(Inalla, Archmage Ritualist| Art by Yongjae Choi)

Call For An UBR?

Welcome back to the article series Wombo Combo, where we explore the top 10 EDH combo cards in each distinct color identity with help from EDHREC and Commander Spellbook. Today, we are looking at the combination of blue, black and red - most commonly known as Grixis.

Grixis decks can span a variety of different themes, such as permanent theft, card draw, token creation, flashback and/or storm. Grixis as a color combination has found a place in both casual and competitive EDH, offering a variety of strong commanders and decks to fit your playstyle. Grixis commanders can also be used to helm Pirate, Wizard and/or Artificer decks among others. Now that we've set the stage for what Grixis has to offer, let's dive into its most popular combo cards.

 

#10: Obeka, Brute Chronologist

Number of Combos: 16

Deck Inclusions: 7,790 as commander (#100); 6,541 as card (1.302%)

We start off our Grixis list with an extremely unique card in Obeka, Brute Chronologist. Obeka has a simple ability that allows you to tap it to end your turn. This ability may seem a bit niche and limited, as usually you don't want to skip parts of your turn that you could otherwise use to further your board state. Where Obeka shines is by getting you out of drawbacks. A card such as Final Fortune simply becomes a two-mana take an extra turn spell, because you can activate Obeka when Final Fortune's "lose the game" trigger hits the stack, exiling the trigger and preventing you from losing the game. This allows Final Fortune and its equivalents to become infinite turns combo cards. You can also use Obeka in the same fashion to get out of counterspells or board wipes, assuming it's your turn.

 

#9: Anhelo, the Painter

Number of Combos: 17

Deck Inclusions: 6,839 as commander (#122); 2,325 as card (0.463%)

Cards that copy spells are good for storm/magecraft combos, and Anhelo, the Painter is a great commander option for it. Anhelo is best paired with cards making tokens when you cast instants and/or sorceries, such as Talrand, Sky Summoner, to replenish the creature sacrificed. Anhelo can be used in extra turn combos, alongside cards like Mystic Retrieval and Call to Mind. Anhelo can also be used for an infect win condition, including cards like Repeated Reverberation and Infectious Inquiry. You can send Anhelo even more out of control with other copy cards like Thousand-Year Storm, or pair it with your favorite storm/magecraft cards.

 

#8: Nekusar, the Mindrazer

Number of Combos: 17

Deck Inclusions: 16,000 as commander (#17); 4,076 as card (0.811%)

Nekusar, the Mindrazer is a group hug style card that pings your opponent whenever they draw a card. While your opponents are drawing cards, which could be beneficial to them, they are also losing life every time they do so, which probably isn't beneficial. Nekusar creates an easy two-card knockout with Peer into the Abyss, causing the opponent to draw half their deck and lose at least their entire life total. Another two-card combo involves Worldfire, where you cast Worldfire, then cast Nekusar (with mana floated before Worldfire was cast). Then when each opponent draws during their turn, Nekusar pings them to death. You can also give Nekusar infect to open up other draw cards like Echo of Eons or Windfall to end the game.

 

#7: Be'lakor, the Dark Master

Number of Combos: 18

Deck Inclusions: 9,958 as commander (#63); 2,561 as card (0.551%)

Be'lakor, the Dark Master comes to us from the Warhammer 40,000 set, and shows us a universe beyond Magic for EDH combos. For an infinite combo, you can turn Dread Slaver into a Demon using a type changer (such as Maskwood Nexus). From there, Dread Slaver can deal damage to itself thanks to Be'lakor, after which you sacrifice Dread Slaver to an outlet and return it by its own ability. This can end the game depending on the sacrifice outlet - such as using Altar of Dementia for infinite mill or Goblin Bombardment for infinite damage. You can also use Be'lakor in a near-infinite setting to draw a large amount of cards and deal a large amount of damage, using token generators like Orthion, Hero of Lavabrink and/or Rite of Replication.

 

#6: Mishra, Eminent One

Number of Combos: 32

Deck Inclusions: 6,930 as commander (#117); 3,852 as card (0.832%) 

Mishra, Eminent One gives you a creature copy of any noncreature artifact you control during each of your combat phases. Mishra can be used in a few different respects for infinite combos. The first combo involves Gonti's Aether Heart to get infinite turns. Second, you can create a creature token of Basalt Monolith or another mana rock, and then untap it using Voltaic Construct. Third, you can create several copies of Mindslaver, using cards like Lithoform Engine to copy Mishra's trigger. Mishra also pairs with the "combos with a ham sandwich" card Breath of Fury for easy infinite combat phases.

