Hulking Mardu - A Primer

Standard Combo Midrange Primer RBW (Mardu) Reanimator

Alko897

Land (23)

• 3x Canyon Slough
• 3x Concealed Courtyard
• 2x Evolving Wilds
• 2x Geier Reach Sanitarium
• 3x Inspiring Vantage
• 2x Mountain
• 2x Needle Spires
• 2x Plains
• 2x Shambling Vent
• 2x Swamp

Sorcery (12)

• 3x Cathartic Reunion
• 1x Cut / Ribbons
• 2x Ever After
• 4x Refurbish
• 2x Tormenting Voice

Instant (8)

• 1x Anguished Unmaking
• 3x Lightning Axe
• 2x Start / Finish
• 2x Unlicensed Disintegration

Creature (12)

• 3x Cataclysmic Gearhulk
• 4x Combustible Gearhulk
• 4x Noxious Gearhulk
• 1x Ulamog, the Ceaseless Hunger

Planeswalker (5)

• 2x Liliana, Death's Majesty
• 3x Nahiri, the Harbinger

---

Sideboard

Sorcery (6)

• 2x Collective Brutality
• 1x Lay Bare the Heart
• 1x Nahiri's Wrath
• 2x Radiant Flames

Enchantment (4)

• 2x Cast Out
• 2x Gideon's Intervention

Planeswalker (2)

• 2x Sorin, Grim Nemesis

Creature (2)

• 2x Filigree Familiar

Instant (1)

• 1x Anguished Unmaking

---

Ever since this deck archetype came to standard, I've been in love with it. The core of the deck has everything you need in a midrange combo/control deck: mass removal (Cataclysmic Gearhulk), spot removal (Noxious Gearhulk), and card draw (Combustible Gearhulk). Because the core of the deck has such solid pieces already, you are given quite a bit of leeway in deck building. Allowing you to run a whole bunch of cool cards and fun pieces.

---

Creatures Show

• Combustible Gearhulk x4: A HUGE player in the deck. Not only does it draw cards, but has a fat body and can randomly kill an opponent. Instant 4 of.

• Noxious Gearhulk x4: My personal favorite of all the gearhulks. Good at stabilizing and removing blockers/threats. Gotta run 4.

• Cataclysmic Gearhulk x3: Overall a fun card to run and synergizes super well with ever after targeting two hulks. Running only 3 of him so we have room for our final fatty.

• Ulamog, the Ceaseless Hunger x1: The big, bad Eldrazi Titan himself. He's here to have a great finisher to fetch off of Nahiri's ultimate. Can also be reanimated by Liliana and Ever After for additional value. Only 1 since he is an alternate finisher.

---

Spells Show

Removal Suite:

• Unlicensed Disintegration x2: Best removal spell for any deck playing RB and artifacts. Two seems to work well.

• Cut / Ribbons x1: As a one of, it can kill some small things. Or it can be discarded or milled for extra Aftermath value from Ribbons. One seems good here.

• Anguished Unmaking x1: A great removal spell overall. Life loss isn't that painful with Noxious Gearhulk. One main and one side gives the deck good resiliency.

• Lightning Axe x3: Highly synergistic removal spell for the deck. Pitching a gearhulk off of this is extremely satisfying. Only 3 so we don't destroy our own hand in the process.

The Toolbox:

• Start / Finish x2: Good card. One of my favorite aftermaths from Amonkhet. Running two for instant speed blockers or pressuring an opponent. Kinda the Lingering Souls of standard, I use that loosely.

• Nahiri, the Harbinger x3: A great planeswalker for the deck. Card advantage, removal, and finisher all in one. Running 3 for more flexibility in deck building.

• Liliana, Death's Majesty x2: One of the coolest cards to run in the deck. Can get hulks in and out of the graveyard. 2 seems fine before rotation, may run more after.

• Ever After x2 & Refurbish x4: The namesakes of the deck. Reanimate one or more of the hulks for huge value at a major discount.

• Cathartic Reunion x3 & Tormenting Voice x2: Just keep digging. Just keep digging.
  Fills the 'yard and gives card advantage. Having both gives you the ability to not ruin a good hand.

---

The Sideboard Show

• Anguished Unmaking x1: Comes in against grindy matchups filled with planeswalkers and stuff that dodges other removal.

• Cast Out x2: Great catchall removal. Meant to replace un-needed creature removal in control/grindy matchups.

• Gideon's Intervention x2: Good card against combo with one finisher, along with control matchups with limited finishers.

• Sorin, Grim Nemesis x2: Great walker for control match ups. Adds an additional finisher, removal, card advantage, and pressures the opponent.

• Filigree Familiar x2: Good against creature heavy decks. Can chump, gain us a bit of life and draw a card.

• Collective Brutality x2 & Lay Bare the Heart x1: Good hand disruption, along with Brutality synergizing with the gearhulks.

• Nahiri's Wrath x1: Great against planeswalkers, and creatures. Combos super well eith the hulks.

• Radiant Flames x2: Meant for mass removal against go wide, low to the ground decks. Gives more stabilization chance and picks up where Cataclysmic Gearhulk can't.

---

The Matchups Show

• U-x Control: an allstar of the matchup would be Gideon's intervention to lock out Torrential Gearhulks and other wincons. Hand disruption package is a must. Sorin can also come in if they are playing a slower version.

• Non-U control: Hand disruption package is a must. Cast Out and 2nd Anguished Unmaking would be needed against their planeswalkers; possibly also Nahiri's Wrath. Intervention can be good here if they have limited win conditions. Filigree Familir would be good if they focus on creatures.

• Aggro: Cataclysmic Gearhulk, and Radiant Flames are allstars here. Filigree Familiar helps in midrange versions.

• Combo: Gideon's intervention is an allstar here. If it is a combo deck such as cheerios or Metalwork Colossus, Cataclysmic Gearhulk is a wonderful hoser.

---

My sideboard options are based around my meta. There is a lot of leeway in options here. In metas with more creature-heavy decks, you can run fumigate to help stabilize.

Control heavy can run more low to thee ground threats in the sideboard to trick an opponent to thinking they'll have a grindy matchup game 2.

Combo heavy, run some more hateful cards such as a third Intervention.

If you enjoy this deck, don't be afraid to give it a +1! If you have any suggestions, let me know. This may not be a Tier 1 deck, but it can definitely compete.

Waiting on more playtesting before Hour of Devastation cards are added.

Date added	7 years
Last updated	7 years
Exclude colors	UG
Splash colors	WBR
Legality	This deck is not Standard legal.
Rarity (main - side)	18 - 4 Mythic Rares 18 - 6 Rares 11 - 3 Uncommons 7 - 2 Commons
Cards	60
Avg. CMC	4.35
Tokens	Vampire Knight 1/1 B, Warrior 1/1 W w/ Vigilance, Zombie 2/2 B