Dargo Silas

Turbo
Written By Evan Pierce

Deck Statistics

Source: edhtop16.com

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Metashare

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Dargo, the Shipwrecker ([[Dargo, the Shipwrecker]]) and Silas Renn ([[Silas Renn, Seeker Adept]]) form a dynamic partnership in competitive EDH (cEDH) that leverages Dargo's unique cost reduction mechanics alongside Silas Renn's artifact recursion. This list operates as a fast-paced combo deck with a focus on efficient mana generation, artifact synergies, and explosive win conditions.

Key Strengths of Dargo Silas:

  • Big Mana Potential: [[Dargo, the Shipwrecker]] enables enormous mana generation with cards like [[Burnt Offering]] and [[Sacrifice]].

  • Versatile Payoff Spells: Access to powerful cards such as [[Altar of the Wretched]], [[Morbid Curiosity]], and [[Ob Nixilis, the Adversary]] enhances the deck’s ability to convert resources into card advantage and game-winning positions.

  • Artifact Synergies: [[Silas Renn, Seeker Adept]] adds artifact recursion, allowing recovery of key combo pieces.

Weaknesses Compared to Rograkh Silas:

  • Reduced Explosiveness: Lacks the 0-mana commander Rograkh, which diminishes early-game mana generation.

  • Protection Challenges: Without Rograkh's ability to enable free interaction spells like [[Deflecting Swat]] and [[Fierce Guardianship]], Dargo Silas requires careful planning to protect its wins.

Gameplan

Dargo Silas aims to establish a strong early-game board presence using explosive mana generation from [[Dargo, the Shipwrecker]] while leveraging Silas Renn's artifact recursion to recover key combo pieces. The deck's goal is to transition into a fast combo win by assembling infinite mana or storm chains.

Core Components

Ramp

This deck focuses on fast artifact ramp to support its combo strategies, with staples like:

  • [[Sol Ring]]

  • [[Arcane Signet]]

  • [[Talisman of Dominance]]

  • [[Talisman of Creativity]]

  • [[Mana Vault]]

  • [[Grim Monolith]]

Additionally, [[Dargo, the Shipwrecker]] enables ramp spells like [[Burnt Offering]] and [[Sacrifice]] to convert Dargo into significant bursts of mana.

Interaction

While not as inherently interactive as Rograkh Silas, Dargo Silas still packs a robust suite of counterspells and removal:

  • [[Force of Will]]

  • [[Pyroblast]]

  • [[Red Elemental Blast]]

  • [[Swan Song]]

  • [[Chain of Vapor]]

The deck also relies on proactive disruption tools such as [[Defense Grid]] to protect its combos.

Win Conditions

Win Conditions

  1. Storm: Infinite storm through [[Dargo, the Shipwrecker]] and cards like [[Phyrexian Altar]] to cast and resolve payoff spells like [[Brain Freeze]].

  2. Damage: Infinite damage with [[Goblin Bombardment]] and Dargo loops.

  3. Mill: Infinite mill with [[Altar of Dementia]].

  4. Value Engines: Recursion and card advantage through [[Bolas's Citadel]] to dig into a winning line.

Combos

Dargo Silas shares the same combos as Rograkh Silas, with a focus big mana and Dargo draw-sevens.

Dargo Payoffs

Key Dargo payoff spells:

  • [[Altar of the Wretched]]: Draws cards equal to the greatest mana value among permanents you control when sacrificed.

  • [[Morbid Curiosity]]: Converts [[Dargo, the Shipwrecker]] into a massive card-draw engine by sacrificing him for his mana value.

  • [[Ob Nixilis, the Adversary]]: Creates a devastating board state by sacrificing Dargo to copy Ob Nixilis, enabling significant card advantage and life drain.

[[Ad Nauseam]]

[[Ad Nauseam]] remains a cornerstone of RogSi’s strategy, enabling explosive, game-ending turns. Unlike traditional "turbo" lists, RogSi balances low-cost acceleration with high-impact cards to ensure consistency.

Key considerations:

  • Make sure to find mana sources and win conditions when resolving [[Ad Nauseam]].

