5 Gamewinning Combos For the Orzhov Secrets of Strixhaven Precon

Last updated on March 13, 2026

Killian, Decisive Mentor | Illustration by Billy Christian

Secrets of Strixhaven is nearly upon us and it’s time to consider how we might upgrade the Commander decks, whose face commanders were revealed earlier this year:

I wrote about Simic () combos for Zimone, Infinite Analyst earlier this week; now, I’m turning my attention to Killian, Decisive Mentor for enchantment-based Orzhov () combos to improve your precon or inspire a build.

Abdel Adrian, Gorion’s Ward + Animate Dead

This combo is dead simple: You need Abdel in the graveyard and Animate Dead in your hand. Reanimate Abdel with AD; when it enters, exile AD along with any other permanents you want.

Once Animate Dead is removed, it sacrifices Abdel, so it dies and returns the exiled permanents to play—including Animate Dead, which reanimates Abdel. Baseline, this in infinite Soldier tokens plus death/enters/leaves the graveyard triggers and infinite enters abilities of other permanents you control. Animate Dead can be substituted with Necromancy or Dance of the Dead

This combo is very cheap since only Animate Dead needs to be cast; as such, this is a pretty strong combo that pushes the deck towards Bracket 4 and above. It’s even a fringe cEDH combo.

Solemnity + Phyrexian Unlife

If you prefer not losing to winning, try Solemnity with Phyrexian Unlife. If you would follow below 0 life, Unlife gives you poison counters for an effective extra ten life, but Solemnity prevents anyone from getting counters, so you just…don’t die. Nine Lives works instead of Unlife.

This combo is held back by how little it interacts with the rest of the theoretical deck, but the right build could use Solemnity as a central piece. It works with Delaying Shield and Glacial Chasm to create more locks and enables winning sacrifice loops by letting you sacrifice creatures with undying and persist over and over. While this two-card combo won’t win and doesn’t create a hard lock, it might not be to every table’s tastes.

Opalescence + Out of Time

Opalescence and Out of Time combine to create another powerful effect, though this one’s just a powerful board wipe.

If you control Opalescence when you cast Out of Time and resolve its enters ability, OoT gets phased out with all other creatures. Because OoT gets phased out, which doesn’t count as leaving the battlefield, it effectively no longer exists; thus it can’t leave play and all creatures on the battlefield remain phased out until the game ends.

This combo is particularly brutal because it’s one of the few ways in Commander to 100% remove a commander; they never leave the battlefield, so they can’t get returned to the command zone. This might be too salt-inducing for lower Brackets.

Screams from Within + Knight of Doves

If you control Knight of Doves and a Dove token (or any x/1), you can enchant it with Screams from Within. That kills the token, triggering both the Knight and Screams; stack the triggers so you create the token, then return the aura to play. Again, enchant the token.

This combo works best in Killian decks focused on constellation/eerie or death triggers since it doesn’t actually win; it just loops the aura over and over. Still, it can goad all opposing creatures. Screams from Within also works extremely well with Killian; you can goad a creature with it and, if your opponent trades off in combat, put it back into play for another trigger.

Ondu Spiritdancer + Secret Arcade // Dusty Parlor

Ondu Spiritdancer and Secret Arcade//Dusty Parlor only requires Secret Arcade to be unlocked. If you control that and cast Ondu Spiritdancer, it sees itself as an enchantment, and creates a token copy, which sees itself, etc, etc.

Of all the combos, this one feels best-suited to the average Killian deck. While it’s only two pieces, these are very expensive pieces and infinite Ondu Spiritdancer copies don’t win on the spot, so your opponents have ample time and means to interact. These two cards also have generalist applications in the deck; Spiritdancer is obviously amazing in enchantress and both rooms are useful. Secret Arcade lets every nonland permanent you cast trigger Killian and Dusty Parlor goes well with the goad–aggro gameplan.

While not all of these are infinite combos, they’re sure to increase the versatility of your Killian deck with a clear path to victory while your opponents are busy punching each other at your behest.