<p style="text-align: right;"><em><span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Wolverine, Best There Is" href="#" target="_blank">Wolverine, Best There Is</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> | Art by <a href="https://www.artofmtg.com/artist/victor-adame-minguez/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Victor Adame Minguez</a></em></p>
<p>Hello, and welcome back to <em>Beyond the Multiverse</em>. This week we're back in the <em>Marvel</em> universe. But don't worry about <em>Marvel </em>fatigue; this might be the last time until the <em>Spider-Man</em> set drops, as we're currently getting daily doses of <em>Final Fantasy</em> previews (I can barely contain my hype for the set at this point).</p>
<p>In the meantime, let's see what <em>Marvel</em> deck I should tackle next...</p>
<p><em>Snikt!</em></p>
<div class="edhrecp__cards"><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Wolverine, Best There Is"></div></div>
<p>Oh, right.</p>
<p>Without further ado, let's look at <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Wolverine, Best There Is" href="#" target="_blank">Wolverine, Best There Is</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span>.</p>
<h2>The Wolverine of Canada</h2>
<p>Wolverine is an alias of James Howlett (aka Logan) who was born in Alberta, Canada. He was most prominent as a member of the X-Men, and has been one of the Avengers in some continuities. He's portrayed as a gruff loner with a rebellious attitude against authority figures. A deeper look reveals a heavily traumatized life, a struggle to balance between his human and "wild" self (including his "berserker rages"), and a code of honor and morality. He has been known to leave the team(s) for a time to deal with his issues (something we see in the <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Rhythm of the Wild|sld|1740" href="#" target="_blank">Rhythm of the Wild</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> card depicting him.</p>
<p>His card does exactly what it says on the tin: build him up and <em>*snikt* </em>your opponents' life totals. All he wants to do is attack, and attack he will, because we're going to give our opponents a serious case of overkill. Fortunately, the <em>Universes Beyond</em> card pool helps with this, since we have a nice blend of old and new cards that can make Wolverine deadly.</p>
<h2>Going Berserk With Wolverine</h2>
<div class="edhrecp__cards"><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Bone Sabres"></div><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Rancor|pip|205"></div><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Gimli&#039;s Fury"></div></div>
<p>We'll need ways to power Wolverine up. He starts with a small statline, so we'll need to make him bigger. Firstly, <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Bone Sabres" href="#" target="_blank">Bone Sabres</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> (22,152 decks) will give him four +1/+1 counters on attack, making him a lethal threat. Similarly, <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Power Fist" href="#" target="_blank">Power Fist</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> (44,023 decks) gives him trample, and also gives him a lot of counters whenever he connects to a player (a lovely synergy with his first ability, which I'll get to momentarily). Thirdly, <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Champion&#039;s Helm|fic|337" href="#" target="_blank">Champion&#039;s Helm</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> (68,400 decks) serves two purposes: it gives Wolverine a smaller buff, and it also shields him from targeted removal.</p>
<p>However, improving Wolverine's statline isn't the only way we can make him into a deadly force. Before I go over that, I need to mention that first ability, <em>Unrivaled Lethality</em>, which doubles the damage that he deals. With this, we can make him deal even more havoc. Crucially, double strike is a major player, allowing Wolverine to devastate your opponents. <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Chaos Terminator Lord" href="#" target="_blank">Chaos Terminator Lord</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> (6,928 decks) gives it to him each combat. Both <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Fireshrieker|pip|232" href="#" target="_blank">Fireshrieker</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> (96,257 decks) and <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="The Spear of Leonidas" href="#" target="_blank">The Spear of Leonidas</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> (21,477 decks) provide double strike, and the Spear comes with additional utility as well, if needed.</p>
