Gargos, Vicious Watcher
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Legality

Format Legality
1v1 Commander Legal
Archenemy Legal
Arena Legal
Block Constructed Legal
Canadian Highlander Legal
Casual Legal
Commander / EDH Legal
Commander: Rule 0 Legal
Custom Legal
Duel Commander Legal
Gladiator Legal
Highlander Legal
Historic Legal
Legacy Legal
Leviathan Legal
Limited Legal
Modern Legal
Oathbreaker Legal
Pioneer Legal
Planechase Legal
Quest Magic Legal
Vanguard Legal
Vintage Legal

Gargos, Vicious Watcher

Legendary Creature — Hydra

Vigilance

Hydra spells you cast cost less to cast.

Whenever a creature you control becomes the target of a spell, Gargos, Vicious Watcher fights up to one target creature you don't control.

Recommendations View more recommendations

Michigone on Isshin for a Fight

1 week ago

Been a second since I changed anything, deck was overdue for a little update. A newer player in my playgroup plays a Kardur, Doomscourge deck, and I read an article recently that talked about how to combat power creep in a playgroup in ways that are fun and interesting for everyone. And the article talked about building decks with your meta in mind, or at least coming up with ways to combat specific decks that you are likely to see, and in the interest of full disclosure, I don't often do that. I find myself building decks that excite me from a mechanical perspective, and then fine tuning the deck relative to my playgroup through playtesting, and in this way letting the meta affect my card choices for slots in my 99. I don't think it's a bad way to deck build, but I think I ask others for their opinions a lot (sorry Crow-Umbra), and that it's a result of me not looking at my meta in particular. I think that thinking about my card slots in terms of what I'll sit down and face on any given play night would actually have me asking less, or maybe just different questions of what my deck should be doing to accomplish its game plan.

Okay, so that's a long ramble, and all of this is to say that against the players in my play group that field decks that put up big bodies that I can't swing into (Gargos, Vicious Watcher, Ghired, Conclave Exile) or their decks go wide enough that they can chump block my creatures to death (Edgar Markov, Ghired, Conclave Exile, Alela, Artful Provocateur, Marrow-Gnawer, Isperia, Supreme Judge, Lathril, Blade of the Elves), or they play Goad (Just the Kardur, Doomscourge Deck currently), I need more protection for my attackers. Now Crow-Umbra mentioned Reconnaissance way back, and I kind of slept on it because I thought (incorrectly) that it would hamper my ability to do damage, but still offer me the benefit of vigilance. But I realized that after the errata by Magic in creating multiple combat steps, that I can still use Reconnaissance to untap my attacking creatures after they've dealt damage, during the combat end step, thus allowing me to "have my cake and eat it too." So I was wondering what to cut, and I landed on cutting Curse of Opulence. It is irritating to the player that it gets put on, and it's hard to assess as early as turn one who the biggest threat will be, and it embitters whichever player I put it on against me, so even though I get ramp off of it, and other players do too, it doesn't really do me too many favors. So Curse is out, Reconnaissance is in.

Tur on Hidden Power - Crop Rotation

3 months ago

TypicalTimmy

Thank you for noticing my intention, that is the key point of this argument!! Newer and casual players tend to disregard or ignore Crop Rotation, because they only see it for very expensive cards such as: Gaea's Cradle, Mishra's Workshop, The Tabernacle at Pendrell Vale, Serra's Sanctum, Bazaar of Baghdad, and Diamond Valley. (I.e. sacrifice a Forest and get Gaea's Cradle.)

In fact, I own all of these cards and in only one single case is Gaea's Cradle the first priority for Crop Rotation. Here are a few examples using commander decks: (These do not include utility lands, such as Bojuka Bog, Cavern of Souls, nor Homeward Path.)

Commander: Lord Windgrace

Lotus Field is great for ramping with Lord Windgrace minus three ability. Cabal Coffers is fantastic for ramp. Field of the Dead provides a win condition and blockers.

Commander: Mina and Denn, Wildborn

Because of Fiery Emancipation, Valakut, the Molten Pinnacle became ridiculously overpowered. Nine damage every time a mountain enters the battlefield. Furthermore, the Scapeshift combo causes you to win the game.

Commander: The Gitrog Monster

Dakmor Salvage is the combo engine for The Gitrog Monster. Therefore searching for it, the sacrificing it to The Gitrog Monster is crucial for the deck.

Commander: Gargos, Vicious Watcher

Hall of the Bandit Lord provides haste to the hydra tribal. Reliquary Tower is necessary for cards such as Soul's Majesty and Greater Good. Nykthos, Shrine to Nyx is pretty nice with the triple green devotion from Gargos, Vicious Watcher.

Commander: Carth the Lion

Field of the Dead is way too good in Carth the Lion, because Garruk, Cursed Huntsman emblems immediately with Carth the Lion. Making at least one 5/5 zombie with trample every turn is very strong.

