LITANY - IMPLEMENTS OF cEDH - S17E8 - MARNEUS v ROWAN v BRUSE/THRASIOS v TYMNA/JESKA MTG GAMEPLAY

Deck Strategies

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  Marneus Calgar

  A combo-control deck that uses sacrifice outlets and token generators to create value and lock opponents down, aiming to win through combat damage and efficient resource denial.

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  Bruse Tarl / Thrasios, Triton Hero

  A fast mana combo deck leveraging powerful mana rocks and interaction to assemble combos quickly, while using strong creatures to apply pressure and protect key pieces.

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  Jeska, Thrice Reborn / Tymna the Weaver

  A disruptive midrange deck focusing on incremental value through life manipulation, card draw, and bouncing key creatures to reset board states, aiming to outvalue opponents while applying steady pressure.

• 

  Rowan, Scion of War

  Aggressive combat-focused deck that gains value from dealing combat damage, often using tokens and equipment to overwhelm opponents, with a side of stax elements to slow the game.

Gameplay Insights

• 1

  Early use of mana acceleration like Lion's Eye Diamond and Grim Monolith enabled quick deployment of disruptive threats and stax pieces.

• 2

  Opposition Agent was pivotal in shutting down opponents’ tutoring and card advantage options, forcing players to adapt their plans.

• 3

  Copying powerful creatures such as Linvala with Imposter Mech created unexpected board states and disrupted key opponent strategies.

• 4

  Players frequently used bounce and sacrifice effects to reset the board and deny opponents critical value, keeping the game dynamic.

• 5

  The decision to concede in style by a player recognizing an unwinnable board state shows strong game awareness and sportsmanship in competitive EDH.

• 6

  Combat damage was carefully calculated, with blockers chosen to minimize value loss while maximizing pressure on opponents.

Notable Cards

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  Lion's Eye Diamond

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  Ragavan, Nimble Pilferer

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  Opposition Agent

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  The One Ring

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  Gilded Drake

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  Grim Monolith

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  Imposter Mech

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  Linvala, Keeper of Silence

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  Grim Hireling

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  Tainted Pact

Summary

The game began with aggressive early plays and a heavy focus on mana acceleration and disruption, highlighted by early casting of cards like Lion's Eye Diamond and Ragavan, Nimble Pilferer. Players jockeyed for board control with stax elements and interaction, including counterspells and removal. A key early skirmish involved multiple attempts to resolve powerful permanents such as Opposition Agent and The One Ring, with players frequently using treasures and mana rocks to enable fast plays. Marneus Calgar and Jeska, Thrice Reborn featured prominently in combat phases, driving damage and encouraging sacrifice and token strategies. Midgame saw a flurry of tactical combat decisions, with players leveraging creatures like Gilded Drake and Grim Monolith alongside key artifacts such as Soul Ring and Grim Hireling to maintain tempo. The game was punctuated by a notable use of copy effects and flicker strategies, with Imposter Mech copying Linvala, Keeper of Silence and other impactful creatures. A critical moment came when a player chose to concede in a stylish manner after realizing a no-win position, demonstrating the high stakes and fast pace of competitive EDH. The tension built as Jeska and Tymna's team used bounce and sacrifice effects to disrupt their opponents, but the stax and disruption elements kept the board state dynamic and contested. The game was characterized by constant interaction, resource denial, and clever sequencing, typical of a cEDH environment.