Tier 2tempo

Gro-A-Tog

Aggro-Control

Featured list~$4309Bottrop Series June @ Bottrop (Germany)

Overview

"Gro-A-Tog uses Gush as its engine, returning Islands to draw two cards for free while growing Quirion Dryad and filling the graveyard for a lethal Psychatog. A dense suite of cantrips (Portent, Opt, and Sleight of Hand) swells Quirion Dryad on every cast, turning the board into a clock while Counterspell, Foil, and Daze answer threats. What sets it apart from other Psychatog lists is Armageddon: backed by Mox Diamond for mana, it wipes all lands to strand the opponent while the Dryad or Psychatog closes the game."

Game Plan

The deck aims to stick an early Quirion Dryad or Meddling Mage, then protect it with free countermagic while growing it via cantrips. It finishes the game with a massive Psychatog attack.

Key Cards

Core engine & flex

Gush

$5.25

TCG MP CK

City of Brass

$31.89

TCG MP CK

Signature

Portent

$0.43

TCG MP CK

Counterspell

$2.44

TCG MP CK

Flooded Strand

$109.94

TCG MP CK

Quirion Dryad

$7.81

TCG MP CK

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Sample Decklists

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Bottrop Series June @ Bottrop (Germany)

1st PlaceJun 14, 2026

Niklas Scholten

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Niklas Scholten

TCG

Mainboard (60)

$4122

Creature (5)

$42.31

2Psychatog

$18.881UB

3Quirion Dryad

$23.431G

Instant (26)

$125

4Accumulated Knowledge

$11.881U

$9.76UU

$8.561U

$4.461R1U

$32.142UU

$21.004U

4Opt

$4.72U

4Swords to Plowshares

$32.32W

Sorcery (7)

$17.27

1Armageddon

$14.613W

4Portent

$1.72U

2Sleight of Hand

$0.94U

Artifact (3)

$3368

3Mox Diamond

$33680

Land (19)

$569

$63.78

$440

$38.70

$26.64

$0.48

Sideboard (15)

$187

1Armageddon

$14.613W

1Blue Elemental Blast

$1.52U

2Call of the Herd

$46.222G

1Circle of Protection: Red

$0.211W

$4.44U

$103WU

$12.951

$1.021R

$0.701W

$2.681W

Est. Total$4309

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Adriatic Pile - final! @ Italy

1st PlaceMay 29, 2026

Andrea Riva

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Andrea Riva

TCG

Mainboard (60)

$4527

Creature (8)

$67.62

1Glory

$8.063WW

3Psychatog

$28.321UB

4Quirion Dryad

$31.241G

Instant (21)

$459

4Accumulated Knowledge

$11.881U

$9.76UU

$2.231R1U

$32.142UU

$21.004U

$3492U

$0.351W

4Swords to Plowshares

$32.32W

Sorcery (9)

$43.55

$23.112G

$16.952WW

$1.72U

$0.94U

$0.831R

Artifact (3)

$3368

3Mox Diamond

$33680

Land (19)

$588

$95.67

$440

$25.80

$26.64

$0.48

Sideboard (15)

$174

$5.24U

$0.361W

$13.32U

$103WU

$18.62R

$1.021R

$32.852

Est. Total$4701

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Monthly Event @ Sunshine Games (Tampa, Fl)

1st PlaceMay 16, 2026

Hugh

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Hugh

TCG

Mainboard (61)61-card deck

$1954

Creature (8)

$69.00

4Psychatog

$37.761UB

4Quirion Dryad

$31.241G

Instant (25)

$119

4Accumulated Knowledge

$11.881U

$9.76UU

$6.691R1U

$32.142UU

$21.004U

3Opt

$3.54U

1Peek

$1.23U

4Swords to Plowshares

$32.32W

Sorcery (7)

$3.13

4Portent

$1.72U

3Sleight of Hand

$1.41U

Artifact (1)

$1123

1Mox Diamond

$11230

Land (20)

$640

$128

$440

$51.60

$20.72

$0.48

Sideboard (15)

$179

1Armageddon

$14.613W

1Blue Elemental Blast

$1.52U

$16.182B

$8.64U

$103WU

$1.021R

$0.351W

$1.141W

$32.852

Est. Total$2133

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Archetype Anatomy

Based on 432 decks with known dates2021-06-19 to 2026-06-17

Mana Base

Average18.3lands

Median18lands

Range16–22lands

Spells41.7avg non-land

Based on 437 decks (All-time)

core Cards(>80%)

City of Brass

99%

3.9x

Gush

99%

3.9x

Counterspell

99%

3.5x

Portent

98%

3.9x

Flooded Strand

97%

3.9x

Quirion Dryad

96%

3.9x

Opt

93%

3.8x

Fire // Ice

90%

2.6x

Psychatog

88%

2.5x

flex Cards(30-80%)

