Bristly Bill, Spine SowerBristly Bill, Spine Sower | Art by Daniel Zrom
Welcome back to Wombo Combo, where we cultivate lists of Commander's best combo cards using EDHREC and Commander Spellbook data. With spring right around the corner, this week we will be gazing at Commander's best Plant combo cards!
As a creature type, Plants are predominately green (the color of Forests, of course) and fit into a variety of different deck strategies. Plant cards can generate tokens, gain life, synergize with landfall, and more. While Plants are a common type of token generated by many cards, there are plenty of Plant creatures with useful combo effects. Let's propagate a list of the best Plants for combos!
#10: Vegetation Abomination
Deck Inclusions: 2,462 decks (0.07%)
Vegetation Abomination is a Plant that is also a Food, with an ability to tap and sacrifice it to roll a six-sided die and gain life equal to the result. With Vegetation Abomination being a Food, it synergizes perfectly with Food caring cards, like Samwise GamgeeSamwise Gamgee. Samwise can sacrifice Vegetation Abomination, but can also return it to the battlefield. This allows a loop using another Food creature like GingerbruteGingerbrute and Peregrin TookPeregrin Took to infinitely recur Abomination and Gingerbrute.
#9: Ilysian Caryatid
Deck Inclusions: 77,240 decks (2.06%)
Ilysian CaryatidIlysian Caryatid is known as a mana dork, which is just a creature that taps to produce mana. With Ilysian Caryatid being able to produce two mana, it creates a simple infinite combo with Freed from the RealFreed from the Real or Pemmin's AuraPemmin's Aura.
Ilysian Caryatid's ability can also be pilfered by Marvin, Murderous MimicMarvin, Murderous Mimic alongside the ability of MorphlingMorphling, allowing Marvin to tap and then untap itself for infinite mana. Ilysian Caryatid also serves as a simple payoff for Intruder AlarmIntruder Alarm combos, giving you infinite colored mana to cast your game-winning spell.
#8: Tree of Redemption
Deck Inclusions: 37,981 decks (1.01%)
Tree of RedemptionTree of Redemption is a unique card that allows you to tap it to swap your life total with its toughness. This can let you gain life in a bind if your life total falls low, or it can let you lose life if you're playing cards that want low life totals. This includes Near-Death ExperienceNear-Death Experience, which requires you to have one life to win the game.
If you set Tree of Redemption's toughness to 1, using Storvald, Frost Giant JarlStorvald, Frost Giant Jarl or Godhead of AweGodhead of Awe, you can win the game during your next upkeep.
#7: Jumbo Cactuar
Deck Inclusions: 32,323 decks (1.24%)
Jumbo CactuarJumbo Cactuar gets a massive power boost as it attacks, giving itself +9999/+0 (and no, that isn't a joke). While this power buff can obviously kill an opponent if they can't block or kill it, this power buff has many other uses. You can exile it with Swords to PlowsharesSwords to Plowshares to gain 10,000 life, or tap Selvala, Heart of the WildsSelvala, Heart of the Wilds to gain 10,000 colored mana.
Another game-ending use involves casting Chandra's IgnitionChandra's Ignition to cause Jumbo Cactuar to deal 10,000 damage to each opponent, or activating Jarad, Golgari Lich LordJarad, Golgari Lich Lord to cause each opponent to lose 10,000 life.
#6: Cultivator Colossus
Deck Inclusions: 85,300 decks (2.27%)
Cultivator ColossusCultivator Colossus has a strong ability triggering when it enters that allows you to put a land from your hand onto the battlefield, and then draw a card and repeat the process until you don't play a land. This ability is a perfect match for AbundanceAbundance, which ensures you can play all the lands in your library.
Scouting TrekScouting Trek works similarly for basic lands, ordering them on top and then drawing into them repeatedly. Selective MemorySelective Memory can also be used to only leave lands in your library, which can lead to an easy Thassa's OracleThassa's Oracle win.
#5: Moss-Pit Skeleton
Deck Inclusions: 1,578 decks (0.09%)
Moss-Pit SkeletonMoss-Pit Skeleton has the ability to put itself on top of your library whenever a +1/+1 counter is placed on a creature you control. This effect works beautifully with Insidious RootsInsidious Roots, which places +1/+1 counters as cards leave your graveyard. Here you can create an infinite combo by creating tokens from a Tormod, the DesecratorTormod, the Desecrator effect and sacrifice them to Altar of DementiaAltar of Dementia to infinitely recur and mill Moss-Pit Skeleton. You can also use Snarling GorehoundSnarling Gorehound, which performs a similar purpose.
