Yarok, the DesecratedYarok, the Desecrated | Art by Daarken
Welcome back to Wombo Combo, the article series that haunts your opponents with Commander's best combos, using data from EDHREC and Commander Spellbook. With Halloween right around the corner, this edition looks in awe and horror at Magic's best Horror combo cards!
Horror serves as a melting pot of extremely abnormal and horrifying creatures, ranging from NightmareNightmares to the Phyrexian Domini and everything else you can (and can't) imagine. Since Horrors as a creature type serve as a catch-all, there are many different themes to choose from, including poison counters, life drain, and proliferating. These combo cards are sure to make your opponents tremble with fear, so let's list them!
#10: The Gitrog Monster
Deck Inclusions: 7,712 as commander (#228); 98,076 as card (6.7%)
The Gitrog MonsterThe Gitrog Monster lets you play an additional land each turn and draw a card whenever a land is put into your graveyard. This draw is perfect for Dakmor SalvageDakmor Salvage, the only land card that has the dredge ability.
Dredge allows you to replace The Gitrog Monster's card draw with milling cards and returning Dakmor Salvage to your hand, allowing you to discard it repeatedly if you have enough cards to mill. You can discard Dakmor Salvage either by exceeding your maximum hand size during a cleanup step, or by using an outlet like Skirge FamiliarSkirge Familiar to get additional results.
#9: Faceless Butcher
Deck Inclusions: 2,861 as card (0.08%)
Faceless ButcherFaceless Butcher is black's version of Fiend HunterFiend Hunter, and functions the same in combos.
Faceless Butcher-esque cards love to be in combos alongside similar cards, such as Abdel Adrian, Gorion's WardAbdel Adrian, Gorion's Ward or Restoration AngelRestoration Angel. These cards can create a blinking loop, resulting in infinite enters- and leaves-the-battlefield triggers, which can be capitalized on by Warstorm SurgeWarstorm Surge or other payoffs.
Abdel Adrian also will give you infinite Soldier tokens which can lead to combat victory. Faceless Butcher also pairs well with Karmic GuideKarmic Guide cards, sacrificing Faceless Butcher to return it via Karmic Guide.
#8: Hullbreaker Horror
Deck Inclusions: 266,424 as card (7.69%)
Hullbreaker HorrorHullbreaker Horror allows you to bounce either spells or permanents to their owner's hand whenever you cast a spell. This can be used to punish opponents as an UnsubstantiateUnsubstantiate-style effect alongside the spell you choose to cast.
Hullbreaker Horror can also be used to bounce your own spells or permanents. You can bounce Sol RingSol Ring to gain each time, which can be used to bounce another artifact in an infinite loop.
Animar, Soul of ElementsAnimar, Soul of Elements could also discount two creatures to , allowing for an infinite cast-bounce loop.
#7: K'rrik, Son of Yawgmoth
Deck Inclusions: 17,318 as commander (#50); 80,960 as card (2.28%)
K'rrik, Son of YawgmothK'rrik, Son of Yawgmoth allows you to pay 2 life instead of any cost in a spell or ability. This serves as a great way to play black cards quicker, especially in Commander where life is more plentiful.
It also allows you to use life gain from Blood ArtistBlood Artist effects or Sheoldred, the ApocalypseSheoldred, the Apocalypse to help pay for spells or abilities. This life payment also triggers Vilis, Broker of BloodVilis, Broker of Blood, allowing you to draw two cards and creating a three card combo with Sheoldred and K'rrik.
Chainer, Dementia MasterChainer, Dementia Master is another common card that uses K'rrik is combos, alongside Gray Merchant of AsphodelGray Merchant of Asphodel.
#6: Lurking Roper
Deck Inclusions: 688 decks (0.02%)
Lurking RoperLurking Roper is similar to Famished PaladinFamished Paladin, and untaps whenever you gain life. The obvious course of action here is to get Lurking Roper to tap to gain life, which can happen in several different ways.
The first is to create creature tokens with Presence of GondPresence of Gond and gain life with Soul WardenSoul Warden or similar effects. The second is to tap Lurking Roper to deal damage using Hermetic StudyHermetic Study or a similar effect, and giving Lurking Roper lifelink to gain life when it deals damage.
Third, Lurking Roper can take an ability from Mine WorkerMine Worker or a similar creature using Agatha's Soul CauldronAgatha's Soul Cauldron.
#5: Dross Harvester
Deck Inclusions: 4,375 decks (0.12%)
Dross HarvesterDross Harvester lets you gain 2 life whenever a creature dies, which allows it to slot in for Blood ArtistBlood Artist in many combos.
Dross Harvester's life gain can offset the activation cost of Warren SoultraderWarren Soultrader or casting a spell with Bolas's CitadelBolas's Citadel. It can also counteract Junji, the Midnight SkyJunji, the Midnight Sky's life loss from recurring a creature, or simply serve as a payoff to get infinite life.
