The Hugging Pod

Commander / EDH Group Hug GU (Simic) Toolbox Zoo

LapperMedic

Creature (61)

• 1x Arcane Artisan
• 1x Barishi
• 1x Birds of Paradise
• 1x Braids, Conjurer Adept
• 1x Bramble Sovereign
• 1x Brooding Saurian
• 1x Chakram Retriever
• 1x Citanul Hierophants
• 1x Craterhoof Behemoth
• 1x Dakra Mystic
• 1x Deepglow Skate
• 1x Edric, Spymaster of Trest
• 1x Elvish Mystic
• 1x Elvish Piper
• 1x Eon Frolicker
• 1x Glademuse
• 1x Glen Elendra Archmage
• 1x Grothama, All-Devouring
• 1x Heartwood Storyteller
• 1x Hunted Wumpus
• 1x Jalira, Master Polymorphist
• 1x Jolrael, Empress of Beasts
• 1x Kami of the Crescent Moon
• 1x Keeper of Progenitus
• 1x Kiora's Follower
• 1x Kira, Great Glass-Spinner
• 1x Kruphix, God of Horizons
• 1x Loaming Shaman
• 1x Lonis, Cryptozoologist
• 1x Magus of the Vineyard
• 1x Nessian Boar
• 1x Noble Benefactor
• 1x Nullmage Advocate
• 1x Nullmage Shepherd
• 1x Old-Growth Dryads
• 1x Omnath, Locus of Mana
• 1x Oracle of Mul Daya
• 1x Pathbreaker Ibex
• 1x Patron of the Orochi
• 1x Perplexing Chimera
• 1x Protean Hulk
• 1x Rootweaver Druid
• 1x Runed Servitor
• 1x Scourge of Fleets
• 1x Seedborn Muse
• 1x Seeker of Skybreak
• 1x Shaman of Forgotten Ways
• 1x Shizuko, Caller of Autumn
• 1x Somberwald Sage
• 1x Soul of New Phyrexia
• 1x Soul of the Harvest
• 1x Spark Double
• 1x Sylvan Safekeeper
• 1x Tempting Wurm
• 1x Terastodon
• 1x Thrasios, Triton Hero
• 1x Tidal Barracuda
• 1x Tishana, Voice of Thunder
• 1x Veteran Explorer
• 1x Whisperwood Elemental
• 1x Yisan, the Wanderer Bard

Land (38)

• 1x Alchemist's Refuge
• 1x Barkchannel Pathway  ^Flip
• 1x Blighted Woodland
• 1x Breeding Pool
• 1x Castle Garenbrig
• 1x Command Tower
• 1x Flooded Grove
• 1x Forbidden Orchard
• 6x Forest
• 1x Glacial Chasm
• 1x Glasspool Shore  ^Flip
• 1x Homeward Path
• 6x Island
• 1x Littjara Mirrorlake
• 1x Maze of Ith
• 1x Mikokoro, Center of the Sea
• 1x Myriad Landscape
• 1x Nykthos, Shrine to Nyx
• 1x Rejuvenating Springs
• 1x Reliquary Tower
• 1x Scavenger Grounds
• 1x Tangled Vale  ^Flip
• 1x Terrain Generator
• 1x Tropical Island
• 1x Winding Canyons
• 1x Wirewood Lodge
• 1x Yavimaya Coast
• 1x Yavimaya Hollow

Commander (1)

---

Maybeboard

Creature (16)

• 1x Academy Loremaster
• 1x Augur of Autumn
• 1x Cemetery Prowler
• 1x Cirdan the Shipwright
• 1x Clockwork Fox
• 1x Delighted Halfling
• 1x Druid of Purification
• 1x Endurance
• 1x Faerie Mastermind
• 1x Hullbreaker Horror
• 1x Lotus Cobra
• 1x Pygmy Hippo
• 1x Sakashima of a Thousand Faces
• 1x Sly Instigator
• 1x Temur Sabertooth
• 1x Yedora, Grave Gardener

Land (15)

• 1x Boseiju, Who Endures
• 1x City of Brass
• 1x Dryad Arbor
• 1x Gaea's Cradle
• 1x Hall of the Bandit Lord
• 1x Hinterland Harbor
• 1x Mana Confluence
• 1x Minamo, School at Water's Edge
• 1x Misty Rainforest
• 1x Otawara, Soaring City
• 1x Prismatic Vista
• 1x Riptide Laboratory
• 1x Rivendell
• 1x Waterlogged Grove
• 1x Yavimaya, Cradle of Growth

---

At first glance, Vannifar seems like a boring competitive combo commander—Birthing Pod on a stick. But what if we took out all the combo chains and instant wins and went 100% creatures-only in a grouphug shell? Then I guess we might accidentally have some fun!

Let's take a look at what we can find with Vannifar for each CMC. Some creatures are ideal for chaining, as they love to be sacrificed or just plain don't do anything after they ETB, so these good boyes are Vannifar's Choice™.

CMC 0 → CMC 1

This deck does not run any 0-cost creatures, but Yisan, the Wanderer Bard starts his chain at CMC 1, and Vannifar can do likewise by sacrificing tokens which are not copies of other permanents. An early Veteran Explorer puts everyone in good spirits!

