Deck Strategies
Shorikai, Genesis Engine
Focuses on artifact ramp and incremental card draw via Shorikai’s activation to generate flying Pilots for defense and offense, supported by a suite of control and disruption spells to maintain board presence.
Kenrith, the Returned King
Utilizes Kenrith's versatile abilities to buff creatures, recast key enchantments like Seaborn Muse for sustained card draw, and apply pressure through combat damage and utility spells.
Thrasios, Triton Hero / Vial Smasher the Fierce
Combines ramp and efficient card draw from Thrasios with aggressive damage and disruption from Vial Smasher, leveraging synergy between spell casting and combat to control the game tempo.
Glarb, Calamity's Augur
Focused on a graveyard and recursion theme to generate value and pressure through repeated threats, using Glarb’s ability to exploit the graveyard for card advantage and board presence.
Gameplay Insights
- 1
Repeated activation of Shorikai to draw cards and create flying Pilots provided consistent pressure and defense, making it a central pivot in the game.
- 2
Players leveraged Ristic Study and similar draw engines heavily to refill their hands and maintain resource advantage, often ignoring the life payments to maximize draws.
- 3
Grand Abolisher and Drannith Magistrate were key in preventing opponents from disrupting critical plays, allowing uninterrupted sequences of card draws and spells.
- 4
The use of Orcish Bow Master to create an orc army and aggressive swings pressured opponents, forcing them into defensive plays and enabling follow-up damage.
- 5
A balance of discard spells and removal ensured that opponents’ combos and key permanents were consistently disrupted, preventing a runaway leader from emerging early.
- 6
Combining mana acceleration artifacts with card draw engines created explosive turns that could swing the momentum, especially when paired with commanders' activated abilities.
Notable Cards
Shorikai, Genesis Engine
Kenrith, the Returned King
Soul Partition
Grand Abolisher
Drannith Magistrate
Chromatic Lantern
Lotus Petal
Mox Diamond
Summary
Throughout the midgame, the players engage in a careful balance of aggression and disruption, with significant moments including the use of Ristic Study and Soul Partition to generate huge card draw, combined with discard spells and removal targeting opponents’ key pieces. The presence of protective cards like Grand Abolisher and Drannith Magistrate limits counterplay, while creatures like Orcish Bow Master enable aggressive swings. Glarb, Calamity's Augur, though less detailed in actions, appears as a potent late-game presence contributing to the pressure. The game’s pace is defined by multiple instances of drawing and discarding cards, combat damage exchanges, and careful resource management, culminating in lethal attacks and board state manipulation aimed at outlasting opponents through incremental advantage and combo potential.