Help me to build a bracket 3 combo deck
Commander (EDH) forum
Posted on May 4, 2025, 8:23 p.m. by Felipix
I really, really, want to build an casual bracket 3 combo deck, with a real focus in doing the combo, and I really like to go the control way. Here's a briefing so you can help me
I would like an (at least) blue black deck (it could include another color but it max 3 colors
bracket 3 so I can pick it in most given situations
I want it to be combo focused but with a control shell
I don't like the idea of people getting salty about my stuff
Thanks all the help
The attitude towards combos in Bracket three is basically that no one should be comboing off until turn 7 at the earliest. The wording specifically says no "2-card" combos before turn 7, which in a technical sense means that 3+ card combos before that could be alright, but the attitude for bracket 3 is that games shouldn't be ending too quickly.
So if you are aiming to build a dedicated combo deck for bracket 3, you kind of have to hinder yourself a bit to make sure that you aren't threatening to combo off too soon. Some ways that you can do that are:
- Use combo pieces with high mana values that you will only be able to cast later in the game.
- Reduce your consistency in being able to achieve your combos by limiting your ability to tutor for pieces or run combos that require more than two cards.
- Run combos that also require one or two specific board state conditions that need to be achieved before the combo can really go off.
Beyond those basic guidelines, I'd need either the commander that you would like to run or the specific flavor of control you prefer to be able to suggest more specific options. Do you like running few creatures and lots of board wipes? Lots of counterspells? Creating engines that let you use repeatable removal effects? Hate bear effects that deny opponents options?
May 4, 2025 10:23 p.m.
I don't think I want to play stax, and the idea off playing a bunch removal and boardwipe seems funny.
About bracket 3 I think it's about control the game till turn 7ish so I can pull off the combo safely
May 5, 2025 3:38 p.m.
Crow_Umbra says... #5
"the idea off playing a bunch removal and boardwipe seems funny" and "I don't like the idea of people getting salty about my stuff" are kinda opposing thoughts. If you are planning on leaning heavily into playing a lot of removal and board wipes, then be prepared for people getting salty.
I'd recommend checking out Anhelo, the Painter as an option for combo/control that you might be looking for. His need for sacrificial bodies for Casualty helps put some balance limit on him.
May 5, 2025 4:09 p.m.
Yeah, I agree with Crow_Umbra. Slowing the game down with a bunch of wrath spells is going to get at least some of your opponents salty. If that's acceptable to you though, an option that pops to mind for me is Oloro, Ageless Ascetic.
- Lends itself well to a deck with a bunch of wraths because it can do something while still in the command zone.
- The deck can focus around planeswalkers and/or enchantments so you aren't as affected by your own wraths.
- Sanguine Bond and Exquisite Blood can be your main combo.
- Something like Virtue of Persistence is early removal and a potential late-game win condition by reanimating your opponents' dead creatures to use against them.
- Idyllic Tutor isn't on the Game Changers list but is still a good tutor to help you find your combo.
The downside is that it isn't exactly the cheapest deck to build if you don't already have a bunch of the cards.
May 5, 2025 5:21 p.m.
What kind of combo are you looking for?
Lock combos (something like Teferi's Puzzle Box + Notion Thief or Arcane Laboratory + Knowledge Pool) are pretty close to Stax and tend to lead to saltiness, but are as control-combo as you can get.
Instant win combos (Duskmantle Guildmage + Mindcrank or Exquisite Blood + Sanguine Bond, for example) end the game fast, but need to be supported a little more, especially if the pieces don't do much by themselves.
"Open-ended" non-infinite combos (Rona, Tolarian Obliterator Flip + Pestilence + Body of Knowledge) are the least salt-inducing, as long as you can finish them in a reasonable time, but they might not close out the game.
May 5, 2025 5:43 p.m. Edited.
I think I'm gonna like more playing with open-ended combos
May 13, 2025 4:03 p.m.
Here's a few idea pitches off the top of my head:
Marchesa, the Black Rose or Don Andres, the Renegade
theft: survives removal and board wipes easily, saltiness depends on how much your pod likes having their stuff taken away
Xavier Sal, Infested Captain combo: non-infinite combo options like Intruder Alarm or Corpsejack Menace, generally low salt
Yarok, the Desecrated blink value: lots of directions to build in, plenty of control options
That Rona, Tolarian Obliterator Flip combo I mentioned: dump your deck for per card
Vren, the Relentless sacrifice: wants lots of removal, flexible win con
If one of those looks interesting, go ahead and use it as a base.
Crow_Umbra says... #2
Are there specific types of control that you're interested in? For example, are you interested in something like Edict effects? Maybe splashing white for stax & tax effects?
I'd suggest checking out the EDHRec pages for control & combo focused commanders for some ideas. You might also notice some overlap on options across both pages.
In terms of making a deck a Bracket 3, that's up to you in terms of which Game Changers or other criteria you want included. The only way certain commanders can likely be a "baseline 3" is if they are on the Game Changer list already, like Kinnan, Bonder ProdigyGC, for example.
Also in regards to "I don't like the idea of people getting salty about my stuff", there is always a non-zero chance that whoever you play with might not like your deck for some reason. The type of combos or control you decide on might be considered more salty than others, and that varies from player to player. Your decks always have potential to be salty to someone.
May 4, 2025 9:03 p.m.