6 Commander Cards to Gruul in the New Year
Roxanne, Starfall Savant | Art by Ina Wong
Gruul is a two-color guild in Magic: The Gathering representing . Gruul's primary game-winning strategy is through large and aggressive creatures. Klauth, Unrivaled Ancient and Quartzwood Crasher are two creature cards Gruul wants to put on the battlefield.
Gruul also excels at removing critical blockers and other problematic cards. Domri's Ambush and Gruul Charm help ensure Gruul's creatures deal combat damage to opponents. In Commander, Gruul aligns with strategies like Landfall, +1/+1 Counters, and Treasure. Omnath, Locus of Rage, Agatha of the Vile Cauldron, and Jolene, the Plunder Queen are a few commander options that synergize with the above strategies.
Over the past 12 months, Wizards of the Coast released many Gruul cards for multiple formats, including Commander. The new year marks a perfect time to dust off your Commander card boxes and try several card additions to . Moreover, here are six fantastic Gruul cards worth playing in 2025.
1. Roxanne, Starfall Savant
Roxanne, Starfall Savant, from Outlaws of Thunder Junction (OTJ), is a legendary Cat Druid with an affection for Meteorites. Five mana provides a 4/3 with the ability to create a colorless artifact token named Meteorite when it enters the battlefield or attacks. A Meteorite token deals two damage to any target upon entering the battlefield and can tap to add one mana of any color. Furthermore, Roxanne, Starfall Savant has a second ability that says, "Whenever you tap an artifact token for mana, add one mana of any type that artifact token produced."
Players may choose Roxanne, Starfall Savant as a commander for a Treasure-themed deck because its second ability triggers when activating a Treasure token's mana ability. In addition, red and green offer plenty of cards capable of producing Treasure artifact tokens. Goldspan Dragon, Old Gnawbone, and Ancient Copper Dragon are three Treasure-producing creature cards players gravitate towards adding to the 99. Plenty of noncreature support cards are available, including Doubling Season, Parallel Lives, and Bootleggers' Stash. If an abundance of artifact tokens and mana interests you, consider putting Roxanne, Starfall Savant at the helm of your next Commander deck.
2. Peer Past the Veil
Duskmourn: House of Horror's (DSK) Peer Past the Veil is an intriguing four-mana instant. Resolving Peer Past the Veil forces you to discard your hand and then draw X cards, where X is the number of card types among cards in your graveyard. Although discarding your entire hand is often perceived as a drawback, it can be beneficial. In addition, decks wanting to place cards in their graveyard may draw upwards of six cards with Peer Past the Veil.
Where Peer Past the Veil shines best is in Jund () decks focused on Mill or Graveyard strategies. Modern Horizons 3 Commander's (M3C) Coram, the Undertaker is a Jund commander that wants many cards in your graveyard to increase its power. Also, Coram, the Undertaker enables you to play a land and cast a spell from among cards in graveyards that were put there from libraries this turn. Cards discarded by Peer Past the Veil become playable again with Coram, the Undertaker on your battlefield.
Disa the Restless's two abilities synergize specifically with Lhurgoyfs. Notably, its first ability says, "Whenever a Lhurgoyf permanent card is put into your graveyard from anywhere other than the battlefield, put it onto the battlefield." Discarding one or more Lhurgoyf permanent cards with Peer Past the Veil while Disa the Restless is under your control generates incredible value by placing those Lhurgoyf cards on the battlefield and drawing you extra cards.
Cards possessing the Delirium mechanic can work well with Peer Past the Veil. Delirium is an ability that typically provides a beneficial effect when there are four or more card types among cards in your graveyard. DSK's Winter, Misanthropic Guide may want Peer Past the Veil in its 99 to assist with hindering opponents' maximum hand size. Peer Past the Veil supports other DSK cards like Fear of Missing Out, Demolisher Spawn, and Omnivorous Flytrap.
3. Wildsear, Scouring Maw
Wildsear, Scouring Maw is a menacing-looking Elemental Wolf from Bloomburrow Commander (BLC). Paying nets a 6/6 creature with trample, and enchantment spells you cast from your hand have cascade. Cascade is formidable since it exiles cards from the top of your library until you exile a nonland card that costs less and lets you cast it for free.
