The Gitrog gets some head(s)

Commander / EDH BG (Golgari) Budget Counters Hydra Lands Sacrifice

freddiefrick

Lands (45)

• 1x Cactus Preserve
• 1x Command Tower
• 1x Disciple of Freyalise  ^Flip
• 1x Echoing Deeps
• 1x Festering Gulch
• 12x Forest
• 1x Forge of Heroes
• 1x Jungle Hollow
• 1x Karn's Bastion
• 1x Llanowar Reborn
• 1x Llanowar Wastes
• 1x Mosswort Bridge
• 1x Necroblossom Snarl
• 1x Nesting Grounds
• 1x Oran-Rief, the Vastwood
• 1x Reliquary Tower
• 1x Restless Cottage
• 1x Rogue's Passage
• 1x Spymaster's Vault
• 6x Swamp
• 1x Temple of Malady
• 1x Temple of the False God
• 1x Thespian's Stage
• 1x Twilight Mire
• 1x War Room
• 1x Witch's Cottage
• 1x Witherbloom Campus
• 1x Woodland Cemetery
• 1x Woodland Chasm

Protection (3)

• 1x Autumn's Veil
• 1x Tamiyo's Safekeeping
• 1x Undying Evil

First wave (14)

• 1x Scavenging Ooze
• 1x Evolution Sage
• 1x Grakmaw, Skyclave Ravager
• 1x Managorger Hydra
• 1x Mossborn Hydra
• 1x Ornery Tumblewagg
• 1x Reyhan, Last of the Abzan *f-etch*
• 1x Sentinel of the Nameless City
• 1x Forgotten Ancient
• 1x Polukranos, Unchained
• 1x Polukranos, World Eater
• 1x Renata, Called to the Hunt
• 1x Clamavus
• 1x Verdurous Gearhulk

Third wave (10)

• 1x Nyxborn Hydra
• 1x Wildwood Scourge
• 1x Exsanguinate
• 1x Lifeblood Hydra
• 1x Bane of Progress
• 1x Gargos, Vicious Watcher
• 1x Hydra Broodmaster
• 1x Ulvenwald Hydra
• 1x Whiptongue Hydra
• 1x Stonehoof Chieftain

Removal (5)

• 1x Tear Asunder
• 1x Beast Within
• 1x Putrefy
• 1x Astarion's Thirst
• 1x Ruinous Intrusion

Value (1)

• 1x Pillage the Bog

Commander (1)

Ramp (12)

• 1x Sol Ring
• 1x Arcane Signet
• 1x Broken Bond
• 1x Edge of Autumn
• 1x Farseek
• 1x Fellwar Stone
• 1x Glimpse the Core
• 1x Nature's Lore
• 1x Rampant Growth
• 1x Thought Vessel
• 1x Decanter of Endless Water
• 1x Search for Tomorrow

Second wave (9)

• 1x Gigantosaurus
• 1x Kalonian Hydra
• 1x Rootless Yew
• 1x Yargle, Glutton of Urborg
• 1x Multani, Yavimaya's Avatar
• 1x Phytotitan
• 1x Yargle and Multani
• 1x Moldgraf Monstrosity
• 1x The World Spell

---

Maybeboard

Third wave (25)

• 1x Black Sun's Twilight
• 1x Hurricane
• 1x Mind Twist
• 1x Aberrant
• 1x Squall Line
• 1x Forced March
• 1x Defiler of Vigor
• 1x Kamahl, Fist of Krosa
• 1x Butcher of Malakir
• 1x Cybermen Squadron
• 1x Elbrus, the Binding Blade  ^Flip
• 1x Phage the Untouchable
• 1x Archfiend of Despair
• 1x Colossus of Akros
• 1x Kamahl, Heart of Krosa
• 1x Sisters of Stone Death
• 1x Su-Chi Cave Guard
• 1x Apex Altisaur
• 1x Myojin of Life's Web
• 1x Rise of the Dark Realms
• 1x The Tarrasque
• 1x Impervious Greatwurm
• 1x Hypnox
• 1x Worldspine Wurm
• 1x Ghalta, Primal Hunger

Lands (5)

• 1x Arid Archway
• 1x Dark Depths
• 1x Glacial Chasm
• 1x Golgari Rot Farm
• 1x Nurturing Peatland

Removal (5)

• 1x Abrupt Decay
• 1x Assassin's Trophy
• 1x Feed the Swarm
• 1x Go for the Throat
• 1x Infernal Grasp

Value (3)

• 1x Barishi
• 1x Splendid Reclamation
• 1x Harness Infinity

Second wave (23)