<p>In addition, trample is another keyword that works with Wolverine. <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Rancor" href="#" target="_blank">Rancor</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> (128,140 decks) gives his power a small buff, but also gives him the trample ability. <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Shadowspear|sld|1505" href="#" target="_blank">Shadowspear</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> (reskinned as Totec's Spear; 199,617 decks) bestows the trample, lifelink, and tears down indestructible and hexproof creatures as well. In a similar vein, <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Loxodon Warhammer|sld|1034" href="#" target="_blank">Loxodon Warhammer</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> (reskinned as Ghal Maraz, the Great Shatterer; 106,676 decks) does this with an even bigger boost to his power. Thirdly, <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Bloodcrusher of Khorne" href="#" target="_blank">Bloodcrusher of Khorne</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> (14,807 decks) gives trample to all of our creatures. Finally, <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Gimli&#039;s Fury" href="#" target="_blank">Gimli&#039;s Fury</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> (6,330 decks) is a one shot that can potentially eliminate opponents with a jump-scare.</p>
<h2>Of Immortality and Regeneration</h2>
<div class="edhrecp__cards"><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Bombadil&#039;s Song"></div><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Rhythm of the Wild|sld|1740"></div></div>
<p>Wolverine has the ability to regenerate himself, but we can't always rely on that because it requires two mana open. Worse, you may have to protect him multiple times, as he is a removal magnet. Fortunately we have other ways to protect him. I mentioned <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Champion&#039;s Helm" href="#" target="_blank">Champion&#039;s Helm</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span>, and that helps. In addition, <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Mithril Coat" href="#" target="_blank">Mithril Coat</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> (257,689 decks) grants him indestructibility, especially at instant speed, and can auto-equip onto Wolverine. Further, <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Heroic Intervention|sld|1750" href="#" target="_blank">Heroic Intervention</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> (821,880 decks) protects our board while <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Bombadil&#039;s Song" href="#" target="_blank">Bombadil&#039;s Song</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> (16,261 decks) protects just our commander. Finally, since Wolverine will be subject to counterspells when casting him, <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Rhythm of the Wild" href="#" target="_blank">Rhythm of the Wild</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> (302,108 decks) ensures that he gets to land while rudely telling those pesky blue players to bother someone else.</p>
<p><span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Rite of Passage|sld|1739" href="#" target="_blank">Rite of Passage</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> (15,550 decks) can grow Wolverine with each time he's dealt damage, but be sure to keep him from dying when doing so. Lastly, if Wolverine gets too expensive to cast, <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Command Beacon|sld|1533" href="#" target="_blank">Command Beacon</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> (269,829 decks) can be sacrificed to get him out of the command zone, so you can cast him again.</p>
<h2>Wolverine, Best There Is Commander Deck List</h2>
<div class="edhrecp__deck mtgh"><span class="edhrecp__deck-s" name="Going Universes Beyond-SNIKT!" site="edhrec" archidekt_link="" cards="[Commander]
*1 Wolverine, Best There Is
[/Commander]
[Artifacts]
*1 Arcane Signet
*1 Bone Sabres
*1 Champion&#039;s Helm
*1 Endless Atlas
*1 Excalibur, Sword of Eden
*1 Fireshrieker
*1 Gimli&#039;s Axe
*1 Hunter&#039;s Bow
*1 Loxodon Warhammer
*1 Mithril Coat
*1 Power Fist
*1 Shadowspear
*1 Sol Ring
*1 Swiftfoot Boots
*1 The Great Henge
*1 The Ozolith
*1 The Spear of Leonidas
*1 Unlicensed Hearse
[/Artifacts]
[Instants]
*1 Beast Within
*1 Berserk
*1 Bombadil&#039;s Song
*1 Chaos Warp
*1 Entish Restoration
*1 Gimli&#039;s Fury
*1 Harrow
*1 Heroic Intervention
*1 Inscription of Abundance
*1 Krosan Grip
*1 Unexpected Windfall
[/Instants]
[Creatures]
*1 Atalan Jackal
*1 Birds of Paradise
*1 Bloodcrusher of Khorne
*1 Bloodthirster
