MAMTG cEDH S1 E23 | ft. Play to Win and The Lab Maniacs

Deck Strategies

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  Codie, Vociferous Codex

  A turbo Ad Nauseam storm deck that uses Codie's ability to turn cheap spells into powerful tutors, aiming to quickly assemble a combo with fast mana and storm count to win on turn two or three.

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  Rashmi, Eternities Crafter

  A control deck that leverages Rashmi's ability to generate card advantage by casting spells on opponents' turns, focusing on maintaining hand size and controlling the board until a win condition can be established.

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  Nath of the Gilt-Leaf

  An attrition-focused midrange deck that applies pressure through hand disruption and a resilient elf-based board presence to grind out value and win through incremental damage.

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  Kenrith, the Returned King

  A versatile five-color combo pile that uses Kenrith's flexible abilities to assemble various combos and win conditions, adapting to the game state to secure victory through different lines of play.

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  Inalla, Archmage Ritualist

  A combo-oriented deck that exploits Inalla's ability to create Wizard tokens for value and combo synergies, often leveraging instant and sorcery spells to generate infinite combos.

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  Kraum, Ludevic's Opus

  A tempo and value-oriented deck that uses Kraum's prowess to draw cards and deal damage, aiming to control the board and find a combo or beatdown finish.

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  Ikra Shidiqi, the Usurper

  A life-based control/combo deck that uses Ikra’s ability to gain life and control the board while setting up combos that leverage life gain and damage triggers for a win.

• 

  Godo, Bandit Warlord

  A red-focused aggressive and combo deck that aims to quickly assemble equipment combos and generate extra combat phases to deal lethal damage.

Gameplay Insights

• 1

  Codie's activation of his commander ability is a mana ability and thus cannot be responded to, allowing for smooth combo execution during spell casting.

• 2

  Chains of Mephistopheles was played early to disrupt opponents' draws but had limited impact against Rashmi’s card advantage and Codie’s fast combo setup.

• 3

  Players used precise sequencing of tutors and mana rocks to assemble the combo pieces efficiently, highlighting the importance of fast mana and card filtering in cEDH.

• 4

  The combination of LED, Manamorphose, and Underworld Breach enabled Codie to generate massive storm counts and resource loops needed to win quickly.

• 5

  Despite multiple attempts at interaction, the sheer speed and consistency of Codie's deck made it difficult for opponents to disrupt the combo once underway.

Notable Cards

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  Ad Nauseam

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  Manamorphose

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  Underworld Breach

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  Demonic Consultation

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  Chains of Mephistopheles

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  Void Snare

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  Profane Tutor

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  Carpet of Flowers

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  Dockside Extortionist

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  City of Brass

Summary

The first game featured a heated four-player match between Codie, Rashmi, Nath, and Kenrith. Early turns saw players ramping mana and setting up defenses, with Rashmi and Codie leveraging their commanders' abilities to maintain hand advantage and dig for combo pieces. Codie, piloting a turbo Ad Nauseam deck, quickly assembled the necessary fast mana and card draw to chain a powerful combo involving LED, Manamorphose, and Underworld Breach. Despite some interaction attempts like Chains of Mephistopheles and Void Snare, Codie successfully executed a storm combo by casting Ad Nauseam and then finishing with a Demonic Consultation plus Laboratory Maniac to win. The game highlighted the explosive potential of Codie's list when it finds its key pieces early. The second game (not fully covered here) likely continued to showcase high-level cEDH play with multiple combo-centric decks trying to outpace each other through efficient mana use, interaction, and tactical plays. Overall, the games demonstrated how diverse strategies—from control and attrition to combo and storm—interact in a competitive multiplayer environment, with timing and precise sequencing proving pivotal for victory.