Deck & Commander Strategies
Ikra Shidiqi, the Usurper / Rograkh, Son of Rohgahh
This deck aims to assemble a Conspicuous Snoop combo to generate infinite damage or use Doomsday or Bolas's Citadel to combo off for the win, leveraging treasure generation and sacrifice effects.
Kodama of the East Tree / Vial Smasher the Fierce
A midrange deck focused on generating value and eventually deploying Razaketh to combo off and win, using disruption and efficient creatures to maintain board presence.
Tymna the Weaver / Thrasios, Triton Hero
A grindy value deck that aims to gain card advantage and combo off with either Razaketh or Ad Nauseam, supported by strong disruption and ramp elements.
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Kodama of the East Tree / Kraum, Ludevic's Opus
This deck uses Neoform and other cheat-effect spells to put powerful creatures onto the battlefield early, aiming to take over the game through high-impact threats and synergy.
Gameplay Insights
- 1
Ryan's use of Finale of Devastation to tutor a Goblin Recruiter followed by stacking combo creatures on top of his library was a key setup for his Conspicuous Snoop combo.
- 2
Alex's Force of Vigor was a critical disruption that removed Ryan's Mox Amber and Shaun's Smothering Tithe simultaneously, slowing down resource acceleration.
- 3
Dante’s Death stealing Alex’s Kodama and enabling him to cast a Wheel of Fortune effectively reset the hand sizes and disrupted opponents’ plans while refueling his own.
- 4
Shaun’s unexpected Ad Nauseam catch opponents off guard, although it did not immediately lead to a win, it showcased the deck's potential for explosive draws.
- 5
The interaction of mental misstep and Autumn's Veil highlighted the importance of timing and counterspell management in protecting key combo pieces.
- 6
Vial Smasher’s damage triggers consistently applied pressure across turns, influencing opponents' decisions and tempo throughout the game.
Notable Cards
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Conspicuous Snoop
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Goblin Recruiter
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Kiki-Jiki, Mirror Breaker
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Dockside Extortionist
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Deathrite Shaman
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Sylvan Library
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Ad Nauseam
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Wheel of Fortune
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Phantasmal Image
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Mental Misstep
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Deflecting Swat
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Razaketh, the Foulblooded
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Jeweled Lotus
Gameplay Summary
The game opened with aggressive and value-oriented plays from all four players, each piloting powerful partner commander decks with distinct combo and midrange strategies.
Ryan, on Ikra Shidiqi and Rograkh, focused on assembling a Conspicuous Snoop combo and generating treasure tokens with Dockside Extortionist.
Dante, at Kodama and Vial Smasher, played a midrange deck aiming to resolve Razaketh for a combo finish, while Shaun piloted a grindy Tymna and Thrasios deck with Ad Nauseam and Razaketh as win conditions.
Alex, on Kodama and Kraum, sought to cheat out impactful creatures using Neoform and other synergies.
Early turns saw multiple fetchlands, ramp creatures, and treasure generation, with key plays including Ryan fetching a Goblin Recruiter with Finale of Devastation to stack combo pieces and Shaun resolving a surprise Ad Nauseam, though it did not yield an immediate win. A pivotal moment occurred when Ryan successfully resolved Conspicuous Snoop and started chaining creatures from the top of his library to advance his combo, only to face disruption from mental misstep attempts and Deflecting Swat.
Dante leveraged Deathrite Shaman and Death to control the board and steal Alex's Kodama, enabling him to cast a Wheel of Fortune and reset hands, maintaining pressure with Vial Smasher’s damage triggers.
The game featured tight interaction around key combo pieces, with players balancing aggression and disruption.
Ultimately, the match revolved around timely combo assembly, treasure generation, and selective counterplay, with each player vying to leverage their unique win conditions while navigating a highly interactive board state.
