Lost Caverns of Ixalan EDH live gameplay | Worst Possible Commander Show #80

Deck Strategies

• Admiral Becket Brass

  A Grixis pirate reanimator deck that mills cards to bring back powerful pirates with finality counters, focusing on value ETB effects and generating extra combat phases through Port Razer for sustained combat pressure.

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  Carmen, Cruel Skymarcher

  A vampire soldier aristocrats deck that sacrifices permanents for value, aiming to combo off with Exquisite Blood and Sanguine Bond or Veto Thorn of the Dusk Rose for a life-drain win condition.

• 

  Pantlaza, Sun-Favored

  A dinosaur tribal deck that ramps quickly into big creatures while using the discover mechanic to cascade into additional spells, generating card advantage and board presence to overwhelm opponents.

• 

  Hakbal of the Surging Soul

  A Simic Murfolk tribal deck built around +1/+1 counter synergies and alternate win conditions like Simic Ascendancy, combined with lock pieces like L Mage Mentor and Intruder Alarm to counter spells and protect the board.

Gameplay Insights

• 1

  Admiral Becket Brass's use of Port Razer created multiple combat phases, allowing for rapid incremental damage and aggressive board development.

• 2

  Pantlaza's discover triggers allowed casting additional spells for free, effectively accelerating the dinosaur ramp and providing strong card advantage.

• 3

  Carmen's player aimed to set up a life-drain combo with Exquisite Blood and Sanguine Bond, emphasizing the aristocrats sacrifice synergy inherent to the commander.

• 4

  Hakbal's deck attempted to leverage Murfolk synergy with L Mage Mentor and Intruder Alarm to counter opponents' spells, potentially locking down critical plays.

• 5

  The introduction of finality counters on reanimated pirates provided a temporary but impactful reanimation window, balancing power and fairness in the reanimator strategy.

• 6

  Early turns featured thoughtful sequencing with mana accelerants and interactive plays, setting the stage for mid-game board swings and synergy exploitation.

Notable Cards

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  Port Razer

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  Exquisite Blood

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  Sanguine Bond

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  Pantlaza, Sun-Favored

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  Thieving Skydiver

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  Simic Ascendancy

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  Intruder Alarm

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  Jeweled Lotus

Summary

The game begins with each player establishing their board state with mana sources and minor creatures while setting up their strategies around the Lost Caverns of Ixalan theme. Admiral Becket Brass's player quickly leverages a reanimator strategy, milling cards and bringing back Port Razer to generate multiple combat phases, dealing incremental damage and applying pressure early. Meanwhile, Pantlaza, Sun-Favored's player focuses on ramping into their dinosaur tribal commander, utilizing the discover mechanic to gain value by casting additional cards for free and drawing extra cards through synergy with War Stone and other artifacts. Carmen, Cruel Skymarcher's player sets up an aristocrats-style strategy, playing enchantments that create tokens and synergize with sacrificing permanents, aiming to leverage cards like Exquisite Blood and Sanguine Bond for a potential combo win. Hakbal of the Surging Soul's player utilizes a Murfolk tribal deck with +1/+1 counter synergies and alternate win conditions such as Simic Ascendancy, alongside powerful interaction like L Mage Mentor and Intruder Alarm to potentially lock down opponents' spells. The game features aggressive early combat steps, multiple combat phases triggered by Port Razer, and a dynamic board state with players responding to each other's threats while building towards their respective win conditions.