 

#5: Inalla, Archmage Ritualist

Number of Combos: 36

Deck Inclusions: 6,609 as commander (#129); 379 as card (0.075%)

Inalla, Archmage Ritualist is a card whose Eminence ability has landed it as a key combo commander in both casual EDH and competitive EDH. Being able to easily create token copies without ever needing to cast your commander is an extremely strong effect, allowing you to save your mana for other cards. Inalla can be paired with cards like Ruthless Technomancer, Bloodline Necromancer or Archaeomancer to create infinite combos. You can also create infinite turn combos with Timestream Navigator and bounce cards like Riptide Laboratory. Inalla can also helm cEDH level combos - including one that involves ten cards! If you are interested in this cEDH line, see below.

 

#4: Ashnod the Uncaring

Number of Combos: 43

Deck Inclusions: 2,774 as commander (#432); 3,162 as card (0.707%)

Ashnod the Uncaring copies abilities from artifacts and creatures that had a cost of sacrificing a creature. This ability is very useful without comboing, but becomes incredibly useful for setting up infinite combos. You can use Whisper, Blood Liturgist's ability to sacrifice it and another creature, and then copy the ability targeting Whisper to return it and another creature, with a haste enabler to keep the combo going. You can also do a similar method using Bonecaller Cleric and/or Apprentice Necromancer. If you want something more direct, copy Door to Nothingness's ability to cause two players to lose the game on the spot - assuming they don't stop you. You can make it three players by having a clone/copy of Ashnod (bypassing the legend rule) or by including Annie Joins Up.

 

#3: Cormela, Glamour Thief

Number of Combos: 62

Deck Inclusions: 1,997 as commander (#590); 14,322 as card (2.850%)

Cormela, Glamour Thief is a dual threat for combos. Its tap ability allows you to net two mana when casting an instant or sorcery spell. Its triggered ability allows you to return an instant or sorcery to your hand when Cormela dies. Both abilities can be used independently or together to create a strong infinite combo. For example, you can cast Saw in Half to get two Cormelas, killing one due to the legend rule, resulting in two death triggers total which can return Saw in Half and a mana card like Dark Ritual to activate Cormela. You can also use delayed reanimators like Not Dead After All or Demonic Gifts to sacrifice and return Cormela, returning the reanimator in the process. Don't forget to finish your combo off with a nice Grapeshot or Guttersnipe win.

 

#2: Missy

Number of Combos: 67

Deck Inclusions: 1,395 as commander (#776); 2,755 as card (0.965%)

Missy returns any nontoken creature you control that dies to the battlefield face-down as an artifact creature. The purpose of the returned creature being an artifact is to prevent infinite copies - but it is very easy to get around this pesky restriction. The easiest is using a Morph card, especially a "free" one like Ruthless Ripper, as it will no longer be an artifact when you flip it face-up. You can also use those with costed Morph abilities as long as you have an appropriate sacrifice outlet, or you can DIY one using Ixidor, Reality Sculptor instead. This also works with any Morph adjacent abilities, such as Megamorph or Disguise.

 

#1: Mairsil, the Pretender

Number of Combos: 70

Deck Inclusions: 1,524 as commander (#732); 320 as card (0.064%)

While Mairsil, the Pretender is the least used card on this list, it also has the most combo potential. Being able to steal abilities from other things is always grounds for lots of combos - just look at cards like Necrotic Ooze for example. You can create an infinite reanimation combo by stealing abilities from Blood Vassal, Endling and Walking Ballista. A different helpful card for Mairsil is Quicksilver Elemental, which allows Mairsil another activation of the abilities it has. This enables infinite mana combos by stealing the abilities of Staff of Domination and a colored mana rock like Gilded Lotus. Mairsil is very much a card that requires you to build your deck around it, making it far more suitable for a commander versus a main deck inclusion. However, Mairsil is one of the best choices for a Grixis combo commander, especially if you like a bit of jank in your game-winning combos.

 

 

Honorable Mentions

These Grixis cards may not have made the Top 10, but are still strong combo options for your next deck:

1. Breaking // Entering: Breaking can be used to mill cards to sustain Underworld Breach combos. Entering can be copied by Dualcaster Mage.

2. Nicol Bolas, Dragon-God: Nicol Bolas can steal the abilities from other planeswalkers, making an easy combo with Aminatou, the Fateshifter.

3. Morgue Toad: A unique ability that works well with token creators like Kiki-Jiki, Mirror Breaker.

Thank you very much for reading this edition of Wombo Combo, and don't forget to check out Commander Spellbook for more EDH combos and visit the Commander Spellbook Discord to vote on the next edition of Wombo Combo. Until next time, happy comboing!

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