Welcome to the Landfill!
The Gitrog Monster has been the only general released since the first release of the original Commander set back in 2011 that has truly inspired me. Every other commander was either too straight forward, required too many counters (calculating combat damage should not require an abacus), or was simply too broken/uninteractive/unfun for the meta at my table . When Shadows Over Innistrad released, I wanted to make an EDH deck with The Gitrog Monster immediately but I knew cost would be the prohibitive factor. Well My emotions finally got the better of my judgement. Here's v1.0 of this deck. It is by far the most I have spent on any EDH deck. I hope it is as much fun to Pilot as I think it will be.
I have started a pseudo Primer for this deck. It is partly meant as a guide for me to learn to pilot it and partly a means to inspire others.
Comments, suggestions and +1s are always welcome!
Win Conditions (Combo):
The Gitrog Monster + Dakmor Salvage Along with any discard outlet cycles through your library, drawing the occasional card along the way. This should allow the pilot to continue to cycle and recycle their deck until they draw into what is needed.
Recycling/Reshuffling the graveyard is made possible by the inclusion of Kozilek, Butcher of Truth and Ulamog, the Infinite Gyre. It is ideal, but not necessary to have one of these baddies in your hand with a discard outlet in play. Some decks only run one of the Eldrazi but I prefer two for two reasons. 1) It is fun to just play them on the field if the pilot wants a more casual game with the table. 2) When either hits your graveyard, someone may respond with a graveyard exile (whether targeted or mass). A second Eldrazi allows the pilot to continue the loop of discard until the second is reached and thus creating another stack of shuffling for your graveyard to protect it.
Ideally:
The Gitrog Monster + Dakmor Salvage + Skirge Familiar creates an infinite loop of Mana in the pool. Continue to cycle and recycle until the pilot fetches from the graveyard, tutors, or draws Exsanguinate
Another viable strategy is to use Noose Constrictor, Wild Mongrel, or Oblivion Crown in conjunction with Dakmor Salvage+The Gitrog Monster to create a repeatable loop and thus pumping your discard outlet to lethal numbers. The pilot then has the choice to swing at a player with it or utilize Jarad, Golgari Lich Lord's sacrifice ability to clear the table. Note that Jarad, Golgari Lich Lord is also usable from the graveyard if Necrotic Ooze is on the field. Conversely, If Jarad, Golgari Lich Lord is on the field, Necrotic Ooze can stand in for Noose Constrictor/Wild Mongrel.
The Gitrog Monster + Dakmor Salvage + Psychosis Crawler along with any discard outlet such as Noose Constrictor, Wild Mongrel,
Putrid Imp
, or Oblivion Crown allows the pilot to cycle infinitely. When Dakmor Salvages Dredge ability dumps a land into the graveyard, the pilot draws and all opponents take a point of damage. Repeat until you win.
Win Conditions (Battlefield):
If the pilot is wanting to play more casual or if any of the combo chains are disrupted, the battlefield is also a viable strategy.
The Gitrog Monster: First off, lets not forget that our commander is still a 6/6 with deathtouch. This potentially allows him to finish an opponent with General Damage. Use a tutor to acquire Whispersilk Cloak if necessary.
Rampaging Baloths Make use of increased landfall.
Kozilek, Butcher of Truth and Ulamog, the Infinite Gyre: Although previously mentioned their primary use is for graveyard recycling, playing a casual game allows for the pilot to place them on the field and let their inner Timmy loose!
Dark Depths+Thespian's Stage = Maniacal Laughter!
Control (Mass):
Black Sun's Zenith The Sticky counters can make things problematic for our general as well as Noose Constrictor/Wild Mongrel but the upside is that it gets shuffled after use to be used again if necessary.
Damnation Cheap, effective, regeneration-proof removal.
Maelstrom Pulse Anti Token (mass) strategy.
Toxic Deluge A second cheap, effective, regeneration-proof source of mass removal. Life is a resource.
Control (Targeted):
Maelstrom Pulse wears many hats.
Praetor's Grasp can be used for ramp or removal of win conditions from an opponents library.
Beast Within instant speed permanent destruction.
Darkblast can stop some pesky utility creatures and mana dorks. With The Gitrog Monster in play and a land dump into the graveyard, the pilot has the option to dredge this back up and reuse multiple times a turn.
Geth's Verdict Instant speed anti-voltron. This can also double as a backup win condition if Exsanguinate is exiled from a
Dissipate
-style effect and Riftsweeper is also unavailable.
Krosan Grip When instant speed isnt instant enough. I am play testing this but also worth consideration is Sudden Death and Sudden Spoiling.
Putrefy is versatile, instant speed and gets around regeneration.
Tutors:
Fauna Shaman has three wonderful uses: 1) Pitches Kozilek, Butcher of Truth/Ulamog, the Infinite Gyre as a fast effect response to a graveyard exile, 2) tutors the creature you need for the situation, and 3) dumps those oh-so-lovely Dredgers into the graveyard.
Entomb can be used for Dredge creatures, Life from the Loam, a response to a graveyard flush by fetching an eldrazi, or as a combo enabler by fetching Dakmor Salvage thus instantly putting it into your hand. It can also enable interactions if Necrotic Ooze is on the field. For fun jank, it can also fetch Dark Depths or Thespian's Stage if the other is on the field along with Petrified Field.
Insidious Dreams use before moving a land into your graveyard at your upkeep with The Gitrog Monster or via another ability to maximize its effect and move 1+ of the tutored cards into your hand. Removed with Update v1
Realms Uncharted is one of the best cards in the deck but is tricky to use. From my limited experience the optimal package is as follows:Dakmor Salvage + Dark Depths + Petrified Field + Thespian's Stage
I plan to update this as a guide to myself to help enhance my use of this card
Vampiric Tutor Obviously great tutor is obviously great. Utilize the stack to fetch something before The Gitrog Monsters triggered draw ability resolves.
Worldly Tutor will most often fetch Skirge Familiar, a previously mentioned discard outlet, an Eldrazi for its shuffling ability, and occasionally Riftsweeper to reset a combo chain.
Demonic Tutor is the gold-standard of tutors. Anything from your library; straight to your hand for .
Green Sun's Zenith
has the drawback of finding only green creatures but also doubles beautifully as a ramp card. Quality targets include:
Sylvan Scrying and Crop Rotation are both able to tutor any land. Often, Dakmor Salvage is going to be the go-to-option but depending on the need, the following also work well:
Ramp:
Protection:
Recursion:
- Volrath's Stronghold is mainly used to fetch a creature milled/dredged into your graveyard. Utilize clever timing with your generals triggered ability to quickly shift it into your hand.
- Eternal Witness is always a welcome addition to the party.
- Skullwinder is the new EW with the added benefit of Deathtouch coupled with the potential drawback of allowing your opponent to recurse as well. I think this lovable little guy is worth it, others may not.
- Riftsweeper This all-star will help you reset from an otherwise disastrous exile of the Eldrazi, Exsanguinate, Skirge Familiar, or Dakmor Salvage.
- Noxious Revival is deeply loved by me because of is CMC of . This allows of its use even when tapped out at Instant speed so it can be used in response to your opponents.
More to comeProbably
I will continue to update this as I learn to pilot this deck or tweak it as necessary.
Thanks for reading, if you made it all the way to the bottom, heres a high five!
Feel free to add suggestions! As always, +1s are always welcome and appreciated.
