Deck & Commander Strategies
Zur the Enchanter
A mid-range control build emphasizing card advantage through enchantments and value creatures, using disruption like Drannith Magistrate and leveraging Zur's ability to tutor powerful enchantments to control the board and eventually win through incremental advantage.
Narset, Enlightened Master
A spell-slinger deck aiming to deploy Narset early and use her prowess to cast additional spells, supported by tutors and high-value spells to chain combos and generate overwhelming board presence or direct damage.
Sisay, Weatherlight Captain
A balanced midrange deck focused on mana dorks and legendary creatures to ramp and generate value, playing a controlling game with creatures and interaction, aiming to find and assemble powerful legends for a game-winning combo or overwhelming board state.
Malcolm, Keen-Eyed Navigator
A combo-centric deck generating treasures through artifacts and creatures, leveraging infinite combos with cards like Glint-Nest Crane and Reckless Fireweaver to produce infinite damage and close out the game quickly.
Kediss, Emberclaw Familiar
A synergy deck focused on artifact triggers and treasure generation, using combo pieces to create infinite artifact ETB triggers and convert treasure tokens into damage, aiming to overwhelm opponents with explosive combo turns.
Gameplay Insights
- 1
Zur's transformation into an elk using Oko allowed it to bypass some forms of protection and blockers, shifting combat dynamics.
- 2
Paying or avoiding the upkeep cost for Arcum's Astrolabe ('the fish') was a critical strategic decision impacting card draw and mana availability.
- 3
The mid-range Zur player prioritized disruption and card advantage over early explosive combos, taking a longer game approach.
- 4
Malcolm and Kediss players struggled to find their combo pieces early due to mana constraints and interaction, highlighting the importance of early ramp and protection in cEDH.
- 5
Players made careful choices about discarding versus keeping tutors, balancing immediate threats against long-term setup for winning lines.
Notable Cards
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Drannith Magistrate
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Oko, Thief of Crowns
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Mystical Tutor
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Arcum's Astrolabe
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Olivia, Mobilized for War
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Bloodstained Mire
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Forbidden Orchard
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Grim Monolith
Gameplay Summary
The game opened with a strategic setup from all players, each aiming to execute their unique deck plans.
Zur's pilot opted for a mid-range control approach, focusing on card advantage and board presence rather than the typical turbo Shimmer effect combo.
Early plays included land drops, mana acceleration, and disruptive enchantments like Drannith Magistrate to hinder opponents.
Narset's player aimed to deploy their commander by turn three, leveraging spells and tutors to set up their win conditions, while managing limited land drops.
Sisay's pilot focused on a balanced mana curve with mana dorks and value creatures to maintain board presence and pressure.
Malcolm and Kediss players tried to generate treasure tokens and artifact synergies, looking for infinite combos, but were somewhat constrained by mana and interaction on the table. Key turning points included Zur transforming into an elk via Oko's emblem, which shifted the board state by bypassing some parries and blockers.
Persistent damage from creatures and incremental value plays slowly whittled down opponents, with targeted combat phases and card draws keeping the momentum.
Interaction and disruption played a significant role, as the game featured multiple tactical decisions around paying or avoiding the cost of the card-drawing Fish (Arcum's Astrolabe) to maintain tempo.
Despite some stuck hands and mana issues, the players navigated through with incremental advantage and board presence, setting up for their respective finishers.