mountain.

Next are Liliana and her Shade. Liliana of the Dark Realms costs four mana and starts with three Loyalty.

Her +1 finds a basic Swamp and puts it into our hand. Her -3 gives a Creature +X/+X or -X/-X, where X is the number of Swamps we control. That can serve as both a pump spell and removal. Her -6 is wild here, since our Swamps will get an Emblem that will allow our Swamps to tap to add to our mana pool.

Then we have Liliana's Shade. This four-drop 1/1 finds a Basic Swamp when it enters the battlefield. It can also pump itself for with its Shade ability.

I also tossed in Solemn Simulacrum to find a Basic Land and ramp us. Once Filth and Urborg are online, even Solemn can join the Swampwalking party. If it dies, we draw a card too.

Synergies & Win-Cons

Now let's turn to some synergies and win-cons. Nightcreep is a two-mana Instant that turns all Lands into Swamps in addition to their other types. It also makes all Creatures Black until end of turn. That works for our opponents too, so we can use it to turn on Swampwalk when we need it. I would love to put this on Isochron Scepter, but we don't have enough cheap Instants that fit the plan.

Then we have Sheoldred, Whispering One. This seven-drop 6/6 has Swampwalk, so she fits right into our plan. During our upkeep, we return a Creature from our graveyard to the battlefield. During each opponent's upkeep, that player Sacrifices a Creature. Sheoldred is like The Abyss with legs, and she can keep our board full while eating away at theirs.

Next are two cards that fit the Swampwalk plan nicely. Wrexial, the Risen Deep is a six-drop 5/8 Kraken with both Islandwalk and Swampwalk.

When Wrexial deals combat damage to a player, we can cast an Instant or Sorcery from that player's graveyard without paying its mana cost. If that spell would go to the graveyard, it gets Exiled instead. With Urborg making every Land a Swamp, Wrexial should have a very easy time getting through.

Then we have Nightmare Incursion, a six-mana Sorcery that lets us search an opponent's library for up to X cards, where X is the number of Swamps we control. We Exile those cards, then that player shuffles. With Urborg out, we can strip out a pile of their best cards, including combo pieces and win-cons. That's some nasty power for one spell.

Now let's turn to a couple of Creatures that get bigger from our Swamps. Korlash, Heir to Blackblade is a four-drop Legendary Zombie Warrior whose power and toughness are each equal to the number of Swamps we control. We can also pay to regenerate him. With Urborg in play, our Land count can make Korlash a very large threat.

Then we have Nightmare, the classic six-mana 6/6 with Flying. Its power and toughness are each equal to the number of Swamps we control. With Urborg turning our other Lands into Swamps, Nightmare can get huge fast. Add Filth to the mix, and our big Creatures can often Fly or Swampwalk past the blockers that would otherwise stop them.

Next are two Equipment cards that give our Creatures a boost based on our Swamps. Nightmare Lash costs four mana and gives the Equipped Creature +1/+1 for each Swamp we control. Its Equip cost is just paying 3 life, which is pretty cheap here. Sol'Kanar can help make up that life loss as the game goes on.

Then we have Lashwrithe. It has Living Weapon, so it enters with a 0/0 Germ token and Equips itself right away. Its Equip cost is either two Black mana or four life, and the Equipped Creature gets +1/+1 for each Swamp we control. With Urborg in play, these can make Sol'Kanar or another Creature huge. Add Filth to the mix, and a giant Creature with Swampwalk can end the game fast.

Next up are Blackblade Reforged and Defiling Daemogoth. Blackblade is a two-mana Equipment that gives the Equipped Creature +1/+1 for each Land we control. Its Equip cost is for a Legendary Creature and for anything else. That makes it another nasty win-con for Sol'Kanar or any other Creature we want to send in.

I also tossed in Rogue's Passage for those times when our foe doesn't have a Swamp and Filth can't get the job done.

Then we have the five-drop 5/4 Demon with Menace. Whenever a Creature we control deals combat damage to a player, we gain 1 life. At the beginning of our end step, each opponent loses life equal to the life we gained that turn. We aren't building a Lifegain deck, but our Swampwalking army makes this effect worth a slot.

Oh yes, these two are nasty win-cons for the life gain plan. Stensian Sanguinist is a two-mana 2/2 that can give a Creature Deathtouch when we attack. If that Creature deals combat damage to a player that turn, Stensian Sanguinist becomes Prepared.

We can then cast a copy of its back-face spell, Exsanguinate, without paying its mana cost. Filth and Urborg can help that attacking Creature get through with Swampwalk, so this can happen again and again.

The Exsanguinate side normally costs . Each opponent loses X life, and we gain life equal to the life lost this way. I also tossed in an Exsanguinate on its own, plus Gray Merchant of Asphodel. With Defiling Daemogoth draining life from our foes at each end step, we have plenty of ways to turn that life gain into a win.

