Hello and welcome back to another edition of A Seat at the Table. The time has come to talk about Judith, the Scourge Diva. For 25 cents, you can pick up your own copy of Judy or brew around the copy your drafted in your Double Masters 2022 events.

Let’s get a look at that text box. For 1BR, you get a 2/2 Human Shaman that says:

“Other creatures you control get +1/+0.

Whenever a nontoken creature you control dies, Judith, the Scourge Diva deals 1 damage to any target.”

Let’s talk about the cards that I think deserve to see play with Judith.

1. Nether Traitor / Reassembling Skeleton / Persistent Specimen / Gravecrawler

What you want is a bunch of creatures to cast or return from the graveyard to play. The more creatures you bring back, the more creatures die, and the more triggers you get from Judith. Nether Traitor loves a good death loop. A creature you control dies, pay B to return Nether Traitor to play, bring back another creature, sacrifice Nether Traitor, then sacrifice the other creature and pay B again. Lots of triggers.

Gravecrawler is great if you’ve got zombies in the deck. Use these deaths to pump Juri, Master of the Revue, sacrifice them to Lyzolda, the Blood Witch for value. Tymaret, the Murder King can dance between the graveyard and your hand, netting value along the way.

2. Thermopod

You need sacrifice outlets. Mayhem Devil belongs in this deck. Judith needs creatures to die and the best way to be in control of when those creatures die is to have sacrifice outlets. Thermopod can hit for 5 with Judith out and is a Phyrexian Altar for just red. Use this slug to your advantage. Obviously, Phyrexian Altar is worth an inclusion. I recommend it, but it’s a pricey card. Altar was just reprinted in Double Masters 2022, so it’s the lowest it’s going to be for a while. Goblin Bombardment is also a great pick for doubling down on pinging.

3. Mahadi, Emporium Master / Raphael, Fiendish Savior

Mahadi, Emporium Master is one of my favourite cards from the new Commander Legends set. As long as your creatures keep hitting the yard, you’ll be able to fuel up on mana. It’s incredibly efficient and is what I always wanted out of Gadrak, the Crown-Scourge. Stock up on treasures so you can pay for Nether Traitor and Reassembling Skeleton’s resurrections.

Raphael, Fiendish Savior makes extra little guys for each time a nontoken creature is put in your graveyard from anywhere. With Judith on board, you get 3/2 Devils that ping when they die with lifelink! They might not be nontoken creatures so they won’t trigger Judith, but they definitely still sting!

4. Lightning Skelemental / Ball Lightning

Go all in on big damage with these speedy elementals. These creatures die the turn you play them and swing in hard for an extra +1/+0 and ping an extra one when they go when the Diva’s singing. Lightning Skelemental has added value in smacking two cards out of a players hand when it connects for combat damage, which with 6 base power and trample, is very likely to happen.

Pair with Phyrexian Reclamation or Thunderkin Awakener for swings every turn. Olivia, Crimson Bride is also a great choice to pair them with since they’re not likely to get exiled as they die every time.

I know he makes token copies of them instead, but Feldon of the Third Path can bring back the swinging lightning boys for more damage. They won’t trigger Judith, but they still get the +1/+0  buff.

5. Basilisk Collar

Put this on Mayhem Devil or give it to Judy and watch your dying creatures take down your opponents creatures too. Giving Judith deathtouch and lifelink makes her a very powerful threat and keeps your life up with every nontoken kicking the bucket. It’s not the flashiest but will definitely make the table fear you.

Honorable Mentions:

Obosh, the Preypiercer

Judith being a 3 mana commander and a bunch of good pieces mentioned in this article also being odd, we’re off to a good start to include Obosh as a companion. Each ping becomes two damage. The Lightning elementals end up doing 12 to 14 damage. Something to consider for anybody thinking about Judith as a commander.

Yawgmoth, Thran Physician + Mikaeus, the Unhallowed

Yawgmoth and Mikaeus and two non-token non-Human creatures plus Judith (and a way to offset the life loss – maybe even a wincon that gains life like Gray Merchant of Asphodel) = combo. Don’t deck yourself!

Step 1: Sacrifice creature 1 to Yawgmoth, targeting creature 2 with the -1/-1 counter.

Step 2: Creature 1 returns with a +1/+1 counter thanks to Mikaeus giving it Undying.

Step 3: Sacrifice creature 2 to Yawgmoth targeting creature 1 with the -1/-1 counter, negating  the +1/+1 from undying.

Step 4: Repeat steps 1-3. Step one will now negate the +1/+1 counter on creature 2.

I could have made it easier by including Murderous Redcap instead of two creatures, but this shows that it can work with more than just one little guy.

That does it! I love Rakdos and this is right up my alley. I have a Lyzolda, the Blood Witch deck that I really love and sometimes toss Judith or Tymaret, the Murder King in the command zone instead. Lyzolda is more of a token build, but Judith still gets some pings out there and the +1/+0 helps the tokens become swarm rather than just an aristocrats strategy!

I hope you enjoyed this entry! Thank you so much for reading.

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