At a glance
- Format: Brawl (100-card)
- Commander: Muldrotha, the Gravetide
- Colors: Black / Blue / Green (BUG)
- Archetype: Sultai recursion value (Brawl, 100)
- Power tier: competitive
- Competitive Brawl: ✅ Legal
Strategy
Grind every game into the late turns where Muldrotha turns your graveyard into a second hand, replaying a land plus a permanent of each type every turn. Plan: mulligan toward ramp + interaction, trade resources 1-for-1 with a deep removal suite, and feed the yard (surveil/self-mill/loot) so Muldrotha re-buys it all. Mana dorks (Badgermole Cub, Druid of the Cowl) plus land ramp hit Muldrotha turn 5-6, then sac-and-return engines (Cauldron of Essence, Sidisi, Rat King, Defiled Crypt, Northampton Farm, Eden) loop value permanents. Planeswalkers (Kaito, Oko) and draw enchantments refill; owned bombs (Koma, Dragonlord Silumgar, Koh, Sothera, Gix) close. Because removal, dorks, and engines are nearly all permanents, almost every card Muldrotha can recur, so the deck is near-impossible to grind out.
Upgrade path
LAND REVAMP 2026-07-11: manabase rebuilt to kill taplands (cut guildgates/temples/gainlands); now runs shock + verge (+painland in Brawl) untapped duals + basics. Land crafts this pass: Underground River, Yavimaya Coast. REVAMP 2026-07-08 (keep pure grind identity, upgrade weak filler + manabase). RARE LAND CRAFTS (3, approved as reusable branch-out fixing, count toward Miks ~3 land budget; usable in any of his BUG/adjacent decks): Wastewood Verge (BG), Willowrush Verge (GU), Llanowar Wastes (BG) — completes the untapped Verge cycle alongside owned Gloomlake Verge (UB) and cuts 3 tap-duals (Dismal Backwater, Jungle Hollow, Thornwood Falls). ZERO rare/mythic SPELL crafts: all spell adds are OWNED — Midnight Reaper (own2, card-advantage-on-death engine), Darkstar Augur (own1, evasive draw), Loot Exuberant Explorer (own1, extra land + dig), Qarsi Revenant (own2, flying DTL + renew recursion), Raven Eagle (own4, evasive GY-hate + Clues), Arcanis the Omnipotent (own1, {T} draw 3 + self-bounce = repeatable card advantage, absurd w/ Muldrotha), Vein Ripper (mythic own2, evasive drain finisher), Ouroboroid (mythic own3, go-wide counters finisher — Mik added in Arena). CUT as low-impact filler: Curious Forager (forage exiles own yard, anti-Muldrotha), Dundoolin Weaver, Vampire Soulcaller, Cheerful Osteomancer, April Reporter, Long Feng, Abyssal Harvester (redundant slow recursion), Bake into a Pie (weakest removal). REANIMATOR PASS 2 (2026-07-08, from Miks 4c reanimator list): +Bringer of the Last Gift (rare craft, one-sided wipe + mass reanimate your yard), +Awaken the Honored Dead (rare craft, 3-mana removal+mill+reanimate Saga, Muldrotha-recastable), +Overlord of the Balemurk (MYTHIC craft, repeatable mill+recur 6/6 flyer), +Ardyn the Usurper (OWNED x3, each-combat exile a GY creature → 5/5 hasty lifelink menace Demon copy), +Town Greeter (OWNED, mill4+land enabler). Cut excess ramp/filler: Foraging Wickermaw, Ornithopter of Paradise, Valgavoths Faithful, Graveshifter, Vampire Nighthawk. NOT TAKEN: Terror of the Peaks (red, off-identity). ADDED LATER: Superior Spider-Man aka “Kavaero, Mind-Bitten” (BU, {2}{U}{B}, enters as a 4/4 copy of any creature in any graveyard — Mik crafted it 2026-07-08; swapped in over Inga Rune-Eyes. NOTE: mtga.db snapshot 2026-06-29 has stale/blank arena data for this card; needs a collection resync). TOTAL NEW CRAFTS THIS DECK: 5 rare lands+spells (Wastewood Verge, Willowrush Verge, Llanowar Wastes [lands, reusable] + Bringer, Awaken) + 1 mythic (Overlord). ADDED 2026-07-10: +Cruel Somnophage (RARE craft, own0, {1}{B} Nightmare whose P/T = creature cards in ALL graveyards, with {1}{U} “Can’t Wake Up” adventure mill-4 — cheap recurring yard-scaling threat, fills the yard AND grows off it, Muldrotha-recastable; adventure mills to enable it early) over Elemental Bond (flakiest card draw — only triggered on power-3+ ETBs the deck rarely provides). FUTURE UPGRADES: further tapland trims (still 8 unconditional taplands — more Verges/Pathways/checklands as rares allow); a BUG triome if printed to Standard. ADDED 2026-08-20: +Birthing Ritual (MYTHIC craft, own0 → Mik crafting; {1}{G} end-step top-7 sac-and-cheat creature engine — feeds the yard for Muldrotha, sac fodder turns on Bastion of Remembrance) OVER Loot, Exuberant Explorer (its {4}{G}{G} creature-cheat is redundant w/ Birthing Ritual; kept the yard-fill + Orb). [Note: first tried cutting Mesmeric Orb — WRONG, Orb’s whole-yard self-mill is premium Muldrotha fuel; operator corrected, Orb retained.]
