How to Play Auntie Ool, Cursewretch -1/-1 Counters in Commander

Bracket 3 · Our Auntie Ool, Cursewretch decklist · -1/-1 Counters

Our Auntie Ool list is Jund -1/-1 counters. Auntie draws a card whenever a creature you control gets -1/-1 counters, and drains an opponent whenever one of their creatures does.

The deck spreads counters with Contagion Engine, Black Sun's Zenith and Midnight Banshee, profits with Nest of Scarabs and Hapatra, and proliferates with Evolution Sage, Yawgmoth and Vraska.

Strategy
-1/-1 Counters
Bracket
3
Avg. mana value
3.37
Lands
36
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01The Commander

Auntie Ool, Cursewretch is a four-mana Goblin Warlock with ward—blight 2, so an opponent has to put two -1/-1 counters on one of their own creatures to target her.

Whenever one or more -1/-1 counters are put on a creature, you draw a card if you control it. If you don't, its controller loses 1 life.

Each creature is its own trigger. A sweeper like Darkness Descends draws a card for every creature of yours it hits and drains each opponent once for every creature of theirs.

02How This Deck Wins

  1. 1

    Spread counters

    Contagion Engine, Soul Snuffers, Midnight Banshee and Black Sun's Zenith put counters on many creatures at once.

  2. 2

    Turn counters into value

    Auntie draws and drains, Nest of Scarabs and Hapatra, Vizier of Poisons make tokens, and Obelisk Spider drains each opponent.

  3. 3

    Proliferate to finish

    Evolution Sage, Yawgmoth, Thran Physician, Vraska, Betrayal's Sting and Contagion Clasp add counters every turn until boards melt.

03Deck at a Glance

Bracket 3 · -1/-1 Counters · 100 cards

Composition

  • Commander1
  • Creatures32
  • Instants & sorceries17
  • Artifacts & enchantments13
  • Planeswalkers1
  • Lands36
  • Tokens5

Mana Curve

00
31
172
193
94
95
56
17+

Color Split

88colored
symbols
  • Black 64%
  • Red 15%
  • Green 22%

By the Numbers

3.37avg. mana value
36lands (14 basic)
0Game Changers
5token types included

Cards by Role

Counter Spreaders20
Payoffs11
Self-Blight Engines13
Proliferate8
Removal and Mana11

04Counter Spreaders

Each creature that gets a counter is another Auntie trigger.

Contagion EngineA counter on each creature a player controls, then proliferates twice.
Midnight BansheeA counter on every nonblack creature each upkeep.
Soul SnuffersA counter on every creature when it enters.
Black Sun's ZenithX counters on every creature, then shuffles back in.
Carnifex DemonMoves its counters onto every other creature.

Also in this role

Darkness Descends
Incremental Blight
Skinrender
Grim Poppet
Spitting Dilophosaurus
The Reaper, King No More
The Scorpion God
Persistent Constrictor
Dread Tiller
Grim Affliction
Village Pillagers
Kulrath Knight
Necroskitter
Massacre Girl, Known Killer
Everlasting Torment

05Payoffs

These reward every counter you place.

Nest of ScarabsAn Insect for every -1/-1 counter you place.
Hapatra, Vizier of PoisonsA deathtouch Snake whenever you place counters.
Obelisk SpiderEach opponent loses 1 life whenever you place counters.
Flourishing DefensesAn Elf Warrior for every -1/-1 counter on any creature.
Lasting TarfireTwo damage to each opponent at each end step after you place a counter.

Also in this role

Maha, Its Feathers Night
Blowfly Infestation
Wickersmith's Tools
Generous Patron
Puca's Covenant
Soul Immolation

06Self-Blight Engines

Counters on your own creatures draw cards with Auntie.

Sinister GnarlbarkDraws, then blights 1 every end step for a second Auntie draw.
Scuzzback ScroungerBlight 1 for a Treasure each turn.
Devoted DruidUntap it with a counter for extra mana and an Auntie draw.
Channeler InitiateThree counters on entry, then taps for any color.
Dusk UrchinsGets a counter on every attack or block, then draws when it dies.

Also in this role

Dawnhand Dissident
Wickerbough Elder
Oft-Nabbed Goat
Tree of Perdition
Glissa Sunslayer
Persist
Aberrant Return
Grave Venerations

07Proliferate

Grow every counter on the board at once.

Evolution SageProliferates on every land drop.
Yawgmoth, Thran PhysicianSacrifice for counters and cards, and discard to proliferate.
Vraska, Betrayal's StingDraws and proliferates every turn.
Contagion ClaspA counter on entry, then proliferates.
Staff of CompleationProliferates, draws or makes mana for life.

Also in this role

Cankerbloom
Atomize
Eventide's Shadow

08Removal and Mana

Jund answers and ramp.

Assassin's TrophyDestroys any permanent.
Infernal GraspTwo-mana creature removal.
Fire CovenantPay life to kill several creatures at instant speed.
TerminateClean creature removal.
Ignoble HierarchOne-mana ramp in all three colors.

Also in this role

Putrefy
Night's Whisper
Sol Ring
Arcane Signet
Farseek
Nature's Lore

09Combos and Key Interactions

+

Auntie Ool, Cursewretch + Darkness Descends

Two counters on every creature. Draw for each of yours and drain for each of theirs.

+

Devoted Druid + Auntie Ool, Cursewretch

Each untap puts a counter on Devoted Druid, so you get mana and a card.

+

Nest of Scarabs + Black Sun's Zenith

X counters on every creature makes a huge Insect army while opponents' boards shrink.

