[EDH]Gaak-ing (EDH / Commander) [Revisione 8]

Deck Description
This deck utilizes Hogaak's unique characteristics (high mana value, high power/toughness for almost free) as an enabler for card draw (Greater Good), tokens (Tend the Pests) and life gain (Reckoner's Bargain).
The deck plans to win with the following methods:

• Early/Mid Game: Commander Damage with Hogaak plus aura support from Dragon Shadow and Demonic Embrace for evasion.
• Late Game: Go Wide Strategy with tokens via (a) Combat (Return of the Wildspeaker / Overwhelming Stampede / Beastmaster’s Ascension), (b) Life Loss (Gruesome Fate) or Aristocrats (Syr Konrad, the Grim), (c) Mill (Altar of Dementia).

Power Level: 6~7 (Just my assumption, I'll appreciate if someone can give their assessment here.)

Deck Restrictions

• No non-land tutor in any form.
• No game winning combo.
• Budget around $200

Card Summary (Rev.8)

• Land: 36
• Ramp: 10
• Card Draw/Filter: 12 *more than 1 card
• Removal: 16 (2 Board Wipes)
• GY Filler: 14 *more than 1 card
• Recursion: 9 *Graveyard to Play/Hand
• Sac Outlet: 6 *Instant speed
• Token Generator: 8 *produces more than 1 token

Exclusions

• Worm Harvest / Izoni, Thousand Eyed: Cards that cares for multiple copies of a specific card type in the graveyard. This cards complicate the delve decision-making.
• Dredge Cards: The deck lacks discard engine to support this type of cards.
• Big Dudes: I chose to go wide rather than go big thus Jarad, Golgari Lich Lord, Lord of Extinction and the likes were absent in this list.
• Kessig Cagebreakers, Pathbreaker Ibex:This cards are less likely to stay to benefit, I prefer cards that provides immediate impact. (will reconsider if can be cheated with haste).

Combo

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 until you draw your library.

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.

Upgrades
Birds of Paradise and Deathrite Shaman - Lower mana cost and can produce both color, one downside of the budget list is the exposure from color screw.
Fetch Lands - Mana Fixing and Delve
Boseiju, Who Endures - Utility Land
Shizo’s Death Storehouse - Evasion
Life from the Loam - Graveyard Enabler and Re-buy utility lands.
Yawgmoth, Thran Physician - Card draw and interaction.
Toxic Deluge - Great boardwipe

Good Read/References

• https://www.moxfield.com/decks/3n5RIqMGSEWi3RY4P0EE3w
• https://www.moxfield.com/decks/92bB7b9FNUyzRNdVPKiijQ
• https://tappedout.net/mtg-decks/hogaaks-legion/
• https://archidekt.com/decks/180442#Hogaak,_Dead_and_Loving_It

Tested Cards

• Journey to Eternity: Takes too much setup to work.
• Hagra Mauling: Too costly, no slot for a 4 cmc single target removal.
• Winding Way / Mulch: Opt for a more self-milling effect (Gather the Pack and the like).
• Corpse Churn: Weak self-mill and weak target for recursion. (Grapple with the Past gets a nod due to it’s ability to take land which is crucial early game)
• MDFC Tapped Land: Most likely to be played as a land because consistently making land drops is better than the flexibility it provides.
• Scute Swarm: A good card but the incremental board presence attracts a lot of attention plus difficult token management.
• Grist, the Hunger Tide: It's good but less likely to stay on board. Main use is removal and that requires extra creature to use (Current Slot: Ravenous Chupacambra).