I’ve long been a proponent in multiplayer games that being best isn’t always best. Building a power base while others are charging out of the gate and becoming the threat—which must immediately be dealt with—has served as a strong strategy for as long as I’ve played EDH. We’ll see how that strategy plays out in the latest installment of Armada Games’ EDH League.
Last week, I said I’d make an 11th hour call on whether to play the contest-winning Cromat deck or play Darigaaz. I generally trust these kinds of things to my instincts, and really let the feel of things come instead of spending a great deal of thought on them. I had resolved to take both decks, and make a call when we started shuffling up for the League. In the afternoon, while I was at the massage therapist (monthly legitimate massage from a real therapist is great for you—if I were infi wealthy, I’d probably have it done every day), completely relaxed, and it hit me: play Karrthus. Since I was heading straight to the shop after, I knew that I’d have to borrow one, but that’s no big deal since the Armada guys are pretty good about lending me the occasional card.
We play some casual games, then it comes time to play League. I ask Michael Fortino to lend me a Karrthus, and then go fish my Darigaaz deck out of my deck box. And it’s not there. I look, and I’ve brought Thraximundar, Phelddagrif, Lord of Tresserhorn, Rith, and Kresh with me, but no Darigaaz. I facepalm and tell Michael I won’t need to be borrowing the Karrthus. Of course, this makes my decision easy—I play Cromat. After talking with contest-winner Kenny, we’ve decided to add Kozilek as the Rise card, so I swap out a basic land for it. We don’t do any other mana-fixing, which is kind of tenuous, but we’ll see how it goes. Turns out Kozilek butchers the truth.
Last week, I promised the Darigaaz deck, which I actually think I’m going to change to Karrthus. Darigaaz was in there only for the colors (and the fact that he’s a Dragon), but the Tyrant of Jund just seems saucier.
CREATURES (37)
Acidic Slime
Anathemancer
Azusa, Lost but Seeking
Baloth Woodcrasher
Big Game Hunter
Bloodbraid Elf
Bogardan Hellkite
Charnelhoard Wurm
Civic Wayfinder (will go out for Wood Elves)
Copperhoof Vorrac
Eternal Witness
Fumiko the Lowblood
Genesis
Greater Gargadon
Heart Warden
Indrik Stomphowler
Krosan Tusker
Lotus Cobra
Molder Slug
Ob-Nixilis, the Fallen
Oracle of Mul Daya
Ouphe Vandals
Primordial Sage
Puppeteer Clique
Rampaging Baloths
Ravenous Baloth
Shriekmaw
Solemn Simulacrum
Spearbreaker Behemoth
Spellbreaker Behemoth
Terra Stomper
Thicket Elemental
Vampire Hexmage
Visara the Dreadful
Wilderness Elemental
Withered Wretch
Woodfall Primus
ARTIFACTS (3)
Crucible of Worlds
Sensei’s Divining Top
Sol Ring
SORCERIES (6)
Decree of Pain
Demonic Tutor
Kodama’s Reach
Living Death
Obliterate
Shatterstorm
INSTANTS (7)
Artifact Mutation
Baloth Cage Trap
Harrow
Red Elemental Blast
Reroute
Shunt
Summoning Trap
PLANESWALKERS
Garruk Wildspeaker
ENCHANTMENTS (8)
Compost
Fires of Yavimaya
Goblin Bombardment
Greater Good
Leyline of the Void
Lurking Predators
Pernicious Deed
Survival of the Fittest
LANDS (38)
Badlands
Bayou
Bloodstained Mire
City of Brass
Contested Cliffs
Darigaaz’s Caldera
Darksteel Citadel
6 Forest
Graven Cairns
Gruul Turf
Karplusan Forest
Kazandu Refuge
Llanowar Wastes
Miren, the Moaning Well
Mosswort Bridge
2 Mountain
Overgrown Tomb
Reliquary Tower
Savage Lands
Skarrg, the Rage Pits
Spinerock Knoll
Stomping Ground
3 Swamp
Temple of the False God
Terminal Moraine
Terramorphic Expanse
Tower of the Magistrate
Verdant Catacombs
Wasteland
Wooded Foothills
It’s basically a Beast/Landfall deck. Like with Kresh, Anathamancer has been less than spectacular, so it’s probably going. Leyline of the Void is one of those cards that violates the “don’t paint a target on yourself” principle, so I’m considering removing it for something that’s a big more situational but also provides recursion protection. There are a couple of Ally decks running around the League, and when they splash off a big Living Death or, as is the rage these days, Warp World, it can be nasty, so it’s something to think about. As of yet, there are no Rise cards. Emrakul, Artisan, and Kozilek seem like they’d go into anything that ramps up. There are no good Beasts, but that’s hardly a sin to hold against the expansion.
