Is Alexios better than Slicer? cEDH Gauntlet

Deck Strategies

• 

  Alexios, Deimos of Kosmos

  Aggressively cast early to quickly build a large, double-striking commander through combat damage and plus-one counters, using haste and trample to close out games fast before opponents can stabilize.

• 

  Kenrith, the Returned King

  Utilizes versatile abilities to support multiple strategies including reanimation, ramp, and interactive spells, aiming to outvalue opponents through flexible utility and powerful card advantage.

• 

  Rograkh, Son of Rohgahh

  Focused on generating mana and deploying efficient creatures to pressure opponents quickly, often leveraging aggressive tribal or sacrifice synergies.

• 

  Silas Renn, Seeker Adept

  Combines artifact synergies with disruption and recursion, aiming to control the board and out-resource opponents while assembling combos or incremental advantage.

• 

  Kinnan, Bonder Prodigy

  Ramp-heavy deck that exploits mana dorks and mana-producing creatures to generate large amounts of mana quickly, enabling big spells or combos to dominate the late game.

Gameplay Insights

• 1

  Early casting of Alexios on turn one created immediate pressure that dictated the pace of the game and forced opponents to use their resources defensively.

• 2

  The use of Chrome Mox and Arcane Signet provided crucial mana acceleration that enabled multiple spells and interactions in a single turn.

• 3

  Chain of Vapor was effectively used to bounce Alexios, temporarily halting the commander’s growth and attacking potential.

• 4

  A well-timed Wheel of Fortune reshaped the players' hands, forcing difficult discards and disrupting their planned plays.

• 5

  Players anticipated the danger of Alexios’s double strike and trample synergy, prioritizing disruption over other strategies to survive early aggression.

• 6

  Mana Drain and Flusterstorm were key counterspells that helped control the storm count and prevent critical spells from resolving.

• 7

  The Alexios player maximized commander triggers by attacking and using haste-enhancing effects to maintain board dominance and card draw.

Notable Cards

• 

  Alexios, Deimos of Kosmos

• 

  Arcane Signet

• 

  Chrome Mox

• 

  Chain of Vapor

• 

  Mystic Remora

• 

  Demonic Tutor

• 

  Rhystic Study

• 

  Wheel of Fortune

• 

  Mana Crypt

• 

  Lion's Eye Diamond

• 

  Mana Drain

• 

  Flusterstorm

Summary

The game began with an explosive early presence from Alexios, Deimos of Kosmos, who was cast on turn one, immediately putting pressure on the table with its haste and combat abilities. This early aggression forced opponents to react quickly, but the Alexios player managed to build a threatening board state supported by card draw and combat tricks. Key turning points included the casting of powerful synergy cards such as Arcane Signet and Chrome Mox, enabling quick mana acceleration and multiple spells in a turn. The Alexios player leveraged the commander’s growth through combat damage and plus-one counters, steadily growing its power and applying lethal pressure by midgame. Meanwhile, other players attempted to slow down the Alexios onslaught with bounce effects and removal, including a well-timed Chain of Vapor to return Alexios to hand, temporarily stalling his momentum. Other decks focused on their own ramp and card advantage engines, with notable plays including casting Demonic Tutor and Rhystic Study to dig deeper and maintain resources. A pivotal wheel effect disrupted players’ hands, reshaping the game’s resource landscape and forcing tough discards. Despite this, the Alexios deck maintained its aggressive stance, continually threatening lethal swings with trample and haste, while other players tried to stabilize and leverage their own combos and interaction. The game illustrated the tension between early commander aggression and the value of disruption and card advantage in cEDH play.