Gimli, Mournful Avenger

Gimli is a resilient aggressor that rewards sacrificing your own creatures. Your game plan is simple: pack the deck with cheap creatures and sacrifice outlets, then feed them to Gimli while he grows into a formidable threat. Every creature death triggers him, stacking +1/+1 counters and unlocking the potential for a free fight effect—basically removing blockers or enemy threats without spending mana. Once you've triggered him three times in a turn, you've got a removal spell baked in, and Gimli himself becomes indestructible and dangerous.

The deck wins through a combination of Gimli's growing stats and the free value you generate from dying creatures. Since you're intentionally sacrificing your own dudes, aristocrat-style effects (like Blood Artist or Zulaport Cutthroat) turn the grind into incremental damage. You'll often swing with Gimli as a beefy evasive threat while your utility creatures trade with opponents or block favorably. Alternatively, go wider with token generators and sacrifice synergies, turning your board into a repeatable damage engine.

Build toward creature-heavy, sacrifice-focused plays. Early game: ramp into Gimli and establish cheap creatures. Mid-game: deploy sacrifice outlets and start triggering Gimli's ability. Late-game: watch your little dudes turn into inevitable damage while Gimli punches through for massive numbers.

Strategy generated by Tapped Decks AI. Not affiliated with Wizards of the Coast.