  • Utilize [[Final Fortune]] effects to untap lands and extend winning sequences.

[[Underworld Breach]]

The deck’s primary win condition, [[Underworld Breach]], pairs with [[Brain Freeze]] and [[Lion’s Eye Diamond]] (or other rituals) for an infinite loop. Even without the full combo, [[Underworld Breach]] offers exceptional value by replaying critical spells.

[[Thassa’s Oracle]]

This compact, efficient win condition is executed with [[Demonic Consultation]] or [[Tainted Pact]]. RogSi’s streamlined design ensures frequent access to this combo through a dense suite of tutors.

[[Necropotence]] and [[Necrodominance]]

Both [[Necropotence]] and [[Necrodominance]] function as potent engines that can consistently convert life into a game-winning resource advantage. With strategic use of extra-turn spells like [[Final Fortune]] or instant-speed enablers such as [[Borne Upon a Wind]] and [[Valley Floodcaller]], these cards enable explosive turns to close out the game. The following outlines how to leverage these cards for 1-turn and 2-turn win scenarios.

General Guidelines

  • Life Total Management:
    When activating [[Necropotence]] or [[Necrodominance]], determine your target card count based on your current resources and life total. Typically, this is 7 - 15 cards if you don’t have enough mana remaining to cast an extra turn spell or instant speed enabler, and 30+ cards if you do.

  • Prioritize Mana and Protection:
    Focus on fast mana (e.g., [[Rite of Flame]], [[Culling the Weak]], [[Mox Opal]]) to fuel combos and counterspells ([[Fierce Guardianship]], [[Flusterstorm]]) for protection.

  • Identify Your Win Condition:
    Use instant-speed tools ([[Tainted Pact]], [[Demonic Consultation]], instant-speed tutors) to find and resolve enablers like [[Final Fortune]] or [[Borne Upon a Wind]].

1-Turn Win Line

Objective: Leverage leftover mana after casting [[Necropotence]] or [[Necrodominance]] to win during the same end step.

Play Sequence

  1. Cast [[Necropotence]] or [[Necrodominance]]:
    Use mana from your available resources ([[symbol:b]][[symbol:b]][[symbol:b]]) to resolve either card. Ensure you leave enough mana to cast [[Borne Upon a Wind]] ([[symbol:1]][[symbol:u]])., [[Valley Floodcaller]] ([[symbol:2]][[symbol:u]]), or [[Final Fortune]] ([[symbol:r]][[symbol:r]]).

  2. Exile Cards:
    Pay life to exile as many cards as possible. The exact number depends on how much life you intent to pay to win the game (i.e. [[Force of Will]], [[Talisman of Dominance]], [[Mental Misstep]]).

  3. Move to End Step:
    During your end step, [[Necropotence]] or [[Necrodominance]] will place the exiled cards into your hand.

  4. Find and Resolve an Enabler:

    • Use instant-speed effects like [[Borne Upon a Wind]] or [[Final Fortune]] to take another turn without passing priority.

    • If needed, cast [[Tainted Pact]] or [[Demonic Consultation]] to find your enabler.

  5. Win:
    With your extra turn secured, use your newly drawn resources to assemble and execute a winning line (e.g., [[Underworld Breach]] combo, [[Thassa’s Oracle]] with [[Demonic Consultation]]).

Example

  • Cast [[Necropotence]] ([[symbol:b]][[symbol:b]][[symbol:b]])..

  • Pay 30+ life to exile cards, leaving enough mana to cast [[Final Fortune]] ([[symbol:r]][[symbol:r]]) or [[Borne Upon a Wind]] ([[symbol:1]][[symbol:u]]) in your end step.

  • Move to your end step to draw the cards.

  • Cast [[Borne Upon a Wind]] or [[Final Fortune]] to win in your end step or on an extra turn with the fast mana and win conditions you’ve drawn.

2-Turn Win Line

Objective: Use the first turn to set up resources and protect your position, then win on the following turn.

Play Sequence

  1. Turn 1: Cast [[Necropotence]] or [[Necrodominance]]:

    • Prioritize resolving the engine early. Use available mana ([[Mana Crypt]], [[Culling the Weak]]) to cast either card.