GAME 1
I’m seated with Kyle, Nate, and Keith. Keith has brought his new Rubinia deck. Nate and Kyle both have Cromat as well, but Nate decides that’s too insane and plays Child of Alara instead. Kyle could go with Karona, but decides to run with Cromat anyway.
TURN 1
Keith: Savannah
Kyle: Vivid Creek
Me: I have three lands, one of which is Thawing Glaciers, so I keep. Glaciers is the obvious first turn play. I have one Forest already, and Yavimaya Elder, so it seems like I should be decent enough on lands.
Nate: Forest
TURN 2
Keith: Sunpetal Grove, Sylvan Library. I see people play the Library a fair bit in EDH, but I don’t see them get really aggressive with it. Especially if you have a little life gain, early card advantage (Look! Overused Magic Phrase!), keeping the extras in the first several turns seems like a huge bonus, especially when you start at 40.
Kyle: Mountain
Me: Swamp, Thaw on Nate’s turn.
Nate: Trace of Abundance on the Mountain that he plays.
TURN 3
Keith: Reflecting Pool, Coalition Relic
Kyle: Mikokoro, Rites of Flourishing. Perhaps Keith has it right. Since Kyle’s just going to give us enough cards, why bother paying for them?
Me: Plains, Thawing Glaciers. That Rites is OK by me. Too bad Glaciers doesn’t go back until EOT. Umezawa’s Jitte.
Nate: Exotic Orchard, Bala Ged Thief targeting Kyle, who tosses Door to Nothingness.
TURN 4
Keith: Enclave Cryptologist. We all think it’s Lighthouse Chronologist, but he points out the difference. He levels it up to 3.
Kyle: Decimate, targeting Glaciers, Jitte, Library, and Thief. That’s value.
Me: Island, Strip Mine. Cast Genesis to have the body in play.
Nate: Hagra Diabolist, drains Keith (39) and Kyle (38)
TURN 5
Keith: Greypelt Refuge (40). Draws with Cryptologist, drops Breeding Pool tapped, and Qasali Pridemage.
Kyle: Enlisted Wurm into Vesuvan Shapeshifter. He tries to copy the Wurm, but we point out that it’s not in play yet, so he copies Genesis.
Me: Draw two cards but no lands, so I Regrowth Thawing Glaciers and drop it. I Enlightened Tutor now, reserving the right to change my mind if someone plays something significant. I put Journeyer’s Kite on top, but after Nate’s turn, I change that to Nevinyrral’s Disk.
Nate: Regrowth on Bala Ged Thief, drain me (37), attack Keith (35).
TURN 6
Keith: Mystic Gate, Awakening Zone, Twilight Drover, the latter two of which I have to read.
Kyle: Upkeep flips down Shapeshifter. Questing Phelddagrif and Phyrexian Infiltrator.
Me: Disk, go. I assume that Keith isn’t going to whack it with the Pridemage. Won’t be the last time I’m wrong.
Nate: Crumbling Necropolis. At EOT, Keith adds counters to stuff.
TURN 7
Keith: Spawn token. Celestial Colonnade, blows up the Disk with Pridemage, and casts Words of Wilding. Would have been a nice combo with Sylvan Library, since you only have to put back cards you’ve actually drawn this turn. From Gatherer: If you choose to draw two cards, then replace one or more of those draws with some other effect, the rest of Sylvan Library’s ability still happens. If you’ve actually drawn only one card that turn, you must choose that card and either pay 4 life or put it on top of your library. If you haven’t actually drawn any cards that turn, the rest of the ability has no effect.
