Hello again precon pals! Welcome back for another Precon Redux, where we take an older Commander precon deck and reimagine it in the current era. We’re finally having some Fungus fun, because today’s deck is Counterpunch, led by Ghave, Guru of SporesGhave, Guru of Spores.
I’m Something of a Guru Myself
Ghave is a 0/0 Fungus Shaman for five mana in Abzan colors (white, black, and green) that enters the battlefield with five +1/+1 counters. It allows you to pay one mana to remove a +1/+1 counter from one of your creatures to make a Saproling token, or pay a mana to sacrifice a creature and put a +1/+1 counter on target creature. Ghave is the fifth most popular Abzan commander, with an impressive 6,285 decks. Its main themes are tokens, counters, and sacrifice/aristocrats.
Of the decks from the original Commander precon set, Counterpunch is one of the best for sticking to its themes. That’s not to say there aren’t outliers (hey Celestial ForceCelestial Force), but this deck has significantly more cards to keep than previous Redux entries. We’ll be sticking with the counters and tokens strategies, but pumping them up with today’s powerhouse cards and more aristocrats.
The backup commander is Karador, Ghost ChieftainKarador, Ghost Chieftain, who shows up at number eight on the top Abzan commanders list. This Centaur Spirit cares far less about counters than Ghave, but loves to bring back all those nontoken creatures we’re gonna sacrifice. The other new legend in the deck is Vish Kal, Blood ArbiterVish Kal, Blood Arbiter, who only has a very sad 250 decks due to his high casting cost and weak ability.
Here’s the original deck list for Counterpunch:
Counterpunch Precon
View on ArchidektCommander (1)
- 1 Ghave, Guru of SporesGhave, Guru of Spores
Sorceries (9)
- 1 Alliance of ArmsAlliance of Arms
- 1 Bestial MenaceBestial Menace
- 1 CultivateCultivate
- 1 Death MutationDeath Mutation
- 1 HarmonizeHarmonize
- 1 HexHex
- 1 Hour of ReckoningHour of Reckoning
- 1 Storm HerdStorm Herd
- 1 Syphon FleshSyphon Flesh
Creatures (26)
- 1 Aquastrand SpiderAquastrand Spider
- 1 Celestial ForceCelestial Force
- 1 Chorus of the ConclaveChorus of the Conclave
- 1 Dark HatchlingDark Hatchling
- 1 Deadly RecluseDeadly Recluse
- 1 FertilidFertilid
- 1 Golgari GuildmageGolgari Guildmage
- 1 Hornet QueenHornet Queen
- 1 Karador, Ghost ChieftainKarador, Ghost Chieftain
- 1 Monk RealistMonk Realist
- 1 Nantuko HuskNantuko Husk
- 1 Penumbra SpiderPenumbra Spider
- 1 Sakura-Tribe ElderSakura-Tribe Elder
- 1 Scavenging OozeScavenging Ooze
- 1 Selesnya EvangelSelesnya Evangel
- 1 Selesnya GuildmageSelesnya Guildmage
- 1 ShriekmawShriekmaw
- 1 Sigil CaptainSigil Captain
- 1 SpawnwritheSpawnwrithe
- 1 Spike FeederSpike Feeder
- 1 SquallmongerSquallmonger
- 1 Symbiotic WurmSymbiotic Wurm
- 1 Teneb, the HarvesterTeneb, the Harvester
- 1 Vampire NighthawkVampire Nighthawk
- 1 Vish Kal, Blood ArbiterVish Kal, Blood Arbiter
- 1 Yavimaya ElderYavimaya Elder
Instants (7)
- 1 AfterlifeAfterlife
- 1 Cobra TrapCobra Trap
- 1 Doom BladeDoom Blade
- 1 Footbottom FeastFootbottom Feast
- 1 MortifyMortify
- 1 Nemesis TrapNemesis Trap
- 1 Tribute to the WildTribute to the Wild
Artifacts (8)
- 1 Acorn CatapultAcorn Catapult
- 1 Darksteel IngotDarksteel Ingot
- 1 Golgari SignetGolgari Signet
- 1 Lightning GreavesLightning Greaves
- 1 Orzhov SignetOrzhov Signet
- 1 Selesnya SignetSelesnya Signet
- 1 SkullclampSkullclamp
- 1 Sol RingSol Ring
Enchantments (10)
- 1 AttritionAttrition
- 1 Aura ShardsAura Shards
- 1 Awakening ZoneAwakening Zone
- 1 Fists of IronwoodFists of Ironwood
- 1 NecrogenesisNecrogenesis
- 1 Oblivion RingOblivion Ring
- 1 Soul SnareSoul Snare
- 1 Vow of DutyVow of Duty
- 1 Vow of MaliceVow of Malice
- 1 Vow of WildnessVow of Wildness
Lands (39)
- 1 Barren MoorBarren Moor
- 1 Command TowerCommand Tower
