TOP-DECK OF THE CENTURY! cEDH Gameplay ETALI v. UKKIMA/CAZUR v. Y'SHTOLA v. ROG/THRAS

Deck Strategies

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  Etali, Primal Conqueror

  Generate large amounts of mana to cast Etali, then exile opponents' libraries with Food Chain to cast spells infinitely and win the game.

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  Ukkima, Stalking Shadow

  Use Food Chain to generate infinite mana and repeatedly cast and sacrifice Ukkima to deal lethal damage to opponents.

• 

  Cazur, Ruthless Stalker

  Also a Food Chain combo deck aiming to use infinite mana and sacrifice outlets to win through repeated creature casts.

• 

  Y'shtola, Night's Blessed

  Midrange value deck focused on drawing cards from opponents' life loss and winning through a combo with Thassa's Oracle.

• 

  Rograkh, Son of Rohgahh / Thrasios, Triton Hero

  A Rock/Control style deck leveraging disruption, removal, and value engines to stabilize and win through incremental advantage.

Gameplay Insights

• 1

  Killing Rograkh early was a critical decision to prevent him from using Fierce Guardianship to protect other threats, showcasing the importance of prioritizing disruptive commanders.

• 2

  Etali’s attempt to execute a Food Chain infinite combo was thwarted by a Mindbreak Trap that exiled the commander, illustrating how well-timed counterspells and exile effects can disrupt combo decks.

• 3

  Players carefully chose which artifacts and enchantments to destroy with Druid of Purification to slow down opponents without overextending vulnerabilities.

• 4

  The game featured long deliberations over removal targets, highlighting the high-stakes decision-making in cEDH where every choice can drastically alter the game's outcome.

• 5

  The interplay of value engines like Spellseeker and card draw synergies from life loss triggers allowed Y'shtola to maintain a strong board presence while setting up a combo finish.

• 6

  Use of combo enablers such as Crop Rotation to fetch key lands like Kaalia's Cradle was pivotal for mana acceleration and combo assembly.

Notable Cards

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  Food Chain

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  Mindbreak Trap

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  Fierce Guardianship

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  Spellseeker

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  Bloodstained Mire

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  Demonic Tutor

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  Destiny Spinner

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  Cabal Ritual

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  Crop Rotation

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  Dark Ritual

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  Wall of Roots

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  Thassa's Oracle

Summary

The game featured a highly competitive cEDH multiplayer match with five different commanders, each piloted by experienced players. Early on, players set up their mana bases and cast key value and combo-enabling pieces, such as Soul Ring, Spellseeker, and various ramp artifacts. The game saw heavy interaction, including targeted removal and strategic choices about which creatures and enchantments to eliminate, notably the decision to kill Rograkh to prevent his disruptive potential. Etali aimed to leverage top-deck manipulations and Food Chain combos to exile opponents' libraries and cast spells infinitely, but was hindered by a well-timed Mindbreak Trap that exiled Etali itself. Ukkima and Cazur pursued Food Chain infinite mana combos involving sac outlets to close out the game, while Y'shtola played a midrange value strategy, drawing cards and leveraging life loss triggers to eventually win via a combo involving Thassa's Oracle. Throughout, careful sequencing, counterplay with effects like Fierce Guardianship, and control of key enchantments and artifacts dictated the flow of the game. The pivotal moment was the disruption of Etali’s combo attempt and subsequent board wipes and removal that kept the game balanced until a decisive combo finish emerged.