• Vannifar's Choice: Old-Growth Dryads, Veteran Explorer
• Selfish ramp: Birds of Paradise, Elvish Mystic
• Selfish pillowfort: Sylvan Safekeeper
• Grouphug ramp: Magus of the Vineyard, Veteran Explorer
• Grouphug draw: Dakra Mystic
• Pure altruism: Old-Growth Dryads

CMC 1 → CMC 2

Kiora's Follower and Seeker of Skybreak are Vannifar's lieutenants, untapping her for multiple tutors in a single turn. Tempting Wurm is a great panic button that can shake up the board if an opponent is in a position to win.

• Vannifar's Choice: Runed Servitor, Tempting Wurm
• Selfish draw: Lonis, Cryptozoologist
• Selfish ramp: Tangled Florahedron  , Thrasios, Triton Hero
• Grouphug draw: Kami of the Crescent Moon, Runed Servitor
• Grouphug untap: Kiora's Follower, Seeker of Skybreak
• Pure altruism: Tempting Wurm

CMC 2 → CMC 3

Yisan, the Wanderer Bard effectively serves as a second Vannifar, starting a new chain at 1 CMC for your tutoring pleasure. Shaman of Forgotten Ways is a mana dork early game and a win condition late. He's Biorhythm on a stick! Kira, Great Glass-Spinner makes us resistant to spot removal.

• Vannifar's Choice: Loaming Shaman, Noble Benefactor
• Selfish ramp: Omnath, Locus of Mana, Shaman of Forgotten Ways, Somberwald Sage
• Selfish pillowfort: Kira, Great Glass-Spinner
• Chaining: Yisan, the Wanderer Bard
• Copy: Glasspool Mimic  
• Grouphug draw: Edric, Spymaster of Trest, Heartwood Storyteller
• Grouphug recur: Loaming Shaman
• Grouphug cheat: Arcane Artisan
• Grouphug destroy: Nullmage Advocate
• Grouphug ramp: Shizuko, Caller of Autumn
• Grouphug tutor: Noble Benefactor
• Pure altruism: Glademuse

CMC 3 → CMC 4

Spark Double is a unique creature that can copy our commander, or any other creature we might want two of. Citanul Hierophants is an aggressive ramp piece on the level of Growing Rites of Itlimoc  , a favorite of mine we're sadly unable to run in our 100% creatures deck.

• Vannifar's Choice: Barishi, Glen Elendra Archmage, Hunted Wumpus
• Selfish cheat: Elvish Piper
• Selfish destroy: Nullmage Shepherd
• Selfish ramp: Citanul Hierophants, Oracle of Mul Daya
• Selfish recur: Barishi
• Chaining: Jalira, Master Polymorphist
• Copy: Spark Double
• Counterspell: Glen Elendra Archmage
• Grouphug tokens: Bramble Sovereign
• Grouphug cheat: Braids, Conjurer Adept
• Grouphug counters: Deepglow Skate
• Grouphug pillowfort: Brooding Saurian
• Grouphug ramp: Keeper of Progenitus
• Pure altruism: Eon Frolicker, Hunted Wumpus

CMC 4 → CMC 5

Jolrael, Empress of Beasts is an impressive and unique specimen. The ability to convert any player's lands into creatures serves all at once as a win condition, a rattlesnake against wraths, and a grouphug guardian angel that can turn the tides of combat. Perplexing Chimera is a horse of a different color, warping the entire table around it the moment it enters. It can have a chilling effect, as most players will hold back their best spells, allowing you to progress your board state. Once you relinquish control, the gambit starts all over again! Pair it with Homeward Path or Brooding Saurian if you're feeling spicy.

• Vannifar's Choice: Grothama, All-Devouring
• Selfish untap: Chakram Retriever, Seedborn Muse
• Selfish ramp: Kruphix, God of Horizons
• Selfish pillowfort: Whisperwood Elemental
• Unique: Jolrael, Empress of Beasts, Nessian Boar, Perplexing Chimera
• Grouphug draw: Grothama, All-Devouring

CMC 5 → CMC 6

From here on, the chain is a bit sparse! Soul of New Phyrexia doesn't mind being sacrificed to Vannifar, as she can protect your board just as well from the graveyard.

• Vannifar's Choice: Soul of New Phyrexia
• Selfish draw: Soul of the Harvest
• Selfish pillowfort: Soul of New Phyrexia
• Wincon: Pathbreaker Ibex

CMC 6 → CMC 7

Meat and eggs. We cheat! Try grabbing Seedborn Muse and Sylvan Safekeeper with our protein boye.

• Vannifar's Choice: Protean Hulk, Scourge of Fleets
• Wrath: Scourge of Fleets
• Selfish draw: Tishana, Voice of Thunder
• Selfish tutor: Protean Hulk

CMC 7 → CMC 8

End of the line, everybody off!

• Grouphug destroy: Terastodon
• Grouphug untap: Patron of the Orochi
• Wincon: Craterhoof Behemoth

Date added	5 years
Last updated	7 months
Legality	This deck is Commander / EDH legal.
Rarity (main - side)	12 - 0 Mythic Rares 54 - 0 Rares 17 - 0 Uncommons 5 - 0 Commons
Cards	100
Avg. CMC	3.79
Tokens	Clue, Copy Clone, Elephant 3/3 G, Manifest 2/2 C, Spirit 1/1 C