Commander Gameplay: Blackneto vs Zac Pauga vs Shivam vs AGirlNamedRon | episode 29

Deck Strategies

• 

  Grimgrin, Corpse-Born

  Zombie tribal focused on creating a resilient board state with zombie lords like Diagraph Captain and Lord of the Accursed. Uses death triggers and combat damage to drain opponents' life while maintaining board presence through recursion.

• 

  Kelsien, the Plague

  A creature control deck centered on generating XP counters by killing creatures and then leveraging those counters to enhance board control and damage output, aiming to whittle down opponents while maintaining tempo.

• Queen

  A group hug build designed to aid all players by giving out favors and protection, avoiding attacking unless provoked. The deck seeks to win through an alternate win condition rather than conventional combat damage.

• 

  Kwain, Itinerant Meddler

  A Gruul-style deck that focuses on disruption and grinding opponents down. The deck applies pressure through combat and interference, aiming to leverage strength and tempo to control the pace of the game.

Gameplay Insights

• 1

  Grimgrin's choice to play Diagraph Captain early maximized damage output by making other zombies stronger and triggering life loss upon zombie deaths, establishing an aggressive board presence.

• 2

  Queen's commitment to group hug tactics, providing favors and avoiding combat, shifted the political dynamics of the game, forcing opponents to consider non-traditional threats.

• 3

  Kelsien's targeted removal of key creatures and XP counter generation pressured opponents while controlling the board, highlighting the effectiveness of incremental advantage.

• 4

  Kwain's disruption and pressure as a Gruul deck balanced out the political and control elements, preventing any one player from gaining uncontested dominance early on.

• 5

  The use of cards like Triskaidekaphile introduced alternate win conditions that required careful monitoring by opponents, adding layers of complexity to player interactions.

Notable Cards

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  Lord of the Accursed

• 

  Shaman of Forgotten Ways

• 

  Azorius Signet

• 

  Triskaidekaphile

• 

  Sacred Foundry

• 

  Forbidden Orchard

• 

  Reliquary Tower

Summary

The game began with all four players establishing their mana bases and early board presence while setting the tone for a multiplayer Commander game featuring diverse strategies. Grimgrin, Corpse-Born deployed early zombies and synergistic zombie lords to build a threatening undead army, applying pressure with life loss triggers and combat damage. Kelsien, the Plague focused on generating XP counters and controlling the board by killing creatures, aiming to leverage her abilities to dominate the battlefield. Meanwhile, Queen led a group hug strategy, offering favors and protection to opponents to advance a unique alternate win condition, avoiding direct aggression unless goaded. Kwain, Itinerant Meddler played a more disruptive Gruul-style deck, applying pressure through grinding out advantage and interference with other players' plans. Throughout the game, key plays included Grimgrin's deployment of Diagraph Captain and Lord of the Accursed to amplify zombie damage and life loss, Kelsien's targeted removal of spirits and other creatures, and Queen's careful balancing of helping opponents while preparing for her alternate win condition. Notable board wipes or mass removal were not highlighted, but the game shifted around interactions between aggressive zombie tribal, XP counter accumulation, and political group hug play. The eventual win condition appeared poised to come from either Grimgrin's overwhelming zombie damage or Queen's alternate win, with Kelsien and Kwain contesting the board through creature control and disruption.