Why Wolverine?
Wolverine decks are everything Gruul players love—fast, violent, and regenerative enough to make removal feel useless. This version leans into the “fight club” archetype: creatures grow massive, punch everything, and keep coming back. If you’ve ever wanted to reenact Logan’s berserker rage in cardboard form, this is the list that actually delivers.
Deck List
Commander (1)
- Wolverine, Best There Is — He heals, he hits, and he refuses to die. Every fight spell turns into free removal and extra damage.
Creatures (16)
- Anzrag, the Quake-Mole — Forces fights and clears blockers, like a living earthquake with claws.
- Biophagus — Early ramp that adds +1/+1 counters when it fixes mana—perfect for scaling Wolverine’s fury.
- Brash Taunter — The best sparring partner ever; turns every fight into direct damage at your opponents.
- Duskshell Crawler — Sprinkles in counters and gives trample, so Wolverine’s punches always connect.
- Forgotten Ancient — Passively grows with every spell, then redistributes counters to supercharge the squad.
- Giggling Skitterspike — Sneaky damage amplifier that can buff your creatures or mess with blockers mid-combat.
- Grothama, All-Devouring — Challenges everyone to fight it; draw half your deck when the dust settles.
- Halana and Alena, Partners — Distribute counters and grant haste every turn, like your personal mutant mentors.
- Kalonian Hydra — Doubles all your counters with each swing—overkill is the Gruul way.
- Kami of Whispered Hopes — Mana dork that scales with your biggest threat and accelerates the arms race.
- Kediss, Emberclaw Familiar — Spreads Wolverine’s combat damage to every opponent. Pain, but make it multiplayer.
- Neyith of the Dire Hunt — Draws cards and buffs creatures whenever you fight—literally the MVP of this deck.
- Ohran Frostfang — Deathtouch plus card draw equals pure control during combat.
- Selvala, Heart of the Wilds — Generates absurd mana when Wolverine or Hydra hit the field, keeping you ahead on tempo.
- Toski, Bearer of Secrets — Indestructible squirrel that draws you cards like it’s your job.
- Ulvenwald Tracker — The original fight club referee—turns any creature into instant-speed removal.
Sorceries (11)
- Bala Ged Recovery — Recovers your best card or acts as a tapped land when you’re mana-hungry.
- Bushwhack — One-mana tutor or cheap fight spell depending on your needs.
- Chandra’s Ignition — Turns Wolverine’s power into a board wipe and a win condition.
- Contest of Claws — Makes two creatures brawl while letting you draw if you win—Gruul elegance.
- Cultivate — Classic ramp to get you from claws to carnage faster.
- Nature’s Lore — Two mana, untapped land, smooth ramp. Say less.
- Primal Might — Scales perfectly with Wolverine; pump and punch in one spell.
- Rhino’s Rampage — Trample, fight, and a damage boost rolled into one spicy command.
- Rishkar’s Expertise — Draw a truckload of cards and cast something free—it’s Gruul card advantage.
- Season of Gathering — Sets up a creature draw engine based on your biggest bruiser.
- Stump Stomp — Smashes an artifact or puny creature, just like nature intended.
Instants (21)
- Ancient Animus — Cheap fight spell that also buffs Wolverine if he’s already loaded with counters.
- Beast Within — Removes anything. Sure, they get a 3/3, but it’s temporary.
- Berserk — Doubles Wolverine’s power, ends lives instantly. Worth it even if he dies trying.
- Chaos Warp — Red’s answer to literally anything. Spin the wheel, pray it’s not worse.
- Collective Resistance — Flexible instant that can fight, buff, or protect in one package.
- Heroic Intervention — Protects your whole team from board wipes and target removal. No claws left behind.
- Hunter’s Insight — Draws a ton of cards off Wolverine’s damage output. Best $1 investment in the deck.
- Inscription of Abundance — Fight, gain life, or grow creatures—pick any combination you want.
- Legolas’s Quick Reflexes — Pseudo-protection that lets Wolverine fight at instant speed.
- Mutant’s Prey — Low-cost removal that scales with your counters theme.
- Pit Fight — A classic Gruul showdown—simple, savage, and satisfying.
- Prizefight — Fight plus Treasure. Wolverine appreciates a shiny prize after carnage.
- Ram Through — Deals excess damage to the opponent’s face after the fight. Chef’s kiss.
- Return the Favor — Reflect damage or spells back at whoever started it—pure attitude in card form.
