#grismold

For this deck, we’re looking at a no-tokens strategy; this may seem odd at first, you’ll catch on quickly what we’re up to. On this list we won’t look too much at token producers, since in green and black can do that in abundance. Our focus will be primarily on how to get the most out of nobody having tokens.

#1: Illness in the Ranks / Virulent Plague In our no-tokens Grismold, nothing kills the board you give each player better than these. Unless you’re up against anthems, either of these will immediately put a bunch of counters on your general, enabling a next turn swing for big damage.

#2: Winding Constrictor This is probably an obvious inclusion, but I love the card too much not to mention it. Essentially, tokens die and Grismold gets big twice as fast as before.

#3: Fecundity / Moldervine Reclamation While these two are functionally the same for you in the deck, Fecundity does give your opponents the option to draw on your end step, but at a lower price it may be worthwhile. In either case, extra draws in a turn are always welcome.

#4: Retribution of the Ancients With the number of counters your general is going to get, Retribution can turn into a powerful removal spell that dodges indestructible, pro-creatures, and even Emrakul’s pro-instants. Essentially, one to cast and one to activate can take down the biggest threat and still leave the enchantment up for repetition.

#5: Revel in Riches Revel is one of my favorite cards of all time, and it has a perfect home in Grismold. In a four-player game it can easily put your opponents on a four-or-less turn clock.

#6: Poison-Tip Archer This may be another obvious inclusion, but having the ability to begin pressuring life totals as early as turn three or four is incredibly powerful. Once again, an already effective card becomes a best damage card in Grismold.

#7: Korozda Guildmage While its abilities may never be used in a game or two in particular, between giving your general Intimidate and sacrificing him to fuel your Poison-Tip, the Guildmage offers enough flexibility to quickly remove opponents who survive the first few turns of Grismold’s growth.

#8: Sangromancer I like running Sangromancer in nearly every deck, but here it offers immediate value. On each of your end steps (and whenever your opponents get tokens), you gain anywhere from three to a dozen life. At worst, it lives until the next turn and gains you nine life.

#9: Status / Statue The newest Ravnica block had a number of good cards for all our Golgari decks, as they tend to do, and while Assassin’s Trophy is an obviously better removal card Statue is available on a much cheaper budget while still hitting most of the same targets you’d want anyway. As a split card, even Status can be used on occasion to dodge hexproof blockers.