First off, I always love to hear people discuss synergies and such about the decks they cherish, please go into as much detail as you'd like on my wall!

Now. Onto the combo explanation.

The Zacama combo is definitely not one I get every game, but it's pretty explosive and hard to stop once it's rolling. My opponent kind of has to get rid of Emeria Shepherd to stop the train--and given how unthreatening it is without support, even people who know what it can do in my deck usually don't want to waste a Swords or Path on it.

If I get just Nyxbloom Ancient and Nylea, Keen-Eyed out I can usually abuse the fuck out of her ability enough to draw into the other pieces, and given those are both enchantments I can get em with any of the tutors in the deck.

Sometimes I get the combo, spin the wheel a million times, generate a bucketload of mana... and whiff on getting another piece I need to win and have to settle for gaining some life and killing some shit with Zacama.

And sometimes I don't get the combo at all. As you guessed, a lot of the time I don't. It's not that I never win those games, or even usually don't--but they're a little less reliable. I do have the backup plans of

A. using Kodama of the East Tree and one of my guys that draws cards when things enter to (as I put it so elegantly in my primer, "spam permanents")

B. hit a billion landfall triggers with Moraug and Pathbreaker Ibex in play. Those happen just as frequently as the Zacombo... but they're a little more fragile and less fun to talk about. I should totally update my "How we win" section to include more about the other wincons, it totally does seem like I mainly use the Zacama loop.

I win about 58% of the time with this deck (my playgroup is very balanced)--unless I get the Zacemeria synergy, in which case the number rises to about 70%. TBH, I usually don't ever end up playing out the entire turn when I get it, it would take about 15 minutes on average if I did, but given the efficacy of the (I'm running out of synonyms for "combo" here) wincon I wouldn't say that I'm missing out on a whole lot of games where I would lose if I played it out.

Thanks for reading my primer and asking such a great question! I do love this deck with a passion, you can tell by my million-page long answer ;)

Hell yeah thanks so much! Means a lot. If I can find your Kinnan deck on any website I'll give it my love

Why not running any nice infinite combos with parts you can’t tutor? I run 7 of them in my Atla but since they’re not creature based they still rely on your draw luck, but none of the combo pieces is a dead card on its own. So it’s non-tutorable combo potential with value cards you would play anyways

Interesting suggestion, Pikobyte. If I continue to ramp up the power-level of the deck (which is looking likely), then that's probably going to happen. Thanks for stopping by!

Just in case: all they need to start are any of those 2 cards on the field. You also need Purphoros and an Eldrazi Titan either in your Library or on the field, doesn’t matter.

• Thornbite Staff + Ashnod's Altar lets you produce infinite eggs and put all your creatures on the table. Cycling an eldrazi titan over and over kills with purphoros triggers.

• Runed Stalactite + Ashnod's Altar lets you cycle through your deck until you find the desired creature or killed everyone with purphoros triggers.

• Runed Stalactite + Mirror Entity also kills the table with purphoros triggers when you activate entity for 0 just often enough by holding priority.

• Mirror Entity + Ashnod's Altar lets you cycle again through your deck similar to stalactite and altar combo while also producing infinite colorless mana that can be used to make all your creatures huge with entity. Also infinite Purphoros triggers.

• Maskwood Nexus + any free sac outlet like Ashnod's Altar , Goblin Bombardment or Blasting Station : infinite damage with Purphoros triggers again. Also additional infinite damage on creatures with station and bombardment and infinite colorless mana with altar.

Appreciate it. Don't know if I want to add any of those cards atm, they pale in power level without a combo behind them (minus Purphoros, God of the Forge , maybe) IMO--but I do truly need to consider them/the future of this deck.

Sick deck, very unique, I’ve never seen this commander before.

Looks finely tuned so I’m having a hard time coming up with suggestions but if you want another 2 mana ramp spell and don’t mind switching to snow Basics (I like my Urza’s Saga Basics too much) there is Into the North .

Thanks Hardhitta7! Atla sure is a lot of fun.

I've been debating adding Snow Basics for a long time, they do have one more small upside in being able to give Thermopod haste so that's something. I should probably make the switch, and also add Into the North ... just need to find what to cut ;)

Nice deck for eggs! I am glad I read your notes. I almost suggested some cards and/or synergies you decided intentionally not to run or don't want to use.

Have fun breaking eggs!

MagicMarc thanks for the upvote! You are certainly in the 1% if you read any of the primer--appreciate you for taking the time.

Nice Primer! I always love some good 'ol Naya stompy action so you get an upvote from me.

I play in a meta with a lot more graveyard decks so 2-3 grave hate pieces are necessary as gravepact or a looped Plaguecrafter wreck stompy decks. Your list is tight so the only suggestion I would make is swapping Sundering Growth for Return to Nature . You only get the benefit from Growth while you're ahead meanwhile RtN can help you get out of a soft lock.

Osbert thanks for dropping an upvote and comment!

You are quite right about this list being tight--but even so I should factor in GY-ey decks as being a direct counter to my own, as you say. I think I'm going to add a Scavenger Grounds : as it doesn't require me to cut a "real" card.

Thanks for bringing that very real issue up! I'm sure I would have started playing this deck again after Covid and realized this mistake in a far more embarrassing manner than it happened here.