Coram, the Undertaker:
The Graveyard Commander with a Plan 🎴⚰️
In Magic: The Gathering, graveyard strategies have long been a fan-favorite for their resilience, resourcefulness, and sheer audacity to turn death into power.
Coram, the Undertaker, a legendary Human Warrior, exemplifies this style with flair, blending recursion, mill, and power boosts into one captivating package.
Let’s dive into why Coram is not just a card, but a strategy waiting to happen.
Coram’s Abilities – Breaking Them Down
1. Power from the Grave (+X/+0)
“Coram, the Undertaker gets +X/+0, where X is the greatest power among creature cards in all graveyards.”
Coram’s raw combat potential is defined by the biggest and baddest creature in any graveyard. This means Coram thrives in a multiplayer setting where graveyards are often teeming with large creatures. In Commander, for example, the more opponents you have, the greater the likelihood of seeing a Griselbrand or Woodfall Primus in someone’s graveyard.
- Strategic Use: Maximize graveyard sizes through self-mill effects, discard outlets, or cards like Entomb or Buried Alive. Bonus points if your opponents are also running graveyard-centric decks—Coram feeds off their resources too.
- Weakness: Coram’s toughness is a mere 5, making him vulnerable to damage-based removal or blockers unless his attack is supported by protection or evasion.
2. Attack and Mill (Each Player Mills a Card)
“Whenever Coram attacks, each player mills a card.”
Coram’s second ability ensures graveyards will never run out of fuel. This symmetrical effect helps you advance your strategy while disrupting your opponents’ topdecks and potentially fueling their graveyard plans as well.
- Synergies: Cards like Mesmeric Orb and Altar of Dementia can help accelerate mill strategies. Use Grave Pact or Dictate of Erebos to punish opponents if they lose creatures along the way.
- Risk: Milling opponents can sometimes backfire, especially if they have graveyard decks of their own. Be ready to shut down opposing recursion with cards like Rest in Peace or Leyline of the Void.
3. Recursion on a Timer (Play Lands and Cast Spells from Graveyards)
“During each of your turns, you may play a land and cast a spell from among cards in graveyards that were put there from libraries this turn.”
Coram’s ability to cast spells and play lands milled during the turn is what sets him apart from other graveyard commanders. Not only does this allow you to steal value from your opponents’ decks, but it also rewards you for consistently triggering mill effects.
- Play Patterns:
- Use instants like Grisly Salvage or Grapple with the Past to set up your graveyard on your opponent’s turn.
- Pair Coram with recursive cards like Crucible of Worlds to keep playing lands milled by his ability.
- Leverage spells like Animate Dead or Reanimate for impactful creature recursion.
- Key Interactions:
- Cards like Solemnity and Dryad Arbor allow you to maximize the utility of lands milled during Coram’s attacks.
- Utilize opponents’ spells that get milled to disrupt their plans. Casting their Counterspell or Demonic Tutor can swing a game in your favor.
Strengths
- Versatility: Coram can adapt to different strategies, from graveyard-based control to midrange combat.
- Value Engine: His recursion ability ensures you’re always finding value from your graveyard and others’.
- Multiplayer Powerhouse: The more graveyards there are, the stronger Coram becomes.
Weaknesses
- Vulnerability to Graveyard Hate: Cards like Tormod’s Crypt, Bojuka Bog, or Rest in Peace can shut Coram down entirely.
- High Dependency on Setup: Coram relies heavily on a stocked graveyard, making him slow in the early game without proper support.
Synergistic Cards
To make the most of Coram, consider pairing him with these cards:
- Graveyard Fillers:
- Buried Alive, Entomb, Stitcher’s Supplier, Satyr Wayfinder
- Graveyard Recursion:
- Crucible of Worlds, Risen Executioner, Muldrotha, the Gravetide
- Mill Enablers:
- Mesmeric Orb, Altar of Dementia, Phenax, God of Deception
- Graveyard Protection:
- Leyline of Sanctity, Elixir of Immortality, Silent Gravestone
Coram in Commander
Coram shines as a Commander thanks to his ability to leverage multiple graveyards. A three-color (Jund) identity gives access to some of the best tools in the game for graveyard manipulation (Life from the Loam, Underrealm Lich), removal (Krosan Grip, Toxic Deluge), and recursion (Genesis, Yawgmoth’s Will).
Final Thoughts
Coram, the Undertaker, embodies everything we love about Magic’s graveyard strategies: resilience, resourcefulness, and the ability to turn disadvantage into overwhelming strength. Whether you’re disrupting your opponents, stealing their spells, or dominating combat with massive buffs, Coram ensures you’re always finding value.
So, will you embrace the Undertaker and let your graveyard rise? Or will you be the one buried beneath his unrelenting strength?
“The graveyard is a second library—for those bold enough to use it.”
Until next time,
HotMagic Team