Thrasios Yoshimaru

MetaMidrange
Written By Evan Pierce

[[Thrasios, Triton Hero]] and [[Yoshimaru, Ever Faithful]] (Dog Thras) lead a Bant [[symbol:g]][[symbol:w]][[symbol:u]] creature combo deck built around [[Gaea's Cradle]]. It builds a board of mana creatures and draw engines behind free counterspells, then untaps Cradle over and over for infinite mana. Thrasios turns that mana into cards until you find [[Finale of Devastation]] and win.

Core Gameplan

Build a board of mana creatures and draw engines. Yoshimaru adds an early creature for [[Gaea's Cradle]], while Thrasios lets you spend mana left open for interaction. Hold up an answer when another player threatens a win, then activate Thrasios if you do not need it.

Tutor for Cradle or the creature that completes an untap loop. Count the mana the board actually produces before committing, and protect Cradle as well as the creatures that make it useful.

Strengths and Weaknesses

Strengths

  • Mana Sink in the Command Zone: [[Thrasios, Triton Hero]] turns spare mana into cards.

  • Creature Tutors: Most of your tutors can find a piece of any of your loops ([[Chord of Calling]], [[Finale of Devastation]], [[Nature's Rhythm]]).

  • Silence Effects: White adds [[Silence]], [[Grand Abolisher]], [[Voice of Victory]] and [[Ranger-Captain of Eos]] to protect the combo turn.

Weaknesses

  • Slower Setup: You need several creatures before [[Gaea's Cradle]] does much, so turbo decks can win first.

  • Board Wipes: Your mana and combo pieces are creatures, so one [[Toxic Deluge]] can undo several turns of setup.

  • Cradle Dependence: Most loops need Gaea's Cradle, so land removal on it ([[Boseiju, Who Endures]]) hurts.

  • Hate Pieces: [[Cursed Totem]] shuts off [[Thrasios, Triton Hero]], [[Emiel the Blessed]], [[Oboro Breezecaller]] and your mana creatures. [[Torpor Orb]] stops the enter triggers most loops use.

Core Combos

Gaea's Cradle Untap Loops

[[Eternal Witness]] + [[Snap]] + [[Gaea's Cradle]]

  1. Requirements: Eternal Witness and an untapped Gaea's Cradle on the battlefield in your main phase, Snap in hand, an untapped land that taps for [[symbol:u]], and five creatures counting Witness.

    1. Tap [[Gaea's Cradle]] for [[symbol:g]] per creature and the other land for [[symbol:u]].

    2. Cast [[Snap]] ([[symbol:1]][[symbol:u]]) on [[Eternal Witness]] and untap both lands.

    3. Cast Eternal Witness ([[symbol:1]][[symbol:g]][[symbol:g]]) and return Snap to your hand.

    4. Repeat steps 1 - 3 to create [[symbol:infinity-g]].

    5. See Win Conditions below.

[[Derevi, Empyrial Tactician]] + [[Emiel the Blessed]] + [[Gaea's Cradle]]

  1. Requirements: Derevi, Emiel and an untapped Gaea's Cradle on the battlefield, and four creatures counting Derevi and Emiel.

    1. Tap [[Gaea's Cradle]] for [[symbol:g]] per creature.

    2. Activate [[Emiel the Blessed]] ([[symbol:3]]) to blink [[Derevi, Empyrial Tactician]].

    3. Decline Emiel's optional counter payment and use Derevi's enter trigger to untap Cradle.

    4. Repeat steps 1 - 3 to create [[symbol:infinity-g]].

    5. See Win Conditions below.

    Note: With [[Training Grounds]] or [[Biomancer's Familiar]] out, Emiel's blink costs [[symbol:1]], so Derevi and Emiel are the only creatures you need. [[Cloud of Faeries]] can replace Derevi and use two other lands instead of Cradle if those lands produce more mana together than each Emiel activation costs.

[[Oboro Breezecaller]] + [[Talon Gates of Madara]] + [[Gaea's Cradle]]

  1. Requirements: Oboro, Talon Gates and Gaea's Cradle on the battlefield and untapped, and six creatures. With Training Grounds or Biomancer's Familiar, Oboro's ability costs [[symbol:1]] and five creatures are enough.

    1. Tap [[Gaea's Cradle]] for [[symbol:g]] per creature and [[Talon Gates of Madara]] for [[symbol:c]].

    2. Activate [[Oboro Breezecaller]] ([[symbol:2]]), returning Talon Gates to your hand, and untap Cradle.

    3. Pay [[symbol:4]] to put Talon Gates from your hand onto the battlefield. Choose no target for its enter trigger, or phase out an opposing creature; phasing out one of your own creatures lowers Cradle's output.

    4. Repeat steps 1 - 3 to create [[symbol:infinity-g]].

    5. See Win Conditions below.

[[Badgermole Cub]] + [[Emiel the Blessed]] + [[Gaea's Cradle]]

  1. Requirements: Emiel and an untapped Gaea's Cradle on the battlefield, Badgermole Cub in hand with [[symbol:1]][[symbol:g]] in your main phase, and six creatures once the Cub is out, counting the Cub, Emiel and Cradle itself.

    1. Cast [[Badgermole Cub]] ([[symbol:1]][[symbol:g]]) and earthbend Cradle, so it becomes a land creature with haste.

    2. Tap [[Gaea's Cradle]] for [[symbol:g]] per creature, plus an extra [[symbol:g]] from the Cub.

    3. Activate [[Emiel the Blessed]] ([[symbol:3]]) to blink Cradle. It returns untapped as a noncreature land. Earthbend's delayed trigger cannot return it a second time because it has already left exile.

    4. Activate Emiel ([[symbol:3]]) to blink the Cub and earthbend Cradle again. Decline Emiel's optional counter payment.

    5. Repeat steps 2 - 4 to create [[symbol:infinity-g]].

    6. See Win Conditions below.

    Note: With Training Grounds or Biomancer's Familiar out, each blink costs [[symbol:1]], and the Cub, Emiel and Cradle are enough on their own.

Win Conditions

  1. [[Finale of Devastation]]

    • Put the infinite mana into [[Thrasios, Triton Hero]] to draw until you find Finale. Before combat, cast it for X of at least 10 and large enough for lethal damage through the available blockers. It gives your current creatures +X/+X and haste.

  2. Clearing Blockers

    • Phase out blockers with the [[Talon Gates of Madara]] loop, or overload [[Cyclonic Rift]] to return your opponents' nonland permanents to their hands. Most loops make only green, so tap a mana creature like [[Noble Hierarch]] for the [[symbol:u]].

Tips for Playing Dog Thras

  • Mulligan: Look for acceleration plus a draw engine, tutor or way to find [[Gaea's Cradle]]. Mana creatures plus [[Rhystic Study]] can support a longer game; check that your lands can cast them and that the hand has time to develop.

  • Cast Chord at End of Turn: [[Chord of Calling]] is an instant. Cast it at the end of the turn before yours, convoking with mana creatures that untap anyway.

  • Protect the Combo Turn: Cast [[Silence]] first, or have [[Grand Abolisher]] or [[Voice of Victory]] on the battlefield. Sacrifice [[Ranger-Captain of Eos]] before you start, since it doesn't stop spells already on the stack.

Conclusion

Recount Cradle's output after each creature leaves or returns. A loop that only breaks even can still repeat enter triggers, but it will not fund Thrasios without another source of mana.

Updated October 2026.

References:

Evan Pierce
Previous

Crystal
Next

Vivi