Deck & Commander Strategies
Ikra Shidiqi, the Usurper / Kraum, Ludevic's Opus
Midrange Ad Nauseam deck that focuses on board presence and life gain to fuel a large Ad Nauseam draw for a potential combo finish.
Thrasios, Triton Hero / Bruse Tarl, Boorish Herder
Combo deck aiming to produce infinite mana through layered combos to either draw out the game-winning Thrasios ability or generate a lethal Walking Ballista.
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Tevesh Szat, Doom of Fools / Kraum, Ludevic's Opus
Grixis midrange deck focusing on generating card advantage with spells like Rhystic Study and Dockside Extortionist, then winning via Ad Nauseam, Peer into the Abyss, or Underworld Breach combos.
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Tymna the Weaver / Kraum, Ludevic's Opus
Similar midrange shell to Tevesh Szat’s deck but with white splash for high-impact spells and efficient disruption to close out games quickly.
Gameplay Insights
- 1
Ryan's use of Jeska's Will to exile and cast Ad Nauseam from exile was a crucial sequence that dramatically increased his hand resources and potential for a combo finish.
- 2
The interplay between counterspells like Mental Misstep, Delay, and Force of Will significantly shaped the flow of the game by preventing early threats and key spells from resolving.
- 3
Zack's replication of Dockside Extortionist with Phantasmal Image generated a massive treasure count, ramping his mana quickly and putting pressure on opponents.
- 4
Mike's attempt to resolve Necropotence was expertly disrupted by Ryan's Delay and Mental Misstep combo, showcasing the importance of timing and interaction in cEDH.
- 5
All players carefully managed Rhystic Study triggers, often paying life or drawing cards to maintain tempo and card advantage in this high-stakes multiplayer environment.
Notable Cards
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Ad Nauseam
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Dockside Extortionist
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Necropotence
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Rhystic Study
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Mental Misstep
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Delay
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Tevesh Szat, Doom of Fools
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Phantasmal Image
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Angel's Grace
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Pact of Negation
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Force of Will
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Jeska's Will
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Walking Ballista
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Deathrite Shaman
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Mox Opal
Gameplay Summary
The game began with all four players establishing their board presence and mana bases, setting the stage for a highly interactive and competitive cEDH match.
Mike, piloting Ikra Shidiqi and Kraum, focused on a midrange Ad Nauseam strategy aimed at gaining life and leveraging big Ad Nauseam draws.
John, on Thrasios and Bruse, sought to assemble infinite mana combos to generate overwhelming value or a lethal Walking Ballista.
Ryan, commanding Tevesh Szat and Kraum, played a Grixis midrange deck that aimed to generate card advantage and execute Ad Nauseam or other powerful spells.
Zack, with Tymna and Kraum, played a similar shell to Ryan’s but with white for high-impact spells to close the game faster. Early turns saw key plays such as Mike casting Necropotence, John playing Rhystic Study, Ryan setting up with Dockside Extortionist and Tevesh Szat, and Zack generating treasures through Phantasmal Image copying Dockside Extortionist.
The first major turning point came when Ryan successfully cast Ad Nauseam from exile after using Jeska's Will, revealing a massive hand of powerful spells and protections including Angel's Grace, Pact of Negation, and Force of Will—setting up a potential game-winning combo.
Throughout the game, players carefully navigated through counterspells and disruption, with Mental Misstep and Delay playing pivotal roles in thwarting early threats.
The game was defined by tight resource management, strategic timing of card advantage engines, and attempts to assemble combo kills while responding to opponents’ interactions.
