The Monster Mash

Silver-bordered commanders are here for just a few short weeks, and while Un-mander isn't usually my thing, there's one legendary creature from Unstable who hits so close to home that I absolutely must write about her.

I'm lucky to have many commander decks. Most are budget, several are just experiments, but there's one deck I cherish above them all, and that's The MimeoplasmThe Mimeoplasm. As my first official deck, it's been with me for years. You can therefore imagine my delight when I saw Grusilda, Monster MasherGrusilda, Monster Masher.

You'd better have a Relic of ProgenitusRelic of Progenitus at the ready, because your graveyards are not safe. Both of these commanders mix, match, and knit the dead together like they're Stitcher GeralfStitcher Geralf. It's about time we have an Un-mander Showdown: Monster Mash edition.

Yule Ooze

I'd like to start with the commander we already know. The MimeoplasmThe Mimeoplasm hails from the original Commander product Devour for Power. For five mana, he consumes two dead creatures, becoming a Body DoubleBody Double of one of them and scavenging the other for +1/+1 counters like Varolz, the Scar-StripedVarolz, the Scar-Striped.

This affords you an endless number of combinations. In the original Devour for Power deck, you could become a copy of Troll AsceticTroll Ascetic with ten +1/+1 counters from Artisan of KozilekArtisan of Kozilek. I think my very first Mimeoplastic combination was Hydra OmnivoreHydra Omnivore (from the Riku of Two ReflectionsRiku of Two Reflections player) with a power boost from my LhurgoyfLhurgoyf.

The original Commander product came out in the same year as New Phyrexia, so it didn't take players very long to discover some of Mimeo's most potent amalgamations:

Who needs to deal 21 points of commander damage when you can use infect instead? Combined with any 6+ power creature, Skithiryx, the Blight DragonSkithiryx, the Blight Dragon can give itself haste and fell an opponent with a single blow. Blighted AgentBlighted Agent is another solid option, though it requires 9+ power, which is a little tougher to come by. You'll also need Lightning GreavesLightning Greaves to be most effective; there's a 100% chance your unblockable infected commander becomes Public Enemy #1, so you have to work fast before it gets TerminateTerminated.

Combinations like this have given The MimeoplasmThe Mimeoplasm a similar reputation to Rafiq of the ManyRafiq of the Many as a master of one-shot kills. Such commanders are regarded as dangerous before the game begins. Even if you've toned the deck's power level down a few notches, opponents will try to kill Mimeo on sight because they know what it's capabilities.

For those who dislike infect, there are numerous other useful Mimeoplasm combinations.

Invisible StalkerInvisible Stalker has natural unblockable and hexproof, which makes it a great host for the +1/+1 counters of an enormous Consuming AberrationConsuming Aberration or Lord of ExtinctionLord of Extinction. All those counters feel great on a Walking BallistaWalking Ballista too, because you can turn them into damage. Plus, you can cast the Ballista for zero mana to put it straight into the graveyard.

It also doesn't hurt to just use Mimeo as a Beacon of UnrestBeacon of Unrest. If the instant-win creatures aren't available, there ain't nothin' wrong with concocting a 15/15 Sheoldred, Whispering OneSheoldred, Whispering One for five mana. That's the real heart of Mimeo's playstyle. It's a reanimator deck, through and through. From Animate DeadAnimate Dead to NecromancyNecromancy to ReanimateReanimate to Dance of the DeadDance of the Dead, there are many ways to revive expensive creatures for very little mana.

Animating a Jin-Gitaxias, Core AugurJin-Gitaxias, Core Augur on turn two or three is backbreaking. Paying two mana for a Consecrated SphinxConsecrated Sphinx is obnoxious. Plus, lots of your expensive creatures get to serve dual purposes; TerastodonTerastodon is a great reanimation target and a good choice for Mimeo's +1/+1 counters. Void WinnowerVoid Winnower can either buff your commander or cut off a bunch of enemy spells.

