{"ops":[{"attributes":{"underline":true},"insert":"The Gitrog Monster - a cEDH Primer:"},{"attributes":{"header":1},"insert":"\n"},{"insert":"\n"},{"attributes":{"underline":true},"insert":"What is The Gitrog Monster?"},{"attributes":{"header":2},"insert":"\n"},{"insert":"\nThis is a turbo dredge deck built around abusing the absurd card advantage provided by "},{"insert":{"card-link":"The Gitrog Monster"}},{"insert":" and the mana production available in golgari. This deck wants to push as soon as possible because of the deck's primary win condition being so hard to interact with. The midrange gameplan of this deck is not its strong suit but when it has to, it will fall back on "},{"insert":{"card-link":"Six"}},{"insert":", "},{"insert":{"card-link":"Monument to Endurance"}},{"insert":", and "},{"insert":{"card-link":"Icetill Explorer"}},{"insert":" to provide incremental value and explosive finishes when enough advantage has been achieved.\n\n"},{"attributes":{"underline":true},"insert":"Why Play The Gitrog Monster?"},{"attributes":{"header":2},"insert":"\n"},{"insert":"\nI personally love The Gitrog Monster. Competitive viability aside, there isn't another deck in the current cEDH meta that feels like it warps the rules of magic quite like this one. There are so many ways to continue to improve as a pilot when playing this deck due to the depth and variety to its combos that it has also been extremely good at holding my attention over the long-term. To put it simply, this is the Johnny deck to end all Johnny decks.\n\tThe biggest competitive strength of this deck is that when it can assemble its main combo pieces, it is practically impossible to prevent it from drawing its deck and presenting a win. This is due to the fact that any interaction presented can be met with us discarding one of our 40 lands to place another draw on top of the stack to continue the loop, burying whatever interaction was used. \n\n"},{"attributes":{"underline":true},"insert":"How Does This Deck Win?"},{"attributes":{"header":2},"insert":"\n"},{"insert":"\nThis deck uses one of two main combos to win 90% of its games:\n\tThe first is the combo between "},{"insert":{"card-link":"The Gitrog Monster"}},{"insert":", "},{"insert":{"card-link":"Dakmor Salvage"}},{"insert":", and a discard outlet like "},{"insert":{"card-link":"Wild Mongrel"}},{"insert":" or "},{"insert":{"card-link":"Oblivion Crown"}},{"insert":". This combo allows us to mill through our deck repeatedly to put as many draws on the stack as we want which can then be resolved to draw our deck, get infinite mana through looping rituals and finally finish the game by looping a card like "},{"insert":{"card-link":"Orcish Bowmasters"}},{"insert":" to ping down the table.\n\tOur second combo is the conventional "},{"insert":{"card-link":"Witherbloom Apprentice"}},{"insert":" + "},{"insert":{"card-link":"Chain of Smog"}},{"insert":" combo that the Collaborative Primer omits. This works particularly well in this deck because of its density of creature tutors that are normally used to find the pieces for our other plan but can also be used to grab half of this combo. This option is the deck's fastest but it is also quite fragile when faced with interaction so exercise caution when presenting it.\n\n"},{"attributes":{"underline":true},"insert":"Why Does Your List Differ to the Collaborative Primer?"},{"attributes":{"header":2},"insert":"\n"},{"insert":"\nThe differences in this deck list when compared to the primer reflects a difference in philosophy. In general, I run less interaction and more lands than the primer. I run 40 lands so that my opening hands are more consistent, I have better access to weird acceleration pieces like Summer Bloom and Krosan Wayfarer, and my dredge tutoring is more consistent. I don't find that the lack of interaction is a huge issue because I am playing an incredibly parasitic turbo deck so if I am trying to interact, I am going to get out-valued by the blue players. Let them do all of the heavy lifting.\n\n(This portion might become outdated as I change the deck list so beware)\n\n"},{"attributes":{"underline":true},"insert":"Cuts:"},{"attributes":{"header":3},"insert":"\n"},{"attributes":{"italic":true},"insert":"Interaction: "},{"attributes":{"header":3},"insert":"\n"},{"insert":{"card-link":"Allosaurus Shepherd"}},{"insert":" - I am looking at this card quite hard. The protection does seem quite nice but I can't ignore the fact that this takes the slot of an acceleration piece.\n"},{"insert":{"card-link":"Assassin's Trophy"}},{"insert":" - This is the second go-to piece of golgari removal and my list is incredibly parasitic. As such, this didn't quite make the cut.\n"},{"insert":{"card-link":"Grist, the Hunger Tide"}},{"insert":" - Grist is cute but a 3 mana creature removal spell is slow and this deck wants to go fast.