Deck & Commander Strategies
Oran-Rief Survivalist
Focus on ally tribal synergy by putting +1/+1 counters on allies as they enter the battlefield, growing creatures steadily to overwhelm opponents.
Nimana Sell-Sword
Similar to Oran-Rief, it enhances allies by placing counters, supporting a synergistic ally deck that scales with each new ally played.
Rampaging Baloths
Utilize landfall triggers to create multiple 4/4 beast tokens, swarming the board with large creatures as lands enter the battlefield.
Lorthos, the Tidemaker
Leverage a large 8/8 creature with a tap ability that can lock down opponents' creatures, combining with repeated attacks to control the board.
Hellkite Charger
Attack with a 5/5 flyer and pay mana to untap all attacking creatures for an additional combat phase, enabling multiple combat phases in one turn.
Turntimber Basilisk
Use landfall to force creatures to block it if able, leveraging its deathtouch to control combat and protect the player.
World Queller
Disrupt opponents by forcing each player to sacrifice a chosen card type every upkeep, applying pressure and advantage through attrition.
Warren Instigator
Generate a goblin army by dealing combat damage with a double strike creature, growing a wide board presence quickly.
Gameplay Insights
- 1
The synergy between Oran-Rief Survivalist and Nimana Sell-Sword was pivotal, as repeatedly playing allies allowed them to quickly grow their creatures with +1/+1 counters.
- 2
Rampaging Baloths' landfall ability to create four 4/4 creature tokens each time a land was played created consistent board presence and pressure on opponents.
- 3
World Queller's upkeep effect strategically disrupted opponents by forcing sacrifice of key cards, slowing down their game plans and protecting its controller.
- 4
Hellkite Charger's ability to untap all attacking creatures and allow an additional combat phase enabled aggressive multi-phase attacks that could overwhelm defenses.
- 5
Turntimber Basilisk's landfall triggered forced blocks paired with deathtouch helped control combat by deterring attackers and protecting the player.
- 6
The presence of removal and disruption spells was limited, so board presence and combat tricks became the primary way to apply pressure and secure the win.
- 7
Players had to carefully balance land drops to maximize landfall triggers while maintaining enough mana for impactful combat phases and abilities.
Notable Cards
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Oran-Rief Survivalist
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Nimana Sell-Sword
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Rampaging Baloths
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Lorthos, the Tidemaker
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Hellkite Charger
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Turntimber Basilisk
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World Queller
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Warren Instigator
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Vampire Lacerator
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Explorer's Scope
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Blazing Torch
Gameplay Summary
The game unfolded with players utilizing a variety of landfall and ally synergies from the Zendikar set, focusing heavily on ramping lands and triggering powerful effects.
Early turns saw players establishing their board presence with ramp spells and creatures that benefit from land drops, like Rampaging Baloths creating multiple 4/4 tokens and Turntimber Basilisk forcing blockers with deathtouch.
A key turning point was when the player with Oran-Rief Survivalist and Nimana Sell-Sword began to amass +1/+1 counters on their allies, leveraging their synergy to grow a formidable board.
Another player utilized World Queller to disrupt opponents by forcing sacrifices of specific card types each upkeep, applying steady pressure and control.
The late game looked to be decided by combat-heavy strategies, with Hellkite Charger enabling additional combat phases and Warren Instigator generating an army of goblins through combat damage.
The game was a tense battle of incremental advantage through landfall triggers, combat tricks, and board control effects, culminating in a decisive attack where players aimed to leverage their large creatures and tokens to overwhelm opponents.
The interaction between landfall and ally tribal themes was the driving force behind the win conditions.
