[EDH]Gaak-ing (EDH / Commander)

Deck Description
An aggressive commander deck aimed to be played in casual tables with power levels between 7 to 8. The deck highly utilize Hogaak's unique characteristics (High CMC and High Power/Toughness) to attack "gaak-ing" and power up X-effects such as: Greater Good (power), Korozda Guildmage (toughness), Morbid Curiosity (cmc) and etc. The deck also features a combo as a back-up wincon for extended games.

Game Plan
The deck plans to aggro out Hogaak as early as turn 3 and be aggressive while developing our board.

• Early/Mid Game: Voltron! Commander Damage with support from Demonic Embrace, Cultist of the Absolute and Runadi, Behemoyh Caller.
• Late Game: Go Wide Strategy via (a) Combat (Overwhelming Stampede) or (b) combo aristocrats (Syr Konrad, the Grim).

Revision History

• Rev.43: Give in to pressure and added an infinite winning combo, this is due to popularity of Maze of Ith after reprint.

Playtest @ Moxfield: Gaak-ing

Why play this deck
If you like the following then maybe this is for you:

• Voltron-esque without the fragility of traditional Voltron builds.
• Resilient Commander that's almost free to cast and doesn't pay commander tax.
• Has back-up combo for long games.
• Reanimation and Recursion tricks.
• High re-playability due to variance inherent in self-mill effects.

Power Level: Mid Power 7

Deck Building Restrictions

• No non-land tutor in any form.
• Budget around $250 (TCG)

Notable Exclusions

• Worm Harvest / Izoni, Thousand-Eyed / Splendid Reclamation: Cards that care for multiple copies of a specific card type in the graveyard. We tend to cast Hogaak as soon and as often as possible thus hard to keep cards in the graveyard, this cards also complicate the delve decision-making.
• Hermit Druid: No proper pay-off for this massive self-mill.
• Dredge Cards: The deck lacks discard engine to support this type of cards.
• Kessig Cagebreakers, Pathbreaker Ibex: Timing! This card requires a turn before triggering and less likely to stay.
• Altar of Dementia: A good card but doesn't fit the current build of the deck, too few graveyard payoffs, small creatures and the tendency of the deck to recast Hogaak thru convoke are the main reason not to use this effect.
• Perpetual Timepiece: I can’t see the value in its ability to save the graveyard, I think this card is better in a combo rather than a combat build.

Combo

(A.1) Hogaak, Arisen Necropolis + Greater Good + Zombie Infestation:

Result: Draw your library.
Requires: All permanents on the battlefield.
Steps: Sacrifice Hogaak to Greater Good, drawing 8 and discarding 3 (net gain of 5 cards), then discard 4 to Zombie Infestation creating 2 black zombie tokens, tap them and exile 5 of the 7 cards you put into the graveyard and cast Hogaak from the graveyard. Repeat to draw the library.

(A.2) Hogaak, Arisen Necropolis + Greater Good + Desecrated Tomb + 2 Initial Creatures for Convoke:

Result: Draw your library.
Requires: All permanents on the battlefield.
Steps: Play Hogaak from graveyard by convoking 2 creatures and delving atleast 1 creature card, Desecrated Tomb triggers twice making two Bats (1 from Hogaak leaving graveyard to stack and 1 from delving creature). Sacrifice Hogaak and a tapped Creature (Ex. 1/1 Bat token) for Greater Good, drawing a total of nine, discarding six (ensure to discard atleast 1 creature card). Recast Hogaak and delve atleast 1 creature card. Repeat.

(A.3) Hogaak, Arisen Necropolis + Greater Good + Caldaia Guardian (Untapped):

Result: Draw your library.
Requires: All permanents on the battlefield.
Steps: Sacrifice Hogaak to Greater Good, creating two 1/1 Citizen token from Caldaia Guardian and draw 8 cards and discard 3 for Greater Good, sacrifice 1 citizen token to Greater Good to draw 1 and discard 3 (Total: 9 Draws and 6 Discard). Recast Hogaak then activate Greater Good sacrificing Hogaak and one tapped 1/1 Citizen token. Repeat.

0 Mana Lines for Greater Good Combo

• Flashback Dread Return for Syr Konrad, the Grim then repeat Greater Good combo and get Syr Konrad triggers.

(B) Hogaak, Arisen Necropolis + Korozda Guildmage + Utopia Mycon:

Result: Infinite colored mana, infinite tokens, infinite cast trigger, infinite ETB, infinite death triggers.
Requires: All permanents on the battlefield with 2BG mana available.
Steps: Activate Korozda Guildmage 2nd ability sacrificing Hogaak to create 8 1/1 saproling tokens. Recast Hogaak by convoke using the saproling tokens. Sacrifice 4 of the tapped saprolings to Utopia Mycon to produce 4 colored mana. Activate Korozda Guildmage and repeat.

Additional line for Korozda Guildmage combo

• Draw the library with Beast Whisperer or Guardian Project and look for Syr Konrad, the Grim. Cast Syr Konrad and sacrifice enough saproling tokens for the win.

Cutting Down to 7
It is common occurrence to have a hand in excess of 7 because of our power draws and sometimes it takes time to decide what to discard on clean-up so here's a guideline on what to keep for that 7.
(Note: Always consider what's happening on the board.)

• 1~2: Creature Cards for back-up incase of board wipe. (Need to have atleast 2 creature to convoke for Hogaak)
• 2: Interaction
• 1: Card Draw (if card draw engine is not a permanent)
• 1: Land
• 1: Recursion/Wincon

Upgrades

• Boseiju, Who Endures and Field of the Dead - Utility lands.
• Fetch Lands - Mana Fixing and Delve. Prioritize fetch lands for Forest as it has the capability to get Dryad Arbor.

The following upgrades improves the Greater Good combo:

• Endurance - Free graveyard hate, has synergy with Syr Konrad, the Grim and can reset Greater Good combo.
• Phyrexian Altar - Introduces new combo.

Lessons Learned

• Graveyard card type matter cards are weak in this deck. Hogaak needs to be cast as soon and as often as possible making it hard to accumulate a specific card type in the graveyard.
• Less focus on straight reanimation spell because the quality and quantity of bomb spells are not high.
• Avoid overcommitting.
• 5 mana and up spells are hard to play in this deck, it should be impactful and always subject to reassessment.
• Balance inclusion of X-spells that depends on Hogaak's characteristic to lessen dead card. (Tend the Pests).
• Combo is only a back-up! Remember this when evaluating cards for inclusion.

Good Read/References

• https://www.mtggoldfish.com/articles/budget-commander-hogaak-arisen-necropolis-25-50-100
• https://www.moxfield.com/decks/3n5RIqMGSEWi3RY4P0EE3w
• https://www.moxfield.com/decks/92bB7b9FNUyzRNdVPKiijQ
• https://tappedout.net/mtg-decks/hogaaks-legion/
• https://www.moxfield.com/decks/e83FI-Y1Wk6cpEuUyYnZWQ **
• https://www.moxfield.com/decks/ChIQ1t_2ck27rkQUYarbkQ **
• https://tappedout.net/mtg-decks/hogaak-my-favorite-infinite-combo-deck/ **
• https://www.moxfield.com/decks/43nfPcxjWECjndyPkisnSg **
• https://www.moxfield.com/decks/xTBad1OiE0OZu_eQ0CrHDQ **