Studio Slam Episode #1: I'll think of something clever to put here before it goes live (maybe)

Deck Strategies

• 

  Satoru Umezawa

  Utilizes ninjutsu to cheat evasive ninjas onto the battlefield, triggering powerful effects and dealing damage through unblockable creatures while controlling the board with disruptive spells.

• 

  Alrund, God of the Cosmos

  Focuses on drawing multiple cards per turn to create illusions that grow stronger with each other; uses card advantage and incremental board development to overwhelm opponents.

• 

  Katsumasa, the Animator

  Generates numerous small artifact creatures and tokens, especially humans with haste, to swarm opponents quickly and leverage artifact synergies for combat dominance.

• 

  Raiyuu, Storm's Edge

  Employs samurai tribal synergies and efficient warrior creatures, combined with combat tricks, to control the board and steadily chip away at opponents' life totals.

Gameplay Insights

• 1

  The use of ninjutsu multiple times in a turn by Satoru Umezawa allowed for efficient damage while triggering various enter-the-battlefield effects.

• 2

  Alrund's strategy to name creature types and leverage card draw to create and buff illusions enabled a growing board presence that became harder to deal with over time.

• 3

  Casting Bolton Echoes to create haste token copies of humans significantly increased board pressure and tempo for Katsumasa's artifact-focused deck.

• 4

  Smallpox was used effectively to disrupt opponents' board states and hands, leveraging incremental advantage in a multiplayer setting.

• 5

  Players carefully sequenced plays like cracking landscapes and casting spells during upkeep to maximize value and maintain tempo.

Notable Cards

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  Guardian Idol

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  Smallpox

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  Soothsaying

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  Brainstorm

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  Path of Ancestry

Summary

The game began with players establishing their board states cautiously, with some early ramp and card draw synergies coming into play. Satoru Umezawa utilized its ninjutsu mechanic to repeatedly surprise opponents with evasive creatures, enabling efficient hits and triggers. Meanwhile, Alrund, God of the Cosmos focused on drawing cards and amassing a large hand to leverage its ability to create powerful illusions, which grew in strength as more illusions appeared. Katsumasa, the Animator built a board of small artifact creatures and deployed token generators like Bolton Echoes to overwhelm opponents with haste tokens, putting pressure on multiple fronts. Raiyuu, Storm's Edge played a classic samurai tribal strategy, leveraging spells and creatures that supported each other to maintain board presence and apply combat pressure.