We're gonna be competitive
Aetherflux Reservoir + Isochron Scepter (Dramatic Reversal) + Any 2 mana rocks = Infinite Damage & Life
- Casting dramatic reversal as many times as you need while untapping your mana rocks to recast the dramatic reversal. Using aetherflux, the infinite life gain will allow you to beam opponents for lethal damage.
- Pros: Rather easy combo, kills all opponents in one go, kills creatures if necessary
- Cons: Artifact removal kills the combo, cannot target opponents if they have hexproof, need the life to drain into the reservoir
Teferi, Mage of Zhalfir/Teferi, Time Raveler/Lavinia, Azorius Renegade/ Drannith Magistrate + Knowledge Pool = Opponents cannot cast spells....for the rest of the game
- Teferis / Lavinia / Drannith Magistrate prevents the knowledge pool from allowing your opponents from casting spells on the stack. This prevents them from casting any spell no matter what it is.
- Pros: Opponents cannot deal with this combo using spells after it has resolved, most of the time opponents will concede afterwards.
- Cons: Artifact removal cast anywhere from hand can remove this lock. Trygon Predator also easily deals with this combo as well as creatures etb from the graveyard, such as reclamation sage.
Isochron Scepter (Silence) + Unwinding Clock + Mana Rock for 1 White = No more spells cast from opponents
- Isochron scepter makes it possible to continually cast silence to prevent spells from being cast from opponents on their and your turn. This allows you to freely cast spells without the worry of opponents reacting.
- Pros: Opponents will most likely not have a way to handle this combo after it resolves. Easily achievable with a low mana cost and can recollect the combo pieces easily. Majority of the time, opponents will concede after this lock.
- Cons: The artifacts can be easily handled by non-casting means, such as a trygon predator, reclamation sage, or cindervines activation. The pieces to this combo are threating if seen, so casting the pieces early game paints a target on your back.
Smothering Tithe + Stasis = No untap steps
-This prevents opponents from untapping their permanents using an untap step. Smothering Tithe makes it where your opponents cannot pay the tax and you will net mana from this, allowing you to always pay the upkeep.
- Pros: This makes it virtually impossible for your opponents to cast spells whilst giving you mana to cast your own, eventually winning the game by your flavor of stax combo pieces.
- Cons: This limits your options until you have the mana to win, stalling the game out and giving opponents options depending on their board state. Stasis is a high value target when recognized so resolving it may be a challenge. If opponents can make it to where you cannot pay for the blue mana during your upkeep, then stasis is lost.
Solemnity + Decree of Silence = Counter all opponent's spells
- This combo makes it impossible for opponents to resolve spells from casting. Solemnity prevents the decree of silence from gaining counters and needing to be sacrificed, making it impossible for opponents to resolve spells.
- Pros: Counters all spells cast from anywhere, including flashback, rebound, and similar effects.
- Cons: Does NOT counter spells that are played or copies of spells, allowing some leeway to the opponents game plans. Can be removed with reclamation sage/trygon predator effects and costs a fair amount of mana to achieve.
Phyrexian Unlife + Solemnity = Forever Alive
- This combo makes it to where the poison counters from phyrexian unlife get negated using solemnity. This makes it impossible to die from damage with these on the battlefield.
- Pros: Prevents damage from massive creatures and board states, keeping you alive for a majority of sources.
- Cons: Commander damage is NOT negated, meaning death from this source is still viable. Large commanders would be difficult to deal with if this is the only thing on the field keeping you alive. Enchantment removal takes away this progress and this combo doesn't stack against opponent players other than token and swinging matter decks obsolete.
Approach of the Second Sun + Narset's Reversal = Dub
- Using the Approach of the Second Sun, casting it but holding priority, countering it with Narset's Reversal will make the spell return to your hand and able to cast it again instantly, winning the game.
- Pros: This makes you win the game outright. Approach is a won condition that can be cast later in the game if the reversal is not in hand.
- Cons: A lot of mana is required to cast these spells together. It can be countered rather easily is this is the only thing in hand. Definitely a late game finisher. Approach would take up a slot in hand if drawn early and is easily discarded depending on the deck. With the approach resolving, this will make you an immediate target.
This is my attempt at a pseudo-budget cEDH deck. I was hoping to keep it under $1,000 but effectively take ahold of the board with stax pieces to hopefully have a combo in hand with enough protection to win the game. It definitely can use some work but this is what I consider a shell of an idea to build off of. Any recommendations are welcome and hopefully this peaked some interest. Thank you for looking it over and I will update the list as I playtest some changes. (11/6/2021)