Art: Igor Kieryluk · ™ & © Wizards of the Coast

Varina, Lich Queen

WUB

Legendary Creature — Zombie Wizard · from $4.11

Whenever you attack with one or more Zombies, draw that many cards, then discard that many cards. You gain that much life. {2}, Exile two cards from your graveyard: Create a tapped 2/2 black Zombie creature token.

Build with this commander Start with a starter shell Card details, printings & prices

A typical Commander deck

A starting template, not a rule — counts to fill in around the commander.

Lands3736–38 for most decks; fewer with cheap curves
Ramp10mana rocks, dorks, land ramp — mostly 2–3 mana
Card draw10repeatable engines beat one-shot cantrips
Targeted removal6answers for creatures AND artifacts/enchantments
Board wipes3sweepers reset boards you've lost
Synergy & win conditions33the deck's actual plan

Staples in these colors

The 100 cards that fit this color identity in the most EDHREC decklists (EDHREC rank via Scryfall).

Budget

56 of 100 at $5 or less · 39 at $1 or less

#	Card	Type	MV	Price
1	Sol Ring	Artifact	1	$1.07
2	Command Tower	Land	0	$0.26
3	Arcane Signet	Artifact	2	$0.34
4	Exotic Orchard	Land	0	$0.19
5	Reliquary Tower	Land	0	$4.28
6	Swords to Plowshares	Instant	1	$0.98
7	Swiftfoot Boots	Artifact	2	$1.43
8	Lightning Greaves	Artifact	2	$3.86
9	Path of Ancestry	Land	0	$0.16
10	Path to Exile	Instant	1	$0.71
11	Counterspell	Instant	2	$1.33
12	Fellwar Stone	Artifact	2	$0.47
13	Rogue's Passage	Land	0	$0.31
14	Evolving Wilds	Land	0	$0.09
15	Thought Vessel	Artifact	2	$2.23
16	Bojuka Bog	Land	0	$1.12
17	Terramorphic Expanse	Land	0	$0.10
18	Myriad Landscape	Land	0	$0.25
19	Mind Stone	Artifact	2	$0.21
20	Dark Ritual	Instant	1	$0.44
21	An Offer You Can't Refuse	Instant	1	$3.01
22	Polluted Delta	Land	0	$19.85
23	Flooded Strand	Land	0	$12.78
24	Skullclamp	Artifact	1	$4.85
25	Solemn Simulacrum	Creature	4	$0.27
26	Misty Rainforest	Land	0	$35.98
27	Bloodstained Mire	Land	0	$14.54
28	Fabled Passage	Land	0	$0.65
29	Windswept Heath	Land	0	$11.19
30	Rhystic Study	Enchantment	3	$61.06
31	Wooded Foothills	Land	0	$17.96
32	Verdant Catacombs	Land	0	$29.16
33	Scalding Tarn	Land	0	$36.86
34	Watery Grave	Land	0	$9.86
35	Marsh Flats	Land	0	$32.04
36	Arcane Denial	Instant	2	$1.88
37	Commander's Sphere	Artifact	3	$0.19
38	Reanimate	Sorcery	1	$6.56
39	Negate	Instant	2	$0.12
40	Arid Mesa	Land	0	$31.40
41	Cyclonic Rift	Instant	2	$29.75
42	Godless Shrine	Land	0	$8.47
43	Hallowed Fountain	Land	0	$6.97
44	Generous Gift	Instant	3	$0.93
45	Demonic Tutor	Sorcery	2	$62.80
46	Smothering Tithe	Enchantment	4	$56.09
47	Toxic Deluge	Sorcery	3	$5.04
48	Swan Song	Instant	1	$10.72
49	Ancient Tomb	Land	0	$56.94
50	Brainstorm	Instant	1	$0.56
51	Urborg, Tomb of Yawgmoth	Land	0	$56.13
52	Yavimaya, Cradle of Growth	Land	0	$16.76
53	Esper Sentinel	Creature	1	$58.03
54	Fierce Guardianship	Instant	3	$59.21
55	Temple of the False God	Land	0	$0.19
56	Chromatic Lantern	Artifact	3	$0.38
57	Sunken Hollow	Land	0	$0.29
58	Otawara, Soaring City	Land	0	$26.57
59	Glacial Fortress	Land	0	$0.21
60	Isolated Chapel	Land	0	$0.21
61	Feed the Swarm	Sorcery	2	$0.19
62	Talisman of Dominance	Artifact	2	$0.49
63	City of Brass	Land	0	$9.17
64	The One Ring	Artifact	4	$109.88
65	Frantic Search	Instant	3	$0.82
66	Mystic Remora	Enchantment	1	$10.97
67	Prairie Stream	Land	0	$0.19
68	Phyrexian Arena	Enchantment	3	$1.92
69	Drowned Catacomb	Land	0	$0.50
70	Deadly Rollick	Instant	4	$26.52
71	Teferi's Protection	Instant	3	$34.90
72	Cavern of Souls	Land	0	$47.72
73	Propaganda	Enchantment	3	$1.84
74	Vampiric Tutor	Instant	1	$48.13
75	Mana Confluence	Land	0	$34.75
76	Urza's Saga	Enchantment	0	$34.67
77	Mana Drain	Instant	2	$50.65
78	Lotus Petal	Artifact	0	$35.11
79	Enlightened Tutor	Instant	1	$21.99
80	Caves of Koilos	Land	0	$0.30
81	Wayfarer's Bauble	Artifact	1	$0.31
82	Black Market Connections	Enchantment	3	$10.78
83	Victimize	Sorcery	3	$0.57
84	Deadly Dispute	Instant	2	$0.29
85	Roaming Throne	Creature	4	$47.06
86	Ashnod's Altar	Artifact	3	$8.15
87	Talisman of Hierarchy	Artifact	2	$0.45
88	Talisman of Progress	Artifact	2	$0.25
89	War Room	Land	0	$0.79
90	Blood Artist	Creature	2	$2.78
91	Underground River	Land	0	$0.51
92	Adarkar Wastes	Land	0	$0.34
93	Ponder	Sorcery	1	$1.82
94	Morphic Pool	Land	0	$28.50
95	Herald's Horn	Artifact	3	$2.88
96	Mana Vault	Artifact	1	$91.59
97	Anguished Unmaking	Instant	3	$1.58
98	Pongify	Instant	1	$2.21
99	Chrome Mox	Artifact	0	$51.19
100	Dimir Signet	Artifact	2	$0.27

