Gitrog | Same Frog, Different Ride [Primer]

Commander / EDH Aristocrats Battlecruiser BG (Golgari) Landfall Primer Sacrifice Tempo

AkaAkuma

Land (37)

• 1x Ancient TombGC
• 1x Bojuka Bog
• 1x Boseiju, Who Endures
• 1x Cabal Coffers
• 1x Command Tower
• 1x Dark Depths
• 1x Fabled Passage
• 1x Field of the DeadGC
• 2x Forest
• 2x Forest
• 2x Forest
• 2x Forest
• 1x Golgari Rot Farm
• 1x Llanowar Wastes
• 1x Malakir Rebirth  ^Flip
• 1x Mosswort Bridge
• 1x Phyrexian Tower
• 1x Revitalizing Repast  ^Flip
• 2x Swamp
• 2x Swamp
• 2x Swamp
• 2x Swamp
• 1x Talon Gates of Madara
• 1x Thespian's Stage
• 1x Twilight Mire
• 1x Undergrowth Stadium
• 1x Urborg, Tomb of Yawgmoth
• 1x Verdant Catacombs
• 1x Yavimaya, Cradle of Growth

Game Closers (5)

• 1x Jarad, Golgari Lich Lord
• 1x Psychosis Crawler
• 1x Rampaging Baloths
• 1x Torment of Hailfire
• 1x Vorpal Sword

Acceleration (14)

• 1x Ashaya, Soul of the Wild
• 1x Birds of Paradise
• 1x Elves of Deep Shadow
• 1x Fanatic of Rhonas
• 1x Flare of Cultivation
• 1x Gwenna, Eyes of Gaea
• 1x Heartless Summoning
• 1x Honest Rutstein
• 1x Sakura-Tribe Elder
• 1x Selvala, Heart of the Wilds
• 1x Spelunking
• 1x Tireless Provisioner
• 1x Wayward Swordtooth
• 1x Wight of the Reliquary

Removal (13)

• 1x Assassin's Trophy
• 1x Bane of Progress
• 1x Collective Resistance
• 1x Contest of Claws
• 1x Culling Ritual
• 1x Exsanguinate
• 1x Find / Finality
• 1x Force of Despair
• 1x Inscription of Abundance
• 1x Living Death
• 1x Tear Asunder
• 1x Toxic Deluge
• 1x Will of the Abzan

Card Manipulation (6)

• 1x Kona, Rescue Beastie
• 1x Outcaster Trailblazer
• 1x Rishkar's Expertise
• 1x Shakedown Heavy
• 1x Skullclamp
• 1x The Great Henge

Commander (1)

Protection / Reanimation (14)

• 1x Agonasaur Rex
• 1x Archpriest of Shadows
• 1x Frenzied Baloth
• 1x Gift of the Viper
• 1x Gyome, Master Chef
• 1x Heroic Intervention
• 1x Junji, the Midnight Sky
• 1x Obscuring Haze
• 1x Saryth, the Viper's Fang
• 1x Smuggler's Surprise
• 1x Spinner of Souls
• 1x Supernatural Stamina
• 1x Victimize
• 1x Xu-Ifit, Osteoharmonist

Power Matters (10)

• 1x Avenger of Zendikar
• 1x Ghalta, Primal Hunger
• 1x Invigorate
• 1x Mossborn Hydra
• 1x Ob Nixilis, the Fallen
• 1x Railway Brawler
• 1x Scythecat Cub
• 1x Springheart Nantuko
• 1x The Skullspore Nexus
• 1x Zopandrel, Hunger Dominus

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Maybeboard

Considering (27)

• 1x Abrupt Decay
• 1x Activated Sleeper
• 1x Arcane Signet
• 1x Birthing Ritual
• 1x Broken Bond
• 1x Crop RotationGC
• 1x Cultivator Colossus
• 1x Darkbore Pathway  ^Flip
• 1x Ezuri's Predation
• 1x Greater Good
• 1x Greensleeves, Maro-Sorcerer
• 1x Horizon Explorer
• 1x In Garruk's Wake
• 1x Kodama of the East Tree
• 1x Maelstrom Pulse
• 1x Mightform Harmonizer
• 1x Nowhere to Run
• 1x Ojer Kaslem, Deepest Growth  ^Flip
• 1x Rot-Curse Rakshasa
• 1x Scale Up
• 1x Scute Swarm
• 1x Sol Ring
• 1x Sylvan Safekeeper
• 1x Undying Malice
• 1x Veil of Summer
• 1x Vines of Vastwood
• 1x Wall of Blood

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Introduction - Same frog. Different ride. Endless appetite.

