Wilhelt, the Rocleaver requires zombies with utility mainly through card draw, recursion and removal like capabilities. I chose the best zombies to include in the list, giving you the likelihood of drawing your key pieces and keeping your opponent’s board’s clear.
In a Rush? Here’s the Top 6 Zombies
Best Card Draw Zombies
From Crypt to Cardpool
Card Draw In Any Zombie Deck
Card draw is one of the most important aspects of any Commander deck, but it is especially crucial for zombie decks. Zombies are powerful and aggressive but can be slow to get going and run out of steam if they don’t draw into their key cards. That’s where the card draw comes in.
The cards you choose to play in your zombie deck should depend on your overall strategy. If you’re playing a fast and aggressive deck, you’ll want to focus on cards that will help you draw cards quickly, such as Undead Augur or Midnight Reaper. If you’re playing a slower and more controlling deck, you can afford to play cards that provide card draw over time, such as Graveborn Muse or Corpse Augur.
Why These Cards Synergize With Wilhelt
Undead Augur
Undead Augur is a great early-game card draw engine. Whenever a Zombie you control dies, you draw a card and lose 1 life. This is a great way to keep your hand full of cards. This ability stacks with Wilhelt’s ability giving you a two for one card draw engine in the early-mid game.
Midnight Reaper
Midnight Reaper is a mid-game card draw engine. Whenever one or more non-token Zombies you control die, you may pay one life and draw a card. This is dependent on the amount of non-token zombies you already control, so this is mainly why this zombie should be used in the midgame when you already have an established board and anticipate a board wipe is coming. This synergizes with Wilhelt mainly due to its converted mana cost. Casting Midnight Reaper turn three into a turn four Wilhelt, anticipating removal to comedown, will keep you in the game with his card draw mechanic.
Hordewing Skaab
Hordewing Skaab is a late-game card draw engine with the additional benefit of giving your zombies flying. The ability to give zombies flying is the first perk that can be used in any zombie strategy. However, this isn’t normal card draw, this is more of a filter type of draw, if you are running any reanimate spells, this card can easily dig into your deck to find your key pieces to discard and reanimate. This synergizes with Wilhelt also due to its converted mana cost; turn four Wilhelt into a turn-five Hordewing Skaab will ensure you stay ahead of your opponent’s through card filter and give a chance for your zombies to chip them down.
Sample Hands
Best Token Generating Zombies
Flesh Ebb, Tokens Flow
Token Generation In Any Zombie Deck
Beyond the sheer coolness of seeing your deck churn out an army of flesh-hungry zombies, tokens offer several strategic advantages:
Overwhelm your opponents: Commander is a multiplayer format, and nothing puts the pressure on an ever-growing horde of tokens threatening all three players simultaneously. With the correct token-generating zombies, you can quickly turn a single zombie into a massive wave of attackers that will overwhelm your opponents.
Fuel for sacrificing strategies: Many powerful zombie cards demand sacrifices, and tokens are the perfect fodder. Cards like Phyrexian Altar, Ravenous Rotbelly and Fell Stinger can turn your disposable zombie tokens into mana, removal or even card draw.
Why These Cards Synergize With Wilhelt
Diregraf Colossus
Diregraf Colossus this card creates a 2/2 zombie token every time you cast a zombie. Also, this zombie is extremely easy to cast as you need one black mana and two other colors to cast it. On average, Wilhelt players run approximately 28-32 zombie creatures, so this card has the potential to create a zombie token around 30% of the time. This also synergizes with Wilhelt, as you can sacrifice the zombie token to draw a card. Having a REPEATABLE effect that triggers on a zombie cast can keep you ahead in any commander game.
Headless Rider
Headless Rider this card creates a 2/2 zombie token whenever itself or a non-token zombie dies. This is a pseudo board wipe protection as Headless Rider’s effect will trigger and see all the zombies die simultaneously, giving you a replacement zombie for every other non-token zombie that died that turn.
Cryptbreaker
Cryptbreaker this card is the definition of POWERCREEP. This card was printed as a one drop with two effects, one that gives you a zombie token and one that draws you cards. This card should be a staple in any zombie deck as its utility can be used in any strategy. This synergizes with Wilhelt as you can use the decayed zombies he produces for the tap effect of Cryptbreaker.
