Deckbuilding Contest - September 2024

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Jeremy avatarJeremy 40 days
{"ops":[{"insert":"Voting has concluded!"},{"attributes":{"header":3},"insert":"\n\n"},{"insert":"🥇 User: Wilkson "},{"attributes":{"header":3},"insert":"\n"},{"insert":"Deck: Zedruu Layers Matter"},{"attributes":{"header":3},"insert":"\n"},{"attributes":{"link":"https://www.archidekt.com/decks/9025453/zedruu_layers_matter"},"insert":"https://www.archidekt.com/decks/9025453/zedruu_layers_matter"},{"attributes":{"header":3},"insert":"\n\n"},{"insert":"🥈 User: MasterMizzet "},{"attributes":{"header":3},"insert":"\n"},{"insert":"Deck: Sensory Overload"},{"attributes":{"header":3},"insert":"\n"},{"attributes":{"link":"https://archidekt.com/decks/9113187/sensory_overload"},"insert":"https://archidekt.com/decks/9113187/sensory_overload"},{"attributes":{"header":3},"insert":"\n\n"},{"insert":"🥉 User: HX15"},{"attributes":{"header":3},"insert":"\n"},{"insert":"Deck: Dormammu I've Come to Bargain"},{"attributes":{"header":3},"insert":"\n"},{"attributes":{"link":"https://www.archidekt.com/decks/9081629/dormammu_ive_come_to_bargain"},"insert":"https://www.archidekt.com/decks/9081629/dormammu_ive_come_to_bargain"},{"attributes":{"header":3},"insert":"\n\n"},{"insert":"Each winner has been contacted by the email associated with their Archidekt account. "},{"attributes":{"header":3},"insert":"\n\n"},{"insert":"Congratulations, and thank you to all who participated!"},{"attributes":{"header":3},"insert":"\n\n"},{"insert":"---"},{"attributes":{"header":3},"insert":"\n\n"},{"insert":"We have our finalists! Matt's castmate Joey Schultz was kind enough to fill in for him in this month's video: "},{"attributes":{"header":3},"insert":"\n\n"},{"insert":{"video":"https://www.youtube.com/embed/UFgouss31gE?showinfo=0"}},{"insert":"\nPlease be sure to shoot your favorite deck(s) an upvote! Each finalist's placement end of the voting on Wednesday, September 25 determines their awarded Cardsphere credit. Congratulations to the finalists, and thank you to all who participated"},{"attributes":{"header":3},"insert":"\n\n"},{"insert":"User: HX15"},{"attributes":{"header":3},"insert":"\n"},{"insert":"Deck: Dormammu I've Come to Bargain"},{"attributes":{"header":3},"insert":"\n"},{"attributes":{"link":"https://www.archidekt.com/decks/9081629/dormammu_ive_come_to_bargain"},"insert":"https://www.archidekt.com/decks/9081629/dormammu_ive_come_to_bargain"},{"attributes":{"header":3},"insert":"\n\n"},{"insert":"User: MasterMizzet "},{"attributes":{"header":3},"insert":"\n"},{"insert":"Deck: Sensory Overload"},{"attributes":{"header":3},"insert":"\n"},{"attributes":{"link":"https://archidekt.com/decks/9113187/sensory_overload"},"insert":"https://archidekt.com/decks/9113187/sensory_overload"},{"attributes":{"header":3},"insert":"\n\n"},{"insert":"User: Wilkson "},{"attributes":{"header":3},"insert":"\n"},{"insert":"Deck: Zedruu Layers Matter"},{"attributes":{"header":3},"insert":"\n"},{"attributes":{"link":"https://www.archidekt.com/decks/9025453/zedruu_layers_matter"},"insert":"https://www.archidekt.com/decks/9025453/zedruu_layers_matter"},{"attributes":{"header":3},"insert":"\n\n"},{"insert":"---"},{"attributes":{"header":2},"insert":"\n\n"},{"insert":"Hello brewers,"},{"attributes":{"header":2},"insert":"\n"},{"insert":"\nHappy September! With EDHREC's annual "},{"attributes":{"link":"https://edhrec.com/top/salt"},"insert":"Salt"},{"insert":" vote just around the corner, it feels only right that this month's deckbuilding contest be all about your most misery-inducing lists. Do you have a deck so heinous that you dare not bring it to Commander night for fear of losing friends? Now's your time to shine! Details below.\n\nWhat’s the contest all about?"},{"attributes":{"header":2},"insert":"\n"},{"insert":"Working within the parameters of the prompt provided below, construct a decklist with your own creative spin. Three chosen finalists will be awarded store credit to cardsphere.com. \n\n"},{"attributes":{"italic":true},"insert":"For September’s deckbuilding contest, brew an absolutely miserable Commander-legal list. Just this once, ignore all considerations for social etiquette and build a deck that no one wants to play against. Lists will be primarily evaluated by how creatively they achieve this goal. Extra consideration to those that do so without simply grabbing the top Saltiest cards from EDHREC!"