"Battle of the Decepticons" EP: 12 Starscream vs Prowl vs Megatron vs Soundwave [EDH gameplay]

Deck Strategies

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  Starscream, Power Hungry

  Focuses on the Monarch mechanic to draw cards while draining opponents' life and controlling the board. Flips to a flying, menace-equipped vehicle that can establish or steal the Monarch status and deal damage quickly.

• 

  Prowl, Stoic Strategist

  Exiles tapped creatures or vehicles temporarily to disrupt opponents and draw cards when those exiled cards are cast. Grows stronger by placing +1/+1 counters on the vehicle side, aiming to kill through commander damage.

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  Megatron, Tyrant

  Controls opponents by preventing spell casting during combat and uses artifact sacrifices to deal damage and heal. Flips between forms to maximize damage output and survivability, leveraging artifact synergies.

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  Soundwave, Sonic Spy

  Creates and sacrifices creature tokens to exile and copy opponent's sorcery cards from their graveyards, generating value and board presence. Flips to a form that produces additional legendary artifact creature tokens for pressure and token synergy.

Gameplay Insights

• 1

  Starscream's ability to become Monarch and drain life through card draw pressures opponents early and dictates board state control.

• 2

  Prowl's exile mechanic punishes opponents' tapped creatures and vehicles, generating card advantage and enabling strategic reuse of threats.

• 3

  Megatron's restriction on opponents' spell casting during combat phases limits their reactive plays, giving him a tempo advantage.

• 4

  Soundwave's strategy to copy opponent's sorceries from graveyards enables potent value plays and combos with token creation for board advantage.

• 5

  Players prioritized flipping their commanders early to access stronger forms with impactful abilities, influencing combat and board control dynamics.

• 6

  Artifact synergies and mana ramp (e.g., Wayfarer's Bauble, Liquidmetal Torque) were crucial to enabling timely commander casts and transformations.

Notable Cards

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  Starscream, Power Hungry // Starscream, Seeker Leader

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  Prowl, Stoic Strategist // Prowl, Pursuit Vehicle

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  Megatron, Tyrant // Megatron, Destructive Force

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  Soundwave, Sonic Spy // Soundwave, Superior Captain

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  Wayfarer's Bauble

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  Field of Ruin

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  Dread Presence

Summary

The game unfolded as a dynamic and thematic battle featuring four Transformer-themed Commander decks, each led by a different Decepticon or Autobot commander. Starscream focused on leveraging the Monarch mechanic to drain opponents' life and maintain board control, flipping his commander to a powerful flying vehicle with haste and menace. Prowl aimed to exile and reuse opponents' tapped creatures or vehicles while growing stronger through +1/+1 counters on his vehicle side. Megatron played a controlling and aggressive role, restricting opponents' spell casting during combat and using artifact sacrifices to deal damage and heal, flipping between his two forms to maximize value. Soundwave focused on creating and sacrificing creature tokens to exile and copy opponents' spells from their graveyards, generating board presence with legendary artifact creature tokens and flipping his commander to enhance his token production strategy. Early turns saw players establishing their mana bases and setting up with key artifacts like Wayfarer's Bauble and Field of Ruin to disrupt opponents' mana while ramping their own resources. The Monarch mechanic quickly became a focal point, with Starscream actively seeking to become Monarch and punish others for it. Players cast their commanders early where possible, with Prowl and Megatron transforming their commanders to their vehicle forms to start applying pressure. Soundwave prepared to build his token army for value and spell copying. The game was marked by strategic positioning around commander flips, board presence with vehicles and tokens, and leveraging unique mechanics like exile and life drain. The interaction between artifact synergies, tokens, and combat damage shaped the tempo, with each player attempting to outmaneuver others through incremental advantages and timing of their transformations.