Deck & Commander Strategies
Etali, Primal Conqueror
Utilizes aggressive combat damage triggers with extra combat steps and heavy spellcasting, supported by artifact ramp and protection like Lightning Greaves to repeatedly hit opponents and generate card advantage.
Brallin, Skyshark Rider / Shabraz, the Skyshark
Leverages shark tribal synergies with multiple combat damage triggers to grow board presence, gain life, and draw cards, aiming to overwhelm opponents through incremental advantage and double strike damage.
Zhulodok, Void Gorger
Focuses on artifact ramp and value generation, using cards like Soul Ring and Grim Monolith to accelerate mana and cast high-impact creatures and spells, controlling the board through artifact synergies.
Loot, the Pathfinder
Relies on a loot theme to filter cards and generate value, utilizing artifacts like Blast Zone and other control elements to manage threats while developing a steady board state for mid to late game dominance.
Gameplay Insights
- 1
The use of Wheel of Fortune was a critical turning point, refreshing hands and triggering multiple Shabraz counters to stabilize and ramp life totals.
- 2
Etali’s player cleverly utilized Ghostly Flicker targeting Phantasmal Image to copy Etali multiple times, enabling extra combat steps and card draw to maintain pressure and board control.
- 3
Players prioritized protecting key creatures like Etali with equipment such as Lightning Greaves to ensure uncounterable and unblockable damage.
- 4
Blast Zone was effectively used to manage zero-mana rocks, indicating a focus on artifact control in a high mana acceleration environment.
- 5
The shark tribal synergy from Shabraz and Brallin consistently generated incremental card advantage and life gain, showcasing the power of tribal triggers in cEDH.
- 6
The sequence of casting tutors and managing exiled cards (e.g., Mystical Tutor and Worldly Tutor) allowed players to set up combo pieces efficiently, highlighting the importance of tutor chains in competitive EDH.
Notable Cards
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Mystical Tutor
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Lightning Greaves
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Wheel of Fortune
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Grim Monolith
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Blast Zone
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Ghostly Flicker
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Phantasmal Image
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Twinflame
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Force of Will
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Mana Crypt
Gameplay Summary
The game features a high-powered cEDH multiplayer match with five commanders: Etali, Primal Conqueror; Brallin, Skyshark Rider; Shabraz, the Skyshark; Zhulodok, Void Gorger; and Loot, the Pathfinder.
Early turns focus on ramping mana and setting up critical artifact and enchantment synergies, with players deploying mana rocks like Grim Monolith and Soul Ring and utility lands such as Ancient Tomb.
Etali's player struggles initially with a tough flip but recovers with key spells like Mystical Tutor and Lightning Greaves to equip Etali and mount pressure.
Meanwhile, Shabraz and Brallin leverage their shark tribal synergies, generating multiple triggers from card draws and combat damage to gain incremental advantages and life gain. A pivotal moment occurs when a Wheel of Fortune is cast, refilling hands and triggering multiple Shabraz counters, which stabilizes that player’s board presence.
Meanwhile, the Loot player methodically develops board resources, including a Blast Zone and Lantern, to control the game state.
The Zhulodok player uses mana acceleration and artifact synergies to cast powerful spells and generate value, while Etali’s player executes a combo involving Ghostly Flicker and Phantasmal Image to copy Etali, enabling multiple extra combat steps and card draws.
The game’s tension centers around resolving these combos and managing board wipes, with the shark decks poised to finish the game through overwhelming combat damage and repeated triggers.
Overall, the gameplay showcases strategic sequencing of spells, artifact interaction, and combo execution as the primary pathways to victory.