Kyle: Sejiri Refuge (39). Diabolic Tutor. Attack Nate (35).
Me: Glaciers, Yavimaya Elder, Vampiric Tutor (I have to do it so I don’t discard—which means no changing of my mind later).
Nate: Sol Ring, Child of Alara, Rampant Growth.
TURN 8
Keith: Activate Words on the first draw, gets a Bear. Drops two lands.
Kyle: Rite of Replication, Kicked, targeting one of Nate’s Allies. Nate responds with Ghostway. An argument ensues between Kyle and Nate on whether it’s better to cast Rite on one of your own guys or not. The tone of the argument is a little juvenile, but I’m pretty sure that I agree with Nate. If you suspect there might be removal of the Rite target, cast it on someone else’s dude. That way it’s a 1-for-1, not a 2-for-0. Kyle huffily attacks Nate (26). At EOT, stuff comes back and Kyle discards two and Keith one.
Me: Acidic Slime Rites of Flourishing. I’m not a fan of spending my own mana to give people extra stuff (without a good purpose—like maybe with Spiteful Visions), and I’m not a fan of other folks getting extra stuff for free, even if someone else pays for it. Sure, I get to drop an extra land and draw an extra card, but that still means my opponents are getting a 4-to-1 advantage. Don’t like it.
Nate: I Thaw while he attacks Kyle. Kyle blocks Diabolist with Shapeshifter. Before damage, Nate casts Join the Ranks. His guys get First Strike, Keith discards Emrakul, I discard Survival, he Drains Kyle (20) who then takes 10 more (10). At EOT, Keith gets 2 Spirit tokens.
TURN 9
Keith: Elfhame Palace. Ashnod’s Altar. That boy can generate some mana now. Attacks Nate with Colonnade (22).
Kyle: Heartbeat of Spring, Drana, Kalastria Bloodchief.
Me: Glaciers. The Heartbeat gives me the mana to cast Woodfall Primus, which then takes out the Heartbeat, and Explosive Vegetation. Kyle uses Drana on the Diabolist.
Nate: Attacks Kyle with the team. Blocks Thief with the Wurm, Berserker with Phelddagrif, token with Drana, token with Infiltrator. Before damage, Nate casts Ghostway again. After combat, he casts Living Death. Seems a little more desperate than he needs to be. He ends up draining Kyle down to 3. When the Primus comes back, it gets Awakening Zone. I don’t know what Keith has in mind, but seems like the right thing to blow up.
TURN 10
Keith: Fecundity. All draw off of Kyle’s Heartwood Storyteller, which came back from Living Death. Rubinia.
Kyle: Sends the Storyteller at Nate, who blocks with Child. Everyone wonders what the hell he’s doing, but when he draws off of Fecundity, it’s clear that he’s just digging for answers. Casts Artisan of Kozilek, which brings back Shapeshifter, copying Child to blow up the board. Nate chooses to put his Child in the Command Zone. Casts Howling Mine.
Me: Aura Shards, Reveillark, blowing up the Mine. Far Wanderings. I end up having to discard three cards, one of which is Karmic Guide.
Nate: Says “I can’t regrow Living Death, but I have Patriarch’s Bidding.” Keith names Merfolk, Kyle Shapeshifter, and I call Treefolk. Everyone loses 3 life, which kills Kyle. Keith ends up discarding his hand, and I discard Shriekmaw, and then when he casts Blademaster, I also discard Phyrexian Arena. I end up getting drained to (23).
TURN 11
Keith: Recast Rubinia.
Me: Regrow Shriekmaw via Genesis and Evoke it, killing the Blademaster. That’s the dangerous one. Well, it’s the dangerous one that I can kill. Night Soil.
Nate: Eternal Witness, which I Draining Whelk. Casts Child, then bashes Keith with the team. He activates Colonnade and blocks the Diabolist (27).