*1 Cavern-Hoard Dragon
*1 Chaos Terminator Lord
*1 Crimson Caravaneer
*1 Delighted Halfling
*1 Scourge of the Throne
[/Creatures]
[Sorceries]
*1 Blasphemous Act
*1 Cathartic Reunion
*1 Chandra&#039;s Ignition
*1 Cultivate
*1 Faithless Looting
*1 Farseek
*1 Harmonize
*1 Hull Breach
*1 Overpowering Attack
*1 Rampant Growth
*1 Seize the Day
*1 Three Visits
*1 Wreck and Rebuild
[/Sorceries]
[Enchantments]
*1 Gimli&#039;s Reckless Might
*1 Grim Reaper&#039;s Sprint
*1 Hardened Scales
*1 Rancor
*1 Rhythm of the Wild
*1 Rising of the Day
*1 Rite of Passage
*1 Shiny Impetus
*1 Stolen Strategy
*1 Unnatural Growth
*1 Wild Wasteland
[/Enchantments]
[Lands]
*1 Ash Barrens
*1 Cinder Glade
*1 Command Beacon
*1 Command Tower
*1 Dining Room
*1 Evolving Wilds
*1 Exotic Orchard
*1 Fabled Passage
*9 Forest
*1 Game Trail
*9 Mountain
*1 Myriad Landscape
*1 Opal Palace
*1 Path of Ancestry
*1 Rockfall Vale
*1 Rootbound Crag
*1 Sheltered Thicket
*1 Temple of Abandon
*1 Terramorphic Expanse
*1 Thriving Bluff
*1 Thriving Grove
[/Lands]"></span></div>
<h2>Using Deadly Force</h2>
<div class="edhrecp__cards"><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Berserk|sld|1738"></div><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Scourge of the Throne|ltc|225"></div><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Overpowering Attack"></div></div>
<p>If I was using in-universe cards with this list, we'd get a lot more power-doubling cards in here. <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Berserk" href="#" target="_blank">Berserk</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> (24,694 decks) is like <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Gimli&#039;s Fury" href="#" target="_blank">Gimli&#039;s Fury</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> in that it can kill someone out of nowhere. In addition, we can regenerate Wolverine and nullify Berserk's end step trigger, ensuring his survival. In a similar vein, <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Unnatural Growth" href="#" target="_blank">Unnatural Growth</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> (162,583 decks) makes Wolverine's stats double. A high enough statline will make this lethal.</p>
<p>That said, what we also really need are extra combat steps. Firstly, <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Seize the Day|sld|480" href="#" target="_blank">Seize the Day</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> (reskinned as Round Two; 63,495 decks) only targets Wolverine, but it can be cast again from your graveyard for, befitting its <em>Universes Beyond </em>name, a second round of combat. Secondly, <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Bloodthirster" href="#" target="_blank">Bloodthirster</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> (which is also really good with double strike, by the way) and <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Scourge of the Throne" href="#" target="_blank">Scourge of the Throne</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> (44,711 decks and 70,116 decks, respectively) are two creatures that achieve this, with the former netting us multiple combat steps if the stars align.</p>
<p>Moreover, <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Grim Reaper&#039;s Sprint" href="#" target="_blank">Grim Reaper&#039;s Sprint</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> (19,267 decks) gives a small buff to Wolverine as well as the above, but a creature will need to die to cast it cheaply. While it's not in the list, <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Last Night Together" href="#" target="_blank">Last Night Together</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> (9,188 decks) has two creatures attack on the next combat. That said, it provides counters and some useful keywords. Finally, <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Overpowering Attack" href="#" target="_blank">Overpowering Attack</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span>'s (40,140 decks) cost can be reduced if Wolverine was able to connect the first time around.</p>
<h2>Other Cards For Wolverine</h2>
<div class="edhrecp__cards"><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Chandra&#039;s Ignition|sld|1594"></div><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="The Ozolith|sld|1741"></div><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Rising of the Day"></div></div>
