<p style="text-align: right;"><em><span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Grumgully, the Generous" href="#" target="_blank">Grumgully, the Generous</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> | Art by <a href="https://mceran-art.com/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Milivoj Ćeran</a></em></p>
<h2>Ho-Ho-Hobgoblin</h2>
<p>Well, it's two days from Christmas, and I think I have just the commander for the occasion. This is the season of generosity, so who better to lead our deck than <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Grumgully, the Generous" href="#" target="_blank">Grumgully, the Generous</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span>. A red and green goblin handing out +1/+1 counters on a whim, with a big bushy beard to boot.</p>
<p>Yup, that's gotta be Santa Claus. I need an alter of this guy with a Santa hat ASAP!</p>
<div class="edhrecp__cards"><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Grumgully, the Generous"></div></div>
<p>Of course, at the helm of our deck, he's gonna be a lot less generous. In fact, we're gonna be using his gift giving abilities to take life away from our opponents as fast as we can.</p>
<p>Grumgully is a very basic commander. We play a non-human creature, and that creature enters one size up. But while Grumgully is very simple, the game of <em>Magic </em>is not. There's a million things we can do just with +1/+1 counters, or the fact that it's an enter the battlefield trigger. And while non-Human is a restriction, we can use it to theme the deck.</p>
<p>Plus, there's even some infinite combos we can play here!</p>
<h2>Santa's Little (Or Big) Helpers</h2>
<p>But lets start with those +1/+1 counters. Our non-Humans are gonna enter with one every time, and if we play cards that make multiple non-Humans, we can maximize this ability.</p>
<p><span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Writhing Chrysalis" href="#" target="_blank">Writhing Chrysalis</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> is the perfect specimen. It creates two Scions on cast, meaning we get a total of +3/+3 power and toughness when it's played. Then it can even grow on its own, generating more and more counters that will be very important to other cards later on.</p>
<p><span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Rapacious One" href="#" target="_blank">Rapacious One</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> is another very powerful card. Because it checks about its own power, Grumgully will let it create seven Scions instead of six on impact, which will all come in with their own counters of course. An absolute smattering of buffs.</p>
<div class="edhrecp__cards"><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Writhing Chrysalis"></div><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Rapacious One"></div></div>
<p>The Eldrazi and Goblin kindred types end up being the most helpful here. In Pauper at least, they're some of the best at mass propagation, churning out tens of tokens in single turns. <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Emrakul&#039;s Hatcher" href="#" target="_blank">Emrakul&#039;s Hatcher</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> and <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Kozilek&#039;s Predator" href="#" target="_blank">Kozilek&#039;s Predator</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> practically vomit up Scions and Spawn, while <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Hordeling Outburst" href="#" target="_blank">Hordeling Outburst</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> and <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Krenko&#039;s Command" href="#" target="_blank">Krenko&#039;s Command</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> do the same for Goblin tokens.</p>
<div class="edhrecp__cards"><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Emrakul&#039;s Hatcher"></div><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Kozilek&#039;s Predator"></div><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Hordeling Outburst"></div></div>
<p>But one counter just ain't enough on all these creatures. Luckily, there's a mechanic made for expanding those numbers, proliferate. Just one instance of that word, and we can grow every single one of our creatures. Even better, proliferate comes tacked onto one- and two-mana spells all the time, like <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Thirsting Roots" href="#" target="_blank">Thirsting Roots</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> and <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Pollenbright Druid" href="#" target="_blank">Pollenbright Druid</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span>. Those are fantastic here, but we can even play cards like <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Adaptive Sporesinger" href="#" target="_blank">Adaptive Sporesinger</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> and <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Carnivorous Canopy" href="#" target="_blank">Carnivorous Canopy</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> because that mechanic does so much in our deck. It's just a bonus point if our proliferators are creatures that gain a counter from Grumgully themselves.</p>
