CEDH Gameplay! Featuring Fringe Decks??? Kotis vs Pako/Haldan vs Kess vs Loot!

Deck Strategies

• 

  Kotis, the Fangkeeper

  A creature-centric deck leveraging Kotis's ability to create and buff wolves, combined with artifact ramp and disruption to maintain board presence and pressure opponents.

• 

  Pako, Arcane Retriever / Haldan, Avid Arcanist

  A paired deck focused on aggressive early game pressure through exiling opponents' cards with Pako and casting multiple spells per turn with Haldan, aiming to control the board and deny opponents resources.

• 

  Kess, Dissident Mage

  Spell recursion and control using Kess’s ability to cast instant and sorcery cards from the graveyard, combined with artifact ramp and disruption to outvalue opponents.

• 

  Loot, the Pathfinder

  A deck based on efficient creatures and card advantage, leveraging Loot's ability to loot and filter draws while applying steady pressure and interaction.

Gameplay Insights

• 1

  The early exile of Intuition and Mental Mistakes from Haldan's hand severely disrupted Pako/Haldan’s game plan, illustrating the impact of hand disruption even on aggressive decks.

• 2

  Pako’s ability to exile not only creatures but also key non-creature spells like Force of Negation created lasting resource denial and board control.

• 3

  Kess’s slower start due to lack of lands highlighted the importance of consistent mana base in spell-heavy decks where missing land drops can be crippling.

• 4

  Kotis’s reliance on Wristcuff Study was evident as its early loss significantly hampered his ability to maintain tempo and card advantage.

• 5

  Players prioritized attacking Pako/Haldan after recognizing the threat posed by their aggressive and disruptive playstyle, shifting the game’s focus to neutralizing the most dangerous opponent.

• 6

  The game showcased the delicate balance of aggression, resource denial, and card advantage in fringe cEDH decks, with each player adapting their strategy based on evolving board states.

Notable Cards

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  Otawara, Soaring City

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  Mana Vault

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  Mox Opal

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  Eternal Scourge

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  Elves of Deep Shadow

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  Intuition

• 

  Underworld Breach

• 

  Exotic Orchard

Summary

The game featured a dynamic four-player match among unconventional cEDH decks led by Kotis, the Fangkeeper; the partner pairing Pako and Haldan; Kess, Dissident Mage; and Loot, the Pathfinder. Early turns were marked by explosive mana acceleration, especially from Pako/Haldan and Kess, with key plays such as turn one Otawara into Oelith and early mana vault and mana rocks enabling quick development. Pako/Haldan's ability to exile opponents' cards with Chromox and maintain pressure through aggressive creatures like Felwar Stone and Eternal Scourge put others on the defensive. Meanwhile, Kotis struggled due to a disrupted early game, notably affected by the loss of a pivotal Wristcuff Study, which hampered his typical game plan. Kess focused on card draw and protection, looking for critical pieces to leverage her spell recursion and control capabilities, but was constrained by a lack of land drops in the early turns. Loot, playing a reactive and card advantage-oriented role, maintained steady pressure with efficient creatures and interaction. The game pivoted on Pako/Haldan's aggressive board presence and card denial, with multiple players recognizing the threat and adjusting their attack priorities accordingly. Despite some setbacks, the players kept the board fluid with spells and attacks, setting up for a midgame where combos and resource denial would decide the outcome.