• 1x Hangarback Walker
• 1x Aclazotz, Deepest Betrayal  ^Flip
• 1x Adaptive Snapjaw
• 1x Garruk's Gorehorn
• 1x Nothic
• 1x Primordial Gnawer
• 1x Workshop Warchief
• 1x Jugan, the Rising Star
• 1x Tuinvale Treefolk
• 1x Bane of Bala Ged
• 1x Beanstalk Giant
• 1x Fated Return
• 1x Garruk's Horde
• 1x Giant Adephage
• 1x Molimo, Maro-Sorcerer
• 1x Pelakka Wurm
• 1x Treeshaker Chimera
• 1x Ancient Brontodon
• 1x Breaker of Armies
• 1x Desolation Twin
• 1x Rust Goliath
• 1x Woodcaller Automaton
• 1x Primeval Protector

Old third wave (11)

• 1x Exponential Growth
• 1x Exsanguinate
• 1x Finale of Eternity
• 1x Stonehoof Chieftain
• 1x Terastodon
• 1x Ulamog's Crusher
• 1x Artisan of Kozilek
• 1x Ancient Stone Idol
• 1x Apex Devastator
• 1x Pathrazer of Ulamog
• 1x It That Betrays

Ramp (2)

• 1x Explore
• 1x Summer Bloom

First wave (19)

• 1x Deadly Grub
• 1x Elvish Ranger
• 1x Leatherback Baloth
• 1x Plague Reaver
• 1x Relic Golem
• 1x Steel Leaf Champion
• 1x Abyssal Persecutor
• 1x Apes of Rath
• 1x Archfiend of the Dross
• 1x Blastoderm
• 1x Conifer Strider
• 1x Deadbridge Goliath
• 1x Ebondeath, Dracolich
• 1x Erebos's Titan
• 1x Gnarled Professor
• 1x Mongrel Pack
• 1x Plague Sliver
• 1x Polukranos, World Eater
• 1x The Foretold Soldier

Old first wave (14)

• 1x Hunted Bonebrute
• 1x Pugnacious Hammerskull
• 1x Ravaging Riftwurm
• 1x Rotting Regisaur
• 1x Shakedown Heavy
• 1x Bristlebud Farmer
• 1x Colossal Rattlewurm
• 1x Daemogoth Titan
• 1x Desecration Demon
• 1x Hulking Raptor
• 1x Hunted Troll
• 1x Shifting Ceratops
• 1x Vindictive Lich
• 1x Waning Wurm

---

Goal here is to saddle The Gitrog, Ravenous Ride with a high power creature, draw lots of cards and put lots of lands onto the battlefield, then go face with massive hydras once we generate an overwhelming amount of cards and mana.

The ideal line is probably to ramp on turn 2, play a good sacrificial creature (3 or 4 drop) on turn 3, then play Gitrog on turn 4 and immediately sac the creature for value. I only expect to saddle the Gitrog once, which should be enough to bootstrap me up to 8-9 mana and allow me to begin deploying the second wave.

Breakdown:

• 45 lands (still working on which lands in particular, utility suggestions welcome)

• 10 two mana ramp spells to ensure we land Gitrog on turn 4

• 9 removal spells

• 3 misc value pieces

• 14 first wave 3-4 drop creatures that are excellent sacrifice fodder with high power to maximize value from the Gitrog

• Some fraction of the remaining 15 for the second wave: beefy 5-7 mana cards that swing me into the late game, either with their effects or with their high power combined with the Gitrog's ability

• Some fraction of the remaining 15 for the third wave: this is our top end, gigantic X spells and the biggest creatures a budget deck can play that will close out the game

EDIT: after some playtesting, the reason this deck was bad was because the first wave creatures were absolutely useless after their first sacrifice. Once the deck has lots of mana, it often runs into situations where it somehow still can't function and dies after being labeled archenemy. Put simply, we have to accept the sacrifice of some burstiness in the early game in order to have some enablers that quickly convert our value into a win. Some kind of a +1/+1 counter or lands theme might work to connect the first and third waves. The new first wave can be thought of as either value enablers to be used over time, or cards to pitch to the Gitrog for their power. The hydra theme is a glue that binds the deck together!

Date added	7 months
Last updated	2 days
Legality	This deck is Commander / EDH legal.
Rarity (main - side)	8 - 0 Mythic Rares 36 - 0 Rares 21 - 0 Uncommons 14 - 0 Commons
Cards	100
Avg. CMC	3.52
Tokens	Beast 3/3 G, Food, Hydra */* BG, Hydra X/X G, Map, Plot