Combat’s perhaps the most pivotal phase in a turn ofMagic: The Gathering. That’s where all the action happens! Creatures ride into battle, clashing against one another, flying over defenses, trampling through the competition, skulking past blockers, doing whatever Bubble Smuggler’s doing. It’s the most exhilarating part of playing an aggro deck.
Then the dust settles, the wounded slink away to recover, the champions bellow a victorious war cry, the dead are… dead. But then, just as the warriors lay down their swords and the battle seems like it’s at an end, the combatants catch a glimmer of something just over yonder horizon. Oh no… a second combat phase. Well, no rest for the wicked, as they say.
Infinite turns technically results in infinite extra combats, but we’ll be focusing on effects that only add an extra combat phase to a single turn.
11Aggravated Assault
Aggravating For Your Opponents
Aggravated Assault goes from quite bad in normal decks to certifiably broken in decks capable of making large amounts of mana. First up, the fair use: Spend a turn casting this enchantment and another turn to activate it, then get an extra combat with the creatures you somehow still have despite spending entire turns getting Assault online.
Now, the shenanigans: Combine with a creature like Neheb, the Eternal or Savage Ventmaw, then chain together extra combats by filtering the mana they produce through Aggravated Assault activations. People playing this enchantment are usually opting for the combo line.
10Breath Of Fury
Opponents: Don’t Hold Your Breath
Breath of Fury demonstrates the tendency for extra combat cards to play out more like infinite combo pieces. The downside ofsacrificing a creaturefor each additional combat should send up some red flags. Why make extra attacks if it costs your attackers to do so?
Well, you’re hoping to land it alongside something that creates a new creature at the start of each combat, like Legion Warboss or Urabrask’s Forge. You’ll usually need a few extra expendables to get started, after which you’re able to just keep re-attaching this aura to the new tokens you generate for infinite combats.
9Scourge Of The Throne
The Only Time It’s Scary To Be On Top
The Conspiracy sets introduced tons of mechanics that force action in Commander games.Goad, myriad, andThe Monarchare fantastic, as is dethrone, which rewards you for attacking the player with the most life, often an indication of who’s in the lead anyway.
Scourge already gets a +1/+1 counter for attacking the player on the throne, but an entire extra combat is a huge bonus. That’s usually enough to take that player from possible first place to last or dead, though thisDragon’s admittedly mopey if you’re at the highest life total.
Remember dethrone triggers on each attack! If the first combat puts a new opponent at the highest life total, consider attacking them the second time for another +1/+1 counter.
8Bloodthirster
Out For Everyone’s Blood
What a lovely name, and it doesn’t even have bloodthirst? Unbelievable. Turns out you don’t need fancy mechanics or amicable names when your whole purpose is bashing the entire table over the head every combat. Emphasis on every combat.
On its own, Bloodthirster can dome each opponent for six damage each turn. It’s also patently absurd with effects like Unnatural Growth and Xenagos, God of Revels, which double its power each combat and let you smash three opponents for 12, 24, and 48 damage, respectively.
7Moraug, Fury Of Akoum
Combats Galore, But Mind The Timing
Moraug, Fury of Akoum can give you more extra combats steps than just about any card that isn’t part of an infinite combo. It’s as simple astriggering landfall, one of the most exploitable abilities in all of Magic.
Moraug’s got a significant rules quirk to be aware of. You have to trigger landfall after your initial combat phase if you want your creatures to untap for the extra combat. If you trigger landfall in your first main phase, the extra combat will happen first and untap your creatures, but they’ll remain tapped during your original combat phase.
Moraug’s static pump effect is cumulative. If a creature that attacked once attacks again in a second combat, it gets an additional +2/+0, for a total of +3/+0.
Doesn’t Need A Partner To Go Off
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Najeela was created for Battlebond, a set intended to be drafted and played as a Two-Headed Giant game with a partner. The attack trigger’s worded in such a way that you could give your teammate extra tokens when they attacked with Warriors. You could do this for your opponents too, though you probably shouldn’t.
Najeela’s a well-knowncompetitive commander, since the extra turn effect is fairly each to achieve. With the right kind ofmana dorkson board, it’s possible to take infinite turns by tapping creatures to activate the ability, then untapping them to do it again.
4Anzrag, The Quake-Mole
A Terrifying Dilemma For The Defender
Four mana gets you an 8/4 with upside these days, eh? But hey, at least it’s two colors, right? Anzrag’s balanced out slightly by not having anybuilt-in protection, but it hits so far above its weight class at this mana cost.
It also puts your opponents in a really tough spot: Either block and give you another combat, or don’t block and take a huge chunk of damage. You can force the issue with the activated ability, which combined with an indestructible effect lets you mow through all your opponents' boards.
3Combat Celebrant
One For All, All 4/1
Combat Celebrant was deliberately designed not to produce infinite combat loops, but it turns out you can just make copies of Celebrant and exert those instead to set up as many combat steps as you need.
Helm of the Host is the most recognizable combo here, which works with a number of other extra combat cards too. Equip Helm to Celebrant, make a new Celebrant on combat, attack and exert it, then repeat the process during your extra combat. As long as the original stays intact, you’re able to repeat this sequence to your heart’s content.
2Karlach, Fury Of Avernus
A Tiefling With A Background In Ending Games
Karlach provides no-strings-attached extra combats. It’s as easy as simply having Karlach in play and attacking; she doesn’t even need to be the one to declare an attack, which means you’re able to get immediate value off this card the turn it hits play.
It’s an excellent addition to any combat-oriented deck, but you also have options for customization if you run it as your commander witha background of your choice. Sword Coast Sailor and Raised by Giants are two options that broaden your access to other colors and make for some quick kills via commander damage.
