Live Stream Episode 104 #mtgixalan #MTG

Deck Strategies

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  Admiral Brass, Unsinkable

  A pirate tribal deck focused on generating treasure tokens, stealing opponent permanents, and maintaining aggressive tempo with disruptive pirate creatures and artifact synergies.

• 

  Hakbal of the Surging Soul

  A Merfolk tribal deck built around exploration and land ramp to accelerate into powerful creatures and spells, aiming for a strong board presence through incremental land advantage.

• 

  Clavileño, First of the Blessed

  A vampire tribal deck that converts attacking non-demon creatures into vampire demons, generating tokens and card draw to overwhelm opponents with flyers and value.

• 

  Pantlaza, Sun-Favored

  A dinosaur tribal deck that triggers discover effects when dinosaurs enter the battlefield, allowing selective card advantage and setting up for powerful dinosaur threats.

Gameplay Insights

• 1

  Utilizing ramp artifacts like Soul Ring and Path of Ancestry early on allowed players to accelerate their strategies effectively.

• 2

  The pirate deck's use of Admiral Brass to steal key opponent permanents and generate treasures created significant tempo advantage.

• 3

  The vampire deck leveraged Legion Lieutenant to rapidly boost vampire creatures and create flying tokens, increasing offensive pressure.

• 4

  The Murfolk deck's exploration and ramp strategy aimed to outpace opponents in land drops and board development.

• 5

  The dinosaur deck's discover mechanic provided flexible card advantage by allowing players to choose whether to cast or keep discovered cards in hand.

• 6

  One player conceded early due to falling behind in tempo and lacking impactful plays, illustrating the importance of early board development and interaction in multiplayer Commander.

Notable Cards

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  Admiral Brass, Unsinkable

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  Legion Lieutenant

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  Deadeye Tracker

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  Path of Ancestry

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  Clavileño, First of the Blessed

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  Pantlaza, Sun-Favored

Summary

The game began with four players piloting upgraded preconstructed decks from the new Ixalan set, each led by a unique commander representing different tribal themes: vampires, pirates, dinosaurs, and a dimir exploring strategy. Early turns involved ramping and establishing board presence, such as playing Path of Ancestry, Soul Ring, and deploying key tribal creatures like Legion Lieutenant to boost vampires and playing Admiral Brass to generate treasure tokens and steal opponent's resources. One player focused on developing a Murfolk-themed deck with exploration mechanics to ramp lands and create a strong board state. Another player utilized the discover mechanic with dinosaurs to find impactful spells and creatures. A critical turning point occurred when one player managed to ramp aggressively and deploy impactful permanents like Deadeye Tracker and Butcher of Magan, applying pressure with removal and lifelink. However, the pirate player, leveraging Admiral Brass's ability to create treasures and steal permanents, disrupted opponents' plans effectively. Ultimately, one player conceded due to lacking impactful plays and resources, showcasing the power of early ramp and interaction in this matchup. The game continued with players jockeying for board control and incremental value from their tribal synergies and commander abilities.