Cait, Cage Brawler
A Gruul attacker that turns every swing into shared filtering and a growing, hard-to-kill threat on your own turn.
Public decks: 3Bracket: Varies
Overview
- Attack early and often: Cait is safest on your turn thanks to built-in indestructible.
- Each attack loots for both you and the defending player, shaping hands while stocking graveyards.
- Bias your deck toward having higher mana value cards to discard so Cait reliably picks up two +1/+1 counters per attack.
- Leverage the rummage to turn clunky draws into gas while Cait threatens to become a commander-damage clock.
- Expect a political texture: you’re giving the defender selection, so your attacks can be negotiated.
Common lines
- Curve Cait out, attack into open boards, and use the attack trigger to pitch a high mana value card to grow Cait.
- Rotate attacks at the player least able to profit from the loot, or the one you can pressure with commander damage.
- Use the rummage to set up a big follow-up turn after combat, converting excess lands or situational cards into action.
- If Cait is getting too large, convert that size into a closing combat step rather than overextending into interaction.
Strengths
- Reliable on-turn resilience: indestructible during your turn makes attacking and committing buffs less risky.
- Built-in card selection every combat step, helping smooth draws without dedicating many slots to pure draw spells.
- Naturally scales into a threatening combat finisher as the counter engine turns on.
- Political leverage: the defending player draws and discards too, which can influence who accepts attacks.
Weaknesses
- Feeding opponents resources: the defending player also filters, which can help them hit land drops or find answers.
- Growth is conditional on what gets discarded, so low mana value-heavy builds can struggle to consistently add counters.
- Vulnerable off-turn: indestructible doesn’t protect Cait on opponents’ turns from removal or exile effects.
- Combat-dependent plan can be slowed by fogs, pillowfort effects, or boards that punish attacking.
Rule zero notes
- This commander gives the defending player a draw-discard trigger on every attack; confirm the table is okay with the extra card flow.
- Games can trend toward commander-damage kills once Cait gets large; mention if you’re leaning into one-shot combat finishes.
- Because the plan incentivizes higher mana value cards, the deck may include splashy top-end and bursty turns; set expectations on speed.
Matchups
Best into
- Creature-heavy midrange pods where combat pressure matters and a big attacker can dominate
- Tables that play fair, incremental games where repeated looting adds up
- Meta games light on exile-based removal
Struggles against
- Fast combo pods that don’t care about combat and will gladly take the extra filtering
- Pillowfort or fog-heavy strategies that blank attacks
- Exile-heavy interaction suites that answer Cait between turns
Recent public decks
Staples
Browse all public decksFAQ
Do I have to play high mana value cards to make Cait work?
Not strictly, but Cait’s growth trigger rewards having access to higher mana value discards; otherwise you’ll often miss counters.
Is the defending player draw-discard symmetrical enough to be a drawback?
It can be; you’re giving them selection, so you generally want to attack players who gain the least from extra filtering or who you can end quickly.
How does Cait usually win?
Most wins will come from combat, often by building Cait into a large threat and converting that size into lethal damage over a couple of attack steps.
What kinds of cards pair naturally with Cait’s rummage?
Cards that appreciate graveyard setup or like you discarding, plus effects that reward a large attacker; for example, lists could choose pieces like Anger or Greater Good as payoffs.
What removal lines up well against Cait?
Instant-speed exile or answers used on opponents’ turns tend to be most effective, since Cait’s indestructible only applies during your turn.