Our $50.00 Home Brew Commander Decks | Shuffle Up & Play #18 | Magic: The Gathering Gameplay

Deck Strategies

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  Ardenn, Intrepid Archaeologist

  Equips artifacts to creatures to maintain board control and push through combat damage using aggressive equipment synergies.

• 

  Sephara, Sky's Blade

  Builds a strong flyer army to meet the casting condition of Sephara for a low cost and uses lifelink to sustain life total while dealing aerial damage.

• 

  Gorex, the Tombshell

  Utilizes a turtle-themed tribal approach with value generation and incremental advantage to outlast opponents.

• 

  Hidetsugu, Devouring Chaos

  Aggressively throws damage at opponents with creatures and direct damage abilities aiming for quick and chaotic finishes.

• 

  Ludevic, Necro-Alchemist

  Leverages graveyard interactions, milling, and adventure creatures to generate card advantage and disrupt opponents' plans.

Gameplay Insights

• 1

  Sephara's player capitalized on having four flyers on the battlefield to cast her commander for a reduced mana cost, significantly increasing pressure on opponents.

• 2

  Ardenn's ability to attach multiple pieces of equipment at the beginning of combat enabled surprise combat tricks and boosted damage output.

• 3

  Ludevic’s deck used adventure creatures and milling to fuel graveyard synergies, allowing recursive value beyond initial card draw.

• 4

  Hidetsugu focused on a straightforward damage race, emphasizing speed and aggression over complex interactions.

• 5

  Players balanced early board development with value generation and removal, careful to maintain tempo while preventing any single deck from running away with the game.

Notable Cards

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  Boots of Speed

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  Gorgon's Head

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  Gray Merchant of Asphodel

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  Tormod's Crypt

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  Ranger's Hawk

Summary

The game featured five players piloting budget-friendly $50 Commander decks, each showcasing unique strategies within their color identities. Early turns involved setting up mana bases and deploying key creatures that supported each deck's main game plan. The Ardenn and Ludovic deck focused on equipping creatures to push through damage, using artifact synergies and combat tricks. Sephara, Sky's Blade's player rapidly developed a flyer-heavy board state, leveraging her ability to cast for one white mana if four or more flyers were present, enabling aggressive air attacks combined with lifelink for sustainability. Gorex, the Tombshell utilized a turtle-themed strategy to generate incremental value, aiming to accumulate board presence and outlast opponents. Hidetsugu, Devouring Chaos brought a straightforward, aggressive approach, aiming to deal damage quickly with creatures and direct damage spells. Ludevic, Necro-Alchemist's deck made use of graveyard interactions and milling, with adventure creatures and dredge synergies to fuel card advantage and disruption. A key turning point arose when Sephara's player unexpectedly met the four-flyer requirement, allowing a powerful commander cast that pressured the table. Additionally, the use of equipment in Ardenn's deck to grant haste and deathtouch created threatening attackers that demanded answers. The game progressed as players balanced offense and defense, with various board states shifting after combat damage and removal spells. Ultimately, the interplay of aggressive flyers, equipment buffs, and graveyard recursion defined the pace and tension of the match.