Proxy build / 100-CARD BUILD

Rendmaw,
Creaking Nest

Golgari

Make a little trouble.

Make the flock pay rent. Browse the proxy build’s cards and rules.

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MEET YOUR COMMANDERRendmaw, Creaking Nest

Rendmaw, Creaking Nest · Featured commander

STRATEGY · 3 PHASES

How this build plays

Cheap cards with two types repeatedly call the Birds. The list profits from token arrivals and deaths while the opposing Birds are forced into combat; the final two-player endgame still needs your own damage plan.

01SET THE STAGE
Call a flock for almost nothing
Ornithopter is an artifact creature, so playing it with Rendmaw in play triggers another round of Birds. Tree of Tales is an artifact land and also qualifies when played. The Bird tokens themselves are created rather than played, so they do not recursively trigger Rendmaw.
- Rendmaw, Creaking Nest
- Ornithopter
- Tree of Tales
Rules text for these cards
Rendmaw, Creaking Nest
Reach, menace When Rendmaw enters and whenever you play a card with two or more card types, each player creates a tapped 2/2 black Bird creature token with flying. The tokens are goaded for the rest of the game. (They attack each combat if able and attack a player other than you if able.)
Ornithopter
Flying
Tree of Tales
{T}: Add {G}.
02BUILD THE ENGINE
Make the flock pay rent
Blood Seeker can make each opponent lose life when that opponent’s Bird enters. Mirkwood Bats separately drains every opponent when you create your own token. Neither card needs those Birds to attack for these entry payoffs.
- Rendmaw, Creaking Nest
- Blood Seeker
- Mirkwood Bats
Rules text for these cards
Rendmaw, Creaking Nest
Reach, menace When Rendmaw enters and whenever you play a card with two or more card types, each player creates a tapped 2/2 black Bird creature token with flying. The tokens are goaded for the rest of the game. (They attack each combat if able and attack a player other than you if able.)
Blood Seeker
Whenever a creature an opponent controls enters, you may have that player lose 1 life.
Mirkwood Bats
Flying Whenever you create or sacrifice a token, each opponent loses 1 life.
03CARRY IT THROUGH
Clean up what the Birds leave behind
Massacre Wurm gives opposing creatures -2/-2 on entry, enough to kill unmodified 2/2 Birds, then charges their controllers two life per creature death. Your own Birds survive that effect and can carry Overwhelming Stampede into combat. Goad does not stop an opponent attacking you when no other opponent is available.
- Massacre Wurm
- Overwhelming Stampede
- Rendmaw, Creaking Nest
Rules text for these cards
Massacre Wurm
When this creature enters, creatures your opponents control get -2/-2 until end of turn. Whenever a creature an opponent controls dies, that player loses 2 life.
Overwhelming Stampede
Until end of turn, creatures you control gain trample and get +X/+X, where X is the greatest power among creatures you control.
Rendmaw, Creaking Nest
Reach, menace When Rendmaw enters and whenever you play a card with two or more card types, each player creates a tapped 2/2 black Bird creature token with flying. The tokens are goaded for the rest of the game. (They attack each combat if able and attack a player other than you if able.)

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Rendmaw, Creaking Nest

Reach, menace When Rendmaw enters and whenever you play a card with two or more card types, each player creates a tapped 2/2 black Bird creature token with flying. The tokens are goaded for the rest of the game. (They attack each combat if able and attack a player other than you if able.)

Ornithopter

Flying

Memnite

Rules text is not available for this card.

Phyrexian Walker

Rules text is not available for this card.

Shield Sphere

Defender Whenever this creature blocks, put a -0/-1 counter on it.

Gingerbrute

Haste (This creature can attack and {T} as soon as it comes under your control.) {1}: This creature can't be blocked this turn except by creatures with haste. {2}, {T}, Sacrifice this creature: You gain 3 life.

Haywire Mite

When this creature dies, you gain 2 life. {G}, Sacrifice this creature: Exile target noncreature artifact or noncreature enchantment.

Dockside Chef

{1}{B}, Sacrifice an artifact or creature: Draw a card.

Vault Skirge

({B/P} can be paid with either {B} or 2 life.) Flying Lifelink (Damage dealt by this creature also causes you to gain that much life.)