Swords to Plowshares

79%

3.8x

Mox Diamond

75%

3.8x

Meddling Mage

73%

3.9x

Foil

70%

1.9x

Sleight of Hand

64%

2.6x

Armageddon

64%

1.6x

Daze

61%

2.6x

Accumulated Knowledge

40%

4.0x

Gemstone Mine

36%

3.4x

Undiscovered Paradise

34%

1.1x

fringe Cards(<30%)

Winter Orb

21%

1.9x

Peek

14%

2.5x

Ray of Revelation

12%

1.0x

Polluted Delta

10%

2.7x

1.6x

1.0x

2.0x

1.1x

1.0x

3.8x

1.1x

3.4x

2.4x

1.0x

1.4x

1.9x

2.3x

1.4x

1.3x

1.0x

3.1x

2.0x

1.4x

3.1x

2.6x

1.5x

3.1x

Phyrexian Dreadnought

3.0x

1.9x

2.0x

1.5x

2.2x

Shadowmage Infiltrator

1.4x

Annul

1.0x

Prohibit

1.0x

Volcanic Spray

1.0x

Sideboard Anatomy

core Sideboard Options(>80%)

Disenchant

84.4%

2.1x

flex Sideboard Options(30-80%)

Pyroclasm

76.4%

2.2x

Ray Of Revelation

66.4%

1.3x

Engineered Plague

62.6%

2.3x

Hydroblast

54.1%

2.5x

Annul

52.1%

1.9x

Armageddon

41.3%

1.4x

Blue Elemental Blast

35.3%

2.0x

Call Of The Herd

33.2%

2.4x

Chill

32.1%

2.7x

fringe Sideboard Options(<30%)

Tsabo'S Web

28.4%

1.6x

Gaea'S Blessing

20.8%

1.9x

Swords To Plowshares

17.8%

2.3x

Tormod'S Crypt

16.4%

1.5x

Winter Orb

15.7%

1.1x

Phyrexian Furnace

12.5%

1.4x

Pyroblast

11.5%

1.4x

Meddling Mage

11.3%

2.4x

Seal Of Cleansing

9.7%

2.1x

Red Elemental Blast

8.2%

1.2x

Tranquil Domain

7.8%

1.4x

Duress

7.5%

1.5x

Psychatog

7.3%

1.1x

Warmth

6.2%

1.4x

Misdirection

4.8%

1.3x

Circle Of Protection: Red

4.5%

1.5x

Sylvan Library

1.0x

Smother

3.9%

1.5x

Ivory Tower

3.3%

1.8x

Slice And Dice

3.2%

1.9x

Cursed Totem

3.1%

1.3x

Compost

2.6%

1.6x

Lightning Bolt

2.3%

1.2x

Powder Keg

1.0x

Deep Analysis

1.7%

1.2x

Mystic Enforcer

1.6%

1.3x

Wonder

1.3%

1.0x

Fire // Ice

1.3%

1.1x

Lobotomy

1.2%

1.0x

Presence Of The Master

1.2%

1.3x

Teferi'S Response

1.1%

1.0x

Naturalize

1.4x

Recent Events Featuring this Archetype

Cloudpost PM 7/26 @ Cloudpost (Bratislava, Slovakia)

2026-06-17•Bratislava, Slovakia•13 Players

Highest Finish: 3rd

VIEW EVENT

Championchip Berlin @ Berlin (Germany)

2026-06-14•Berlin, Germany•18 Players

Highest Finish: 5th

VIEW EVENT

Bottrop Series June @ Bottrop (Germany)

2026-06-14•Bottrop, Germany•33 Players

Highest Finish: 1st

VIEW EVENT

ELD Open x NEPMM @ ELD´s Time Vault Games (Belllingham, MA)

2026-06-13•Belllingham, USA•50 Players

Highest Finish: 5th

VIEW EVENT

Lega Milano 3/10 @ Milano (Italy)

2026-06-12•Milano, Italy•56 Players

Highest Finish: 18th

VIEW EVENT

Matchups

Head-to-head: DuressCrew (MTGO) · field strength: our event data

Field strength: Holds even with the field

placement-derived · not head-to-head · 448 finishes · 83 wins

Goblins
66.7%
DxC · n=69
The Rock
63.6%
DxC · n=22
Replenish
62.1%
DxC · n=58
Machine Head
58.6%
DxC · n=29
Stiflenought
54.3%
DxC · n=46
Terrageddon
52.5%
DxC · n=40
Bw Control
50%
DxC · n=38
Elves
46.9%
DxC · n=64
Dead Guy Ale
45.5%
DxC · n=22
Landstill
44.1%
DxC · n=34
Enchantress
42.5%
DxC · n=40
White Weenie
40%
DxC · n=20
Tide Control
38.1%
DxC · n=21
Burn Sligh
32.6%
DxC · n=89
Oath Ponza
23.5%
DxC · n=34

DxC = DuressCrew MTGO head-to-head · win rates diverge from a 50% centre line

Core Combos

Accumulated Knowledge - old-border printing

intermediate

NEAR-INFINITE

Quirion Dryad + Cantrips

general Strategy

"A creature that grows for free while playing a normal tempo game"

