Welcome to the devilishly delicious format of Chef Chef!

Chef Chef is an 80-card, shared deck, 1v1, format inspired directly by Dan Dan. The deck consists of mostly black cards with a green splash. Each player begins with 5 life. A player loses the game if they reach 0 life, and wins if they reach 20 life.

Each player plays a kitchen trying to out-cook the other in a race to 20-life which can be achieved in 5 foods, but don't discount the early game as 5 hits from Dockside Chef will lose you the game.

10x copies of Dockside Chef are the namesake card. As 1/2's they can effectively block each other, so many cooks in the kitchen are the way to go. Don't worry, there are plenty of ways to thin your opponent's kitchen, and even turn them into ingredients for your own meals. There are minimal combat tricks, so consider carefully if you really want to use Revitalizing Repast to meet your land drop.

Dockside Chef isn't the only threat in the kitchen. In the darkness lurks the voracious Old Flitterfang, who will be willing to tear down your enemy for a few meals. Old Flitterfang acts as a recurring threat and likely the number 1 enemy to keep removal up for, target with graveyard recursion, and tutor for with the one copy of Vampiric Tutor (note: this card adds some good interactions in Chef Chef, but is not necessary. I would suggest another copy of Discerning Taste or even Old Flitterfang in it's place).

This format is brand new and likely in need of improvements! Please reach out to me on Reddit at u/bojanglespanda with any recommendations and I look forward to seeing other modifications of Chef Chef if you're so inclined!

Some points on specific interactions below, don't read if you don't want to spoil any gameplay:

• Dockside Chef: The main threat to the enemy, and mostly helpful for getting early attacks in to try and force an early win. Later in the game, the sacrifice ability will be helpful card draw and even combo with Eriette's Tempting Apple to remove your opponent's creatures. The 10 count is an homage to Dan Dan, but with the focus on removal in Chef Chef, that number could possibly be increased.
• Old Flitterfang: mostly described above, but a lot of other cards interact to try and fight for the one copy in the deck. Lands like Mudflat Village and Witch's Cottage pull him from the graveyard. Vampiric Tutor can search the deck to see if your opponent already has him in their hand. Be carefully tutoring him as your opponent could draw off the top at instant speed!
• The Witch's Vanity: Focus on removing Dockside Chefs in particular (can't hit flitterfang), and buffing your own at Lore 3.
• Discerning Taste: This card provides much of the flavor of Chef Chef and I debated including 8 copies, like Memory Lapse in Dan Dan. It fills the graveyard quickly to fuel recursion effects, while enticing the caster with crucial life gain. The decision between drawing Old Flitterfang or "yarding" him for a free 3 life is a juicy one.
• Mire's Toll: Encourages basic land usage along with Witch's Cottage, but telegraphs to your opponent that you can't cast Viridian Harvest or Revitalizing Repast.
• Foreboding Fruit: could be an interesting way to close out the game by targeting an opponent.
• Viridian Harvest: a way to swing the game back in your favor by either locking out an enemy food or spicing up your own artifacts. It's possible that this card may be too powerful in the decklist, but I haven't had any issues with it during play testing yet.
• The Underworld Cookbook: another Chef Chef defining card. Expect most games for each player to have one out and be able to fill the yard with whatever they desire while making food in the process. It also acts as a threat to Flitterfang staying in the graveyard for too long. With the Cookbook in hand, there are no bad draws from Dockside Chef.
• Witch's Oven: Imagine the delicacy of tempting Old Flitterfang with an Apple, then tossing him in the oven for two free food tokens.
• Three Bowls of Porridge: Chicken bowl. Enough said.
• Ebon Stronghold: the only land that I believe deserves notes. I added it in as an homage to Dan Dan's Seluvite Temple. I think the sacrifice play adds a big risk vs reward factor in the heat of the early game.