MAGICCON CHICAGO EVENT REPORT

Dylan and Cam talk about their experience at MagicCon Chicago, including the 16 games of cEDH they played, the food, and more!
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[@carterbonds898]

I’m so happy to hear Dylan is full time! Love ya Dylan

[@PlaytoWinMTG]

Thank you!!

[@kylehill]

Displacer is the best card in Atraxa

[@oatmealbro6977]

Agree 100%. I've only picked up the deck 3-4 months and quickly noticed myself winning if I can get it to stick. Very pleased to draw it and happily tutor for it. Even without presenting infinite, the value it can provide can be devastating.

[@PlaytoWinMTG]

BY FAR! I give that cat a little smooch every time they win me the game

[@DeadOnBoardMTG]

So excited to play with both of you, and happy I got it recorded, video comes out this Sunday for those interested

[@PlaytoWinMTG]

OH BOY I remember punting that game I think??? Like first game of the whole weekend

[@TheGrifcannon22]

So happy to see you guys got a game in, can't wait to see it.

[@DeadOnBoardMTG]

lol I'm pretty sure I was the one punting, but guess you'll have to watch to remember @@PlaytoWinMTG 😜

[@acesblue123]

Congrats Dylan! As a fellow Atraxa player. There is a loop you can do if someone removes your Thassa. When you do your food chain combo and create infinite mana to loop Atraxa and have your deck in your hand, you cast Bowmaster ping an opponent. Cast any mana rocks and then proceed to cast culling ritual. You will gain black/green mana. Then you hard cast endurance yourself, hold priority and abrupt decay the endurance. They will all go into your graveyard and get Enduranced back into your deck. Then you loop Atraxa again to get all those spells again to recast everything in the same order and ping your opponents down. Rinse and repeat! Good luck to you both and hope to see you guys in Vegas!

[@tylerhennessy2701]

Sooooo excited for you to go full time. Congratulations. Magiccon was amazing. Only played 6 games won 1.

[@eco3337]

Alex with the Spikefeeders made a Time Walk joke, which made me immediately think of you guys.

[@shadow14587]

Dylan! I was in the same exact position where I had lost my Thassa early on in the game but assembled food chain. I spent like 20 minutes until I found this really round about way to win that I think you may have been able to pull off! First cast all your rocks to be able to cast culling ritual, then you cast orcish bowmasters pinging an opponent. Then cast the culling ritual making lots of green and black mana but also putting all that stuff in the graveyard. Lastly cast endurance targeting yourself, but before it shuffles your graveyard away, kill it with abrupt decay. This allows you to repeat this over and over recasting all your spells, pinging your opponents infinitely. It's even easier with kitten out though as you can just flicker the endurance. Hope that helps! Btw congrats on going full time!!

[@iPhoneeditor]

Nice! I love complex interactions like this. Finding that unconventional line always feels so sick. Did a weird one the other day with Mizzix in a budget cEDH game where I used my chaos warp + reiterate to turn my infinite treasures into permanents in my library, got Darcy, surveiled my library until I hit past in flames, and won with reiterate and a reality shift in my graveyard. Sometimes you aren't really stuck. You just gotta dig a little deeper into that tank and think outside the box. :)

[@oatmealbro6977]

I never thought to use Abrupt Decay on my own stuff to make part of looping uncounterable lol. I like to use Culling the Weak instead of Culling Ritual. Assuming we have Food Chain loop assembled. Bowmaster and Kitten on field. Just need 1 black mana. >Cast Endurance >Endurance etb trigger on the stack >Respond with Culling the Weak, sacrifice Endurance as additional cost >Flicker Bowmasters, ping an opponent. >Let Endurance etb trigger resolve, shuffle your bin (including Endurance and Culling the Weak, importantly) into your deck. >Draw your deck again with Food Chain loop casting Atraxa >Repeat process with black mana from Culling the Weak I'm sure it can be improved on or maybe I messed up somewhere lol. But it's a way to win if you can't with Thoracle!