10How to Play

Opening hand

Keep hands with three lands, a ramp piece and a cheap counter source. Auntie on turn three or four starts drawing right away.

1

Early gameturns 1-3

Play Ignoble Hierarch, Scuzzback Scrounger and Hapatra, Vizier of Poisons, and ramp with Farseek.

2

Mid gameturns 4-7

Cast Auntie, then add engines like Sinister Gnarlbark, Nest of Scarabs and Evolution Sage.

3

Late gameturn 8+

Spread counters with Contagion Engine or Black Sun's Zenith, proliferate, and drain the table.

Tips

  • Auntie triggers once per creature, so sweeping counters draw and drain several times.
  • Blight puts -1/-1 counters on your own creature, which draws you a card.
  • Opponents must blight 2 to target Auntie.
  • Everlasting Torment gives all damage wither, so every hit triggers Auntie.

Common mistakes

  • Killing your own engines with too many counters.
  • Casting Black Sun's Zenith for too much while you rely on X/1s.
  • Forgetting Midnight Banshee doesn't hit black creatures.
  • Wasting proliferate when only your creatures have counters you don't want.

Watch out for

  • Graveyard and artifact hate.
  • Big indestructible threats that shrug off counters.
  • Exile removal on Auntie.
  • Lifegain decks that blunt your drain.

11Bracket and Rule 0

1Exhibition
2Core
3Upgraded
4Optimized
5cEDH
Bracket3

Our list runs no Game Changers.

The deck grinds with counters and card draw and has no two-card infinite combos.

12Full Decklist

Every card in our Auntie Ool, Cursewretch proxy deck (100 cards). Hover or tap a name to see the card.

Commander

  • 1Auntie Ool, Cursewretch1BRG

Creatures (32)

  • 1Dawnhand DissidentB
  • 1Ignoble HierarchG
  • 1Cankerbloom1G
  • 1Channeler Initiate1G
  • 1Devoted Druid1G
  • 1Hapatra, Vizier of PoisonsBG
  • 1Oft-Nabbed Goat1B
  • 1Scuzzback Scrounger1R
  • 1Dread Tiller1BG
  • 1Dusk Urchins2B
  • 1Evolution Sage2G
  • 1Generous Patron2G
  • 1Glissa Sunslayer1BG
  • 1Necroskitter1BB
  • 1Obelisk Spider1BG
  • 1Sinister Gnarlbark2B
  • 1Spitting Dilophosaurus2B
  • 1The Reaper, King No More2/B2/R2/G
  • 1Massacre Girl, Known Killer2BB
  • 1Skinrender2BB
  • 1Soul Snuffers2BB
  • 1Tree of Perdition3B
  • 1Wickerbough Elder3G
  • 1Yawgmoth, Thran Physician2BB
  • 1Kulrath Knight3B/RB/R
  • 1Maha, Its Feathers Night3BB
  • 1Persistent Constrictor4B
  • 1The Scorpion God3BR
  • 1Village Pillagers3RR
  • 1Carnifex Demon4BB
  • 1Midnight Banshee3BBB
  • 1Grim Poppet7

Planeswalkers (1)

  • 1Vraska, Betrayal's Sting4BB/P

Instants (7)

  • 1Assassin's TrophyBG
  • 1Infernal Grasp1B
  • 1TerminateBR
  • 1Fire Covenant1BR
  • 1Grim Affliction2B
  • 1Putrefy1BG
  • 1Atomize2BG

Sorceries (10)

  • 1Black Sun's ZenithXBB
  • 1Farseek1G
  • 1Nature's Lore1G
  • 1Night's Whisper1B
  • 1Persist1B
  • 1Darkness Descends2BB
  • 1Eventide's Shadow4B
  • 1Incremental Blight3BB
  • 1Soul Immolation3RR
  • 1Aberrant Return4BB

Artifacts (6)

  • 1Sol Ring1
  • 1Arcane Signet2
  • 1Contagion Clasp2
  • 1Staff of Compleation3
  • 1Wickersmith's Tools3
  • 1Contagion Engine6

Enchantments (7)

  • 1Lasting Tarfire1R
  • 1Blowfly Infestation2B
  • 1Everlasting Torment2B/R
  • 1Nest of Scarabs2B
  • 1Puca's Covenant2G
  • 1Grave Venerations3B
  • 1Flourishing Defenses4G

Lands (36)

  • 1Blood Crypt
  • 1Canyon Slough
  • 1Cinder Glade
  • 1Command Tower
  • 1Dragonskull Summit
  • 1Evolving Wilds
  • 1Exotic Orchard
  • 1Festering Thicket
  • 4Forest
  • 1Golgari Rot Farm
  • 1Ifnir Deadlands
  • 1Karn's Bastion
  • 3Mountain
  • 1Nesting Grounds
  • 1Overgrown Tomb
  • 1Path of Ancestry
  • 1Riveteers Overlook
  • 1Rootbound Crag
  • 1Savage Lands
  • 1Sheltered Thicket
  • 1Smoldering Marsh
  • 1Stomping Ground
  • 7Swamp
  • 1Vernal Fen
  • 1Woodland Cemetery
Auntie Ool, Cursewretch proxy deck cover

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Auntie Ool, Cursewretch -1/-1 Counters proxy deck

Auntie Ool turns every curse into a card. Spread counters, proliferate, and watch boards wither.

Every card in this guide is shown exactly as it prints in the deck you get, sleeve-ready, with tokens.

Shop the deck · $45

Every card named in this guide is in our deck, and every image is our own proxy card, rendered from the art in this deck.