{"ops":[{"insert":"Gorma, the Gullet — Budget cEDH Primer"},{"attributes":{"header":1},"insert":"\n"},{"attributes":{"header":2},"insert":"\n"},{"insert":"The Idea"},{"attributes":{"header":2},"insert":"\n"},{"insert":"\nMy budget take on Gorma cEDH is a Golgari combo deck built around persist, sacrifice outlets, and creature tutors. The goal is to win without expensive fast mana or a premium land base.\nGorma costs only three mana. Whenever another creature we control dies, Gorma gets bigger. More importantly, our nontoken creatures enter with an extra +1/+1 counter for each creature that died under our control that turn. That second ability is the reason the deck works.\nI'm not trying to play a long aristocrats game. The sacrifice effects are here to set up a win, not slowly chip away at life totals.\n"},{"attributes":{"header":2},"insert":"\n"},{"insert":"Main Combo: Persist"},{"attributes":{"header":2},"insert":"\n"},{"insert":"\nPersist normally returns a creature with a -1/-1 counter. With Gorma in play, its death is counted when it returns, so it also gets at least one +1/+1 counter. The counters cancel, allowing persist to work again.\n\n"},{"attributes":{"bold":true},"insert":"We need:"},{"insert":"\nGorma on the battlefield."},{"attributes":{"list":"bullet"},"insert":"\n"},{"insert":"A persist creature: Putrid Goblin, Rendclaw Trow, Lesser Masticore, or Wingrattle Scarecrow."},{"attributes":{"list":"bullet"},"insert":"\n"},{"insert":"A sacrifice outlet: Viscera Seer, Carrion Feeder, Umbral Collar Zealot, Altar of Dementia, or Blasting Station."},{"attributes":{"list":"bullet"},"insert":"\n"},{"insert":"\nWingrattle Scarecrow needs us to control a black creature to have persist; Gorma itself satisfies that requirement.\nOnce assembled, we can sacrifice the persist creature repeatedly, producing unlimited death and enter-the-battlefield triggers.\n"},{"attributes":{"header":2},"insert":"\n"},{"insert":"How We Actually Win"},{"attributes":{"header":2},"insert":"\n"},{"insert":"\nThe outlet determines how the loop finishes the table:\n"},{"attributes":{"bold":true},"insert":"Blasting Station:"},{"insert":" My most direct kill. Sacrifice a persist creature to deal 1 damage; when it returns, Station untaps. Repeat until everyone is dead."},{"attributes":{"list":"bullet"},"insert":"\n"},{"attributes":{"bold":true},"insert":"Blood Artist / Zulaport Cutthroat:"},{"insert":" With any repeatable sacrifice outlet, each death drains the table. Blood Artist targets one player at a time; Zulaport drains every opponent."},{"attributes":{"list":"bullet"},"insert":"\n"},{"attributes":{"bold":true},"insert":"Altar of Dementia:"},{"insert":" Repeated sacrifices mill entire libraries. Milling isn't an immediate win; we can instead mill ourselves for Dread Return. Umbral Collar Zealot can surveil toward the same graveyard setup."},{"attributes":{"list":"bullet"},"insert":"\n"},{"attributes":{"bold":true},"insert":"Walking Ballista / Triskelion:"},{"insert":" After enough creatures have died, Gorma lets these creatures enter with enough +1/+1 counters to finish opponents directly. Walking Ballista even works when reanimated with X equal to zero, provided Gorma supplies counters."},{"attributes":{"list":"bullet"},"insert":"\n"},{"insert":"\nFor the graveyard finish, we can mill Dread Return and Walking Ballista, then flash back Dread Return by sacrificing three creatures other than Gorma. Ballista enters with counters from Gorma and shoots the table. The three creatures must be available simultaneously.\n"},{"attributes":{"header":2},"insert":"\n"},{"insert":"Protean Hulk Package"},{"attributes":{"header":2},"insert":"\n"},{"insert":"\nProtean Hulk is one of the best ways to assemble the combo instead of finding every piece separately.\n\nWith Gorma in play, sacrifice Hulk and find:\nPutrid Goblin (mana value 2)"},{"attributes":{"list":"bullet"},"insert":"\n"},{"insert":"Blood Artist (2)"},{"attributes":{"list":"bullet"},"insert":"\n"},{"insert":"Viscera Seer (1)"},{"attributes":{"list":"bullet"},"insert":"\n"},{"insert":"\nThat's only five of Hulk's six available mana value. Hulk's death already counts for Gorma, and the new creatures enter together with extra counters. Sacrifice Putrid Goblin to Seer, bring it back through persist, and repeat for lethal Blood Artist triggers.