<p>Then there's <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Fairgrounds Trumpeter" href="#" target="_blank">Fairgrounds Trumpeter</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span>, which doesn't proliferate, but does add a ton of counters on itself.</p>
<div class="edhrecp__cards"><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Thirsting Roots"></div><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Adaptive Sporesinger"></div><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Fairgrounds Trumpeter"></div></div>
<h2>Ok, Sleigh</h2>
<p>So what are we gonna do with this veritable hoard of counters? Attack? Well yeah, duh, but we can make those attacks even stronger if we play some cards that care about the counters. <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Pridemalkin" href="#" target="_blank">Pridemalkin</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span>, for instance, gives every creature with a +1/+1 counter trample. Fantastic, and there's a million copies of the card, from <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Duskshell Crawler" href="#" target="_blank">Duskshell Crawler</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> to <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Crowned Ceratok" href="#" target="_blank">Crowned Ceratok</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> to <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Drix Fatemaker" href="#" target="_blank">Drix Fatemaker</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span>.</p>
<p>It's actually a surprisingly common ability, with there being seven similar cards that I could play in this deck alone. Trample will be no problem.</p>
<div class="edhrecp__cards"><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Pridemalkin"></div><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Duskshell Crawler"></div><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Crowned Ceratok"></div></div>
<h2>Bag of Goodies</h2>
<p>That's the meat of the deck, but there's a few tricks up my sleeve that I feel I ought to highlight. Take a peek at <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Sporeback Troll" href="#" target="_blank">Sporeback Troll</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span>, a way to regenerate every creature we've got for two mana. Not an unbeatable card, but one that's sure to annoy our opponents and disrupt plans.</p>
<p><span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Fertilid" href="#" target="_blank">Fertilid</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> is quite snug here, snatching three lands on its own, but nabbing many more if we can proliferate a few times. Or, we can choose to boost it with <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Ivy Lane Denizen" href="#" target="_blank">Ivy Lane Denizen</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span>, another handy card that can selectively buff our army.</p>
<p>The best of the bunch, however, has to be <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Evolution Witness" href="#" target="_blank">Evolution Witness</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span>. A way to reliably return creatures from the graveyard, over and over again? There's an endless number of threats that our opponents should be scared of, and if we can play them multiple times with <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Evolution Witness" href="#" target="_blank">Evolution Witness</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span>, it might be game over.</p>
<div class="edhrecp__cards"><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Sporeback Troll"></div><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Fertilid"></div><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Evolution Witness"></div></div>
<p>Of course, this deck needs some removal, and since we're playing a good number of big scary monsters, the best way to check this box is with fight spells. <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Titanic Brawl" href="#" target="_blank">Titanic Brawl</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> is lovely, costing only a single mana thanks to our plethora of counters. <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Smell Fear" href="#" target="_blank">Smell Fear</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> kills two bird with one stone, proliferating and fighting.</p>
<p>Lastly, <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Horrific Assault" href="#" target="_blank">Horrific Assault</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> is just one mana to deal damage without even risking our creature, and it might just gain us three life.</p>
<div class="edhrecp__cards"><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Titanic Brawl"></div><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Smell Fear"></div><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Horrific Assault"></div></div>
<h2>Persistently Naughty</h2>
<p>Finally, this deck has one grand firework: an infinite combo. It's pretty obvious, really - simply the combination of Grumgully and persist. Persist is this strange mechanic that lets a creature die twice, returning it to the battlefield with a -1/-1 counter on it if it didn't have one previously. And because of how <em>Magic </em>works, if we put a +1/+1 counter over a -1/-1 counter, they cancel out.</p>