- 1 Evolving WildsEvolving Wilds
- 10 ForestForest
- 1 Golgari Rot FarmGolgari Rot Farm
- 1 Orzhov BasilicaOrzhov Basilica
- 8 PlainsPlains
- 1 Rupture SpireRupture Spire
- 1 Secluded SteppeSecluded Steppe
- 1 Selesnya SanctuarySelesnya Sanctuary
- 8 SwampSwamp
- 1 Temple of the False GodTemple of the False God
- 1 Tranquil ThicketTranquil Thicket
- 1 Vivid GroveVivid Grove
- 1 Vivid MarshVivid Marsh
- 1 Vivid MeadowVivid Meadow
What We’re Keeping in Our Ghave Deck
Before we get into the new hotness, let’s recap the rules of Precon Redux. Wizards of the Coast has some unspoken guidelines for how they build their precons. Since it’s our goal to reimagine this as a new precon that Wizards would create, we’ll want to establish those rules and adhere to them as closely as possible. For a full explanation of the series, please check out the first article here.
- Value of the deck is no more than $120, excluding the original legends
- Value of the land package can be no more than $10
- Aim for two or three high value reprints (around $10)
- Keep all legendary creatures that were first printed in the original precon
- Stay close to a typical 10/10/10 build (10 ramp spells, 10 card draw, 10 removal)
- We don’t have to tie into a specific set, as most precons have been doing since Commander 2020
- Universes Beyond cards are off-limits if they couldn’t be reprinted as Universes Within without changing the name. For instance, we won’t include Mirkwood BatsMirkwood Bats, Rosie Cotton of South LaneRosie Cotton of South Lane, or Arwen, Weaver of HopeArwen, Weaver of Hope in today’s Redux. They’d be good in this deck, but their names preclude us from using them.
Here are the nonland cards we’re keeping from the original deck:
- Awakening ZoneAwakening Zone
- FertilidFertilid
- SkullclampSkullclamp
- Storm HerdStorm Herd
- Sol RingSol Ring
- Sakura-Tribe ElderSakura-Tribe Elder
- Hour of ReckoningHour of Reckoning
- Scavenging OozeScavenging Ooze
A few more cards than what we’ve been saving for the other 2011 decks. Several of these really fit well with our counters and tokens themes. Speaking of which…
Themes and Strategies We’ll Expand On for Counterpunch Redux
This is the first precon from 2011 where I felt like the deck had an actual strategy and game plan that worked. Don’t get me wrong, there was still a lot of chaff in the precon, but this one had a much better starting point than Zedruu or Riku. So thankfully all we really need to do is enhance the deck’s plans by improving it with today’s card pool.
Let’s start with the counters. The OzolithThe Ozolith is unlikely to get a precon printing with its current price, but baby Ozolith, a.k.a. Resourceful DefenseResourceful Defense, is perfectly usable here. Is it as good as The Ozolith? No. But it still does a lot of work at keeping the counters flowing even when our creatures die. For increasing counter creation, we’ve got Hardened ScalesHardened Scales, Corpsejack MenaceCorpsejack Menace, and Kami of Whispered HopesKami of Whispered Hopes, along with cards that give counters to entering creatures, Good-Fortune UnicornGood-Fortune Unicorn and Bloodspore ThrinaxBloodspore Thrinax. We’ve even got Champion of LambholtChampion of Lambholt, the +1/+1 counter staple and powerhouse. Champion ends games; I've seen it many times.
For a little more fun with counters, I’m throwing in Nils, Discipline EnforcerNils, Discipline Enforcer. If you know me, you know I have a strong love for "Discipline Daddy," and try to promote him whenever I can. He gives us a counter each turn, but more importantly he protects us from big attackers, especially from players who might be on counter strategies as well. There’s also Carmen, Cruel SkymarcherCarmen, Cruel Skymarcher, which will get a counter when we sacrifice creatures, and also help us get stuff back from the yard.
