Deck & Commander Strategies
Omnath, Locus of All
Ramp mana aggressively, especially black mana via Omnath’s ability, to cast large spells like Torment of Hailfire that can drain opponents’ life totals quickly.
Drana and Linvala
Gain life and drain opponents using creatures like Cruel Celebrant combined with combo pieces such as Exquisite Blood and Sanguine Bond to create a life drain loop.
Jin-Gitaxias // The Great Synthesis
Draw massive amounts of cards to flip and activate Jin-Gitaxias’s proliferate ability, then combo out with Enter the Infinite and Lab Man to win the game.
Heliod, the Radiant Dawn // Heliod, the Warped Eclipse
Use wheel effects to force opponents to draw cards, reducing the cost of spells with Heliod’s cost reduction ability, then cast powerful creatures at instant speed to overwhelm opponents.
Gameplay Insights
- 1
Jin-Gitaxias’s strategy hinges on drawing seven or more cards to flip and activate proliferate, enabling a combo finish with Enter the Infinite and Lab Man.
- 2
Heliod’s ability to cast spells at flash speed combined with cost reduction from opponents’ card draws enables surprise plays and tempo swings.
- 3
Omnath’s black mana conversion and mana ramp allow casting of high-impact spells early, putting pressure on opponents' life totals.
- 4
Drana and Linvala’s life gain and drain synergies are subtle but build up over time, threatening a combo finish that can quickly end the game if unchecked.
- 5
Rustic Study and Heirloom Study provide consistent card draw triggers, fueling each player’s strategy and escalating the pace of the game.
Notable Cards
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Omnath, Locus of All
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Cruel Celebrant
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Exquisite Blood
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Sanguine Bond
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Enter the Infinite
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Heliod, the Warped Eclipse // Heliod, the Warped Eclipse
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Torment of Hailfire
Gameplay Summary
The game begins with players setting up their mana bases and early card draw engines, with Omnath, Locus of All ramping mana and focusing on black mana utilization, Drana and Linvala aiming for life gain and drain synergies, Jin-Gitaxias seeking to draw large volumes of cards and combo out with Enter the Infinite and Lab Man, and Heliod leveraging wheel effects and flash-speed casting to overwhelm opponents.
Early turns see players establishing board presence with mana rocks, card draw spells, and key creatures like Cruel Celebrant to start draining life. As the game progresses, the tension builds around who can assemble their combos first.
Jin-Gitaxias attempts to amass a large hand to flip and utilize his proliferate abilities combined with Enter the Infinite for a potential instant win.
Meanwhile, Heliod uses wheels to fuel cheap and flash-speed plays, trying to cast game-changing creatures like Butcher of Truth for free.
Omnath accelerates mana to cast big spells like Torment of Hailfire, applying pressure on opponents.
Drana and Linvala play a more controlling role with life gain and drain mechanics, threatening incremental advantage and potential combo finishers like Exquisite Blood and Sanguine Bond.
The game is a delicate balance of combo assembly, resource denial, and timing, with each player vying to outpace or disrupt others’ win conditions.