TURN 12
Keith: Nothing. At EOT, I remove all Nate’s guys.
Me: Fly over attacking Nate (14). Hard cast Kozilek. Crystal Shard.
Nate: Nothing. At EOT, Keith tries to steal Child. I think I’m doing him a favor, but he decides to pay. I’m modestly confused. Keith then Sprout Swarms with Buyback, getting four guys, and when he does it a fifth time, Nate casts Swords to Plowshares on Child.
TURN 13
Keith: Makes a 12/12 Wurm. Keeps one mana open for Crystal Shard.
Me: Attack Nate with Woodfall and Kozilek. He of course, sacrifices Child to the Annihilator. With the trigger on the stack, I bounce Kozilek. I exile all the dudes in their yards. Primus Persists back, and I get back Karmic Guide, Acidic Slime, and Reveillark. I blow up Keith’s Colonnade and Cradle. I cast Nicol Bolas, Planeswalker, blowing up something and Hazezon Tamar. I’m going to have some dudes. I almost hope Hazezon gets destroyed before the trigger—that way the tokens aren’t as vulnerable.
Nate: Not happy with the card he draws—Maelstrom Nexus—but he casts it, hoping for next turn.
TURN 14
Keith: Makes a 7/7 Wurm.
Me: Karmic Guide goes away, and I get 18 1/1s. Bolas blows up Nexus. I cast Eternal Witness, getting back Draining Whelk. I Nekretaal Keith’s token and attack Nate for 7 (7), setting him up, if I’m lucky, to kill him with exact damage next turn (which is worth an extra point).
Nate: Zip.
TURN 15
Keith: Makes a 1/1.
Me: Genesis Karmic Guide back, cast it to regrow Shriekmaw, killing the token (although he makes another). I Bolas Keith, emptying his hand. He makes another dude in response. Attack with the team and kill them both.
I take the table and Nate finishes second.
GAME 2
Nate decides to switch to Teneb. We’re seated with Ryan, playing his relatively new Tibor and Lumia deck, and dirty combo player (and shop owner) Aaron Fortino, who I understand in the previous game was able to generate infinite mana at one point, but not able to actually kill anyone with it. Apparently he had some success later in that game, since he won the table.
TURN 1
Me: Forest
Nate: Temple Garden
Ryan: Mountain, Mana Vault, taps it for Foriysian Totem.
Aaron: Fetid Heath
TURN 2
Me: Plains
Nate: Urborg, Tomb of Yawgmoth. I know that makes Aaron happy, since he’s playing Cabal Coffers.
Ryan: Mana Vault pain (39). Doubling Cube. No second land
Aaron: Sunken Ruins
TURN 3
Me: Swamp
Nate: Reliquary Tower
Ryan: Mana Vault (38) still no second land
Aaron: Reflecting Pool, Thada Adel. Nate casts Realms Uncharted. We end up giving him Miren and a cycling land, pitching Krosan Verge and something else really good.
TURN 4
Me: Forest, Cloudstone Curio. I have nothing in my hand that’s worth bouncing when I play it, but it should come.
Nate: Miren
Ryan: Mana Vault (37). Still no land. He shrugs.
Aaron: Swamp Attack Nate with Thada, gets Sword of Fire and Ice.
TURN 5
Me: Forest, Arashi the Sky Asunder
Nate: Archon of Justice
Ryan: (36). Still nothing.
Aaron: Khalni Gem, bouncing Swamp and Reflecting Pool. Replays the Pool.
TURN 6
Me: Peel and drop Seedborn Muse. Again, not much to do with it, but have to hope that something will come.
Nate: Pernicious Deed. That wasn’t the something I was hoping for.
Ryan: (35). Galvanic Key.
Aaron: Swamp
TURN 7
Me: Island of Wak-Wak, Genesis. Deed that!
Nate: Archon into Aaron (36).
Ryan: (34) Darksteel Ingot.
Aaron: Trinket Mage, gets Sensei’s Divining Top, casts it.
