Grismold, the Dreadsower ("Clark") may appear to be a friendly plant boy at first. But after just a few rounds of the table, he can grow to a gigantic Troll Shaman large enough to take your opponents out with Golgari voltron commander damage.
Per usual, we want to ramp and draw cards. We're leaning hard into the Deadly Dispute style sac a creature, draw 2 cards at instant speed variety. Growth Spasm and Primal Growth are both relatively new adds that ramp us with lots of synergy. I'm staying away from the 'win more' style of cards like Rishkar's Expertise and Traverse the Outlands - the payoffs are huge, but if I'm behind / if Grismold is dead - they don't do a thing for me.
This deck also wants to make a bunch of other creature tokens, to exponentially increase the payoff in the way we plan to deal with these Grismold-gifted plants. Forbidden Orchard is a favorite of mine - turn a drawback into a positive. I also finally splurged for Ophiomancer - which is quite amazing with a sac outlet down.
Now that we've been making all these tokens - we have to kill them so our growing boy Clark can achieve his full potential. Pestilence is a powerhouse here. We can cast Gaze of Granite for 0 to blow up all the tokens on the board. The newly added Bloodline Culling offers some powerful modality.
If anyone at the table has experience vs. this deck before, Grismold will immediately draw table-hate, even before he becomes an 11/11 two-swing killer. We have a variety of ways to protect him here, probably the most unique being Gift of Doom.
Speaking of removal, we're pretty light on it here as advancing our game plan quickly is the name of the game. But this is my only Golgari deck - so I am always excited to get to play with Assassin's Trophy. And Pest Infestation is another way to lean into the deck's synergy.
Two cards really stand out in this deck.
1) Primal Vigor - This not only doubles the number of tokens created EVERYWHERE, i.e. not just on my board, but also doubles the +1/+1 counters placed on Clark. So you drop Clark onto a field with Primal Vigor, and at my end step he creates 8 tokens, two per player. Let's say I can immediately blow them all up. Now we get 16 counters. Oh my. My record for Clark’s size in a game is 60/60+ so far, and Primal Vigor has a lot to do with it.
2) Yawgmoth, Thran Physician - No surprises that the infamous Yawgmoth is powerful, but he just does everything we want in this deck. "Pay 1 life, Sacrifice another creature: Put a -1/-1 counter up to one target creature and draw a card." I can sac my tokens, kill my opponents, which in turn pumps Grismold twice, and I also draw cards from it!? Yes please!
Now, finally, how to win. We're all in on Clark. His attacking will lead us to victory. Commander damage is the main way to go here - Blade of the Bloodchief and Solidarity of Heroes can speed that up. And don't worry, we have a Tainted Strike and Phyresisin here too.
You'll notice there are no tutors here - as with all my decks currently.
Please let me know suggestions/feedback.
Update January 2021: Stop the presses. The deck in its original form, while fun, went a nauseating 1-15 in 2020. Voltron is really hard to win with! So, heading into 2021, we're making some drastic changes here, swapping out ~15 cards. I'm attempting to remove all distractions - focusing the deck even more solely on Grismold, and making it super fast and efficient.
First up, we're going add even more Grismold protection, going from ~10 slots dedicated to ~15. A bunch of 1-2 mana instant speed answers that give Grismold hexproof or indestructible and essentially act like counterspells. Once Grismold starts getting big, it is inevitable people will try to kill him, so you need to have as many answers as possible.
Then, we're going to add a few more efficient power-ups to build up the big man. Hardened Scales. Eternal Thirst. Sadistic Glee.
And the other big change is introducing 4 one cmc mana dorks, which combined with the other 3 one mana ramp spells in the deck, give us a pretty good chance of getting Grismold out on turn 2, which is gross. And the fact that they are on legs is indeed relevant to a variety of cards in the deck.
And what we're stripping away is mostly the high CMC cards of the deck - efficiency is key, and our 5, 7, 9, mana drops may have to be Grismold himself.
Let's see how it goes in 2021!
September 2021 Deck Cuts
Out
Vines of Vastwood - great card but only room for one of these and snakesin veil is better
Wild Growth - moving away from super fast, non-land ramp
Eternal Thirst - my other power ups are better. only triggers on opponent creature death
Ram Through - i can get 2 for 1'ed if someone kills the creature i'm targeting - the spell will fizzle. too tenuous. unlike say pest infestation which will resolve regardless
Ratchet Bomb - one of the few one time kill token effects that isn’t modal. i.e. gaze of granite, back suns zenith if I’m behind I can blow people’s shit up with them. still have 10 dedicated ways to blow up all plants on the board, and tons of one off sac outlets to kill my own
In
Crowded Crypt - perfect fit for this deck
Slaughter Specialist - makes tokens and gets big
Deathreap Ritual - realize i'm getting light on card draw. enchantment, sticks around, worst case = probably one card per turn cycle. see how it plays. a lot of the other potential synergistic card draw is 'win more' - i.e. reliant on grismold's power, but this should be able to trigger even if i'm behind.
