MTG Commander Gameplay Cassius Marsh vs Joe Manganiello vs Gabriel Luna vs BlacknetoTTJ Ep 45

Deck Strategies

• 

  Teferi, Temporal Archmage

  Control and card advantage through Teferi's abilities, using manipulation of time and top-deck interactions to maintain board presence and disrupt opponents.

• 

  Tiamat

  Dragon tribal synergy focusing on casting dragons and triggering Dragon Tempest to grant haste and deal incremental damage, aiming to overwhelm opponents quickly.

• Jensen Carthalion, Druid Exile

  Mana fixing and token generation to build board presence, utilizing ramp and value from tokens to outpace opponents.

• 

  Mishra, Claimed by Gix

  Aggressive creature-based strategy that focuses on swinging with creatures and using draining effects to clear the board and weaken opponents.

Gameplay Insights

• 1

  Joe's early Dragon Tempest play provided a strong tempo advantage by enabling haste and damage triggers as dragons entered the battlefield.

• 2

  Cassius’s use of Blood Artist indicated a synergy with sacrificing or losing creatures to drain opponents and gain life, which works well in conjunction with Mishra's aggressive style.

• 3

  Players took a deliberate approach to mana fixing and early board development, setting up for mid-game pressure rather than slow control.

• 4

  The decision to choose violence early signaled an emphasis on aggressive strategies aiming to end the game before the late turns.

Notable Cards

• 

  Dragon Tempest

• 

  Blood Artist

• 

  Mishra, Claimed by Gix

• 

  Teferi, Temporal Archmage

• 

  Tiamat

Summary

The game began with the players setting up their mana bases and early plays, with Mishra, Claimed by Gix focusing on aggressive creature deployment and board control through combat and draining effects. Teferi, Temporal Archmage, piloted by Cassius Marsh, aimed to leverage card advantage and control elements, utilizing Teferi’s abilities to manipulate the board and time. Jensen Carthalion, Druid Exile, played by Gabriel Luna, focused on mana fixing and creating tokens to build board presence and value, while Tiamat, controlled by Joe Manganiello, utilized a dragon tribal strategy with spells like Dragon Tempest to generate damage and haste triggers as dragons entered the battlefield. Key turning points included Joe's early Dragon Tempest play, which set up a potential explosive damage output with his dragons gaining haste and dealing damage upon arrival. Meanwhile, Cassius’s deployment of Blood Artist indicated a plan to capitalize on creature deaths for incremental damage and life gain, which could synergize well with Mishra’s aggressive creature strategy. The interactions among these decks created tension, as each player prepared for mid-game shifts where board wipes, combo attempts, or overwhelming board presence could determine the victor. The game's flow emphasized choosing violence early, with players committing to aggressive threats and tempo plays to try to close out the game by turns five to seven.