Hope of Ghirapur

Flying Sacrifice Hope of Ghirapur: Until your next turn, target player who was dealt combat damage by Hope of Ghirapur this turn can't cast noncreature spells.

Arcbound Worker

Modular 1 (This creature enters with a +1/+1 counter on it. When it dies, you may put its +1/+1 counters on target artifact creature.)

Copper Myr

{T}: Add {G}.

Leaden Myr

{T}: Add {B}.

Ornithopter of Paradise

Flying {T}: Add one mana of any color.

Myr Retriever

When this creature dies, return another target artifact card from your graveyard to your hand.

Virus Beetle

When this creature enters, each opponent discards a card.

Circuit Mender

When this creature enters, you gain 2 life. When this creature leaves the battlefield, draw a card.

Baleful Eidolon

Bestow {4}{B} (If you cast this card for its bestow cost, it's an Aura spell with enchant creature. It becomes a creature again if it's not attached.) Deathtouch (Any amount of damage this deals to a creature is enough to destroy it.) Enchanted creature gets +1/+1 and has deathtouch.

Destiny Spinner

Creature and enchantment spells you control can't be countered. {3}{G}: Target land you control becomes an X/X Elemental creature with trample and haste until end of turn, where X is the number of enchantments you control. It's still a land.

Gloomshrieker

Menace (This creature can't be blocked except by two or more creatures.) When this creature enters, return target permanent card from your graveyard to your hand. If this creature would die, exile it instead.

Nyx Weaver

Reach At the beginning of your upkeep, mill two cards. (Put the top two cards of your library into your graveyard.) {1}{B}{G}, Exile this creature: Return target card from your graveyard to your hand.

Grim Guardian

Constellation — Whenever this creature or another enchantment you control enters, each opponent loses 1 life.

Courser of Kruphix

Play with the top card of your library revealed. You may play lands from the top of your library. Landfall — Whenever a land you control enters, you gain 1 life.

Arasta of the Endless Web

Reach Whenever an opponent casts an instant or sorcery spell, create a 1/2 green Spider creature token with reach.

Fang of Shigeki

Deathtouch

Sanctum Weaver

{T}: Add X mana of any one color, where X is the number of enchantments you control.

Walking Ballista

This creature enters with X +1/+1 counters on it. {4}: Put a +1/+1 counter on this creature. Remove a +1/+1 counter from this creature: It deals 1 damage to any target.

Sol Ring

{T}: Add {C}{C}.

Arcane Signet

{T}: Add one mana of any color in your commander's color identity.

Nature's Lore

Search your library for a Forest card, put that card onto the battlefield, then shuffle.

Three Visits

Search your library for a Forest card, put it onto the battlefield, then shuffle.

Sakura-Tribe Elder

Sacrifice this creature: Search your library for a basic land card, put that card onto the battlefield tapped, then shuffle.

Wild Growth

Enchant land Whenever enchanted land is tapped for mana, its controller adds an additional {G}.

Utopia Sprawl

Enchant Forest As this Aura enters, choose a color. Whenever enchanted Forest is tapped for mana, its controller adds an additional one mana of the chosen color.

Elvish Mystic

{T}: Add {G}.

Llanowar Elves

{T}: Add {G}.

Farseek

Search your library for a Plains, Island, Swamp, or Mountain card, put it onto the battlefield tapped, then shuffle.

Skullclamp

Equipped creature gets +1/-1. Whenever equipped creature dies, draw two cards. Equip {1}

Idol of Oblivion

{T}: Draw a card. Activate only if you created a token this turn. {8}, {T}, Sacrifice this artifact: Create a 10/10 colorless Eldrazi creature token.

Morbid Opportunist

Whenever one or more other creatures die, draw a card. This ability triggers only once each turn.

Species Specialist

As this creature enters, choose a creature type. Whenever a creature of the chosen type dies, you may draw a card.

Guardian Project

Whenever a nontoken creature you control enters, if it doesn't have the same name as another creature you control or a creature card in your graveyard, draw a card.

Deadly Dispute

As an additional cost to cast this spell, sacrifice an artifact or creature. Draw two cards and create a Treasure token. (It's an artifact with "{T}, Sacrifice this token: Add one mana of any color.")

Glimpse of Nature

Whenever you cast a creature spell this turn, draw a card.

