How good is Baylen, the Haymaker in cEDH? Baylen v Malcolm/Tana v Infamous Cruelclaw v Malcolm Vial

Deck Strategies

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  Baylen, the Haymaker

  Generate a large number of tokens to fuel massive card draw with Baylen’s ability, then use Eldritch Evolution and other tutors to find key creatures like Collector Ouphe that disrupt opponents and control the board.

• 

  Malcolm, Keen-Eyed Navigator / Tana, the Bloodsower

  Leverage aggressive pirate tribal synergies to generate treasure tokens rapidly, use incremental damage and card advantage from creatures like Ragavan and Siren Stormtamer, and finish with explosive burn and treasure combos.

• 

  The Infamous Cruelclaw

  Utilize reanimation and wheel effects to cheat out and cast high-cost spells early, generating value and disruption while maintaining board presence with creatures like Infamous Cruelclaw.

• 

  Malcolm with Vial Smasher the Fierce

  Similar pirate and treasure synergy deck with a focus on casting spells that leverage Vial Smasher’s damage trigger while maintaining control through countermagic and disruption.

Gameplay Insights

• 1

  Baylen’s use of Eldritch Evolution to tutor Collector Ouphe was a strategic attempt to lock down artifact-based combos but was insufficient to halt the rapid treasure generation.

• 2

  Malcolm’s aggressive treasure token generation coupled with Ragavan and Maskwood Nexus created a lethal synergy that pressured opponents early and enabled multiple spells per turn.

• 3

  Casting Final Fortune at a critical moment allowed Malcolm to maximize damage output in a single turn, tipping the balance decisively.

• 4

  Infamous Cruelclaw’s wheel and reanimation combo generated value but struggled to keep pace with Malcolm’s explosive tempo.

• 5

  Multiple players opted not to block early attackers to avoid losing creatures, demonstrating careful resource preservation in a fast-paced competitive environment.

Notable Cards

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  Baylen, the Haymaker

• 

  Collector Ouphe

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  Eldritch Evolution

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  Ragavan, Nimble Pilferer

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  Maskwood Nexus

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  Final Fortune

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  Vampiric Tutor

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  Reckless Fireweaver

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  Wheel of Fortune

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  Arcane Signet

Summary

The game began with all players establishing strong early board states reflecting their distinct strategies. Baylen, the Haymaker aimed to generate numerous tokens to fuel card draw and overwhelm opponents, using cards like Eldritch Evolution to tutor and assemble powerful creatures such as Collector Ouphe. Malcolm and Tana's team leveraged aggressive treasure generation and incremental damage via pirates and synergy with cards like Ragavan and Maskwood Nexus. Infamous Cruelclaw focused on cheating out high-cost spells and generating value through reanimation and wheel effects, while Malcolm with Vial Smasher sought to control the board and accelerate mana to deploy impactful threats. A pivotal early moment was the casting of Autumn's Veil and Eldritch Evolution by Baylen, securing Collector Ouphe to disrupt opponents’ artifacts. However, Malcolm’s explosive start—using Ragavan and Maskwood Nexus to generate multiple treasures and then casting Final Fortune and a Vampiric Tutor—enabled a lethal combo of treasure generation and damage output. The synergy between Malcolm’s pirates, treasure tokens, and reckless fire interactions overwhelmed the table quickly. Despite Baylen and Cruelclaw’s efforts to stabilize and execute their game plans, Malcolm’s aggressive treasure and damage engine secured a swift victory, showcasing the power of high-tempo pirate synergies and well-timed spells in competitive EDH.