Curve of these staples

Combos with Varina, Lich Queen

2 combos using this commander that fit its color identity, from Commander Spellbook.

Altar of Dementia + Anointed Procession + Ashnod's Altar + Varina, Lich Queen
Infinite self-mill · Near-infinite death triggers · Near-infinite creature ETB · Near-infinite creature LTB · Near-infinite creature sacrifice triggers
How it works on Commander Spellbook
Build around this combo
Altar of Dementia + Ashnod's Altar + Mondrak, Glory Dominus + Varina, Lich Queen
Infinite self-mill · Near-infinite death triggers · Near-infinite creature ETB · Near-infinite creature LTB · Near-infinite creature sacrifice triggers
How it works on Commander Spellbook
Build around this combo

Top finishes

2 finishes placing top 16 at 16+ player events with this commander. Results from Topdeck.gg.

16th of 21 — Free Mulligans - Casual EDH League (Season 3, Tappa 1) on Topdeck.ggOct 1, 2026 · 0–1–1 · by Davide Gemma
4th of 20 — Free Mulligans - Casual EDH League (Season 3, Tappa 0) on Topdeck.ggSep 17, 2026 · 1–0–1 · by Davide Gemma

All 2 finishes →

Card data and images courtesy of Scryfall; popularity ranking from EDHREC decklist data included in Scryfall bulk. Combo data courtesy of Commander Spellbook. Tournament results courtesy of Topdeck.gg. Deckwarden is unofficial Fan Content and is not endorsed by Wizards of the Coast.

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