I Hate Your Deck #29 Playing with Power vs IHYD || Commander Gameplay Cedh

Deck Strategies

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  Kinnan, Bonder Prodigy

  Utilizes mana acceleration and artifact synergy to generate infinite mana combos, enabling large spells or infinite creature production to close out the game quickly.

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  Kraum, Ludevic's Opus

  Focuses on controlling the game through spells and card draw while using political leverage and incremental value plays typical of a Grixis control/aggro approach.

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  Tevesh Szat, Doom of Fools

  Leverages token creation and card draw to build board presence, while deploying spells that disrupt opponents and generate advantage over time.

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  Winota, Joiner of Forces

  Aims to flood the board with non-human creatures and trigger Winota’s ability to cheat powerful human creatures into play for explosive combat turns.

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  Tatyova, Benthic Druid

  Uses landfall triggers to gain card advantage and life, establishing a midrange control strategy that stabilizes the board while gaining incremental value.

Gameplay Insights

• 1

  Using Gemstone Caverns pregame to exile key cards provided flexibility and mana acceleration crucial for early plays in a cEDH environment.

• 2

  Casting Arcum Dagsson early to limit players to one spell per turn was a critical disruption that slowed down opponents' explosive combos.

• 3

  Players carefully managed their lands and mana rocks to maximize turn efficiency and tempo, indicating high-level resource awareness.

• 4

  The decision to play Thalia, Guardian of Thraben increased the tax on non-creature spells, effectively disrupting spell-heavy combo decks.

• 5

  Carpet of Flowers was used to leverage opponents' basic land types for mana acceleration, a strategic play that rewarded careful deck construction.

• 6

  The balance between aggressive combo attempts and control elements defined the flow of the game, with each player adapting to others’ strategies.

Notable Cards

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  Carpet of Flowers

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  Thalia, Guardian of Thraben

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  Ancient Tomb

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  Gemstone Caverns

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  Chrome Mox

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  Arcum Dagsson

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  Simian Spirit Guide

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  Manifold Key

Summary

The game started with players deploying their initial ramp and utility cards, setting the stage for a competitive cEDH environment. Early plays included Carpet of Flowers and Thalia, Guardian of Thraben, signaling a mix of ramp and disruption. The presence of commanders like Kinnan, Bonder Prodigy and Winota, Joiner of Forces indicated a blend of combo and value-based strategies. The game quickly escalated with strategic land plays such as Ancient Tomb and Gemstone Caverns to accelerate mana, alongside spells like Arcum Dagsson that restricted opponents' spellcasting to slow down explosive turns. A key turning point was the use of mana acceleration combined with artifact synergies from Kinnan's deck aiming for infinite combos, while Winota's deck sought to flood the board with non-human creatures to trigger her powerful ability. Meanwhile, Tatyova, Benthic Druid focused on landfall and card advantage, maintaining a steady presence. The tension rose with players balancing their attempts to establish combos and lock pieces while managing the fast pace typical of cEDH, including countermeasures against early explosive plays. The game revolved around controlling the tempo and navigating around disruptive elements, with the eventual win condition hinging on assembling infinite mana combos or overwhelming the board through synergy-driven attacks.