Peregrine DrakePeregrine Drake | Art by Mike Bierek

Commander Spellbook recently hit a huge milestone of 100,000 databased combos!

To celebrate, as you may have noticed already, we are writing a bunch of combo-centric articles this week to commemorate this momentous happening. My article today covers ten monocolor combos, two in each color, that you can easily run in your builds! Let's dive right in!

Combo #1: Ondu SpiritdancerOndu Spiritdancer + Secret Arcade // Dusty ParlorSecret Arcade // Dusty Parlor

The trick behind this combo is fairly straightforward. Casting Ondu SpiritdancerOndu Spiritdancer while Secret Arcade // Dusty ParlorSecret Arcade // Dusty Parlor's Arcade side is unlocked allows you to make infinite copies of the Spiritdancer. Combined with a haste enabler (more easily accessible with additional colors), this provides a fast, aggressive win condition. Otherwise, you'll have to hope that the Spiritdancers stick around for a round of play.

#2. Abdel Adrian, Gorion's WardAbdel Adrian, Gorion's Ward + Restoration AngelRestoration Angel + EphemerateEphemerate

This combo is a bit trickier to explain than the previous one. Namely, the use of EphemerateEphemerate means that this combo is effectively single-use. But, if you cast Abdel Adrian, Gorion's WardAbdel Adrian, Gorion's Ward and exile Restoration AngelRestoration Angel when it enters, you can then use Ephemerate to blink Abdel Adrian, which immediately returns Restoration Angel at roughly the same time, meaning you can stack the triggers so that Abdel Adrian exiles the Angel, then the Angel blinks Abdel Adrian, which returns the Angel, and so forth. This will also, in turn, create as many 1/1 Soldier creature tokens as you please.

Combo #3: Brine ElementalBrine Elemental + Vesuvan ShapeshifterVesuvan Shapeshifter

Ah, the classic "Pickles" lock, so named after Brine ElementalBrine Elemental, one of its key cards. In essence, having a facedown Vesuvan ShapeshifterVesuvan Shapeshifter and a face-up Brine Elemental means you can turn the Shapeshifter face-up as a copy of Brine Elemental, get its triggered ability, and then repeat this every one of your upkeeps thereafter.

What this results in is no other player being allowed an untap step. Clearly, one of the more oppressive combos out there, and, as mentioned earlier, a bona fide classic from 2006.

#4. Ghostly FlickerGhostly Flicker + Peregrine DrakePeregrine Drake + ArchaeomancerArchaeomancer

While Peregrine DrakePeregrine Drake flickering combos with Deadeye NavigatorDeadeye Navigator are decidedly more intuitive, this one is a good choice on the basis of a redundancy. With both the Drake and ArchaeomancerArchaeomancer in play, you can tap five lands, cast Ghostly FlickerGhostly Flicker with just some of the mana produced, blink both creatures, and repeat by recurring the Flicker to hand with Archaeomancer.

Blink combos like this are pretty easy to memorize and are great for generating infinite mana in a pinch in mono-blue!

Combo #5. Ayara, First of LocthwainAyara, First of Locthwain + Plague of VerminPlague of Vermin

This mono-black combo specifically is one that my partner uses all the time to get me quickly, so this list entry goes out to her. To enact this one, you need Ayara, First of LocthwainAyara, First of Locthwain out, and you need to have the highest life total among all players. When you cast Plague of VerminPlague of Vermin, pay all but one life to create that many 1/1 black Rat creature tokens. This will trigger Ayara for each one, putting you back at your original life total and bringing your opponents down in life by that much.

Even if you don't have the highest life total going into this, Plague of Vermin should still do a hefty number on your opponents' life totals anyway, all but assuring your victory!

#6. Necrotic OozeNecrotic Ooze + Asmodeus the ArchfiendAsmodeus the Archfiend + Skirge FamiliarSkirge Familiar

The next mono-black combo on our list is a nasty one. Although it won't win the game outright, it'll put you in the position to do so with relative ease. All you need is Necrotic OozeNecrotic Ooze in play, with the other two cards in your graveyard (though Skirge FamiliarSkirge Familiar can also be in play). Activating the Ooze's iteration of Asmodeus the ArchfiendAsmodeus the Archfiend's draw ability, you simply draw those seven cards. There are no hoops to jump through to get them!

