Meren Surgical Toolbox [cEDH 2K23] (Commander / EDH MTG Deck)

Meren Surgical Toolbox [cEDH 2K23]

Commander / EDH BG (Golgari) Combo Reanimator

Ardees

Creature (31)

Artifact (8)

Land (30)

Enchantment (9)

Commander (1)

Sorcery (11)

Instant (10)

Maybeboard

Instant (3)

Land (2)

Enchantment (3)

Creature (1)

1x Endurance

Sorcery (2)

SNAPSHOT

Updated to November 2022.
Protean Hulk-based deck relying on Mikaeus, the Unhallowed + Walking Ballista combo.
Meant to win in early-mid game.
Has a wide spectrum of answers against all colors, including an answer (Riftsweeper) to combo pieces exile.

GAMEPLAN

The goal is to have Protean Hulk die and tutor for Mikaeus, the Unhallowed and Walking Ballista plus any infinite sac outlet (Viscera Seer, Carrion Feeder, Phyrexian Altar, Ashnod's Altar).
An opening hand should have some tutor to help you tutoring Protean Hulk or enablers, for instance Entomb, Unmarked Grave, Natural Order, Pattern of Rebirth.
You want to disrupt your opponent in the process. Expect plenty of early artifacts in optimized and competitive decks. The deck has a reasonable amount of answers to that, for instance Collector Ouphe, Manglehorn, Reclamation Sage, Caustic Caterpillar, Force of Vigor.
The deck provide answers to every inconvenience towards your goal: vs. generic permanent (Assassin's Trophy), vs. creature (Ravenous Chupacabra, Plaguecrafter), vs. counterspells (Veil of Summer, Mindslicer, Allosaurus Shepherd, Cavern of Souls), graveyard hate (Dauthi Voidwalker), vs. tutoring (Opposition Agent), vs. combo pieces removals (Riftsweeper). The deck runs 18 tutors, thus tutoring answers should be relatively easy.
Protean Hulk is the most important card in the deck. The deck's synergy gravitates around it. It is important not to leave it exposed to exile spells (e.g., Swords to Plowshares, Path to Exile, Reality Shift, etc.). Sylvan Safekeeper can help you cope with that.

MAIN STRATEGY: INFINITE DAMAGE COMBO LINE

Step 1. The goal is to have Mikaeus, the Unhallowed + Walking Ballista + any free sac outlet on the battlefield. Note that Mikaeus, the Unhallowed + Walking Ballista alone does not trigger infinite damage. The most common and efficient way to achieve this goal is having Protean Hulk's death ability trigger.
Step 2. Once Protean Hulk's ability resolves, tutor for Body Snatcher and either Viscera Seer or Carrion Feeder and Sylvan Safekeeper (in case combo pieces are targeted in the process). Sacrifice Body Snatcher in response to its ETB ability if you have no creature cards in hand, or if you do not wish to discard the creature in your hand. You don't want to tutor for Mikaeus, the Unhallowed and Walking Ballista without having a free sac outlet yet.
Step 3. Reanimate Protean Hulk through Body Snatcher's LTB ability.
Step 4. Sacrifice Protean Hulk with your available sac outlet (Viscera Seer/Carrion Feeder), and tutor for Mikaeus, the Unhallowed + Walking Ballista .
Step 5. Now you have a free sac outlet and Mikaeus, the Unhallowed + Walking Ballista , so you can initiate the infinite damage combo.

If you end up with either Protean Hulk or Mikaeus, the Unhallowed stuck in your hand, Body Snatcher is the card you need to look for. Play Body Snatcher, let ETB ability resolves to discard Protean Hulk or Mikaeus, the Unhallowed, then sac it to reanimate either.

If any of your combo pieces are exiled, find a way to tutor for Riftsweeper, and reshuffle combo pieces into your deck.

