Our Signature Decks - Commander - Decked Out Episode 5

Deck Strategies

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  Traxos, Scourge of Kroog

  A colorless artifact-focused deck that ramps mana to deploy powerful colorless creatures and artifacts, leveraging artifact synergies and incremental value from cards like Rumination Guide and Howling Mine.

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  Jodah, Archmage Eternal

  An Eldrazi tribal deck that uses Jodah's cost reduction to quickly cast massive Eldrazi Titans, aiming to overwhelm opponents with large, game-ending threats.

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  Kynaios and Tiro of Meletis

  A politically charged deck that manipulates turn order, flash permanents, and resource sharing to disrupt opponents and create chaotic game states favoring flexible responses.

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  Teysa, Orzhov Scion

  A token and equipment synergy deck that focuses on protection, life gain, and incremental value generation from creatures and equipment, aiming for a resilient board presence.

Gameplay Insights

• 1

  Players used Howling Mine early to accelerate card draw, providing more options and faster development.

• 2

  Mother of Runes was used defensively to protect key creatures from specific colors, demonstrating tactical blocking and protection timing.

• 3

  Chaos Wand introduced free casting of opponents' instants or sorceries, adding a layer of interaction and unpredictability.

• 4

  Traxos' deck leveraged artifact cost reduction effects like Foundry Inspector to efficiently cast expensive artifacts, increasing tempo.

• 5

  Combat decisions were carefully made with consideration of protection abilities and opponents' potential tricks, showing thoughtful threat assessment.

• 6

  The use of lands like Cascading Cataract and utility lands such as Vault of the Archangel helped stabilize mana and provide additional benefits during combat.

Notable Cards

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  Howling Mine

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  Mother of Runes

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  Chaos Wand

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  Foundry Inspector

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  Arcane Signet

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  Vault of the Archangel

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  Basilisk Collar

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  Retreat to Emeria

Summary

The game started with players developing their boards steadily, each leveraging their commanders' unique strengths. Traxos, Scourge of Kroog focused on ramping colorless mana and artifact synergy, while Jodah, Archmage Eternal aimed to quickly cast powerful Eldrazi Titans by reducing their casting costs. Kynaios and Tiro of Meletis introduced political and chaotic elements, manipulating turn orders and permanents, and Teysa, Orzhov Scion built a resilient board with token generation and protection effects. Early plays involved setting up mana bases, drawing extra cards with Howling Mine, and deploying utility creatures like Mother of Runes and Foundry Inspector to support their strategies. Mid-game saw increased interaction as players tested each other's defenses and began attacking, with Kynaios and Tiro's ability to alter gameplay dynamics creating tension. Traxos' deck used artifact synergies and colorless creatures with abilities like ingest to pressure opponents, while Jodah sought to accelerate the arrival of big threats. Teysa's deck emphasized protection and value generation through equipment and tokens. A notable moment involved a tactical combat phase where players used protection abilities and blocking to mitigate damage. Chaos Wand was played, enabling free casting of opponents' instants or sorceries, adding a layer of unpredictability. Overall, the game unfolded as a balance of ramp, board control, and value generation, with each deck pursuing its signature win condition through synergy and incremental advantage.