TURN 8
Me: I draw Draining Whelk. Since I have no Islands, it’s frowns.
Nate: Teneb
Ryan: (33) Jens. At least he has some mana now.
Aaron: Cabal Coffers and Linvala. Equips it.
TURN 9
Me: Plains, World Queller. Now it could get interesting. Nate asks if I choose enchantment if it’s too late to sacrifice it, and it is, since that’s during the resolution of the triggered ability.
Nate: Sacrifices Archon to Miren, Exiling Linvala. Aaron tries to Venser Linvala, but we point out that it has Pro Blue. We let him do takebacks. He then Paths Linvala instead. Attacks Ryan with Teneb, which I kill with Arashi—not so much as to help Ryan but to keep Teneb stuff from happening.
Ryan: (32) Everflowing Chalice, Jushi Apprentice.
Aaron: Starts counting mana. Equips Thada, attacks Nate (36, then 34). Gets Jens, equips Jens.
TURN 10
Me: World Queller triggers. Nate responds by Deeding for 5. Aaron Tops, Flashes in Venser, bounces Trinket Mage. I don’t want to lose land, so I choose nothing for World Queller. Island (yay!) and Tradewind Rider.
Nate: Plains, Angel of Despair on Cabal Coffers. Good choice. Casts Behemoth Sledge.
Ryan: Clone of Angel of Despair, blows up Sledge.
Aaron: Casts Top and Necrotic Sliver. We discuss that he has no other Slivers (or even Changelings). He says it’s enough to deal with the stuff that he can’t otherwise deal with.
TURN 11
Me: Empyrial Archangel. I think it’s the first time in any deck I’ve ever had it in play.
Nate: Yavimaya Elder
Ryan: Blinkmoth Urn. Hmm.
Aaron: Trinket Mage, Sol Ring. Ixidron. Nate responds by sacrificing his Elder.
TURN 12
Me: Peel Demonic Tutor. I don’t see any real need to bail myself out of any situations at the moment, so I get Journeyer’s Kite to get the extra lands I need.
Nate: Boneshredder targeting Ixidron.
Ryan: Grinning Totem, activates it targeting Aaron, and gets his (pimpy) Tolarian Academy. Skyscribing for 3. Says that generally it’s a kill card, but right now, he just needs the draw.
Aaron: Relic of Progenitus, which is a little bit of a head-scratcher since he does so much recursion. I mean, Sharuum is his General. Sculpting Steel, copying Sol Ring. Unbender Tine, and does Top tricks.
TURN 13
Me: Yavimaya Elder, bash into Aaron, who doesn’t take the bait (32). I’d like my dudes in the yard so I can regrow them with Genesis, instead of being face-down.
Nate: Pays for Boneshredder. Harmonic Sliver on Relic of Progenitus. Aaron pops it. Attacks Aaron (29).
Ryan: Rings of Brighthearth. I suspect shenanigans at some point.
Aaron: Plays a face down Morph, which I suspect is Willbender, Evokes Mulldrifter and blows up Harmonic Sliver with Necrotic.
TURN 14
Me: Jitte. Equip it to the face down Tradewind Rider, that being the one I’d most like back. Attack Aaron (27). At EOT, Nate inexplicably sacrifices his Angel to Miren (36).
Nate: Living Death, providing an explanation. Ryan responds with Gather Specimens. Very saucy. Shriekmaw blows up Elder, Angel the Unbender Tine, Sliver the Jitte. I sacrifice the counters (44).
Ryan: Gilded Lotus. Mana problems finally solved. Attacks Nate with the Angel, me with the other two. Nate Flashes in Cloudthresher and blocks. At EOT, Aaron Flashes in Stonecloaker three times, removing everything in Nate’s yard.
Aaron: Quietus Spike. Godless Shrine. Etherium Sculptor. Top. Grim Discovery getting Trinket Mage. Ryan Reiterates with Buyback, getting Clone. Aaron gets Basilisk Collar, casts it, and equips it to Trinket Mage.
TURN 15
Me: Shriekmaw Cloudthresher, which Nate sacrifices to Miren (41). Crystal Shard.