},{"attributes":{"header":3},"insert":"\n\n"},{"insert":"Here’s how to participate:"},{"attributes":{"header":2},"insert":"\n"},{"insert":"Brew an EDH/Commander legal deck on Archidekt that satisfies the prompt.\nAny unreleased cards spoiled during the contest’s duration "},{"attributes":{"bold":true},"insert":"are"},{"insert":" allowed."},{"attributes":{"list":"bullet"},"insert":"\n"},{"insert":"Silver-bordered and acorn cards, while cool, are "},{"attributes":{"bold":true},"insert":"not "},{"insert":"allowed. "},{"attributes":{"list":"bullet"},"insert":"\n"},{"insert":"Digital-only cards (such as those designed for the Alchemy format on Arena) are "},{"attributes":{"bold":true},"insert":"not"},{"insert":" allowed."},{"attributes":{"list":"bullet"},"insert":"\n"},{"insert":"Strictly one deck submitted per user."},{"attributes":{"list":"bullet"},"insert":"\n"},{"insert":"\nReply to this newspost, the Discord submission post, "},{"attributes":{"underline":true},"insert":"or"},{"insert":" the announcement tweet from the "},{"attributes":{"link":"https://twitter.com/archidekt"},"insert":"@archidekt"},{"insert":" account on Twitter with a link to your deck before "},{"attributes":{"bold":true},"insert":"9:00 pm EST (UTC -5, currently) on Wednesday, September 11, 2024 "},{"insert":"(do not submit the same deck in multiple places). Only one submission per user! \nFrom the eligible submissions, we'll select three finalists with lists that we believe best embody the spirit of the prompt. "},{"attributes":{"bold":true},"insert":"Deck descriptions are not required but certainly may provide valuable context!"},{"insert":"\n\nOn "},{"attributes":{"bold":true},"insert":"Wednesday, September 18, 2024"},{"insert":", we’ll announce three finalists via Discord and a video on the "},{"attributes":{"link":"https://www.youtube.com/@EDHRECast"},"insert":"EDHRECast YouTube channel"},{"insert":". Each finalist will be awarded credit on "},{"attributes":{"link":"https://www.cardsphere.com/"},"insert":"cardsphere.com"},{"insert":". The value of the credit is in US dollars and depends on the finalist's placement in deck upvotes at the end of the week-long polling period:\n1st Place Prize - $250"},{"attributes":{"list":"bullet"},"insert":"\n"},{"insert":"2nd Place Prize - $150"},{"attributes":{"list":"bullet"},"insert":"\n"},{"insert":"3rd Place Prize - $100"},{"attributes":{"list":"bullet"},"insert":"\n"},{"insert":"Finalists will be contacted via email, Discord or Twitter/X (depending on where they submitted) regarding their winnings within roughly 24 hours following the conclusion of voting on Wednesday, September 25, 2024. Please note, you must have a Cardsphere account in order to receive your winnings. It's quick and free-- "},{"attributes":{"link":"https://www.cardsphere.com/signup"},"insert":"register here"},{"insert":" if you don't have an account already!\n\nWe also now apply a “Contest Winner” role to all finalists, giving them a little trophy icon next to their username on deck tiles (the links that appear on places like the homepage). Prior contest winners have already had this role applied. \n\n"},{"attributes":{"link":"https://archidekt.com/contestRules"},"insert":"Official contest rules"},{"insert":".\n\nThank you!"},{"attributes":{"header":2},"insert":"\n"},{"insert":"\nIf you have any questions, feel free to ask here, reach out on "},{"attributes":{"link":"https://twitter.com/archidekt"},"insert":"Twitter"},{"insert":", or join "},{"attributes":{"link":"https://discord.gg/sctEc9Ru36"},"insert":"our public Discord server"},{"insert":". We look forward to seeing what you all come up with! \n\nThe Archidekt Team"},{"attributes":{"header":3},"insert":"\n"},{"insert":"\n"}]}
Edited 9/27/2024, 1:07:17 AM
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Twinstar26 avatarTwinstar26 34 days
