Battling with Budgeted Blueless Brews | Season 4 Fan Favorites

Deck Strategies

• 

  Yawgmoth, Thran Physician

  Control the board using removal and sacrifice outlets, then win through a life-drain combo involving Nest of Scarabs and Zulaport Cutthroat triggered by Yawgmoth's ability.

• 

  Grand Warlord Radha

  Impose stax effects and land destruction to slow opponents, then win via infinite combat steps combos using cards like Aggravated Assault or Kiki-Jiki.

• 

  Winota, Joiner of Forces

  Deploy aggressive hatebears and value creatures triggered by Winota’s ability to overwhelm opponents, with a potential combo finish involving Kiki-Jiki or Splinter Twin.

• 

  Neheb, the Eternal

  Ramp aggressively with Neheb’s mana generation ability to fuel infinite combat steps combos, mainly utilizing Aggravated Assault or Kiki-Jiki for infinite actions.

Gameplay Insights

• 1

  Yawgmoth’s player used Phyrexian Revoker early to lock down a key mana artifact (Soul Ring), slowing opponents’ acceleration.

• 2

  Winter Orb was deployed early by Radha’s player to restrict land untapping, forcing players to sequence carefully.

• 3

  Yawgmoth's commander was removed by Path to Exile, but proliferate triggers on Everflowing Chalice allowed continued incremental advantage.

• 4

  The game featured a balance of stax effects and combo setups, with players needing to time removal and protection to maintain board presence.

• 5

  Winota’s player mulliganed to six and bottomed a key card, impacting their early curve and tempo.

• 6

  Neheb’s aggressive ramp and card advantage were key to setting up infinite combat step combos, highlighting the synergy in mono-red combo lines.

Notable Cards

• 

  Winter Orb

• 

  Everflowing Chalice

• 

  Phyrexian Revoker

• 

  Bastion of Remembrance

• 

  Spirit of the Labyrinth

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  Path to Exile

• 

  Nest of Scarabs

• 

  Zulaport Cutthroat

• 

  Aggravated Assault

• 

  Kiki-Jiki, Mirror Breaker

• 

  Splinter Twin

Summary

The game began with each player setting up their respective strategies, with Yawgmoth, Thran Physician establishing a control and combo-oriented board presence, Grand Warlord Radha focusing on stax and land destruction, Winota, Joiner of Forces assembling a hatebear board for aggressive value, and Neheb, the Eternal ramping aggressively for combo potential. Early turns saw key ramp plays and disruption, such as Winter Orb locking down mana and Spirit of the Labyrinth limiting extra draws. Yawgmoth's player leveraged board control tools like Phyrexian Revoker and Bastion of Remembrance to chip away at opponents while setting up for a combo involving Nest of Scarabs and Zulaport Cutthroat. A pivotal moment occurred when Yawgmoth was Path to Exile'd, forcing the commander to the command zone but still allowing incremental advantage through proliferate triggers on Everflowing Chalice. Meanwhile, Radha and Neheb sought to assemble infinite combat steps combos leveraging cards like Aggravated Assault or Kiki-Jiki, Mirror Breaker. Winota aimed to generate early pressure with hatebears and efficient creatures but was being kept in check by stax effects and removal. As the game progressed, the tension between stax lockdown and combo execution defined the pace, with players carefully maneuvering around Winter Orb and resource denial to establish their win conditions.