Deck & Commander Strategies
Etali, Primal Conqueror
Etali aims to win by repeatedly attacking to exile and cast powerful spells from opponents' decks, ramping into big threats and leveraging extra combat steps.
Ral, Monsoon Mage
Ral focuses on casting multiple spells per turn to build storm count and generate value through spell copying and disruption, often winning with storm or spell-based combos.
Raph & Mikey, Troublemakers
This deck plays aggressively by casting the commander early and leveraging artifact synergies and stax elements to disrupt opponents while applying pressure.
Malcolm, Keen-Eyed Navigator
Malcolm utilizes a storm-based combo approach, casting numerous cheap spells to build storm count and generate mana through artifact interactions, culminating in a large spell chain to win.
Vial Smasher the Fierce
Vial Smasher supports a fast-paced spellcasting deck that aims to deal damage through spell triggers and build incremental advantage to close out the game quickly.
Gameplay Insights
- 1
Paying life to cast high-impact commanders early allowed for immediate board presence and pressure.
- 2
Using artifact sacrifice and mana generation (Crystal Vein, Bergi triggers) enabled large storm counts and mana acceleration.
- 3
Untimely malfunctions and removal spells were key in disrupting opponents’ artifact-based combos and slowing their tempo.
- 4
Discarding cards strategically (e.g., with Witch's Mark) helped enable damage triggers and keep opponents off balance.
- 5
The non-deterministic nature of the storm combo made opponents concede before the win was fully executed, showing the psychological impact of looming combo turns.
- 6
Careful sequencing of spells and mana use maximized storm count and resource efficiency, a hallmark of high-level cEDH play.
Notable Cards
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Demonic Consultation
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Pyretic Ritual
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Reckless Impulse
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Witch's Mark
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Lava Dart
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Ragavan, Nimble Pilferer
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Scalding Tarn
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Volcanic Island
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Force of Will
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Thundering Falls
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Storm of Memories
Gameplay Summary
The game began with players developing their mana bases and setting up early plays, including land fetches and mana acceleration.
Raph & Mikey successfully cast their commander after paying life, signaling an aggressive start.
Meanwhile, Malcolm/Vialsmasher and Ral focused on ramp and card advantage, with Malcolm casting multiple spells to generate value and build storm count.
The game featured several key interactions such as untimely malfunctions to disrupt artifacts, witch's mark to create damage triggers, and multiple instances of careful life payment and resource management.
As the storm count increased, Malcolm/Vialsmasher executed a series of spells including Bergy triggers, Pyretic Rituals, and Ragavan to build an overwhelming board state and mana pool.
Despite some disruption attempts from opponents, Malcolm/Vialsmasher was on the brink of winning through a non-deterministic storm combo, prompting other players to concede before the exact win condition was fully resolved.
The game highlighted the tension between fast, efficient combos and interactive disruption in cEDH play.
![GREEN GOBLIN v LOTHO v ETALI v MALCOLM\VIAL SMASHER [cEDH GAMEPLAY] thumbnail](https://i.ytimg.com/vi/Yvi8hWJOyY4/sddefault.jpg)
