The Great Walls of Arcades

Commander / EDH GWU (Bant) Hatebears Infinite Combo Stax Theme/Gimmick

XetZero

Creature (34)

• 1x Aven Mindcensor
• 1x Axebane Guardian
• 1x Birds of Paradise
• 1x Carven Caryatid
• 1x Caustic Caterpillar
• 1x Collector Ouphe
• 1x Drift of Phantasms
• 1x Edric, Spymaster of Trest
• 1x Elesh Norn, Grand Cenobite
• 1x Elvish Mystic
• 1x Eternal Witness
• 1x Fyndhorn Elves
• 1x Grand Arbiter Augustin IV
• 1x Jeskai Barricade
• 1x Kataki, War's Wage
• 1x Linvala, Keeper of Silence
• 1x Llanowar Elves
• 1x Mirror Entity
• 1x Noble Hierarch
• 1x Order of the Stars
• 1x Overgrown Battlement
• 1x Resolute Watchdog
• 1x Shield Sphere
• 1x Stalwart Shield-Bearers
• 1x Steel Wall
• 1x Sunscape Familiar
• 1x Thalia, Guardian of Thraben
• 1x Unsettled Mariner
• 1x Vryn Wingmare
• 1x Wall of Blossoms
• 1x Wall of Brambles
• 1x Wall of Mulch
• 1x Wall of Omens
• 1x Wall of Roots

Sorcery (5)

• 1x Finale of Devastation
• 1x Idyllic Tutor
• 1x Regrowth
• 1x Timetwister
• 1x Windfall

Land (30)

• 1x Ancient Tomb
• 1x Arid Mesa
• 1x Bountiful Promenade
• 1x Breeding Pool
• 1x City of Brass
• 1x Command Tower
• 1x Exotic Orchard
• 1x Flooded Strand
• 1x Gaea's Cradle
• 1x Hallowed Fountain
• 1x Horizon Canopy
• 1x Mana Confluence
• 1x Marsh Flats
• 1x Misty Rainforest
• 1x Polluted Delta
• 1x Savannah
• 1x Scalding Tarn
• 1x Snow-Covered Forest
• 1x Snow-Covered Island
• 1x Snow-Covered Plains
• 1x Strip Mine
• 1x Tarnished Citadel
• 1x Temple Garden
• 1x Tropical Island
• 1x Tundra
• 1x Verdant Catacombs
• 1x Waterlogged Grove
• 1x Windswept Heath
• 1x Wooded Foothills
• 1x Yavimaya Coast

Artifact (6)

• 1x Chrome Mox
• 1x Cloudstone Curio
• 1x Grafdigger's Cage
• 1x Mana Crypt
• 1x Mana Vault
• 1x Mox Diamond

Commander (1)

Instant (15)

• 1x Cyclonic Rift
• 1x Dispel
• 1x Dovin's Veto
• 1x Eladamri's Call
• 1x Enlightened Tutor
• 1x Force of Will
• 1x Mana Drain
• 1x Nature's Claim
• 1x Rapid Hybridization
• 1x Silence
• 1x Spell Pierce
• 1x Swan Song
• 1x Swords to Plowshares
• 1x Winds of Rebuke
• 1x Worldly Tutor

Enchantment (9)

• 1x Aluren
• 1x Aura of Silence
• 1x Carpet of Flowers
• 1x Freed from the Real
• 1x High Alert
• 1x Mystic Remora
• 1x Rhystic Study
• 1x Root Maze
• 1x Sylvan Library

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Maybeboard

Enchantment (5)

• 1x Deafening Silence
• 1x Ghostly Prison
• 1x Intruder Alarm
• 1x Rest in Peace
• 1x Rule of Law

Artifact (3)

• 1x Talisman of Curiosity
• 1x Talisman of Progress
• 1x Talisman of Unity

Creature (5)

• 1x Craterhoof Behemoth
• 1x Novice Knight
• 1x Psychic Membrane
• 1x Wall of Tears
• 1x Wall of Vines

Sorcery (3)

• 1x Overrun
• 1x Overwhelming Stampede
• 1x Triumph of the Hordes

Instant (1)

• 1x Narset's Reversal

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The deck is a hatebear style deck that slowly grinds out the game and attempts to gain card advantage and pressure player's life totals with defender and Arcades, the Strategist .