Although Wildsear, Scouring Maw is an eligible commander, it may fit best in the 99 of another deck. Wildsear, Scouring Maw appears designed to support Bello, Bard of the Brambles due to its fantastic ability to turn some non-Aura enchantments into 4/4 Elemental creatures with indestructible, haste, and "Whenever this creature deals combat damage to a player, draw a card." Chishiro, the Shattered Blade and Kaima, the Fractured Calm are two other enchant-centric commanders that could utilize Wildsear, Scouring Maw.
Another use for Wildsear, Scouring Maw is in the 99 of Saga-themed decks led by Tom Bombadil, Sigurd, Jarl of Ravensthorpe, and Eivor, Wolf-Kissed. Since Sagas are also enchantments, Wildsear, Scouring Maw's cascade ability triggers each time you cast a Saga from your hand. All three aforementioned commanders want to place a plethora of Sagas on the battlefield, which Wildsear, Scouring Maw can assist with accomplishing.
4. Worldsoul's Rage
Worldsoul's Rage is a sorcery from Murders at Karlov Manor (MKM) with a casting cost of . Worldsoul's Rage is more than a damage spell that does X damage to any target. You may also put up to X lands from your hand and/or graveyard into play tapped. Note that Worldsoul's Rage's ability lets you choose any lands in your hand and/or graveyard, not just basic lands.
Worldsoul's Rage can ramp you into three or more additional land drops depending on what cards are in your hand and graveyard. Lands Matter decks led by commanders identifying with could find a slot for Worldsoul's Rage in their 99. A few Lands Matter commanders to pair with Worldsoul's Rage are Lord Windgrace, Hazezon, Shaper of Sand, and Yuma, Proud Protector. Furthermore, each commander can return lands from your graveyard to your battlefield, just like Worldsoul's Rage.
5. Stump Stomp
MH3's Stump Stomp is a double-sided nonbasic land. On the rear side, Stump Stomp enters the battlefield tapped as a land that can produce or mana. When not playing Stump Stomp as a land, you can cast as a two-mana sorcery to have a creature you control deal damage equal to its power another creature or planeswalker you don't control.
Stump Stomp fits in about any or deck with high-powered creatures. Decks centered on fighting are an excellent home for Stump Stomp. Several fighting commanders to select from include Maarika, Brutal Gladiator, Neyith of the Dire Hunt, and Wolverine, Best There Is. Gruul players may consider slotting Stump Stomp in a deck featuring other creatures with significant power.
Zilortha, Strength Incarnate is a seven-power Gruul creature that determines lethal damage dealt to creatures you control by their power instead of their toughness. Other Dinosaurs, such as Quakestrider Ceratops, Ghalta, Primal Hunger, and Ghalta, Stampede Tyrant, have immense power, too. Consider adding a copy of Stump Stomp to any or decks where these sizable creatures are lurking.
6. Anzrag, the Quake-Mole
Everyone's favorite legendary Mole God, Anzrag, the Quake-Mole, is an 8/4 creature with abilities for only four mana. Fascinatingly, when Anzrag, the Quake-Mole becomes blocked, you get to untap each creature you control, and there is an additional combat phase after the current phase ends. To ensure Anzrag, the Quake-Mole gets blocked, you can pay a whooping seven mana to have one or more creatures forcibly block it, if able, each combat phase for a turn. Your opponents must constantly decide between taking eight combat damage or giving you another combat phase.
Anzrag, the Quake-Mole is a fine choice to lead Extra Combat and other aggressive strategies. However, it may be more effective in supporting other Gruul commanders. Zilortha, Strength Incarnate's ability helps Anzrag, the Quake-Mole survive combat damage so you can keep attacking with powerful threats. Xenagos, God of Revels can turn Anzrag, the Quake-Mole into a 16/12 hasty threat. A third synergistic commander is Neyith of the Dire Hunt. Paying Neyith of the Dire Hunt's three-mana ability at the beginning of combat will double Anzrag, the Quake-Mole's power to 16 and require a creature to block it. Try out Anzrag, the Quake-Mole in a or deck to see its true potential.
Read more:
Wolverine, Best There Is "I Said Stop Fighting!" - Plot Twist #24
