Werewolves

Commander / EDH*

Zevia

Creature (35)

• 1x Afflicted Deserter  ^Flip
• 1x Assembled Alphas
• 1x Breakneck Rider  ^Flip
• 1x Conduit of Storms  ^Flip
• 1x Daybreak Ranger  ^Flip
• 1x Duskwatch Recruiter  ^Flip
• 1x Forgotten Ancient
• 1x Geier Reach Bandit  ^Flip
• 1x Heartwood Storyteller
• 1x Hermit of the Natterknolls  ^Flip
• 1x Hinterland Hermit  ^Flip
• 1x Huntmaster of the Fells  ^Flip
• 1x Immerwolf
• 1x Instigator Gang  ^Flip
• 1x Keldon Firebombers
• 1x Kruin Outlaw  ^Flip
• 1x Managorger Hydra
• 1x Master of the Wild Hunt
• 1x Mayor of Avabruck  ^Flip
• 1x Mondronen Shaman  ^Flip
• 1x Primordial Sage
• 1x Pyreheart Wolf
• 1x Sage of Ancient Lore  ^Flip
• 1x Scab-Clan Berserker
• 1x Scorned Villager  ^Flip
• 1x Smoldering Werewolf  ^Flip
• 1x Somberwald Alpha
• 1x Tajuru Preserver
• 1x Tangleclaw Werewolf  ^Flip
• 1x Taurean Mauler
• 1x Ulrich of the Krallenhorde  ^Flip
• 1x Viashino Heretic
• 1x Vildin-Pack Outcast  ^Flip
• 1x Village Messenger  ^Flip
• 1x Wolfir Silverheart

Land (37)

• 1x Command Tower
• 15x Forest
• 1x Fungal Reaches
• 1x Gruul Guildgate
• 1x Gruul Turf
• 1x Kazandu Refuge
• 1x Kessig Wolf Run
• 12x Mountain
• 1x Rootbound Crag
• 1x Rugged Highlands
• 1x Rushwood Grove
• 1x Temple of Abandon

Artifact (8)

• 1x Bow of Nylea
• 1x Commander's Sphere
• 1x Gruul Signet
• 1x Mage Slayer
• 1x Neglected Heirloom  ^Flip
• 1x Storm Cauldron
• 1x Talisman of Impulse
• 1x Winter Orb

Planeswalker (3)

• 1x Arlinn Kord  ^Flip
• 1x Domri Rade
• 1x Xenagos, the Reveler

Instant (3)

• 1x Moonlight Hunt
• 1x Moonmist
• 1x Waxing Moon

Commander (1)

Enchantment (12)

• 1x Asceticism
• 1x Druids' Repository
• 1x Full Moon's Rise
• 1x Gratuitous Violence
• 1x Gruul War Chant
• 1x Howlpack Resurgence
• 1x Lurking Predators
• 1x Manabarbs
• 1x Price of Glory
• 1x Rage Reflection
• 1x Spellshock
• 1x Tranquil Grove

Sorcery (1)

• 1x Ruination

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Werewolf tribal has one major problem: getting werewolves means people not casting spells. Unfortunately, preventing the casting of spells isn't really something Gruul does very well. Red has access to MLD, but that tends to get you thrown out of any circles where the casual playing power of werewolves is really going to fit in and not just durdle.

After many iterations of this deck, I'm trying a mix of a couple strategies that I've used. Forget the anthem effects - you're just never going to have a lot of wolves and werewolves on the field without trying to go wide with tokens. Even if you do, odds are good that they're going to be boardwiped - and Gruul does not have the card draw or reanimation to sustain sitting through a lot of those.

Also, you're going to have to accept that a lot of wolves and werewolves just don't have a place in anything but the most casual of casual EDH decks - Tormented Pariah  , Villagers of Estwald  , Gatstaf Arsonists  : these are cards that aren't even worth the cost when they're flipped, not that they likely ever will be.

Instead, you'll have to pick the wolves and werewolves that, even if they're not the most amazing creatures, will still generally be worth their value. Lambholt Elder   is great when flipped, and can even solve some of those card draw issues, but odds are good that most of the time, she's going to be a 3-mana 1/2. No, you're likely to only flip a given werewolf once, if at all.

So you'll just have to set your board up to be ready for that flip. That means using things like Ruric Thar, the Unbowed, Winter Orb, and Storm Cauldron only when you could feasibly do some major damage with their benefits. If you have a Daybreak Ranger   out on turn three, then drop Winter Orb on turn 4, you're very likely to get a Nightfall Predator - but then you've angered the entire table and put a giant target on yourself. They'll quickly focus all their effort on clearing your board and destroying your artifact, then assume that with Ruric Thar sitting in the command zone, you're getting ready to lock the board down again in short order.

Just hang back. Play Managorger Hydra, Forgotten Ancient, Spellshock, Lurking Predators, Price of Glory, or things of that nature if you want - they'll still encourage less casting, but won't draw the ire of the entire board. They're threatening, but odds are good something else will be significantly moreso.

Deciding when to drop Ruric Thar needs to be a smart decision, don't just drop him because you can. You'll paint a big target on yourself and someone will absolutely take the 6 damage to get rid of him. Get out your Gruul War Chant, Mage Slayer, Rage Reflection, Bow of Nylea, and planeswalkers before you start handicapping yourself by taking the same damage everyone else will be. Once you've got some werewolves on the board and some effects to make them scary, then you can really hone in with your best anti-casting measures - Keldon Fire-Bombers, Winter Orb, Storm Cauldron, Manabarbs, Ruric Thar, the Unbowed.

You're really only going to get one major wave of attacks before everyone sees that you could potentially kill them in a turn or two, so if you jump the gun too early, your threats will be dealt with and you'll have no way to recover.

This is a casual deck, too - it doesn't respond well to things like Meren of Clan Nel Toth forcing you to sac your board or a Pariah's Shield attached to an indestructible creature. If you don't manage to draw into Gruul War Chant, Kessig Wolf Run, Kruin Outlaw  , Pyreheart Wolf, Howlpack Resurgence, or something to give evasion, you're going to lose to chump blocking. If you don't get Nightfall Predator, Domri Rade, Arlinn Kord  , Master of the Wild Hunt, Moonlight Hunt, or even Smoldering Werewolf  , you won't have the spot removal to get rid of dangerous things.

Date added	8 years
Last updated	6 years
Legality	This deck is Commander / EDH legal.
Rarity (main - side)	5 - 0 Mythic Rares 32 - 0 Rares 24 - 0 Uncommons 11 - 0 Commons
Cards	100
Avg. CMC	3.44
Tokens	Emblem Arlinn, Embraced by the Moon, Emblem Domri Rade, Human 2/2 G, Satyr 2/2 GR, Wolf 2/2 G