Cards
Decklist
Paste straight into MTG Arena (or Moxfield/Archidekt):
Commander
1 Muldrotha, the Gravetide
Deck
1 Badgermole Cub
1 Arcane Signet
1 Coldsteel Heart
1 Solemn Simulacrum
1 Seedship Agrarian
1 Sidisi, Regent of the Mire
1 Rat King, Verminister
1 Undead Butler
1 Scavenging Ooze
1 Alpharael, Dreaming Acolyte
1 Kiora, the Rising Tide
1 Jadzi, Steward of Fate
1 Matoya, Archon Elder
1 Tatyova, Benthic Druid
1 Lazav, Familiar Stranger
1 Lord Dregg, Insect Invader
1 Syr Konrad, the Grim
1 Koh, the Face Stealer
1 Dragonlord Silumgar
1 Emet-Selch, Unsundered
1 Junji, the Midnight Sky
1 Gix, Yawgmoth Praetor
1 Koma, Cosmos Serpent
1 Kaito, Bane of Nightmares
1 Oko, Lorwyn Liege
1 Cauldron of Essence
1 Bastion of Remembrance
1 Sothera, the Supervoid
1 Enduring Curiosity
1 Cruel Somnophage
1 Defiled Crypt // Cadaver Lab
1 Sidequest: Hunt the Mark
1 Summon: Primal Odin
1 The Legend of Kuruk
1 Bitter Triumph
1 Hero's Downfall
1 Infernal Grasp
1 Heartless Act
1 Come Back Wrong
1 Deadly Cover-Up
1 An Offer You Can't Refuse
1 Essence Scatter
1 Phyrexian Arena
1 Midnight Reaper
1 Darkstar Augur
1 Qarsi Revenant
1 Arcanis the Omnipotent
1 Vein Ripper
1 Ouroboroid
1 Bringer of the Last Gift
1 Awaken the Honored Dead
1 Ardyn, the Usurper
1 Town Greeter
1 Overlord of the Balemurk
1 Superior Spider-Man
1 Command Tower
1 Watery Grave
1 Gloomlake Verge
1 Undercity Sewers
1 Dreamroot Cascade
1 Restless Reef
1 Soulstone Sanctuary
1 Three Tree City
1 Eden, Seat of the Sanctum
1 Northampton Farm
1 Conduit Pylons
1 Wastewood Verge
1 Willowrush Verge
1 Llanowar Wastes
1 Overgrown Tomb
1 Underground River
1 Breeding Pool
1 Yavimaya Coast
10 Swamp
2 Forest
4 Island
1 Mesmeric Orb
1 Go for the Throat
1 Drown in the Loch
1 Bloodchief's Thirst
1 Birds of Paradise
1 Polluted Delta
1 Verdant Catacombs
1 Misty Rainforest
1 Esper Origins
1 Birthing Ritual
Ideal build (upgrade target)
Ideal keeps the pure Sultai grind identity and upgrades every recurrable slot into a premium permanent Muldrotha can re-buy: best removal that’s also a body/enchantment (Ravenous Chupacabra, Noxious Gearhulk, The Meathook Massacre, Casualties of War), best draw engines (Sheoldred, Phyrexian Arena, Bolas’s Citadel, The Great Henge), and Eternal Witness + Bringer of the Last Gift + Overlord of the Balemurk for infinite value loops. Top-end bombs (Grave Titan, Massacre Wurm, The Gitrog Monster, Uro) all come back from the yard. Manabase goes untapped with Zagoth Triome + full untapped BUG dual suite + Creeping Tar Pit. Top craft priorities: Sheoldred, the Apocalypse (mythic), The Meathook Massacre (mythic), Grave Titan (mythic), Zagoth Triome (rare), Eternal Witness (uncommon).