{"ops":[{"attributes":{"link":"https://archidekt.com/decks/9093451/dont_play_this_ever"},"insert":"Heartless Hidetsugu"},{"insert":" \n\nLook, I started playing in earnest around 8th Edition/Kamigawa block. I have a special spot in my heart for a lot of Kamigawa cards, one of them being Overblaze. It was just fun to tutor it out with Sunforger for surprise damage. But then I learned of a neat effect damage doubling had on a particular legendary creature.\n\nOne of the first EDH decks I ever built back in the day was Heartless Hidetsugu. This deck focuses on one thing and one thing only: instantly killing everyone using Hidetsugu's tap ability to deal half of each player's life total and then doubling the damage. Players on even life die; players on odd life are left at one. As such, the deck includes a few ways to ping opponents to either get them to even life totals or finish their single life point off. And, of course, a lot of ways to give Hidetsugu haste so he can immediately put his ability on the stack. \n\nOne thing I can say for sure is this: no one I have ever played this deck against had a fun time. They hate it. I can't even play it in public anymore. And this is all the deck does; there is no backup plan, no fun alternate ways to win, no way to grind it out. You just play Hidetsugu and purposely ruin the game. Even if somehow they gain a life and you don't immediately win, everyone is still left at almost nothing and the game quickly ends. And sometimes you just shoot yourself and end the entire game as a draw by killing all players at once. \n\n\n"}]}
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Eyotose69 avatarEyotose69 34 days
{"ops":[{"insert":"I present to you Oloro stax. trap your friends in a game for as long as possible. Built specifically to make your opponents feel like they might get somewhere and then crush all of their dreams. No actual wincon other than beating face with oloro super late in the game where you are the only person left with any resources or your opponents just concede. Enjoy. \n\nhttps://archidekt.com/decks/9092168/will_you_still_be_my_friend_after_this\n"}]}
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{"ops":[{"insert":"A deck so heinous, I played it like three times and took it apart: "},{"attributes":{"link":"https://www.archidekt.com/decks/9151328"},"insert":"Of Crescent Moons and Howling Mines"},{"insert":".\n\nMono-Blue alone makes some folks clutch their pearls, but with Kami of the Crescent Moon in the Command Zone, it evokes ideas of casual group hug fun. This deck, however, is not fun (past the first three or so turns, at least). \n\nThe original idea was to make a mill deck, but back in 2019 there was a pretty negative stigma vs. mill, despite the fact that there wasn't much mill support (it wasn't even keyworded yet!). So when I saw Kami, a lightbulb flicked on: mill through card draw! If our opponents have a chance to play the spells before they get inevitably sent to the graveyard, then we shouldn't draw too much hate, right? Well, no, not really...\n\nAs it turns out, the deck was too oppressive and miserable for my friends to ever want to play against it, and came apart shortly after its inception. Part of the problem is that the deck isn't even super powerful and struggles to piece together a win. Things get much saltier when all one player does is deny everyone else without ever ending the suffering. So what is it about a little blue spirit who draws cards for the table that's just so... evil?\n\nThe deck itself is chock full of incremental draw effects like Howling Mine, Font of Mythos, and Horn of Greed. Yet as our opponents draw all these extra cards, we have to check them to ensure that they don't run too far with the free value. Cards like Confounding Conundrum, Arcane Laboratory, Winter Moon, and Aether Barrier stay on the battlefield choking our opponents' resources and keeping as many cards in their hands as possible. As the game progresses, mass draw from Jace's Archivist, Windfall, and Forced Fruition will pressure libraries and our opponents' sanity.\n\nKami is equipped with 12 counterspells, 6 board wipes, and 3 other interaction pieces to ensure that our opponents' engines stay offline even when they're able to muscle through the stax. There are also 4 graveyard-exile effects to make sure our opponents can't weaponize the pseudo-mill to their advantage or prevent decking with an Eldrazi titan.