Deck & Commander Strategies
Eight-and-a-Half-Tails
A Death and Taxes archetype that slows the game through taxing effects and disruptive creatures, aiming to lock down the board and grind out opponents with incremental advantage.
Syr Carah, the Bold
A storm/burn deck that seeks to leverage the commander to generate storm count quickly and finish opponents with direct damage spells.
Sythis, Harvest's Hand
An enchantment-based deck focused on control and attrition, using enchantment synergies, life gain, and value engines to slowly dominate the board and close out the game with combo or overwhelming advantage.
Thrasios, Triton Hero & Bruse Tarl, Boorish Herder
A midrange 'wild pile' deck that ramps aggressively, generates value from creatures and spells, and uses the partners to grind value and win through combat damage and incremental advantage.
Gameplay Insights
- 1
Chad's early use of Jeweled Lotus to cast Syr Carah on turn one exemplified a high-risk, high-reward opening that was promptly countered by Abrade, illustrating the importance of early interaction against storm strategies.
- 2
Charles capitalized on the Death and Taxes theme by assembling a taxing board with Thalia, Recruiter of the Guard, and Stoneforge Mystic fetching powerful equipment, effectively slowing down opponents' spells and attacks.
- 3
Adam leveraged Sythis' enchantment triggers alongside Serra's Sanctum and Blind Obedience to build a resilient board state, culminating with Elesh Norn to wipe opposing creatures and gain a substantial board advantage.
- 4
Mike's midrange 'wild pile' deck used Koma, Cosmos Serpent and Seedborn Muse to generate recurring threats and maximize mana efficiency, gaining incremental value and board control over multiple turns.
- 5
The interaction between Elesh Norn wiping the board and Charles sacrificing Remorseful Cleric to exile Chad’s graveyard was pivotal in slowing down Chad's storm potential and reshaping the board state.
- 6
Roiling Vortex served as a consistent source of incremental damage and life loss, pressuring all players and discouraging life gain strategies while supporting Chad's burn theme.
Notable Cards
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Jeweled Lotus
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Syr Carah, the Bold
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Eight-and-a-Half-Tails
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Thalia, Guardian of Thraben
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Elesh Norn, Grand Cenobite
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Koma, Cosmos Serpent
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Seedborn Muse
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Blind Obedience
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Gaddock Teeg
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Dockside Extortionist
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Stoneforge Mystic
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Sword of Hearth and Home
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Mana Crypt
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Roiling Vortex
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Sylvan Library
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Mother of Runes
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Faeburrow Elder
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Arcane Signet
Gameplay Summary
The game started with aggressive mana development and early board presence from all players, highlighted by Chad casting Syr Carah, the Bold on turn one with the help of Jeweled Lotus, only to have it quickly removed by Abrade.
Charles deployed a classic Death and Taxes style with Eight-and-a-Half-Tails, focusing on taxing and locking down opponents with Thalia and other hatebears.
Adam's Sythis deck leveraged enchantments to gain incremental advantage and control, playing cards like Sylvan Library, Serra's Sanctum, and Blind Obedience to grind value and set up a strong board presence with Gaddock Teeg and Elesh Norn, Grand Cenobite.
Mike's four-color Thrasios/Bruse deck developed a midrange board with mana dorks and value creatures such as Koma, Cosmos Serpent, and Seedborn Muse to maintain board presence and generate threats while ramping mana aggressively.