<p>There's a few other noteworthy cards I wanted to mention. First of these is <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Chandra&#039;s Ignition" href="#" target="_blank">Chandra&#039;s Ignition</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> (reskinned as Miku's Ignition; 141,494 decks). Wolverine's first ability gives it more reach, letting you remove more creatures than you typically would. Secondly, <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="The Ozolith" href="#" target="_blank">The Ozolith</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> (reskinned as Admantium Bonding Tank; 203,856 decks) will store any +1/+1 counters that Wolverine had, should he be removed. Then, you recast him and move the counters back on him. Next, <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Gimli&#039;s Axe" href="#" target="_blank">Gimli&#039;s Axe</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> (7,820 decks) not only gives our commander a big power boost, but the Equipment grants him evasion as well.</p>
<p>Next, both <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Hunter&#039;s Bow" href="#" target="_blank">Hunter&#039;s Bow</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> and <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Gimli&#039;s Reckless Might" href="#" target="_blank">Gimli&#039;s Reckless Might</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> (11,306 and 20,745 decks, respectively) allow Wolverine to pick off opposing creatures (and the latter gives him haste). <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Inscription of Abundance|ltc|251" href="#" target="_blank">Inscription of Abundance</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> (51,870 decks) packs a lot of utility: it buoys our life total, buffs Wolverine, and allows him to pick off a pesky creature. Speaking of haste, <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Rising of the Day" href="#" target="_blank">Rising of the Day</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> (138,156 decks) gives our commander a tiny buff, but it more importantly gives him haste. <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Excalibur, Sword of Eden" href="#" target="_blank">Excalibur, Sword of Eden</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> (61,469 decks) is among the most terrifying cards in the deck. Equipping it to our commander means he's automatically in lethal range, whether it'd be commander damage, or ordinary damage.</p>
<p>We also have a couple of creatures that could use a boost to achieve their effects. <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Atalan Jackal" href="#" target="_blank">Atalan Jackal</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> (26,236 decks) ramps us on connecting, and it already has trample and taste. Also, <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Crimson Caravaneer" href="#" target="_blank">Crimson Caravaneer</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> (6,082 decks) comes with double strike and trample, plus nets us some treasure tokens when it connects. Finally, <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Cavern-Hoard Dragon" href="#" target="_blank">Cavern-Hoard Dragon</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> (70,080 decks) gives us a ton of Treasures when they hit someone relying too much on their precious trinkets. Unlike the other two, the Dragon doesn't need much support, since it's got a decent statline.</p>
<h2>We're Done Here, Bub</h2>
<p>In conclusion, the stars mostly aligned with this build. Using the <em>Universes Beyond</em> card pool, most of the key pieces found their way into the deck, and I'm sure there will be more support for Wolverine in the future (a reskinned <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Xenagos, God of Revels" href="#" target="_blank">Xenagos, God of Revels</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> would be nice). This deck is one of those where you don't want to do any thinking and help wind down for the night. Simple decks like that are good to have on hand.</p>
<p>Half of the <em>Marvel</em> legends are now covered, and at this point I'm using multiple legends from certain sets. I imagine we could do with a break from the likes of <em>The Lord of the Rings</em>, and find something fresh. Maybe something from the <em>Secret Lair Drops</em>, perhaps (provided, of course, I can assemble the deck with the card pool)?</p>
<p>On a different note, I did receive an idea for an article a little bit ago, and I'll soon get to it. Feel free to let me know in the comments which <em>Universes Beyond </em>commander you'd like me to cover next, especially those from franchises I haven't covered yet. Join me next time when we venture off the beaten path for a change of scenery.</p>


Going Berserk In Commander, With Wolverine, Best There Is

Final Fantasy Deck Tech: Terra, Magical Adept

Technically Playable - Xenagos, God of Revels

Borderland Explorer – Kaima, the Fractured Calm

