Deck & Commander Strategies
Ob Nixilis, Captive Kingpin
Leverages ping damage and card draw from opponents losing life to control the board and generate incremental advantage, aiming to close out the game through attrition.
Malcolm, Keen-Eyed Navigator
Uses uncounterable spells and efficient creatures to apply pressure early and maintain card advantage, focusing on consistent damage output and tempo.
Tana, the Bloodsower
Utilizes token generation and synergy with sacrifice outlets or combat to overwhelm opponents, often combining with spells to maximize value.
Kraum, Ludevic's Opus
Focuses on drawing cards and dealing damage simultaneously, enabling a control-and-aggro hybrid approach to out-resource opponents.
Tymna the Weaver
Relies on attacking to draw cards from life loss, supporting a life-leeching value engine that complements aggressive or combo strategies.
Etali, Primal Conqueror
Uses combat damage to cheat spells from opponents’ decks into play, creating explosive turnarounds by casting powerful spells for free.
Gameplay Insights
- 1
Players extensively mulliganed to find specialized opening hands that enable fast combo or control plays in cEDH.
- 2
The use of Imperial Recruiter to tutor combo or value creatures early was a key tempo and setup play.
- 3
Counterspell timing was critical, with a successful Fierce Guardianship on a Fire Covenant preventing a major board wipe and preserving key threats.
- 4
Players leveraged mana acceleration with artifacts and lands like Ancient Tomb and City of Brass to enable explosive turns.
- 5
Combat damage was used both as a win condition and to trigger card draw engines, with commanders like Malcolm and Ob Nixilis delivering consistent pressure.
- 6
Interaction spells such as Smothering Tithe and Veil of Summer shaped the flow of the game by generating resources and protecting key pieces from disruption.
Notable Cards
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Imperial Recruiter
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Dragon's Rage Channeler
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Fire Covenant
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Seething Song
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Mox Opal
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Lion's Eye Diamond
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Veil of Summer
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Smothering Tithe
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Wishclaw Talisman
Gameplay Summary
The game began with players mulliganing extensively due to challenging opening hands, with some players going down to four cards before finally settling on playable hands.
Early turns involved land drops and setting up mana bases featuring fast lands, artifacts, and mana rocks like Mox Opal and Lion's Eye Diamond to accelerate into key spells.
One player successfully cast Imperial Recruiter to tutor for impactful creatures and began establishing their board presence with creatures such as Bergie and DRC (Dragon's Rage Channeler).
Interaction was tight, with players countering crucial spells and managing resources carefully. A pivotal moment occurred when a player attempted a Fire Covenant targeting multiple creatures, prompting a fierce guardianship counterspell response that preserved the key creatures and shifted tempo.
Players engaged in combat, with Malcolm and Ob Nixilis being significant threats swinging for damage and generating card advantage or treasures.
The use of spells like Seething Song and metamorphosis effects further ramped mana and allowed explosive plays.
The game showcased complex interplay of removal, counterspells, and value creatures, with players carefully sequencing their actions to maintain board control and threaten lethal damage.