Sample Hands
Best Removal Zombies
From Menace to Menu
Removal In Any Zombie Deck
While playing your zombie deck may seem fun and sometimes unstoppable, remember: you’re not the only player at the table. That’s where removal comes in, the silent hero of every successful zombie deck. Think of removal as the brains of your zombie brawn. In Commander, where threats come at you from all sides, having the right removal spells at your disposal can be the difference between victory or ending up as just another noninteractive zombie deck. Removal in any tribal deck isn’t just about destroying random threats. It’s about synergy, and that’s where these cards shine.
Why These Cards Synergize With Wilhelt
Noxious Ghoul
Noxious Ghoul this menace punishes non-zombie decks, effectively creating a vacuum in which every time a zombie (token or non-token) enters the battlefield, all non-zombie creatures get -1/-1, and this effect stacks until the end of the turn. This synergizes with Wilhelt’s token-creating effect. If you play zombies and then sacrifice one to Wilhelt, creating another zombie, creatures on your opponent’s side will always either die or be reduced to nothing so your zombies will have a easier time attacking your opponents
Ravenous Rotbelly
Ravenous Rotbelly this horror lets you sacrifice zombies (tokens are perfect!) to force your opponents to sacrifice their creatures. It’s a menace for Avacyn, Angel of Hope, as sacrifice effects are the best way to remove indestructible creatures. Wilhelt creates undying zombies that cannot block, since these zombies die after they attack you may as well sacrifice them for a stronger effect. If your opponents go all in one one or two creatures to win, slam the Rotbelly and watch them cringe as they put their creatures into their graveyards.
Murderous Rider
Murderous Rider this zombie is on an adventure to take down any creature or planeswalker, then after it dies is conveniently put back into your library for later. This is a two-fold card, thus making it highly versatile at any stage of the game. At its best, it’s a solid piece of removal that can hit any creature, or it is a zombie that can be sacrificed to Wilhelt’s effect, causing it to go back into your library for another time.
Sample Hands
Best Zombie Lords
The Horde’s Commanders
Lords In Any Zombie Deck
Zombies. They shuffle, moan, hunger for brains, and love a good leader! Lord effects are the necromantic glue that binds your zombie horde into an unstoppable force. These special creatures not only bolster the stats of your zombies but also have more powerful tribal effects that provide additional benefits for your zombies. Lords shine the best in zombie token strategies that seek to overwhelm your opponents with combat damage.
Why These Cards Synergize With Wilhelt
Undead Warchief
Undead Warchief this zombie lord grants all your other Zombie creatures +2/+1, instantly transforming your horde into a tide of monstrous attackers. With an additional effect that reduces your other zombies by one mana, this effect can also be used to cast Wilhelt for three mana instead of four. Effectively giving you more opportunities to cast more zombies and increasing the body count on the board to overwhelm your opponents with a tide of buffed zombies.
Cemetery Reaper
Cemetery Reaper this zombie lord provides not only a +1/+1 anthem to your other undead but also lets you exile target creature card from your or an opponent’s graveyard. This is a brutal one-two punch: buff your own forces while crippling your opponent’s grave ensures you always have zombies on the board.
Diregraf Captain
Diregraf Captain this zombie lord has a wall of relevant text attached to him. He buffs your zombies by +1/+1 and has the best effect out of the lords that when a zombie you control dies (zombie token or non token), target opponent loses a life. When Wilhelt’s effect triggers, you can sacrifice another zombie, drawing you a card and reducing an opponent’s life. When a board wipe happens, you can easily target the opponent that cast it and reduce their life substantially.
Sample Hands
The Zombies That Round Off The Deck
The Horde’s Key Pieces
These zombies round out the rest of your deck. You must try to run some of these! If you have yet to try any of them, I recommend throwing them in and seeing how they function in your deck.
Conclusion
Wilhelt, the Rotcleaver EDH deck offers an incredibly fun and versatile experience. The unique blend of reanimating zombies and exploiting their various abilities creates a dynamic and engaging playstyle. The thrill of bringing back zombies from the graveyard, each with their own unique abilities and synergies, never gets old. Wilhelt himself serves as a pivotal piece in this undead puzzle, enhancing the deck’s reanimation theme and adding an extra layer of strategy.