Meren Surgical Toolbox [cEDH 2K24]

Commander / EDH BG (Golgari) Combo Reanimator

Ardees

Creature (32)

• 1x Walking Ballista
• 1x Allosaurus Shepherd
• 1x Arbor Elf
• 1x Birds of Paradise
• 1x Carrion Feeder
• 1x Deathrite Shaman
• 1x Delighted Halfling
• 1x Elves of Deep Shadow
• 1x Elvish Mystic
• 1x Fyndhorn Elves
• 1x Haywire Mite
• 1x Llanowar Elves
• 1x Spore Frog
• 1x Sylvan Safekeeper
• 1x Viscera Seer
• 1x Apprentice Necromancer
• 1x Collector Ouphe
• 1x Dark Confidant
• 1x Dauthi Voidwalker
• 1x Orcish Bowmasters
• 1x Outland Liberator  ^Flip
• 1x Riftsweeper
• 1x Eternal Witness
• 1x Manglehorn
• 1x Opposition Agent
• 1x Plaguecrafter
• 1x Body Snatcher
• 1x Mindslicer
• 1x Yawgmoth, Thran Physician
• 1x Phyrexian Delver
• 1x Mikaeus, the Unhallowed
• 1x Protean Hulk

Artifact (8)

• 1x Chrome Mox
• 1x Lotus Petal
• 1x Mana Crypt
• 1x Mox Diamond
• 1x Skullclamp
• 1x Sol Ring
• 1x Null Rod
• 1x Wishclaw Talisman

Land (30)

• 1x Ancient Tomb
• 1x Bayou
• 1x Bloodstained Mire
• 1x Blooming Marsh
• 1x Boseiju, Who Endures
• 1x Command Tower
• 1x Dryad Arbor
• 2x Forest
• 1x Gaea's Cradle
• 1x Gemstone Caverns
• 1x High Market
• 1x Llanowar Wastes
• 1x Mana Confluence
• 1x Miren, the Moaning Well
• 1x Misty Rainforest
• 1x Nurturing Peatland
• 1x Overgrown Tomb
• 1x Phyrexian Tower
• 1x Polluted Delta
• 1x Prismatic Vista
• 3x Swamp
• 1x Takenuma, Abandoned Mire
• 1x Undergrowth Stadium
• 1x Urborg, Tomb of Yawgmoth
• 1x Verdant Catacombs
• 1x Wooded Foothills
• 1x Yavimaya, Cradle of Growth

Enchantment (9)

• 1x Carpet of Flowers
• 1x Mirri's Guile
• 1x Utopia Sprawl
• 1x Wild Growth
• 1x Animate Dead
• 1x Survival of the Fittest
• 1x Sylvan Library
• 1x Necromancy
• 1x Necropotence

Commander (1)

Instant (10)

• 1x Crop Rotation
• 1x Culling the Weak
• 1x Dark Ritual
• 1x Entomb
• 1x Noxious Revival
• 1x Vampiric Tutor
• 1x Veil of Summer
• 1x Worldly Tutor
• 1x Abrupt Decay
• 1x Assassin's Trophy

Sorcery (10)

• 1x Green Sun's Zenith
• 1x Imperial Seal
• 1x Reanimate
• 1x Demonic Tutor
• 1x Diabolic Intent
• 1x Finale of Devastation
• 1x Unmarked Grave
• 1x Toxic Deluge
• 1x Culling Ritual
• 1x Natural Order

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Maybeboard

Creature (4)

• 1x Elvish Reclaimer
• 1x Insidious Fungus
• 1x Accursed Marauder
• 1x Endurance

Land (2)

• 1x Diamond Valley
• 1x Urza's Saga

Battle (1)

• 1x Invasion of Ikoria  ^Flip

Enchantment (4)

• 1x Root Maze
• 1x Earthcraft
• 1x Oppression
• 1x Squirrel Nest

Sorcery (2)

• 1x Eldritch Evolution
• 1x Seeds of Innocence

Instant (3)

• 1x Autumn's Veil
• 1x Cut Down
• 1x Nature's Claim

Artifact (1)

• 1x Vexing Bauble

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SNAPSHOT

• Updated to July 2023.
• Protean Hulk-based deck relying on Mikaeus, the Unhallowed + Walking Ballista combo.
• Meant to win in early-mid game.
• Has a wide spectrum of answers against all colors, including an answer (Riftsweeper) to combo pieces exile.

GAMEPLAN

• The goal is to have Protean Hulk die and tutor for Mikaeus, the Unhallowed and Walking Ballista plus any infinite sac outlet (Viscera Seer, Carrion Feeder, Phyrexian Altar, Ashnod's Altar).

