Wolverine has always been one of Marvel's most iconic heroes. If you grew up watching the X-Men, there's a good chance you shoved a couple of pencils between your fingers at least once and pretended you had adamantium claws. Now that Wolverine has arrived in Magic: The Gathering's Marvel Super Heroes set, we finally get to live out that fantasy on the battlefield.
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At first glance, Wolverine looks like he just wants to brawl, but the more I played with him, the more I realized there's a lot more going on. His damage replacement ability makes him incredibly resilient in combat, letting him survive fights that would take out most creatures. That opens the door to building a deck that encourages him to keep throwing punches turn after turn.
If you're looking to dominate combat, keep the board under control, or simply build the most Wolverine-flavored deck possible, these are five cards that I've found work incredibly well alongside him.
Ohran Frostfang
If you're playing green, Ohran Frostfang is one of the first cards I'd consider adding.
Giving all of your attacking creatures deathtouch completely changes combat math. Even if your board doesn't look particularly threatening, most opponents won't want to trade their best creatures for yours.
Its second ability is where things really get exciting. Whenever any creature you control deals combat damage to a player, you draw a card. A single combat step can refill your hand surprisingly fast, especially if you're attacking with several creatures.
Just make sure you have a plan for all those extra cards.
Aggravated Assault
Aggravated Assault isn't exactly a budget inclusion, but it's one of the strongest ways to take advantage of Wolverine's aggressive playstyle.
Extra combat steps mean extra chances for Wolverine to attack, more combat damage triggers, and even more cards if Ohran Frostfang is on the battlefield. Left unchecked, this enchantment can snowball a game in a hurry.
Bear Umbra
Drawing a huge pile of cards is great—but eventually you need the mana to cast them.
That's where Bear Umbra shines. Every time the enchanted creature attacks, you untap all of your lands, giving you another chance to dump your hand before moving into your next combat.
The real fun starts when you combine Bear Umbra with Aggravated Assault. Since Aggravated Assault grants an additional combat phase and Bear Umbra untaps your lands every time the enchanted creature attacks, you can repeatedly pay for Aggravated Assault's activation. Add Ohran Frostfang to the mix, and you'll draw cards with every combat while swinging over and over again. It's one of the most explosive combinations the deck can assemble.
Reliquary Tower
If you're drawing a dozen or more cards each turn, Reliquary Tower becomes much more than just another utility land.
Having no maximum hand size means you don't have to discard combo pieces or answers simply because you had an incredible combat step. It's a simple card, but in this deck it often does exactly what you need it to do.
Rite of Passage
Not every synergy has to be part of a combo.
Rite of Passage rewards your creatures for surviving damage by giving them a +1/+1 counter whenever they're dealt damage. Since Wolverine is built to survive combat, those counters start adding up quickly, turning him into an even bigger threat every time he fights.
And here's a fun bonus: pair Rite of Passage with Pyrohemia. As long as your creatures survive the damage, they'll continue picking up +1/+1 counters while Pyrohemia slowly burns away your opponents' boards. It's a nasty interaction that can take over a game if left unanswered.
Final Thoughts
One of the things I enjoy most about Wolverine is that he rewards you for doing exactly what you'd expect him to do—fight. Whether you're chaining together multiple combat phases, drawing half your deck with Ohran Frostfang, or steadily growing Wolverine into an unstoppable force, every game feels like you're unleashing the berserker.
These are a few cards I recommend pairing with him, but they're far from the only options. If you've found another interaction that's been overperforming in your Wolverine deck, I'd love to hear about it.
