MTG Commander | Dhalsim vs Rocco vs Arabella vs Renmaw | TTJ ep 76

Deck Strategies

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  Tadeas, Juniper Ascendant

  Utilizes early board presence with resilient creatures and aims to develop a strong, aggressive board while protecting key creatures with vigilance, reach, and trample to pressure opponents.

• 

  Rocco, Street Chef

  Focuses on creating multiple small tokens like rabbits via spells such as Tempt with Discovery to overwhelm opponents and generate value through wide board states.

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  Arabella, Abandoned Doll

  Leverages a swarm of small creatures to deal incremental damage to all opponents each combat and gain life, using her ability to control the pace of the game and outlast opponents.

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  Rendmaw, Creaking Nest

  Generates bird tokens upon casting cards with multiple types, forcing opponents to deal with multiple attackers and using political pressure to manipulate combat and table dynamics.

Gameplay Insights

• 1

  Players chose to accept Tempt with Discovery’s card draw and token creation despite the risk of empowering opponents, prioritizing early card advantage and board development.

• 2

  Arabella’s ability to deal damage based on small creatures on the board forced players to carefully weigh attacks and blocks, as it dealt consistent damage to everyone and replenished her controller’s life.

• 3

  Blocking with tokens like rabbits was strategically used to mitigate damage but also led to quick losses of those tokens, highlighting the fragile nature of token armies.

• 4

  The political aspect of the game showed in players spreading damage and attacks to avoid becoming primary targets while managing the biggest threats.

• 5

  Players made use of lands with additional abilities like surveil and scry to optimize draws and maintain control over their topdeck and hand resources.

Notable Cards

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  Arabella, Abandoned Doll

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  Tempt with Discovery

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  Recruiter of the Guard

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  Delver of Secrets // Insectile Aberration

Summary

The game started with players developing their boards cautiously, with early land drops and modest creatures like Refined Grizzly and Delver of Secrets setting the pace. Arabella, Abandoned Doll was played early, leveraging her ability to deal damage to opponents and gain life based on the number of small creatures controlled, which began to chip away at players' life totals. Rocco, Street Chef and Rendmaw, Creaking Nest focused on creating board presence through tokens—especially one-ones like rabbits and birds—that pressured opponents and synergized with their commanders' abilities. Key early exchanges involved spreading small creatures around and managing threats, with players opting to draw cards and build incremental advantage rather than rushing to eliminate each other immediately. A pivotal moment occurred when Tempt with Discovery was cast, encouraging everyone to draw cards and create multiple 1/1 rabbit tokens, which rapidly accelerated board development and set up Arabella’s damage triggers. The game saw some tension as players debated whether to remove these tokens or let them grow, knowing they could fuel further damage and life gain. Despite the swarm of tokens, the players managed to maintain a balance of aggression and defense, with multiple blockers and strategic attacks that focused on the biggest threats, notably Arabella. The game remained dynamic with the combination of token generation, life gain, and tactical combat, aiming to leverage commander synergies and board control to achieve victory.