The infinite draw combo may seem very difficult to assemble as there are 5 required pieces ( Aluren + Cloudstone Curio + Arcades, the Strategist + 2 other defenders), however it is more than likely not going to be very difficult with the amount of tutors that we have and defenders to dig into our deck.

Why Arcades, the Strategist ? Is a card advantage engine and can absolutely destroy life totals quickly with the defenders which are blockers in worst case scenarios to prevent Tymna the Weaver triggers.

Generating infinite mana

Using Axebane Guardian + Freed from the Real + Another defender. How it works:

Step 1: Tap Axebane Guardian for a Blue mana and any other mana (since there is two defenders on the battlefield).

Step 2: Using the blue mana untap Axebane Guardian with Freed from the Real . You will be at the same state as Step 1 but, you will have the mana that you produced previously as extra.

Step3: Repeat to generate infinite mana of all colours.

or

Using Axebane Guardian + High Alert + 4 other defenders. How it works:

Step 1: Tap Axebane Guardian for a Blue mana, a white mana and 3 mana of any other colour(s) (since there is five defenders on the battlefield).

Step 2: Using two mana if any other colour, the one blue mana and the white mana to untap Axebane Guardian with High Alert . You will be at the same state as Step 1 but, you will have the mana that you produced previously as extra.

Step3: Repeat to generate infinite mana of all colours.

Outlets for infinite mana to win the game through combat damage

Finale of Devastation for infinite power and toughness + haste

Mirror Entity for infinite power and toughness and all creature types

This strategy is an alright strategy however, if the opponent has blockers it does kind of weaken at that point. If you see that your meta is more creature heavy try putting in "Stampede" style of effects like Craterhoof Behemoth , Triumph of the Hordes , Overwhelming Stampede etc.

Outlets to draw out our deck

Without Arcades

Wall of Mulch sacrificing and regenerating Wall of Brambles . How it works:

Step 1: Use Wall of Mulch 's ability to sacrifice Wall of Brambles . This will draw you a card.

Step 2: Then regenerate Wall of Brambles .

Step 3: Now you are back to where you started except with an additional card in hand. Continue to repeat until you draw out your entire library.

With Arcades

Cloudstone Curio + Arcades, the Strategist / Chulane, Teller of Tales + 2 other defenders (with infinite mana) How it works:

Setup: Cloudstone Curio + Arcades, the Strategist / Chulane, Teller of Tales and one defender must be on the board for the to work with the other defender in your hand.

Step 1: Cast the defender. This will trigger Arcades, the Strategist / Chulane, Teller of Tales to draw you a card.

Step 2: Cloudstone Curio to bounce back your other defender that was on the board before.

Step 3: now you are in the same position as Step 1: except you have an extra card in your hand. Repeat until your library is in your hand.

Aluren + Cloudstone Curio + Arcades, the Strategist / Chulane, Teller of Tales + 2 other defenders (without infinite mana). How it works

Setup: Aluren + Cloudstone Curio + Arcades, the Strategist / Chulane, Teller of Tales with a defender on the battlefield and the other in your hand.

The steps are the same as the previous infinite draw combo except this one does not require infinite mana due to Aluren making your defenders essentially free.

You have drawn your deck. Now what?

Eternal Witness and Winds of Rebuke Loop

Eternal Witness and Winds of Rebuke Loop.

How it works:

Setup: have infinite mana. There are two situations where this will work. Eternal Witness in your hand and Winds of Rebuke in the graveyard or Eternal Witness on the battlefield and Winds of Rebuke in your hand.

