I Hate Your Deck #79 Kelsian v Doric v Ian Malcom v Slimefoot || Commander Gameplay MTG EDH

Deck Strategies

• Doric

  Monogreen legendary beatdown that transforms Doric into a large Owlbear, buffing other legendary creatures and using vigilance and trample to dominate combat.

• 

  Kelsien, the Plague

  Utilizes experience counters gained from killing creatures to grow in power, dealing incremental damage via taps and leveraging deathtouch to control the board and attack with a large commander.

• 

  Ian Malcolm, Chaotician

  Creates a chaotic multiplayer environment by exiling cards when players draw and allowing casting of those cards from exile, promoting group-hug interactions and unpredictable play.

• 

  Slimefoot, the Stowaway

  Produces sapling tokens to sacrifice for value and damage, builds up life gain, and plays into Dragon tribal synergies to overwhelm opponents with big creatures and incremental damage.

Gameplay Insights

• 1

  Doric’s transformation triggered early combat pressure by swinging as a 6/6 trample attacker, forcing opponents to respond quickly to the growing threat.

• 2

  Kelsien’s ability to tap and ping creatures for damage while gaining experience counters was a key method for incremental board control and growing her combat power.

• 3

  Ian Malcolm’s exile-and-cast-from-exile ability introduced complex multiplayer dynamics, allowing players to leverage each other's cards and creating unpredictable board states.

• 4

  Slimefoot’s token generation and sacrifice synergy enabled steady incremental damage and life gain, synergizing well with the Dragon tribal subtheme.

• 5

  The use of Staff of Titania to generate additional tokens upon attacking amplified Doric’s board presence and token production, increasing pressure on opponents.

• 6

  Players actively balanced aggression with resource development, using vigilance and haste to maximize combat effectiveness while setting up future turns.

Notable Cards

• 

  Kelsien, the Plague

• 

  Ian Malcolm, Chaotician

• 

  Slimefoot, the Stowaway

• 

  Staff of Titania

• 

  Elvish Farmer

• 

  Training Center

• 

  Verdant Catacombs

• 

  Overgrown Tomb

• 

  Thought Vessel

Summary

The game opened with players ramping mana and establishing their board states, with each commander showcasing their unique strategies. Doric began by transforming into a powerful legendary Owlbear, leveraging vigilance and trample, and buffing other legendary creatures. Kelsien, the Plague focused on accumulating experience counters through dealing incremental damage and creature removal, aiming to grow into a large threat with deathtouch. Ian Malcolm Chaotician created a chaotic environment by allowing all players to cast spells exiled from others' decks, fostering unpredictable interactions. Slimefoot, the Stowaway generated sapling tokens for sacrifice and aimed to deploy big dragons, dealing damage and gaining life from sapling deaths. A crucial turning point occurred when Doric transformed and swung for a massive 6/6 trample attacker, pressuring opponents early. Kelsien started pings to build experience counters, steadily increasing her threat level and board control. Meanwhile, Slimefoot established token production and sacrificial synergies, preparing for incremental damage and life gain. Ian Malcolm's group-hug effect introduced a dynamic layer of card advantage and spellcasting, complicating the board state. The game featured key combat phases where vigilance, trample, and haste allowed aggressive swings, and artifact equipment like Staff of Titania boosted token production to apply pressure. The players balanced between board development, resource management, and leveraging their commanders' abilities to push toward their respective win conditions.