Commander Versus Series: Deck Tech with Sek'Kuar (Justin Parnell) Vs. Rafiq (Stephen Green)

Deck Strategies

• 

  Sek'Kuar, Deathkeeper

  Focuses on sacrificing creatures to generate value, then using graveyard recursion spells like Living Death and Moldgraf Monstrosity to bring back large numbers of creatures or tokens. The deck aims to overwhelm opponents with powerful graveborn tokens and recurring threats.

• 

  Rafiq of the Many

  Utilizes the exalted mechanic to boost the power of single attackers, often granting double strike and extra combat phases to deal large amounts of damage quickly. The deck aims to win through combat damage by leveraging multiple exalted creatures and combat enhancements.

Gameplay Insights

• 1

  Sek'Kuar's player repeatedly used sacrifice outlets and graveyard recursion to convert death into a large army of haste tokens, creating a shifting and resilient board state.

• 2

  Rafiq's player prioritized stacking exalted triggers and effects that grant double strike or additional attacks to maximize damage output in single combat phases.

• 3

  The interaction between Moldgraf Monstrosity and Living Death enabled Sek'Kuar to repeatedly refill the battlefield with creatures from the graveyard, creating a powerful tempo swing.

• 4

  Rafiq’s deck tried to mitigate the token flood by picking off smaller creatures and leveraging life gain effects to extend the game while setting up lethal attacks.

Notable Cards

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  Living Death

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  Moldgraf Monstrosity

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  Mikaeus, the Unhallowed

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  Greater Good

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  Astral Cornucopia

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  Rafiq of the Many

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  Chalice of the Void

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  Sovereigns of Lost Alara

Summary

The game featured a clash between two very different fan-made Commander decks, one led by Sek'Kuar, Deathkeeper and the other by Rafiq of the Many. Sek'Kuar's deck focused heavily on graveyard recursion and token generation, leveraging spells like Living Death and Moldgraf Monstrosity to send creatures to the graveyard and then bring them back onto the battlefield as numerous powerful tokens. This strategy created a massive board presence quickly and continuously, overwhelming the opponent with sheer numbers and synergy. On the other side, Rafiq's deck capitalized on the exalted mechanic, boosting single attackers to deal massive amounts of damage. Rafiq utilized multiple exalted creatures and support cards that granted double strike and additional attacks to maximize combat damage and finish the game through aggressive, focused strikes. The matchup revolved around Sek'Kuar's ability to repeatedly recycle creatures and generate token swarms versus Rafiq's attempt to leverage exalted triggers for lethal damage in a few decisive attacks.