Zaxara vs Korvold vs Oona vs Thrasios/Vial Smasher | CEDH Gameplay

Deck Strategies

• 

  Korvold, Fae-Cursed King

  Proactively generates value by sacrificing permanents to draw cards and gain resources, aiming to leverage Food Chain and recursion combos to produce infinite mana and win with powerful finishers.

• 

  Thrasios, Triton Hero / Vial Smasher the Fierce

  Utilizes efficient interaction and storm elements to control the board and generate value, combining cheap spells with tutors and card draw to assemble storm or other combo finishers.

• 

  Oona, Queen of the Fae

  Adapts between gaining incremental advantage through disruption and card advantage, aiming to win via combo or mill by assembling key components while controlling opponents' plays.

• 

  Zaxara, the Exemplary

  Flexible deck that aims to outvalue opponents through incremental advantage or assemble a combo utilizing Zaxara and Freed from the Real to generate infinite mana and execute a decisive win.

Gameplay Insights

• 1

  Using Gilded Drake repeatedly to exchange and steal key creatures effectively disrupted opponents' board states and combos.

• 2

  Players prioritized protecting their combo pieces with counterspells like Fierce Guardianship and Flusterstorm, highlighting the importance of timing and interaction in cEDH.

• 3

  The presence of Tabernacle at Pendrell Vale forced players to carefully manage their creature count and mana resources, influencing sequencing and play choices.

• 4

  Mayhem Devil's ping damage combined with land fetches was used strategically to remove small creatures and apply pressure.

• 5

  Multiple attempts at Demonic Consultation and other tutors were met with efficient counters, demonstrating the high level of interaction typical in cEDH.

• 6

  Value engines such as Mystic Remora and Narset, Parter of Veils provided consistent card advantage and disruption, shaping the flow of the game.

Notable Cards

• 

  Gilded Drake

• 

  Mayhem Devil

• 

  Narset, Parter of Veils

• 

  Mystic Remora

• 

  Demonic Consultation

• 

  Flusterstorm

• 

  Fierce Guardianship

• 

  Mental Misstep

• 

  Windfall

• 

  Mana Crypt

• 

  Swan Song

Summary

The game featured four competitive cEDH decks piloted by experienced players, each leveraging their commanders' unique strengths. Early turns focused on ramping mana and setting up board presence with creatures like Elvish Mystic, Fine-Fern Elves, and Gilded Drake facilitating card advantage and board control. Key interactive moments included multiple counterspells and disruption spells such as Fierce Guardianship, Flusterstorm, and Mental Misstep, preventing opponents' pivotal plays like Windfall and Demonic Consultation. A significant turning point was the repeated use of Gilded Drake to steal critical creatures, disrupting opponents' combos and tempo. As the game progressed, players utilized powerful value engines and tutors to assemble combos or lock opponents out. Tabernacle at Pendrell Vale imposed taxing conditions on creature-heavy decks, while Narset, Parter of Veils and Mystic Remora generated card advantage and information control. The interplay of Mayhem Devil's ping damage with fetch lands chipped away at opponent resources. Despite multiple combo attempts, counterspells and strategic removal prolonged the game, emphasizing tight resource management and timing. The game remained a dynamic battle of attrition and disruption as players sought to execute their win conditions through infinite mana combos or mill strategies.