Exploring Five Popular Monocolored Combos in Commander

<p style="text-align: right;"><em><span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="The Ooze" href="#" target="_blank">The Ooze</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> | Art by <a href="https://www.google.com/goto?url=CAESXAE7q4ylgrDndMy7-0pSw2P5G07CzMmmtrVtGATw4BW1Qx5QpkbUyDAcf9CLf62I3X66R-fWA205Od1Wrq5L7Fw8bTpQD3r7WybBwEAqeQv1CBZAxjmjyL_XQnh0" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Gabriel Tanko</a></em></p>
<p>I'm back with this series, and this time we're finding five different ways to use <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="The Ooze" href="#" target="_blank">The Ooze</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> from <a href="https://edhrec.com/sets/tmt" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><em>Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles</em></a>. It's a unique card for sure, creating <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Mutagen" href="#" target="_blank">Mutagen</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> artifact tokens when creatures with +1/+1 counters die. You can tap it to exile a card from a graveyard, and make a Mutagen token when you do.</p>
<div class="edhrecp__cards"><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="The Ooze"></div><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Mutagen"></div></div>
<p>It's versatile, and potentially strong, but to be honest I'm not sure where it will be best. Luckily, this series is all about exploring options, so let's see what we've got!</p>
<h2>The Jankiest Use for <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="The Ooze" href="#" target="_blank">The Ooze</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span></h2>
<p><span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="The Ooze" href="#" target="_blank">The Ooze</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> will mostly find itself in +1/+1 counter decks, and therefore probably green decks. That means 90% of the time, the most valuable ability will be the first one, creating a token when creatures with counters leaves the battlefield. But what if there's a mono-red commander that cares about exiling cards from graveyards? That commander would be <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Laelia, the Blade Reforged" href="#" target="_blank">Laelia, the Blade Reforged</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span>.</p>
<div class="edhrecp__cards"><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Laelia, the Blade Reforged"></div></div>
<p>At first, <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="The Ooze" href="#" target="_blank">The Ooze</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> seems like a weird pick in a deck that's all about impulse draw, like <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Reckless Impulse" href="#" target="_blank">Reckless Impulse</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span>. But on closer inspection, <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="The Ooze" href="#" target="_blank">The Ooze</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> has a lot to offer. It can trigger Laelia consistently by exiling cards from our graveyard, and it effectively doubles the amount of counters put on her if we pay one to activate the <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Mutagen" href="#" target="_blank">Mutagen</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> token. It even gives us a small consolation prize if Laelia is taken out!</p>
<p><span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="The Ooze" href="#" target="_blank">The Ooze</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> is simply a <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Relic of Progenitus" href="#" target="_blank">Relic of Progenitus</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> with upsides in this deck, and is totally worth playing here, even if it's not there for the main ability.</p>
<h2>The Most Evil Use</h2>
<p>Cards that care about +1/+1 counters aren't usually evil, but this one might actually be criminal. Literally! The Ooze is a crime committing machine, giving us a way to commit crimes twice a turn (by exiling a card from an opponent's graveyard, and if we exiled a creature, we use the Mutagen gained to add a counter to an opponent's creature).</p>
<div class="edhrecp__cards"><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Lazav, Familiar Stranger"></div></div>
<p>If we pair it with <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Lazav, Familiar Stranger" href="#" target="_blank">Lazav, Familiar Stranger</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span>, we can trigger him over and over. <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="The Ooze" href="#" target="_blank">The Ooze</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> is incredibly synergistic with this commander, doubling Lazav's graveyard hate and giving us the opportunity to make him much bigger. Yes, to commit a crime with the <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Mutagen" href="#" target="_blank">Mutagen</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> tokens we have to put a +1/+1 counter on one of our opponent's creatures - something that's not very evil - but <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Lazav, Familiar Stranger" href="#" target="_blank">Lazav, Familiar Stranger</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> decks tend to run a ton of removal, so it's more like we're giving our opponents false hope.</p>
<p>Heck, we could even make deals with the +1/+1 counters, then negate our concessions with <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Doom Blade" href="#" target="_blank">Doom Blade</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span>. Now that's cruel!</p>
<h2><span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="The Ooze" href="#" target="_blank">The Ooze</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span>'s Best Combo</h2>
<p><span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="The Ooze" href="#" target="_blank">The Ooze</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span>, like almost everything, combos very easily with <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Ashnod&#039;s Altar" href="#" target="_blank">Ashnod&#039;s Altar</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span>. It's not a two-card combo, but if we toss in any card that makes some extra tokens, like <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Chatterfang, Squirrel General" href="#" target="_blank">Chatterfang, Squirrel General</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span>, then we've got a very potent infinite combo.</p>
<p>As soon as you sacrifice a creature with a +1/+1 counter on it, the Ooze will trigger and make a <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Mutagen" href="#" target="_blank">Mutagen</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> token , which can then be activated with half the mana from <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Ashnod&#039;s Altar" href="#" target="_blank">Ashnod&#039;s Altar</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> to put a +1/+1 counter on the additional <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Squirrel" href="#" target="_blank">Squirrel</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span>. Boom, now we've got infinite colorless mana.</p>
