Deck & Commander Strategies
Azami, Lady of Scrolls
Draw a large number of cards by tapping wizards, then win by casting Laboratory Maniac or assembling a combo that leverages the extensive card draw.
Niv-Mizzet, Parun
Control the board with efficient removal and card draw, then combo off with Curiosity to deal lethal damage through infinite draw and ping interactions.
Marwyn, the Nurturer
Ramp quickly using elves and mana dorks to generate vast amounts of mana, then overwhelm opponents with large creatures and powerful spells.
Inalla, Archmage Ritualist
Utilize Inalla’s Eminence to generate token copies of wizards on ETB triggers, building value and setting up an ETB-based combo to win the game.
Gameplay Insights
- 1
John’s use of Azami to draw multiple cards by tapping both Azami and Baral early set a strong card advantage engine but was vulnerable to targeted bounce and removal spells.
- 2
Zack’s deployment of Mystic Remora to tax opponents' spells pressured the table into playing around counterspells and disruption, effectively controlling the pace of the game.
- 3
The interaction involving multiple layers of counterspells and redirection to protect Azami from Red Elemental Blast highlighted the intricate stack play typical in cEDH games, but ultimately failed to save Azami.
- 4
Brandon’s exploitation of Wirewood Symbiote to untap Marwyn and recast elves maximized mana production and board development, though heavy disruption from opponents limited his ability to close the game quickly.
- 5
Zeb’s smart use of Inalla’s token creation ability with bounce effects allowed him to maintain board presence and combat potential threats, showcasing the synergy of Inalla’s Eminence in generating incremental advantage.
- 6
The repeated use of high-impact spells like Jeweled Lotus and Mana Vaults by multiple players underlined the fast mana acceleration crucial in cEDH to enable early and potent plays.
- 7
A critical moment was Zeb’s use of Pact of Negation with Dark Ritual to protect a key spell, demonstrating the high-risk, high-reward nature of cEDH counterspell sequences.
Notable Cards
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Azami, Lady of Scrolls
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Niv-Mizzet, Parun
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Marwyn, the Nurturer
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Inalla, Archmage Ritualist
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Baral, Chief of Compliance
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Mystic Remora
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Jeweled Lotus
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Force of Will
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Red Elemental Blast
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Snap
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Swan Song
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Dockside Extortionist
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Vines of Vastwood
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Wirewood Symbiote
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Woodland Bellower
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Invasion of Ikoria // Zilortha, Apex of Ikoria
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Pact of Negation
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Dark Ritual
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Aether Channeler
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Frantic Search
Gameplay Summary
The game began with all four players deploying their commanders and establishing early board presence.
Azami focused on generating card advantage by tapping wizards to draw cards, attempting to assemble a Laboratory Maniac finish.
Niv-Mizzet Parun aimed to control the game with efficient draw spells and burn effects, setting up a Curiosity combo for a lethal draw loop.
Marwyn sought to ramp aggressively with elves and mana dorks, aiming to generate overwhelming mana and snowball into a win through big creature swings.
Inalla leveraged her Eminence ability to create value from wizard ETB triggers and looked for an ETB-based combo to close out the game.
Early interactions featured counterspell duels and strategic removal, including Azami being bounced and later killed by a well-timed Red Elemental Blast despite multiple layers of protection and redirection spells.
Marwyn’s ramp and board development were slowed down by tactical disruption from Niv-Mizzet and Inalla, but he maintained a threat of explosive mana generation.
Inalla demonstrated resilience with token creation and bounce effects, while Niv-Mizzet's Mystic Remora pressured opponents into reactive plays.
The game’s momentum swung through a series of counterplays and resource management, with players carefully balancing aggression and defense in this high-powered cEDH environment.