WHO'S THE BEST COMMANDER FROM KAMIGAWA NEON DYNASTY IN cEDH - HINATA - SHORIKAI - REALITY CHIP - JIN

Deck Strategies

• 

  Hinata, Dawn-Crowned

  Focuses on board wipes and tempo disruption by bouncing opponents' permanents and resetting the board, controlling the pace of the game and preventing opponents from establishing strong board states.

• 

  The Reality Chip

  Utilizes artifact synergies and pilot tokens to generate value and card advantage, combined with manipulation of the top of the library for efficient card selection and incremental advantage.

• 

  Jin-Gitaxias, Progress Tyrant

  Leverages high-impact combo pieces and card draw engines like High Tide to generate explosive mana and card advantage, aiming for quick combo wins or overwhelming opponents with resources.

• 

  Shorikai, Genesis Engine

  Implements a control and value approach, generating pilot tokens, drawing cards, and using artifact synergies to maintain board presence and out-resource opponents over time.

Gameplay Insights

• 1

  Multiple counterbalance effects created a taxing environment for resolving spells, forcing players to use free or low-cost interaction spells strategically.

• 2

  Cyclonic Rift and Vanquish the Horde were key in resetting the board and gaining tempo advantage amid heavy control.

• 3

  Reconfiguring The Reality Chip into various pilots allowed for flexible responses and additional card draw triggers, enhancing resource generation.

• 4

  Players chose to pass up on casting some synergy pieces at times to avoid losing critical spells to counterspells, demonstrating careful risk assessment.

• 5

  Hinata’s potential to bounce all permanents kept players cautious about overcommitting to the board.

• 6

  The interplay between artifact value engines and control elements prolonged the game, emphasizing incremental advantage over quick combo wins.

Notable Cards

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  Jeweled Lotus

• 

  Counterbalance

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  Cyclonic Rift

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  Vanquish the Horde

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  Isochron Scepter

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  Chain of Vapor

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  Mystic Remora

• 

  Gingerbrute

• 

  Force of Will

Summary

The game began with players developing their board states carefully, with early plays focusing on ramp, card draw, and control elements. Jeweled Lotus and counterbalance were pivotal early cards, generating tension and counterspell interactions that slowed down the game significantly. Shorikai's pilot tokens and Reality Chip's ability to draw and manipulate the top cards of the deck created incremental advantages. Cyclonic Rift and Vanquish the Horde were crucial board wipes that reset the battlefield and prevented aggressive snowballing. As the game progressed, players balanced between building resources and disrupting each other's plans. The presence of multiple counterbalance effects created a challenging environment for spell resolution, making players prioritize interaction spells like Force of Will and counterspells. The Reality Chip's reconfigurations and multiple pilots allowed for flexible responses, while the use of cards like Isochron Scepter and Chain of Vapor enabled additional layers of control and tempo plays. The game featured critical moments where players had to decide whether to invest mana into countering or preserving their threats, especially with Hinata’s potential to wipe the board looming in the background. Despite the slow buildup, the game revolved around leveraging card advantage and maintaining board control through intricate interactions, ultimately demonstrating the power and synergy of Kamigawa: Neon Dynasty commanders in cEDH. The meta-strategy was to outvalue opponents by incremental advantage and timely disruption rather than flashy combos early on.