Naturally, Mimeoplasm decks run a gamut of spells like Buried AliveBuried Alive and EntombEntomb to get things in the graveyard. Since you'll often end up with those huge creatures in your hand, discard spells like Frantic SearchFrantic Search are also enormously useful. (A personal favorite of mine is Commander 2016's Ancient ExcavationAncient Excavation.)

In Mimeo's Instants section we also see CounterspellCounterspell at 30% popularity. A few other counterspells litter the list too, like Swan SongSwan Song. This is a big hint about Mimeo's strategy. Once you reanimate a big creature, you have to keep it alive, because a Path to ExilePath to Exile is definitely headed your way. If you've ever player a Delver of SecretsDelver of Secrets deck in a 60-card format, this gameplan probably sounds familiar to you. You get a big threat on the board very quickly and for very little mana, then protect it until it wipes out your enemies.

My Arm is a T-Rex, Your Argument is Invalid

Mimeo's my pet deck, so I hope you won't mind me sharing my personal list for this commander. This is the deck I've been tuning for years, so I've been able to trade up into some really spicy cards. Take a look:

There are some real treasures here, especially my pride and joy Survival of the FittestSurvival of the Fittest. However, despite powerful cards like Survival, competitive EDH players would take one look at this list and roll their eyes. There are some great cards, but Diluvian PrimordialDiluvian Primordial and SpelltwineSpelltwine aren't hyper-competitive cards. They're my fun cards, as I've tuned this list for the not-quite-competitive-not-quite-casual power level of my personal playgroup. If our game doesn't end quickly, I like to have late-game powerhouses, and I just can't resist the allure of Liliana's majesty in Rise of the Dark RealmsRise of the Dark Realms.

Competitive Mimeoplasm lists often make use of absurd graveyard combos. Necrotic OozeNecrotic Ooze is a useful utility creature, but it's even better when it steals the activated abilities of Phyrexian DevourerPhyrexian Devourer and Walking BallistaWalking Ballista, turning your library into cannon fodder. The famous Mikaeus, the UnhallowedMikaeus, the Unhallowed + TriskelionTriskelion combo often rears its ugly head as well. Oh, and don't even get me started on the craziness Hermit DruidHermit Druid enables. These combos are great, but they're not my personal meta's power level, so I mix up some dorky cards along with the powerful ones.

There's one other important mixture in this decklist I'd like to call to your attention and that's the deck's balance of 'self-graveyard' cards vs 'other-graveyard' cards. As an example, Meren of Clan Nel TothMeren of Clan Nel Toth is a self-graveyard commander, while Lazav, Dimir MastermindLazav, Dimir Mastermind is an other-graveyard commander. The MimeoplasmThe Mimeoplasm encourages a reanimator strategy, but reanimator strategies frequently turn inward to self-graveyard shenanigans, only reanimating their own Jin-Gitaxias, Core AugurJin-Gitaxias, Core Augurs or Rune-Scarred DemonRune-Scarred Demons, etc.

Since Mimeo can eat anyone's creatures, I personally like having a balance of cards that fill up not just my own graveyard, but also my opponents'. Mesmeric OrbMesmeric Orb does this with annoying proficiency. I've also found WindfallWindfall spells to be surprisingly effective. If I get Bojuka BogBojuka Bogged, I like to have backup graveyards. If you're thinking of building Mimeo, this is a balance you'll have to learn to navigate as well. Do you want to use your own graveyard, someone else's, or both?

The Masher

That's enough about the Plasm for now. We have another graveyard manipulator to discuss: Grusilda, Monster MasherGrusilda, Monster Masher. What happens when you trade blue and green for red? You get something a little crazy and a lot of fun. In true silver-bordered fashion, Grusilda goes a step beyond The MimeoplasmThe Mimeoplasm when fusing her dead creatures. While Mimeo converts one creature into +1/+1 counters, Grusilda actually combines two creatures, giving you not only the additional power but their abilities as well. This opens up a whole new can of worms.

