Obeka, Brute Chronologist | Upping the Average

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[@lic4444]

This was a fantastic analysis of Obeka, thank you Joey! My one suggestion to people looking to build Obeka are that it helps a lot to lean either into the sneak attack strategy or the reanimator strategy, not both. The deck gets confused when it's split between both. I went full on sneak attack and it is a blast to play!

[@isaacmg9213]

absolutely, im in the proccess of converting my OG Feldon reanimator into Obeka just to lean even more hevaily on the reanimator effect, having Sneak attack as an option is nice but even in feldon i found it divides the deck as u said, sometimes i got clunky hands that werent able to push into either strategy efficiently enough.

[@hoezouikheten]

Nice tip! I'm currently making an Obeka deck and was wondering if you might have a deck list of your deck?

[@bongzong9824]

Also on Obeka right now :)

[@ChristopherSmithGPlus]

Solid feedback. I also went heavy into Sneak Attack. Reanimator seems riskier and telegraphs to your opponents what is going to happen more.

[@tylerstewart9693]

I have been toying around with the sneak attack strategy and two cards I found that work great for it are Arcane artisan and shifty Doppelganger.

[@chasm9557]

I wonder if EDHRECast has ever thought of doing a sister series where instead of improving a decklist without changing the budget, they make both the craziest version of a deck without a budget, and then the best deck they can with a very limited budget. I think it would be interesting to see whether or not they have overlapping cards in the list, other than basic lands and the commander.

[@andrewkelly4080]

Joey, you were exactly right, I was one of the people saying "it's about time" when I saw this. I've been building a list for Obeka since Commander Legends dropped, and I looked forward to seeing something like this for a while now. Great job! I love continually learning about the nonsense that goes into this deck.

[@GraveHorizon]

Great video explanation. The moment I saw Obeka, I knew I had to build her. She's essentially Diavolo from JoJo's Bizarre Adventure, letting you skip over time to avoid negative effects. She's my signature deck, creating an absolutely ridiculous boardstate if she's allowed to stick around. Excellent point about skipping the negative land triggers, I definitely need to improve my mana base and hadn't considered this.

[@07dmacari1103]

I made that connection too and even had a King Crimson alter made :D

[@bradleyemery]

17:18 -- I know I'm several months late, but friendly reminder that while Blightsteel and Darksteel Colossus are excellent Sneak Attack candidates, their replacement effects mean you can't actually reanimate them as they'll never actually hit the graveyard

[@commongentleman529]

I use these videos to better understand decks I might play against, but this one goes to another level. Usually playing against Obeka is a case of saying yes the whole time but now I feel more confident in challenging rules that may be misinterpreted rather than just rolling over 👌

[@solomra]

I really appreciate the inclusion of a budget section, thank you!

[@wowimlacey]

Fate Stitcher and Minamo have been crucial to me because people like to mess with Obeka ending the turn, so being able to untap her and tap her again has been pretty useful for me.

[@angeloragozzino2887]

I have been waiting for this video for too long, thank you!

[@matthewpink123]

Absolutely fantastic guide for one of the most complex commanders! Thanks!

[@edonave]

Best video about Obeka decks I've ever seen. Thank you so much!

[@flyindonkeyodoom]

Glad you matched the deck with last weeks episode about complex commanders. Good work

[@riverswater5688]

This was the best Obeka video I’ve seen. Extremely helpful

[@RambleOnEmu]

Yes 🙌🏼 been waiting for this one!

[@Liteyears11]

I'm going to experiment with playing Valakut Exploration in my Obeka deck. The wording on it make it so that the cards it exiles will stay under it indefinitely with Obeka in play. I could also let its endstep trigger resolve to get some burn dmg to finish off a low health player or to 'discard' a reanimation target that gets tucked under it.

[@Fearthelettuce]

I LOVE my Obeka deck. I went with 'bad ETB tribal. Leveler, Lord of Tresserhorn, Ovinomancer, Wormfang Manta, Clackbridge Troll, Phyrexian Dreadnought, Hunted Horror, Eater of Days, Elemental Appeal. It sure is janky but oh so much fun to play with those big creatures that were so scary as a kid... even if a 10/10 with no evasion doesn't do a whole lot these days.

[@HJonesT]

Great breakdown of the rules language!

[@DavidJohnson-hs3if]

Fantastic video, definitely one of the most misunderstood Commander effects ever. The simple explanation to look for "At" versus "Until" makes a world of difference in it's complexity.

[@Maximumoverbite]

Obeka is an excellent commander once you finally crack how she works. It’s A LOT of reading and paying close attention. It’s also just as much practicing with her. Not just goldfishing but actual practice with another human player. She is SUPER rewarding once you finally get into the swing of it and it’s some of the best shenanigans you would play Commander for

[@yellowsquashbanana]

I'm kinda proud that I had Mirage Phalanx in the Obeka deck i've been building.

