Pet Decks With Maldhound | EDH Gameplay Ep 32

Deck Strategies

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  Niv-Mizzet, Parun

  Control the game by drawing cards, countering spells, and disrupting opponents' strategies while gradually advancing a win condition that leverages Niv-Mizzet’s damage and card advantage abilities.

• 

  Lathril, Blade of the Elves

  Generate a wide board of elves quickly, then leverage token synergies and direct damage through Lathril’s activated ability to overwhelm opponents with aggressive combat and burn damage.

• 

  Blim, Comedic Genius

  Create chaos by reanimating creatures and forcing opponents to deal with troublesome permanents, using a mix of disruption and attrition to edge out advantages and survive the game's swings.

• 

  Rocco, Cabaretti Caterer

  Cast Tempting Wurm as soon as possible to cheat large numbers of permanents onto the battlefield, then use political and combat tricks like Mass Mutiny and Taunt from the Rampart to turn opponents against each other.

Gameplay Insights

• 1

  Rocco’s early casting of Tempting Wurm dramatically shifted the board state by allowing multiple permanents to enter the battlefield simultaneously, forcing opponents to reassess their plans immediately.

• 2

  Lathril’s ability to create multiple elf tokens on combat damage enabled a potent tribal synergy that posed a constant threat both on the ground and with her burn damage ability.

• 3

  Niv-Mizzet’s control approach relied heavily on card draw and disruption, aiming to prevent opponents from resolving key spells while setting up for eventual damage with Niv-Mizzet’s triggered abilities.

• 4

  Blim’s strategy of passing around problematic permanents like Captive Audience created tension and uncertainty, leveraging political dynamics to keep opponents off balance.

• 5

  Players demonstrated careful resource management, such as untapping elves with Wirewood Symbiote for additional mana and regeneration, maximizing their board potential in the early turns.

Notable Cards

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  Tempting Wurm

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  Lathril, Blade of the Elves

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  Copperline Gorge

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  Elvish Mystic

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  Thornscape Familiar

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  Rishkar, Peema Renegade

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  Wirewood Symbiote

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  Captive Audience

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  Archmage Emeritus

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  Midnight Clock

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  Mass Mutiny

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  Taunt from the Rampart

Summary

The game began with a strong early tempo as players deployed their signature strategies centered around their commanders. Rocco, Cabaretti Caterer aimed to quickly cast Tempting Wurm, enabling players to dump multiple permanents onto the battlefield at once, creating a chaotic board state and forcing opponents to navigate sudden swings in board presence. Meanwhile, Lathril, Blade of the Elves quickly filled the board with elf tokens and threatened to burn opponents by tapping her and untapped elves for damage, showcasing a classic aggressive elf tribal approach. Niv-Mizzet, Parun focused on controlling the game by drawing cards and disrupting opponents' plays, while aiming to touch every card in the deck and prevent others from resolving their spells. Blim, Comedic Genius brought a disruptive angle by reanimating creatures and generating chaos through passing around problematic permanents, balancing risk and reward.