Tabletop Jocks: Lord Xander vs Neyith vs Go-Shintai vs Kinnan | MTG Commander Gameplay episode 23

Deck Strategies

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  Lord Xander, the Collector

  A control-oriented deck that uses disruption and protection effects to manipulate the board state and protect valuable permanents, aiming to outvalue opponents through card advantage and selective removal.

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  Neyith of the Dire Hunt

  Aggressive midrange deck focused on fighting mechanics and ramping mana to quickly pressure opponents through combat, aiming to eliminate threats and close out the game with combat damage.

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  Kinnan, Bonder Prodigy

  Ramp and creature synergy deck that accelerates mana production with elves and mana creatures to cast big spells quickly and overwhelm opponents with powerful creatures and combos.

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  Go-Shintai of Life's Origin

  Resilient value-based deck that builds a strong board presence using life gain and creature buffs, aiming to stabilize and outlast opponents through incremental advantages.

Gameplay Insights

• 1

  Neyith's early commitment to fighting creatures set a tone of aggression forcing opponents to respond quickly or lose key creatures.

• 2

  Lord Xander's use of Counterbalance effectively disrupted opponents’ key spells, buying time to build board control.

• 3

  Kinnan's mana acceleration with Priest of Titania and Chromatic Lantern allowed for explosive turns and large creature plays.

• 4

  The interaction between Phantasmal Image copying threatening creatures like Tear of the Peaks created potent board threats that had to be answered immediately.

• 5

  Players were mindful of positioning and blocking, with strategic sacrifices and combat choices impacting the flow of the game significantly.

Notable Cards

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  Priest of Titania

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  Counterbalance

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  Mana Crypt

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  Chromatic Lantern

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  Phantasmal Image

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  Consecrated Sphinx

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  Void Winnower

Summary

The game featured a four-player Commander match with Lord Xander, Neyith of the Dire Hunt, Kinnan, Bonder Prodigy, and Go-Shintai of Life's Origin at the helm. Early turns focused on ramping mana and establishing board presence, with players casting key creatures like Priest of Titania and setting up mana sources such as Chromatic Lantern and Mana Crypt. Neyith aggressively pursued combat damage and utilized fighting mechanics to pressure opponents. Kinnan leveraged mana acceleration and creature synergy, using cards like Priest of Titania to generate explosive plays. Lord Xander played a more control-oriented style, deploying Counterbalance to disrupt opponents’ spells and using protection abilities to safeguard key permanents. Go-Shintai aimed to build a resilient board and leverage life gain or creature buffs.