In EDH, it can be a lot of fun executing unique combos that other players aren’t expecting. Seeing the look on each opponent’s face when they realize they’ve lost out of nowhere can be priceless, especially when your win condition of choice is just a weak common. This is exactly what Agatha of the Vile Cauldron specializes in, making her a great build-around option in MTG Commander.
MTG Agatha of the Vile Cauldron
For just two mana, Agatha of the Vile Cauldron offers a lot of utility, thanks to providing a discount on activated abilities. At a baseline, all activated abilities of creatures you control, including Agatha’s, cost one less to activate. If you put in some work, though, these abilities can end up costing next to nothing.
To take full advantage of what Agatha brings to the table, you’ll want to grow your Commander. Cards like Raised by Giants and Increasing Savagery can provide substantial buffs, resulting in substantial cost reduction. Notably, you’ll generally want longer-lasting buffs to keep the cost reduction around, explosive single turns are possible with cards like Invigorate.
Once Agatha of the Vile Cauldron is sufficiently buffed, any creatures with activated abilities that serve as impactful mana sinks can threaten to dominate the game. Even a simple common like Beastrider Vanguard, for example, becomes a reliable card-drawing machine when each activation only requires one mana. Similarly, Gorilla Shaman is capable of mowing down a plethora of opposing artifacts in one turn when paired with Agatha.
If you have enough mana at your disposal, Bhaal’s Invoker or Flamewake Invoker may be able to close the game outright once it hits the board. By adding Magus of the Candelabra into the mix, you’ll have plenty of extra mana at your disposal to further maximize these creatures. Alternatively, you can always use Agatha’s final ability to help close games. After making a bunch of tokens with Hydra Broodmaster or Jade Mage, buffing your whole squad and giving it Haste will often get the job done.
Infinite Combos
Beyond Agatha of the Vile Cauldron’s general synergies with unsuspecting commons, the Warlock also enables a multitude of infinite combos. Once you grow Agatha to eight power, for instance, Silvanu’s Invoker and Gruul Turf combine to combo kill your opponents.
Once everything is in play, start by tapping Gruul Turf and floating two mana. Then, use one mana to activate Silvanu’s Invoker, untapping Gruul Turf and making it an 8/8 with Trample. By repeating this process, you’ll net infinite red and green mana, which can then be funneled into Agatha’s final ability to make all of your other creatures infinitely large.
Another angle of attack that allows you to win the game without ever having to enter combat is to equip Zhur-Taa Druid with Umbral Mantle. In this case, Agatha only needs to have two power, which reduces the cost of untapping Zhur-Taa Druid to one mana. That way, each time you tap Zhur-Taa Druid for mana while pinging each opponent, you can use that mana to untap the Druid and continue the loop.
Once you open the door to include rares and mythics, there is a wealth of other combos that can be pulled off. One of these is a simple two-card combo centered around Agatha and Spawnsire of Ulamog. So long as Agatha’s power is at least three, you’re free to activate Spawnsire of Ulamog’s Spawn-generating ability for just one mana. By sacrificing one of the Spawns for mana after, you get to keep reactivating Spawnsire of Ulamog, netting infinite creature tokens and infinite colorless mana for your efforts.
Making the Most Out of Commons
With so many different creatures and combos to craft a deck around, it’s a bit surprising that Agatha of the Vile Cauldron doesn’t see more play in EDH. As a Commander, Agatha sees play in only 4,620 decks, and she doesn’t appear too commonly in the 99 of other decks, as well.
Nonetheless, Agatha makes for an effective choice, especially for those on a budget. Not only are many of the most synergistic mana sinks like the cycles of Invokers cheap commons, but Agatha itself hardly breaks the bank. Despite being a mythic, Agatha’s price tag sits right near the $1 mark. So, for anyone looking for a unique Commander that can put good use to your draft chaff, Agatha of the Vile Cauldron delivers.
Stick with us here at mtgrocks.com: the best site for Magic: The Gathering coverage. Be sure to check out our deckbuilder for your next big brew!