HOW BIG IS THAT ARMY? | Worst Possible Commander Show | Shelob, Aragorn, Nazgul, Sarumon #68

Deck Strategies

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  Aragorn, King of Gondor

  Establish Monarch status early to control combat phases, using vigilance and lifelink to gain incremental advantage, and leverage attack phases to disrupt opponents by preventing blockers.

• 

  Lord of the Nazgûl

  Generate multiple 3/3 wraith tokens through casting instants and sorceries, aiming to reach nine or more to pump all wraiths to 9/9 and overpower opponents with a large, threatening army.

• 

  Saruman, the White Hand

  Amass an Orc army by casting non-creature spells which amass Orc tokens, doubling the effect with spell copying, and finish with a mass damage spell like Chandra's Ignition to clear opponents and win through overwhelming force.

• 

  Shelob, Child of Ungoliant

  Utilize a spider tribal deck with deathtouch and ward to control combat, create food tokens upon spider-related kills for life gain, and deploy large token generation spells like Arachnogenesis to overwhelm opponents.

Gameplay Insights

• 1

  Maintaining the Monarch status with Aragorn is pivotal as it restricts blocking and enables aggressive combat phases.

• 2

  Lord of the Nazgûl player's focus on casting numerous instants and sorceries to create wraith tokens puts pressure on opponents to disrupt their spellcasting before nine wraiths can be established.

• 3

  Saruman's synergy with spell copying and mass Orc token generation creates a powerful board presence that can be leveraged into a devastating board wipe with Chandra's Ignition.

• 4

  Shelob's spider tribal deck leverages death touch and ward to protect key creatures, while token generation and life gain mechanics sustain her presence through combat.

• 5

  Early game ramp and artifact plays such as Soul Ring and Arcane Signet accelerate all decks toward their primary strategies, setting up for explosive mid-game turns.

• 6

  Creature removal and land disruption (like Strip Mine) are played to control opponents' board development and mana base, influencing timing and tempo.

Notable Cards

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  Aragorn, King of Gondor

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  Lord of the Nazgûl

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  Saruman, the White Hand

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  Shelob, Child of Ungoliant

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  Chandra's Ignition

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  Combat Celebrant

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  Kiki-Jiki, Mirror Breaker

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  Kindred Dominance

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  Triumph of the Hordes

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  Arachnogenesis

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  Viridian Longbow

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  Arcane Signet

• 

  Black Market Connections

Summary

The game features a four-player Commander match with thematic decks drawing inspiration from Lord of the Rings characters. Early turns focus on ramping mana and setting up board presence, with Aragorn establishing the Monarch early to leverage his combat abilities and control of the board. The Lord of the Nazgûl player aims to build a growing army of 3/3 wraith tokens by casting instants and sorceries, with a pivotal goal of reaching nine or more wraiths to pump their power and toughness to 9/9, threatening a significant power spike. Saruman's deck focuses on amassing Orc tokens and buffing them with mass spells while leveraging spell copying effects for exponential growth, aiming for a big Chandra's Ignition to clear the board and deal massive damage. The Shelob deck employs a spider tribal strategy with deathtouch and ward synergies, generating token copies and protective spiders to dominate combat. Early plays include ramping and establishing key creatures and artifacts, with tension around maintaining or stealing the Monarch status and preparing for large-scale combat and board wipes. The game is marked by strategic positioning of commanders and incremental board development, setting up for explosive turns where large token armies and combo interactions could decide the outcome.