Budget Decks w/ The Nitpicking Nerds | EDH Gameplay ep 59

Deck Strategies

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  Yarok, the Desecrated

  Double enter-the-battlefield triggers to maximize value from creatures with useful ETB abilities and capitalize on taking the initiative and dungeon crawling effects.

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  Ghalta, Primal Hunger

  Reduce Ghalta’s power through tapping creatures, lands, and vehicles to trigger powerful effects based on its power, such as massive card draw or giving creatures large buffs.

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  Ghyrson Starn, Kelermorph

  Use low-cost damage spells and creatures to amplify damage output, dealing extra damage and draining opponents while building a wide board with tokens and damage synergies.

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  Depala, Pilot Exemplar

  Utilize dwarf and vehicle synergies by putting dwarves into vehicles to crew them, buffing the team’s power and dealing consistent combat damage.

Gameplay Insights

• 1

  Ghyrson Starn's ability to triple damage from small spells and creatures created constant pressure on opponents, making every small attack and ping count for significant damage.

• 2

  Panharmonicon played a key role in doubling triggered abilities, synergizing well with Yarok's double ETB triggers and creating a high-value board state.

• 3

  Depala's player showed patience in choosing when to crew vehicles, balancing between aggressive attacks and maintaining blockers to avoid losing board presence.

• 4

  Ghalta's pilot strategically prioritized mana ramp and mana dorks to accelerate casting of high-cost spells and maximize Ghalta's power-based effects.

• 5

  The interaction between Yarok and Panharmonicon created explosive value turns, enabling multiple triggers from a single ETB event to overwhelm opponents.

• 6

  Players were cautious to avoid overcommitting creatures to the board early, mindful of potential board wipes or removal, highlighting the importance of tempo in budget decks.

Notable Cards

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  Yarok, the Desecrated

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  Ghalta, Primal Hunger

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  Ghyrson Starn, Kelermorph

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  Depala, Pilot Exemplar

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  Elvish Visionary

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  Mobilized District

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  Kessig Flamebreather

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  Panharmonicon

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  Mighty Servant of Leuk-o

Summary

The game began with players establishing their board states cautiously, focusing on ramp and early creatures to prepare for their commanders. Ghyrson Starn's deck leveraged numerous small damage-dealing spells and creatures to amplify damage output, quickly going wide with tokens and ping effects. Yarok, the Desecrated's player emphasized doubling enter-the-battlefield triggers to generate value from creatures that take the initiative and dungeon exploration. Meanwhile, Depala, Pilot Exemplar centered on dwarf synergy and vehicles, aiming to crew and buff her team for impactful attacks. Ghalta, Primal Hunger's pilot focused on manipulating and reducing Ghalta's power to trigger massive card draw or creature buffs, setting up a powerful late game.