[@plant260]

What an awesome video for an awesome commander! Would love to see what you think for toxrill and tatsunari

[@andrewkelly4080]

There is also a neat interaction with Necropotence, if you play it. The Discard -> Exile thing it does is notably NOT a replacement effect, which means when you pay 20 life to get 20 cards on your end step, you get a trigger on the stack for each one you exile. This happens during the cleanup step, so this doesn't pair with the end step stuff, but its an excellent way of filling your yard super fast.

[@andrewkelly4080]

Untapping Obeka (by way of Fatesticher, etc) is another way to get both end step trigger stuff while also benefitting from the above interaction.

[@noahbakker3479]

crazy interaction!

[@beepboopkendo4206]

Rionya fire dancer next please. Also Crested Craghorn is my challenge for the deck.

[@pelgrim4386]

yeah! my first commander in the spotlight! I enjoy her so much, I'm glad there are lots of people also :D

[@AdmiralLag]

Do you worry that someone will remove your commander after you play Final Fortune?

[@_knighted]

Very helpful video :D

[@MrMac1219]

Already have a Blade of Selves in my Adrix and Nev deck so i really love the myriad additions here, pretty clever way to swarm some deadly creatures.

[@DracoX-hz3tu]

Not really, in order to keep the tokens you have to end your turn after combat, which means that the end of turn triggers will end up going to next turn like Joey said at the start of the video, it's a complete nonbo

[@MrMac1219]

@@DracoX-hz3tu it's really a matter of how much you need your second main phase and can you keep obeka on board. Obviously not the greatest card in the deck but it's pretty capable.

[@Slo-Mode]

Always love the budget lists. Thanks my guy!

[@VinceOfAllTrades]

So if I wanted to build the budget list provided here but also wanted to add Blade of Selves because it seems cool, what should I cut for it?

[@anthonycorona7600]

When you talk about Honorable mentions, i would like some guidance of what to swap out to add them to the deck. I assume Creature for creature. But is there any card you can think of to swap out?

[@jonlamoreaux2228]

Hey, can you guys fix it so that the stranger things partners are listed in the partner commander section of your website?

[@williamstotzkowski148]

Whoa whoa whoa. Don't give away my secret combo and reason for my Obeka deck! Now a bunchs of Hive Mind copycats will start popping up.

[@tylerstewart9693]

For some other sneak attack like effects try arcane artisan and shifty Doppelganger.

[@SudoJay]

If you play hive mind does the other players get two turns before losing?

[@merzbeaux]

Aren’t the myriad, Blade of Selves and Mirage Phalanx triggers the exact same nonbo as Delina?

[@heywajuwant1165]

Almost but not quite. Myriad states to exile the copy at the end of combat and the trigger happens once during your turn, while Delina's copes have the text "At the end of combat, exile this creature" on the copied creatures causing a trigger that hit the stack at each end of combat step on all turns, totally outside of your control.

[@DracoX-hz3tu]

@@heywajuwant1165 Myriad is still a massive nonbo because you have to end your turn at the end of combat, so you won't be able to exile the end of turn abilties from the stack. Any obeka deck using both mechanics will be unfocused when they don't get away with this rules nonbo

[@killkaio7565]

I was literally, and I mean literally at buildings this...great timing lol

[@The_Ajna]

Same. Obeka is easily one of my favorite legendary cards ever

[@thatguy550]

Mirage Phalanx really is a house. Even in my riku clones deck, it just pops off

[@mattgerrey1929]

Any chance of Ayara getting a video soon?

[@nickivany2116]

Can you please do one for Inniaz the gale force 🙏🙏🙏

[@mrcrowlley]

when there is an ability on the stack saying "at the beginning of the end step", and you end the turn with the obeka, if the obeka dies, does the skill you skipped with the obeka resolve on the next turn at the beginning of the next end step?

[@noahbakker3479]

yes the ability will trigger on every end step, even the ones of your opponents. The cards that say that dont work well with obeka

[@nemkrajisnik6047]

Is it just me or does the Flamerush Rider copy ability not apply to obeka? as it says at the end of combat.