\n"},{"insert":{"card-link":"Opposition Agent"}},{"insert":" - I hate to not play this card because it's one of my favorites but I just don't think the deck has room for it right now.\n\n"},{"attributes":{"italic":true},"insert":"Acceleration:"},{"attributes":{"header":3},"insert":"\n"},{"insert":{"card-link":"Boreal Druid"}},{"insert":" - I really don't like the colourless mana that this creates. I prefer the benefits of Krosan Wayfarer to this in most cases.\n"},{"insert":{"card-link":"Joraga Treespeaker"}},{"insert":" - This card is awesome for making five mana and casting the frog or an Ad Nauseum on turn 3. I want to try and win before turn 3 if possible.\n\n"},{"attributes":{"italic":true},"insert":"Consistency:"},{"attributes":{"header":3},"insert":"\n"},{"insert":{"card-link":"Archdruid's Charm"}},{"insert":" - This is both a tutor and interaction but GGG is quite hard to make. Generally speaking, I prefer other options.\n"},{"insert":{"card-link":"Chord of Calling"}},{"insert":", "},{"insert":{"card-link":"Invasion of Ikoria // Zilortha, Apex of Ikoria"}},{"insert":", "},{"insert":{"card-link":"Nature's Rhythm"}},{"insert":" - These are all expensive creature tutors. I don't think the deck needs them in its current state.\n"},{"insert":{"card-link":"The One Ring"}},{"insert":" - This card just kind of sucks in starting hands. As a deck that is very light on interaction, I find that when I play One Ring as my game plan, I lose to the decks that decide to go fast and ignore my One Ring.\n"},{"insert":{"card-link":"Sylvan Library"}},{"insert":" - This is a pretty ok draw engine. I personally find it a little slow and taxing on my life total but it is something I am looking at.\n"},{"insert":{"card-link":"Sylvan Scrying"}},{"insert":" - This only tutors for lands. In most cases I would prefer to tutor for other things like better interaction or a value engine also will find me Dakmor.\n"},{"insert":{"card-link":"Ulamog, the Infinite Gyre"}},{"insert":" - Ulamog is excluded because running one titan makes my Icetill Explorer mill better as well as my Ad Nauseum better. I never find the cast trigger of Ulamog relevant so I have decided to save the 1 extra mana on my Ad Nauseum curve by going with Kozilek.\n"},{"insert":{"card-link":"Noose Constrictor"}},{"insert":" - This is the main green discard outlet used by the primer. I prefer Wild Mongrel because it can blank certain removal spells and I don't find fliers being much of an issue.\n\n"},{"attributes":{"italic":true},"insert":"Lands:"},{"attributes":{"header":3},"insert":"\n"},{"insert":{"card-link":"Bazaar of Baghdad"}},{"insert":" - Bazaar is excluded here because the deck doesn't enjoy playing the generic dredge gameplan very much and prefers land drops that provide mana acceleration.\n"},{"insert":{"card-link":"Cabal Pit"}},{"insert":" - Cabal Pit is excluded in favour of fetch targets that work well with Icetill Explorer.\n"},{"insert":{"card-link":"Prismatic Vista"}},{"insert":" - This card seems like an ok inclusion when trying to tailor to the Icetill Explorer gameplan. I'm just not a huge fan personally.\n"},{"insert":{"card-link":"Urza's Saga"}},{"insert":" - Much like Joraga Treespeaker, this card is awesome for turn 3 plays when I want to be doing things on turn 2 as often as possible.\n"},{"insert":{"card-link":"Wastewood Verge"}},{"insert":" - This card seems like the kind of card that would \"tilt\" me when playing because I know that even if the numbers work out, this thing would never make black when I needed it to.\n\n"},{"attributes":{"underline":true},"insert":"Additions:"},{"attributes":{"header":3},"insert":"\n"},{"attributes":{"italic":true},"insert":"Interaction: "},{"attributes":{"header":3},"insert":"\n"},{"insert":{"card-link":"Darkblast"}},{"insert":" - This card solves a very specific issue I have. It hits Magda and other dorks that bowmasters hits, but it also kills an opponent's bowmasters when I am trying to present a win.\n"},{"insert":{"card-link":"Display of Dominance"}},{"insert":" - This is a card I am testing out to help protect our board state while also being able to interact with the growing midrange meta. I am quite tight on interaction in this deck so finding ways to have interaction spells be multipurpose is always welcome.\n"},{"insert":{"card-link":"Vexing Bauble"}},{"insert":" - This card provides early game interruption, protection, and a cantrip all in one piece. It is very good into many turbo decks like Etali and Rograkh strategies. It is baffling to me that the primer doesn't play this card.\n\n"},{"attributes":{"italic":true},"insert":"Acceleration:"},{"attributes":{"header":3},"insert":"\n"},{"insert":{"card-link":"Chain of Smog"}},{"insert":" - This is the first half of the fastest combo golgari is capable of. Chain of Smog in particular can also come in useful during the Gitrog gameplan because it can help me cycle through lands in my hand when looking for combo pieces.