cEDH Gameplay with John! Thrasios/Vial vs Thrasios/Dargo vs Inalla vs Nadu

Deck Strategies

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  Thrasios, Triton Hero + Vial Smasher the Fierce

  Midrange control deck seeking to manage the board and find infinite mana combos to win, leveraging tutors and efficient disruption.

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  Dargo, the Shipwrecker + Thrasios, Triton Hero

  Midrange deck with unique combos tied to Dargo’s abilities, focusing on fast Dockside Extortionist plays and flexible game pace.

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  Inalla, Archmage Ritualist

  Aggressive spell combo deck aiming to deploy Spellseeker quickly, use reanimation, and generate value from token copies to combo off or control the game.

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  Nadu, Winged Wisdom

  Turbo Simic combo deck that builds massive card and land advantage using token generation and silvery safekeepers, aiming for infinite mana to win through Walking Ballista or Finale Devastation.

Gameplay Insights

• 1

  Players prioritized early mana acceleration and tutor effects to assemble their combos quickly, with particular emphasis on Dockside Extortionist generating treasure tokens.

• 2

  Silven Safekeeper was repeatedly used to protect key combo pieces by granting shroud and phasing them out, disrupting opponents' ability to interact effectively.

• 3

  The interaction between multiple counterspells like Flusterstorm and Swan Song was critical in preventing fast combo attempts and maintaining board control.

• 4

  John’s use of Apprentice Necromancer to create token copies synergized well with Inalla’s ability, enabling value generation and combo potential despite heavy disruption.

• 5

  Players engaged in high-level table politics, such as negotiating treasure token sacrifices to enable combo activations, illustrating the importance of social dynamics in cEDH gameplay.

• 6

  Repeated activations of Thrasios for card advantage allowed players to dig for answers and combo pieces, highlighting the commander’s value in cEDH midrange strategies.

Notable Cards

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  Dockside Extortionist

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  Thrasios, Triton Hero

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  Vial Smasher the Fierce

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  Nadu, Winged Wisdom

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  Apprentice Necromancer

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  Ruthless Technomancer

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  Spellseeker

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  Flusterstorm

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  Swan Song

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  Chain of Vapor

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  The One Ring

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  Imperial Recruiter

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  Nantuko Husk

Summary

The game started with all players setting up their respective strategies: Spooky piloting a midrange Thrasios/Vial Smasher deck aiming for infinite mana combos, Jrock on a midrange Dargo/Thrasios list looking for early Dockside Extortionist plays, John on an Inalla, Archmage Ritualist deck focusing on fast spellseeker combos and reanimation, and Eli on a turbo Simic Nadu deck that exploits card and land advantage to assemble infinite mana combos. Early turns featured heavy mana acceleration, tutors, and board presence establishment, with key plays including Dockside Extortionist generating treasure tokens and Silven Safekeeper protecting critical creatures like Nadu with shroud and phasing mechanics. The game had intense interaction with counterspells like Flusterstorm and Swan Song, as well as responses to combo attempts, highlighting the high-level political and tactical interplay typical of cEDH games. The board state saw multiple Treasure tokens, insect tokens from Eli's Nantuko, and various protective effects, creating a complex web of interactions. The pivotal moments involved the coordination around Dockside Extortionist and multiple activations of Thrasios for card advantage, along with John’s attempts to utilize Apprentice Necromancer and ruthless technomancer for value and combo potential. The outcome centered on players leveraging their infinite mana lines and spell synergies while countering opponents' key plays, with the game progressing through careful resource management and tempo shifts.