[@DracoX-hz3tu]

It does, however you have to end your turn early so you won't end up exiling the end of turn triggers. This makes it a nonbo unless you go entirely end of combat triggers

[@arymland01]

My obeka deck is pretty distant from the average list at this point since I felt the deck was wayy too parasitic with the commander. But when I was initially building her I was much more in line with the average and I found myself really disliking having cards that required me to end the turn at 2 separate times. So things like myriad and flamerush rider felt like they got in the way more than they added. I definitely found it better to stick to one timing (I chose end step triggers) to make sure you are never getting the negative effects from cards and to simplify it for the player. Still a great video but the saheeli cut makes me sad :(

[@ChristopherSmithGPlus]

Much the same. I did keep the bounce lands and Lotus Field, because I try to exploit them early, before I've got all the end of turn triggers in place, but went with encore vs. myriad for this reason.

[@arymland01]

@@ChristopherSmithGPlus nice I should maybe reconsider the bounce lands but I actually took my deck in a completely different direction. I focused more on artifact graveyard synergies with a few combos. I built the deck around liquimetal torque and have a control package based around turning my opponents stuff into artifacts. Its also part of an infinite combo with saheeli, beka, and either sakashima or spark double making infinite saheeli's you can plus for damage next turn which if you ask me is one of the coolest ways to win a game lol.

[@andrewkelly4080]

@@arymland01 oh shit that's dope. Another use for torque

[@ChristopherSmithGPlus]

@@arymland01 Have you got a deck list? This seems interesting.

[@DracoX-hz3tu]

Finally someone who realizes that myriad and end step triggers are a nonbo, Obeka's page is extremely unfocused and id wager people get away with rules nonbos because people don't know better

[@pokenamchet9388]

What's the difference between Delina's "exile this creature at end of combat" and Myriad's "exile this tokens at end of combat"?

[@mewmeister8650]

Myriad is a one time delayed trigger that goes to the stack, Delina gives her tokens text that would cause them to be exiled at the end of any combat step. Delina is just weirdly worded.

[@DracoX-hz3tu]

@@mewmeister8650 myriad is still a nonbo since you have to end your turn at end of combat, you'll lose the benefit of the "at end of turn" triggers. Go one way or the other but don't use both types of effects

[@Alex-my6me]

Does this also stop your opponents from casting on your end step provided you had end step triggers that you responded to with Obeka?

[@vivecanada1]

They can cast in response to the activation, and you have priority before they do so they could just let the triggers go if you don't activate the ability first.

[@andrewkelly4080]

When you arrive at the end step and the delayed triggers go on the stack, you get priority first. If you activate Obeka and someone tries to kill her in response, her ability has already entered the stack and will still resolve unless someone stifles it. This is why some lists have untappers like Fatestitcher, so that you can untap Obeka in response to a stifle effect and then tap her again. (Fatesticher is also a combo piece with Kiki to make infinite tapped fatestichers, which is another reason why it was probably on the average list)

[@willbill6942]

I built an Obeka deck when CMR first dropped, and I must say, Flameshadow Conjuring is pretty underwhelming. I'd recommend cutting it

[@ChristopherSmithGPlus]

Really? It's practically a pocket Volo.

[@andrewkelly4080]

@@ChristopherSmithGPlus I can see it going either way. It's a 4 mana enchantment that makes all your creatures cost 1 more if you want the effect. It's really good with sneak attack out, but I can also see cutting it if you're going for a faster, more optimized build. I've gone back and forth on it myself.

[@willbill6942]

@@andrewkelly4080 that's it exactly. It feels a bit bad to play a 4 mana enchantment, then have to pay more for every creature to follow. I know this isn't super relevant to everyone, but my deck also runs a fair number of legends, which means that it would not affect all of my creatures

[@l-gzy7400]

@@willbill6942 true, thats why i cut most legends from my deck and am only keeping the absolutely essential ones

[@willbill6942]

@@l-gzy7400 I should cut my legends... It's too fun to drop a Thraximundar with Sneak Attack though...

[@MartimusVids]

Does this decklist play well?

[@cinderheart2720]

End the turn really means "counter all spells and abilities", right?

[@andrewkelly4080]

Not just counter, exile. So if some poor fool tries to Cyclonic Rift on your ende step, their spell not only doesnt resolve, but also gets exiled

[@aquaboss356]

It doesn't counter anything. It exiles everything on the stack. Important distinction as it will also stop uncounterable spells from resolving.

[@SamundraDarion]

But won't the Effects Trigger "in the next end step" aka your opponent's end step?

[@TheBirdOfParadox]

So if the wording is 'at the beginning of the next endstep', the effects will go on the stack in the end step. That's why the timing with Obeka is so important. You do go into your end step and the ability goes on the stack, only *then* do you activate Obeka to end the turn, thereby exiling the stack and these triggers. These abilities only go onto the stack only once, once they did that, they don't 'care' if they resolved or not (just like if you stifle a trigger, it doesn't trigger again). If the wording were different and the word 'next' is missing, then you would be correct and it would trigger again and again. That's why Mirage Phalanx doesn't really work, because it says 'exile it at the end of combat' instead of 'next combat'. This means the exile trigger goes on the stack in each combat, not just once.

