GolgariLegendary Creature — Troll ShamanGrismold, the Dreadsower
Mana value3Rank#7,542
The Commander
Trample
At the beginning of your end step, each player creates a 1/1 green Plant creature token.
Whenever a creature token dies, put a +1/+1 counter on Grismold.
Guide
Gameplan
Grismold grinds the board by giving everyone Plant tokens each end step, then turns those tokens into resources and removal fuel while growing himself with counters. You win by either swinging with a huge tramplig Grismold, leveraging the constant token supply for aristocrats/sacrifice payoffs, or punishing opponents for the bodies you've gifted them.
Strengths
- Generates a steady stream of token bodies for everyone, ensuring fuel for sacrifice and counter synergies
- Self-grows into a real threat with trample, enabling Voltron-style finishes
- Cheap 3-mana commander that's easy to recast and slots into many BG strategies
- Symmetrical token generation can be made one-sided with edicts and board wipes
Weaknesses
- The tokens you give opponents can backfire, fueling their own go-wide or sacrifice plans
- Grismold's counters only grow when tokens die, so static boards leave him small
- Relies on commander damage or combos that can be disrupted by removal
- BG lacks counterspells and can struggle against fast combo or heavy control
Key Cards
- Dictate of Erebos — Forces opponents to sacrifice when your creatures die, turning the shared token engine into a one-sided board wipe.
- Grave Pact — Same edict effect that punishes opponents every time you sacrifice tokens, locking down their boards.
- Pitiless Plunderer — Converts every dying token into Treasure, generating explosive ramp and combo mana.
- Skullclamp — Turns your 1/1 Plants into two-card draws each, refilling your hand endlessly while triggering Grismold's counters.
- Black Market Connections — Premier BG card advantage and ramp that keeps your engine fueled.
- Pernicious Deed — Flexible symmetrical wipe that kills all the tokens, ramping Grismold's counters while resetting the board in your favor.
Upgrade Path
Lean into asymmetry with edict pieces (Dictate of Erebos, Grave Pact, Butcher of Malakir) plus free sacrifice outlets like Viscera Seer and Carrion Feeder so the shared tokens only hurt opponents. Add fast mana (Sol Ring, fast green rituals) and tutors like Demonic Tutor and Diabolic Intent to assemble aristocrats engines or Skullclamp draw loops reliably. For a Voltron pivot, prioritize protection (Swiftfoot Boots, Lightning Greaves) and counter-doublers to one-shot opponents through trample.
Core Cards
The most-played cards for this commander, built from aggregated deck data (the Mythic Graph). Build public decks to seed it.
Win Conditions
- ▸Commander damage from a counter-laden, trampling Grismold often boosted by Voltron gear
- ▸Aristocrats drain via Blood Artist, Zulaport Cutthroat, and Bastion of Remembrance
- ▸Overrun-style alpha strike with Craterhoof Behemoth or Overwhelming Stampede
- ▸Locking opponents out with Grave Pact effects plus repeatable sacrifice
Archetypes
- Aristocrats — Constant token generation feeds sacrifice outlets and death-trigger payoffs like Blood Artist and Zulaport Cutthroat.
- Voltron — Grismold naturally accumulates counters and has trample, so equipment and protection can push lethal commander damage.
- Tokens/Go-Wide — He floods the board with bodies that anthems and overrun effects convert into a winning swing.
- Stax/Edicts — Pairing edict effects with sacrifice outlets turns shared tokens into asymmetric removal that strangles opponents.
Combos
- Grismold, the Dreadsower + Animation Module + Ashnod's Altar
→ Infinite colorless mana, Infinite death triggers, Infinite ETB
- Grismold, the Dreadsower + Animation Module + Phyrexian Altar
→ Infinite death triggers, Infinite ETB, Infinite LTB
- Esix, Fractal Bloom + Timestream Navigator + Grismold, the Dreadsower
→ Infinite turns, Lock
Combos via Commander Spellbook.
Related Commanders
Same color identity (BG), by popularity.