We can’t just rely on Ghave to make tokens, so let’s see what else we can cook up. For new tokens every turn, we’ve got Awakening ZoneAwakening Zone, Nesting DovehawkNesting Dovehawk, and MycolothMycoloth. There are also landfall triggers with Felidar RetreatFelidar Retreat (this one’s good for counters too) and SporemoundSporemound. Silverwing SquadronSilverwing Squadron and Adeline, Resplendent CatharAdeline, Resplendent Cathar make tokens on attacks, while Kambal, Profiteering MayorKambal, Profiteering Mayor and Baron Bertram GraywaterBaron Bertram Graywater make tokens when other tokens are made. And of course we’ve got the biggest token-making spell there is (assuming you’ve got a high life count), Storm HerdStorm Herd. Just watch out for people who might play a Rakdos CharmRakdos Charm (I did this once; it was hilarious). And last we have one of the strongest cards in the deck, Divine VisitationDivine Visitation. 1/1 Saprolings are nice, but they can’t wreck players nearly as much as 4/4 flying Angels can.
The original precon didn’t offer much for the Aristocrats strategy, but with all of these creatures coming and going, it seems like a fitting way to move some games along. So for that we’ll add Slimefoot, the StowawaySlimefoot, the Stowaway, Bastion of RemembranceBastion of Remembrance, Cruel CelebrantCruel Celebrant, Syr Konrad, the GrimSyr Konrad, the Grim, Elas il-Kor, Sadistic PilgrimElas il-Kor, Sadistic Pilgrim, and Zulaport CutthroatZulaport Cutthroat.
And last, as you may know, a few cards have been printed that do some wacky things with our commander. Because of that, the deck does include a combo or two that center around Cryptic TrilobiteCryptic Trilobite and any card that increases +1/+1 counters added. This includes Good-Fortune UnicornGood-Fortune Unicorn, Corpsejack MenaceCorpsejack Menace, and Hardened ScalesHardened Scales. You can check out the combo with the Unicorn on Commander Spellbook here:
My True Love Ghave to Me
Here’s the deck list for Counterpunch Redux:
Counterpunch Precon Redux
View on ArchidektCommander (1)
- 1 Ghave, Guru of SporesGhave, Guru of Spores
Creatures (34)
- 1 Adeline, Resplendent CatharAdeline, Resplendent Cathar
- 1 Aron, Benalia's RuinAron, Benalia's Ruin
- 1 Baron Bertram GraywaterBaron Bertram Graywater
- 1 Basking BroodscaleBasking Broodscale
- 1 Bloodspore ThrinaxBloodspore Thrinax
- 1 CankerbloomCankerbloom
- 1 Carmen, Cruel SkymarcherCarmen, Cruel Skymarcher
- 1 Champion of LambholtChampion of Lambholt
- 1 Corpsejack MenaceCorpsejack Menace
- 1 Cruel CelebrantCruel Celebrant
- 1 Cryptic TrilobiteCryptic Trilobite
- 1 Elas il-Kor, Sadistic PilgrimElas il-Kor, Sadistic Pilgrim
- 1 Erebos, Bleak-HeartedErebos, Bleak-Hearted
- 1 Evolution WitnessEvolution Witness
- 1 FertilidFertilid
- 1 Forgotten AncientForgotten Ancient
- 1 Good-Fortune UnicornGood-Fortune Unicorn
- 1 Kambal, Profiteering MayorKambal, Profiteering Mayor
- 1 Kami of Whispered HopesKami of Whispered Hopes
- 1 Karador, Ghost ChieftainKarador, Ghost Chieftain
- 1 MycolothMycoloth
- 1 Nesting DovehawkNesting Dovehawk
- 1 Nils, Discipline EnforcerNils, Discipline Enforcer
- 1 Psychotrope ThallidPsychotrope Thallid
- 1 Rumor GathererRumor Gatherer
- 1 Sakura-Tribe ElderSakura-Tribe Elder
- 1 Scavenging OozeScavenging Ooze
- 1 Silverwing SquadronSilverwing Squadron
- 1 Skyclave ShadowcatSkyclave Shadowcat
- 1 Slimefoot, the StowawaySlimefoot, the Stowaway
- 1 SporemoundSporemound
- 1 Syr Konrad, the GrimSyr Konrad, the Grim
- 1 Vish Kal, Blood ArbiterVish Kal, Blood Arbiter
- 1 Zulaport CutthroatZulaport Cutthroat
Artifacts (7)
