Group Hug EDH x4 | Roon v Braids v Gahiji v Belbe | Holiday Commander Gameplay - Magic the Gathering

Deck Strategies

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  Roon of the Hidden Realm

  Utilizes blink effects to generate value and control the board with incremental advantage, aiming for alternate win conditions such as Laboratory Maniac and Approach of the Second Sun.

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  Braids, Conjurer Adept

  Leverages artifact combos and mass artifact production to overwhelm opponents, supported by group hug strategies like Howling Mine to keep resources flowing.

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  Gahiji, Honored One

  Focuses on encouraging combat and aggression by giving opponents creatures, while ramping mana and using enchantments to boost creatures and generate alternate win conditions like Epic Struggle.

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  Belbe, Corrupted Observer

  Employs graveyard recursion and token production to build a wide board presence, with win conditions revolving around overwhelming opponents through incremental value from creatures and spells.

Gameplay Insights

• 1

  Players prioritized maintaining a high card draw and mana ramp to fuel their group hug effects, creating a game environment where cooperation was incentivized early on.

• 2

  The use of Endless Whispers was a pivotal moment, enabling a recursion loop that could swing board presence dramatically by returning creatures from graveyards.

• 3

  Stacking life gain triggers with cards like Phylidel Sovereign and Miles Arya was a clever defensive tactic to keep players safe from lethal damage and maintain board stability.

• 4

  Players strategically avoided attacking certain opponents to keep the group hug benefits flowing, showing the influence of social dynamics in multiplayer EDH games.

• 5

  The combination of Mirari's Wake and Epic Struggle enabled massive mana and combat phase enhancements, setting up potential game-ending turns.

Notable Cards

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  Howling Mine

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  Endless Whispers

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  Mirari's Wake

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  Epic Struggle

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  Skullwinder

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  Bramble Sovereign

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  Tempt with Discovery

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  Reliquary Tower

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  Magus of the Vineyard

Summary

The game started with all four players deploying group hug-style decks, focusing heavily on resource sharing and ramping each other to maintain a high card draw and mana base. Early turns saw players casting various group hug staples like Howling Mine, Well of Ideas, and Tempt with Discovery, allowing everyone to accelerate their game plans. The board state developed with creatures that generated tokens, doubled mana production, and copied spells or creatures, creating a dynamic but friendly atmosphere. Key plays included the casting of Endless Whispers, which created a potent recursion engine by reanimating creatures from graveyards, and Mirari's Wake combined with Epic Struggle and other enchantments to amplify mana and creature power.