$20 BUDGET BATTLE Octavia vs Ashling vs Baeloth vs Kediss/Malcolm EDH Commander Gameplay

Deck Strategies

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  Octavia, Living Thesis

  This deck aims to cast a high volume of instant and sorcery spells to reduce Octavia's casting cost and create large 8/8 creatures, turning the tide through sheer size and combat dominance.

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  Ashling the Pilgrim

  A mono-red aggressive deck that focuses on attacking relentlessly and using spells to pump Ashling or clear blockers, leveraging budget ramp and burn to control the board.

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  Baeloth Barrityl, Entertainer

  Ramp and spell synergy deck using Baeloth’s ability to generate board presence and utility through casting instants and sorceries, supported by the Raised by Giants companion for additional value.

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  Kediss, Emberclaw Familiar / Malcolm, Keen-Eyed Navigator

  A partner combo deck that uses Kediss to deal combat damage and trigger Malcolm's pirate treasure creation, aiming for a surprise flying attacker to end the game quickly.

Gameplay Insights

• 1

  Using Pieces of the Puzzle to mill a large number of instants and sorceries into the graveyard significantly reduced Octavia’s casting cost, enabling a powerful board presence.

• 2

  Malcolm's haste-granting synergy and treasure token generation provided incremental advantage and mana acceleration for Kediss and Malcolm’s deck.

• 3

  Ashling’s ability to pump herself before combat and use burn spells to maintain pressure was a crucial source of damage throughout the game.

• 4

  Baeloth’s presence caused all one-power creatures to become golden tokens, impacting combat decisions and board control strategies.

• 5

  The interaction of Vanishing on Malcolm combined with a Sapphire Charm to protect him showcased the use of instant-speed responses to preserve key threats.

Notable Cards

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  Octavia, Living Thesis

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  Ashling the Pilgrim

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  Baeloth Barrityl, Entertainer

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  Raised by Giants

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  Kediss, Emberclaw Familiar

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  Malcolm, Keen-Eyed Navigator

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  Pieces of the Puzzle

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  Valakut, the Molten Pinnacle

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  Serum Visions

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  Kodama's Reach

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  Rogue's Passage

Summary

The game started with players developing their mana bases and early board presence, with Ashling the Pilgrim looking to push aggressive damage and Baeloth Barrityl aiming to ramp and control with instant and sorcery synergies. Octavia, Living Thesis, focused on casting multiple instant and sorcery spells to reduce her casting cost and generate powerful 8/8 creatures, while Kediss and Malcolm tried to set up a big flying attacker for a surprise lethal strike. Early skirmishes involved incremental damage and resource development, with key plays including Ashling growing stronger through combat triggers and Malcolm generating treasure tokens through pirate synergy. A pivotal moment occurred when Octavia's player used Pieces of the Puzzle to dump a large number of instants and sorceries into the graveyard, drastically reducing Octavia's casting cost and enabling her to flood the board with large creatures. Meanwhile, Ashling continued to apply pressure by enhancing her commander and attacking consistently. Baeloth’s deck entertained the table with ramp and spells, while Kediss and Malcolm sought to capitalize on evasive damage. The game’s win condition revolved around overwhelming opponents with massive creatures from Octavia, high-impact combat damage from Ashling, or a sudden lethal flyer strike from Kediss and Malcolm, all within a tight budget framework that shaped the decks’ unique strategies.