Deck & Commander Strategies
Indoraptor, the Perfect Hybrid
Build counters on Indoraptor to make it a massive threat that forces opponents to sacrifice creatures or take commander damage; uses Bloodthirst to grow quickly and punishes blocking.
Kaervek the Merciless
Classic burn and group slug deck that deals direct damage to opponents and creatures, aiming to reduce opponents’ life totals quickly through spells and commander damage.
Grismold, the Dreadsower
Generate plant tokens to aid all players and grow Grismold as tokens die, creating a strong board presence and leveraging sacrifice synergies.
Alela, Artful Provocateur
Incremental mill strategy using artifact and enchantment spells to produce flying fairy tokens and mill opponents gradually, focusing on evasion and small incremental value rather than big mill spells.
Gameplay Insights
- 1
The play of Zozu the Punisher significantly increased the stakes by dealing damage whenever a land entered, forcing players to carefully consider their mana development and land drops.
- 2
Indoraptor's ability to grow through damage dealt in combat and force opponents to sacrifice non-token creatures created continuous pressure and threatened to end the game quickly.
- 3
Enchanting Pugnacious Hammer Skull with Painful Quandary enabled high burst damage capable of targeting opponents directly, synergizing well with the aggressive and burn strategies.
- 4
Grismold’s token generation and growth based on token deaths provided a strong defensive and offensive presence, balancing the aggressive and burn-heavy decks.
- 5
Alela’s incremental mill through artifact and enchantment casting added a subtle but persistent threat that could win the game if left unchecked, despite not using large mill spells.
- 6
The graveyard and library lock effects introduced by Weathered Runestone and Decanter of Endless Water limited recursion and graveyard-based strategies, influencing player decisions and slowing down certain combos.
Notable Cards
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Indoraptor, the Perfect Hybrid
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Kaervek the Merciless
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Grismold, the Dreadsower
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Alela, Artful Provocateur
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Genesis Chamber
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Decanter of Endless Water
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Weathered Runestone
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Altar of the Brood
Gameplay Summary
The game began with each player developing their board and ramping mana to execute their strategies.
Indoraptor's player focused on building a large, threatening creature with bloodthirst and counters, aiming to pressure opponents to either block and sacrifice creatures or take commander damage.
Kaervek the Merciless employed a classic burn and group slug strategy, aiming to deal direct damage quickly and maintain pressure.
Grismold, the Dreadsower worked on creating plant tokens to both support allies and grow Grismold himself when tokens died, providing incremental board presence and potential for a big threat.
Alela, Artful Provocateur played a more subtle mill and token strategy, using artifact and enchantment spells to generate flying fairies and gradually mill opponents out with incremental effects rather than big mill spells. Early turns featured steady mana development, token creation, and small creatures entering the battlefield, triggering Genesis Chamber and other token generators.
A pivotal moment was the play of Zozu the Punisher, which punished land plays by dealing damage, forcing players to carefully sequence their land drops and mana use.
The Indoraptor player leveraged damage dealt to opponents to grow their commander substantially with counters, creating a huge threat that opponents had to answer.
The interaction of Pugnacious Hammer Skull enchanted with Painful Quandary allowed for explosive damage output and forced opponents to deal with multiple threats or take heavy damage.
Throughout, the game balanced incremental token production, life loss, and damage with the looming threat of a lethal Indoraptor or burn spells.
The players also navigated around graveyard and library lock effects that prevented recursion and casting from graveyards, adding another layer of strategic complexity.
The game appeared to be leading toward an endgame where Indoraptor's explosive growth and burn damage could close out the game if not interrupted.
![Commander VS S17E3: Korvold VS Alela VS Chulane VS Syr Gwyn [Brawl] thumbnail](https://i.ytimg.com/vi/Pa8JzkN1leY/sddefault.jpg)
