Vivi vs Shadow the Hedgehog vs Kefka vs Korvold, Fae Cursed King cEDH Gameplay

Deck Strategies

• 

  Korvold, Fae-Cursed King

  Leverages landfall synergies and loops with cards like Squandered Resources and Shifting Woodlands to generate infinite land drops, enabling a combo kill with Underworld Breach and Witherbloom chain of smog.

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  Kefka, Court Mage

  Executes quick combo kills using Thassa's Oracle paired with Demonic Consultation or Tainted Pact, supplemented by Underworld Breach recursion to reset combo pieces and close the game rapidly.

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  Shadow the Hedgehog

  Uses artifact mana to cast spells with split second and gains card advantage by drawing when creatures with haste die, aiming to disrupt opponents and maintain tempo through explosive turns.

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  Vivi Ornitier

  Focuses on Curiosity Storm combo to draw the entire deck quickly and win through commander damage, combining storm effects and card draw engines for a fast and consistent kill.

Gameplay Insights

• 1

  Korvold's landfall variant required assembling specific land loops and graveyard interactions, highlighting the importance of synergy between lands and recursion to enable combo execution.

• 2

  Kefka's player had to carefully navigate mulligans and early game mana constraints while aiming to hit key combo pieces like Tainted Pact and fast mana to initiate their win condition.

• 3

  Shadow the Hedgehog’s deck leveraged the new Universe Beyond mechanics by using artifact mana to grant split second on spells and drawing cards on creature deaths, adding a unique layer of disruption and card advantage.

• 4

  Vivi’s deck showcased the power of Curiosity Storm, though the player had to balance keeping greedy hands with the potential payoff of a full deck draw and commander damage kill.

• 5

  Multiple players considered mulligan decisions heavily influenced by mana acceleration availability and the presence of critical combo pieces, underscoring the high variance and risk management in cEDH opening hands.

• 6

  The interaction between Pyroblast and opposing blue decks was a key consideration for tempo and disruption, demonstrating the significance of efficient counterspells and protection in a multi-blue meta.

• 7

  The game’s tempo swings often revolved around resolving key artifact accelerants like Mox Diamond and Fellwar Stone to enable explosive plays and threaten combos quickly.

Notable Cards

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  Underworld Breach

• 

  Chain of Smog

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  Tainted Pact

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  Demonic Consultation

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  Mox Diamond

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  Fellwar Stone

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  Pyroblast

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  Squandered Resources

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  Curiosity

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  Dragon's Rage Channeler

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  Allosaurus Shepherd

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  Ragavan, Nimble Pilferer

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  The One Ring

Summary

The game featured four competitive decks with distinct strategies vying for control and a quick win. Korvold piloted a unique landfall variant aiming to generate value through land loops and eventually leverage Underworld Breach for a lethal Witherbloom chain of smog combo. Kefka's deck focused on classic cEDH combos like Thassa's Oracle with Demonic Consultation or Tainted Pact to win quickly, while also employing Underworld Breach synergies. Shadow the Hedgehog's deck introduced an interesting mechanic from the new Universe Beyond set, utilizing split second on spells cast with artifact mana and drawing cards when creatures with haste die, aiming for tempo and card advantage. Vivi Ornitier's deck was built around a Curiosity Storm combo, drawing the entire deck and winning through commander damage, relying on storm-like sequences and card draw engines.