Zendikar Rising - Zagras, Omnath LoC, Ashaya, Anowon - #EDH Gameplay Ep 30

Deck Strategies

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  Omnath, Locus of Creation

  Ramp and card draw engine utilizing landfall triggers and Food Chain combos to generate infinite mana and value, aiming to win through elemental synergies and explosive plays.

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  Ashaya, Soul of the Wild

  Aggro-combo deck focused on infinite mana generation with mana dorks and Argothian Elder combos, using infinite mana sinks like Finale of Devastation to overrun the board or kill opponents.

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  Anowon, the Ruin Thief

  Rogue tribal with disruption and theft mechanics, leveraging card draw and stealing opponents’ resources to gain incremental advantage and control the game.

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  Zagras, Thief of Heartbeats

  Control and pinger strategy aimed at clearing the board by destroying creatures and taxing opponents, using Jeska and equipment like Basilisk Collar to pressure and control opposing threats.

Gameplay Insights

• 1

  The timely use of Drannith Magistrate effectively stalled David’s Ashaya combo by preventing the casting of commanders and key spells, buying the group crucial time.

• 2

  Sequeira’s Jeska equipped with Basilisk Collar created a potent threat with deathtouch, enabling effective creature control and punishing opponents attempting to develop the board.

• 3

  Baal’s use of Brazen Borrower’s Petty Theft on Jeska delayed Sequeira’s tempo, demonstrating how disruption on key creatures can slow aggressive control plans.

• 4

  Luis allowing Omnath to be exiled with Delay showed confidence in his game plan despite temporary loss of his commander and emphasized the importance of timing and resource management in cEDH.

• 5

  David’s Genesis Wave, although powerful, was carefully allowed by Luis after assessing likely counter spells, highlighting the balance between interaction and resource preservation.

Notable Cards

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  Mystic Remora

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  Force of Negation

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  Argothian Elder

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  Finale of Devastation

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  Drannith Magistrate

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  Mnemonic Betrayal

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  Looter il-Kor

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  Jeska, Warrior Adept

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  Basilisk Collar

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  Robber of the Rich

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  Genesis Wave

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  Delay

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  Brazen Borrower // Petty Theft

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  Nylea, God of the Hunt

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  Cloudstone Curio

Summary

The game began with Luis on Omnath, Locus of Creation setting up a strong ramp and card draw engine using Mystic Remora and Llanowar Elves, aiming to leverage Omnath's value with elemental synergies and Food Chain interactions. David's Ashaya deck quickly ramped with mana dorks and sought to assemble infinite mana combos involving Argothian Elder and Ashaya, using infinite mana sinks like Finale of Devastation to attempt a table wipe. Baal’s Anowon deck focused on rogue tribal synergies and disruption, applying pressure with Looter Il-Kor and leveraging cards like Mnemonic Betrayal and Intuition to steal critical resources. Sequeira piloted Zagras with a pinger/control strategy aiming to dismantle creatures and maintain board control through targeted removal and taxing effects. Key turning points included Luis casting Omnath but having it delayed by Baal’s Delay, slowing his combo development. David's Genesis Wave brought a handful of permanents but was stalled by Drannith Magistrate, preventing him from casting his commander or other key spells to advance infinite mana lines. Sequeira helped keep David in check by removing key creatures like Elvish Mystic and Rampaging Baloths to delay infinite mana assembly. Baal effectively pressured David and disrupted Jeska, Zagras’s companion, to hinder Sequeira’s board presence. Sequeira’s use of Basilisk Collar on Jeska created a deathtouch attacker that helped control the board. Overall, the game revolved around controlling key combo pieces, managing the board state, and leveraging incremental advantage through rogue theft, removal, and ramp, with no clear immediate winner by the segment's end.