[@PlaytoWinMTG]

Yes! Endurance was the missing piece that wasn’t in my deck at the time. It is now! I

[@ryanbroncatello4595]

You don’t need abury decay if you just evoke the endurance you can stack the evoke trigger to resolve before the reshuffle so endurance is already in the bin, likely won’t matter but could be important to know

[@TheOmarale25]

Hey guys I actually met Brandon and Nate and I got to try Tyler’s kinnan deck, and as a first time cedh player it was so much fun!!! They were so nice and kind and they helped me figure the deck out I even won a game too!! Shout out to those guys for being awesome!!!

[@PlaytoWinMTG]

Happy to hear that!!

[@simonbigger1395]

Was super happy to meet you guys and get a game in! Hopefully next time i’ll play a swamp in my mono black deck 😂

[@PlaytoWinMTG]

Good idea!!

[@mattkent5869]

With no Thoracle and Finale available the second win con in atraxa, which is included in your list, would be: -Gain infinite commander casts through Foodchain. -cast all creatures with mana from foodchain, except endurance. -bowmasters etb ping for 1 -cast culling ritual -cast endurance, with trigger on the stack abrupt decay/otawara/chain of vapor your endurance -draw your library again and repeat. Say that you don't even have displacer kitten for some reason you can still dump that mana into Finale if that''s available, but not bowmasters.

[@PlaytoWinMTG]

yes! endurance wasn't in the list at the time, but it is now!

[@mattkent5869]

​@@PlaytoWinMTGI was overlooking Endurance for a while, but when I stopped looking at the card in a vacuum I thought to myself that's probably the most relevant elemental of the cicle of cEDH. A staple of this deck for sure. -4 mana for free on foodchain -tymna/najeela/malcolm blocker -turn 0 counter to thoracle -combo enabler that is not a bad card

[@user-xx2um7hp1b]

Really appreciate the shoutout to personal preference contributing to success. Big believer in that you will find more success playing what you like than what just is objectively good. Decision making fatigue is real and being able to play with your comfort leads to more consistent gameplay.

[@jesse_hayer]

44:30 One of my buddies who traveled to the con with us was the one passing out those Desert Storm packs! He said it was a weird antique store find, and he wanted to give them to as many creators and pros and wotc peeps as possible. Also super amazing to get to meet y'all in person! i haven't gotten the chance to play much CEDH, but every time i listen to the podcast or watch the gameplay, i always learn something new! hope to eventually get the honor of playing with y'all!

[@AmateurHourMTG]

It was awesome meeting and playing a game with you guys at MagicCon. Hope to get some more games in the future!

[@TheJundFund]

Glad you guys dug the stickers and foil tokens! Always a pleasure running into you at cons!

[@PlaytoWinMTG]

You as well!!

[@Benjithegreat37]

Congrats on going full time! Can’t wait to see you guys grow more!!!

[@aidanmallberg3197]

It was great to actually meet you guys in person! I was the Tayam player who asked about a game on Friday. Unfortunately I never saw you guys again. 😂 Hope I can get a game with you next time

[@noneyabizness6094]

Meeting you guys was the highlight of my weekend. Thank you so much.

[@PlaytoWinMTG]

Thanks for saying hi!

[@neomatt100]

So happy to hear Dylan is going full time for the channel. I want to start my own channel (not gonna say what I’m calling it.) gives a lot of hope to people who think why start, and feel so far behind already. Congrats man, and thanks for all the content you’ve put up already and all the content you guys put up in the future!

[@joshuajohnson2532]

So stoked to hear y’all are both full time! Play to Win is my favorite channel on KZbin!

[@CandyClam]

Awesome to hear ur both full time now! Big fan and love to see the great vids!

[@wifflewaffle6954]

Such a pleasure to meet you both at Magic Con!

[@rsm014]

Congrats Dylan! Y’all’s channel is the dopest dope. So glad you’re getting more hours on it, and don’t have to grind on anything else! When Play to Win comes to Texas I’m there.

[@stewalla3916]

Great content guys. Long time MTG player from the UK that used to play a lot of Legacy. Just got back into the game and as that format doesn't seem to be an option anymore I have been drawn into CEDH. Always found commander a difficult proposition due to my competitive nature, CEDH seems the answer. Massive help from you guys in getting me up to speed with the meta.

[@freerunner1953]

Congratulations on being full-time on Play to Win Dylan! I'm glad you get to do what you love!

[@garetparry7658]

You guys signing my diamond was the pinnacle of the con! You guys are what started it all for me!

