Grand Arbiter vs Tatyova vs Yidris vs Derevi

Decklists

Deck & Commander Strategies

Grand Arbiter Augustin IV
A mill-control deck that utilizes cost reduction to deploy multiple Persistent Petitioners and slow the game down with counterspells, aiming to mill opponents out while controlling the board.
Derevi, Empyrial Tactician
A stax-control deck leveraging Derevi’s untap ability and attack triggers to disable threats and protect its combo finish through incremental advantage and locking down opponents.
Yidris, Maelstrom Wielder
A storm combo deck that uses fast mana and tutors to assemble a high storm count and finish the game in a single explosive turn.
Tatyova, Benthic Druid
A landfall ramp deck focused on drawing cards and generating value from playing multiple lands each turn, aiming to combo off through lands matter synergies.

Gameplay Insights

1
Grand Arbiter’s strategy of deploying multiple Persistent Petitioners early created a strong defensive wall and mill threat that forced opponents to react.
2
Casting Derevi directly from the command zone allowed Adam to bypass Counterbalance, enabling him to tap down key creatures and gain tempo advantage.
3
Ryan’s use of artifact ramp and tutoring enabled fast setup for storm attempts but was repeatedly disrupted by counterspells and stax effects.
4
The presence of multiple Mystic Remoras on the battlefield created a taxing environment for players, drawing cards but also restricting free spells, influencing the timing of plays.
5
Adam’s use of Sylvan Library aggressively drew extra cards at the cost of life, fueling his stax and control elements while maintaining pressure.
6
Zack’s landfall deck maintained steady ramp and card advantage through Tatyova and Life from the Loam, but was pressured heavily by early counterspells and creature removal.
7
Negotiations between players, such as Zack and Reo agreeing not to mill each other, showcased the political dynamics in high-level multiplayer games to manage threats and targets.

Notable Cards

Persistent Petitioners
Mystic Remora
Counterbalance
Mana Crypt
Mana Vault
Dockside Extortionist
Sylvan Library
Sensei's Divining Top
Life from the Loam
Force of Vigor
Mental Misstep
Swan Song
Skyshroud Claim
Spirit of the Labyrinth
Dovin's Veto
Tatyova, Benthic Druid
Yidris, Maelstrom Wielder
Derevi, Empyrial Tactician
Grand Arbiter Augustin IV

Gameplay Summary

The game began with a tense early setup where each player developed their board and established their strategies.

Grand Arbiter focused on assembling multiple Persistent Petitioners to mill opponents and control the pace with counterspells and disruption.

Derevi used the synergy of his commander’s ability with untapping and attacking to control key enemy creatures and protect his board while setting up for a combo finish.

Yidris aimed to assemble a storm combo, leveraging fast mana rocks like Mana Crypt and Mana Vault, while Tatyova ramped aggressively through landfall synergies and card advantage, seeking to combo off with lands matter interactions. Early pivotal moments included Adam’s use of Mental Misstep and Swan Song to counter key plays, and Ryan’s aggressive artifact ramp followed by attempts to counter Grand Arbiter’s Mystic Remora.

The interaction between multiple copycat control effects such as Mystic Remora and Counterbalance created a delicate balance of tempo.

Reo’s Grand Arbiter successfully deployed Persistent Petitioners and eventually attacked to chip away at opponents.

Adam cleverly cast Derevi from the command zone to avoid counterbalance, enabling him to tap down key creatures and swing safely.

The game was a tightly contested battle of disruption, ramp, and combo setups where timing of counters and resource management determined board control and the pace towards the ultimate win conditions.

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