\n\nHow does the deck win? There are a couple of vectors for victory. Decking out our opponents is the main goal, with Kami and the other extra draw effects setting us up in the early game to take the whole table down at once in the late game with Minds Aglow, Prosperity, Fascination, or Drown in Dreams. The deck ramps, and "},{"attributes":{"italic":true},"insert":"hard"},{"insert":", to ensure that we have the mana to pull of these spells to deadly effect. Caged Sun, Gauntlet of Power, and High Tide all double our mana production, Walking Atlas and Dreamscape Artists utilize our overfull grip to ramp us throughout the game, and Sceptre of Eternal Glory and Eluge produce mana in multiples for us to sink into a big X spell.\n\nAlternatively, we can weaponize the cards we're drawing to finish off our foes with Psychosis Crawler, Ominous Seas, and Chasm Skulker to pressure life totals, and what salt-inducing deck would be complete without Lab Man and Thoracle?\n\nAs I said, the deck came apart shortly after being built in 2019, but I have updated it with some more recent cards and better deckbuilding to up the saltiness!\n"}]}
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Malikin avatarMalikin 34 days
{"ops":[{"insert":"Can we start posting links to the contest winner's decks after the contest is over? I try to go back to threads and it's unnecessarily hard to find the decks for 1st, 2nd, and 3rd place.\n"}]}
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Jeremy avatarJeremy 33 days
{"ops":[{"insert":"Sure, good idea. The decks are always linked in the OP during the voting period, but I can make sure they stick around after the contest ends. For what it's worth, the winners from the previous month are always linked in order on "},{"attributes":{"link":"https://archidekt.com/community"},"insert":"our community page"},{"insert":" as well.\n"}]}
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{"ops":[{"attributes":{"link":"https://archidekt.com/decks/9142981/low_power_vorthos_dinosaur_tribal"},"insert":"\"Low Power\" \"Vorthos\" \"Dinosaur Tribal\""},{"insert":"\n\n\n\"hey guys we playing a low power game? i have this cool all-ixalan dinosaur tribal battle cruiser deck! it's less than 20 on the salt score\"\n\n\"yeah there are fetches with ixalan artwork, neat right? this one is from secret lair ultimate edition\"\n\n\"i'm only playing mana crypt because there's no ixalan themed sol ring, it's only fair\"\n\n\"haha oops, a white border mountain! "},{"attributes":{"italic":true},"insert":"classic"},{"insert":"\"\n\n\"what do you mean? discover is a fixed cascade. i do have a cascade card though\"\n\n\"okay so i might have included a few jurassic park cards. but they're from an ixalan set!\"\n\n\"uh yeah anyway i'm gonna search for polyraptor, tap this to give it flash, cast it with cavern of souls, and because i have marauding raptor out this is an inescapable loop and the game ends in a draw. nobody loses, so it's like everyone won!\"\n\n\"guys you're not gonna believe this, i checked my list and i'm only running 99 cards\"\n\n\"...why are you all mad at me?\"\n\n\n"},{"attributes":{"italic":true},"insert":"(if the 99 cards gag means this runs foul of the requirement that submissions are legal commander decks, throw in the REX command tower)"},{"insert":"\n\n"}]}
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sausage_riot avatarsausage_riot 35 days
{"ops":[{"insert":"A miserable Commander deck isn't just defined by having the most hated Commander, a high salt score, or adding some of the most annoying mechanics (this deck does all of that). It's also about presentation. I categorize my Korvold deck as a Goblin Tribal deck, and it technically is. The engine (loopind dockside extortionist) and my wincon combos (pesist goblins with +1 /+1 counters) are all completely goblin- based. Unfortunately, most people disagree with me and only play against this deck once (at least at casual tables):\n\n"},{"attributes":{"link":"https://archidekt.com/decks/4164463/korvold_goblin_tribal"},"insert":"Korvold Goblin \"Tribal\""},{"insert":"\n\nIt's still one of my favorite decks and I like the evolution it's gone through as I've gotten better and more competitive in the game. I hope you enjoy this list. It's a lot of fun to play, but not to play against. \n"}]}