[@wyattlewis8432]

Congrats Dylan and cam!! It’s awesome to see you guys doing so well, you all got me into CEDH and I’m so happy for yall

[@josephharty5048]

Excited to have you both full time! My favorite mtg channel!

[@Flip4Crypt]

Congrats on both being Full Time guys! Thats incredible, and very well deserved!

[@mrchristopher13]

Damn! I wish I had a chance to meet you guys. I was at Magic Con but was playing Modern and Pioneer events with minimal down time. Love your content! Keep it going! :)

[@swaderable]

Dude the $40 2 mile ubers were killing me. Great seeing you guys, I was the guy with the eye patch at the emerald city booth

[@dominicyanez7960]

I was there too! Didn't know you guysbwere there. Maybe I'll catch you in vegas. Hope it was a good time for you guys. Thanks for the content!

[@isaacbrethauer]

congrats on fulltime! Nice meeting you fellas in Chicago ✌

[@bulbasaurappreciator]

Hell yeah dude glad to see you can support yourself making some of my favorite content, you deserve it

[@honor6100]

I met you guys while waiting in line in the artist alley. It was awesome

[@arthurventreschi2465]

Really happy to see you both succeeding in life, and going full time! I watch you guys so much that for me, we already are childhood friends lol Much love from Brasil❤❤❤

[@jacobh4077]

Congrats on going full time Dylan! Yall already put out great content, looking forward to see how it gets even better!

[@ljlk8583]

Huge congrats for going full time, Dylan! I'm super happy for you!

[@brianrowe5624]

You guys rock, happy for you brother keep up the great work and congrats

[@ryanmilewski9641]

Played my first CEDH game the other day. Was looking to play casual commander and was pleasantly surprised that someone let me borrow their Atraxa deck. It was cool what I could apply from watching your show. Can attest the Atraxa deck has some much protection to execute your food chain wins!

[@whompcity9003]

So happy for you both being full time and following your dreams ❤

[@frankfiore3886]

It was amazing getting to meet you both at MagicCon. Ty for taking a pic with me and my buddies! Unfortunately I did not have the chance to play a game with either of you. I just wanted to thank you both for being so welcoming to the community ! You are the reason I started getting into Cedh (Still learning but im enjoying my losses ) lol

[@PlaytoWinMTG]

Thanks for saying hi!

[@kelm102]

I didn't even know you were going to be in Chicago until Eliot pointed you guys out. I didn't get a game in, but it was nice to at least be able to say hi to you guys. I spent at least half the day or more on Friday in the Artist's Corner getting stuff signed. Otherwise, I spent pretty much the entirety of Saturday and Sunday in the Creator Central area just chilling with people. I only got 3 actual games of Commander in for the entire weekend.

[@oscarperezcame]

Awesome to have Dylan fulltime! I love the channel and the content is good but also pretty funny

[@dear.dustin]

As far as overlooked Atraxa win-cons.. if you have your whole deck in your hand and infinite creature flicker with displacer kitten lines can't you just flicker orcish bow master to ping the table?? 🙃

[@PlaytoWinMTG]

Mmm no you need an endurance that wasn’t in the deck at the time. Kitten only triggers off non creatures

[@dear.dustin]

I was thinking of bow master as the displacer flicker target, not the cast trigger... But I'm having trouble figuring out the line now 😂 you would need roaming throne to double displacer kitten cast triggers, then have some teferi line going...not sure you even run all that 🤙 all good

[@reddrake40]

It was great seeing you guys in person. I had intended to play my Purphoros cEDH build with you but it just didn't happen.

[@decktechsfordecks]

Congratulations Dylan that’s awesome to hear!

[@Shmackle123]

I saw a clip of someone from (i think) that tournament flash in Aboleth Spawn in response to the opps Thoracle combo, then proceed to win first with his own stolen one. Glad you guys are going full time!

[@Robhugoboss]

Congrats Dyl! This is the best cEDH channel going keep it up boys.

[@mitchellsellers7791]

They sent out a survey via email for feedback on the event, highly recommend putting some thought into it. I wrote a bit about the space utilization and many of the points you brought up. I saw you guys on Friday, but unfortunately wasn’t able to get in a game this weekend. Hope to see you guys at MagicCon Vegas!