2024’s EDHighlights -  Bello, Bard of the Brambles

<h6 style="text-align: right;">(<span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Slinza, the Spiked Stampede" href="#" target="_blank">Slinza, the Spiked Stampede</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> | Art by <a href="https://scryfall.com/search?q=a%3A%E2%80%9CIshikawa+Kenta%E2%80%9D&amp;unique=art">Ishikawa Kenta</a>)</h6>
<h2>Why Was There No Beast Secret Lair?</h2>
<p>It turns out that there are <a href="https://scryfall.com/search?as=grid&amp;order=name&amp;q=%28type%3Acreature+type%3Abeast%29+commander%3ARG+%28game%3Apaper%29">333</a> legal creatures with the Beast type in Gruul. If <em>Wizards</em> had made a secret lair designed around the X-Men Beast, it would still be weaker than <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Storm, Force of Nature" href="#" target="_blank">Storm, Force of Nature</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span>. All this is to say that some of your favorite creatures might secretly be a Beast. The best way to find out is to play <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Slinza, the Spiked Stampede" href="#" target="_blank">Slinza, the Spiked Stampede</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span>, and show all of your opponents the beast within.</p>
<p>My name is Nick, and welcome to a deck tech for <em>Foundations Jumpstart</em>, a set filled with anime art, fascinating new legendary creatures, and fun reprints!</p>
<h2>Fight or Fight Response</h2>
<p>In this deck, the only running we will do is run over our opponents to reduce their life totals to zero. <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Slinza, the Spiked Stampede" href="#" target="_blank">Slinza, the Spiked Stampede</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span>, is another legendary creature in the ever-growing world of "Gruul Fight Club." The de facto leader up until now was <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Neyith of the Dire Hunt" href="#" target="_blank">Neyith of the Dire Hunt</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span>, but Slinza wants to bring a new martial arts style to the fight club.</p>
<p>Almost everything about <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Slinza, the Spiked Stampede" href="#" target="_blank">Slinza, the Spiked Stampede</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span>, is perfect for a Beast Typal Commander deck. We get a <span class="mana-container-container"><span class="mana-container"><i class="ms ms-cost ms-2" style="margin-left: inherit !important;"></i></span></span> mana reduction to all our Beasts; they all enter with a +1/+1 counter, and the fighting is optional. The single downside is that we have to pay <span class="mana-container-container"><span class="mana-container"><i class="ms ms-cost ms-4" style="margin-left: inherit !important;"></i></span></span><span class="mana-container-container"><span class="mana-container"><i class="ms ms-cost ms-g" style="margin-left: inherit !important;"></i></span></span> to cast our commander. It's good that we're green, so having enough mana will quickly become an afterthought.</p>
<h2>Fixing the Fight</h2>
<p>We don't want to lose once we start fighting in this deck. So, what cards do we have at our disposal to help make sure we win?</p>
<div class="edhrecp__cards"><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Krosan Warchief"></div><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Anara, Wolvid Familiar"></div><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Thunderfoot Baloth"></div></div>
<p>Regenerate is an older keyword in the game, and <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Krosan Warchief" href="#" target="_blank">Krosan Warchief</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> allows us to have a fight we are guaranteed to win thanks to its protection. <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Anara, Wolvid Familiar" href="#" target="_blank">Anara, Wolvid Familiar</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span>, and <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Spearbreaker Behemoth" href="#" target="_blank">Spearbreaker Behemoth</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> can give our commander indestructible, and the pump from <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Thunderfoot Baloth" href="#" target="_blank">Thunderfoot Baloth</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> should be enough to get over most creatures.</p>
<p>While we don't always have to use our commander to fight when our other Beasts come in, we want to avoid having Slinza, the Spiked Stampede die repeatedly.</p>
<h2>Another +1/+1</h2>