While Dross Harvester does cause you to lose 4 life during each of your end steps, this shouldn't be a major concern for decks centered around recursion and creatures dying.
#4: Eternal Scourge
Deck Inclusions: 21,507 decks (0.31%)
Eternal ScourgeEternal Scourge is one of few cards that allow you to cast it from exile. This mirrors a similar effect seen on Misthollow GriffinMisthollow Griffin and Squee, the ImmortalSquee, the Immortal.
Eternal Scourge creates a two-card combo with Food ChainFood Chain, using the produced mana to immediately cast Eternal Scourge again. There are other methods that can be used to exile Eternal Scourge when it dies, such as Rest in PeaceRest in Peace or Nightmare ShepherdNightmare Shepherd.
Eternal Scourge is also one of a few cards to be recoverable after a Merciless EvictionMerciless Eviction, which is a neat quality.
#3: Yarok, the Desecrated
Deck Inclusions: 11,247 as commander (#120); 20,579 as card (2.66%)
Yarok, the DesecratedYarok, the Desecrated doubles abilities that trigger when a permanent enters, similar to Elesh Norn, Mother of MachinesElesh Norn, Mother of Machines or Virtue of KnowledgeVirtue of Knowledge.
This doubling effect can be used with Venser, Shaper SavantVenser, Shaper Savant to return it and another creature to their owner's hand. You can use this to bounce Peregrine DrakePeregrine Drake, and cast it to double its ability, untapping ten lands to keep the combo moving.
A simpler version of this combo can use PalinchronPalinchron instead, using its own ability to bounce it instead. TreacheryTreachery is another great option to gain control of all creatures while making mana.
#2: Mondrak, Glory Dominus
Deck Inclusions: 2,577 as commander (#748); 226,323 as card (6.95%)
Mondrak, Glory DominusMondrak, Glory Dominus serves as a token doubler in the command zone, making it redundancy for Parallel LivesParallel Lives or Anointed ProcessionAnointed Procession.
Token doublers are a simple concept but are surprisingly useful for enabling combos. Using Mondrak with Marneus CalgarMarneus Calgar allows Marneus to create four tokens that can be sacrificed to Ashnod's AltarAshnod's Altar for mana to repeat the loop. Mondrak can also enable a Time SieveTime Sieve and Tivit, Seller of SecretsTivit, Seller of Secrets infinite turns combo, or easier comboing with Ghave, Guru of SporesGhave, Guru of Spores.
Mondrak also creates a two-card combo with Spawnsire of UlamogSpawnsire of Ulamog, whose tokens can be sacrificed for the mana needed to activate Spawnsire again. Any deck that centers around tokens wants token doublers, and Mondrak is a great choice, especially with the ability to give it indestructible to help thwart removal attempts.
#1: Woe Strider
Deck Inclusions: 70,217 decks (1.98%)
Woe StriderWoe Strider is the top Horror combo card, and it shouldn't be surprising, given it's a sacrifice outlet.
Woe Strider is a more expensive Viscera SeerViscera Seer, allowing you to sacrifice a creature to scry 1, with the hilarious added bonus of a 0/1 Goat when it enters. Sacrifice outlets are the backbone of many combos, from Luminous BroodmothLuminous Broodmoth to Cauldron FamiliarCauldron Familiar combos and everything in between.
Woe Strider's scrying is especially notable for Matoya, Archon ElderMatoya, Archon Elder, which lets you draw cards from Woe Strider's effect. Woe Strider's effect also allows you to tutor specific pieces to the top of your library by cutting your library, allowing you to draw them from other means.
Sacrifice outlets are a near necessity for combo decks, and Woe Strider is a great inclusion to make that happen.
Honorable Mentions
If you're looking for more terrifying creatures, add these cards to your list:
1. Chasm SkulkerChasm Skulker: Places +1/+1 counters on itself as you draw cards, perfect for heavy card draw decks including O'aka, Traveling MerchantO'aka, Traveling Merchant.
2. Tekuthal, Inquiry DominusTekuthal, Inquiry Dominus: An auto-include for proliferate and infect decks, allowing combos with Magistrate's ScepterMagistrate's Scepter among others.
3. Doom WeaverDoom Weaver: A great way for card advantage in recursion decks, and for triggering The Locust GodThe Locust God.
Thank you very much for reading this edition of Wombo Combo, and don't forget to check out Commander Spellbook for more Commander combos and visit the Commander Spellbook Discord to vote on the next edition of Wombo Combo and to submit your own Commander combos. Until next time, happy comboing!
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Ethan Coover
Ethan has been an avid EDH player since 2014 with the release of Core Set 2015. In 2021, he joined the Commander Spellbook project as an editor, and later a head-editor and moderator, and has assisted in the curation, updating and/or uploading of over 40,000 unique EDH combos and over 40 articles covering EDH's best combos.
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