Nate: Demonic Tutor, which Ryan Reiterates. Qasali Pridemage and Reveillark.
Ryan: Lightning Greaves. Clones Trinket Mage, gets a Top of his own. Duplicants the Pridemage, which blows up Quietus Spike. Memnarch, which I Draining Whelk.
Aaron: Tundra, Hexmage. EOT I bounce the Whelk.
TURN 16
Me: Forest, and save my mana for the Whelk.
Nate: Tells us he’ll kill Aaron if we don’t stop him. I shrug. Ryan says he’s okay with it. He casts Rude Awakening, Entwined, swings with the team, to include the Reveillark, and I realize that he hasn’t quite done the math right. Before blockers, Aaron Stonecloaks a few times, then blocks Miren, Reliquary Tower, and the Reveillark (3).
Ryan: Top, then Mind’s Desire. Gets Skullclamp and Dominus of Fealty. Triskelion. Clamps Sliver. Sacs it to Ashnod’s Altar. He has a nice little engine going. Clamps Shriekmaw, does the same. Does it again with the Clone. He seems to be drawing nothing. I wonder why he doesn’t just kill Aaron with Triskelion, and I think it might have something to do with the fact that he has Aaron’s Academy. Reshape for 9, which is what I Whelk. Soul Foundry, Imprinting Platinum Angel.
Aaron: Leonin Shikari. Top on top, draw. Vedalken Archmage. Etherium Sculptor. That Blinkmoth Urn is enabling him big time. Draw, recast Top. Sharuum, but forgets to bring back something. Equips Collar to Hexmage and battles Nate (42). EOT, I bounce Sharuum because I don’t understand how Aaron can keep me from killing him if he doesn’t have a flyer.
TURN 17
Me: Attack Aaron with the Whelk, and I understand how he’ll stay alive: Hexmage. I’m a donkey.
Nate: Wrath. I bounce Whelk. Ryan shoots Nate (42). Regrowth on Harmonic Sliver, casts it.
Ryan: Sculpting Steel, copying Top. March of the Machines. Attacks Aaron with everything, killing him. EOT, I cycle Decree of Justice, getting 13 dudes.
Aaron: Watches, because he’s dead.
TURN 18
Me: Stomphowler (blowing up a scribble) and Kozilek. Attack Nate for 7 (34) and Ryan for 6 (25). I think this might be the first damage Ryan does deal to himself.
Nate: Woodfall Primus the Crystal Shard. Teneb.
Ryan: Cerebral Vortex on himself (22). Tops again, looks at 6th land in a row. Tibor and Lumia, Clamps it, draws, recasts it, does it again, and still nothing.
Aaron: Still dead.
TURN 19
Me: Upkeep, I Vampiric Tutor for Survival. I swing at Ryan with everything, killing him. Cast Survival.
Nate: Nate is in topdeck mode, so I’m pretty comfortable that I have him, especially with Survival and the Whelk backup. Casts Loxodon Hierarch (36). I pitch Reya to get Squee to get Karmic Guide.
TURN 20
Me: Regrow Squee, Nekretaal the Hierarch, pitch Squee to get Gilded Drake, cast it to steal the Woodfall Primus. Attack with Kozilek and the tokens. Since I have Draining Whelk mana up, Nate realizes he’s sunk, so he scoops, winning me the table.
In neither game was I ever really the frontrunner until the end, but at no time was I completely vulnerable. It seems like this is the perfect situation—not the big threat, but not getting picked on either. Of course, this only works in games where there are one or more players who are willing to come out of the gates quickly. All bets are off if no one seems threatening.
I’ve also become a proponent of Tutor Now. Holding a Tutor until you absolutely need it doesn’t seem as good as playing it to help create the game state that you want. Sometimes that game state might be down the road, but philosophically, I’d much rather shape an environment than respond to it.
I’ll do my best to remember to take the Karrthus deck next week (complete with a Karrthus so I don’t have to impose on the fine folks at Armada) next week and we’ll see how the Tyrant of Jund Embraces the Chaos.