Wilson & Tavern vs. Leovold - Relic Fest 2024 - R5 - Duel Commander - EDH│MTG│bitzelberg

Deck Strategies

• 

  Leovold, Emissary of Trest

  Leovold's deck focuses on disrupting opponents' card draws to limit their options while generating card advantage and board control through spells like Thoughtseize, Bloodchief's Ascension, and efficient creatures. It seeks to control the pace of the game and win through incremental pressure and attrition.

• 

  Wilson, Refined Grizzly

  Wilson's deck is an aggressive midrange strategy leveraging a creature with multiple keywords (vigilance, reach, trample, ward) to apply pressure early. It aims to overwhelm opponents using aggressive creatures and burn spells like Pyrokinesis to manage threats and maintain tempo.

• 

  Tavern Brawler

  Tavern Brawler supports aggressive board presence with efficient creatures and combat tricks designed to increase pressure on opponents. The deck focuses on quick deployment and maintaining board control to close out games swiftly.

Gameplay Insights

• 1

  Leovold's ability to limit opponents' card draws weakened the effectiveness of wheel effects, impacting Wilson's potential card advantage.

• 2

  Gerald's conservative approach despite early board presence with Wilson slowed aggression, allowing Leovold to build a stronger control position.

• 3

  The creation of a Tasigur on Leovold's side marked a turning point by increasing the damage output and board threat level.

• 4

  Use of Pyrokinesis to pitch valuable cards early showed a risk/reward decision reflecting limited options to respond to Leovold's control.

• 5

  Wilson's concession indicated that Leovold's incremental value and disruption strategy successfully overcame the aggressive midrange pressure.

Notable Cards

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  Leovold, Emissary of Trest

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  Wilson, Refined Grizzly

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  Tasigur, the Golden Fang

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  Pyrokinesis

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  Thoughtseize

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  Diminishing Returns

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  Sauron's Ransom

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  Pelt Collector

Summary

The duel commander match featured Clement piloting a Leovold, Emissary of Trest deck against Gerald on a Wilson, Refined Grizzly and Tavern Brawler aggressive deck. Early game actions saw Leovold leveraging his ability to limit opponents' card draws, which somewhat diminished the effectiveness of wheel effects but still allowed for steady card advantage and board presence. Wilson's deck, featuring an array of keywords such as vigilance, reach, and ward, aimed for an aggressive midrange approach, looking to apply pressure quickly with creatures like the Wilson bear and supporting cards like Pyrokinesis and Tasigur. Key turning points included Gerald's conservative play, holding back aggression despite having early board presence, while Leovold developed a strong control and value position with cards like Thoughtseize, Bloodchief's Ascension, and various modern horizon cards. The board state began to shift when Leovold established a Tasigur, which increased pressure to four damage per turn, forcing Wilson to consider more aggressive tactics. However, an eventual concession from Wilson indicated Leovold's control and value strategy had firmly taken hold, securing the win through incremental advantages and disruption.