Ben Wheeler SCHOOLS the Spikes on Mono-White cEDH | The Spike Feeders

Deck Strategies

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  Thalia, Guardian of Thraben

  Mono-White Death and Taxes deck aimed at disrupting opponents via taxing effects and stax pieces, while applying aggressive pressure through efficient creatures and enchantments to control the board and chip away at opponents' life totals.

• 

  Bruse Tarl, Boorish Herder and Thrasios, Triton Hero

  An Eldritch Evolution pod deck that combos by flickering creatures like Dark Confidant for card advantage and mana acceleration, then uses Thrasios to draw deep and assemble a game-winning combo.

• 

  Aurelia, the Warleader

  A stax and combo deck focused on using Helm of the Host to create infinite combat phases, backed by disruption and protection to assemble and execute the combo safely.

• 

  Grenzo, Dungeon Warden

  A Doomsday combo deck that aims to assemble a specific pile by manipulating the library and graveyard, then winning through a precise kill sequence after resolving the Doomsday pile.

Gameplay Insights

• 1

  Wheeler's aggressive use of Thalia to tax opponents and disrupt their mana bases was pivotal in slowing down the faster combo decks.

• 2

  Jan's use of flicker effects and Eldritch Evolution to tutor and protect combo pieces showed a careful build-up of resources before attempting to close the game.

• 3

  Eliot's deployment of Rest in Peace early to shut down graveyard strategies showcased strong meta-awareness against decks relying on recursion.

• 4

  The interplay of taxing effects from Thalia combined with stax elements created multiple layers of disruption, forcing opponents to carefully time their plays.

• 5

  Sacrificing Benevolent Bodyguard to protect Thalia demonstrated effective resource management to maintain board presence and pressure.

• 6

  The use of Cavern of Souls naming Goblin allowed Eliot to reliably cast Grenzo and other goblin synergies without fear of counterspells, indicating strong deck synergy.

Notable Cards

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  Thalia, Guardian of Thraben

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  Eldritch Evolution

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  Dark Confidant

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  Rest in Peace

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  Goblin Sledder

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  Suture Priest

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  Cavern of Souls

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  Imperial Seal

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  Helm of the Host

Summary

The game opened with Jan leading an Eldritch Evolution pod-style deck focused on assembling a combo using Thrasios and Bruse Tarl to generate large amounts of mana and draw cards, aiming for a quick combo finish. Benjamin Wheeler piloted a Mono-White Death and Taxes deck centered around Thalia, Guardian of Thraben, applying early pressure with disruptive creatures and stax elements to slow opponents down and control the board. Alex played an Aurelia Helm deck, aiming for a combo involving Helm of the Host to create infinite combat phases, backed by stax elements to stabilize and protect the combo. Eliot piloted a Grenzo, Dungeon Warden Doomsday deck, focusing on assembling a Doomsday pile to win through a unique library manipulation strategy. Early turns saw Thalia and other taxing creatures hampering spells, with Wheeler aggressively attacking and leveraging enchantments to maintain pressure. Jan and Eliot developed their board states, with Jan focusing on generating mana and flicker synergies and Eliot ramping toward Doomsday.