King Kong Combo [Primer]

Commander / EDH* Humans Infinite Combo Mono-Green

Casketbase77

Draw Power (13)

• 1x Birthing Ritual
• 1x Horn of the Mark
• 1x Werewolf Pack Leader
• 1x Augur of Autumn
• 1x Descendants' Path
• 1x Growing Rites of Itlimoc  ^Flip
• 1x Herald's Horn
• 1x Realmwalker
• 1x Tribute to the World Tree
• 1x Durnan of the Yawning Portal
• 1x Guardian Project
• 1x Laid to Rest
• 1x The Great Henge

Big Mana (6)

• 1x Whisperer of the Wilds
• 1x Heronblade Elite
• 1x Aluren
• 1x Karametra's Acolyte
• 1x Bighorner Rancher
• 1x Primal Surge

Lands (36)

• 1x Castle Garenbrig
• 31x Forest
• 1x Isolated Watchtower
• 1x Mosswort Bridge
• 1x Scavenger Grounds
• 1x Winding Canyons

Tutors (3)

• 1x Pyre of Heroes
• 1x Yisan, the Wanderer Bard
• 1x Magus of the Order

Ramp (12)

• 1x Diligent Farmhand
• 1x Sol Ring
• 1x Biophagus
• 1x Emerald Medallion
• 1x Intrepid Paleontologist
• 1x Intrepid Stablemaster
• 1x Liquimetal Torque
• 1x Scorned Villager  ^Flip
• 1x Wose Pathfinder
• 1x Rhonas's Monument
• 1x Shaman of Forgotten Ways
• 1x Somberwald Sage

ETB / Mana Sink Draw Power (7)

• 1x Rubblebelt Maverick
• 1x Duskwatch Recruiter  ^Flip
• 1x Ixalli's Diviner
• 1x Sharp-Eyed Rookie
• 1x Briarbridge Tracker
• 1x Foul Emissary
• 1x Varis, Silverymoon Ranger

Protection (4)

• 1x Sylvan Safekeeper
• 1x Whispersilk Cloak
• 1x Saryth, the Viper's Fang
• 1x Slippery Bogbonder

Untappers / Haste Enablers (4)

• 1x Lightning Greaves
• 1x Hyrax Tower Scout
• 1x Surrak and Goreclaw
• 1x Akroma's Memorial

Commander (1)

Removal (10)

• 1x Druid Lyrist
• 1x Flaxen Intruder
• 1x Scavenger Folk
• 1x Ulvenwald Tracker
• 1x Voyager Staff
• 1x Boxing Ring
• 1x Masked Vandal
• 1x Outland Liberator  ^Flip
• 1x Druid of Purification
• 1x Conjurer's Closet

Recursion (4)

• 1x Den Protector
• 1x Eternal Witness
• 1x Hua Tuo, Honored Physician
• 1x Timeless Witness

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Maybeboard

Lands (14)

• 1x Arcane Lighthouse
• 1x Bonders' Enclave
• 1x Boseiju, Who Endures
• 1x Cavern of Souls
• 1x Command Beacon
• 1x Ghost Quarter
• 1x Memorial to Unity
• 1x Nykthos, Shrine to Nyx
• 1x Pendelhaven
• 1x Strip Mine
• 1x War Room
• 1x Wasteland
• 1x Yavimaya Hollow
• 1x Yavimaya, Cradle of Growth

Draw (9)

• 1x Endless Atlas
• 1x Fa'adiyah Seer
• 1x Sylvan Library
• 1x Borderland Ranger
• 1x Icon of Ancestry
• 1x Vivien, Champion of the Wilds
• 1x Doomskar Warrior
• 1x Elven Chorus
• 1x Vivien, Monsters' Advocate

Haste Equipment (4)

• 1x Lavaspur Boots
• 1x Swiftfoot Boots
• 1x Chariot of Victory
• 1x Haunted Cloak

Ramp (13)

• 1x Font of Fertility
• 1x Magus of the Vineyard
• 1x Wayfarer's Bauble
• 1x Channeler Initiate
• 1x Drover of the Mighty
• 1x Harabaz Druid
• 1x Humble Naturalist
• 1x Magus of the Library
• 1x Reclusive Taxidermist
• 1x Rime Tender
• 1x Sylvok Explorer
• 1x Werebear
• 1x Avenging Druid

Meta-dependent Humans (9)

• 1x Civic Gardener
• 1x Destiny Spinner
• 1x Melira, Sylvok Outcast
• 1x Riveteers Decoy
• 1x Dosan the Falling Leaf
• 1x Femeref Archers
• 1x Ichneumon Druid
• 1x Trophy Hunter
• 1x Halana, Kessig Ranger

Recursion (2)

• 1x Sylvan Hierophant
• 1x Savvy Trader

Other combo cards (12)

