Karlov vs Lurrus vs Thrasios/Vial Smasher vs Rograkh/Silas

Decklists

Deck & Commander Strategies

Karlov of the Ghost Council
A stax-oriented control deck that aims to slow opponents down with disruption and incremental life drain using Karlov's abilities, leveraging stax elements like Deafening Silence and Knowledge Pool to control the board.
Lurrus of the Dream-Den
Uses Lurrus's recurring ability to reuse value creatures and artifacts from the graveyard, setting up reanimation combos with cards like Animate Dead and Razaketh to close out the game.
Thrasios, Triton Hero and Vial Smasher the Fierce
A Turbo Naus deck focused on fast mana, card draw, and combo enablers like Underworld Breach and Brain Freeze to win through a storm or mill combo with Thassa's Oracle.
Rograkh, Son of Rohgahh and Silas Renn, Seeker Adept
Another Turbo Naus deck emphasizing casting Ad Nauseam quickly and assembling a win combo involving Thassa's Oracle and Brain Freeze to deck opponents or themselves for an instant win.

Gameplay Insights

1
Ashani's use of Praetor's Grasp to exile Ad Nauseam from Higher's deck was a crucial setup enabling the quick combo win.
2
The counterplay with Force of Negation on Timetwister early in the game prevented a major reshuffle that would have accelerated the Turbo Naus deck's combo timing.
3
Chad's Lurrus deck effectively used graveyard recursion on Animate Dead and Razaketh to keep pressure on opponents despite heavy disruption.
4
Alex's Karlov deck utilized targeted stax elements and disruption such as Pithing Needle naming Razaketh and Deafening Silence to slow the combo decks.
5
Higher's sequencing of Brain Freeze triggers with Underworld Breach allowed for a comprehensive mill combo that synergized perfectly with Thassa's Oracle's win condition.
6
The interaction of multiple fast mana sources (LED, Mox Diamond, Mana Crypt) and the timing of graveyard recursion showcases the high level of resource optimization typical in cEDH games.

Notable Cards

Ad Nauseam
Underworld Breach
Brain Freeze
Thassa's Oracle
Animate Dead
Razaketh, the Foulblooded
Mystic Remora
Deafening Silence
Pithing Needle
Mana Crypt
Mox Diamond
Cabal Ritual
Timetwister
Force of Negation
Force of Will
Gemstone Caverns
Talisman of Creativity
Chain of Vapor
Lotus Petal
Imperial Seal
Diabolic Intent
Lion's Eye Diamond

Gameplay Summary

A pivotal moment occurs when the Rograkh/Silas Renn player executes a successful Ad Nauseam combo facilitated through Praetor's Grasp, unearthing a powerful sequence involving Dark Rituals, Cabal Ritual, and Underworld Breach.

This enables a massive Brain Freeze mill combo paired with Thassa's Oracle to instantly win the game by decking themselves and triggering Oracle's effect.

The game showcases high-level play with careful sequencing, resource management, and interaction, highlighting the explosive potential of the Ad Nauseam combo line within a highly interactive cEDH environment.

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