Live Play Data

Combustible Gearhulk

· Artifact Creature — Construct · Duskmourn: House of Horror Commander (DSC)

Live Inclusion

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Times Brought

851

Decks Running

395

Median Cast Turn

7.0

Drawn → Played

59%

Format

Multiplayer 1v1

Combustible Gearhulk is cast in 59% of games where it's drawn, with a median first-cast turn of 7.0. Decks that resolved it show a +10.5 percentage-point win-rate lift over decks where it stayed in the library.

Combustible Gearhulk sits in 3% of tracked Commander decks on Playgroup Live. Across 824 multiplayer games, 120 copies have resolved, and decks that cast it show a win rate +10.5 percentage points above decks where it never left the library. That is an early but consistent signal that the card does real work when it lands.

The card's engine is its enter-the-battlefield trigger: the targeted opponent chooses between handing you three cards or eating damage equal to the combined mana values of three milled cards. In a Commander deck packed with high-cost spells and artifacts, neither option is comfortable for them. That tension is what attracts builders running high-average-mana-value lists. The 19% same-turn cast rate reflects a 6-mana spell that takes deliberate setup. Players who draw it typically hold it for an average of roughly 3 turns while assembling the mana to fire it off.

Concentration is healthy: 360 distinct players have brought Combustible Gearhulk to tracked games, with no single player accounting for more than a small fraction of observations. The spread of commanders in the top-10 list, ranging from Rakdos artifact commanders to mono-red artifact strategies, confirms this is not a one-deck card.

At a glance

3% of tracked Commander decks include Combustible Gearhulk
59% of drawn copies are cast before the game ends
T7.0 median first-cast turn, deep in the midgame
51% battlefield stickiness once it resolves
+10.5pp win-rate lift for decks that cast it vs. decks where it stays in the library
360 distinct players tracked, spread across many commander archetypes

First-cast turn

n=120

13%

62%

T6-9

14%

T10+

Median 7.0 P25 6 · P75 9 · max 19

On curve 41% (20 / 120 cast on T6) Cast same turn as drawn 19%

The "good card" funnel

853 brought · 360 players

Brought to game

853

Ever drawn

203

Reached battlefield

120

Still on board at game end

59%

Of 853 Combustible Gearhulks brought to tracked games, 203 were drawn, 120 of those were cast, and roughly half of those resolved copies remained on the battlefield through end of game.

≥ +2.4pp

Players who cast this card win 31% of the time (n=115) , vs 20% when it never left the library (n=527).

When players drew this card but left it in hand, they won 22% (n=74) — about the same as leaving it in the library. Those players survived long enough to draw it, so the gap above is about the card resolving, not just about surviving.

Observed gap +10.5pp; 95% confidence interval +2.4pp to +18.6pp. Correlational, not causal: powerful payoffs also get cast more often in games you are already winning.

Final zone distribution

232 instances

3.9%

Library

26.3%

Battlefield

32.3%

Graveyard

8.6%

Exile

Most Combustible Gearhulk copies that never leave the library reflect the structural reality of a 100-card singleton deck. The cards that do emerge split roughly between battlefield survival and graveyard, which tracks with active removal targeting a 6/6 first striker.

Commanders that played this card

in tracked games

1 Valgavoth, Harrower of Souls 58 decks
2 Terra, Herald of Hope 46 decks
3 Dr. Eggman 36 decks
4 Kardur, Doomscourge 21 decks
5 Tannuk, Steadfast Second 15 decks
6 Saheeli, Radiant Creator 12 decks
7 Satya, Aetherflux Genius 11 decks
8 Tony Stark // The Invincible Iron Man 9 decks
9 Alena, Kessig Trapper 6 decks
10 Clive, Ifrit's Dominant // Ifrit, Warden of Inferno 6 decks

The top-10 commander list spans Rakdos, Mardu, Grixis, and mono-red strategies, signaling that Combustible Gearhulk earns its slot wherever red decks trend toward high mana values rather than in any single niche archetype.

Card text

Combustible Gearhulk

Artifact Creature — Construct

First strike When this creature enters, target opponent may have you draw three cards. If the player doesn't, you mill three cards, then this creature deals damage to that player equal to the total mana value of those cards.

6 / 6

Duskmourn: House of Horror Commander (DSC) · Mythic · Illustrated by Daarken

Frequently Asked

How often is Combustible Gearhulk drawn in a Commander game?

In 824 tracked multiplayer games where Combustible Gearhulk was in the deck, it was drawn 24% of the time. That is within normal range for a singleton in a 100-card deck. Of the 203 instances that reached a player's hand, 59% were eventually cast before the game ended.

What turn does Combustible Gearhulk typically hit the battlefield?

Median first cast is turn 7.0, which lines up with the deep midgame. The interquartile range runs from turn 6 to turn 9, so most resolutions happen after the early ramp phase but before games typically close out. The 6-mana cost means players almost always need several turns of setup after drawing it. The same-turn cast rate is 19%, confirming it is rarely slammed the turn it is drawn.

Does casting Combustible Gearhulk actually help you win?

Directionally, yes. Decks that cast it win at 31% in tracked games (normalized to a 4-player baseline of 25%), compared to 20% for decks where it stayed in the library. The delta is +10.5 percentage points. Both buckets have solid sample sizes, so this is a meaningful early signal rather than noise, though the dataset is still growing and should be read as directional.

Which commanders run Combustible Gearhulk most often?

Valgavoth, Harrower of Souls leads the count, followed by Terra, Herald of Hope, and Dr. Eggman. All three lean into artifact synergies or high-mana-value payoffs, which pairs naturally with the Gearhulk's mill-damage trigger. The spread across ten distinct commanders, including mono-red and three-color lists, suggests the card slots into any red deck that curves high.

Is Combustible Gearhulk legal in Commander?

Yes. Combustible Gearhulk is legal and unrestricted in Commander, as well as in Legacy, Modern, Pioneer, Vintage, Historic, and Timeless. It is not legal in Standard, Pauper, or Pauper Commander.

How sticky is Combustible Gearhulk once it resolves?

51% of resolved copies remain on the battlefield at end of game. That is roughly a coin flip, which reflects the threat level of a 6/6 first striker. Opponents have strong incentive to remove it quickly, especially in games where the Gearhulk's controller has ways to flicker or recur it. The final zone distribution shows a meaningful share ending in the graveyard, consistent with active removal pressure.