Deck & Commander Strategies
Minsc & Boo, Timeless Heroes
Aggressively powers out Protean Hulk combo by using Minsc as a sacrifice outlet to trigger Hulk’s death triggers and win the game quickly.
Shorikai, Genesis Engine
Control deck that uses Shorikai to draw cards and generate tokens, setting up a Dramatic Scepter combo to draw the entire deck and find a win condition.
Slicer, Hired Muscle // Slicer, High-Speed Antagonist
Hybrid Voltron and Stax deck that slows opponents with taxing effects like Tangle Wire and Chalice of the Void, then finishes by beating down with a powerful commander.
Thrasios, Triton Hero and Vial Smasher the Fierce
Turbo combo deck focused on quickly casting Ad Nauseam to draw large amounts of cards and leverage that advantage into a game-winning combo.
Gameplay Insights
- 1
The repeated control changes of Slicer due to Tangle Wire triggers created a dynamic battlefield where timing attacks and plays around control swings was critical.
- 2
Drake’s early Tangle Wire and Chalice of the Void effectively slowed down Alex’s combo acceleration and Ashani’s ramp, buying time for his Voltron plan.
- 3
Cal’s use of Dockside Extortionist to generate multiple Treasures enabled a smooth Natural Order into Temur Sabretooth, setting up recursion and combo potential.
- 4
Ashani’s control of the board with Shorikai’s card draw and token generation allowed consistent answers to threats despite losing life from Mana Crypt rolls.
- 5
Alex’s attempts to ramp and dig with Gamble, Chrome Mox, and mana rocks were repeatedly disrupted by taxing Stax pieces and combat damage, highlighting the importance of interaction against fast combo decks.
Notable Cards
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Minsc & Boo, Timeless Heroes
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Protean Hulk
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Shorikai, Genesis Engine
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Slicer, Hired Muscle // Slicer, High-Speed Antagonist
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Tangle Wire
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Chalice of the Void
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Dockside Extortionist
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Natural Order
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Ad Nauseam
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Chrome Mox
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Mana Crypt
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Skullclamp
Gameplay Summary
The game started with Cal quickly deploying Minsc & Boo to build board presence and generate value through combat damage and counters.
Ashani followed with a control-oriented Shorikai, Genesis Engine deck, ramping into key pieces like Mana Crypt and Skullclamp while setting up for a Dramatic Scepter combo.
Drake played a hybrid Voltron/Stax deck using Slicer and disruption pieces such as Tangle Wire and Chalice of the Void to slow down opponents and create pressure.
Alex piloted a turbo combo deck with Thrasios and Vial Smasher, aiming to cast Ad Nauseam early for explosive card draw and a quick victory.
A key early interaction was the repeated control swings over Slicer triggered by Tangle Wire, with multiple players seizing and losing control every turn, creating tactical tension and forcing careful timing of attacks and plays. Cal leveraged his ramp and token generation (Dockside Extortionist) to power out threats and prepare for a Natural Order into Temur Sabretooth, creating recursion combos.
Ashani continually drew cards and maintained control with Shorikai’s pilot tokens and disruption spells, while Drake established a taxing board state with Tangle Wire and Chalice, limiting opponents’ mana and options.
Alex’s attempts to accelerate via Chrome Mox, Gamble, and mana rocks were repeatedly stymied by the Stax pieces and combat damage from Slicer.
The game’s momentum swung around board control of Slicer and the ability of each player to develop their win conditions under pressure from taxing effects and targeted attacks.
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