<p>It's honestly a spectacular group of cards, because <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Ashnod&#039;s Altar" href="#" target="_blank">Ashnod&#039;s Altar</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> is already great in a Chatterfang deck. And if you've got a bit of a +1/+1 counter theme going, maybe with <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Tribute to the World Tree" href="#" target="_blank">Tribute to the World Tree</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> style cards, then <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="The Ooze" href="#" target="_blank">The Ooze</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> is a great addition as well. An easy combo with a big payoff.</p>
<div class="edhrecp__cards"><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="The Ooze"></div><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Ashnod&#039;s Altar"></div><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Chatterfang, Squirrel General"></div></div>
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<h2>The Most Competitive Deck for <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="The Ooze" href="#" target="_blank">The Ooze</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span></h2>
<p>It took me a while to decide on this one because there are a ton of great places for <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="The Ooze" href="#" target="_blank">The Ooze</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span>, but <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Fain, the Broker" href="#" target="_blank">Fain, the Broker</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> is simply the most synergistic. Pretty much everything that Fain cares about, <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="The Ooze" href="#" target="_blank">The Ooze</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> also cares about. We sacrifice a creature to Fain, and if it had counters, we make a <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Mutagen" href="#" target="_blank">Mutagen</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> artifact token. We can then sacrifice that token to create an <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Inkling" href="#" target="_blank">Inkling</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> creature token, which we can put more counters on, and sacrifice again to put more counters on things and make more <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Mutagen" href="#" target="_blank">Mutagen</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> tokens, and then use those tokens to put counters on other creatures, and then pull those counters off to make <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Treasure" href="#" target="_blank">Treasure</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span>s, which we can use to activate <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Mutagen" href="#" target="_blank">Mutagen</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> tokens... You get the point.</p>
<p>The goal of Fain decks is simply to activate Fain as much as possible and get a ton of value out of him, and <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="The Ooze" href="#" target="_blank">The Ooze</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> makes even more value, practically doubling Fain's output. Now imagine all that with <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Mirkwood Bats" href="#" target="_blank">Mirkwood Bats</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> on the field! Even the fact that <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="The Ooze" href="#" target="_blank">The Ooze</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> taps is a boon, because Fain decks usually include plenty of ways to untap permanents, like <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Clock of Omens" href="#" target="_blank">Clock of Omens</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span>.</p>
<div class="edhrecp__cards"><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Fain, the Broker"></div><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Mirkwood Bats"></div><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Clock of Omens"></div></div>
<p>Now I'll admit, <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Fain, the Broker" href="#" target="_blank">Fain, the Broker</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> is not the strongest deck ever, and Fain is usually better in the 99 of other decks. You could argue that <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="The Ooze" href="#" target="_blank">The Ooze</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> would be more competitive in a <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Mazirek, Kraul Death Priest" href="#" target="_blank">Mazirek, Kraul Death Priest</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> deck, because Mazirek is just a better commander, but I don't think you can find a deck where <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="The Ooze" href="#" target="_blank">The Ooze</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> has more synergy. It genuinely assists Fain in every possible way.</p>
<h2><span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="The Ooze" href="#" target="_blank">The Ooze</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span>'s Worst Possible Deck</h2>
<p>Now for the most fun part: finding a deck where <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="The Ooze" href="#" target="_blank">The Ooze</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> genuinely makes your game worse if you draw it. Given that the Ooze doesn't have any real downsides, it might be a bit tough, but I'm sure there's some deck that would hate to have this card.</p>
<p>Actually, it was pretty obvious once I started looking for deck that actively avoids +1/+1 counters. <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Mikaeus, the Unhallowed" href="#" target="_blank">Mikaeus, the Unhallowed</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> is a commander that gives all our non-Humans undying, meaning that as long as they don't have a +1/+1 counter on them, when they die, they'll come back to life with a +1/+1 counter.</p>
<div class="edhrecp__cards"><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Mikaeus, the Unhallowed"></div></div>
<p>Half the time the deck is trying to remove those counters, so <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="The Ooze" href="#" target="_blank">The Ooze</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> will barely even trigger, but when it does, it's just gonna create a <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Mutagen" href="#" target="_blank">Mutagen</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> token that we absolutely don't want to activate, because they'll prevent our creatures from recurring. Honestly, it'd be really funny to play <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="The Ooze" href="#" target="_blank">The Ooze</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> against a Mikaeus deck, because we'd absolutely wreck that deck's game plan.</p>
<h2>Oozing Out Of Here</h2>
<p>Well that's four great places to use <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="The Ooze" href="#" target="_blank">The Ooze</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span>, and one way to stop another player's fun completely. <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="The Ooze" href="#" target="_blank">The Ooze</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> is a relatively new card, so I know I missed some cool interactions, but hopefully I found a few that you hadn't thought of before.</p>
<p>And if you think you've got any better picks for these categories, please let me know! I'll see y'all next time.</p>


edh combos

Exploring Five Popular Monocolored Combos in Commander

Five Different Ways to Use The Ooze in Commander