Yarok Toolbox Control - Value, Pod & Big X (EDH / Commander) [Revision 20]

Control deck that aims to ramp as fast as possible, establish a value engine via ETB triggers, and take off after Turn 5 or 6. The challenge is getting Yarok to stick on the board since it has a CMC of 5. Its toolbox nature means it has a wide variety of ways to deal with different types of threats.

Still waiting to pull off the Risen Reef + Zendikar's Roil draw chain one day =). Also, Risen Reef has quite a few elemental synergies in this deck - particularly comboing it with Yarok even if Yarok gets removed right after he hits the field.

Other synergy combos:

• 2x triggers with Woodland Bellower to fetch Lotus Cobra and Springbloom Druid or Wood Elves to get lots of mana for that turn.

• Pod tutor synergy combos based on your board state. That's what sorting by CMC is good for in this list!

• Spellseeker is a flexible instant / sorcery tutor. Neoform for pod tutor, Assassin's Trophy for spot removal, Cyclonic Rift for a 7-mana mass removal, Counterspell, a ramp spell or a big X card that has a CMC of 2 are usually the best picks.

• Getting Thassa, Deep-Dwelling on the field sets up a long-term engine that is pretty difficult to remove (she is Indestructible). Tutoring her via pod or casting it is 100% worth it.

• Ulvenwald Hydra can get any land onto the battlefield. Good picks are Field of the Dead, Alchemist's Refuge, Reliquary Tower, Bojuka Bog and Mortuary Mire. Evolving Wilds can work if for some reason you want an extra Landfall trigger.

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Tools to help control the game involve tutoring to set up an engine and getting value from ETB triggers with Yarok or Panharmonicon. Tutoring creatures via Pod effects and stealing opponent's creatures to use them as CMC-based sacrifices is also a nifty option in Yarok's toolkit.

Primary win con is going wide with zombies from Field of the Dead/plants from Avengers of Zendikar & triggering End-Raze Forerunners/Finale of Devastation, or just stalling the game for long enough to draw & cast a big X spell.