Plumb the Forbidden

As an additional cost to cast this spell, you may sacrifice one or more creatures. When you do, copy this spell for each creature sacrificed this way. You draw a card and lose 1 life.

Phyrexian Reclamation

{1}{B}, Pay 2 life: Return target creature card from your graveyard to your hand.

Bloodthirsty Blade

Equipped creature gets +2/+0 and is goaded. (It attacks each combat if able and attacks a player other than you if able.) {1}: Attach this Equipment to target creature an opponent controls. Activate only as a sorcery.

Mirkwood Bats

Flying Whenever you create or sacrifice a token, each opponent loses 1 life.

Massacre Wurm

When this creature enters, creatures your opponents control get -2/-2 until end of turn. Whenever a creature an opponent controls dies, that player loses 2 life.

Blood Seeker

Whenever a creature an opponent controls enters, you may have that player lose 1 life.

Pact of the Serpent

Choose a creature type. Target player draws X cards and loses X life, where X is the number of creatures they control of the chosen type.

Echoing Decay

Target creature and all other creatures with the same name as that creature get -2/-2 until end of turn.

Pernicious Deed

{X}, Sacrifice this enchantment: Destroy each artifact, creature, and enchantment with mana value X or less.

Arachnogenesis

Create X 1/2 green Spider creature tokens with reach, where X is the number of creatures attacking you. Prevent all combat damage that would be dealt this turn by non-Spider creatures.

Sudden Spoiling

Split second (As long as this spell is on the stack, players can't cast spells or activate abilities that aren't mana abilities.) Until end of turn, creatures target player controls lose all abilities and have base power and toughness 0/2.

Snakeskin Veil

Put a +1/+1 counter on target creature you control. It gains hexproof until end of turn. (It can't be the target of spells or abilities your opponents control.)

Tamiyo's Safekeeping

Target permanent you control gains hexproof and indestructible until end of turn. You gain 2 life. (A permanent with hexproof and indestructible can't be the target of spells or abilities your opponents control. Damage and effects that say "destroy" don't destroy it.)

Heroic Intervention

Permanents you control gain hexproof and indestructible until end of turn.

Beast Within

Destroy target permanent. Its controller creates a 3/3 green Beast creature token.

Culling Ritual

Destroy each nonland permanent with mana value 2 or less. Add {B} or {G} for each permanent destroyed this way.

Blood Artist

Whenever this creature or another creature dies, target player loses 1 life and you gain 1 life.

Poison-Tip Archer

Reach (This creature can block creatures with flying.) Deathtouch (Any amount of damage this deals to a creature is enough to destroy it.) Whenever another creature dies, each opponent loses 1 life.

Essence Warden

Whenever another creature enters, you gain 1 life.

Beastmaster Ascension

Whenever a creature you control attacks, you may put a quest counter on this enchantment. As long as this enchantment has seven or more quest counters on it, creatures you control get +5/+5.

Overwhelming Stampede

Until end of turn, creatures you control gain trample and get +X/+X, where X is the greatest power among creatures you control.

Tree of Tales

{T}: Add {G}.

Vault of Whispers

{T}: Add {B}.

Darksteel Citadel

Indestructible {T}: Add {C}.

Dryad Arbor

(This land isn't a spell, it's affected by summoning sickness, and it has "{T}: Add {G}.")

Command Tower

{T}: Add one mana of any color in your commander's color identity.

Llanowar Wastes

{T}: Add {C}. {T}: Add {B} or {G}. This land deals 1 damage to you.

Woodland Cemetery

This land enters tapped unless you control a Swamp or a Forest. {T}: Add {B} or {G}.

Deathcap Glade

This land enters tapped unless you control two or more other lands. {T}: Add {B} or {G}.

Blooming Marsh

This land enters tapped unless you control two or fewer other lands. {T}: Add {B} or {G}.

Takenuma, Abandoned Mire

{T}: Add {B}. Channel — {3}{B}, Discard this card: Mill three cards, then return a creature or planeswalker card from your graveyard to your hand. This ability costs {1} less to activate for each legendary creature you control.

Yavimaya, Cradle of Growth

Each land is a Forest in addition to its other land types.

Tainted Wood

{T}: Add {C}. {T}: Add {B} or {G}. Activate only if you control a Swamp.

Exotic Orchard

{T}: Add one mana of any color that a land an opponent controls could produce.