Commander: Maelstrom Wanderer

Sanctum of Eternity allows you to put Maelstrom Wanderer back into your hand, allowing for the on-cast trigger to happen again. High Market not only taps for mana, but allows you to send Maelstrom Wanderer back to the command zone.

Commander: Sythis, Harvest's Hand

Unfortunately, for this deck Serra's Sanctum is the best target for Crop Rotation, however Nykthos, Shrine to Nyx is a close second best target. With Sythis, Harvest's Hand you have to commit heavily to the board, so your devotion is going to be high. Field of the Dead gives blockers before you can stabilize with Sphere of Safety, Solitary Confinement, and Ghostly Prison.

Commander: Marwyn, the Nurturer

Unfortunately, for this deck Gaea's Cradle is the best target for Crop Rotation, however Wirewood Lodge is a close second best target for untapping Marwyn, the Nurturer. In fact, I found myself frequently choosing Wirewood Lodge over Gaea's Cradle because it does not draw as much threat for Strip Mine effects. Wizards of the Coast is frightfully aware of this fact and has made many cards to compensate by using creatures and enchantments: Priest of Titania, Itlimoc, Cradle of the Sun, Elvish Archdruid, and Circle of Dreams Druid.

Hope this helps clarify my stance!

Joumba on Hydralic Samsara

7 months ago

Thank you for your input Triton, although I think, after your suggestion, that Whiptongue Hydra might be a better cut for Mana Reflection since Gargos, Vicious Watcher does offer pumping and situational removal.

I do play Torment of Hailfire and Exsanguinate, witch are, in my humble opinion, fun to play. To each their own :)

Triton on Hydralic Samsara

7 months ago

I'd honestly only think of Gargos, Vicious Watcher as a potential cut for Mana Reflection. Both ramp and are 6-drops, but the latter imo ramps harder. This is a great list! I assume you don't use Torment of Hailfire and Exsanguinate because they're boring?

TypicalTimmy on Zaren, Silverback Ironfist

10 months ago

I'm currently building the deck centered around the Fight mechanic.

Gargos, Vicious Watcher is going to be a great control punisher, alongside Ruric Thar, the Unbowed to stop non-creature spells from being cast. Although I'll have some myself, that's a small price to pay.

Grothama, All-Devouring would be especially nasty, especially with indestructible. That's a whole lotta card advantage!

You won't get the card advantage off of Apex Altisaur, but indestructible will turn him into a variable wrath and that's just insane. Two +1/+1 counters per creature that it survived? So if there's 7 creatures online, that's 14 +1/+1 counters, making it a 24/24. That could TKO an opponent at mid-game stages!

There's also a few repeatable Fights you can have. Contested Cliffs, unfortunately, may not make the cut ... unless...

Oh and because I am a HUGE fan of secret commanders, Ulrich, Uncontested Alpha  Flip is making the ranks. Repeatable fights on a legendary is too juicy to pass up.

seshiro_of_the_orochi on Syldriel, Prey's Warden

11 months ago

TypicalTimmy: No need for excuses, strong critique is the best friend of growth.

I do get your point. Maybe take a look at the list I provided? The way the deck would work, there isn't to much beyond combat/commander damage as a finisher in the deck, so this being buff actually seems pretty important. It's actually somewhat weak against decks that don't rely on creatures, as in these matchups, it'll just just die to removal over and over, so being a good attacker is a way to still matter in those games.

The way it currently is, it's basically a version of Gargos, Vicious Watcher without the hydra tribal, but with amother added upside that's basically just a tank ability to protect other creatures.

seshiro_of_the_orochi on Syldriel, Prey's Warden

11 months ago

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This is a new design for a Bant commander I came up with.

The deck would be similar to what Grothama, All-Devouring does, but in . The synergy with Gargos, Vicious Watcher is strong, and cards that can change around targets could result in immense board control. IndestructibilitY seems very important. Also, ways to untap lands like Seedborn Muse, Drumbellower and Wilderness Reclamation seem useful to use Sydriel as protection for other creatures.

Do you have ideas for improving the design? Is there anything inherently broken?

I'm actually planning to print this and build the deck, so ideas for synergistic additions are massively appreciated. In case you want to have a look at the current state of the very unfinished deck, here it is:

deck chart

Syldriel, Prey's Warden (Custom Commander)

Commander / EDH* seshiro_of_the_orochi

5 VIEWS | IN 1 FOLDER

seshiro_of_the_orochi on If you're building Chishiro, include …

1 year ago

I have some more: Somehow make Gargos, Vicious Watcher indestructible, then wipe the floor with whole board. Have him wear Blazing Sunsteel and/or Fiendlash and wish everybody a happy death day.

Oh, also wouldn't Cauldron of Souls be quite nice?

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