<p>Essentially, if <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Grumgully, the Generous" href="#" target="_blank">Grumgully, the Generous</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> is on the board, <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Scuzzback Marauders" href="#" target="_blank">Scuzzback Marauders</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> can die an infinite number of times. Toss a <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Skirk Prospector" href="#" target="_blank">Skirk Prospector</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> into the mix, and you've got infinite mana.</p>
<div class="edhrecp__cards"><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Scuzzback Marauders"></div><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Skirk Prospector"></div></div>
<p>&nbsp;</p>
<div id="38-2420-4381" style="width: 100%; position: relative; overflow: visible; display: flex; justify-content: center;"><img decoding="async" id="csbLoad" src="https://commanderspellbook.com/images/gear.svg" alt="csb logo" width="300" /><br />
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<p><iframe loading="lazy" src="." width="0" height="0"></iframe></p>
<p>Now the thing about this combo is that it's not very good. There are only two creatures with persist that we can play in this deck, plus <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Goblin Matron" href="#" target="_blank">Goblin Matron</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span>, who can fetch the aforementioned Marauders. Already those are bad odds, and there's also only three viable sacrifice outlets: <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Skirk Prospector" href="#" target="_blank">Skirk Prospector</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span>, <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> and <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Thermopod" href="#" target="_blank">Thermopod</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span>.</p>
<p>Then, even if we do get those all on the battlefield, there's actually not much we can do with the combo. Infinite mana is useless without a <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Fireball" href="#" target="_blank">Fireball</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span>, and infinite ETBs is useless without a <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Witty Roastmaster" href="#" target="_blank">Witty Roastmaster</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span>. But we're not gonna play either of those cards because our odds of assembling the combo are so low, and those payoffs are worthless without it.</p>
<p>We are going to run <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Aerie Ouphes" href="#" target="_blank">Aerie Ouphes</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> and <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Scuzzback Marauders" href="#" target="_blank">Scuzzback Marauders</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span>, but only because blockers that never die are extremely handy. I'm not even gonna bother with a sacrifice outlet; it's just not worth it. You could totally design this deck to focus on the combo, but I think that for once, a straightforward combat game plan is gonna be the most effective.</p>
<h2>Grumgully, the Generous Pauper Commander Deck List</h2>
<div class="edhrecp__deck mtgh"><span class="edhrecp__deck-s" name="Pauper Commander - Grumgully, the Generous" site="edhrec" archidekt_link="" cards="[Commander]
*1 Grumgully, the Generous
[/Commander]
[Creatures]
*1 Adaptive Sporesinger
*1 Aerie Ouphes
*1 Akki Ember-Keeper
*1 Arbor Elf
*1 Basking Broodscale
*1 Bloom Hulk
*1 Crimson Fleet Commodore
*1 Crowned Ceratok
*1 Drix Fatemaker
*1 Duskshell Crawler
*1 Elvish Mystic
*1 Emrakul&#039;s Hatcher
*1 Entourage of Trest
*1 Evolution Witness
*1 Fairgrounds Trumpeter
*1 Fertilid
*1 Fyndhorn Elves
*1 Gnarlid Colony
*1 Goblin Anarchomancer
*1 Goblin Matron
*1 Ivy Lane Denizen
*1 Kozilek&#039;s Predator
*1 Llanowar Elves
*1 Longshot Squad
*1 Pollenbright Druid
*1 Pridemalkin
*1 Rapacious One
*1 Sakura-Tribe Elder
*1 Scuzzback Marauders
*1 Sporeback Troll
*1 Temperamental Oozewagg
*1 Tuskguard Captain
*1 Urban Daggertooth
*1 Writhing Chrysalis
[/Creatures]
[Instants]
*1 Ambitious Assault
*1 Big Score
*1 Evolution Charm
*1 Lightning Bolt
*1 Ram Through
*1 Ranger&#039;s Guile
*1 Snakeskin Veil
*1 Tamiyo&#039;s Safekeeping
*1 Tanglesap
*1 Thrill of Possibility
*1 Titanic Brawl
*1 Unexpected Windfall
*1 Volt Charge
[/Instants]
[Sorceries]
*1 Carnivorous Canopy
*1 Courage in Crisis
*1 Glimpse the Impossible
*1 Hordeling Outburst
*1 Horrific Assault
*1 Krenko&#039;s Command
*1 Malevolent Rumble
*1 Pirate&#039;s Pillage
*1 Seize the Spoils
*1 Smell Fear
*1 Thirsting Roots
[/Sorceries]
[Enchantments]
*1 Bitter Reunion
*1 Utopia Sprawl
*1 Wild Growth
[/Enchantments]
[Artifacts]
*1 Arcane Signet
*1 Gruul Signet
[/Artifacts]
[Lands]
*1 Command Tower
*18 Forest
*17 Mountain
[/Lands]"></span></div>
<h2>And to All, a Good Night!</h2>
<p>Happy Holidays, ladies and goblins! That's our deck, about as generous as the Grinch when all is said and done. Still, I think it's the perfect way to end this year, with a strong budget deck ($22!).</p>
<p>Have a wonderful Christmas and New Years, y'all, and I'll be back next year with more Pauper!</p>


grumgully

Pauper Commander - Grumgully, the Generous