Crafts to reach the ideal: 24 (8 mythic, 13 rare, 1 uncommon, 1 common, 1 other)
- Mythic: Ancient Greenwarden, Damnation, Grave Titan, Noxious Gearhulk, The Gitrog Monster, The Great Henge, The Meathook Massacre, Uro, Titan of Nature’s Wrath
- Rare: Bolas’s Citadel, Botanical Sanctum, Casualties of War, Creeping Tar Pit, Darkslick Shores, Drowned Catacomb, Hinterland Harbor, Hissing Quagmire, Nurturing Peatland, Toxic Deluge, Woe Strider, Woodland Cemetery, Zagoth Triome
- Uncommon: Paradise Druid
- Common: Farseek
- Other: Eternal Witness
Full ideal list (paste into Arena):
Commander
1 Muldrotha, the Gravetide
Deck
1 Llanowar Elves
1 Druid of the Cowl
1 Paradise Druid
1 Badgermole Cub
1 Arcane Signet
1 Coldsteel Heart
1 Solemn Simulacrum
1 Farseek
1 Phyrexian Arena
1 Midnight Reaper
1 Sheoldred, the Apocalypse
1 Bolas's Citadel
1 Tatyova, Benthic Druid
1 Darkstar Augur
1 Loot, Exuberant Explorer
1 The Great Henge
1 Eternal Witness
1 Bringer of the Last Gift
1 Overlord of the Balemurk
1 Sidisi, Regent of the Mire
1 Emet-Selch, Unsundered
1 Cauldron of Essence
1 Awaken the Honored Dead
1 Woe Strider
1 Bastion of Remembrance
1 Deadly Dispute
1 Defiled Crypt // Cadaver Lab
1 Gix, Yawgmoth Praetor
1 The Meathook Massacre
1 Toxic Deluge
1 Ravenous Chupacabra
1 Noxious Gearhulk
1 Go for the Throat
1 Bloodchief's Thirst
1 Hero's Downfall
1 Infernal Grasp
1 Bitter Triumph
1 Heartless Act
1 Casualties of War
1 Damnation
1 Flusterstorm
1 An Offer You Can't Refuse
1 Essence Scatter
1 Counterspell
1 Drown in the Loch
1 Grave Titan
1 Massacre Wurm
1 Uro, Titan of Nature's Wrath
1 The Gitrog Monster
1 Koma, Cosmos Serpent
1 Dragonlord Silumgar
1 Vein Ripper
1 Koh, the Face Stealer
1 Sothera, the Supervoid
1 Kaito, Bane of Nightmares
1 Oko, Lorwyn Liege
1 Junji, the Midnight Sky
1 Syr Konrad, the Grim
1 Arcanis the Omnipotent
1 Superior Spider-Man
1 Ouroboroid
1 Ancient Greenwarden
1 Command Tower
1 Watery Grave
1 Overgrown Tomb
1 Breeding Pool
1 Zagoth Triome
1 Underground River
1 Yavimaya Coast
1 Llanowar Wastes
1 Gloomlake Verge
1 Wastewood Verge
1 Willowrush Verge
1 Undercity Sewers
1 Woodland Cemetery
1 Drowned Catacomb
1 Hinterland Harbor
1 Botanical Sanctum
1 Darkslick Shores
1 Nurturing Peatland
1 Hissing Quagmire
1 Creeping Tar Pit
1 Dreamroot Cascade
9 Swamp
4 Forest
3 Island
Card images & data via Scryfall.