<p>The middle ability on Slinza grants all of our other Beasts an extra counter when they come into play, but what about getting Slinza some counters? As a matter of fact, what about getting all of our creatures more and more +1/+1 counters?</p>
<p>One of the staple cards in a counters deck is <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="The Ozolith" href="#" target="_blank">The Ozolith</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span>. While this card doesn't add counters to anything at the start, someone will eventually want to kill the creatures we have out. When that happens, we want a place for our counters to go, and that is where <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="The Ozolith" href="#" target="_blank">The Ozolith</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> comes into play. And this works for any counter that we can get onto a creature. If we find ourselves with a Beast that doesn't have a trample, hopefully, we have already cycled our <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Titanoth Rex" href="#" target="_blank">Titanoth Rex</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span>, allowing us to reuse the trample counter.</p>
<p>If one spire-shaped artifact is good, the broken version is even better. <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Ozolith, the Shattered Spire" href="#" target="_blank">Ozolith, the Shattered Spire</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> gives our creatures a bonus counter and can even give bonus counters to the counters placed on the original <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="The Ozolith" href="#" target="_blank">The Ozolith</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span>. If that was not good enough for you, what about adding a way to give a creature a counter, which is secretly two counters, and cycling if, for some reason, you ever wanted to throw this card into the bin in an ill-fated attempt to find something better?</p>
<h2>More Counters</h2>
<p>Green is one of the best colors in <em>Magic</em> for +1/+1 counters. From creatures, instants, sorceries, and enchantments, we have many ways to pump up our board.</p>
<div class="edhrecp__cards"><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Fangren Firstborn"></div><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Ivy Lane Denizen"></div><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Loyal Guardian"></div></div>
<p>Fangren Firstborn is one of the best Beasts I found when putting this deck together. It might have <span class="mana-container-container"><span class="mana-container"><i class="ms ms-cost ms-g" style="margin-left: inherit !important;"></i></span></span><span class="mana-container-container"><span class="mana-container"><i class="ms ms-cost ms-g" style="margin-left: inherit !important;"></i></span></span><span class="mana-container-container"><span class="mana-container"><i class="ms ms-cost ms-g" style="margin-left: inherit !important;"></i></span></span> in the cost preventing people from including it, but not us. Our deck is heavy green, and this Beast growing our team when we turn everything sideways adds fuel to our fire. <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> pairs perfectly with our commander, even without an infinite combo involved, which might be a first for the denizen. Every time we have a Beast with power four or greater enter, we can have the denizen give Slinza a counter, allowing it to fight something bigger every time.</p>
<p>An underrated across-the-color pie set of cards, the <a href="https://scryfall.com/search?as=grid&amp;order=name&amp;q=Loyal+oracle%3ALieutenant+%28game%3Apaper%29">Loyal creatures</a>. Each of these cards should, on average, see more play. <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Loyal Guardian" href="#" target="_blank">Loyal Guardian</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> fits perfectly for our needs. Another creature that can add counters to our entire team and being a 4/4 with trample itself means the guardian will get into the red zone along with the team.</p>
<p><span style="box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px; padding: 0px;">Our good offense needs just as good of a defense, and in <em>Magic,</em> there is no better defense than preventing a board wipe. <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Inspiring Call" href="#" target="_blank">Inspiring Call</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> is one of the more niche protection cards you will see in Commander. While this deck also runs <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Heroic Intervention" href="#" target="_blank">Heroic Intervention</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span>, most people will have forgotten that the call even exists, and there is never anything wrong with a backup plan to the backup plan.</span></p>