Bloodline Culling - kills all the tokens or an opponent's creature, 3cmc, instant speed
Ophiomancer - been eyeing this for grismold for a long while, finally pulled the trigger. consistent token maker. great blocker. really impactful if I have a steady sac outlet down, i.e. spawning pit, yawgmoth, yahenni, so i can sac the snake every turn.
October 2021 Deck Cuts
I took a look at all of the below cards. And ultimately decided Erebos was the best fit for the deck. So cut Deathreap for it. But maybe I actually want to find room for a few more of these.
Deathreap Ritual. Enchantment. 4 cmc. Draw a card at the end step every time any creature dies during that turn - only once per turn.
Moldervine Reclamation. Enchantment. 5 cmc. Draw a card and gain a life every time a creature I control dies. No limit.
Morbid Opportunist. Creature. 3 cmc. Draw a card whenever any creature dies - only once per turn.
Dark Prophecy. Enchantment. 3 cmc (3bbb). Draw a card and lose a life every time a creature I control dies. No limit.
Erebos, Bleak-Hearted. Indestructible enchantment creature. 4 cmc. Draw a card and lose 2 life every time a creature I control dies. No limit. Also able to sac a creature to give a creature -1/-1 for 2 cmc.
November 2021 Deck Cuts
In
Deathcap Glade - these new dual lands are amazing. cut a forest for it
Fell Stinger - Think this card is great. Sac outlet on legs. Deathtouch - i can get some mean crackback in Grismold. Unlike Deadly Dispute etc. - I don't need a token out to use it. Draws me cards.
Arachnogenesis - Speaking of mean crackback... 1) This is a great card in a vacuum 2) It has extra synergy in this deck - those tokens make Grismold huge.
Field of the Dead - Similar to the above - it is just a great card. However - also similar to the above - the extra creature token synergy with Grismold is just nasty. Also adding some snow basics to diversify the land base even more to trigger this.
Into the North - Figure I may as well add this, essentially another version of the excellent Rampant Growth, now that I have a handful of snow basics.
Out
Chatterfang, Squirrel General - Chatterfang is actually not that amazing - does nothing on his own unlike Ophiomancer, easy to kill unlike Hardened Scales.
Plumb the Forbidden - I think Plumb the Forbidden is actually not as good as I thought. Deadly Disupte and the 3 other versions I have of that effect, draws me two things for one token. Where Plumb isn't really card advantage if i only have one thing.
Crowded Crypt - in theory a good fit... but just too slow for this low to the ground deck. have to play the ramp a turn late - same turn as my commander. wait many turns for a bunch of stuff to die. and then sync mana into it for the payoff. how likely is this to happen? not very!
December 2021 Deck Cuts
In
Fabled Passage - good land! cheap at the moment. plus, possibility of double field of the dead triggers
Tainted Wood - this land is more annoying than not - would rather have a basic that can make one of the colors than this which often seems locked at colorless
January 2022 Deck Changes
In
Undergrowth Stadium - these lands are great and cheap at the moment. more fuel for field of the dead. cut a forest for it
Deathreap Ritual - still on the bubble here but realize my deck is so efficient i need tons of ways to load back up
Morbid Opportunist - this one i like. 3 cmc, a creature itself, nice little engine that isn't worth removing
Return of the Wildspeaker - instant speed draw a boatload. the buff mode is fringe relevant as well
Nature's Claim - green swords to plowshares
Dowsing Dagger
- didn't realize how synergistic this card was. 4 mana ramp 3. and create two tokens!
Out
Alpha Authority - auras are risky, prefer canopy cover
Altar's Reap - have too much of this effect, cutting the two worse ones
Costly Plunder - have too much of this effect, cutting the two worse ones
Exponential Growth - i have cheaper, instant speed ways of making him deadly
Sadistic Glee - auras are risky
February 2022 Deck Changes
In
Rishkar's Expertise - used to be in the deck. need more burst draw. its coming back.