• 1x Altar of the Brood
• 1x Concordant Crossroads
• 1x Hidden Herbalists
• 1x Elemental Bond
• 1x Lifecrafter's Bestiary
• 1x Selvala, Heart of the Wilds
• 1x Thousand-Year Elixir
• 1x Umbral Mantle
• 1x Beast Whisperer
• 1x Temur Sabertooth
• 1x Vanquisher's Banner
• 1x Zendikar Resurgent

Tutors (12)

• 1x Summoner's Pact
• 1x Green Sun's Zenith
• 1x Instrument of the Bards
• 1x Sylvan Tutor
• 1x Worldly Tutor
• 1x Bag of Tricks
• 1x Finale of Devastation
• 1x Chord of Calling
• 1x Eldritch Evolution
• 1x Birthing Pod
• 1x Defense of the Heart
• 1x Natural Order

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At 1,507th place in EDHRec's popularity rankings, Kogla, the Big Monke is an underplayed Commander. Trying to negate neglect towards the triumphant Titan Ape, this build competes at an above-average power level by swarming with Humans, removing threats with Kogla, and (per the deck's name) winning with an appropriately apish combo.

The Commander

Kogla, the Titan Ape does a little bit of everything. He destroys creatures both on cast and when paired with Conjurer's Closet or Ulvenwald Tracker.

His attack trigger destroys Enchantments and Artifacts, and can even destroy creatures when paired with Liquimetal Torque or Liquimetal Coating. While not a primary win con, Voltron kills can be done with Whispersilk Cloak or Surrak and Goreclaw.

Kogla's bounce effect protects both him and a chosen Human from destruction. Recasting the Human generally triggers a beneficial ETB like Eternal Witness or Guardian Project. Bouncing is also a key piece in this deck's game-winning combos, detailed in a later section.

Draw Power

This deck can "draw" by playing creatures from the top of the deck. Key cards include Augur of Autumn, Descendants' Path, Herald's Horn, Vizier of the Menagerie, and Realmwalker. You can also dig deeper than the top card with Duskwatch Recruiter   and Durnan of the Yawning Portal.

Guardian Project, Tribute to the World Tree, and The Great Henge each draw cards when you cast creatures (from the top of your deck or otherwise). Foul Emissary and Briarbridge Tracker have topdeck-related ETBs, and Kogla can bounce them for a recast.

Supplementing all of the above, Isolated Watchtower, Fa'adiyah Seer, Sylvan Library, and Vivien, Champion of the Wilds can adjust the top of your library.

Ramp

Departing from Green convention, this deck does not run Three Visits or Nature's Lore. Those cards aren't permanents, so they conflict with Primal Surge. Creatures trump lands in this deck anyway; since Kogla's protection effect needs Humans, the mentioned draw suite is tribal-oriented, and tutor cards like Pyre of Heroes and Birthing Ritual need spare Humans to sacrifice. To this end, the deck runs Humans for every utility, Ramp included. Special mention goes to Diligent Farmhand, who is an on-theme version of Wayfarer's Bauble.

The most glaring weakness of creature-based Ramp is that they're vulnerable to removal, but Kogla and Hua Tuo, Honored Physician mitigate that well enough.

Removal

Removal in the 99 comes mostly from Humans that sac themselves: Scavenger Folk, Druid Lyrist, Flaxen Intruder, and Outland Liberator  . They can then be recurred by Hua Tuo, Honored Physician, or exiled to fuel Masked Vandal. Between Kogla's attack triggers and ability to bounce vandal and Druid of Purification artifact and enchantments are no threat to this deck.

Green characteristically struggles with creature removal. Kogla covers this by either Fighting (via Ulvenwald Tracker and Conjurer's Closet) or directing his attack trigger at a creature turned into an artifact (via Liquimetal Coating and Liquimetal Torque.) If needed, Coating can also target Lands and Planeswalkers. Boxing Ring can also be used as green version of Attrition.

Tricks and synergies that aren't immediately apparent

Kogla can bounce your Humans after they've been declared as blockers. This allows you to stop damage without losing your creatures. On the offense, he bounce your Humans after they themselves have been blocked. This will save an attacking Werewolf Pack Leader, Civic Gardener, or Riveteers Decoy after they've gotten value from their attack trigger. The latters encourage Kogla to attack too, giving him pseudo-Vigilance and distracting a blocker, respectively.

You don't run instants, so Dosan the Falling Leaf and Destiny Spinner can be added to bring your opponents down to your level.

Magus of the Library's draw condition can be met if Kogla bounces enough creatures.

Flaxen Intruder can be deal-oriented: ask an opponent to let her attack go through so you can sac her to destroy a different opponent's artifact or enchantment.

Hua Tuo, Honored Physician can use his effect during your upkeep. He synergizes with effects that allow you to play creatures from the top of your deck. They effectively turn his effect into "Tap: Cast target creature from your graveyard."

