The Correct Way to Politic - Redshift v Sisay v Stella Lee v Flubs - CEDH (TPM & Salt City) Round 1

Deck Strategies

• 

  Redshift, Rocketeer Chief

  Utilizes artifact mana acceleration and storm combo elements to build a fast, explosive win condition, aiming to assemble a lethal storm count or powerful combo pieces quickly.

• 

  Sisay, Weatherlight Captain

  Focuses on assembling legendary creatures and synergistic combos via ramp and efficient tutoring, leveraging Sisay's ability to fetch key legends for a diverse toolbox or combo finish.

• 

  Stella Lee, Wild Card

  Uses her unique exile-and-play mechanic to gain tempo and card advantage, balancing spell casting carefully to maximize her ability and push toward a combo or powerful board state.

• 

  Flubs, the Fool

  Employs control elements such as counterspells and disruption to slow opponents, while accumulating value and looking for incremental advantages to outlast faster combo decks.

Gameplay Insights

• 1

  Countering a Ritual with Force Negation early significantly delayed one player's mana acceleration, shaping the pace of the game.

• 2

  Stella Lee's ability requires careful timing and resource management to maximize value without overcommitting and losing momentum.

• 3

  Players recognized the danger of Kingmaking scenarios and proactively proposed a draw to avoid unfair advantages, highlighting the political nature of Commander.

• 4

  Use of Ancient Tomb alongside mana rocks and rituals enabled explosive mana ramp but also increased vulnerability to disruption.

• 5

  Flubs' control approach effectively stalled opponents, but without a clear win path, leading to the mutual agreement to end the game.

Notable Cards

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  Ancient Tomb

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  Lotus Petal

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  Unstable Amulet

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  Ranger-Captain of Eos

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  Mystic Remora

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  Brainstorm

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  Lightning Bolt

• 

  City of Brass

Summary

The game began with players establishing their mana bases and deploying early ramp and utility spells. Redshift set up with classic artifact mana and mana rocks, while Sisay and Stella Lee focused on developing board presence and ramp through lands and utility creatures. Flubs played a more controlling role, utilizing counterspells and disruption to slow down opponents. Early interaction involved countering key spells, including a Force Negation response to a Ritual, which significantly hindered one player's acceleration. As the game progressed, players jockeyed for position with careful resource management and political negotiation, recognizing the threat posed by each other. Stella Lee's ability to exile cards and play them temporarily added complexity to the game, while Redshift's storm elements and mana acceleration aimed at assembling a combo finish. The game reached a turning point when one player proposed a draw, acknowledging the unfavorable board state and the risk of a Kingmaking scenario. The players agreed, concluding the match as no clear path to victory was available, demonstrating the high-level politicking and strategic patience required in competitive Commander.