Deck Strategies
Cid, Timeless Artificer
Focuses on artifact creatures and artificers, using cycling both as a mechanic and a way to filter cards. The deck grows its board presence and buffs artifact creatures and heroes with +1/+1 counters to overwhelm opponents.
Diamond Weapon
A graveyard-centric deck aiming to reduce the casting cost of a huge 8/8 creature by filling the graveyard with permanents. It plays a controlling role with a big threat that is immune to combat damage and hard to remove.
Tidus, Blitzball Star
A blue-white artifact-based deck that equips the commander with various artifacts to increase power and gains control elements by tapping down opponents’ creatures when attacking, disrupting their tempo.
Black Waltz No. 3
A flying death touch commander that deals damage to each opponent whenever a noncreature spell is cast. The deck focuses on casting many noncreature spells to chip away opponents’ life totals while maintaining board presence.
Gameplay Insights
- 1
Cory leveraged Sid's unique cycling ability on both artificers on the battlefield and in the graveyard to maintain a steady flow of cards and buff his artifact creatures.
- 2
Jeremy’s strategy of casting Diamond Weapon for a reduced cost due to a filled graveyard forced opponents to deal with a difficult-to-remove 8/8 creature that also prevented combat damage against it.
- 3
John's ability to tap down opposing creatures during attacks with Tidus helped disrupt opponents' blockers and open the way for damage, while equipping artifacts to increase effectiveness.
- 4
Steven’s Black Waltz No. 3 capitalized on frequent casting of noncreature spells to steadily deal damage to all opponents, creating pressure without needing to attack.
- 5
Early plays like Rest in Peace by Jeremy shaped the graveyard interactions and challenged decks relying on those mechanics, influencing subsequent strategic decisions.
- 6
The presence of artifact synergies in multiple decks created dynamic interactions, with cards like Steel Overseer and Mind Stone providing incremental advantages.
Notable Cards
Diamond Weapon
Tidus, Blitzball Star
Black Waltz No. 3
Steel Overseer
Rest in Peace
Adventurer's Inn
Mind Stone
Herd Heirloom
Summary
The game featured four players each piloting uncommon commanders from the Magic: The Gathering FINAL FANTASY set, resulting in a diverse and dynamic match. Cory's Sid, Timeless Artificer deck focused on artifact creatures and cycling, leveraging artificers in both play and graveyard to grow his board and maintain card advantage. Jeremy's Diamond Weapon aimed to cast a massive 8/8 creature cheaply by filling the graveyard with permanents, applying late-game pressure with a nearly unblockable threat. John’s Tidus, Blitzball Star deck revolved around equipping artifacts to boost his commander and tapping down opposing threats, combining artifact synergies with a tempo-based approach. Steven’s Black Waltz No. 3 utilized a spell-slinging strategy, punishing opponents with damage each time he cast noncreature spells, emphasizing control and incremental damage.