Stiflenought

general Strategy

"Turn 1 or 2 12/12 Creature"

2 Steps

Master the loop

Quick Facts

Tier2

Styletempo

Meta Share1.3%

Avg Lands18.3

Est. Price~$4309

Colors

Deck Weaknesses

Land fragility: Mox Diamond demands discarding a land to enter play and Armageddon destroys the caster's own lands too, so the deck runs on a thin mana margin that any extra land disruption can collapse.
Graveyard dependence. Psychatog's power scales directly with cards in the graveyard, and the cantrip suite of Portent, Gush, Accumulated Knowledge, and Opt fuels that pile; exiling the graveyard at instant speed cuts an otherwise lethal Psychatog back toward its small base body.
Counterspell — only protection: Quirion Dryad and Meddling Mage are unprotected once the hand is empty of Counterspell, Daze, and Foil; in a long game where Foil has been pitched for its alternate cost, both threats fall to any removal that resolves through a spent permission suite.
Single — threat closes. The deck typically wins through one large creature rather than a wide board, so a forced sacrifice, a permanent power-and-toughness reduction to a creature type, or a graveyard exile at the moment of attack dismantles the entire game-ending sequence in one action.

How to win with it

Mulligan any hand that lacks a one-mana cantrip (Portent, Opt, or Sleight Of Hand) or a threat (Quirion Dryad, Meddling Mage, or Psychatog). You need both a way to dig for business and a body to close with, so a hand of pure countermagic with no cantrip to sculpt your draws is a mulligan even at six.
The dream draw is an Island into Portent or Opt on turn one, Quirion Dryad on turn two, then chaining Gush plus Opt plus Fire // Ice over the next two turns to grow the Dryad from a 1/1 to a 4/4 or larger while holding Daze and Foil up; a single protected swing per turn ends the game before the opponent stabilizes.
Sequence cantrips before your threat, not after: lead Portent to set up your draw, then play Quirion Dryad with a hand still full of blue and red spells to pump it, since every Gush, Opt, Counterspell, or Fire // Ice you cast after it grows the Dryad. Wasting that growth on an empty hand lets the opponent profitably trade.
Hold Gush until you already have Daze or Foil in hand, because returning two Islands refills cards but leaves you tapped out for a turn; with a free counter up you can jam Gush safely, but resolving it with no answer to the opponent's response often loses the game on the spot.
Pivot to the grind plan when Quirion Dryad gets answered: stop spending cantrips, instead bank cards in hand and let your graveyard fill, then deploy Psychatog as the finisher. It counters Daze and Foil as easily as it attacks, and you protect it with Counterspell until the swing is lethal.
Close with Psychatog only after you can fuel the kill: it is a 1/2 that gains +1/+1 for each card you discard from hand and +1/+0 for each card you exile from your graveyard, so a Psychatog with four cards in hand and seven in the graveyard swings for twelve. Line up the exact discard and exile before declaring the attack rather than swinging into a block with no pump.

How to beat it

Deny the cantrip engine before Quirion Dryad or Psychatog becomes unmanageable, since the entire gameplan depends on resolving Portent, Accumulated Knowledge, and Gush to fuel both creatures and free countermagic, so disrupting that flow early keeps both threats at a manageable size.
Race the mana denial: Armageddon resets both players' lands but Mox Diamond lets them rebuild faster than you can, so deploy your threats before the lock lands. Recovering from Armageddon without an accelerant is far harder for you than for them.
Force them to tap out by presenting multiple simultaneous must-answer threats; Counterspell and Daze can only stop so much at once, and Foil costs additional cards to activate, so a wide board punishes their permission suite far more than a single large threat does.
Edict effects (forced sacrifice) sidestep Counterspell and Daze entirely, and both Quirion Dryad and Psychatog are solo threats with no token to hide behind, so landing an edict while only one creature is in play strips their win condition with no counterplay.
Graveyard hate neutralizes Psychatog at the moment it would otherwise close the game. It needs a deep graveyard to reach lethal numbers, so exiling that pile on the turn they attempt the alpha strike collapses the kill entirely.

Last Updated: 2026-05-31

Overview

Game Plan

Key Cards

Sample Decklists

Niklas Scholten

Mainboard (60)

Creature (5)

Instant (26)

Sorcery (7)

Artifact (3)

Land (19)

Sideboard (15)

Andrea Riva

Mainboard (60)

Creature (8)

Instant (21)

Sorcery (9)

Artifact (3)

Land (19)

Sideboard (15)

Hugh

Mainboard (61)61-card deck

Creature (8)

Instant (25)

Sorcery (7)

Artifact (1)

Land (20)

Sideboard (15)

Unchained Appearances7 decks

Archetype Anatomy

Mana Base

core Cards(>80%)

flex Cards(30-80%)

fringe Cards(<30%)

Sideboard Anatomy

core Sideboard Options(>80%)

flex Sideboard Options(30-80%)

fringe Sideboard Options(<30%)

Recent Events Featuring this Archetype

Matchups

Core Combos

Quirion Dryad + Cantrips

Stiflenought