Honestly, if you spent any time on the Hermitcraft server during Season 9, you know that the "Deep Frost Citadel" wasn't just a build. It was a fever dream. A massive, redstone-powered obsession that basically ate Tango Tek’s life for over a year. But while Tango was the mad scientist behind the curtain, the cast of decked out—the players who actually bled for those frost embers—is what made the game legendary.
It wasn't just a "mini-game." It was a psychological experiment.
You had people like Etho, who treated the dungeon like a professional chess match, and then you had Scar, who mostly just walked into walls and somehow survived. That contrast is exactly why we're still talking about it now.
The Architect and the Masterminds
Tango Tek is the obvious lead here. He spent months in a hole in the ground, wired up with thousands of logic gates and redstone dust, just to make sure a Ravager would bite you at exactly the right moment. But he wasn't alone in the "production" side of things.
Zedaph was essentially the Chief Guinea Pig. Before any of the other Hermits got to set foot in the dungeon, Zedaph was the one running through dark hallways, getting jumped by Wardens, and helping Tango figure out if the game was actually playable or just a death trap.
Then there’s Etho. If Tango is the creator, Etho is the guy who "solved" it. He ended up winning the whole thing, but it wasn't just about the points. It was the way he played. He’d stand in the middle of a room with a Warden sniffing his hair, perfectly calm, just waiting for a redstone tick. It was terrifying to watch, honestly.
The Heavy Hitters of the Citadel
When people look for the cast of decked out, they’re usually looking for the leaderboard legends. These are the folks who practically lived in the lobby.
- Cubfan135: Cub was a machine. He approached the game with a level of grind that would break most people. He wasn't just playing for fun; he was collecting data.
- GoodTimesWithScar: The chaos factor. Scar was the first person to ever enter the dungeon, and his runs were pure comedy. He’d be talking to a piece of moss one second and running for his life the next.
- GeminiTay: Gem was the "silent but deadly" player. She stayed consistent, built an incredible deck, and ended up being one of the top competitors, proving that you don't need to be a redstone wizard to dominate the dungeon.
- PearlescentMoon: While everyone else was obsessed with winning the "Tome" race, Pearl was obsessed with the lore. She’s the one who actually "beat" the game by uncovering the deepest secrets Tango hid in the walls.
The Special Guests: A Crossover Event
One of the coolest moments in the history of the game was the Guest Event. This is where the cast of decked out expanded beyond just the Hermitcraft regulars.
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They brought in friends from across the Minecraft community, and it was total carnage. You had HBomb94, SmallishBeans (Joel), LDShadowLady (Lizzie), SolidarityGaming (Jimmy), InTheLittleWood (Martyn), and Skizzleman.
"Who has the biggest deck?"
— Lizzie (LDShadowLady), during the most awkward moment of the stream.
Watching Etho try to "mentor" Jimmy while Jimmy accidentally triggered every trap in the building was peak entertainment. It showed that even though the game was built on complex code, the real magic was just watching people panic in the dark.
Why the Lineup Mattered
The reason this specific group worked is because of the stakes. In most Minecraft games, you die, you respawn, you move on. In Decked Out, if you died, you lost your treasure. You lost your progress. You could feel the genuine frustration when someone like Docm77—who was mostly there to build an overpowered deck—got "clanked out" by a random hazard.
It wasn't just about the mechanics. It was about the personalities.
Joe Hills brought a weird, poetic energy to his runs. Hypnotizd was incredibly efficient. ImpulseSV struggled with burnout but still showed up to support his best friend Tango. It felt like a real ensemble cast where everyone had a role to play, even if that role was just "the person who dies in the first room."
What’s Next for the Cast?
As of right now, Tango is already deep into planning Decked Out 3 for Season 11. He’s already mentioned that he’s got a 40-page design document. 40 pages! That’s longer than some novels.
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He’s looking at making it more team-based this time, which means the cast of decked out is going to look a lot different. We’re likely to see teams of Hermits working together to survive, which adds a whole new layer of social dynamics. Imagine Etho and Scar on a team—one trying to calculate the odds while the other is trying to pet a Ravager.
If you want to catch up on the madness before the next iteration drops, here is what you should actually do:
- Watch the VODs: Don't just watch the highlights. Watch a full stream of the Guest Event. It’s the best way to see the sheer scale of the game.
- Follow the Spreadsheet: The Hermitcraft community has a "Tracked Out" spreadsheet. It’s full of nerd-level data on every single run ever made.
- Check Tango’s Second Channel: Tango Tek2 has the raw, unedited footage of the builds. If you want to see how the sausage is made, that’s the place.
The dungeon is closed for now, but the stories from those runs? They’re still some of the best moments in survival Minecraft history.