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{"ops":[{"insert":"My deck is titled \""},{"attributes":{"link":"https://archidekt.com/decks/9082530/anticommander_commander_club"},"insert":"Anti-Commander Commander Club"},{"insert":".\" Don't mind the name though, it's a group hug deck! It has no wincons, barely any staples (I don't even run a Sol Ring!), and has THIRTY dedicated group hug cards. No catch, no tricks, I just want to see what your 99 can do!\n\n. . . Wait, 99? What about the ever-important 100th card? The namesake of the format?\n\nOkay, so there is ONE catch. No one is allowed to play their commander. I'm serious. Do NOT play your commander. This deck is engineered specifically to prevent people from playing their commanders. I might use Wash Away or Strix Serenade to counter your commander, Leadership Vacuum to remove your commander, Darksteel Mutation or Imprison In The Moon to pin your commander, Drannith Magistrate or Nevermore to prevent you from casting your commander, or in desperate times, I'll even use my own commander to steal your commander (vigilante justice). I also run ways of playing at flash speed and untapping my lands so that I'll never get caught unprepared. But so long as you DON'T play your commander, you can reap the rewards of my wonderful, wincon-less group hug deck! Everyone loves those, right?\n\n(Alternative title: \"I'd rather be playing Canadian Highlander\")\n\nhttps://archidekt.com/decks/9082530/anticommander_commander_club\n"}]}
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{"ops":[{"insert":"https://www.archidekt.com/decks/9105096/sire_of_insanity_is_the_whole_deck\n\nSire of Insanity is this entire deck, I am very sorry if somebody in your playgroup actually builds this monstrousity.\n"}]}
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rwdxr4ti avatarrwdxr4ti 36 days
{"ops":[{"insert":"This is a deck I personally own. I have yet to actually play it yet as I don't want people to hate me.\n\n"},{"attributes":{"link":"https://archidekt.com/decks/9119770/zombies_make_ya_discard"},"insert":"Zombies Make Ya Discard! • (Commander / EDH deck) • Archidekt"},{"insert":"\n\nPlan is simple. Overwhelm your opponents with a bunch of zombies, oppress them by making them discard and mill, and play their creatures for value while getting beat down by tons of pumped up zombies with flying, deathtouch, menace, and hexproof.\n"}]}
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Moosemoose avatarMoosemoose 36 days
{"ops":[{"attributes":{"link":"https://archidekt.com/decks/9123620/the_worst_game"},"insert":"Let's play the Worst Game"},{"insert":"\n\nMost people don't like chaos. They dont like full on locks. They dont like not being able to cast spells and only getting 1/1 snakes.\n\nCHAOS\nThe point is to screw everything up or at least let randomness rule. \n\nENDING THE GAME\nBest way to end the game is [[Hive Mind]] + one of the Epic cards. It's dumb and still might take a minute, but what a better way to end the game than SNAKE FIGHT! or burn. [[Endless Swarm]] will just make a giant writhing mass of snakes. Hopefully all 4 players are still alive. \n\nHive Mind + one of the Pacts can work too, but with this much treasure around, it's not likely.\n\nPhage + Fractured Identity is the only other way you'll win, outside of them scooping.\n\nMaybe if [[Scrambleverse]] goes your way.\n\nANNOYANCE\nBesides these type of effects, their are some game locks with Teferis Puzzle Box and stuff like that.\n\nThe cards the you need to explain 5 times like Prisoner's Dilemma.\n\nIts not fun. Its funny. Once.\n\n"}]}