<p>Lastly, a very recent card, <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Season of Gathering" href="#" target="_blank">Season of Gathering</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span>, does everything that a green deck wants to do. It can put counters on up to five of our creatures, giving them vigilance and trample till the end of the turn, wipe the board of all artifacts and/or all enchantments, or draw us a massive amount of cards.</p>
<h2>Enchanting</h2>
<p>The enchantments in this deck might be the most crucial part outside of the Beasts themselves.</p>
<div class="edhrecp__cards"><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Rhythm of the Wild"></div><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Uncivil Unrest"></div></div>
<p>The wild and the unrest allow all of our creatures to riot. The choice is adding another +1/+1 counter or our creatures having haste, which lets them wait for friends, or jumping into the Donnybrook themselves. Bonus points to <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Uncivil Unrest" href="#" target="_blank">Uncivil Unrest</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> doubling the damage almost every creature in our deck will dish out.</p>
<div class="edhrecp__cards"><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Court of Garenbrig"></div><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Innkeeper&#039;s Talent"></div><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Beastmaster Ascension"></div></div>
<p><span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Court of Garenbrig" href="#" target="_blank">Court of Garenbrig</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> can draw us cards, give us counters, and even double up all the counters we have already made. <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Innkeeper&#039;s Talent" href="#" target="_blank">Innkeeper&#039;s Talent</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> has no level we cannot take advantage of; giving our creatures protection in the form of ward and having another effect that doubles up our counters all rolled into one. A prerequisite for this deck is having a lot of dice on hand, especially if you enter the court or witness <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Innkeeper&#039;s Talent" href="#" target="_blank">Innkeeper&#039;s Talent</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> firsthand.</p>
<p><span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Primeval Bounty" href="#" target="_blank">Primeval Bounty</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> acts as this deck's Swiss army knife, and while we most likely get a 3/3 Beast with this card on the field, the times we trigger the other two effects shouldn't be slept on. The silliest card to be found in a <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Slinza, the Spiked Stampede" href="#" target="_blank">Slinza, the Spiked Stampede</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> deck, is <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Aether Charge" href="#" target="_blank">Aether Charge</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span>: every beast now becomes four damage to our least favorite opponent's face.</p>
<h2>Biggest Baddest Beasts</h2>
<p>I have talked about many cards that help our beasts and help our commander, but what about the beasts themselves? <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Craterhoof Behemoth" href="#" target="_blank">Craterhoof Behemoth</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span>, a card that needs one ever to say how good it is ever again, just so happens to be a beast. <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Siege Behemoth" href="#" target="_blank">Siege Behemoth</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> is nowhere near as good of a card, but with Hexproof, it will not die easily, and its ability makes it so that even if an opponent has infinite blockers, we can still win the game.</p>
<p><span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Rampaging Baloths" href="#" target="_blank">Rampaging Baloths</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> and <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Thragtusk" href="#" target="_blank">Thragtusk</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> both act as a familiar song to a player's ears, but I, for one, have never focused on their creature type of Beast. <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Blossoming Bogbeast" href="#" target="_blank">Blossoming Bogbeast</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> is not going to pump our team to the moon since we do not have steady life gain, but giving our board trample pairs perfectly with the addition of a <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Quartzwood Crasher" href="#" target="_blank">Quartzwood Crasher</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span>.</p>
