Meren of Clan Nel Toth

I don’t remember the exact moment I picked up Plunder the Graves, but it was sometime around the 2015 Commander precons. I may have snagged one or two of the others, but none of them grabbed me quite like Meren of Clan Nel Toth.

This was back when new product releases still felt like an event. We weren’t yet buried under spoiler season fatigue. These decks had a lot of buzz, and while they weren’t quite as busted as the 2012 wave, Plunder the Graves was clearly the standout. Meren was the front-runner, with Ezuri, Claw of Progress in second, and then a steep drop-off for the remaining precons.

Since then, I’ve basically always had Meren sleeved up in one form or another.

A Deck Through the Ages

My earliest builds were hilariously casual: basically Fog Tribal with Spore Frog and a bunch of big, dumb beaters. I moved into a more midrange reanimator shell later, something resembling what I play now in Bracket 3, but with Necrotic Ooze antics. And yes, she even had a brief stint as my first cEDH deck back in 2020 when I was beginning to dip my toes in that scene.

Spoiler alert: Golgari isn’t great in cEDH. The colors just don’t quite keep up. So I pivoted into more colors and different Hulk shells. But I never stopped loving Meren, so I found her perfect home.

Bracket 4 Meren

Meren is made for Bracket 4.

She’s a little too strong and oppressive for Bracket 3, but doesn’t cut it in cEDH. Her ability to grind value and abuse recursion makes her a great fit for Optimized EDH. Yes, you’ll occasionally get an “ugh, this commander again” at the table, but she’s not that bad, and she’s definitely fun to pilot, even if your opponents aren't always thrilled to see her.

Meren wants to do something just a little degenerate. Spore Frog recursion, Plaguecrafter loops, Mindslicer hand wipes, and Gray Merchant of Asphodel drain finishes—none of it cuts it in cEDH, but it all works in Bracket 4. The flexibility she offers is one of her biggest strengths.

Key Package Highlights

• Spore Frog: Fog on a stick. Annoying and effective vs. combat decks.

• Plaguecrafter: Repeatable removal. Board control on a stick. You can also run Demon’s Disciple if you would like a backup.

• Mindslicer: Backbreaking if timed right. Be careful; this may get you uninvited to future games, but it can be extremely effective.

• Gray Merchant of Asphodel (Gary): Backup win con. Plays well with Mikaeus, the Unhallowed and Yawgmoth for infinite drain.

The main win condition centers around Protean Hulk. You’ve got several piles, but the primary one uses:

• Warren Soultrader

• Blood Artist

• Forsaken Miner

The combo goes like this: You sacrifice Forsaken Miner to Soultrader, triggering Blood Artist, netting a treasure, and paying a black to bring the Miner back. Do it infinitely, win the game. Pretty clean.

There’s also the classic Mikaeus and Walking Ballista pile. While you could trim one and rely solely on Gary, the redundancy is worth it. These pieces synergize well across the deck.

Easy, Clean Lines

Some of the best lines are very straightforward:

• Entomb + Reanimate + Carrion Feeder = Game over

• Footsteps of the Goryo = Reanimate and sac stapled together.

• Tooth and Nail = Grab Hulk and Feeder, done

I go back and forth on Pattern of Rebirth. It makes for a very “cEDH feeling” win line that I do not enjoy as much. I don’t love feeling compelled to push that direction, so I have chosen to forego it. This is purely a personal choice, and probably incorrect, so for a truly optimized build, it is likely best to include.

Why Play Meren?

If you’re in Golgari and want something strong, flexible, and known, Meren is your gal. She scales up and down depending on your pod, which is huge in Bracket 4. You don’t always know what level of competitiveness you’re about to face, but this list can adjust acoordingly.

• Sitting at a casual-ish table? No problem—just go for the Gary plan.

• Playing a tight, interactive pod? Strip hands with Mindslicer, grind the board, and outvalue everyone.

She enables a true midrange value plan. You can combo off on turn 5 or 6, or sit behind a Spore Frog, draw cards, and wait for your moment.

And if you get wiped? You’re still fine. Having a recursion engine in the command zone means you’re never really out of the game. Even if you’ve cast her two or three times, you’re often already in a position where you don’t need her anymore.

When She Struggles

Meren’s got a few soft spots:

• Spellslinger decks: They largely ignore your value engine. If you can land a Mindslicer, great, but otherwise you might just get buried.

• Go-wide token decks: These can get under you if you’re not ready. I used to play Demon of Dark Schemes, but it goes in and out of the deck.

• Aggro: If you’re the threat, expect to get dogpiled. Try not to be the threat until right the turn or two before you pop off.

The biggest downside, honestly, is linearity. Meren kind of plays more or less the same game every time. While the how can vary, the what is usually some form of “value until combo.” That can get old—for you or your opponents—but it’s still satisfying to execute.

She’s not the flashiest or most novel commander, but she’s dependable. And there’s real power in that.

Final Thoughts

If you haven’t given Meren a shot, this list is a great place to start. I’ve refined it over years of play and iteration. She remains one of my all-time favorites—not because she’s broken, but because she always feels like she could be, and that’s a fun space to live in.

You don’t really need to “Rule 0” her, everyone already knows what’s coming. She wins with multiple two-card combos, she’s fast enough for Bracket 4, grindy enough to hang back, and budget-friendly to build and maintain.

She’s not perfect, but she’s close. And for me? She still absolutely slaps.

If you’ve made it this far, you’re probably a Bracket 4 fan like me.
Come chat about it in the comments or find me on TikTok at @NoSaltEDH where we dive into the nuance of high power Commander—minus the salt.

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