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{"ops":[{"attributes":{"link":"https://archidekt.com/decks/9111262/watch_me_play_sept24_contest"},"insert":"https://archidekt.com/decks/9111262/watch_me_play_sept24_contest"},{"insert":"\n\n\"Watch Me Play\"\n\nThe deck is designed to get infinite colored mana as fast as possible to abuse our Commander's ability to pull creatures off the top of our deck.\n\nThe real salt is how long it'll take to win once we get going. Our commander only let's us look at 5 cards at a time. Our unnecessarily long combo cares about the order it's played too, meaning we will have to filter through our deck multiple times. And by rule the cards not used out of the 5 need to be put in random order on the bottom of the library, so we must shuffle those cards and present to our opponents for a cut everytime. On top of that, the middle of the combo has us blowing up all our opponents Lands and creatures 1 at a time by tucking an ETB creature back into our library and searching for it again over and over until everything but our stuff is destroyed. Our turn could take over an our with hundred of our Commander's activated ability. \n\nThis is probably the longest combo I've ever made that still technically progresses (or attempts to progress) the board state. I couldn't imagine a more salty scenario than just watching someone play for over an hour. \n"}]}
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ShadowFrost avatarShadowFrost 37 days
{"ops":[{"attributes":{"background":"var(--light-background)","color":"var(--color)","link":"https://archidekt.com/decks/9105982/i_win"},"insert":"https://archidekt.com/decks/9105982/i_win"},{"insert":"\n\nYou need cards to play magic right??? Well I'm sorry you don't have cards in hand then pass your turn or just scoop.\nHope you dislike it and don't enjoy my deck.....oh and I WIN\nThis is my first ever submission to a contest, and I originally built this deck as an answer for overly aggressive spikes that only played the most powerful cards and would constantly brag about how good they were and how they were destroying the table. The version that I have built is a different list, but with this contest I can submit the list I would use with cost not being a factor.\n"}]}
Edited 9/7/2024, 2:47:11 PM
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DarthREE69 avatarDarthREE69 38 days
{"ops":[{"insert":"Just make everyone at the table incredibly salty and never want to play with you again with "},{"attributes":{"link":"https://archidekt.com/decks/8238091/stax"},"insert":"Grand Arbiter Augustin IV"},{"insert":", using stax pieces to grind your opponents out of the game while you set up a combo with Heliod+Walking Ballista or a Dramatic Reversal/Isochron Scepter combo to gain infinite mana and go for a deck-out strategy\n"}]}
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Mindforce avatarMindforce 38 days
{"ops":[{"insert":"https://www.archidekt.com/decks/9101112/urzas_salt_mine\n\nWe've got Urza and his Salt Mine here. Between the Stax pieces and being able to "},{"insert":{"card-link":"Polymorph"}},{"insert":" your Construct into a big beater like "},{"insert":{"card-link":"Blightsteel Colossus"}},{"insert":" , "},{"insert":{"card-link":"Jin-Gitaxias, Core Augur"}},{"insert":" , or "},{"insert":{"card-link":"Hullbreaker Horror"}},{"insert":" this deck is sure to pull some salt from your opponents. There's even Mindslaver and Academy Ruins to keep taking your opponent's turns for them, because as the mono Blue player, every turn is your turn.\n"}]}
Edited 9/7/2024, 5:28:28 AM
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Kamakazi339 avatarKamakazi339 38 days
{"ops":[{"insert":"Oh boy, lets do misery with a commander that only possesses 30 decks on EDHREC. Take a look at my boy Akuta, Born of Ash. \n\nDiscard is the name of the game for this Kamigawa menace but that is only the beginning. We are going to mix Voltron + Discard + Hidden Commanders! \n\nEarly pressure is the goal with Akuta. If I can kill a player or MAYBE 2 with Akuta off the rip then sweet but really I just want to see what removal you like to play. The easy recursion ability for Akuta allows me to just eat removal for lunch!\n\nMid to late game is when the misery gets to the apex. After having pulled your precious spot removal we can move in for the kill with Tinybones and/or Tergrid. So pick your poison, you're not gonna have much of a hand anyway. Beat down, Sac down, Discard down, Drain down. Choose wisely because Akuta don't play. \n\n"},{"attributes":{"link":"https://archidekt.com/decks/389924/akuta_born_of_ash_edh"},"insert":"https://archidekt.com/decks/389924/akuta_born_of_ash_edh"},{"insert":"\n"}]}
Edited 9/7/2024, 4:59:40 AM
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