    • Pay life to exile between 7 and 15 cards, focusing on finding fast mana, counterspell protection, and extra-turn enablers for the next turn.

  2. End Step:

    • On your end step, [[Necropotence]] or [[Necrodominance]] will refill your hand with exiled cards.

  3. Turn 2: Play Mana and Combo Off:

    • Deploy your resources to play mana rocks, rituals, or other accelerants.

    • Pay life again to exile as many cards as possible, leaving yourself between 1 - 5 life.

    • Move to the end step and use instant-speed enablers like [[Borne Upon a Wind]] or [[Final Fortune]] to seize the next turn or win in the end step.

  4. Win:

    • Use your extra turn to deploy a win condition, leveraging fast mana and cards drawn from the second activation.

Example

  • Turn 1:

    • Cast [[Necrodominance]] ([[symbol:b]][[symbol:b]][[symbol:b]]).

    • Exile 12 cards, finding [[Lotus Petal]], [[Mana Vault]], and [[Borne Upon a Wind]].

  • Turn 2:

    • Cast fast mana ([[Mana Vault]], [[Lotus Petal]]), draw another 15 cards, and move to the end step.

    • Resolve [[Borne Upon a Wind]] ([[symbol:1]][[symbol:u]]) to draw and enable instant speed.

    • Assemble a winning line such as [[Underworld Breach]] + [[Brain Freeze]] or [[Thassa’s Oracle]] + [[Tainted Pact]].

Key Instant-Speed Enablers

  1. [[Final Fortune]] ([[symbol:r]][[symbol:r]]):
    A staple extra-turn enabler, cast during your end step to avoid losing the game.

    • Pairs with [[Necropotence]] or [[Necrodominance]] to skip their drawback.

  2. [[Borne Upon a Wind]] ([[symbol:1]][[symbol:u]]):
    Allows you to cast spells at instant speed, bypassing turn-ending effects like [[Ranger-Captain of Eos]].

    • Key for resolving extra-turn spells or combo pieces after drawing cards.

  3. [[Valley Floodcaller]] ([[symbol:2]][[symbol:u]]):
    Functions similarly to [[Borne Upon a Wind]], enabling instant-speed combos and extra-turns during your end step.

  4. Tutors ([[Demonic Consultation]], [[Tainted Pact]]):
    Instant-speed tutors are critical for finding enablers during your end step.

    • Example: Cast [[Tainted Pact]] to dig for [[Final Fortune]] after resolving [[Necropotence]].

    [[Bolas's Citadel]]

    • Play spells from the top of your library, sacrificing life as needed to dig into a win condition.

  5. [[Goblin Welder]] / [[Goblin Engineer]] with [[Bolas's Citadel]], [[Altar of the Wretched]], or [[Defense Grid]]

    • Recursion for powerful artifacts to re-establish combos or disruption.

Artifact Payoffs

[[Bolas's Citadel]]

  • Play spells from the top of your library, sacrificing life as needed to dig into a win condition.

[[Goblin Welder]] / [[Goblin Engineer]] with [[Bolas's Citadel]], [[Altar of the Wretched]], or [[Defense Grid]]

  • Recursion for powerful artifacts to re-establish combos or disruption.

Win Conditions

  1. [[Thassa’s Oracle]]: Win with an empty library.

  2. [[Brain Freeze]]: Mill opponents’ libraries under [[Underworld Breach]].

  3. [[Mnemonic Betrayal]]: Leverage opponents’ graveyards to win.

  4. [[Praetor’s Grasp]]: Search an opponent’s library for a win condition. Recur with [[Underworld Breach]] to search multiple times.

Conclusion

Dargo Silas exemplifies explosive combo potential, balancing raw power from [[Dargo, the Shipwrecker]]'s unique cost reduction mechanics with the recursion capabilities of [[Silas Renn, Seeker Adept]]. While it lacks some of the free interaction of Rograkh Silas, the big mana potential and expanded payoff suite make it a formidable and versatile cEDH deck.

Evan Pierce
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