<p>Finally, there are some other surprisingly good Beast creatures.</p>
<div class="edhrecp__cards"><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Herald of Ilharg"></div><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Taurean Mauler"></div><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Caller of the Pack"></div></div>
<h2>Down With the Sickness</h2>
<p>A lot of green and a splash of red is just as good of a way to build a Commander deck as any other strategy. <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Slinza, the Spiked Stampede" href="#" target="_blank">Slinza, the Spiked Stampede</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span>, spoke to me when I looked through the <em>Foundations Jumpstart </em>card list. I was explicitly wrong in my thinking that there would be a small number of Beasts for the deck, and I was pleasantly surprised to see some creatures I have fond memories of playing that just so happened to be Beasts themselves.</p>
<p>A significant omission from this deck is a card like <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Doubling Season" href="#" target="_blank">Doubling Season</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> or any of its slightly worse enchantment variations. Obviously, it would be fine in the deck, and if the deck's main focus was strictly +1/+1 counters, then I would definitely be included. I decided to focus on the Beast creature type in the deck and use counters and fighting as subthemes in the deck, leaving it out of the list.</p>
<p>I think <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Slinza, the Spiked Stampede" href="#" target="_blank">Slinza, the Spiked Stampede</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span>, is a commander who can bring a new player into the game and one that a seasoned veteran can fine-tune and have a blast with. If you want to see any of the other decks I have teched for <em>Foundations</em> or any previous sets, along with my series on Planeswalkers or anything else that other brilliant people have written, find it here on EDHREC or <a href="https://commandersherald.com/">Commanders Herald</a>. The rest of the deck list can be found below!</p>
<h2>Deck List</h2>
<div class="edhrecp__deck mtgh"><span class="edhrecp__deck-s" name="The Beast In Me" site="edhrec" archidekt_link="" cards="[Commander]
*1 Slinza, the Spiked Stampede
[/Commander]
[Enchantments]
*1 Aether Charge
*1 Beastmaster Ascension
*1 Court of Garenbrig
*1 Garruk&#039;s Uprising
*1 Guardian Project
*1 Innkeeper&#039;s Talent
*1 Primeval Bounty
*1 Rhythm of the Wild
*1 Uncivil Unrest
*1 Utopia Sprawl
[/Enchantments]
[Creatures]
*1 Anara, Wolvid Familiar
*1 Beast Whisperer
*1 Birds of Paradise
*1 Blossoming Bogbeast
*1 Caller of the Pack
*1 Craterhoof Behemoth
*1 Elder Gargaroth
*1 Fanatic of Rhonas
*1 Fangren Firstborn
*1 Garruk&#039;s Horde
*1 Gemrazer
*1 Goreclaw, Terror of Qal Sisma
*1 Gwenna, Eyes of Gaea
*1 Herald of Ilharg
*1 Herd Baloth
*1 Ivy Lane Denizen
*1 Krosan Warchief
*1 Loyal Guardian
*1 Migloz, Maze Crusher
*1 Migratory Greathorn
*1 Neyith of the Dire Hunt
*1 Quartzwood Crasher
*1 Questing Beast
*1 Quilled Greatwurm
*1 Rampaging Baloths
*1 Ridgescale Tusker
*1 Sawtusk Demolisher
*1 Siege Behemoth
*1 Spearbreaker Behemoth
*1 Spellbreaker Behemoth
*1 Taurean Mauler
*1 Thragtusk
*1 Thunderfoot Baloth
*1 Titanoth Rex
*1 Zhur-Taa Ancient
[/Creatures]
[Artifacts]
*1 Arcane Signet
*1 Dolmen Gate
*1 Ozolith, the Shattered Spire
*1 Patchwork Banner
*1 Rhonas&#039;s Monument
*1 Sol Ring
*1 The Ozolith
[/Artifacts]
[Instants]
*1 Beast Within
*1 Chaos Warp
*1 Heroic Intervention
*1 Inspiring Call
*1 Return of the Wildspeaker
[/Instants]
[Sorceries]
*1 Ezuri&#039;s Predation
*1 Nature&#039;s Lore
*1 Rampant Growth
*1 Rishkar&#039;s Expertise
*1 Season of Gathering
*1 Shamanic Revelation
*1 Three Visits
[/Sorceries]
[Lands]
*1 Arena of Glory
*1 Boseiju, Who Endures
*1 Castle Garenbrig
*1 Cinder Glade
*1 Command Tower
*1 Commercial District
*1 Contested Cliffs
*1 Copperline Gorge
*10 Forest
*1 Gruul Turf
*1 Karplusan Forest
*1 Kessig Wolf Run
*3 Mountain
*1 Oran-Rief, the Vastwood
*1 Rockfall Vale
*1 Rootbound Crag
*1 Secluded Courtyard
*1 Sheltered Thicket
*1 Skarrg, the Rage Pits
*1 Spire Garden
*1 Stomping Ground
*1 Thornspire Verge
*1 Wooded Foothills
*1 Yavimaya, Cradle of Growth
[/Lands]"></span></div>




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