SECONDARY STRATEGY: HAND STEAL AND REMOVAL LOCKDOWN LINE

Step 1. If the main infinite damage combo line is unavailable (e.g., Walking Ballista or Mikaeus, the Unhallowed and Riftsweeper are exiled), the backup strategy is exploiting the synergy between Mindslicer and Dauthi Voidwalker. The goal is having both on the battlefield, which is easily achieved by sacrificing Protean Hulk once.
Step 2. Once Protean Hulk ability resolves, tutor for Mindslicer and Dauthi Voidwalker. Have any sac outlet available on the battlefield.
Step 3. Sacrifice Mindslicer, exile all of your opponents' hands through Dauthi Voidwalker. You can now cast cards exiled for free, gaining a virtually game-winning advantage. Having Meren of Clan Nel Toth on the battlefield, and at least two experience counters, enable you to play cards exiled with Dauthi Voidwalker once for each of your turns (also during opponents' turns).

BACK-UP STRATEGY: ELVES AGGRO LINE

It is usually a good line to follow after Mindslicer and Dauthi Voidwalker, but it can come up independently in late games. If the infinite combo line is somehow unavailable, tutor for Allosaurus Shepherd and start beating your opponents with its 2nd ability by transforming your elves into 5/5 creatures. The deck runs a total of 10 elves, most of which can be tutored by killing Protean Hulk once. It is very unlikely that you'll ever follow this game strategy but it's something viable in a late game where strategies from all players have been disrupted.

Suggestions

Updates Add

Major Updates — Nov. 17, 2022

Edit

This deck has seen plenty of changes, but I feel it has reach the power cap in terms of how competitive it can gets. All changes are either swapping overall better cards that come our during expansions, or providing a more solid answer to the current cEDH meta.

In Haywire Mite ---> our Caustic Caterpillar: just a better card, if not the best art/ench creature removal out there.
In Null Rod ---> out Fiend Artisan: adding another response to the current Tresures and mana rocks dominated meta. Fiend artisan, while a sac outlet and a tutor, has resulted in being way too slow as a card and easily counterable (e.g., Opposition Agent, Aven Mindcensor).
In Culling Ritual ---> out Seeds of Innocence: while I do still think that Seeds is the best mass removal for artifacts out there for a Golgari deck, culling ritual's mana ability may result in a game-winning synergy when paired with Protean Hulk in hand and a sac outlet. It also removed general non-artifact stack pieces such as Drannith Magistrate, Hushbringer, Rest in Piece, and so forth.
In Utopia Sprawl ---> our Arcane Signet: tough choice, but given the current anti-artifact set up of the deck, best is to rely on traditional green ramp cards.
In Mirri's Guile ---> out Force of Vigor: the latter is a really solid card, but more of a 1v1 card than a multiplayer card. It certainly manages to block an opponent down in early game or remove stax pieces to go for a combo, but it's a high risk since, if countered, it essentially removes a card from your hand and gets you 2 cards less in total. Mirri's Guile provides a much needed way to manipulate top deck to avoid drawing into Mikaeus or Phyrexian Delver while also helping draw into cards that are needed.

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Revision 72 See all

(2 months ago)

+1	Culling Ritual	main
-1	Darkbore Pathway ^Flip	main
+1	Earthcraft	maybe
-1	Force of Vigor	main
+1	Grim Flayer	maybe
+2	Mirri's Guile	main
+1	Nature's Claim	maybe
+1	Null Rod	main
+1	Squirrel Nest	maybe
+1	Urza's Saga	maybe
+2	Utopia Sprawl	main
+1	Wooded Foothills	main

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Date added	8 years
Last updated	3 weeks
Key combos	Mikaeus, the Unhallowed + Walking Ballista
Legality	This deck is Commander / EDH legal.
Rarity (main - side)	12 - 0 Mythic Rares 50 - 0 Rares 20 - 0 Uncommons 12 - 0 Commons
Cards	100
Avg. CMC	1.87
Tokens	Day, Experience Token, Night
Folders	Random, EDH, EDH Deck Ideas, Uncategorized, EDH Decks, reference, commander, Decks, Commander Deck to test, Meren / Mazirek EDH, See all 11
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