The Gitrog, Ravenous Ride has long served as one of the Game Closers in my deck Reyhan&Ishai | Unstoppable Meet Immovable [Primer]. There, the combination of Gitrog's absurd card draw and land acceleration in combination with Reyhan, Last of the Abzan *f-etch* ability to redistribute sacrificed power across the board creates a synergy that almost always seals the game by the following turn.

But Gitrog’s absurd “Golgari mount-based land acceleration” strategy felt far too explosive to remain just a creature in the 99. That idea demanded its own deck — and thus, this build was born.

A Ravenous Ride on Gitrog Lore Show

Once, The Gitrog Monster dwelled in Lake Zhava, feasting on anything that drifted too close — land, beast, or unlucky fisherman. When Emrakul, the Promised End touched Innistrad, the creature twisted into something utterly alien, only to shed those mutations by the time of the Phyrexian invasion.

When the machines came, Gitrog rose from the lake and smashed through Thraben, rescuing Thalia, Guardian of Thraben from a horde of Phyrexians. Recognizing opportunity, Thalia and The Gitrog Monster go on a short partnership of convenience, hunger, and devastation.

When the Omenpaths opened, the frog followed the scent of new prey and thundered into Thunder Junction. Now bound to a necrotic steed — or perhaps the steed is bound to it — the monster rides again, devouring all that stands before it.

Unlike her previous incarnation - the patient and ponderous The Gitrog Monster - this Gitrog has long since ditched her Thalia and does not wait to draw cards through land sacrifice; she demands tribute immediately and tramples across the table before you can blink.

Where The Gitrog Monster consumed through decay, Ravenous Ride consumes through conquest.

This primer explores a fast, ramp-hungry, power-matters Golgari shell, where every swing with Gitrog triggers a landfall eruption that turns momentum into victory.

Strategy Overview

The deck blends Power Matters, Landfall Ramp, and Mount/Saddle Aristocrat mechanics for explosive tempo plays. It aims to reach critical mass around Turn 4–5, where Gitrog turns one swing into a battlefield flood.

Aristocrats Show

Aristocrats is a term born when creatures as Cartel Aristocrat and Falkenrath Aristocrat came to existence. It is a strategy where low-costed creatures are sacrificed so greater effects can be made.

Deck’s Core Identity

What makes this deck different?

• Speed Through Power – Every high-power creature (e.g., Wayward Swordtooth, Marit Lage, Shakedown Heavy) feeds Gitrog’s land-dropping effect.

• Landfall Storms – Cards like Rampaging Baloths, Avenger of Zendikar, or Field of the DeadGC snowball from Gitrog’s ability.

• Combat-to-Ramp Conversion – Instead of tapping lands, we swing to generate more of them.

• Surprise Endgames – With a full board and graveyard synergy, Torment of Hailfire, Jarad, Golgari Lich Lord, or Vorpal Sword can close out fast.

Deck Strengths

• Explosive Acceleration — Gitrog can easily double your land count by Turn 5.

• Huge Swing Threats — Saddle targets like Ghalta, Primal Hunger make Gitrog absurdly fast.

• Landfall Flexibility — Works with any landfall wincon.

• Graveyard Resilience — Being in Golgari means recursion is baked in.

• Hybrid Win Paths — Combat, drain, or landstorm — take your pick.

Deck Weaknesses

• Creature Dependence — Lose your saddle target, lose your momentum.

• Graveyard Hate Hurts — Rest in Peace or Bojuka Bog can stall recovery lines.

• Weak to Fog / Bounce — A well-timed Settle the Wreckage ruins your rhythm.

• Card Draw Reliance on Synergy — Without landfall or power scaling, you can gas out.

