cEDH Build. Not my list
Get Doomsday in hand, cast it then win through various combo lines (to be added later)
Description
Grenzo, Dungeon Warden has seen many dark days in the ongoing U/T&T meta of cEDH. With the dominance of U decks in mind, this build offers a slight departure from the Primer with a difference of roughly 12-14 cards. This deck has a greater focus on card advantage, recursion and combo protection while maintaining a sufficient amount of interaction. Coincidentally, this package offers better life-total protection by eliminating cards with heavy life-loss requirements, lowering the deck's overall cmc and increasing the creature count (more blockers). The extra creatures also make it easier to find targets for spells such as Diabolic Intent and Culling the Weak as well as ramp/sacrifice outlets like Phyrexian Tower.
The deck runs 12 interaction spells (14 if you include Murderous Redcap and Zealous Conscripts) with an additional 5 protection spells and Cavern of Souls. Many of the interaction/protection spells run in this deck synergize with other spells to create multiple options thereby enabling a variety of extra possibilities/choices. However, even with a decent-sized suite of interaction, the deck doesn't seek to control or set the pace of the game--the deck's goal is to combo as fast as possible and to protect the combo. When examining the interaction spells take note that all the interaction spells act to protect the combo so in reality it could be said that the deck runs 18-20 protection spells/cards.
My take on Grenzo DD is based on a U-heavy meta that can, at times, become grindy and is always extremely heavy on counter-magic and removal but, somewhat light on creatures. Like the Primer(s) this deck's goal is to win by turn 3 but, unlike the Primer(s) this deck has more resilience and can more-effectively play out grindy games or recover from a stopped combo-turn. The addition of creatures such as Dark Confidant, Mindblade Render and Azra Oddsmaker gives the deck extra gas turn on turn which, further improves its ability to grind out games and/or come back from a failed combo-turn.
Grenzo can easily play around many cards that deny the use of lands such as Winter Orb and Back to Basics so often it is best to leave those cards in play as they slow down everyone else more than Grenzo. Conversely, Grenzo can also easily play around cards that shut-off artifacts such as Null Rod, Collector Ouphe and Stony Silence. Moreover, Grenzo doesn't require a board-state of creatures to win (before casting DD) so stax pieces such as Tabernacle are at best annoying and usually inconsequential to Grenzo's game-plan. The stax pieces that need to be removed are the pieces that flat-out stop BOTH of Grenzo's combos or if one combo is already gone, the pieces that stop the remaining combo and those cards are all creatures or artifacts which, is why Chaos Warp was dropped from the deck.
Some of the differences between the two main Primers and this deck are listed here:
Dreadhorde Arcanist - recursion + synergy with Goblin Sledder and Mogg Raider to hit the 2 and 3cmc cards
Mindblade Render - card advantage--especially good if there's a Najeela, the Blade-Blossom in the meta
Azra Oddsmaker - card advantage + discard outlet
Grim Monolith - ramp + metalcraft--this is stored ramp which, makes it useful even with tax cards in play
Prismatic Vista - swamp + shuffle--the deck runs Sensei's Divining Top and Scroll Rack--shuffle effects are our friend
Terminate - kill any creature at instant-speed (speaks for itself)
Imp's Mischief - redirect a spell you can't counter such as Swords/Path
Rending Volley - removes every hate bear that stops Grenzo's combo + removes many of the most-played cEDH commanders
Undying Evil - recursion + ramp if used on a Priest or Dockside w/ sac out + allows for Diabolic Intent or Culling the Weak on Grenzo creating an additional flex slot on a Kiki/Conscripts combo turn
Supernatural Stamina - recursion + ramp if used on a Priest or Dockside w/ sac out + allows for Diabolic Intent or Culling the Weak on Grenzo creating an additional flex slot on a Kiki/Conscripts combo turn
Reanimate - recursion + ramp if used on a Priest or Dockside w/ sac out + cheat in Kiki-Jiki, Mirror Breaker, Zealous Conscripts or Murderous Redcap + steal a creature from an opponent's gy
Phyrexian Tower - ramp + sac out--the additional sac out is especially helpful when you draw into the Priests/Dockside and creature recursion and BB from a Mogg after converting a colorless into BR with Signet is always a bonus
Brand - cEDH U decks run Gilded Drake and Brand is much more efficient than killing/sacrificing Grenzo and recasting him with commander tax + this cycles for 2 turning Imperial Seal and Vampiric Tutor into slightly better Grim Tutors or top-decking a flex card from a DD pile
Wincons:
1) Doomsday
2) Ad Nauseam
3) Necropotence
4) Manual Combo
Doomsday:
If Doomsday is in hand and Grenzo, Dungeon Warden is in play this combo requires 5 mana.
Pile 1 - Priest of Urabrask or Priest of Gix or Overeager Apprentice + Kiki-Jiki, Mirror Breaker + Zealous Conscripts + Mogg Raider or Goblin Sledder + Flex
Pile 2 - Priest of Urabrask or Priest of Gix or Overeager Apprentice + Kiki-Jiki, Mirror Breaker + Skirk Prospector + Murderous Redcap + Metallic Mimic
Note 1: Skirk Prospector, Mogg Raider and Goblin Sledder are interchangeable sac outs for Pile 2 if mana is sufficient that Skirk Prospector isn't needed.
Note 2: In either pile Dockside Extortionist can take the place of Priest of Urabrask, Priest of Gix or Overeager Apprentice assuming opponents control sufficient artifacts/enchantments. In some cases, Dockside Extortionist may make enough Treasures to also eliminate the need for Kiki-Jiki, Mirror Breaker in Pile 2 thereby creating a Flex slot.
Ad Nauseam:
Ad Nauseam requires 5 mana to fire and will draw enough ramp and tutors to allow for a Doomsday or manual combo.
Necropotence:
Necropotence is best on turns 1-2. Set aside 25-30 cards depending on available life-total. Leave 8-10 life for spells/fast mana that require life payment. Sculpt a perfect 7-card hand and win. Necropotence is a risky play.
Manual Combo:
With combo pieces in hand without a discard outlet or Doomsday/Ad Nauseam denied there may be no other option but, to cast one of the combos from hand.
https://archidekt.com/decks/119423#Grenzo,Dungeon_Warden-_Doomsday
*Maybeboard consists of cards that are under evaluation
