Commander Deck Tech: Professor Hulk

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If you think knowledge doesn't hurt, then you need to see this Professor Hulk list. In this article, check out two lists with the beefiest nerd in the Marvel universe!

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Übersetzt vonJoey

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Überarbeitet vonJoey

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Introduction

“HULK SMASH!”

- Hulk

Some say we shouldn't fear knowledge because more knowledge can't hurt us. Well, if you're playing Professor Hulk as your commander, then knowledge will hurt your opponents. A lot.

This mono-blue Magic Symbol u Bruce Banner, which has Trample and is a 6/6, loves learning and wants you to have all the cards you want.

So, our main list centers around card draw interactions and lots of evasion, in particular for Professor Hulk.

As for our alternative list, it is a Voltron strategy that wants to get as much as possible out of the commander to kill opponents and fill your hand at the same time.

Let's start by meeting our commander!

Commander: Professor Hulk

“NO! I LOVE TACOS!”

- Hulk

Dr. Bruce Banner is a nuclear physicist who was exposed to gamma radiation and, as a result, became the monstruous and incredible Hulk, an indestructible personification of his anger.

After years battling with this other personality, Banner eventually found balance with Hulk, and that's how Professor Hulk was born. He's an idealized version that combines Hulk's wild strength with Banner's intellect.

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In MTG, Professor Hulk was represented as a 6-cost, 6/6 creature that has Trample and makes you draw cards according to the damage he deals to a player.

Powerful, aggressive, and ambitious (for knowledge!), we built our main list with lots of card draw, evasion, and protection for Hulk, as well as a solid mana base.

Let's start with the mana.

Ramp and Mana

A commander that costs 6 mana and doesn't come with any protection is pretty expensive, but Professor Hulk's card draw ability makes up for it.

Still, you don't really want to wait until turn 6 to get this fella out of the command zone so that he can start smashing enemy creatures.

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Mana rocks are always welcome in Commander decks, and that applies to this case as well. By the way, the only reason Moonsilver Key is in this list is so that you can get one of your mana rocks, particularly Sol Ring.

We leaned heavily into the cheap ones to make sure you can put them in play as early as possible, but nothing is stopping you from playing the artifacts you already have, like Thran Dynamo, for instance.

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This list has one spell that makes sense to use with Mystic Sanctuary: High Tide.

This simple one-mana Magic Symbol u spell makes all your Islands create an extra mana Magic Symbol u. Just be careful when you use this card and Harbinger of the Seas is also in play!

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Cards that discount costs also made their way into this list. When you have a full hand, for instance, you can activate The Water Crystal to make your opponents mill a lot of cards.

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Even though we already added a lot of great cards to this mana base, we also recommend you use Snow-Covered Island so that you can interact with Extraplanar Lens. Like so, you'll create extra mana and lower the chances of your opponents benefitting from this effect.

Buffs, Protection, and Evasion

Ideally, Professor Hulk should hit for a lot of damage and deal as much of it as possible to the opponents so that your hand is always full.

So, this list plays cards like:

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The interaction between Trample and Deathtouch is always incredible, so, naturally, we had to add Basilisk Collar.

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Who would've thought that the Universes Beyond Dogs would be so good in terms of evasion?

Professor Hulk's pets are K-9, Mark I and Lockjaw, Slobbering Teleporter, and he will take them for a walk on the battlefield. They'll dodge all blockers and go straight to your opponents.

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What could fit an angry nerd better than Nerd Rage? This card needs no further explanation.

Card Draw and Interaction

As we mentioned before, this commander is pretty expensive. So, you need cards that let you draw more cards so that you can put him in play earlier or get the answers you need to save him from removals.

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Because of powerful cards like Starwinder, which lets you choose whether you want to draw cards according to how much damage you dealt or not, and your commander himself (who forces you to do it), decking out is not a possibility but a reality.

Or something very close to that.

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Luckily for us, MTG went one step further and released cards that win the game for you when you simply can't draw more cards.

These three win conditions are emergency buttons in case you draw too much (and you will, a lot).

Main List

Our final Professor Hulk list is:

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Alternative List

Forget everything Hollywood told you in the 90s: nerds can, indeed, beat up villains.

At least, that's the premise that inspired us to build an aggressive mono-blue Magic Symbol u list with our favorite gamma hero.

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In this list, you'll find different buffs for our dear green friend.

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Of course, Hulkbuster Armor is in this version for flavor, but that doesn't mean that a 9/9 Flying Professor Hulk is bad.

Imagine then a farmer Hulk that searches lands in your deck for you with the help of Sword of the Animist. Cool, isn't it?

You can also set up an assassin Hulk, like Ezio Auditore da Firenze, with Brotherhood Regalia.

When opponents see this mono-blue list, they might even think, "Oh, it's probably a control list that will counter my spells", and won't even consider the damage that Trailblazer's Boots or Genji Glove are capable of. Beautiful!

If you prefer aggressive strategies and don't want to worry that much about complex card draw interactions, this version will probably be more fun for you.

Final Words

After all, does Hulk really smash?

Professor Hulk shows us that yes, he does, and, even though he represents a balanced Bruce/Hulk version, knowledge and violence can go hand in hand.

What do you think? Tell us your thoughts in our comment section below.

Thank you for reading, and see you next time!