Kamahl//Jeska vs Gavi vs Animar vs Xyris [EDH/Commander, Magic The Gathering Gameplay] 2021 thumbnail Blurred backdrop thumbnail
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Kamahl//Jeska vs Gavi vs Animar vs Xyris [EDH/Commander, Magic The Gathering Gameplay] 2021

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Commanders featured in this Gameplay Reviewed & Verified

Xyris, the Writhing Storm

Xyris, the Writhing Storm

Xyris, the Writhing Storm card Xyris, the Writhing Storm videos from MTG The Stack 
EDH.Wiki 
Animar, Soul of Elements

Animar, Soul of Elements

Animar, Soul of Elements card Animar, Soul of Elements videos from MTG The Stack 
EDH.Wiki 
Kamahl, Heart of Krosa

Kamahl, Heart of Krosa

Kamahl, Heart of Krosa card Kamahl, Heart of Krosa videos from MTG The Stack 
EDH.Wiki 
Jeska, Thrice Reborn

Jeska, Thrice Reborn

Jeska, Thrice Reborn card Jeska, Thrice Reborn videos from MTG The Stack 
EDH.Wiki 
Gavi, Nest Warden

Gavi, Nest Warden

Gavi, Nest Warden card Gavi, Nest Warden videos from MTG The Stack 
EDH.Wiki 

Decklists

Kamahl, Heart of Krosa + Jeska, Thrice Reborn Deck on Archidekt

Gavi, Nest Warden Deck on Archidekt

Animar, Soul of Elements Deck on Archidekt

Xyris, the Writhing Storm Deck on TappedOut

Deck & Commander Strategies

  • Animar, Soul of Elements

    Animar, Soul of Elements

    Ramp quickly with Animar's cost reduction to cast large, synergistic creatures that dominate the board and overwhelm opponents through combat.

  • Gavi, Nest Warden

    Gavi, Nest Warden

    Utilize cycling spells to draw multiple cards and create token creatures, aiming to assemble a combo or draw the entire deck to win.

  • Kamahl, Heart of Krosa Jeska, Thrice Reborn

    Kamahl, Heart of Krosa // Jeska, Thrice Reborn

    Flood the board with elves to generate a large army and win through combat damage, while leveraging possible infinite mana combos for explosive wins.

  • Xyris, the Writhing Storm

    Xyris, the Writhing Storm

    Draw large numbers of cards with wheels to create snake tokens and convert those tokens into mana to continue wheel effects, dealing damage incrementally with token triggers and sacrifice outlets.

Gameplay Insights

  • 1

    The early use of Astral Slide by the Gavi player to protect key creatures and create recurring value was pivotal in maintaining board presence.

  • 2

    Animar's ability to untap lands via Peregrine Drake enabled a strong mana acceleration loop that facilitated casting powerful creatures early.

  • 3

    The Xyris player used wheel effects to create multiple snake tokens each time cards were drawn, synergizing with sacrifice outlets to steadily chip away at opponents' life totals.

  • 4

    The Kamahl/Jesska deck focused on defensive plays initially, equipping Lightning Greaves to protect key creatures and setting up for a turn where a large board presence could be established.

  • 5

    Interactions involving bounce spells and responses on the stack, such as bouncing Fervor to counter a key play, demonstrated strategic timing to disrupt opponents' tempo.

Notable Cards

  • Animar, Soul of Elements

    Animar, Soul of Elements

  • Gavi, Nest Warden

    Gavi, Nest Warden

  • Kamahl, Heart of Krosa

    Kamahl, Heart of Krosa

  • Jeska, Thrice Reborn

    Jeska, Thrice Reborn

  • Xyris, the Writhing Storm

    Xyris, the Writhing Storm

  • Valiant Rescuer

    Valiant Rescuer

  • Astral Slide

    Astral Slide

  • Lightning Greaves

    Lightning Greaves

  • Impact Tremors

    Impact Tremors

  • Goblin Bombardment

    Goblin Bombardment

  • Kodama's Reach

    Kodama's Reach

Gameplay Summary

The game begins with a multi-player Commander match featuring four distinct decks, each pursuing its own strategy.

Calvin pilots an Animar, Soul of Elements deck, focused on ramping into large, synergistic creatures to overwhelm opponents.

The Gavi, Nest Warden deck uses cycling spells to draw through the library repeatedly and set up combo win conditions.

Aiden's Kamahl, Heart of Krosa and Jeska, Thrice Reborn deck employs a classic elf tribal strategy aiming to flood the board and win via combat damage, with potential infinite mana combos.

Jake's Xyris, the Writhing Storm deck leverages wheels and token generation to deal incremental damage through cards like Impact Tremors or Goblin Bombardment.

Early turns consist of players developing mana bases and establishing board presence; key plays include casting Animar to accelerate creature deployment and Gavi with cycling synergies to generate tokens and card draw.

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