The deck revolves around repeatedly killing and reanimating Kokusho, the Evening Star to drain each opponent of 5 life per death trigger while gaining that life back, using sacrifice outlets like altars and towers to control when Kokusho dies. A dense package of cheap graveyard recursion spells and enchantments keep Kokusho looping through the graveyard, while Gray Merchant of Asphodel provides a secondary drain payoff that scales with the deck's heavy black devotion. The deck wins by accumulating enough death triggers to reduce all opponents to zero, accelerated by life-payment draw engines and mana doublers like Crypt Ghast that keep the engine fueled and consistent.

Kokusho, the Evening Star decklist

• Liliana, Waker of the Dead
• Unholy Indenture
• The Eldest Reborn
• Wayfarer's Bauble
• Crypt Ghast
• Ashnod's Altar
• Apprentice Necromancer
• Undying Evil
• Kaya's Ghostform
• Mortuary Mire
• Footsteps of the Goryo
• Phyrexian Tower
• Minion's Return
• Doomed Necromancer
• Liliana of the Dark Realms
• Morbid Curiosity
• Gray Merchant of Asphodel
• Rescue from the Underworld
• Mutilate
• Hagra Mauling
• Viscera Seer
• Snow-Covered Swamp
• Village Rites
• Greed
• Feign Death
• Fake Your Own Death
• Myriad Landscape
• Shadowheart, Dark Justiciar
• Nim Deathmantle
• Braids, Arisen Nightmare
• Beacon of Unrest
• Phyrexian Delver
• Nasty End
• Jet Medallion
• Everflowing Chalice
• Corrupted Conviction
• Urza's Cave
• Fell the Profane
• Lazotep Quarry
• Decree of Pain
• Plaguecrafter
• Hell's Caretaker
• Strands of Night
• Bojuka Bog
• Enduring Tenacity
• Zombify
• Midnight Reaper
• Vampiric Rites
• Exsanguinate
• Undying Malice
• Sidisi, Regent of the Mire
• Morbid Opportunist
• Disciple of Bolas
• Necromantic Selection
• Saw in Half
• The Darkness Crystal
• Pitiless Plunderer
• Reanimate
• Crux of Fate
• Arcane Signet
• Sol Ring
• High Market
• Deadly Dispute
• Midgar, City of Mako
• The Masamune
• Susur Secundi, Void Altar
• Junji, the Midnight Sky
• Chimil, the Inner Sun
• Vampiric Tutor
• Solemn Simulacrum
• 18× Swamp
• Cabal Coffers
• Witch's Cottage
• Castle Locthwain
• Infernal Grasp
• Fatal Push
• Hideous Laughter
• Ophiomancer
• Priest of Forgotten Gods
• 2× Vito, Thorn of the Dusk Rose
• Marauding Blight-Priest