Kykar vs Vega vs Grand Arbiter vs Ikra/Kraum

Decklists

Deck & Commander Strategies

Grand Arbiter Augustin IV
Control the board with taxing effects and lock pieces, then mill opponents using Persistent Petitioners as a win condition.
Vega, the Watcher
Assemble an Isorev combo to draw the entire deck and win with Laboratory Maniac's alternate win condition.
Ikra Shidiqi, the Usurper & Kraum, Ludevic's Opus
Resolve Bolas's Citadel to cast spells from the top of the library and generate value with treasure tokens and disruptive creatures.
Kykar, Wind's Fury
Build a high storm count and utilize Underworld Breach with a combo finish to win the game in a single explosive turn.

Gameplay Insights

1
The use of Mystic Remora early applied significant pressure on opponents' spellcasting, forcing careful sequencing and resource management.
2
Counterbalance interactions between Zack and Mike created a tense game of counterspells and forced both to play around key counters and reversals.
3
Cyclonic Rift overloaded by Zack cleared the board of many threats, momentarily resetting the game state and giving him breathing room.
4
Reo's deployment of Persistent Petitioners combined with Aven Mindcensor effectively slowed down opponents' tutoring and combo assembly.
5
Mike's Oko, Thief of Crowns activation to turn Dockside Extortionist into a 3/3 Elk was an important play to avoid clone effects and maintain board control.

Notable Cards

Persistent Petitioners
Aven Mindcensor
Mystic Remora
Counterbalance
Dockside Extortionist
Oko, Thief of Crowns
Narset's Reversal
Cyclonic Rift
Mana Crypt
Jace, Wielder of Mysteries
Underworld Breach
Bolas's Citadel

Gameplay Summary

The game started with each player establishing their early mana bases and setting up for their respective strategies.

Grand Arbiter Augustin IV aimed to control the board and mill opponents using Persistent Petitioners, while Vega, the Watcher focused on assembling an Isorev combo to win with Laboratory Maniac.

The Ikra Shidiqi and Kraum partner deck sought to resolve Bolas's Citadel to cast spells from the top of the library, and Kykar, Wind's Fury aimed to build a massive storm count before winning through an Underworld Breach combo. Early interaction included countering Grand Arbiter's initial entry and the deployment of tempo plays such as Mystic Remora and Counterbalance from Vega's player, which facilitated card advantage and disruption.

Dockside Extortionist was a significant early threat from the Ikra/Kraum deck, generating multiple treasures and enabling accelerated plays.

Kykar's pilot attempted to tutor key combo pieces while navigating heavy counterspell coverage.

A pivotal moment came when Zack (Vega) successfully overloaded Cyclonic Rift despite attempts to counter it, clearing the board and shifting momentum. Reo (Grand Arbiter) used Persistent Petitioners and Aven Mindcensor to exert pressure and slow opponents' tutor effects, while Mike (Ikra/Kraum) leveraged Oko, Thief of Crowns and multiple treasure tokens to maintain board presence and mana advantage.

Counterspell battles between Zack and Mike highlighted the intense interaction, with Narset's Reversal playing a crucial role in protecting key spells.

The game remained highly interactive with tight resource management, as players balanced advancing their combos with disrupting others.

The outcome hinged on resolving key win conditions like Isorev's lab man combo, Bolas's Citadel top-decking, or Kykar's storm finishers.

Watch on YouTube