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The Command Dudes! Episode two : Prologue | Magic: The Gathering EDH Gameplay

The Command Dudes ∙ ∙

Commanders featured in this Gameplay Reviewed & Verified

Nekusar, the Mindrazer

Nekusar, the Mindrazer

Nekusar, the Mindrazer card Nekusar, the Mindrazer videos from The Command Dudes 
EDH.Wiki 
Kaalia of the Vast

Kaalia of the Vast

Kaalia of the Vast card Kaalia of the Vast videos from The Command Dudes 
EDH.Wiki 
Ghoulcaller Gisa

Ghoulcaller Gisa

Ghoulcaller Gisa card Ghoulcaller Gisa videos from The Command Dudes 
EDH.Wiki 
Krenko, Mob Boss

Krenko, Mob Boss

Krenko, Mob Boss card Krenko, Mob Boss videos from The Command Dudes 
EDH.Wiki 

Deck & Commander Strategies

  • Nekusar, the Mindrazer

    Nekusar, the Mindrazer

    Focuses on drawing and forcing opponents to discard cards, dealing incremental damage through wheel effects and discard triggers, aiming to win by attrition and damage over time.

  • Kaalia of the Vast

    Kaalia of the Vast

    Deploys powerful Angels, Demons, and Dragons by cheating them into play, aiming to quickly deal heavy combat damage and control the board.

  • Ghoulcaller Gisa

    Ghoulcaller Gisa

    Utilizes sacrifice and zombie token generation to build a large, synergistic army that can overwhelm opponents through numbers and buffs.

  • Krenko, Mob Boss

    Krenko, Mob Boss

    Focuses on creating large numbers of goblin tokens and granting them haste to swarm opponents rapidly, often winning through explosive wide attacks.

Gameplay Insights

  • 1

    Nekusar's player equipped Lightning Greaves to protect his commander and maintain card draw and discard triggers, extending his board presence despite being targeted.

  • 2

    Ghoulcaller Gisa leveraged multiple anthem effects and token generators like Lilian's Mastery and Lord of the Undead to rapidly grow her zombie army and apply lethal pressure.

  • 3

    A critical combat phase where Gisa's zombies dealt what was initially calculated as 40 damage was later revealed to be 44, which would have been lethal; this miscalculation changed the game's outcome.

  • 4

    Players coordinated and negotiated attacks and blocks carefully, recognizing the threats posed by each commander and adjusting their aggression accordingly.

  • 5

    The use of board wipes and damage redirection played a pivotal role in slowing down the more aggressive token strategies, especially Krenko's goblin swarms.

  • 6

    The monarch mechanic was used strategically to generate incremental card advantage and exert political pressure among players.

Notable Cards

  • Waste Not

    Waste Not

  • Lightning Greaves

    Lightning Greaves

  • Temple Bell

    Temple Bell

  • Baleful Strix

    Baleful Strix

  • Undead Warchief

    Undead Warchief

  • Lord of the Undead

    Lord of the Undead

  • Nightscape Familiar

    Nightscape Familiar

Gameplay Summary

The game unfolded with four distinct strategies led by the commanders Nekusar, the Mindrazer; Kaalia of the Vast; Ghoulcaller Gisa; and Krenko, Mob Boss.

Early turns were marked by incremental board development, with Nekusar's player focusing on drawing and discarding cards to fuel his damage-dealing engine, while Ghoulcaller Gisa built a resilient zombie army through sacrifice and recursion.

Krenko steadily generated goblin tokens, leveraging haste to apply pressure, and Kaalia sought to leverage powerful Angels and Demons to swing the game.

A key turning point occurred when Gisa's zombies, buffed by lords and anthem effects, launched a devastating attack that nearly ended the game, forcing players to respond or face lethal damage.

Meanwhile, Nekusar's player managed to stay alive through timely card draws and protective equipment, though players were wary of his potential to burn down opponents by leveraging discard damage and wheel effects.

The game featured several complex interactions involving damage calculation and board wipes that significantly shifted momentum.

Notably, a miscalculation of damage output led to a player surviving a lethal attack, altering the likely outcome of the game.

The match progressed into a tense late game with players jockeying for advantage, using resources like board clears and combat tricks, but the zombie swarm’s overwhelming power and the ability to generate continuous tokens remained the dominant threat.

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