- Self-Destruct — Situational reset when things get too messy, fittingly chaotic for our theme.
- Setessan Tactics — Multi-fight instant; everyone gets to throw hands.
- Strength of Will — Classic combat trick that keeps your creature alive mid-fight.
- Tail Swipe — One of the best one-mana fight spells ever printed. Quick and brutal.
- Tamiyo’s Safekeeping — Grants indestructible and a touch of life, perfect for protecting Wolverine mid-rage.
- Titanic Brawl — Discounts for +1/+1 counters and smacks anything in your way.
- Tyvar’s Stand — Another solid protection spell with flexible scaling—plus heroic vibes.
Artifacts (9)
- Adamantium Bonding Tank — Thematically perfect; buffs Wolverine and his crew with resilience and power.
- Earth’s Mightiest Emblem — Doubles counters and honors your superhero synergy.
- Fiendlash — Reflects Wolverine’s damage to face—because everything’s a weapon.
- Ozolith, the Shattered Spire — Counter synergy central; every lost +1/+1 gets reborn.
- Power Fist — Cheap equip that keeps your fighters efficient and threatening.
- Shadowspear — Adds lifelink and trample; now Wolverine heals while he hurts.
- Sol Ring — Because we like our ramp fast and unfair.
- Swiftfoot Boots — Keeps Wolverine safe and hasty. Don’t leave home without them.
- Talisman of Impulse — Two-color ramp that keeps your claws sharp on curve.
Enchantments (9)
- Garruk’s Uprising — Draw cards and grant trample to your monsters—Gruul essentials.
- Hardened Scales — Makes every +1/+1 counter matter just a little more. Efficient and mean.
- Pain for All — Rewards your aggression by spreading hurt around the table.
- Rancor — Classic Gruul aura that gives Wolverine the trample he deserves and always comes back.
- Rhythm of the Wild — Stops counterspells and grants haste or counters to new recruits.
- Rite of Passage — Every time Wolverine takes damage, he gets stronger. Flavor and function in one.
- Season of Growth — Draws cards every time you target your own creatures—basically a free refill engine.
- Terrasymbiosis — Boosts your board while ramping; great bridge between turns 4–6.
- Unnatural Growth — Doubles your power and toughness each combat. Dumb, glorious, necessary.
Lands (35)
Game Plan
This deck is all about fighting, healing, and punching again. Early turns are ramp and setup: Biophagus, Cultivate, or Nature’s Lore smooth your mana so you can land Wolverine early. Once he’s down, every instant that says “target creature fights” becomes removal and growth. Combine Wolverine with Rite of Passage, and every scratch just makes him buffer.
Midgame, lean on card advantage from Neyith of the Dire Hunt, Hunter’s Insight, or Rishkar’s Expertise. They keep your hand full so you can keep picking fights. When the board stalls, drop Unnatural Growth or Chandra’s Ignition and watch the table disappear.
Strengths
- Resilient Commander: Wolverine shrugs off removal and keeps swinging.
- Cheap Interaction: Dozens of one- and two-mana fight spells keep your tempo insane.
- Explosive Finishers: Kalonian Hydra, Chandra’s Ignition, and Unnatural Growth end games fast.
- Counter Synergy: Hardened Scales, Ozolith, and Forgotten Ancient push your ceiling through the roof.
- Gruul Simplicity: You don’t need fancy combos—just anger, muscle, and mana.
Weaknesses
- Wipes Hurt: You’re creature-heavy, so a timely Wrath of God sets you back.
- Target Dependence: Fighting requires legal targets; decks that turtle up can stall you.
- Card Draw Reliance: Miss your Neyith or Insight chain, and you’ll gas out.
- Graveyard Exile: You’re built for recursion and scaling—grave hate can clip your claws.
Upgrades
- More Ramp: Add Three Visits or Nature’s Will if you want smoother mana.
- Finishers: Xenagos, God of Revels doubles Wolverine’s power—because subtlety is for blue mages.
- Tech Choices: Slot in Questing Beast or Gruul Signet for smoother curves.
- Budget Cut: Replace Kalonian Hydra with Avatar of the Resolute for similar punch at lower cost.
Final Thoughts
This Wolverine deck is pure, unfiltered Gruul energy: fast, violent, and self-healing. It rewards aggression but punishes recklessness. Every fight spell feels like a cinematic slugfest, and every counter you gain makes the next punch sweeter. It’s not subtle, but it’s wildly satisfying—exactly what you want from a deck led by the most unkillable mutant in Magic.
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