Deck & Commander Strategies
Krark, the Thumbless / Sakashima of a Thousand Faces
A midrange deck leveraging Krark’s coin flip abilities for value and disruption, supported by Sakashima to duplicate Krark and maximize repeated effects, aiming to control the board and combo out through repeated spells and favorable flips.
Kenrith, the Returned King
A proactive combo deck that attempts an early Hermit Druid activation to generate massive graveyard-based combos, aiming to quickly win or establish overwhelming board presence.
Grand Arbiter Augustin IV
A mill-focused control deck utilizing the commander’s cost reduction and taxing abilities to deploy multiple persistent petitioners and leverage Mesmeric Orb for continuous milling, aiming to win via milling opponents out or setting up Thassa’s Oracle.
Tymna the Weaver / Tana, the Bloodsower
A stack-based disruption deck combined with hate bears to lock opponents down, assembling a Kiki-Jiki combo with either Restoration Angel or Survival of the Fittest to generate infinite combat steps or token combos for a decisive win.
Gameplay Insights
- 1
Reo’s use of Mesmeric Orb and persistent petitioners set a steady milling pace that pressured all players, showing the power of incremental advantage in cEDH.
- 2
Zack’s decision to resurrect Elesh Norn over Goblin Sharpshooter reflected a strategic choice to control the board state rather than reveal an immediate combo kill, maintaining tension and flexibility.
- 3
Adam’s Krark deck relied heavily on risky coin flips; the failed four-flip sequence on Lightning Bolt highlighted the high variance nature of his strategy.
- 4
The interplay of Tymna's card draw triggers with Carpet of Flowers allowed Zack to maintain card advantage and mana acceleration simultaneously, crucial for assembling his combo.
- 5
Despite early struggles, Folger's Kenrith deck remained a threat due to the potential of Hermit Druid, forcing opponents to balance aggression and defense carefully.
Notable Cards
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Mesmeric Orb
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Persistent Petitioners
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Smothering Tithe
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Tymna the Weaver
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Tana, the Bloodsower
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Karmic Guide
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Elesh Norn, Grand Cenobite
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Krark's Thumb
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Lightning Bolt
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Carpet of Flowers
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Hermit Druid
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Grand Arbiter Augustin IV
Gameplay Summary
The game opened with Folger on Kenrith attempting to set up a Hermit Druid combo early, but he struggled to find the right lands and pieces, falling behind in board presence.
Adam piloting Krark and Sakashima focused on leveraging Krark's coin flip abilities to generate value and control the board, while Reo with Grand Arbiter Augustin IV established a mill strategy using Mesmeric Orb combined with persistent petitioners and Smothering Tithe to generate treasures and pressure opponents.
Zack's Tymna and Tana deck aimed to stabilize through stacking disruption and hate bears before assembling a Kiki-Jiki combo to close the game, generating tokens and card advantage along the way. Early turns saw Mesmeric Orb steadily milling all players and setting the pace for a grindy midgame.
Adam’s coin flip antics and repeated commander casts kept the pressure high, while Reo's control of the board via persistent petitioners and Grand Arbiter's tax effects hindered opponents' mana development.
Zack demonstrated strong card advantage through Tymna triggers and Carpet of Flowers, eventually resurrecting Elesh Norn with Karmic Guide to cripple opponents’ board states.
The game’s momentum shifted as Zack began attacking aggressively while producing saproling tokens with Tana.
Meanwhile, Adam’s Krark combo pieces and Reo’s milling synergy maintained constant threats, creating a dynamic board state filled with interaction and tension. A notable turning point occurred when Zack chose to resurrect Elesh Norn rather than Goblin Sharpshooter, signaling a strategic decision to suppress opponents rather than outright combo kill immediately, which allowed the game to continue with high tension.
Adam's failed coin flips on a crucial Lightning Bolt cast resulted in the spell bouncing back to hand, reflecting the high variance and risk of his deck's strategy.
The game continued evolving with players balancing aggressive plays, mill pressure, and combo setups, showcasing the interplay of multiple win conditions and the importance of timing and resource management in cEDH.