Mairsil, the PretenderMairsil, the Pretender might be a little jealous, because Grusilda gets to combine activated abilities without any one-per-turn restrictions. Pili-PalaPili-Pala goes infinite with Grand ArchitectGrand Architect in artifact decks, but here it goes infinite with Palladium MyrPalladium Myr or Kozilek's ChannelerKozilek's Channeler. Tap for two mana, then pay two mana, untap your creature, and make a mana. Repeat ad infinitum.

Another powerful combo is Cinderhaze WretchCinderhaze Wretch and Tree of PerditionTree of Perdition. Tap the Tree-Wretch to make an opponent discard a card, then untap it by placing a -1/-1 counter on it. Once its toughness is at 1, use Tree of PerditionTree of Perdition's ability to switch its toughness with an opponent's life total. Now that you've got more toughness, you can repeat the discard-untap abilities for the next opponent, and then the next. When the dust settles, your opponents will be left with no cards in their hands and 1 point of life each.

Let's take a break from activated abilities really quick and discuss some power. Grusilda makes some fantastic face-punchers. Remember Skithiryx, the Blight DragonSkithiryx, the Blight Dragon from Mimeo's all-star cards? Here it pairs nicely with a fine red Lightning RunnerLightning Runner. Slapping double strike on a MalignusMalignus doesn't sound half-bad either.

If you're playing silver-bordered cards in the 99 as well, let me direct your attention to Three-Headed GoblinThree-Headed Goblin and Infinity ElementalInfinity Elemental. The former combines magnificently with frankly any big creature. The latter combines with lifelink. Fuse together Infinity ElementalInfinity Elemental + Vampire NighthawkVampire Nighthawk and you have a creature that gives you infinite life if it so much as bumps into another creature or player. Hard to lose when you have infinite life. (The Unstable FAQ also clarifies that when you have infinite life, if you get attacked with someone else's Infinity ElementalInfinity Elemental you'll still have infinite life. Infinity - infinity = infinity. I don't understand it either, but that's how the laws of mathematics work.)

Speaking of weird rules, here's an important one. As we saw in this episode of Game Knights, when Mark Rosewater flickered a combined Host/Augment creature, it left and returned to the battlefield as one unit. This is a departure from the rules for meld, another mechanic that 'combines' creatures. If you flicker a Brisela, Voice of NightmaresBrisela, Voice of Nightmares, it comes back as its two separate components, Gisela, the Broken BladeGisela, the Broken Blade and Bruna, the Fading LightBruna, the Fading Light.

This isn't the case for genuinely combined creatures, though. In the spirit of silver borders, a Host/Augment pair is considered to be a single creature, and therefore leaves and returns as one entity. This is also true of Grusilda's mashups. (Mark Rosewater has confirmed it here. However, please note that if you mash a creature you own with one your opponent owns, and it has to return to it's owner's control, you must undergo a challenge to see who gets the creature.)

The reason this interaction is important is because it gives Grusilda access to some truly disgusting abilities, namely persist and undying. With these abilities and a few +1/+1 counters, you can build your own Mikaeus, the UnhallowedMikaeus, the Unhallowed + TriskelionTriskelion combo, but without the Mikaeus.

Flayer of the HateboundFlayer of the Hatebound and Murderous RedcapMurderous Redcap combine with several other creatures to immediately win you the game, including each other! Deal the Flayer's damage to an opponent, the Redcap's damage to itself, then bring the creature back and do it all over again. TriskelionTriskelion works the same way, repeatedly killing itself as it pings opponents to death. I also really want to combine Infinity ElementalInfinity Elemental with Flayer of the HateboundFlayer of the Hatebound.

Probably my favorite thing about Grusilda, Monster MasherGrusilda, Monster Masher is that she doesn't exile creatures the way Mimeo does. If her creations die, she can reassmble them. Plus, Grusilda doesn't just give menace to your combined creatures, she also gives it to your enchanted and equipped creatures! If your creature is wearing Lightning GreavesLightning Greaves or, better yet, Animate DeadAnimate Dead, it's harder to block.