I also tossed in a few other ways to turn Lands into Swamps. Mystic Compass costs two mana, then we can pay and tap it to make a target Land become the Basic Land type of our choice until end of turn.

That lets us turn an opponent's Land into a Swamp when we need to force through a Swampwalker. We can also use it on our own Lands when we need a specific Basic Land type.

Then there's Tainted Well, a three-mana Aura that Enchants a Land and makes that Land a Swamp. When it enters, we draw a card too. I like this one since it can turn an opponent's Land into a Swamp while drawing us a card.

And now we have a couple of ways to give our Creatures Swampwalk. Backup ways to grant it are a bit harder to find, which makes Filth so good here.

Leshrac's Rite is a one-mana Aura that gives the Enchanted Creature Swampwalk. It can Enchant one of our Creatures, but we can also put it on someone else's Creature. That can help an ally get through another opponent's board when we need it.

Then I tossed in Nighthaze, a one-mana Sorcery that gives a Creature Swampwalk until end of turn and draws us a card. It only lasts for the turn, but it can give one of our attackers a clear path while refilling our hand.

I round out this deck with Saboteur abilities that trigger when our Creatures deal combat damage. You could toss in some Specters here too, but Odylic Wraith fits the plan nicely.

This 2/2 Wraith has Swampwalk, so it should have an easy time getting through once Urborg is online. When it deals combat damage to a player, that player discards a card.

Hypnotic Specter could work here too, but random discard can be a bit rough to build around. I also like the other Black Saboteurs we could use, such as Abyssal Specter and Blazing Specter. They all get much better when Filth turns our board into a Swampwalking horde.

Answers

And now let's turn to my answers. Funeral Charm is a one-mana Instant with three modes. We can make a player discard a card, give a Creature +2/-1 until end of turn, or give a Creature Swampwalk until end of turn. That last mode fits our plan nicely, and it can also be fun with Isochron Scepter if we want to repeat it.

Then we have Corrupt, a six-mana Sorcery that deals damage to any target equal to the number of Swamps we control. We gain life equal to the damage dealt this way. It can hit a Creature, Planeswalker, or player. I also tossed in Tendrils of Corruption for Instant-speed Creature removal that gains us life. Those Lifegain effects also work nicely with Defiling Daemogoth.

I also tossed in Cat-Gator, a seven-mana 3/2 with Lifelink that gives us a Corrupt-style effect when it enters the battlefield. We can have it deal damage to any target equal to the number of Swamps we control, then gain that much life. That's a lot of value from one Creature, and Lifelink gives us another way to gain life when it attacks.

Then we have the seven-mana Cruel Ultimatum. One opponent Sacrifices a Creature, discards three cards, and loses 5 life. We then return a Creature from our graveyard to the battlefield, draw three cards, and gain 5 life. That's a whole lot of work for one spell, and this deck can put those effects to good use.

And now let's turn to two Black Creatures with Combat Triggers that give us removal. Throat Slitter is a five-mana 2/2 with Ninjutsu . When it deals combat damage to a player, we can destroy target nonblack Creature that player controls.

Ninjutsu also lets us return an unblocked attacker to our hand, so bouncing Cat-Gator for another Enter-the-Battlefield Trigger can be a nice play.

Then we have Ashling, the Extinguisher, a four-mana 4/4. When she deals combat damage to a player, that player sacrifices a Creature. That's a nice Edict effect since the opponent chooses what to Sacrifice.

It can still get around Hexproof and other ways they might try to protect a Creature. With Swampwalk, getting these triggers should be much easier.

Card Draw

And now let's finish with some card draw. As I mentioned above, I tossed in a few cards that turn our Unblockable army into cards. Bident of Thassa is a four-mana Artifact that draws us a card whenever one of our Creatures deals combat damage to a player.

That gets silly when Filth and Urborg let our whole team walk through. We can also pay and tap Bident to make Creatures our opponents control attack this turn if able. They can come our way too, so use that part with care.

Then we have Dread Presence, a four-mana 3/3 with a Swamp Landfall ability. Whenever a Swamp enters under our control, we can either draw a card and lose 1 life or deal 2 damage to any target and gain 2 life. With Urborg and all our other ways to make Swamps, both modes have a place here.

Shadowmage Infiltrator is a three-mana 1/3 with Fear. Whenever it deals combat damage to a player, we draw a card. With Filth and Urborg helping our Creatures get through, that trigger should be easy to set up.

Then there's Compulsion, a two-mana Blue Enchantment. We can pay and discard a card to draw a card. That's great if we draw Filth and need to get it into our graveyard. We can also pay and Sacrifice Compulsion to draw a card.

