Should Azami be BANNED? [S1G14] cEDH LEAGUE feat. PROSSH v NEJEELA v BLUE FARM v AZAMI

Deck Strategies

• 

  Prossh, Skyraider of Kher

  Ramp quickly into Prossh and use token generation and sacrifice outlets to overwhelm opponents and win through combat damage or combo synergies.

• 

  Najeela, the Blade-Blossom

  Generate extra combat steps through Najeela’s ability, leveraging wide board presence and combat triggers to close the game quickly.

• 

  Kraum, Ludevic's Opus / Tymna the Weaver

  Control the board with disruption and removal while generating card advantage through combat damage triggers and value engines to outlast opponents.

• 

  Azami, Lady of Scrolls

  Establish a fast mana base and use Azami’s ability to draw cards by tapping wizards, aiming to assemble combo pieces like Intruder Alarm and other Wizards to win by drawing and casting spells repeatedly.

Gameplay Insights

• 1

  John’s early play of Back to Basics on Wizard locked down opponents’ nonbasic lands, significantly hindering Azami’s mana development and slowing down her combo execution.

• 2

  Seth’s use of Toxic Deluge was a key board wipe that reset the game state, preventing any player from gaining an overwhelming board presence.

• 3

  Shaun’s Azami deck relied heavily on early mana acceleration and card draw engines but was kept in check by targeted disruption and mana denial.

• 4

  Players strategically used life payment and probing effects to gather information and manipulate combat damage priorities, aiming to secure first blood and maintain tempo.

• 5

  The interaction-heavy game underscored the importance of disruption and mana denial in cEDH games to prevent explosive combos from ending the game prematurely.

Notable Cards

• 

  Jeweled Lotus

• 

  Intruder Alarm

• 

  Back to Basics

• 

  Toxic Deluge

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  Vampiric Tutor

• 

  Memory Lapse

• 

  Tinder Wall

Summary

The game started with Seth on Prossh winning the die roll and playing a ramp-heavy hand, setting up mana acceleration but lacking early threats. Jeremy on Najeela established early pressure with a Tinder Wall and ramp creatures, aiming to leverage Najeela’s combat abilities. John piloting a blue-based Kraum and Tymna deck aimed for value and interaction, playing Timna early to generate card advantage and maintain board control. Shaun on Azami quickly deployed key combo pieces like Jeweled Lotus and Intruder Alarm to start building a card draw engine with Azami and zombies. The early turns featured strategic plays such as John locking down nonbasic lands with Back to Basics, severely disrupting opponents' mana bases, especially targeting Azami’s deck which is highly reliant on nonbasic lands for its fast mana and combo pieces. A pivotal moment occurred when John resolved Back to Basics, effectively stalling the board and removing many nonbasic lands from untapping, which crippled Azami’s capacity to continue her combo on her usual rapid mana. Later, a mass removal spell, Toxic Deluge, was cast by Seth, clearing the board and resetting the tempo but leaving the game still open. Shaun attempted to leverage Azami’s combo potential but was slowed by mana disruption and targeted removal. The game saw constant probing and interaction, with players using life totals strategically and holding back resources to prevent any one player from gaining a runaway advantage. The game appeared to revolve around disruption and incremental value plays rather than explosive combos, with John’s blue farm deck leveraging control elements and timely spells to maintain the upper hand, positioning him strongly for a late-game win.