EDH | Selvala vs Braids vs Xyris vs Belbe | GROUP HUG! | MTG Basics | MCT 100 EP12

Deck Strategies

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  Selvala, Explorer Returned

  Utilizes group hug effects by giving opponents mana and card draw while ramping quickly to cast big creatures and spells. The deck aims to leverage the extra resources to outvalue opponents and win through large threats or combos.

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  Belbe, Corrupted Observer

  Focuses on providing opponents with mana by dealing combat damage, enabling everyone to accelerate their game plans. The deck likely aims to capitalize on the increased mana production for explosive plays or control elements.

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  Xyris, the Writhing Storm

  A wheel-focused deck that forces opponents to discard and draw, generating card advantage and tokens. Xyris draws cards when it deals damage, fueling a combo or swarm strategy to overwhelm opponents.

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  Braids, Conjurer Adept

  Aggressively ramps and aims to trigger early annihilator effects with large artifacts or creatures. Braids seeks to disrupt opponents while applying pressure through annihilator and efficient removal spells.

Gameplay Insights

• 1

  Early group hug effects created a dynamic board where everyone had access to ramp and card draw, forcing players to find interaction quickly.

• 2

  Braids prioritizing annihilator triggers pressured opponents but also painted a target on its back, requiring careful timing and removal of key threats.

• 3

  Counterspells like Mental Misstep and Pack Negation were pivotal in stopping disruptive wheels and tutors that could have swung the game drastically.

• 4

  Targeting Mox Opal and crucial lands was an effective strategy to slow down explosive mana acceleration, demonstrating the importance of mana denial even in group hug settings.

• 5

  Players balanced giving resources with timely removal and combat decisions, showing that group hug decks must remain vigilant against potential combos and aggressive plays.

Notable Cards

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  Mox Opal

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  Mental Misstep

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  Howling Mine

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  Magus of the Vineyard

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  Nexus of Fate

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  Chain of Vapor

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  Nature's Claim

Summary

The game featured a chaotic four-player Commander match with Selvala, Explorer Returned, Belbe, Corrupted Observer, Xyris, the Writhing Storm, and Braids, Conjurer Adept. Each player embraced a group hug style, generously providing opponents with mana, cards, and creatures, creating a highly interactive and resource-rich board state. Early turns saw players ramping aggressively and drawing cards, with Braids attempting to leverage early annihilator triggers while others prepared wheels and card advantage engines. The board state was volatile with a mix of ramp, interaction, and damage pings slowly whittling life totals down. Key turning points included Braids casting Condor Ruin and attempting to establish annihilator pressure, while Xyris and Belbe focused on providing opponents with cards and mana to keep the game flowing. There were several attempts at wheel effects which were met with counterspells and interaction, notably mental missteps and pack negation, preventing potentially game-ending draws. The game also saw tactical targeting of key permanents such as Mox Opal and crucial lands to disrupt the opponents’ mana bases. Despite the generous resource sharing, the players had to carefully balance cooperation with aggression, leading to multiple knockouts around turns five, seven, and eleven, as board control shifted and threats were removed. The match concluded with one player overcoming the others through a combination of incremental damage and strategic removal, closing out a memorable group hug style game.