Deck & Commander Strategies
Malcolm, Keen-Eyed Navigator & Tana, the Bloodsower
The main combo involves Malcolm generating treasure tokens whenever a pirate deals damage and Glint-Horn Buccaneer dealing damage and drawing cards while discarding, enabling continuous damage and token generation for a lethal finish. Tana supports by producing saproling tokens to build board presence if the combo is not immediately available.
Kinnan, Bonder Prodigy
Focuses on ramping mana quickly with mana accelerants and mana dorks to execute combos or powerful interactions early. Kinnan's ability to generate additional mana from nonland permanents facilitates explosive plays and combo execution.
Jodah, Archmage Eternal
Utilizes infinite mana combos, notably with Basalt Monolith and Kenan, to generate limitless resources, allowing for overwhelming spells or infinite damage to close out the game. The deck requires careful protection of key combo pieces and timely interaction.
Krark, the Thumbless & Sakashima of a Thousand Faces
Leverages synergy between discard outlets and damage triggers, such as Ghostly Pilferer and Raylan, to incrementally damage opponents while drawing cards. The deck also employs interaction to disrupt opponents and capitalize on free or cheap spells for value.
Gameplay Insights
- 1
Delaying the casting of Malcolm until the combo is ready helps avoid early removal and red flags to opponents, demonstrating strategic patience.
- 2
The infinite mana combo involving Basalt Monolith and Kenan is a high-priority win condition but is vulnerable to counterspells such as Fierce Guardianship, requiring backup plans or protective interaction.
- 3
Using discard outlets like Ghostly Pilferer synergizes effectively with damage-dealing pirates, enabling repeated damage and card draw, increasing resilience and options in gameplay.
- 4
Early mana rocks and efficient ramp are critical in cEDH to enable fast combo assembly and interaction on pivotal turns.
- 5
Players constantly weigh the risk of revealing combos early against the benefit of executing a quick win, influencing their decision to develop board state or hold back key pieces.
- 6
Counterspells and interaction are essential to disrupt opponents’ combo attempts, often determining the flow and outcome of the game.
Notable Cards
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Malcolm, Keen-Eyed Navigator
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Glint-Horn Buccaneer
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Tana, the Bloodsower
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Kinnan, Bonder Prodigy
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Jodah, Archmage Eternal
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Basalt Monolith
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Ghostly Pilferer
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Fierce Guardianship
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Birds of Paradise
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Mana Vault
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Treasure Vault
Gameplay Summary
The game began with players focusing on ramping mana and setting up their combo pieces cautiously, aware that the table was primed for a quick finish by turn four.
Malcolm and Tana's deck centered around the combo of Malcolm, Keen-Eyed Navigator, and Glint-Horn Buccaneer, generating treasure tokens and dealing damage to opponents to draw cards and close out the game.
However, the player holding this deck often delayed casting Malcolm until the combo was ready to avoid becoming an early target.
Meanwhile, Kinnan, Bonder Prodigy leveraged mana acceleration and interaction to build board presence and prepare to combo off, while Jodah, Archmage Eternal's player focused on assembling infinite mana combos involving Basalt Monolith and Kenan's ability for a decisive win.
The Krark and Sakashima player pursued synergy and value plays, including discard outlets like Ghostly Pilferer to enable damage and card draw triggers.
Synergistic interaction and counterspells played a crucial role as players attempted to disrupt each other's setups and secure the win condition.