A Graveyard Smash

Enough theorycrafting. Let's take a look at an actual decklist for Grusilda.

I'll get to the combinations in a second, but I want to pause and focus on the true stars of the deck: the mana ramp. Grusilda's ability is expensive. Very, very expensive. Your first combination will cost you a total of ten mana. You absolutely need mana ramp in this deck if it's going to function properly, so don't skimp on it. I don't care if Worn PowerstoneWorn Powerstone is a strictly worse Sol RingSol Ring, you need the mana.

You also need ways to get those creatures into the graveyard where they belong. EntombEntomb and Buried AliveBuried Alive are top-notch. Lots of those creatures will end up in your hand too, so you'll need ways to discard them. Dark DealDark Deal and Molten PsycheMolten Psyche are great options, as is Reforge the SoulReforge the Soul. You can't skimp on mana, and you can't skimp on these discard spells either. If one of your key mashup creatures gets stuck in your hand, that won't be any fun at all. Discard spells help grease the wheels and get your deck moving.

Alright, now some combos. I've already discussed a few, but here are a few other standouts:

• Keldon FirebombersKeldon Firebombers + It That BetraysIt That Betrays steals a bunch of lands from your opponents.
• Spikeshot ElderSpikeshot Elder/Spikeshot GoblinSpikeshot Goblin + Infinity ElementalInfinity Elemental for tons of damage.
• Goblin SharpshooterGoblin Sharpshooter + Avatar of WoeAvatar of Woe lets you clear the board completely. This also works with any deathtouch creature.
• Heartless HidetsuguHeartless Hidetsugu + Gifted AetherbornGifted Aetherborn. This also works with any lifelink creature.

As you can probably tell, my favorite creatures in this deck are the ones that combine with multiple other creatures. Vampire NighthawkVampire Nighthawk and Gifted AetherbornGifted Aetherborn are particularly synergystic. Lifelink works with Infinity ElementalInfinity Elemental and Heartless HidetsuguHeartless Hidetsugu, while deathtouch works with Goblin SharpshooterGoblin Sharpshooter and other pingers. These are powerhouse combinations, either locking down the board or giving you a significant advantage over your opposition.

Keen players have probably noticed I didn't include cards like Pack RatPack Rat or Warchief GiantWarchief Giant in the deck. The original draft actually did include those cards, because they synergize so well with enters-the-battlefield creatures like Rune-Scarred DemonRune-Scarred Demon. Ultimately, though, they never quite pulled their weight in my games. I also tried Grenzo's RuffiansGrenzo's Ruffians, to try a build-your-own Hydra OmnivoreHydra Omnivore, but it also never quite got there.

What I realized is that Grusilda's monster mashes really have to be all-powerful. Grusilda isn't likely to survive for very long, and neither are her combinations. When it takes a ten mana investment for your first combo, it had better have a big impact. Just like Mimeo, people are likely to target this Monster-Mashing lady, because they know how absurd her ability is. When you do get to pull off her ability, make it count.

(If you do want to try an enters-the-battlefield focused version of Grusilda, I'd recommend Myr PropogatorMyr Propogator, Gray Merchant of AsphodelGray Merchant of Asphodel, Myr BattlesphereMyr Battlesphere, and most importantly, Norin the WaryNorin the Wary.

Cards to Consider

Let's finish up with some suggestions for both commanders. These cards aren't very popular for these commanders, but I think they deserve some extra consideration.

