MTGO Match-Up: Grenzo, Dungeon Warden VS Kaalia & The Gitrog Monster EDH / CMDR gameplay video

Deck Strategies

• 

  Grenzo, Dungeon Warden

  Generate value and board presence by activating Grenzo’s ability multiple times to create goblin tokens, then use these tokens to pressure opponents through combat. The deck also incorporates removal spells to handle threats and uses Illusionist's Bracers to double Grenzo's triggers, enabling explosive turns with large swings.

• 

  The Gitrog Monster

  Leverage landfall and sacrifice synergies to draw cards and generate value, ramp mana aggressively, and control the board with removal and continuous card advantage. The deck aims to out-resource opponents and stabilize before going for a powerful late-game finish.

Gameplay Insights

• 1

  Activating Grenzo’s ability multiple times in a single turn, especially with Illusionist's Bracers, creates a massive board presence that can quickly overwhelm opponents.

• 2

  Choosing when to attack and which creatures to hold back is crucial to avoid losing Grenzo unnecessarily and to maintain pressure.

• 3

  Including cheap removal spells like Dreadbore provides essential answers to opponent threats that creature-based removal alone cannot handle.

• 4

  Helping opponents inadvertently (e.g., by playing cards that benefit their creatures) can sometimes backfire, but it’s a risk taken when focusing on maximizing your own tempo.

• 5

  Against decks that ramp and draw heavily, maintaining aggressive board development and forcing damage can prevent opponents from stabilizing and executing their game plan.

Notable Cards

• 

  Grenzo, Dungeon Warden

• 

  Demonic Tutor

• 

  Dreadbore

• 

  Siege-Gang Commander

• 

  Illusionist's Bracers

• 

  The Gitrog Monster

• 

  Nissa, Who Shakes the World

Summary

The game began with Grenzo, Dungeon Warden facing off against a Shadowborn Apostle deck and later The Gitrog Monster. Early on, Grenzo's player struggled with land draws but managed to leverage removal spells like Dreadbore and creatures like Siege-Gang Commander to build board presence. Key plays involved casting Grenzo and activating his ability multiple times to generate a large number of goblin tokens, overwhelming the opponent and swinging for significant damage. The player also strategically used Illusionist's Bracers to double Grenzo's enters-the-battlefield triggers, maximizing token production and combat potential. Against The Gitrog Monster, the game pace was slower, but Grenzo's player still sought value by carefully selecting targets with Demonic Tutor and maintaining board control through repeated activations and combat phases. The opponent drew heavily and attempted to gain card advantage and mana ramp, but Grenzo's aggressive token strategy and combo potential kept the pressure high. The game featured tactical decisions around when to attack, which creatures to protect, and how to best use Grenzo's ability to maintain tempo and threaten lethal damage.