One of the nice things about Commander is that there are seemingly endless themes to choose from. While some archetypes like Tokens offer a broad range of Commander choices, there are also strategies that are more specific to unique legends. This makes Wulfgar of Icewind Dale something of a rare treat, as this build around unlocks a remarkably underplayed game plan in MTG Commander.
MTG Wulfgar of Icewind Dale
Being able to double up on attack triggers is an incredibly powerful ability that makes Wulfgar a major threat. In conjunction with its own Melee trigger, the Barbarian can attack as a 10/10 with minimal effort. With the help of Embercleave or Two-Handed Axe, dealing lethal Commander damage in one go is quite realistic.
Beyond just pressuring opponents, Wulfgar can also generate tons of value in conjunction with other trigger-happy creatures. Etali, Primal Storm and Elder Garagorth are perfect card advantage engines to include, while Savage Ventmaw and Klauth, Unrivaled Ancient provide huge bursts of mana. This then lets you play cards like Bane of Bala Ged and Drakuseth, Maw of Flames to whittle down your opponents’ resources.
Taking things a step further, Wulfgar even synergizes with noncreature permanents that trigger off attacks. This makes cards like Cosmic Cube, Doors of Durin, and Druids’ Repository slam dunk additions to the deck as well. To supercharge all these synergies even more, you can also run extra combat enablers like Full Throttle and Aggravated Assault for even more triggers.
While you will need to get through combat unscathed to maximize these effects, a simple Dolmen Gate makes this a trivial task. Alternatively, mass buff effects like Pathbreaker Ibex and Blossoming Bogbeast can easily break open most board states.
Infinite Combat Steps and Damage
Showcasing its strengths as a Commander even further, Wulfgar has the potential to set up infinite combat combos, too. The easiest way to accomplish this goal is to stick Hellkite Charger and a mana engine like Fire Nation Palace. By giving the Dragon Firebending 4 with Fire Nation Palace, a single attack will net you eight red mana thanks to Wulfgar.
Then, you just need to funnel that mana into Hellkite Charger’s triggered ability, providing an additional combat step. Assuming Hellkite Charger can keep attacking unobstructed, you’re free to repeat this process over and over until you set up lethal damage.
Notably, this style of combo has a ton of redundancy, since Avatar Roku and Savage Ventmaw can easily replace Fire Nation Palace. In the event you don’t find Hellkite Charger, getting multiple copies of Lightning Runner into play via any creature-copying effect also nets infinite combat steps.
Underrated Gem
Despite the fact that its abilities can completely take over games, Wulfgar remains surprisingly underplayed. With only 2,067 Commander decks to its name according to EDHREC, this Barbarian is certainly deserving of more respect.
While its lack of reprints since its appearance in the Draconic Rage precon, keeps Wulfgar’s value near $8, the legend’s lack of demand has prevented its price tag from rising further. So, if you’re looking for a fun and distinct Gruul Commander to take to Commander Night, now could be a good time to pick up a copy.
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