WHISTLE FEAT. @MentalMisplay - cEDH - S17E2 - KENRITH v ALELA v MALCOLM/VIAL v TEVESH/KRAUM MTG VOD

Deck Strategies

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  Kenrith, the Returned King

  A versatile five-color deck that utilizes efficient ramp, tutors, and powerful value creatures to control the board and close out the game with Kenrith’s flexible abilities.

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  Alela, Artful Provocateur

  A tempo and value-oriented artifact and fairy tribal deck that generates incremental advantage with flying tokens and disruptive enchantments.

• 

  Malcolm, Keen-Eyed Navigator

  A combo-centric deck that uses treasure generation and interaction to assemble powerful synergies and win through combo kills.

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  Vial Smasher the Fierce

  A fast, aggressive Grixis deck that leverages early threats and burn spells to quickly reduce opponents’ life totals and disrupt their game plans.

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  Tevesh Szat, Doom of Fools

  A control and value deck that uses stax elements and powerful spells to lock down opponents, generate card advantage, and win through attrition or powerful combos.

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  Kraum, Ludevic's Opus

  A tempo and card advantage deck that combines Kraum’s prowess with Ral Zarek to maximize draw and disruption, aiming to outvalue opponents and close with efficient burn or combat.

Gameplay Insights

• 1

  Early mana acceleration and aggressive mana rocks allowed for explosive openings, putting pressure on all players from turn one.

• 2

  The interplay of discard and hand disruption spells like Silence and Rest in Peace effectively delayed combo attempts, showcasing the importance of timing disruption.

• 3

  A missed black mana source critically hindered a Nauseam combo player’s ability to finish the game, highlighting the importance of careful mana base planning in cEDH.

• 4

  Leveraging treasure tokens generated from Ragavan and Malcolm helped fuel combo and interaction plays, demonstrating synergy between commanders and card choices.

• 5

  Players prioritized tutoring for key pieces like Soul Ring, Fast Oracle, and removal spells, emphasizing the vital role of tutors for consistency in competitive EDH.

Notable Cards

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  Mana Crypt

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  Ragavan, Nimble Pilferer

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  Enlightened Tutor

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  Tainted Pact

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  Cyclonic Rift

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  Ponder

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  Vampiric Tutor

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  Demonic Tutor

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  Simian Spirit Guide

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  Rest in Peace

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  Silence

Summary

The game began with fast mana acceleration and early plays setting up each player's board state quickly. Snorkden opened aggressively with a Mana Crypt and Underground Sea, establishing early pressure with Ragavan and other efficient threats. Cyrus, playing a 5-color goodstuff deck, prioritized ramp and card draw with Enlightened Tutor and Soul Ring, while Rhetoric and Tevesh Szat decks focused on interaction and disruption. The early turns saw multiple players deploying key resources like Mystical Remora and cycling through card advantage engines. A pivotal moment occurred when the Silences and hand disruption effects slowed down a major win attempt involving a Nauseam combo by one of the players, forcing a pause and readjustment in the game. Despite strong card advantage and good setup, a miscalculation in mana and black sources prevented a critical Vampiric Tutor, delaying the combo finish. The game unfolded as a tense battle of resource management and timing, with players leveraging tutors, treasure tokens, and incremental advantage cards like Tainted Pact and Fast Oracle to push towards their win conditions, but no immediate winner emerged during the segment covered.