EDHijinks Descends Into Avernus w/ AntlerboyLIVE ft Betor, Ur-Dragon, Sarkhan & Light-Paws | Ep 173

Deck Strategies

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  Betor, Kin to All

  A green-based deck focused on ramping mana, generating value through creatures and enchantments, and defending with strong board presence. The deck aims to outlast opponents through incremental advantages and board control.

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  The Ur-Dragon

  A classic dragon tribal deck that leverages the sheer power and utility of dragons to dominate the board. The Ur-Dragon excels at casting high-impact dragons, using Dragonstorm effects, and overwhelming opponents with big threats.

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  Sarkhan, Dragon Ascendant

  Mono-red aggressive dragon tribal deck that uses Sarkhan to transform into a dragon and synergizes with dragons like Thunderbreak Regent to apply pressure while deterring opponents from targeting dragons due to damage triggers. The deck focuses on fast mana, aggressive creatures, and burn effects.

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  Light-Paws, Emperor's Voice

  A deck that combines treasure generation with dragon synergy, utilizing treasures to accelerate mana and cast powerful dragons quickly. It maintains tempo and board presence through artifact and creature interactions, aiming to overwhelm with dragons and treasure-fueled plays.

Gameplay Insights

• 1

  Using Descent into Avernus early to generate tokens and deal incremental damage created continuous pressure on all players, shaping how aggressively the board could be developed.

• 2

  Sarkhan, Dragon Ascendant’s transformation into a dragon combined with Thunderbreak Regent’s damage retaliation forced opponents to rethink targeting decisions, providing a protective deterrent.

• 3

  Treasure generation from Light-Paws was pivotal in accelerating high-cost dragon casts, enabling explosive turns and maintaining mana flexibility.

• 4

  The choice to tutor basics with Approaching Dragonstorm allowed for mana fixing and consistency in casting dragon spells, which was critical in a multi-colored dragon deck.

• 5

  Maintaining a balance of ramp and threat deployment was necessary to survive the burn damage coming from Descent into Avernus and aggressive dragon attacks.

Notable Cards

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  Descent into Avernus

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  Sarkhan, Dragon Ascendant

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  Thunderbreak Regent

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  Rogue's Passage

Summary

The game opened with players ramping mana and establishing early board presence with lands and utility creatures. Key early plays included the casting of Descent into Avernus, which steadily placed counters to generate tokens and deal damage to all players, adding a layer of pressure and board control. Players were also utilizing new Tarkir dragon-themed cards, such as Approaching Dragonstorm, to tutor basics and set up their dragon-heavy strategies. One notable moment was the play of Sarkhan, Dragon Ascendant paired with Thunderbreak Regent, which synergized well to apply aggressive pressure with dragons that also punished opponents for targeting them. The game featured a strong focus on treasure generation, particularly from Light-Paws, Emperor's Voice, to accelerate plays and maintain resource advantage. The strategic interplay revolved around building a formidable dragon board state, triggering value from dragon allies, and leveraging burn effects to chip away at opponents’ life totals while maintaining board control.