Commander Clash: New Years Resolutions | Golos vs. Torbran vs. Kykar vs. Sliver Queen | S9E25

Deck Strategies

• 

  Golos, Tireless Pilgrim

  Utilizes five-color access to assemble janky combos and indirect kill mechanisms to end games without relying on traditional attacking, focusing on card draw and powerful interactions.

• 

  Kykar, Wind's Fury

  Combines token generation from casting noncreature spells with incremental damage through flying tokens, aiming to close games faster than usual by turning creatures sideways.

• Jeska, Thane of Red Fell (Jeska variant)

  A control-oriented Jeskai deck that prioritizes disruption and careful sequencing of spells to control the board and gradually secure victory, despite the pilot's unfamiliarity with blue.

• 

  Sliver Queen

  Leverages a high-cost, reserved list-heavy Sliver tribal deck with expensive but often suboptimal cards, focusing on overwhelming opponents with Sliver synergies, though hindered by deck inconsistency.

Gameplay Insights

• 1

  Seth's decision to focus on indirect kill conditions rather than attacking helped him progress the game toward a timely conclusion without traditional aggression.

• 2

  Krim's approach to incorporate some attacking creatures while aiming to end the game faster marked a notable shift from his usual stalling strategy.

• 3

  Richard's control deck choice and effort to embrace blue highlighted a strategic adaptation, balancing defensive play with the goal of ultimately winning.

• 4

  Tomer's high-cost deck demonstrated the limitations of building around reserved list cards, as the deck struggled with consistency despite its monetary value.

• 5

  Players prioritized assembling key combos and synergy pieces rather than overwhelming the board with creatures, reflecting a meta focused on efficient game endings.

Notable Cards

• 

  Vampiric Tutor

• 

  City in a Bottle

• 

  Thorn Elemental

• 

  Nature's Lore

Summary

The game featured a diverse set of commanders with distinct strategies, resulting in a dynamic and unpredictable battle. Seth piloted a five-color Golos deck aiming to end the game efficiently through various janky kill conditions rather than traditional aggressive attacks. Krim, playing Kykar, Wind's Fury, sought to deviate from his usual stalling style by incorporating more ways to close out the game while still involving some creature attacks. Richard brought a Jeskai control deck with a focus on playing blue—a color he typically dislikes—to attempt controlling the game flow and stringing together a win. Tomer, meanwhile, challenged the group with a highly expensive Sliver Queen deck built largely from reserved list cards, prioritizing card cost over raw power or synergy, which resulted in a unique but less consistent deck. Early turns saw players carefully navigating their strategies, with Seth and Krim looking for key combo pieces or synergies to push for a timely finish, while Richard aimed to disrupt and control the board state. Tomer's deck, though flashy in monetary value, struggled with consistency due to the reserved list restrictions and expensive but suboptimal cards. Pivotal moments involved players leveraging their unique kill conditions and interactions, such as Kykar's token generation and Golos's color fixing and combo potential. The game highlighted the balance between budget constraints, playstyle preferences, and deck efficiency, culminating in a tense battle of attrition and bursts of damage rather than straightforward aggression.