We will be talking about the first situation with Eternal Witness in your hand and Winds of Rebuke in your graveyard.

Step 1: cast Eternal Witness targeting Winds of Rebuke in your graveyard. Put Winds of Rebuke in to your hand.

Step 2: cast Winds of Rebuke targeting Eternal Witness . Your opponents will put the top two cards of their library into their graveyards.

Step 3: now you are back to Step 1 except you have milled each of your opponents for two cards. Continue to repeat this until the enemies' libraries are empty. Then pass the turn and watch as your opponents lose to drawing no cards from their deck.

However, this wincon might not work if your opponent is running one the Eldrazi titans such as Kozilek, Butcher of Truth or Ulamog, the Infinite Gyre . As these cards will reshuffle their graveyards into their libraries. If this is the case go for one of the Timetwister loops.

Timetwister loops

Timetwister loops using Swan Song + Nature's Claim or Rapid Hybridization . This loop assumes that you have infinite mana and some way to not draw yourself.

Step 1: Cast Nature's Claim targeting anything. Cast Swan Song to counter it and get a 2/2 Swan Token.

Step 2: Cast Timetwister to shuffle your graveyard and library together.

Step 3: Draw out your library

Step 4: You will be at Step 1 but you now have a Swan token. Repeat Step 1 to 3 to gain infinite birds while trying not to deck yourself.

Loop with Rapid Hybridization and Arcades, the Strategist

Step 1: Cast Rapid Hybridization targeting Arcades, the Strategist . This will get you a 3/3 Frog Lizard Token.

Step 2: Cast Timetwister to shuffle your graveyard and library together.

Step 3: Draw out your library

Step 4: You will be at Step 1 but you now have a Frog Lizard token. Repeat Step 1 to 3 to gain infinite birds while trying not to deck yourself.

Why are there no "wincons"

If you would like to see the true explanation I would recommend checking out the cEDH Chulane CIA tappedout guide:

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Chulane CIA (cEDH Chulane Primer)

Commander / EDH* Spleenface

SCORE: 49 | 21 COMMENTS | 13314 VIEWS | IN 20 FOLDERS

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or you can check out a more in depth analysis by The Into the North podcast:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zUZbmTsOBkc

They are also on Spotify.

But a basic summary is that if we are going to win with things like Laboratory Maniac we would have already drawn our deck. Therefore, we would have access to all the cards in our deck and could probably assemble a win with them. Thus, instead of running dead draws like Laboratory Maniac why not run cards that are good but still can act as a wincon such as Swan Song and Nature's Claim or Rapid Hybridization .

Useful Resources

If you are interested in cEDH in general:

https://cedh-decklist-database.xyz/primary.html

You should also check out the Chulane CIA I have linked previously. It is where all of the wincons for the deck came from:

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Chulane CIA (cEDH Chulane Primer)

Commander / EDH* Spleenface

SCORE: 49 | 21 COMMENTS | 13314 VIEWS | IN 20 FOLDERS

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Also don't forget to check out the Into The North Podcast where I was heavily inspired not to run a Laboratory Maniac style wincon.

https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCpFjnlsdcdVrr14_JYcvtSQ

Budget Version

Here is a $100 budget version that I brewed up

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The Great Walls of Arcades ($100 Budget)

Commander / EDH XetZero

SCORE: 1 | 141 VIEWS | IN 3 FOLDERS

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Thank you

Regards,

Xetzero

Date added	4 years
Last updated	4 years
Legality	This deck is Commander / EDH legal.
Rarity (main - side)	10 - 0 Mythic Rares 47 - 0 Rares 23 - 0 Uncommons 17 - 0 Commons
Cards	100
Avg. CMC	2.03
Tokens	Bird 2/2 U, Frog Lizard 3/3 G
Based on	GoldFishing with Arcades ($100 Budget) XetZero EDH