\n"},{"insert":{"card-link":"Krosan Wayfarer"}},{"insert":" - This is a pretty trendy card as of recent. I am a very big fan of it because it enables very splashy plays in time for turn 2 as well as it making Necropotence wins easier by being able to put an Emergence Zone into play at instant speed if Crop Rotation isn't available.\n"},{"insert":{"card-link":"Lion's Eye Diamond"}},{"insert":" - One of the best pieces of acceleration ever created. Makes the early casting of Necropotence or Ad Nauseum very easy. It also has an infinite mana combo with Six. Just don't use it to cast a turn 1 frog, it never works out.\n"},{"insert":{"card-link":"Witherbloom Apprentice"}},{"insert":" - This is the second half of the fastest combo golgari is capable of. I like having the option to have a win like this in my back pocket at any moment.\n\n"},{"attributes":{"italic":true},"insert":"Consistency:"},{"attributes":{"header":3},"insert":"\n"},{"insert":{"card-link":"Infernal Tutor"}},{"insert":" - This is an interesting tutor that I have been testing. It fulfills the role of any tutor when using Lion's Eye Diamond to cast Necropotence, but I can also often use it like a Demonic Tutor due to my ability to use my discard outlets to pitch my hand. Cool card.\n"},{"insert":{"card-link":"Wild Mongrel"}},{"insert":" - This is my preferred option between the main two green discard outlets. In a deck who wants to try and avoid interaction as often as possible the fact that this can situationally dodge slaughter pact and snuff out is more relevant than being able to block fliers in my experience.\n"},{"insert":{"card-link":"Monument to Endurance"}},{"insert":" - This card hasn't seen very much discussion within the Gitrog list. I'm testing it out because I believe it could provide a real upgrade to the currently flimsy midrange backup plan.\n"},{"insert":{"card-link":"Praetor's Grasp"}},{"insert":" - This card can tutor for some pretty strong cards including cards we don't have access to in Golgari. We can also sometimes use it as a weird interaction piece or win condition.\n\n"},{"attributes":{"italic":true},"insert":"Lands:"},{"attributes":{"header":3},"insert":"\n"},{"insert":{"card-link":"Blooming Marsh"}},{"insert":" - This is a good enough land. In a weird way, frog often ends up having less lands than normal because of his ability to cannibalize its own mana base for card advantage.\n"},{"insert":{"card-link":"Dryad Arbor"}},{"insert":" - This is an objectively bad land, that much is obvious. I find it useful to be able to grab a land with creature tutors when dredge tutoring. This card can also be very useful when using Culling the Weak or Diabolic intent early in the game.\n"},{"insert":{"card-link":"City of Brass"}},{"insert":" - This is just great mana fixing. I prefer this to Wastewood Verge because of reliability and ease of use.\n"},{"insert":{"card-link":"Crystal Vein"}},{"insert":" - This is a sol land that sacrifices itself for a frog draw. It's not City of Traitors but it tries its best.\n"},{"insert":{"card-link":"Winding Canyons"}},{"insert":" - I find myself often running into issues with Necropotence lines in this deck because Golgari lacks simple flash enablers like Borne Upon a Wind or Final Fortune. Winding Canyons can help solve that seeing as many of our combos are creature-based.\n"},{"insert":{"card-link":"Peat Bog"}},{"insert":" - This is pretty decent acceleration. In hands that don't have mana dorks, this can function as one for our purposes.\n"},{"insert":{"card-link":"Phyrexian Tower"}},{"insert":" - This is mana acceleration. Simple as that. When I am trying to win I will often have something that this can sacrifice and the extra mana is very valuable.\n"},{"insert":{"card-link":"Starting Town"}},{"insert":" - This is one of the extra lands included in the deck to put me at 40 lands.\n"},{"insert":{"card-link":"Underground Mortuary"}},{"insert":" - I find myself fetching for this card a ton. Often when using cards like Icetill Explorer or Summer Bloom, you'll end up with one or two extra fetches after taking all of your actions. This makes it so that I can improve the next turn after I dump all of my acceleration.\n"},{"insert":{"card-link":"Urborg, Tomb of Yawgmoth"}},{"insert":" - I don't care about any incidental value my opponents get from Urborg being out. It is great fixing and life total protection, and it means that I am never out of ways to use fetches, even when I am out of fetch targets in the deck.\n"},{"insert":{"card-link":"Yavimaya, Cradle of Growth"}},{"insert":" - Everything I said about Urborg applies to Yavimaya. Yavimaya in particular also makes Arbor Elf much stronger when combined with sol lands or lands like Hickory Woodlot and Peat Bog.\n"}]}