RiotRunner789 on When does Bracket 4 move …
1 week ago
Played a game recently with a player known to play absurd decks. I was playing Auntie Ool, Cursewretch modified precon which I would consider bracket 2. Another player was playing Kastral, the Windcrested with a Tempest Hawk theme (also would consider a bracket 2, maybe even 1). No idea what 3rd player played because we didn't get very far (mono white maybe?).
The issue was the 4th player who played his "strong bracket 3" Zhulodok, Void Gorger. Having played him and the deck before, I knew the match wasn't going to be fun but despite the pre-game conversation, he said he was playing bracket 3 (different but aggravating issue).
On turn 3, he played Scorched Ruins which let him cast his commander (Zhulodok, Void Gorger). I convinced one player to blow up his only land to slow him down (Generous Gift). I blew up a land un-tapping artifact with Putrefy. So, he went into turn 4 with no lands. He only had a 3/3 token and his commander.
He dropped an Ancient Tomb, some ramp piece and played Bygone Colossus, which led into Void Winnower and several other cards including Excalibur, Sword of Eden dropping that turn (not in that exact order). He swung for 17 commander damage that turn. He effectively locked myself and the bird player out of the game with winnower. Turn 5 he drops ~20 permanents, including Darksteel Monolith and Liberator, Urza's Battlethopter. He was then able to tutor All is Dust. We all scooped when he cast the board wipe at instant speed before his turn.
This is what leads into my question. When he was exploding on turn 4 and 5, I asked, "How is this not competitive?" To which he replied while obviously annoyed, "Someone would have won by turn 3 already." Has the competitive meta changed so much, that any win post turn 3 isn't cEDH? His build, to me, came off as bracket 5 since it was insanely resilient. Where is the line between bracket 4 and 5?