Sylvan Hierophant is an anti boardwipe card, bouncing another Human that died alongside it. It also contributes to a value engine with the above mentioned Hua Tuo, and it can be used to search him via Pyre of Heroes, Birthing Ritual, and Birthing Pod.

Shaman of Forgotten Ways has a second effect that can drop the whole table into kill range. Attacks from Kogla (made unblockable by Riveteers Decoy or Whispersilk Cloak) can then start eliminating opponents. Grant him lifelink with Witch's Clinic to replenish your own life total.

Mono-Green value is well and good, but it's not what puts Kogla over the top. If swinging in and smashing the oppoent's stuff isn't working, Kogla (or Temur Sabertooth) can buddy up with your Humans for an infinite combo win. Details below:.

Combo Win Condition

You must control Kogla + Hyrax Tower Scout + a creature that taps for the same amount of mana needed to bounce and recast Tower Scout. Usually, this will be {3}{G}{G}, necessitating Karametra's Acolyte, Bighorner Rancher, or Heronblade Elite. However, if you have Aluren, you only need {1}{G} for Kogla's ability. This means Moonscarred Werewolf   or Whisperer of the Wilds can be used. Regardless, from here Hyrax Tower Scout can be continuously bounced and recast, each time uptapping the creature that generates mana. This gives you infinite ETBs, which trigger many draw cards for this deck (Elemental Bond, Tribute to the World Tree, Guardian Project, Beast Whisperer, Vanquisher's Banner, Zendikar Resurgent or The Great Henge), digging for the below win cons:

-- Rhonas's Monument to give your creatures trample and infinite stat boosts to swing out and kill all other players. Surrak and Goreclaw can grant them haste.

-- Altar of the Brood to mill all opponents out. (Currently relegated to the maybeboard, as it does nothing on its own. Only add in if your meta has a lot of Fog effects and/or Teferi's Protection.)

All the above necessary cards can be Tutored, most notably by Primal Surge.

Of course, the combo win can be reached in more flexible ways than the bare minimum outlined above.

Expanded lines of the Combo play

You can eliminate the need for Hyrax Tower Scout entirely if you have a Haste enabler. Lightning Greaves, Surrak and Goreclaw, or Akroma's Memorial will allow you to tap Karametra's Acolyte or Bighorner Rancher bounce it, replay it, and repeat.

Haste effects also allow infinite bounces and recasts with Whisperer of the Wilds + Aluren, or with Saryth, the Viper's Fang + either Heronblade Elite or Itlimoc, Cradle of the Sun  .

Note that any of the above loops with Heronblade or Karametra's Acolyte can go mana positive instead of neutral. Bighorner can too, if you reduce his cast cost with Rhonas's Monument, Herald's Horn, or Emerald Medallion. Regardless of how you get there, generating infinite mana opens these additional ways to dig through your deck for a win condition:

-- Lifecrafter's Bestiary draws with every creature bounced and recast.

-- Briarbridge Tracker generates infinite Clues.

-- Sharp-Eyed Rookie makes infinite Clues too. Just bounce and recast this card alongside another creature to keep resetting its +1/+1 counters.

-- Varis, Silverymoon Ranger (who can be bounced and recast to sidestep his once-per-turn clause) infinitely ventures though Lost Mine of Phandelver to draw your deck via "Temple of Dumathoin." He can also kill opponents outright with enough passes through "Dark Pool."

-- Ixalli's Diviner or Rubblebelt Maverick can be bounced and recast to put all your nonland cards in the grave via Explore or Surveil, respectively. From here, eternalize Timeless Witness to get back either Eternal Witness or Den Protector. Bounce and recast Witness / Protector to get your grave back in your hand, then play your win condition cards.

-- Foul Emissary and Duskwatch Recruiter   can only dig for creatures, but in doing so they can get Ixalli or Rubblebelt to access the rest of your deck via the Eternal Witness line detailed above.

There you have it. Mono Green Human Tribal with a touch of Storm.

Looking to the future, Green is currently the color with the fewest Humans. However, every new product adds more of them. Be on the lookout for potential additions like more Human-based ramp, more impactful ETBs, better card draw, and more efficient combo pieces than the ones in the current build. Primal Surge can also be dropped if you want to play helpful nonpermanents like For the Ancestors or Kindred Summons.

Date added	2 years
Last updated	2 months
Legality	This deck is Commander / EDH legal.
Rarity (main - side)	5 - 0 Mythic Rares 38 - 0 Rares 15 - 0 Uncommons 11 - 0 Commons
Cards	100
Avg. CMC	2.98
Tokens	Bear 2/2 G, Clue, Day, Eldrazi Horror 3/2 C, Goblin 1/1 R, Human 2/2 G, Morph 2/2 C, Night, On an Adventure, Skeleton 1/1 B, The Atropal, Timeless Witness 4/4 B, Treasure, Wolf 2/2 G