Demon Chain vs GalaStax vs Mad Farm vs Yisan Pod [cEDH/Commander, Magic The Gathering Gameplay] 2021

Deck Strategies

• 

  Galazeth Prismari

  Control the board with artifact-based stax pieces like Winter Orb and Trinisphere, using Galazeth's ability to untap artifacts and generate mana. Win via the classic Underworld Breach and Brain Freeze storm combo.

• 

  Yisan, the Wanderer Bard

  Use Yisan to chain through creatures with pod effects, ramping with mana dorks and utility creatures to eventually tutor and summon powerful finishers like Craterhoof Behemoth for a one-turn kill.

• 

  Jeska, Thrice Reborn & Tymna, the Weaver

  Generate infinite mana through combos involving cards like Ad Nauseam, Mana Vault, and Underworld Breach, then use this mana to overwhelm opponents in a single turn, often leveraging Jeska's damage triggers.

• 

  Korvold, Fae-Cursed King

  Leverage Food Chain and creatures like Squee to generate infinite mana and card draw, using Korvold's sacrifice and draw triggers to build a commanding board presence and secure victory through various combo finishes.

Gameplay Insights

• 1

  Galazeth Prismari uses artifact untapping to break stax parity and maintain efficient mana production despite Winter Orb and other taxing effects.

• 2

  Yisan's player uses Crop Rotation to fetch Gaia's Cradle, enabling explosive mana acceleration early in the game.

• 3

  Korvold's early sacrifice of creatures to grow his commander and draw cards sets up the Food Chain infinite mana combo.

• 4

  Thorn of Amethyst significantly slows down non-creature spells, forcing players to carefully sequence their plays around this tax.

• 5

  The interaction between stax effects and combo decks creates a strategic tension, with players timing their combos to avoid disruption.

Notable Cards

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  Thorn of Amethyst

• 

  Jeweled Lotus

• 

  Winter Orb

• 

  Sensei's Divining Top

• 

  Food Chain

• 

  Wirewood Symbiote

• 

  Brain Freeze

• 

  Underworld Breach

• 

  Ad Nauseam

• 

  Mana Vault

• 

  Craterhoof Behemoth

Summary

The game starts with each player setting up their respective strategies efficiently. Galazeth Prismari's player establishes artifact-based stax elements early, including Sensei's Divining Top and Winter Orb, to hinder opponents while maintaining flexibility through Galazeth's ability to untap artifacts. Yisan's player quickly sets up ramp and utility creatures like Wirewood Symbiote and Thorn of Amethyst, aiming to combo through pod chains and eventually win with Craterhoof Behemoth. The Mad Farm deck, piloted by Jeska and Tymna, focuses on generating infinite mana to win in a single turn, utilizing cards such as Ad Nauseam, Mana Vault, and Underworld Breach. Meanwhile, Korvold's player pursues a Food Chain combo involving Squee and Food Chain for infinite mana and card advantage, leveraging Korvold's draw and sacrifice triggers to assemble a decisive board state. Key turning points include Galazeth Prismari establishing stax lock pieces like Winter Orb to slow the table, forcing opponents to navigate around mana restrictions. Yisan's player uses Crop Rotation to fetch Gaia's Cradle, enabling explosive mana generation and pod chaining. Korvold's player demonstrates early aggression by casting Korvold and sacrificing creatures to grow him and draw cards, preparing for the Food Chain combo. The interplay of stax effects and combo setups creates tension, with players carefully sequencing plays to avoid disruption. The MVP card Thorn of Amethyst notably taxes non-creature spells, impacting the pacing and casting decisions of all players. Overall, the game showcases a dynamic mix of stax control and combo execution, with each deck working towards a fast and efficient win condition.