So, discarding three of those seven cards with the Skirge Familiar's ability will give you , allowing you to repeat this process as many times as you can safely draw seven cards from your library. Don't forget to count that when it begins to get low! This will also potentially net you a lot of black mana in the process if you want to discard more than what's necessary to draw back up.

Combo #7. Storm-Kiln ArtistStorm-Kiln Artist + Haze of RageHaze of Rage

Move over, Dockside ExtortionistDockside Extortionist, there's another Treasure maker in town!

This combo needs a bit of preparation to get going. For one, you need , and you need to have cast three spells previously on the turn you enact it. You start by casting Haze of RageHaze of Rage with Storm-Kiln ArtistStorm-Kiln Artist out, paying the requisite mana for the buyback cost as well. Then, you have four total iterations of Haze.

Three are copies, which still trigger the Artist's magecraft ability. You then make four Treasure tokens and end up with the Haze in your hand again. Every time you recast Haze hereafter, you are netting a linearly increasing wealth of Treasure tokens. Furthermore, you get Haze's effects on something as many times as you please!

#8. Krenko, Mob BossKrenko, Mob Boss + Skirk ProspectorSkirk Prospector + Goblin WarchiefGoblin Warchief

Yes, yes, we have heard your complaints about Krenko, Mob BossKrenko, Mob Boss. But he's fun, especially out from the Goblin Storm precon deck from Secret Lair that absolutely everybody could get, right? Ahem.

Anyway, to conduct this combo, the plan is to have at least in your pool (or six expendable Goblins out) initially, with the three creatures out. Commander Spellbook says you need enough mana to pay for plus Krenko's tax (so an added ), but with Goblin WarchiefGoblin Warchief out, that is discounted by . So, you tap Krenko to create some Goblin tokens, as one does, then sacrifice Krenko and your expendable Goblins to the Skirk ProspectorSkirk Prospector.

This should be just enough to have netted one additional Goblin, but still be able to recast Krenko. Do so, then repeat. You should be getting a metric ton of Goblins every time after just a couple of iterations of this combo. With the haste from the Goblin Warchief, you should also ideally be set up to attack your opponents for lethal!

Combo #9. Squirrel NestSquirrel Nest + EarthcraftEarthcraft

When this article was pitched, I took the prompt immediately. Our editor laughed and said, "You can talk more about Squirrels!" referring to my deck tech on The Unbeatable Squirrel GirlThe Unbeatable Squirrel Girl, who absolutely rocks with EarthcraftEarthcraft. Sadly, Squirrel Girl has also contributed to the explosive rise in price of Earthcraft, so this one is really for those who aren't afraid to shell out $240 for a single enchantment card from the Reserved List.

So with both out, and with Squirrel NestSquirrel Nest enchanting a basic land (probably a ForestForest in this case), tap the Nest, make a Squirrel, tap the Squirrel to untap the Nest with Earthcraft, and, well, go nuts with it! Sorry for the pun, but it fits, what with so many Squirrel tokens now on the battlefield.

#10. Ashaya, Soul of the WildAshaya, Soul of the Wild + Badgermole CubBadgermole Cub + Sylvan SafekeeperSylvan Safekeeper

Our final combo on this list concerns Ashaya, Soul of the WildAshaya, Soul of the Wild, alongside Badgermole CubBadgermole Cub and Sylvan SafekeeperSylvan Safekeeper. This one is more of an enabler of triggers already on the battlefield, but some combos just happen to be like that. As the Commander Spellbook embed states, with Ashaya and the Safekeeper out, you cast Badgermole Cub. Cub is already a Forest land, so it can earthbend itself. Do so.

Afterwards, sacrifice it to the Safekeeper. You can give anything you control shroud in this way, but only once each. You should only do this in an emergency situation, however, to preserve your line as well as you can. This results in infinite death triggers, infinite creature entry triggers, and infinite landfall. In that way, it's a great enabler for any of the lines that are opened up by having this combo handy.

Conclusion

And now, let's open the floor to you, dear readers! What was your favorite combo in this article? Likewise, what monocolor combos do you like to run in your Commander decks that I haven't listed here? Sound off in the comments below!