Deck & Commander Strategies
Lonis, Cryptozoologist
A creature combo deck that builds value through clues and incremental advantage, aiming to leverage a Shrieking Drake infinite loop or other combos for a win.
Malcolm, Keen-Eyed Navigator / Vial Smasher the Fierce
An aggressive Grixis pirate deck focused on fast combo wins using synergy with treasures and card advantage, including combos with Thassa’s Oracle, Underworld Breach, and a pirate treasure ping loop.
Magda, Brazen Outlaw
A mono-red dwarf tribal combo deck that accelerates through artifact synergies to produce treasures and combos quickly, aiming for instant-speed wins with cards like Clockwork Automaton.
Najeela, the Blade-Blossom
A five-color good-stuff deck packed with multiple win conditions such as Derevi combos, Thassa’s Oracle, and Underworld Breach, focusing on card draw and value generation to outlast opponents.
Gameplay Insights
- 1
Early explosive starts can be dismantled effectively by timely mass removal like Culling Ritual, which stalled Magda’s dominant opening.
- 2
The Malcolm player capitalized on treasure generation and card draw loops involving Glint-Horn Buccaneer and The One Ring to create an unblockable pinging engine.
- 3
Lonis’s slow but steady clue generation combined with sacrifice outlets allowed for incremental pressure, but it struggled against faster combo decks.
- 4
Using Opposition Agent to steal key tutors or lock opponents from searching their decks was a crucial disruption tactic.
- 5
Final Fortune was used as a desperation move by Najeela’s player but failed to turn the tide due to overwhelming pressure from the opponents.
- 6
Multiple players recognized the inevitability of Malcolm’s looping damage and conceded before it reached lethal, showing the power of persistent combo engines in cEDH.
Notable Cards
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The One Ring
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Opposition Agent
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Glint-Horn Buccaneer
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Culling Ritual
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Shrieking Drake
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Agatha's Soul Cauldron
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Final Fortune
Gameplay Summary
The first game features a dynamic contest between Lonis, Cryptozoologist; Malcolm, Keen-Eyed Navigator paired with Vial Smasher the Fierce; Magda, Brazen Outlaw; and Najeela, the Blade-Blossom.
Lonis’s player builds up clues and value creatures like Cabbage Merchant and Cloud of Faeries to generate incremental advantage, while Malcolm’s player aggressively threatens with pirate synergies and treasure generation.
Magda’s deck leverages dwarves and artifact synergies to ramp quickly and generate treasures, posing a lethal threat early on.
Najeela’s deck, a five-color powerhouse, focuses on good-stuff combos and card draw engines but struggles to stabilize under pressure.
A key turning point occurs when the Magda player’s board is disrupted by Culling Ritual, stalling their explosive start.
Later, the Malcolm player uses a combination of The One Ring, Opposition Agent, and Glint-Horn Buccaneer to establish a powerful loop that pings opponents repeatedly, ultimately winning the game after the other players concede to the inevitability of the loop.
![Mad Farm vs Godo Helm vs Magda Combo vs Yuriko [cEDH/Commander, Magic The Gathering Gameplay] 2021 thumbnail](https://i.ytimg.com/vi/1GsqWsqhkFA/sddefault.jpg)