[@TheMaskedHero]

Is it true that Mana Curves was behind this video in edit or writing?

[@EDHRECast]

:) twitter.com/JosephMSchultz/status/1488953337101774850?s=20&t=YB_htwLOII1qbVJwLMVAig

[@07dmacari1103]

Man, I love my Fatestitcher: extra uses of Kiki Jiki or Feldon or untapping that Lotus Field. And if no one can stop you, it goes infinite with Kiki during the previous player's end step, so you can untap with infinite Stitchers, tap everything down, and swing for game.

[@timkvernen4852]

I really want this commander to be good, but I feel like I never get to play because the good cards are so expensive, and the deck feels completely useless when Obeka isn't in play. It's sad because this is one of the most interesting effects on any commander. I'll check this list out, but if anyone has a not-terrible deck list for her, please let me know. I would love to be able to have some fun with it!

[@Sevik07]

Quite a good land for obeka is Thawing glaciers, if you dont mind the price that is. And if you go with the Graveyard strat Feldon of the Third path is excellent too.

[@robertpfunder1757]

And Lotus Field

[@BovineFreedo]

underworld breach is not the card for this deck since it will sacrifice at the end step, you can keep it around for yours but how does it survive the opponents end step?

[@Djinnistorm]

the idea was to combo it with the shown cards so it is forever your turn.

[@GerardoAlvarado3692]

I see how funny it is casting Final Fortune while having Hive Mind in the game, but because Final Fortune's caster will have his or her extra turn and tapping Obeka will prevent from losing the game, wouldn't that cause to exile the Final Fortunes copies from the Stack as the text of "End the turn" states (Exile all spells and abilities from the Stack)?

[@derekbrady8651]

Am I missing something, or wouldn’t the myriad cards not work? They have the same “at end of combat” wording that Delina, Wild Mage has

[@GorrTGB]

The difference is that Delina puts the "at end of combat" onto the token itself. Where as Myriad sets up a delayed trigger as part of the resolution.

[@andrewkelly4080]

This. It's similar to Underworld Breach. If you try to kill the sac trigger at EoT, itll just go off on the next players end step as well, because it's a triggered ability on the card itself.

[@Kryptnyt]

Surely the funniest thing to do with Obeka is get 19 counters on your Smokestack though

[@GrumpelLP]

myriad does work because it not says "end of (next) combat" right?

[@ivanw6511]

Can someone help explain why Delina doesnt work, but Myriad creatures work? don't they all say "exile [...] at end of combat"?

[@EDHRECast]

We'll copy a helpful response from another commenter here: "The difference is that Delina puts the "at end of combat" onto the token itself, whereas Myriad sets up a delayed trigger as part of the resolution."

[@heyoheyo3433]

@@EDHRECast Hi, this is abit late. But does this mean this applies to flamerush rider as well?

[@GoyfAscetic]

Up Mayael the Anima's Average please

[@WindchargerPrime]

Ommath Locus of the Roil.

[@danielgubler2595]

I’m pretty sure underworld breach has the same problem as delina, the card says sacrifice it at the end step, not the beginning of the next end step, so you will have to sacrifice underworld breach on your opponents end step still!

[@Djinnistorm]

You are correct about the wording, but the idea was to combo it with the shown cards so it is forever your turn. You keep recasting the extra turn, exiling 3 cards, and you keep having enough cards in your graveyard to do this using brain freeze. Infinite turns.

[@Nr4747]

To (try to) clarify: "This turn" and "until end of turn"-effects are continous effects, they don't use a trigger, they just cease to exist at the beginning of the next end step. "At the beginning of the next end step"-text signifies delayed triggers - which means that nothing happens until the beginning of the next end step, *then* the delayed triggers goes on the stack, can be responded to, and (usually) resolves. Obeka can exile those triggers from the stack while they are on the stack by ending the turn at that exact moment.

[@DracoX-hz3tu]

I know I'm really late but myriad is a complete nonbo here. You have to end your turn at the end of combat to remove the myriad trigger from the stack, but this means all your "end of turn" triggers will go to next turn as you said yourself at the start of the video

[@angelalex7827]

I looked on Reddit, Obeka and myriad looks like a valid synergy.

[@kdchmln]

Any deck that relies this heavily on its commander is a hard no from me. Way too easy for opponents to nerf.

[@MrSuperiorTech]

17:10 reanimator targets.. Blightsteel Colossus… hmm

[@Lavalot]

Fatestitcher can go infinite with Kiki-Jiki so I feel like wether you wanna cut it should depend on how well your meta handles infinite combos.