Deck Strategies
Bjorna, Nightfall Alchemist & Wernog, Rider's Chaplain
A value and combo-oriented partner deck leveraging flicker effects and artifact ramp to generate card advantage and infinite combos through creatures like Dockside Extortionist and Displacer Kitten.
Will the Wise & Lucas
A partner commander setup focusing on card draw, disruption, and infinite mana combos involving cards like Hullbreaker Horror and Ad Nauseam to dig for game-winning spells.
Etali, Primal Conqueror // Etali, Primal Sickness
A Gruul combo deck centered on flicker recursion of Etali using Food Chain and creatures like Eternal Witness and Tamer Sabertooth to generate infinite mana and repeatedly cast Etali for lethal damage.
Gameplay Insights
- 1
Etali’s ability to blink and repeatedly cast itself with Hellkite Charger and Food Chain recursion created a powerful infinite combo that overwhelmed opponents.
- 2
The use of artifact ramp like Mana Crypt and Dockside Extortionist was critical in enabling Etali’s infinite mana loops.
- 3
Discarding Food Chain via Gamble was a significant setback for one of the opponents, missing a potential win condition.
- 4
The partner decks focused on controlling the board and drawing cards but struggled to disrupt Etali’s combo once it was established.
- 5
Timing the use of flicker effects and mana generation to maximize Etali triggers was a key strategic element for the Gruul player.
Notable Cards
Etali, Primal Conqueror // Etali, Primal Sickness
Food Chain
Eternal Witness
Dockside Extortionist
Hellkite Charger
Hullbreaker Horror
Ad Nauseam
Mystic Remora
Mayhem Devil
Summary
The game featured a clash between three decks piloted by William and Lucas using partner commanders focused on value and combo synergy, and a single Gruul Etali deck piloted by Timujin11. Early turns involved ramp and setup plays, with Etali quickly establishing a threatening board presence by casting and blinking the commander via Hellkite Charger. Etali’s deck leveraged powerful artifact and flicker synergies, including Dockside Extortionist and Tamer Sabertooth, to generate infinite mana and repeatedly cast Etali for massive value. Meanwhile, the opposing decks attempted to stabilize with disruption and card advantage, utilizing creatures like Hullbreaker Horror, Archist of Oghma, and spells like Ad Nauseam to dig for answers and combos. A pivotal moment came when Etali player successfully recurred Food Chain from the graveyard with Eternal Witness, enabling infinite loops with creatures to repeatedly cast Etali and generate overwhelming advantage. Despite a promising hand and board state from the other players, the Etali deck’s infinite mana combos and repeated commander triggers proved decisive. The game showcased the high-impact synergy of Etali’s blink recursion combined with Food Chain, contrasting with the more grindy, value-based strategies of the partner commander decks. The win condition centered on Etali’s ability to chain commander casts for a lethal storm-like finish, exploiting flicker combos and infinite mana generated from artifact ramp and Food Chain interactions.