Deck & Commander Strategies
Super Shredder
An aggressive ninja tribal deck focused on dealing incremental damage with ninja tokens, recurring Super Shredder for repeated value, and leveraging equipment to boost attacking power.
Iroh, Tea Master
A blink and exile control deck that uses flicker effects and removal spells to maintain board control while generating value from creature enters-the-battlefield triggers.
Ferrafor, Young Yew
A ramp and token generation deck that creates saplings and leverages landfall and anthem effects to grow a wide board presence and overwhelm opponents.
Ikra Shidiqi, the Usurper
A life-gain and poison counter deck that aims to stabilize with defensive creatures and then leverage large threats like Tree of Predition to drain life and close out the game.
Ishai, Ojutai Dragonspeaker
An ally tribal deck that grows Ishai based on combat damage dealt and utilizes ally synergies, combat tricks, and token generation to control the battlefield.
Gameplay Insights
- 1
Max's strategy to repeatedly recast Super Shredder and use equipment like Ninja's Blades maximized his card draw and board pressure but was ultimately curtailed by exile effects.
- 2
Arja's use of blink effects with Eerie Interlude and Cloudshift allowed him to protect key creatures and gain incremental advantage while mitigating damage.
- 3
Sammy's timing of Last March of the Ants to flood the board and then attacking with a massive Tree of Predition was the decisive play that ended the game.
- 4
The lack of board wipes allowed for a longer game with multiple board states and incremental advantage plays, emphasizing the importance of removal and tempo plays.
- 5
Players made extensive use of combat tricks, token generation, and creature recursion to maintain board presence and pressure throughout the game.
Notable Cards
-
Super Shredder
-
Grasp of Fate
-
Ninja's Blades
-
Archfiend of Depravity
-
Crystal Barricade
-
Big Score
-
Eerie Interlude
-
Avenger of Zendikar
-
Panharmonicon
-
Teleportation Circle
Gameplay Summary
The game began with players developing their mana bases and establishing early board presence through ramp and utility creatures.
Max, piloting Super Shredder, aggressively cast and recast his commander alongside aggressive ninja tokens, applying consistent pressure.
Arja, controlling Iroh, Tea Master, utilized blink and exile effects to maintain board control and gain incremental value, while Matt's Ferrafor deck focused on generating sapling tokens and ramp to build a large board presence.
Sammy, with Ikra Shidiqi, leveraged life gain and poison counters to create a resilient board state, eventually assembling a massive Tree of Predition that served as his primary win condition.
Arch's Ishai deck contributed with ally tokens and combat tricks to keep the pressure balanced among opponents. Key turning points included Arja's timely grasp of fate to exile major threats and blinking creatures to dodge damage, and Sammy's explosive use of Last March of the Ants combined with Tree of Predition to flood the board with creatures.
Combat phases were crucial, with multiple blocks and the use of equipment like Ninja's Blades enhancing damage output and card draw.
After a series of combat exchanges and board development, Sammy's large Tree of Predition struck a lethal blow to Arja, followed by draining another opponent to secure victory.
The absence of any board wipes led to a prolonged battle of attrition and incremental advantage plays.
