Deck Strategies
Etali, Primal Conqueror
Leverage Etali's ability to deal direct combat damage that exiles and casts spells from opponents' decks, generating card advantage and disrupting opponents while using fast mana and aggressive creatures to pressure life totals.
Gameplay Insights
- 1
Players prioritized fast mana acceleration and early creature deployment to maximize Etali's combat triggers as quickly as possible.
- 2
The use of Cursed Mirror on Etali doubled the effectiveness of the commander, creating a significant threat that opponents had to address immediately.
- 3
Holding back on casting wheel effects early in the game was a strategic choice to avoid fueling opponents' hands when they were in strong positions.
- 4
The interaction between Ragavan’s threat and the various pings and damage sources kept the board state dynamic and forced players to constantly adapt their plans.
- 5
Players used top-deck manipulation and wheels to refresh hands and find crucial combo pieces, maintaining constant pressure and resource flow.
Notable Cards
Etali, Primal Conqueror // Etali, Primal Sickness
Ragavan, Nimble Pilferer
Tinder Wall
Imperial Recruiter
Cursed Mirror
Elvish Mystic
Wheel of Fortune
Fury
Summary
The game featured an intense four-player cEDH match with all players piloting variations of Etali, Primal Conqueror decks, creating a high-speed, high-stakes environment with fast mana acceleration and disruptive plays. Early turns saw multiple players establishing their mana bases aggressively, casting efficient cards like Ragavan, Tinder Wall, and setting up mana dorks such as Elvish Mystic and Spirit Guides to ramp into powerful spells quickly. The board state developed with players layering resource generation and value engines, including tokens and combo enablers like Imperial Recruiter and Cursed Mirror. A critical turning point occurred when players began resolving wheels and top-deck manipulation spells, fueling their hands with fresh resources and enabling key combo pieces to come online. One player activated a Cursed Mirror on Etali, effectively doubling the threat and pressure on opponents, while others leveraged Ragavan and aggressive creatures to chip away at life totals. Despite multiple counterspells held up, the game maintained a fast pace with constant threats and responses. The interplay of combo potential, resource denial, and value creatures defined the game’s tempo as players jockeyed for control with Etali's powerful combat triggers central to their damage output and win conditions.