Malakir Rebirth

Choose target creature. You lose 2 life. Until end of turn, that creature gains "When this creature dies, return it to the battlefield tapped under its owner's control." This land enters tapped. {T}: Add {B}.

Forest

({T}: Add {G}.)

Swamp

({T}: Add {B}.)

Commander

1 card

1×Rendmaw, Creaking NestLegendary Artifact Creature — Scarecrow · Printing not specified

Creature

37 cards

Artifact

5 cards

1×Sol RingArtifact · Printing not specified 1×Arcane SignetArtifact · Printing not specified 1×SkullclampArtifact — Equipment · Printing not specified 1×Idol of OblivionArtifact · Printing not specified 1×Bloodthirsty BladeArtifact — Equipment · Printing not specified

Sorcery

7 cards

1×Nature's LoreSorcery · Printing not specified 1×Three VisitsSorcery · Printing not specified 1×FarseekSorcery · Printing not specified 1×Glimpse of NatureSorcery · Printing not specified 1×Pact of the SerpentSorcery · Printing not specified 1×Culling RitualSorcery · Printing not specified 1×Overwhelming StampedeSorcery · Printing not specified

Enchantment

6 cards

1×Wild GrowthEnchantment — Aura · Printing not specified 1×Utopia SprawlEnchantment — Aura · Printing not specified 1×Guardian ProjectEnchantment · Printing not specified 1×Phyrexian ReclamationEnchantment · Printing not specified 1×Pernicious DeedEnchantment · Printing not specified 1×Beastmaster AscensionEnchantment · Printing not specified

Instant

10 cards

Land

34 cards

PREGAME CONVERSATION · Proxy / playtest

Commander Bracket Assessment

Rules-Based Bracket: No raised minimumEstimated Power Bracket: Mid 3–High 3

Based on the 100-card main deck; sideboard excluded. The Rules-Based Bracket is the lowest bracket this card list allows under Commander bracket rules. The Estimated Power Bracket is a personal estimate of how strongly the deck plays. It is not an official rating.

Evidence and limitations

Rules-Based Bracket · minimum

No raised minimum found in the checked restrictions. This does not establish Exhibition intent, Core fit or absence of every possible combo.

Exact Game Changers: None.

Mass land denial registry: None identified in the checked registry. Modal or repeated-land targeting still requires a pregame discussion.

Your extra-turn cards: None identified in the checked registry. Opponent turns from Emrakul or gifts are not counted as your own chain.

Confirmed early two-card lethal or turn-chain flags are not inferred from keywords. This is a lower bound, not a complete combo solver or permission to delay a consistently early line until turn seven. Agreed Rule Zero / Exhibition exceptions are outside this ordinary-restriction check.

Estimated Power Bracket · Mid 3–High 3

Estimated from the card list alone, not from tracked win rates or game results.

Cheap dual-type cards generate Birds after a five-mana commander, with drain and a Wurm cleanup as redundant payoffs. There is little broad tutor access to assemble a specific compact line.

Assembly and timing: Cheap enablers do not bypass the commander cost. Birds enter tapped, and the goad endgame changes when only two players remain; no consistently early two-card win was identified.

Recovery and constraints: Creature recursion helps reload, but board wipes and commander tax can interrupt the token supply.

Curve: 2.09 average nonland mana value. Cheap mana/land-search text: Copper Myr · Leaden Myr · Ornithopter of Paradise · Sol Ring · Arcane Signet · Nature's Lore · Three Visits · Sakura-Tribe Elder · Elvish Mystic · Llanowar Elves · Deadly Dispute. This text-derived reading aid is not an official score.

Search-library evidence: Nature's Lore · Three Visits · Sakura-Tribe Elder · Farseek. This includes restricted and land searches; efficient tutor overlap is reviewed separately above. There is no official tutor-count cap.

Fast mana indicators: Sol Ring. Conditional free interaction: None identified in the checked registry. Conditions and resource costs still apply.

Key cards: Rendmaw, Creaking Nest · Ornithopter · Mirkwood Bats · Massacre Wurm.

Official sources checked 2026-10-31; criteria update 2025-10-21, Game Changers update 2026-02-09. Method and official source links. Brackets 4 and 5 share structural freedom; competitive intent cannot be inferred from these counts.