• An opening hand should have some tutor to help you tutoring Protean Hulk or enablers, for instance Entomb, Unmarked Grave, Natural Order, Pattern of Rebirth.

• You want to disrupt your opponent in the process. Expect plenty of early artifacts in optimized and competitive decks. The deck has a reasonable amount of answers to that, for instance Collector Ouphe, Manglehorn, Reclamation Sage, Caustic Caterpillar, Force of Vigor.

• The deck provide answers to every inconvenience towards your goal: vs. generic permanent (Assassin's Trophy), vs. creature (Ravenous Chupacabra, Plaguecrafter), vs. counterspells (Veil of Summer, Mindslicer, Allosaurus Shepherd, Cavern of Souls), graveyard hate (Dauthi Voidwalker), vs. tutoring (Opposition Agent), vs. combo pieces removals (Riftsweeper). The deck runs 18 tutors, thus tutoring answers should be relatively easy.

• Protean Hulk is the most important card in the deck. The deck's synergy gravitates around it. It is important not to leave it exposed to exile spells (e.g., Swords to Plowshares, Path to Exile, Reality Shift, etc.). Sylvan Safekeeper can help you cope with that.

MAIN STRATEGY: INFINITE DAMAGE COMBO LINE

• Step 1. The goal is to have Mikaeus, the Unhallowed + Walking Ballista + any free sac outlet on the battlefield. Note that Mikaeus, the Unhallowed + Walking Ballista alone does not trigger infinite damage. The most common and efficient way to achieve this goal is having Protean Hulk's death ability trigger.

• Step 2. Once Protean Hulk's ability resolves, tutor for Body Snatcher and either Viscera Seer or Carrion Feeder and Sylvan Safekeeper (in case combo pieces are targeted in the process). Sacrifice Body Snatcher in response to its ETB ability if you have no creature cards in hand, or if you do not wish to discard the creature in your hand. You don't want to tutor for Mikaeus, the Unhallowed and Walking Ballista without having a free sac outlet yet.

• Step 3. Reanimate Protean Hulk through Body Snatcher's LTB ability.

• Step 4. Sacrifice Protean Hulk with your available sac outlet (Viscera Seer/Carrion Feeder), and tutor for Mikaeus, the Unhallowed + Walking Ballista .

• Step 5. Now you have a free sac outlet and Mikaeus, the Unhallowed + Walking Ballista , so you can initiate the infinite damage combo.

If you end up with either Protean Hulk or Mikaeus, the Unhallowed stuck in your hand, Body Snatcher is the card you need to look for. Play Body Snatcher, let ETB ability resolves to discard Protean Hulk or Mikaeus, the Unhallowed, then sac it to reanimate either.

If any of your combo pieces are exiled, find a way to tutor for Riftsweeper, and reshuffle combo pieces into your deck.

SECONDARY STRATEGY: HAND STEAL AND REMOVAL LOCKDOWN LINE

• Step 1. If the main infinite damage combo line is unavailable (e.g., Walking Ballista or Mikaeus, the Unhallowed and Riftsweeper are exiled), the backup strategy is exploiting the synergy between Mindslicer and Dauthi Voidwalker. The goal is having both on the battlefield, which is easily achieved by sacrificing Protean Hulk once.

• Step 2. Once Protean Hulk ability resolves, tutor for Mindslicer and Dauthi Voidwalker. Have any sac outlet available on the battlefield.

• Step 3. Sacrifice Mindslicer, exile all of your opponents' hands through Dauthi Voidwalker. You can now cast cards exiled for free, gaining a virtually game-winning advantage. Having Meren of Clan Nel Toth on the battlefield, and at least two experience counters, enable you to play cards exiled with Dauthi Voidwalker once for each of your turns (also during opponents' turns).

BACK-UP STRATEGY: ELVES AGGRO LINE

It is usually a good line to follow after Mindslicer and Dauthi Voidwalker, but it can come up independently in late games. If the infinite combo line is somehow unavailable, tutor for Allosaurus Shepherd and start beating your opponents with its 2nd ability by transforming your elves into 5/5 creatures. The deck runs a total of 10 elves, most of which can be tutored by killing Protean Hulk once. It is very unlikely that you'll ever follow this game strategy but it's something viable in a late game where strategies from all players have been disrupted.

Date added	10 years
Last updated	1 month
Key combos	Mikaeus, the Unhallowed + Walking Ballista
Legality	This deck is not Commander / EDH legal.
Rarity (main - side)	12 - 0 Mythic Rares 53 - 0 Rares 17 - 0 Uncommons 12 - 0 Commons
Cards	100
Avg. CMC	1.86
Tokens	Day, Experience Token, Night, Orc Army
Folders	Random, EDH, EDH Deck Ideas, EDH Decks, commander, Decks, Commander Deck to test, Commander