The Meanest Hug

Commander / EDH Group Hug Group Slug Phelddagrif

ThoreaulyRed

Land (35)

• 1x Command Tower
• 1x Crumbling Necropolis
• 1x Exotic Orchard
• 1x Forest
• 1x Grove of the Burnwillows
• 1x Hallowed Fountain
• 1x Island
• 1x Jungle Shrine
• 1x Ketria Triome
• 1x Mana Confluence
• 1x Misty Rainforest
• 1x Mountain
• 1x Nomad Outpost
• 1x Plains
• 1x Prismatic Vista
• 1x Rainbow Vale
• 1x Raugrin Triome
• 1x Reliquary Tower
• 1x Scalding Tarn
• 1x Shivan Reef
• 1x Silent Clearing
• 1x Steam Vents
• 1x Stomping Ground
• 1x Sunbaked Canyon
• 1x Swamp
• 1x Temple Garden
• 1x The World Tree
• 1x Thriving Bluff
• 1x Thriving Grove
• 1x Thriving Heath
• 1x Thriving Isle
• 1x Thriving Moor
• 1x Training Center
• 1x Undergrowth Stadium
• 1x Windswept Heath

Instant (2)

• 1x Heliod's Intervention
• 1x Rakdos Charm

Creature (25)

• 1x Blim, Comedic Genius
• 1x Braids, Conjurer Adept
• 1x Chandra's Incinerator
• 1x Dryad of the Ilysian Grove
• 1x Fate Unraveler
• 1x Ghen, Arcanum Weaver
• 1x Gluntch, the Bestower *f-etch*
• 1x Hedron-Field Purists
• 1x Kami of the Crescent Moon
• 1x Kwain, Itinerant Meddler
• 1x Kynaios and Tiro of Meletis
• 1x Leyline Tyrant
• 1x Magus of the Mirror
• 1x Nekusar, the Mindrazer *f-etch*
• 1x Phelddagrif
• 1x Quakebringer
• 1x Questing Phelddagrif
• 1x Selvala, Explorer Returned
• 1x Silent Arbiter
• 1x Stormfist Crusader
• 1x Tamanoa
• 1x Torbran, Thane of Red Fell
• 1x Xyris, the Writhing Storm
• 1x Yurlok of Scorch Thrash
• 1x Zedruu the Greathearted *f-etch*

Artifact (12)

• 1x Arcane Signet
• 1x Black Vise
• 1x Chromatic Lantern
• 1x Coalition Relic
• 1x Folio of Fancies
• 1x Font of Mythos
• 1x Ghirapur Orrery
• 1x Horizon Stone
• 1x Horn of Greed
• 1x Howling Mine
• 1x Library of Leng
• 1x Sol Ring

Commander (1)

Enchantment (18)

• 1x Cindervines
• 1x Descent into Avernus
• 1x Exploration
• 1x Fiery Emancipation
• 1x Malignant Growth
• 1x Mana Flare
• 1x Manabarbs
• 1x Overabundance
• 1x Pariah
• 1x Personal Sanctuary
• 1x Power Surge
• 1x Rites of Flourishing
• 1x Roiling Vortex
• 1x Smuggler's Share
• 1x Solitary Confinement
• 1x Sphere of Safety
• 1x War's Toll
• 1x Worship

Sorcery (5)

• 1x All Hallow's Eve
• 1x Hypergenesis
• 1x Reforge the Soul
• 1x Supreme Verdict
• 1x Wheel of Fortune

Planeswalker (2)

• 1x Jace, Wielder of Mysteries
• 1x Kiora, the Crashing Wave

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Maybeboard

Sorcery (1)

• 1x Eureka

Enchantment (1)

• 1x Enduring Renewal

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Golos was the commander, though I tired of his generic qualities and replaced him with Garth. It could just as easily be Kenrith, particularly in a 4-player game, since he's so good at politics; I mostly play duel, and I have another Kenrith deck (also listed here). The theme of the deck is a painful group hug; I wanted to do something novel with Phelddagrifs, and the result is a deck that gives everybody endless cards, mana, etc, while at the same time damaging them, because it's like a combination of Nekusar and Yurlok decks. But 5-color and with the friendliest creatures ever. Obviously I also employ a bit of a pillow fort strategy, but not overwhelmingly so. Ideally, nobody knows if they love or hate you at any given moment, but unlike other Group Hug decks, it aims to end the game and by a method other than everybody milling. Also unlike Group Hug, it's suitable for 2-player, which is why I like it.