Tamiyo's Safekeeping - strict upgrade to withstand death
Out
Withstand Death - see above
Deathreap Ritual - not convinced this 'do nothing' enchantment is worth it
April 2022 Deck Changes
In
Takenuma, Abandoned Mire - I don't have a great use case for this card in the deck TBH. But cracked it in a pack. And it fuels field of the dead. So figure I'll give it a try. Pulled a swamp for it.
June 2022 Deck Changes
In
Traverse the Outlands - high risk high reward. and fun.
Out
Canopy Cover - right on the bubble. i like the card but in theory i could get 2 for oned.
July 2022 Deck Changes
Hagra Mauling
- great MDFC
Khalni Ambush
- people are higher on this MDFC than me, figure I’ll give it a try
Every non basic I add powers up field of the dead and powers down traverse the outlands
September 2022 Deck Changes
In
Tear Asunder - love this new uncommon. an exiling disenchant when you need it, an utter end when you need it
Tangled Florahedron
- figure more ramp can't hurt, pull a forest
Out
Traverse the Outlands - just too much cmc
October 2022 Deck Changes
In
Fog - leave myself open a lot, sometimes folks are forced to try to take me out with player removal so Grismold doesn't kill them. Fog is just so efficient and a huge swing
Out
Yahenni, Undying Partisan - without evasion or trample this card just isn't that exciting
November 2022 Deck Changes
In
Wild Growth - previously cut, but actually realizing it is probably better than birds or elves of deep shadow. 1 cmc ramp that gets grismold out a turn early. this doesn't fix, but it doesn't die to wraths either
Out
Slaughter Specialist - cut for wild growth, just not impactful enough
Khalni Ambush
- getting sick of all my tapped lands, added basics instead
Necroblossom Snarl - ""
Tangled Florahedron
- "" - plus this doesn't get grismold out early
November 2022 Deck Changes Part II
In
Gruesome Realization - love this modal option. kill all the plans if im set up. Or - draw cards if im behind or need an answer
Plus a basic snow covered forest - adding a land to each of my decks this month
Out
Erebos, Bleak-Hearted - just never thrilled to see this card tbh
Pestilence - realizing this is actually 5 cmc to have its first impact? lots more efficient options
January 2023 Deck Changes
In
Darkness - same logic for fog above
Out
Morbid Opportunist - has been on the bubble a while. 3 cmc slot awkward with grismold
February 2023 Deck Changes
In
Tyvar's Stand - Another, better, copy of Tamiyo's Safekeeping. This one can also double as a way to kill someone.
Out
Snakeskin Veil - tough cut i like the card but tyvars stand is better
May 2023 Deck Changes
In
Corrupted Conviction - another copy of village rites, so efficient
Ozolith, the Shattered Spire - have one ozolith, may as well have another. hardened scales #2, except it can also be a mana sync to grow grismold - which doesn't exist in the deck. and! it has cycling for some reason
Out
Phyresis - the aura telegraphs the infect hit and i can potentially get two for oned. tainted strike is enough for the deck
Rishkar's Expertise - id rather have the instant speed return of the wildspeaker provides, even though this card is fun
December 2023 Deck Changes
About to join the party
Maze of Ith - green so i ramp like heck - can miss the land drop - need the protection. can also do the thing where i give grismold vigilance essentially - pull him out of combat after damage
Toxic Deluge - slam dunk on this deck, been holding out for price.
Tarrian's Soulcleaver - good enough? feel like i cut something similar, slightly worse than blade of the blood-chief
Rowan's Grim Search - good enough? unsure, maybe not - but i could use more card advantage in this deck, such low cmc my hand disappears real quick
Read the Bones - back in - need more draw
Blood Pact - ""
Out
Awakening Zone - 3 cmc too much for this effect
Growth Spasm - ""
Black Sun's Zenith - other kill token stuff more versatile. toxic deluge much better
Ritual of the Machine - fun but not really on theme
Virulent Plague - i actually am doing a lot of things with these tokens - sacing them for other value. so kind of don't want them to die
Questing Beast - i will lose to angus
March 2024 Deck Changes
In
Roaming Throne - superpowers grismold - both of his abilities are triggered. so end step - 8 plants on the board. if they all die - 16 counters on gris.
Out
Dowsing Dagger
- too many moving parts and don't need the ramp in green with low cmc
April 2024 Deck Changes
In
Harmonize - always run out of gas - cmc so low in this deck, good old reliable harmonize
Shizo, Death's Storehouse - get around pesky blockers + trigger field of the dead
Out
Swamp
Primal Growth - have enough 2 cmc and 1 cmc ramp in here