\n\nPattern of Rebirth, Chord of Calling, and Nature's Rhythm can find Hulk. Eldritch Evolution usually finds smaller pieces; reaching Hulk with it requires sacrificing Triskelion. Reanimate, Life // Death, Persist, Victimize, and Apprentice Necromancer bring Hulk back after discarding or milling it.\n"},{"attributes":{"header":2},"insert":"\n"},{"insert":"Other Combo and Utility Lines"},{"attributes":{"header":2},"insert":"\n"},{"insert":"\n"},{"attributes":{"bold":true},"insert":"Witherbloom Apprentice + Chain of Smog"},{"insert":" is our backup kill that doesn't need Gorma. Cast Chain targeting ourselves and keep copying it; every copy triggers magecraft and drains opponents. Useful when Gorma keeps getting removed.\n\nSome less obvious cards have important jobs:\n"},{"attributes":{"bold":true},"insert":"Fauna Shaman:"},{"insert":" Finds creature pieces while putting Hulk or another reanimation target into the graveyard."},{"attributes":{"list":"bullet"},"insert":"\n"},{"attributes":{"bold":true},"insert":"Dimir Machinations:"},{"insert":" Transmute finds three-mana cards such as Blasting Station or Buried Alive."},{"attributes":{"list":"bullet"},"insert":"\n"},{"attributes":{"bold":true},"insert":"Shred Memory:"},{"insert":" Transmute finds two-mana pieces such as Altar of Dementia or Putrid Goblin; it's also graveyard interaction."},{"attributes":{"list":"bullet"},"insert":"\n"},{"attributes":{"bold":true},"insert":"Six:"},{"insert":" Lets us replay important nonland permanents from the graveyard by discarding lands on our turn."},{"attributes":{"list":"bullet"},"insert":"\n"},{"attributes":{"bold":true},"insert":"Collective Brutality:"},{"insert":" Disrupts a hand or small creature while letting us discard Hulk for reanimation."},{"attributes":{"list":"bullet"},"insert":"\n"},{"attributes":{"bold":true},"insert":"Lively Dirge:"},{"insert":" Puts a card into our graveyard, reanimates cheap creatures, or does both."},{"attributes":{"list":"bullet"},"insert":"\n"},{"attributes":{"bold":true},"insert":"Wishclaw Talisman + Umbral Collar Zealot:"},{"insert":" Activate Wishclaw, sacrifice it to Zealot in response, and keep the tutor without giving the artifact away."},{"attributes":{"list":"bullet"},"insert":"\n"},{"attributes":{"bold":true},"insert":"Diabolic Intent:"},{"insert":" Sacrifices a creature to find absolutely any missing card."},{"attributes":{"list":"bullet"},"insert":"\n"},{"attributes":{"header":2},"insert":"\n"},{"insert":"Mulligans and Early Turns"},{"attributes":{"header":2},"insert":"\n"},{"insert":"\nI want an opening hand with mana, acceleration, and a realistic way to access a combo piece. A turn-one mana elf into Gorma is strong, but only if we can follow up.\n\n"},{"attributes":{"bold":true},"insert":"Good keeps usually have:"},{"insert":"\nTwo or three lands, or a workable mix of lands and acceleration."},{"attributes":{"list":"bullet"},"insert":"\n"},{"insert":"A mana dork, Sol Ring, a ritual, or Carpet of Flowers in a blue-heavy pod."},{"attributes":{"list":"bullet"},"insert":"\n"},{"insert":"A tutor, a persist creature, a sacrifice outlet, or meaningful interaction."},{"attributes":{"list":"bullet"},"insert":"\n"},{"insert":"\nDon't keep slow hands just because they contain multiple combo pieces.\n"},{"attributes":{"header":2},"insert":"\n"},{"insert":"Interaction and Weaknesses"},{"attributes":{"header":2},"insert":"\n"},{"insert":"\nVeil of Summer and Autumn's Veil help force through winning turns. Abrupt Decay, Assassin's Trophy, Force of Vigor, Endurance, and Toxic Deluge answer problems that would otherwise stop our setup. Culling Ritual can reset opposing fast mana and small boards, but it can also destroy our own combo creatures.\n\nThe deck is vulnerable to graveyard hate, removal aimed at Gorma, and opponents interacting with our sacrifice outlets. Fortunately, most pieces overlap across several lines, and the Chain of Smog kill gives us a way around creature recursion.\n\nIt's a budget deck, not a fully optimized tournament list. I want affordable redundancy and every tutor or sacrifice outlet to have more than one job.\n"}]}