#4: Bristly Bill, Spine Sower
Deck Inclusions: 6,942 as commander (#316); 122,987 as card (3.35%)
Bristly Bill, Spine SowerBristly Bill, Spine Sower contains two strong abilities, one of which places +1/+1 counters as lands you control enter, and another that doubles the number of +1/+1 counters on creatures you control. Bristly Bill can create an easy combo with either Devoted DruidDevoted Druid or Crystalline CrawlerCrystalline Crawler if you get six or more +1/+1 counters on them, doubling the counters and then removing them for mana.
The second ability can also create infinite tokens using Lonis, Genetics ExpertLonis, Genetics Expert and Academy ManufactorAcademy Manufactor. Bristly Bill's first ability can be used on FertilidFertilid, letting you fetch more lands.
#3: Tinder Wall
Deck Inclusions: 54,374 decks (3.06%)
Tinder WallTinder Wall lets you sacrifice it to add . This ability to sacrifice itself can eliminate the need for a traditional sacrifice outlet, and adding mana is a savvy way to perform infinite combos. That mana can be poured into Orthion, Hero of LavabrinkOrthion, Hero of Lavabrink to make more tokens, or Sneak AttackSneak Attack to cheat out creatures.
The ability to self sacrifice makes Tinder Wall a great choice for combos with MortuaryMortuary or Enduring RenewalEnduring Renewal without requiring a separate sacrifice outlet.
#2: The Necrobloom
Deck Inclusions: 22,375 as commander (#28); 17,375 as card (2.23%)
The NecrobloomThe Necrobloom's first ability creates a creature token as a land enters under your control, either a 0/1 Plant or a 2/2 Zombie if you control enough lands. This creature token notably triggers Kodama of the East TreeKodama of the East Tree, whose ability lets you put lands into play. If you play a bounce land, this can keep triggering to make infinite tokens.
The tokens can also be sacrificed to Perilous ForaysPerilous Forays or Wight of the ReliquaryWight of the Reliquary to fetch more lands from your library. The Necrobloom also gives your land cards in your graveyard dredge, which can trigger The Gitrog MonsterThe Gitrog Monster, similar to Dakmor SalvageDakmor Salvage.
#1: Tree of Perdition
Tree of PerditionTree of Perdition is the counterpoint to Tree of RedemptionTree of Redemption, which sets an opponent's life total to be equal to its toughness. It's obvious that if you give Tree of Perdition a very low toughness, you can knock an opponent's life total down as well. A notable synergy is to set an opponent's life total to 13, and then kill the opponent with TriskaidekaphobiaTriskaidekaphobia. Since the life total counts as life loss, it can be multiplied by Bloodletter of AclazotzBloodletter of Aclazotz and Wound ReflectionWound Reflection.
Ezio Auditore da FirenzeEzio Auditore da Firenze is another card that works similar to Triskaidekaphobia, where Ezio's combat damage can reduce their life total to 10. Another option is to simply fire enough damage, either through combat or otherwise, to kill the opponent. The same cards used to set Tree of Redemption's toughness can also be used for Tree of Perdition to set an opponent's life total to one.
Honorable Mentions
Need some more Plants to put a spring in your step? Look no further!
1. Sprouting PhytohydraSprouting Phytohydra: Another option for PolyraptorPolyraptor, and combos well with Terror of the PeaksTerror of the Peaks or Marauding RaptorMarauding Raptor.
2. Greater MossdogGreater Mossdog and Shambling ShellShambling Shell: Dredge cards that work great for cycling, including by Benthic BiomancerBenthic Biomancer.
3. Avenger of ZendikarAvenger of Zendikar and Phylath, World SculptorPhylath, World Sculptor: While not Plants themselves, they create a large amount of Plants, which is perfect for combos with Nim DeathmantleNim Deathmantle and Mana EchoesMana Echoes.
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 submit your own Commander combos. Until next time, happy comboing!
Ethan Coover
Ethan has been an avid EDH player since 2014. In 2021, he joined the Commander Spellbook project (under the alias Gordon) as an editor, and later a head-editor and moderator. Since then, he has assisted in the curation, updating and/or uploading of over 70,000 unique Commander combos and over 50 articles covering Commander's best combos.
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