[@PlaytoWinMTG]

Good call! hope to see you in Vegas!

[@thatglockguy21]

I (Blue Farm) played Tyler and won with one life on Mnemonic Betrayal. I played Dylan and Cam later, tried to ad naus seat 2 turn 2, but seat 3 Dazed me... Cam won in seat 1 turn 4, with Etali hitting Dylan's food chain, which was uncounterable due to Destiny Spinner. Made my weekend to play with you guys.

[@ajaydassani9931]

You two were some of the coolest people at magiccon Chicago

[@smithdood]

Im so excited for one of you to play Jund Rograkh. That deck has me seriously considering getting into cedh, and im actively trying to find a good way to make it a casual deck.

[@xonerex7501]

Yawgs Will is better than Mnemonic Betrayal imo

[@sjc_alters]

Congratulations Dylan! 🎉🎉🎉

[@brendanhaire559]

Dylan, one card I play over betrayal is eternal witness. This card incidentally makes infinite mana with your rocks and dark ritual and is also really good during food chain lines that you may have hiccups on. Congratulations on going full time!!

[@threscik]

I watch alot of magic content, and never play CEDH. Y'all are the only channel I watch every single video. Gameplay, breakdowns, podcasts, love it all. Congrats on going fulltime. Keep it up.

[@PlaytoWinMTG]

That means the world. Thank you!

[@MF_SANTI]

I was bummed I didn’t see y’all over at MagicCon Vegas in September last year but hopefully I can meet y’all sometime soon!

[@bensteinhauser784]

Congrats on going full time Dylan!

[@xiledknight444]

It was a pleasure playing with you guys at the "new to cedh" event at Maggiccon. thanks for letting me test drive tymna/tana. Didn't expect to win but getting that win gave me that extra bonus motivation to head into cedh. Goose (bufftown bullies) says i'm a cedh master now (joking of course) 😂

[@PlaytoWinMTG]

Thanks for whooping my butt with my own deck!

[@sushii6452]

Man this makes me sad :( I hoped that you would come to Amsterdam because outside Europe is nearly impossible to finance for me. My first thought last month when I bought the ticket was " I hope they'll come so they can write Timewalk on my Surveil lands" :D For me it goes the same. I started building cEDH Decks because of you guys so thanks for all your content !

[@TPHHippo]

Thanks for signing my Food Chain, boys! Congrats Dylan!

[@paulieWalnuts91]

congrats Dylan to full time!!! you guys are killing it!!

[@MetaLibanez1]

"They piloted it excellently".. you guys crack me up. Congrats on full time dylan and for 70k subs on the channel!

[@Maverickstyg]

You guys should celebrate both being full time with a Q&A episode!

[@jordancaldwell2208]

Let's go Dylan! Congrats!

[@pokekidsam1092]

Hi it’s Sam I said Hi and took a selfie with you when you walked in was one of the most memorable moments of my trip

[@PlaytoWinMTG]

Thanks for saying hi sam!

[@iPhoneeditor]

Congratulations on being full time. Well deserved!

[@joskajiri]

i love you so much, your podcast and that u r both working full-time right now!! Thats just amazing news for everybody! 💖 also i'd loove to try vegan mac&cheese, acrly never had it in my life lol

[@joskajiri]

noooo pleasee come to Amsterdam! Pretty please!!!! Its gonna be my first ever MagicCon ever and i just have to meet and see u irl so i know u r actly real

[@JorgeAlibrandi]

Congratulations guys. You both are the Coolest

[@metalplaysgames]

i only saw you guys friday, wish i could of got a game in, hopefully you guys can make philly next weekend

[@PlaytoWinMTG]

We'll be there the Saturday of SCG Philly!

[@swaderable]

Little behind the scenes, after Vegas a lot of vendors were very upset with being in a separate space from the players. I think reedpop was worried that vendors wouldn't show up to chicago if they kept everything split so they tried shoving literally everything into one room. Turned out great for vendors and artist but the player experience was rough as a consequence

[@jokersjacket3174]

Congrats on full time!!!!

[@justinkopy3354]

44:35 Chunky absolutely sent me here I love it and I want one

[@JoreoTCG]

Yooo I was the Delney Player btw. I would love to play with you guys on stream sometime!

