Pirates vs Zombies in cEDH!? Duking it out with @Thingsintheice!

Deck Strategies

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  Malcolm, Keen-Eyed Navigator and Vial Smasher the Fierce

  Utilize Grixis Pirates tribal synergies to assemble classic combos like Thassa's Oracle with Glen Elendra Archmage or turn creatures into pirates to burn opponents out quickly.

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  The Master of Keys

  Grind value by recycling enchantments with the commander and aim to win via infinite mana combos involving Abdal Adrian or the Bomberman combo, or with Thassa's Oracle.

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  Tymna the Weaver and Thrasios, Triton Hero

  Play a goodstuff value pile focusing on card draw and incremental advantage, building towards infinite mana combos with Thassa or Thassa's Oracle to close the game.

• 

  Wilhelt, the Rotcleaver

  Leverage zombie tribal synergies and infinite mana combos using Gravecrawler and FXI to generate infinite death triggers and drain opponents or win with Thassa's Oracle.

Gameplay Insights

• 1

  The decision to discard the entire hand to pump Psychic Frog was a high-risk move that paid off by securing a critical card draw engine and shifting the momentum.

• 2

  Early uncounterable plays such as turn one Malcolm with Mox Diamond and Cavern of Souls set the pace for aggressive combo development.

• 3

  The use of flash creatures like Opposition Agent enabled disruption and tempo swings by stealing key card searches or plays from opponents.

• 4

  Players carefully managed their resources and counterspells, with mental misstep used effectively to protect high-value plays or shut down opponents.

• 5

  Risky blocks and combat decisions in cEDH can be game-deciding, as seen when players calculated potential losses versus gains with creatures like Psychic Frog.

Notable Cards

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  Psychic Frog

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  Opposition Agent

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  Thassa's Oracle

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  Glen Elendra Archmage

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  Mayhem Devil

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  Gravecrawler

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  Fabled Passage

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  Mox Diamond

Summary

The game started with aggressive early plays, including a turn one Malcolm the Keen-Eyed Navigator by the Grixis Pirates deck, aiming for a fast combo involving Thassa's Oracle and Glen Elendra Archmage or Mayhem Devil to close out the game. The Master of Keys deck focused on grinding value through recycling enchantments and looked to win via Thassa's Oracle or an infinite mana loop with Abdal Adrian or Bomberman. The Tymna and Thrasios deck played a classic goodstuff pile, leveraging card draw engines to build towards infinite mana combos with Thassa or Thassa's Oracle for victory. Meanwhile, the Wilhelt, the Rotcleaver deck aimed to generate infinite mana and death triggers through a gravecrawler and FXI combo to drain opponents or combo off with Thassa's Oracle. A pivotal moment in the game occurred when an opposition agent was flashed in, and a risky block against a growing Psychic Frog led to a significant advantage. One player discarded their entire hand to pump the Frog and keep it alive, securing a valuable card draw engine that shifted tempo. This risky interaction demonstrated the high-stakes decisions common in cEDH, where each move can drastically alter the board state and momentum. Throughout the match, players carefully navigated counterspells, mana acceleration, and value generation while positioning themselves for their respective combos, with the game evolving around these complex interactions and threats.