Table Talk.
Before the first draw. A clear plan for a good game.
Table Talk / Rule Zero
Say before shuffling up
I’m playing Voja, an Elf-and-Wolf combat deck. I’m suggesting Bracket 3: there are no Game Changers or infinite combos, but Voja can snowball quickly. Elves grow my whole board, Wolves draw cards, and changelings do both. I have haste, creature tutoring through Rocco, and a big Volatile Claws attack. I also have board wipes and limited land destruction in Decimate and Meteor. Can we agree on whether lands are fair targets before we start?
jeremy.foiltilt.com/voja-conclave/tournament-3/
What to tell the table
- Suggested Bracket 3 is an editorial assessment, not a playtested power score. Zero Game Changers alone does not make Voja a low-power deck. Agree on pace with the pod.
- Wins are combat-based, including commander damage. No extra turns or identified infinite combo lines. Haste and Volatile Claws can make a seemingly modest board lethal.
- Voja has ward 3. Targeted answers must account for that cost; wipes do not. I will clearly announce the Elf and Wolf counts before resolving its attack ability.
- Rocco is a creature tutor. Farhaven Elf, Sylvan Ranger and the land-search effects also improve consistency; Woodland Weavemaster has restricted mana.
- Shatter the Sky and Meteor reset creatures. Inspiring Call or Invisible Force Field may make that reset one-sided if the relevant creatures are protected.
- Decimate requires a land target. Meteor cast from exile can choose artifacts or lands for each opponent. If the pod excludes land destruction, agree on a change before shuffling; the published list still includes both cards.
- Card art uses representative printings because sets and finishes were not supplied. The published 100 is the provided list, with only spelling and card-type categorization corrected.
How the deck plays
Develop mana and a mix of Elves, Wolves and changelings, then attack with Voja. Each Elf adds a +1/+1 counter to every creature you control; each Wolf draws a card. Keep enough creatures alive to turn the next attack into a larger one. Win through combat damage, trample and, when appropriate, 21 commander combat damage to one opponent.
Use Emil, Wargling or Cabaretti Charm to give the team trample, or Naya Charm to tap one opponent’s blockers before combat. Volatile Claws before Voja’s trigger can create a lethal swing. Count blockers and actual commander damage separately; removing one player is not a whole-table win. Runebound Wolf or Clan Defiance can finish a low-life survivor.
What to watch
Ward is a tax, not immunity
Opponents can pay three for targeted removal. Board wipes and effects that do not target bypass ward. If Voja leaves after its attack ability triggers, the ability still resolves, but count only the Elves and Wolves you still control.
Protection must be ready
Inspiring Call does nothing to protect creatures with no +1/+1 counters when it resolves. Hold up 2G after establishing counters; do not spend the last mana on another body if a wipe is likely.
Not all “Elf mana” casts Voja
Woodland Weavemaster’s mana is restricted to Elf spells and abilities of Elf sources. Voja is naturally a Wolf, so that mana cannot cast it. Three Tree Mascot filters mana once each turn; it is not a mana accelerator.
Combat setup has a deadline
Wargling checks for a power-four creature when it attacks. Hot Spring’s sorcery-speed counter activation must happen before combat. Naya Charm tapping blockers is best before attackers or blockers are declared; tapping an already blocking creature does not remove it from combat.
Removal and cascade can be awkward
Decimate needs all four target types to be cast. Cascade casts the revealed spell before the Bloodbraid creature resolves; you may decline. If cascade casts Rocco, X must be zero, which finds no creature in this list. Clan Defiance also has X=0 when cast without paying its mana cost.