Deck Strategies
Zur the Enchanter
Control-oriented deck focusing on tutoring and casting key enchantments to control the board and disrupt opponents, using removal and lock pieces to maintain dominance.
Lonis, Cryptozoologist
Combo deck aiming to generate infinite mana through interactions between Academy Manufactor, Erza, and Shrieking Drake, then drawing the deck with clues and winning through Thassa's Oracle.
Kodama of the East Tree / Tymna the Weaver
Abzan Stax deck leveraging taxing effects and lock pieces like Arcane Laboratory and Corpse Knight to suppress opponents, aiming to win through incremental advantage and combat damage.
Yannett, Cryptic Sovereign
Spell-slinging deck that manipulates the top of the library to cast spells for free, aiming to control the board and eventually win through infinite turns with God-Eternal Kefnet.
Tymna the Weaver
Aggressive value deck that uses Tymna's card draw ability from combat damage and control elements to pressure opponents while maintaining card advantage.
Gameplay Insights
- 1
Lonis’s early Back to Basics was a pivotal disruption that hindered opponents’ mana bases, especially against the two consult decks relying on colored mana.
- 2
Feeding Mystic Remora early proved costly, as it allowed multiple opponents to draw numerous cards and maintain card advantage.
- 3
Nate's decision to use Abrupt Decay to remove Oko, Thief of Crowns was a significant tempo swing that prevented Jordan’s Yannett deck from gaining early board control.
- 4
Jordan’s Windfall reset the hands of all players, shaking up the game state and forcing players to adapt to new hands mid-game.
- 5
Bill's use of Neoform to copy Zur allowed him to gain additional value from Zur’s enters-the-battlefield and commander abilities, increasing his board presence and control options.
Notable Cards
Back to Basics
Mystic Remora
Oko, Thief of Crowns
Abrupt Decay
God-Eternal Kefnet
Windfall
Academy Manufactor
Thassa's Oracle
Shrieking Drake
Summary
The game unfolded with each player navigating unfamiliar decks in a 'nemesis draft' format where commanders were assigned by opponents, leading to some unconventional plays and strategic missteps. Early turns featured key mana accelerations and interaction, with Lonis casting Back to Basics to disrupt opponents’ mana bases, particularly targeting the two consult decks, Zur and Yannett. Mystic Remora proved a significant early threat, drawing numerous cards and forcing opponents to decide whether to pay or allow card draw advantage. Jordan's Yannett attempted to establish board presence and card advantage through creatures like God-Eternal Kefnet and spells like Windfall, but faced pressure from disruptive plays. Nate’s Zur deck focused on control and removal, exemplified by Abrupt Decay taking out Oko, Thief of Crowns, a major tempo play that slowed Jordan’s aggressive start. The game’s key turning points revolved around the disruption of mana bases and hand sizes, as Lonis’s Back to Basics and the persistent Mystic Remora taxed resources heavily. Nate leveraged Zur's ability to grab removal spells and control the board, while Jordan tried to capitalize on Yannett’s unique ability to play spells from the top of the deck. Bill on Lonis focused on assembling infinite mana combos through Academy Manufactor, Erza, and Shrieking Drake to draw out the deck and win with Thassa's Oracle, although the transcript ends before the combo executes fully. Overall, the game was a mix of control, disruption, and combo attempts, with players adapting to decks they were less familiar with, leading to an engaging and unpredictable match.
