Deck & Commander Strategies
Dina, Soul Steeper
A turbo Ad Nauseam combo deck that uses ramp and tutors to quickly assemble the pieces for combos like Witherbloom and Chain of Smog or Dina with Exquisite Blood to win by draining opponents' life.
Thrasios, Triton Hero
A four-color control and ramp deck using Vial Smasher for aggressive damage and card advantage, aiming to control the board while assembling a powerful late-game.
Godo, Bandit Warlord
A fast aggro and combo deck leveraging early ramp and Goblin Welder interactions to quickly assemble equipment combos and overwhelm opponents.
Muldrotha, the Gravetide
A slower but powerful Ad Nauseam variant focusing on graveyard recursion and card advantage, using spells like Brainstorm to sculpt hands and find combo pieces.
Gameplay Insights
- 1
Taking risks with early Ad Nauseam casts can pay off if the player carefully manages life total and mana availability.
- 2
Using Brainstorm on turn one to sculpt the hand can significantly improve the quality of plays in cEDH despite legacy heuristics advising caution.
- 3
Monitoring opponents’ mana and likely counters is critical before committing to a combo to avoid disruption.
- 4
Deathrite Shaman remains a powerful and underrated utility in managing graveyards and providing incremental advantage in cEDH.
- 5
Players must balance between aggressive ramp and keeping mana open to respond to threats or counterspells in a fast-paced multiplayer environment.
Notable Cards
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Ad Nauseam
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Demonic Tutor
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Chain of Smog
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Exquisite Blood
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Brainstorm
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Deathrite Shaman
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Cabal Ritual
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Grim Monolith
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Jeweled Amulet
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Goblin Welder
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Mana Crypt
Gameplay Summary
The game began with players deploying their ramp and mana acceleration strategies early, setting up for explosive turns.
Jeremy on Thrasios and Vial Smasher aimed to establish control and ramp to powerful spells, while Alan on Dina, Soul Steeper was poised for a fast combo finish using turbo Ad Nauseam, supported by two tutors and ample mana acceleration.
G Toast on Godo, Bandit Warlord also had a solid ramp hand, setting up for early threats and combo potential.
The narrator on Muldrotha's Ad Nauseam list kept a risky hand but aimed to leverage Brainstorm to improve it. A key turning point occurred when Alan went for an early Ad Nauseam combo, using multiple rituals and tutors to assemble Witherbloom and Chain of Smog or Dina with Exquisite Blood pieces.
Despite the pressure, the table was aware of the threat and tried to keep mana open to counter or disrupt.
Alan successfully drew into the combo pieces, and the decision to risk going low on life paid off as he pushed through the combo execution.
This forced other players to respond quickly or fall behind, highlighting the high-stakes and fast pace of cEDH gameplay.
The game demonstrated the importance of hand sculpting, timing ad nauseam casts carefully, and paying attention to opponents' mana and potential counters.