Deck Strategies
Djeru and Hazoret
Utilizes legendary creatures and aggressive haymaker threats to close the game quickly by overwhelming opponents with powerful, impactful creatures.
Saint Traft and Rem Karolus
Focuses on generating multiple tokens through tapping abilities and convoke mechanics, going wide to swarm opponents and overpower them with large numbers.
Thalia and The Gitrog Monster
Leverages additional land drops and the ability to control battlefield tempo by making opponents' lands enter tapped, with a secondary plan of sacrificing creatures or lands to draw cards and maintain advantage.
Yargle and Multani
Built around a large vanilla creature that can be pumped to huge sizes to one-shot opponents, focusing on maximizing power and toughness for a decisive alpha strike.
Gameplay Insights
- 1
The use of convoke with Saint Traft and Rem Karolus to untap the commander multiple times in a turn allowed for explosive token generation, creating strong board presence quickly.
- 2
Leila, the Blade Reforged's attack-triggered exile and potential play-from-exile mechanic forced opponents to carefully consider blocking due to incremental counters and damage.
- 3
The removal of Kenrith's Transformation with Assassin's Trophy was a critical disruption, not only removing a threatening enchantment but also gaining card advantage and ramping.
- 4
Zex's exploitation of additional land drops via Thalia and The Gitrog Monster's ability helped accelerate mana development and resource advantage over the course of the early game.
- 5
Players chose to maintain a slower pace initially to develop their board states, which led to a more strategic midgame where combat and removal spells defined the momentum.
Notable Cards
Thalia and The Gitrog Monster
Saint Traft and Rem Karolus
Kenrith's Transformation
Assassin's Trophy
Kodama's Reach
Oath of Ajani
Summary
The game began with a slow, strategic opening where players developed their mana bases and established early board presence without aggressive plays. Zex, piloting a planeswalker token deck centered around Thalia and The Gitrog Monster, focused on generating tokens and ramping with additional lands, aiming to leverage the synergy between planeswalkers and creatures. Joe Cherries played Yargle and Multani, focusing on building a large vanilla creature to attempt a one-shot kill, while MTG Nerd Girl’s Djeru and Hazoret deck aimed to close out games quickly with powerful legendary creatures. Airball’s Saint Traft and Rem Karolus deck sought to go wide with token generation and convoke mechanics, maximizing the commander’s ability to untap and produce multiple tokens each turn. A key turning point occurred when aggressive combat starts with tokens and commanders attacking, forcing players to make tough decisions about blocking and damage assignment. Airball capitalized on token generation and convoke to ramp up pressure, while MTG Nerd Girl’s deck leveraged legendary creatures to threaten early game-ending attacks. Meanwhile, Zex’s deck showed patience, using exploration and additional land drops to fuel future plays. The removal of Kenrith’s Transformation by Assassin’s Trophy was a pivotal moment, disrupting a combo potential and shifting board control. The game’s tension centered around these interactions, with players balancing board development, removal, and combat to reach their win conditions.