Mimeoplasm

• NegateNegate: As mentioned earlier, CounterspellCounterspell shows up as a popular card for The MimeoplasmThe Mimeoplasm. In my experience, the spells I want to counter are noncreature spells, namely removal spells like Path to ExilePath to Exile that target my huge monsters. NegateNegate saves on the double-blue cost, making it a little easier to cast when you need it most.
• Stubborn DenialStubborn Denial: Speaking of counterspells, I've found this lesser-known counterspell to be more useful than Swan SongSwan Song. The times I need a counterspell are nearly always the times I need to protect my big creatures, which have enough power to enable Ferocious. Plus, this doesn't give my opponent a Swan token to block my Skithiryx, the Blight DragonSkithiryx, the Blight Dragon.
• Bane of ProgressBane of Progress: Sometimes you need the surgically precise Acidic SlimeAcidic Slime, other times you need the absolute sledgehammer of Bane of ProgressBane of Progress. Since Mimeo doesn't run many artifacts or enchantments, this tends to be one-sided and totally devastating.
• Twilight's CallTwilight's Call: I might be the only player I know who runs this, but I can't help it, I like it. I'm already playing Living DeathLiving Death, after all. I'm fine letting other players get back their Sun TitanSun Titan and their Solemn SimulacrumSolemn Simulacrum when I'm getting back all three Phyrexian Praetors.
• Champion of WitsChampion of Wits: I'm surprised this hasn't shown up in more Mimeo lists. It's Careful StudyCareful Study on a stick. I consider it better than Prime Speaker ZeganaPrime Speaker Zegana, which some players copy with Mimeo to draw tons of cards. Mimeo-Zegana doesn't double its own power though, so Champion of WitsChampion of Wits gets my vote because it's easier to cast.

Grusilda

• Necrotic OozeNecrotic Ooze: Remember all those Cinderhaze WretchCinderhaze Wretch and Pili-PalaPili-Pala combos? Well, you don't need Grusilda to reanimate them when you have Necrotic OozeNecrotic Ooze.
• Dread SummonsDread Summons: Very underrated and simple way to fill up graveyards with a lot of cards.
• Daretti, Scrap SavantDaretti, Scrap Savant: I like this guy for the repeatable discard effects. Reviving your Lightning GreavesLightning Greaves isn't bad either.
• Sire of InsanitySire of Insanity: Speaking of discard, nothing does it better than Sire of InsanitySire of Insanity. This gets rid of your opponents' pesky removal spells and fills up the yard with lots and lots of juicy reanimation targets. Frankly, I also really like Delirium SkeinsDelirium Skeins for the same reasons.
• Key to the CityKey to the City: Another useful way to discard cards, but it's especially helpful to get your powerhouse creations through your enemies' defenses. I've been looking for a deck to put Key to the CityKey to the City, and I think this is definitely it.

Mimeomasher

There are tons of combinations for both commanders. Plenty didn't make the cut in these lists, but that doesn't mean they're not worth trying. For example, Mimeo can also abuse Sage of HoursSage of Hours with tons of counters. Alternatively, Grusilda can throw together both halves of B.F.MB.F.M, or perhaps a Platinum AngelPlatinum Angel + Abyssal PersecutorAbyssal Persecutor so no one can win! [Insert evil laughter here.] The possibilities are truly endless.

As Un-manders go, Grusilda, Monster MasherGrusilda, Monster Masher doesn't actually seem too wild. Creating huge infect double-strikers is something decks can already do with a Tainted StrikeTainted Strike. Combos with activated abilities have already been available with Necrotic OozeNecrotic Ooze. Grusilda's combinations are a blast, but still feel roughly within the scope of black-bordered Magic to me. I may just be biased, though, since I've been making graveyard mashups with The MimeoplasmThe Mimeoplasm for six years. No matter how you like to recombine your dead creatures, both of these commanders make for some really fantastic games.

So, what Un-mander Showdown would you like to see next? XX vs Sen TripletsSen Triplets? Phoebe, Head of S.N.E.A.K.Phoebe, Head of S.N.E.A.K. vs Lazav, Dimir MastermindLazav, Dimir Mastermind? We only have a few more weeks, and then it'll be back to your regularly scheduled EDH. Let me know your thoughts below!

Til next time!