- 1 Animation ModuleAnimation Module
- 1 Arcane SignetArcane Signet
- 1 Commander's SphereCommander's Sphere
- 1 Norn's WellspringNorn's Wellspring
- 1 SkullclampSkullclamp
- 1 Sol RingSol Ring
- 1 Swiftfoot BootsSwiftfoot Boots
Instants (5)
- 1 Aura MutationAura Mutation
- 1 DesparkDespark
- 1 Path to ExilePath to Exile
- 1 Sundering GrowthSundering Growth
- 1 Village RitesVillage Rites
Enchantments (9)
- 1 Awakening ZoneAwakening Zone
- 1 Bastion of RemembranceBastion of Remembrance
- 1 Divine VisitationDivine Visitation
- 1 Felidar RetreatFelidar Retreat
- 1 Hardened ScalesHardened Scales
- 1 Insidious RootsInsidious Roots
- 1 Moldervine ReclamationMoldervine Reclamation
- 1 Resourceful DefenseResourceful Defense
- 1 Wilderness ReclamationWilderness Reclamation
Sorceries (5)
- 1 Hour of ReckoningHour of Reckoning
- 1 Rampant GrowthRampant Growth
- 1 Requisition RaidRequisition Raid
- 1 Storm HerdStorm Herd
- 1 Vanquish the HordeVanquish the Horde
Planeswalkers (1)
- 1 Tevesh Szat, Doom of FoolsTevesh Szat, Doom of Fools
Lands (38)
- 1 Bojuka BogBojuka Bog
- 1 Canopy VistaCanopy Vista
- 1 Caves of KoilosCaves of Koilos
- 1 Command TowerCommand Tower
- 1 Deceptive LandscapeDeceptive Landscape
- 1 Desolate MireDesolate Mire
- 1 Evolving WildsEvolving Wilds
- 1 Exotic OrchardExotic Orchard
- 7 ForestForest
- 1 Fortified VillageFortified Village
- 1 Gavony TownshipGavony Township
- 1 Krosan VergeKrosan Verge
- 1 Llanowar WastesLlanowar Wastes
- 1 Necroblossom SnarlNecroblossom Snarl
- 1 Oran-Rief, the VastwoodOran-Rief, the Vastwood
- 5 PlainsPlains
- 1 Sandsteppe CitadelSandsteppe Citadel
- 1 Shineshadow SnarlShineshadow Snarl
- 1 Sungrass PrairieSungrass Prairie
- 4 SwampSwamp
- 1 Temple of MaladyTemple of Malady
- 1 Temple of PlentyTemple of Plenty
- 1 Temple of SilenceTemple of Silence
- 1 Viridescent BogViridescent Bog
- 1 Vitu-Ghazi, the City-TreeVitu-Ghazi, the City-Tree
With this upgraded precon, we’ve moved the deck into modern times with the aristocrats package and powerful token and counter synergies. We’ve also added some great reprints to get people to buy it, with Adeline, Resplendent CatharAdeline, Resplendent Cathar, Divine VisitationDivine Visitation, Psychotrope ThallidPsychotrope Thallid, and Tevesh Szat, Doom of FoolsTevesh Szat, Doom of Fools. Nothing here over $10, but several cards just under it to make the deck enticing to collectors.
Is this a realistic precon? It’s probably a bit high on power level, but certainly not the most powerful precon ever. It does have an infinite combo, but not an easy one to pull off since there are no tutors. Also, combos in precons isn’t unheard of - the recent Creative Energy from Modern Horizons 3 had one. We’ve got plenty of precon staples here, but also some newer cards that haven’t gotten precon love yet, like CankerbloomCankerbloom and Vanquish the HordeVanquish the Horde.
So what do you think of this reimagined precon for Ghave, Guru of SporesGhave, Guru of Spores? What cards did I miss? Would you take the new precon in a different direction? Let me know in the comments below, and keep checking back for more precon fun, here on EDHREC.
More Precons:
Creative Energy Precon Review - Modern Horizons 3
Your opinions are welcome. We love hearing what you think about Magic! We ask that you are always respectful when commenting. Please keep in mind how your comments could be interpreted by others. Personal attacks on our writers or other commenters will not be tolerated. Your comments may be removed if your language could be interpreted as aggressive or disrespectful. You may also be banned from writing further comments.