I like having both options here. One helps us pitch cards we want in the graveyard, while the other gives us a way to cash in Compulsion when we're done with it.

Let's finish up with two more Creatures that love our Unblockable army. Gix, Yawgmoth Praetor is a three-mana 3/3 Phyrexian Praetor. Whenever a Creature deals combat damage to one of our opponents, that Creature's controller may draw a card and lose 1 life.

That means our opponents will want to swing at each other too. We can let them do the work while we reap the card draw. Then, for , we can discard X cards to exile the top X cards of an opponent's library and play Lands and cast spells from there this turn.

Then we have the classic Ninja of the Deep Hours. It's a four-mana 2/2 with Ninjutsu , and it draws us a card whenever it deals combat damage to a player. Ninjutsu also lets us return an unblocked attacker to our hand, so bouncing Cat-Gator or Mulldrifter for another ETB Trigger can be a nice trick.

The Decklist

This deck brings together its mana, Creatures, interaction, and card advantage to support the central game plan while still giving us plenty of ways to close out a game.

My Filthy Grixis Urborg| Commander | Abe Sargent

• Commander (1)
• 1 Sol'kanar the Swamp King

• Creatures (25)
• 1 Ashling, the Extinguisher
• 1 Baleful Strix
• 1 Cat-Gator
• 1 Crypt Ghast
• 1 Defiling Daemogoth
• 1 Dread Presence
• 1 Enduring Curiosity
• 1 Filth
• 1 Gix, Yawgmoth Praetor
• 1 Gray Merchant of Asphodel
• 1 Korlash, Heir to Blackblade
• 1 Liliana's Shade
• 1 Magus of the Coffers
• 1 Mulldrifter
• 1 Nightmare
• 1 Ninja of the Deep Hours
• 1 Nirkana Revenant
• 1 Odylic Wraith
• 1 Shadowmage Infiltrator
• 1 Sheoldred, Whispering One
• 1 Solemn Simulacrum
• 1 Stensian Sanguinist
• 1 Street Wraith
• 1 Throat Slitter
• 1 Wrexial, the Risen Deep

• Planeswalkers (1)
• 1 Liliana of the Dark Realms

• Instants (11)
• 1 Arcane Denial
• 1 Bedevil
• 1 Chaos Warp
• 1 Counterspell
• 1 Defile
• 1 Fell the Profane
• 1 Funeral Charm
• 1 Nightcreep
• 1 Rakdos Charm
• 1 Tendrils of Corruption
• 1 Undermine

• Sorceries (9)
• 1 Buried Alive
• 1 Consuming Corruption
• 1 Corrupt
• 1 Cruel Ultimatum
• 1 Diabolic Tutor
• 1 Exsanguinate
• 1 Feed the Swarm
• 1 Nighthaze
• 1 Nightmare Incursion

• Enchantments (6)
• 1 Blanket of Night
• 1 Coastal Piracy
• 1 Compulsion
• 1 Leshrac's Rite
• 1 Reconnaissance Mission
• 1 Tainted Well

• Artifacts (8)
• 1 Bident of Thassa
• 1 Blackblade Reforged
• 1 Expedition Map
• 1 Gem of Becoming
• 1 Lashwrithe
• 1 Mystic Compass
• 1 Nightmare Lash
• 1 Sol Ring

• Lands (38)
• 3 Island
• 3 Mountain
• 4 Swamp
• 1 Blood Crypt
• 1 Bojuka Bog
• 1 Cabal Coffers
• 1 Cabal Stronghold
• 1 Command Tower
• 1 Canyon Slough
• 1 Contaminated Aquifer
• 1 Drowned Catacomb
• 1 Fetid Pools
• 1 Geothermal Bog
• 1 Grixis Panorama
• 1 High Market
• 1 Ice Tunnel
• 1 Leechridden Swamp
• 1 Raucous Theater
• 1 Rogue's Passage
• 1 Spymaster's Vault
• 1 Smoldering Marsh
• 1 Sulfurous Mire
• 1 Sunken Hollow
• 1 Tainted Isle
• 1 Tainted Peak
• 1 Undercity Sewers
• 1 Urborg
• 1 Urborg, Tomb of Yawgmoth
• 1 Watery Grave
• 1 Witch's Cottage
• 1 Xander's Lounge

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Conclusion

There we go! I really enjoy this central idea of taking an old card like Filth and building the whole brew around it and the call-out to the original Urborg. It can tap to make a target Creature lose Swampwalk until end of turn. That gives us a nice way to stop an opposing Swampwalker from sneaking through our defenses. I also tossed in both Tainted Lands and a few other ways to keep our mana working.

This deck may want Draining Whelk too. We can counter a spell, then swing with our new Creature once Filth gets our Swampwalk plan going. I would have tossed in Mystic Snake if we were playing a Simic () deck, for sure.