Cards are divided between Hugs, Hurts, and Helps.

Hugs: All Hallow's Eve, Braids, Folio of Fancies, Font of Mythos, Grove of the Burnwillows, Hypergenesis, Kami of the Crescent Moon, Kwain, Kynaios and Tiro, Malignant Growth (also a hurt), Nekusar (also a hurt), Rainbow Vale, Overabundance (also hurt), Phelddagrif and its Questing cousin, Mana Flare (a hurt with Yurlok) Reforge the Soul, Rites of Flourishing, Selvala, Stormfist Crusader (minor hurt), Howling Mine, Horn of Greed, Wheel of Fortune, Xyris, Yurlock (big hurt), Zedruu, Descent into Avernus (and a hurt), Ghirapur Orrery, Blim (a hurt too), and Gluntch. This deck is very friendly.

Hurts: Black Vise, Blim (see above), Chandra's Incinerator, Cindervines, Fate Unraveler, Fiery Emancipation, Magus of the Mirror, Manabarbs, Nekusar (a help!), Overabundance (help), Power Surge, Quakebringer, Rakdos Charm, Roiling Vortex, Stormfist (a minor hurt), Torbran, War's Toll, Yurlok (and a helper), Descent into Avernus (ditto). This deck hurts a lot. Note that all the card draw it gives opponents can easily mill, so it might be a hurt, but that's not the intention. I find mill boring.

Helps: Divided into things that keep you alive and the things that help the strategy.

        Keep you alive: Hedron-Field Purists, Heliod's Intervention (also good removal), Horizon Stone (necessary with all that extra mana you might get burned by), Kiora, Leyline Tyrant (see Horizon Stone), Magus of the Mirror (big hurt too), Pariah, Personal Sanctuary, Silent Arbiter, Solitary Confinement, Sphere of Safety, Tamanoa, Jace, Worship all either keep you from dying or keep you from being damaged by your own effects (including accidentally decking yourself in the case of Jace; again, not the goal). Library of Leng and Reliquary Tower keeps you from needing to discard. Ghen helps you get enchantments back when they're removed or you have to discard them. Supreme Verdict is to be used if the board gets out of control; use wisely, it's your only wipe.

        Bread & Butter help: Arcane Signet, Chromatic Lantern, Coalition Relic, Dryad of Ilysian Grove, Exploration, Garth, Ghen, Smuggler's Share, Sol Ring. All are either for mana or keep you ahead or are generically useful (Garth & Ghen).

Best cards to give away with Zedruu and Blim: anything with a global effect, including Descent into Avernus, Font of Mythos, Ghirapur Orrery, Horn of Greed, Howling Mine, Mana Flare, Manabarbs, Overabundance, Power Surge, Rites of Flourishing. There's a number of creatures that make for good gifts, but be careful; there's many ways people can sacrifice them or attack with them. Silent Arbiter isn't a bad option if you're sure they can't get rid of it.

Date added	2 years
Last updated	1 year
Legality	This deck is Commander / EDH legal.
Rarity (main - side)	12 - 0 Mythic Rares 67 - 0 Rares 8 - 0 Uncommons 7 - 0 Commons
Cards	100
Avg. CMC	3.41
Tokens	1/1 G Creature Hippo, Copy Clone, Emblem Kiora, the Crashing Wave, Kraken 9/9 U, Snake 1/1 G, Treasure