[@rajprasad1683]

In atraxa, you can loop your library with OBM and edurance and culling rit to ping the table indefinitely

[@pscribble6827]

Dan Prescott makes my favorite tokens. I have those constructs the first cEDH deck I ever built, Jan Jansen

[@AimbotBrandon]

congrats guys!!!!

[@Rootbeer365]

I put my name in for a game Saturday but didn't make it in before you left. Had some good games at the table next to you though! Great meeting you both, and glad you had a good time!

[@john_wick272]

Same, but hey, it was still a great time seeing em

[@mrpenguin6699]

Congrats on the full time!

[@theirishmanplays]

After finally catching up with my videos after the convention, I was so surprised that our Business card was shown on the screen!

[@skullkrusher-dx4kg]

You guys always seem like lifelong buddies. The 5 year thing kinda threw me off😂. Keep up the good work guys, and congrats dylan.

[@charliesmith1340]

Congrats Dylan🎉

[@user-yc2xt5lj4q]

I'm not sure if its in your list but blind obedience can also be used in some lines, esp teferi+kitten, to extort your opponents infinite times and ping them down that way!

[@danielsicilia5408]

I recently started following your channel and love the content! Do you guys think that Ruric Thar has a place in the current midrange meta of CEDH?

[@PlaytoWinMTG]

I don’t see it often, but if you dedicate time to learning the deck and playing it well, I definitely think it could be great

[@patjanes8532]

Use displacer kitten to bounce rocks for infinite finale mana! I use emiel in mine but what do I know im not the best pilot! Love the content guys!

[@roberthastings5969]

For the Mnemonic Betrayal. I normally use it for counterspells or interaction and maybe getting someone's dockside that got countered. That's the only thing i use it for and it has won me games.

[@tilaniebresler3047]

love you guys!

[@RodgersForever420]

Do you have a way to loop bowmasters in your atraxa? That’s another great win con to have access to in atraxa.

[@mn6334]

I think I played a game on Saturday with somebody who mentioned they went to the "new to cedh" event. They seemed like they enjoyed it. Iirc, they said they played Tymna/Tana and the person helping them looked at their opening hand and told them they had a "god hand".

[@joliveira520]

Hullbreaker Horror! Been trying to sell my buddy on it in Atraxa. Can make infinite mana and bounce Atraxa it self. Can be played off food chain mana. AND lets you loop orcish bowmaster to ping down the table.

[@9d7fish]

For my atraxa list I like running walking balista and acererak the archlich. Ballista with the infinite mana and archlich with any tomb with ally ran to flash it out for an insta win.

[@Karste1n]

Awesome news Dylan

[@ajaydassani9931]

Congratulations dylan

[@willzang3000]

CONGRATS YOU BEAUTIFUL SOULS

[@arewealldead]

Congrats on full time🎉🎉. But uhhh lemme see that atraxa list

[@ajaydassani9931]

The ticketed play tables you could of sneak a game in.. but yea lack of space. I was going to game quest for the janklord ppl but couldn't get a table

[@Dasquee]

While cloud of faries is a bad card, Derevi is not and fills that position with Emiel that you were talking about and provides absolute insane value throughout a game in many many ways - definitely worth a consider.

[@abrahamdrinkin2534]

One of the prominent Atraxa lists uses Bowmasters in combo with Abrupt Decay and Endurance when you have infinite mana with Food Chain out as a back up win condition for when you lose Thoracle. And those above cards have utility outside of being a back up win con.

[@ayseboii9897]

how does it combo?

[@mattkent5869]

​@@ayseboii9897 have infinite creature mana and atraxa casts which give access to the deck. bowmasters etb, culling ritual, cast endurance, endurance etb, with the etb on the stack abrupt decay/chain of vapor/otawara the endurance, shuffle culling ritual, bowmasters and all else. redraw them with atraxa and repeat.

[@fbph02]

To give some clarity on the most probable reason why the con didn't rent out a bigger section is because McCormick Place rentals are fucking expensive and they are known to nickel and dime organizers. Also Chicago hasn't had any magic events in over a decade so organizers probably really were blindsided by how popular it would be. Hope they do it again next year and rent out the main show floor hall which is like double the size of the hall it took place in.

[@rogerdanao2286]

ily guys