As one of the most popular archetypes in Commander, it’s no secret that Spellslinger decks are especially powerful. When online, these decks can provide insurmountable value and devastating one-turn kills out of nowhere. With a Commander that supports and fuels this strategy, crushing the competition is often a breeze.
Thanks to this archetype’s power and popularity, many of Spellslinger’s best Commanders are already known and somewhat played out. The same definitely isn’t true for Gnostro, Voice of the Crags, however, which sees remarkably little play in Commander. Offering fantastic utility and a few combos to boot, this forgotten Chimera makes a very compelling Commander option.
MTG Gnostro, Voice of the Crags
So long as you’re casting a bunch of spells, Gnostro, Voice of the Crags is a fantastic value engine. Even without any extra support, this card can sculpt your draws, provide removal, and keep you alive. While this doesn’t sound super flashy, it does give a Spellslingers deck tons of space to do its thing.
Speaking of, Gnostro is at their best alongside a ton of cheap spells and cantrips, so X is as high as possible. To help this, cost reduction effects, like Goblin Electromancer and Stormcatch Mentor, are always useful. Similarly, mana generators like Storm-Kiln Artist and Kykar, Wind’s Fury work wonders to keep you casting spells.
Realistically, this isn’t anything new for a Spellslingers deck, and the same is true for including Archmage Emeritus. Where Gnostro, Voice of the Crags starts to differ, however, is in the unique payoffs that this card offers. Cards like Swans of Bryn Argoll can turn Gnostro’s damage into card draw, while Brash Taunter redirects it at opponents.
Even when only used once, Gnostro’s abilities can easily provide a ton of value. Where things get really exciting, however, is when using untap and ability copying effects. Whether you’re using Freed from the Real or Adric, Mathematical Genius, these cards hugely amplify the value Gnostro offers.
Infinite Combos
Thanks to Eligeth, Crossroads Augur, going infinite with Gnostro, Voice of the Crags is surprisingly easy. By turning Scry effects into card draw, all you need is Gnostro and Mind Over Matter to pop off. Technically, all you need on top of this is to cast a single spell, but this combo gets better the higher X is.
Even with X at one, you can use Mind Over Matter to untap Gnostro, letting you loot through your entire deck. While this sets up a Thassa’s Oracle win, X being higher opens up alternative win conditions. Being able to trade the extra cards for extra untaps enables life gain wins using Aetherflux Reservoir, or burn wins with Brash Taunter.
Subbing Mind Over Matter out for The Locust God and Intruder Alarm you can also make near-infinite Hasty tokens. While these should easily be enough to close out a game, it’s also possible to get infinite lifegain and +1/+1 counters with Gnostro. Admittedly, this combo does ask for a lot, but Pemmin’s Aura, Crystalline Crawler, and Archangel of Thune to work wonders together.
For better or worse, none of these combos are really new in MTG, as they simply utilize repeat Scry, damage, and lifegain effects. This, however, is far from a downside, as it gives each combo tons of redundancy. Many Scry effects in the 99, for instance, will be able to replace Gnostro in these combos, if it’s ever removed.
Cheap and Underrated
Overall, Gnostro, Voice of the Crags has more than enough utility to be a strong Commander. Its wide range of abilities make it quite a unique and fun build-around that stands out among Spellslinger Commanders. Despite this, though, the legendary Chimera remains extremely underplayed, only appearing as the Commander in 616 decks according to EDHREC.
Fortunately, this lack of demand has contributed to Gnostro’s low price tag. Valued at roughly $0.15, this Commander is a complete steal. So, if you’re looking for an exciting Commander to lead your next adventure and you don’t want to break the bank, consider giving Gnostro, Voice of the Crags some time to shine.
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