Tymna and Kamahl: Hate Hate Hate
Posted: Sun Aug 14, 2022 12:11 am
I've long struggled to build an Abzan deck I genuinely like. It's my favorite three-color combination, but the fundamental problem with the color combination (other than an overreliance on graveyard strategies) is that it's a color that largely plays fair Magic, and high-powered EDH isn't very fair. The closest I've come to enjoying the color combination in a fair manner is via Hatebears with Tymna the Weaver, who needs no introduction, and either Sidar Kondo of Jamuraa for extra evasion or Ikra Shidiqi, the Usurper for sustain and life gain and drain synergies.. I love disruptive strategies and making the game increasingly difficult for my opponents is right up my alley.
I'm a joy to play against.
However, the problem with Hatebears in EDH has always been closing the game out. 120 life isn't an easy amount to chew through with 2/Xs and 3/Xs, and comboing out is anathema to the Hatebear ethos. Often times, since Bears are ultimately easier to remove than lock stax pieces, opponents are able to wriggle free from your grasp and are able to snatch victory from the jaws of defeat. It's extremely demoralizing to realize that you accidentally played Kingmaker.
Enter Kamahl, Heart of Krosa. An 8 mana Overrun on a stick isn't exactly a great deal, but it helps to solve the fundamental weakness of the deck and given the slow burn nature of the deck, it's not an unreasonable cost. Just 2 or 3 turns of Kamahl pumping your board up seems like it would close games out.
Anyway, on to the list:
So, it's basically the cEDH version altered to fit the high powered/optimized meta. I'll have more to say later, I just wanted to get this down to see if there's anything glaring omitted.
I'm a joy to play against.
However, the problem with Hatebears in EDH has always been closing the game out. 120 life isn't an easy amount to chew through with 2/Xs and 3/Xs, and comboing out is anathema to the Hatebear ethos. Often times, since Bears are ultimately easier to remove than lock stax pieces, opponents are able to wriggle free from your grasp and are able to snatch victory from the jaws of defeat. It's extremely demoralizing to realize that you accidentally played Kingmaker.
Enter Kamahl, Heart of Krosa. An 8 mana Overrun on a stick isn't exactly a great deal, but it helps to solve the fundamental weakness of the deck and given the slow burn nature of the deck, it's not an unreasonable cost. Just 2 or 3 turns of Kamahl pumping your board up seems like it would close games out.
Anyway, on to the list:
Hate Hate Hate
Approximate Total Cost:
So, it's basically the cEDH version altered to fit the high powered/optimized meta. I'll have more to say later, I just wanted to get this down to see if there's anything glaring omitted.