The Ride to Power

Gitrog decks thrive on momentum. This one is no exception — but instead of drawing cards, we convert raw power into land advantage.

Early Game (Turns 1–3)

Goal: Ramp hard and find your saddle.

• Birds of Paradise, Elves of Deep Shadow — get your mana online.

• Fanatic of Rhonas / Heartless Summoning — the turn-two dream.

• Wayward Swordtooth / Outcaster Trailblazer — Gitrog’s best early mounts.

• Flare of Cultivation, Gwenna, Eyes of Gaea, Selvala, Heart of the Wilds — early ramp spells still matter.

Sample Line: • Turn 2 Fanatic → Turn 3 Outcaster → Turn 4 Gitrog — swing, drop 2–4 lands, set up the “post-combat landfall storm.”

Mid Game (Turns 4–6)

Goal: Convert power into explosive value.

Cards like:

• Rampaging Baloths or Avenger of Zendikar for massive landfall.

• Psychosis Crawler to weaponize your draws.

• Ghalta, Primal Hunger to enable all power-matter strategies.

• Zopandrel, Hunger Dominus for a “double-up” swing turn.

Late Game (Turns 7+)

At this point, the deck has either:

• A dominating board state through landfall tokens or trampling power; or

• Enough mana to drain the table with Jarad, Golgari Lich Lord, Exsanguinate or Torment of Hailfire.

• From here, even “overkill” cards like Vorpal Sword become realistic finishers.

Winning Conditions

Primary Game Closers

• Rampaging Baloths Overwhelm with beasts.

• Psychosis Crawler Turn each draw into life loss.

• Jarad, Golgari Lich Lord Sacrifice for lethal drain.

• Torment of Hailfire Classic Golgari endgame.

• Vorpal Sword Tag, your dead. It also insures Gitrog's ability to trigger.

Combo & Synergy Lines

The Gitrog, Ravenous Ride doesn’t rely on infinites — it wins through momentum-fueled explosions. Each of these interactions turns a single swing into a chain reaction of value.

• Kona, Rescue Beastie + Gitrog Without sacrificing Kona, Gitrog can tap her to Saddle, securing a guaranteed permanent drop in your second main. Which includes lands.

• Invigorate + Gitrog A zero-mana “draw four, play four additional lands”. Buff rider, hit face, and explode your board post-combat. Or buff frog, hit harder. A perfect storm between aggression and ramp.

• Dark Depths + Thespian's Stage A timeless Golgari classic. Copy Depths with Stage, make a 20/20 flying indestructible Marit Lage, and either Saddle it up or leave it on guard duty. Because sometimes, one frog isn’t enough.

• Gift of the Viper / Saryth, the Viper's Fang / Vorpal Sword These ensure Gitrog always connects. Deathtouch, menace, and one-shot effects make her damage unavoidable — and the resulting landfall avalanche unstoppable.

• Greater Good + Psychosis Crawler Sacrifice Gitrog (or another powerhouse), draw a fistful of cards, drain the table.

• Zopandrel, Hunger Dominus Double all power, swing for ludicrous damage and drown in extra land drops.

Notable Exclusions

• While potentially explosive and widely advertised with other Gitrog decks, i tried to move away from cards like Yargle and Multani, Daemogoth Titan or Phyrexian Soulgorger. Certainly a hit in the right situation, a bust otherwise. • (non-land) Tutors. I believe we can do without.

Power Level Estimate

Bracket 3: Strong early to mid-game given you can hold momentum. High-variance explosiveness. Perfect for mid-to-high casual pods that appreciate fast setups but no oppressive loops.

Help me on this journey toward high powered frog edh, every bit of feedback is appreciated!

Date added	11 months
Last updated	8 months
Legality	This deck is Commander / EDH legal.
Rarity (main - side)	15 - 0 Mythic Rares 51 - 0 Rares 12 - 0 Uncommons 6 - 0 Commons
Cards	100
Avg. CMC	3.51
Tokens	Beast 4/4 G, City's Blessing, Copy Clone, Fanatic of Rhonas 4/4 B, Food, Fungus Dinosaur, Insect 1/1 G, Marit Lage, Plant 0/1 G, Plot, Treasure, Zombie 2/2 B