The latest Magic: The Gathering expansion, Secrets of Strixhaven, brings some exciting developments, particularly for those favoring the Golgari (green/black) color identity. If you are already piloting the Witherbloom Pestilence precon deck, you’re in luck; there are some stellar new additions to consider, and the Stensian Sanguinist serves as the cornerstone for a devastating new combo.
This 2/2 Vampire Cleric possesses the ability to grant Deathtouch to another creature. Should that creature successfully connect with an opponent—a likely scenario given most players are loath to sacrifice their own blockers—the Stensian Sanguinist becomes “prepared,” a signature mechanic introduced in Secrets of Strixhaven.
Once the Sanguinist is prepared, you gain the ability to cast Exsanguinate to drain your rivals’ life totals while bolstering your own. While that’s effective on its own, pairing it with the Yavimaya Bloomsage from the same set unlocks truly explosive potential.
The Yavimaya Bloomsage is a 2/2 Dryad Druid that can buff creatures with +1/+1 counters. Upon reaching a power of seven or greater, it also becomes “prepared.” This enables the casting of Channel, a legendary sorcery from Magic’s history, allowing you to convert your life total into massive amounts of mana. Executing this requires a healthy life total, both creatures being prepared, two green mana for Channel, and two black mana for Exsanguinate.
With both spells ready, you can cast Channel to begin converting life into colorless mana—just be mindful not to deplete your health pool too drastically. Once you’ve generated a massive mana surplus, you can cast Exsanguinate to drain your opponents’ life totals entirely, effectively ending the game or placing you in an insurmountable lead. It’s a modern, Golgari-flavored homage to the classic “Channel-Fireball” combo that has haunted the game for decades.
Even if you don’t secure the win immediately, the flexibility to re-prepare these creatures keeps the pressure on in subsequent turns. It might not be the most subtle strategy, but it offers a delightfully unexpected win condition for Golgari enthusiasts. After all, if Channel has been breaking the game since Magic‘s early days, there’s no reason not to leverage that legacy for yourself.
For more insights into the jam-packed 2026 Magic release schedule, check out our deep dive into the upcoming Reality Fracture Commander precons and another volatile combo featuring a powerhouse dragon.
Source: Polygon
