Deck & Commander Strategies
Stiltzkin, Moogle Merchant
A lifelink creature that can pay mana to tap and give permanents to other players, drawing cards when that happens, promoting interactive control and resource sharing.
Shadow the Hedgehog
A haste creature that draws cards when it or other creatures with flash or haste die, and grants split second to spells cast using mana from permanents, enabling fast and reactive play.
Ardbert, Warrior of Darkness
A dual-color (Orzhov) commander triggering counters and granting vigilance and lifelink on legendary creatures whenever black or white spells are cast, focusing on incremental board strength and combat resilience.
Jon Irenicus, Shattered One
A commander that forces opponents to gain control of creatures while strengthening and protecting them, drawing cards whenever creatures you own but don't control attack, leveraging political and control elements.
Gameplay Insights
- 1
Players debated the control and ownership interactions for curses versus equipment drawn from the Treasure Cruise pile, which informed strategic decisions on gifting or retaining permanents.
- 2
The Treasure Cruise mechanic introduced a unique shared resource dynamic that affected typical commander strategies by adding random treasures or curses that could impact the board state.
- 3
Ardbert’s deck was constrained by having all cards with dual black and white casting costs, leading to frequent turns with just land or creature plays and no cards in hand, a trade-off for consistent triggers.
- 4
Jon Irenicus's ability to force opponents to gain control of creatures and then drawing cards off their attacks created political pressure and card advantage, setting up a subtle control strategy.
- 5
Shadow the Hedgehog’s synergy with creatures dying and split second spells allowed for reactive plays and sustained card draw, helping maintain tempo in the game.
Notable Cards
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Sword of Fire and Ice
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Curse of Predation
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Curse of Disturbance
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Curse of Opulence
Gameplay Summary
The game began with players introducing their commanders and discussing the unique Treasure Cruise format, which involves a shared pile of treasures and curses that players can gamble mana to draw from each turn.
Early turns were focused on establishing board presence and exploring the interplay of Treasure Cruise mechanics, with players drawing and sometimes acquiring powerful artifacts like Sword of Fire and Ice.
Stiltskin, Moogle Merchant was played as a lifelink creature that could give permanents to others, promoting a dynamic of sharing or manipulation.
Shadow the Hedgehog provided card draw upon creatures with flash or haste dying, and granted split second to spells under certain conditions, adding layers of tempo and interaction.
Ardbert, Warrior of Darkness was built around casting dual-colored black and white spells to place counters on legendary creatures, granting vigilance and lifelink, though it faced a slow start due to a lack of cards in hand.
Jon Irenicus, Shattered One’s deck was designed to take control of opponents' creatures and gain card advantage whenever those creatures attacked.
The game featured strategic discussions about control and ownership of curses and equipment from the Treasure Cruise pile, which influenced decisions about giving away or retaining permanents.
