Elder Boomer Highlander | Commander Clash S12E10

Deck Strategies

• 

  Rakdos the Defiler

  A risky demon tribal deck that leverages Rakdos's attack trigger to force all players to sacrifice half their non-demon permanents, aiming to disrupt opponents' boards while trying to survive the self-inflicted losses.

• 

  Darien, King of Kjeldor

  Mono-white equipment and token synergy deck focused on creating and protecting soldier tokens to generate incremental value and board presence, despite the format's limited card pool and card draw.

• 

  Intet, the Dreamer

  A Timmy-style deck that cheats big creatures into play from the top of the library or hand to overwhelm opponents with powerful haymakers, embracing high-impact threats from the early 2010s era.

• Richard's 2001-themed deck

  A nostalgic dragon-themed deck featuring classic finishers like Shivan Dragon and Lord of the Pit, alongside combo elements such as Royal Assassin and Icy Manipulator to control the board and establish dominance.

Gameplay Insights

• 1

  Rakdos the Defiler’s attack triggers created chaotic board states by forcing all players to sacrifice half their non-demon permanents, which required careful timing to avoid self-destruction.

• 2

  Darien's deck capitalized on token generation and equipment like Sword of Fire and Ice to maintain board presence despite slower card draw and fewer powerful tools in mono-white pre-2011.

• 3

  Intet, the Dreamer's ability to cheat large creatures into play was a key method for establishing early board dominance and creating pressure on opponents.

• 4

  Richard’s deck utilized classic combos like Royal Assassin with Icy Manipulator to lock down opponents’ creatures, showcasing the power of old-school synergy even in a restricted card pool.

• 5

  Players had to manage slower, more fragile mana bases and limited ramp options, making sequencing and resource management crucial for success.

Notable Cards

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  Rakdos the Defiler

• 

  Darien, King of Kjeldor

• 

  Intet, the Dreamer

• 

  Royal Assassin

• 

  Icy Manipulator

• 

  Shivan Dragon

• 

  Lord of the Pit

• 

  Sword of Fire and Ice

• 

  Stoneforge Mystic

• 

  Mask of Memory

• 

  Skullclamp

Summary

The game featured four decks built under the 'Elder Boomer Highlander' restriction, where all cards must be from before June 2011, just prior to the official launch of the Commander format. The players fielded very nostalgic and thematic decks: a risky Rakdos the Defiler deck embracing demon tribal chaos and sacrifice effects, a nostalgic mono-white Darien, King of Kjeldor deck relying on equipment and token synergies, a blue-red-green Intet, the Dreamer deck focused on cheating big creatures into play, and a Richard's 2001-themed deck highlighted by classic dragons and the combo of Royal Assassin with Icy Manipulator. The game unfolded with players exploring the limitations and unique interactions of this old card pool, navigating slower mana bases and fewer modern conveniences. Key moments included Rakdos players’ high-risk attacks forcing mutual sacrifice of permanents, Intet's attempts to cheat large creatures into play to dominate the board, and Darien's incremental token generation and equipment synergies providing steady value amid the chaos. The unusual format led to both nostalgic gameplay and surprising interactions, with players needing to carefully manage resources and timing due to the fragility of their boards and the absence of modern powerful staples.