Deck & Commander Strategies
Hei Bai, Forest Guardian
A five-color control midrange deck leveraging the shrine mechanic to gain card advantage and incremental value, controlling the board with efficient removal and disruption, and winning through steady value and attrition.
Emet-Selch, Unsundered // Hades, Sorcerer of Eld
A Dimir combo deck focused on graveyard interactions and reanimation combos, using creatures like Ancestral Dragon and Fantasma Image to assemble infinite loops and win through overwhelming board presence or combo finishes.
Gameplay Insights
- 1
Hei Bai utilized shrine triggers effectively to maintain a steady card draw engine, which proved crucial for sustaining control.
- 2
Emet-Selch tried to establish combo pieces early but was met with timely disruption including Mental Misstep and Abrupt Decay, slowing down the combo execution.
- 3
The interaction between counterspells and memory disruption spells like Memory Lapse created a complex stack environment, highlighting the strategic depth of the matchup.
- 4
Roaring Furnace was used as a removal tool to clear key creatures by leveraging the opponent's hand size, showcasing efficient use of resources.
- 5
Managing legendary permanents and their triggers was critical, as multiple copies of legendary creatures led to board state complications requiring precise trigger management.
- 6
The game featured a tense back-and-forth with both players leveraging their deck's strengths—control and incremental advantage versus combo setup and graveyard recursion.
Notable Cards
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Hei Bai, Forest Guardian
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Emet-Selch, Unsundered // Hades, Sorcerer of Eld
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Hades, Sorcerer of Eld // Hades, Sorcerer of Eld
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Abrupt Decay
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Mental Misstep
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Memory Lapse
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Roaring Furnace // Steaming Sauna
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Tainted Indulgence
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Reflecting Pool
Gameplay Summary
The game started with Hei Bai, Forest Guardian piloting a five-color control midrange deck focused on utilizing the shrine mechanic to generate card advantage and incremental value.
Hei Bai used various control tools and shrine interactions to manage the board and sustain card draw, while leveraging the red splash primarily for Flame.
The opponent, Emet-Selch, Unsundered // Hades, Sorcerer of Eld, played a combo-oriented Dimir deck centered on graveyard recursion and intricate combos involving creatures like Ancestral Dragon and Fantasma Image.
Early turns saw both players developing their mana bases and deploying key pieces, with Hei Bai establishing board control through removal and shrine searches, and Emet-Selch setting up combo components.
