Written by ForceofPhil

Necromancer won SCGCon Richmond 2026, succeeding the Avatar's 2026 SorceryCon Constructed Championship win; its dominance since Gothic's release doesn't appear to have a horizon in view.

Despite the plague of Skeleton tokens atop the recent podiums, the Top 8 in Richmond was relatively diverse. had a prominent showing after being snubbed at 2026 SorceryCon, netting a seventh-place finish led by Archimago and an eighth-place rank led by Deathspeaker.

has proven itself the best element to pair with anything else, thanks to the premium flexibility of its Collection options. Similarly, the suite of Daperyll Vampire and Renatus Trueblood is the backbone of midrange to stabilize the Realm, and Bane of Aventis' power in a Ward world can't be understated.

SCGCon Richmond 2026 | 8th Place
Deathspeaker by emperorigor

Aura (1)

1 The Black Plague

Artifacts (5)

1 Ring of Morrigan
3 Toolbox
1 Book of the Dead

Minions (39)

4 Cemetery Rats
2 Arjaro Exorcist
4 Land Surveyor
3 Sisters of Avalon
4 Apprentice Wizard
1 Jack the Ripper
1 Sir Bors the Younger
1 The Hexham Haunts
1 Bane of Aventis
2 Gargantula
2 Pudge Butcher
1 Sir Perceval
1 Witherwing Hero
1 Archangel Michael
3 Daperyll Vampire
2 Renatus Trueblood
1 Sir Galahad
2 Grandmaster Wizard
1 Returned King
1 Young Master Damion
1 Wraetannis Titan

Magics (15)

3 Gift of the Wolf
3 Lightning Bolt (scr)
2 Bury
3 Carrionette
2 Earthquake
2 Craterize

Collection (10)

1 Zap!
1 Dispel
1 Lightning Bolt (scr)
1 Bury
4 Ghoul
1 Grapple Shot
1 Murder of Crows

Build Your Sorcery: Contested Realm Battlebox!

When playing , it seems like attempting to build the Tower of Babel is a worthwhile endeavor, even if only playing the miser The Base of Babel. The payoff of the real estate is worth the Atlas investment, even if it is only an incidental expectation.

The highlight of the Atlas is Orpheus' Crossing. The risk of going to Death's Door is dangerous in a world of Toolboxes full of Zaps!, but consider this opening sequence on the play:

Turn 1: Cemetery Rats, discarding any of the following:
- 3 Daperyll Vampire
- 2 Renatus Trueblood
- 1 Sir Galahad
- 2 Grandmaster Wizard
- 1 Young Master Damion
Turn 2: Play Orpheus' Crossing to summon any of the above.

Boneyard provides this without the Death's Door risk if the opponent doesn't yet have a minion in their cemetery, but in the above scenario, the opponent would not yet be able to deploy a Toolbox for Zap! without one of the three Towers to boost mana.

Deploying a potent threat so early in the game's development could be so overwhelmingly powerful that it could go coast to coast if the opponent doesn't spend a critical early turn playing targeted removal. Even if they do, casting one of the nine two drops on the same turn is such a tempo swing that the opponent may have to play on the backfoot for the foreseeable future.

Additionally, since Orpheus Crossing positions Deathspeaker at Death's Door, it turns on its free clause. Meaning the site can potentially generate two free minions.

Of course, this high-reward play isn't without the equivalent risk of just dying on the spot, but we must learn from Orpheus' mistake during his attempt to save his wife, Eurydice, from the underworld: do not look back.

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For those curious about the lack of respect for Mismanaged Mortuary, which is popular in nearly all successful lists, Necromancer doesn't care about the administration of the graveyard. Unlike Archimago, who focuses on their own cemetery, Deathspeaker can reanimate from any burial in the Realm.