Kinnan v Sauron the Dark Lord v Sisay v Najeela Bracket 5 cEDH Commander Gameplay

Deck Strategies

• 

  Sauron, the Dark Lord

  Ramp aggressively using rituals and mana rocks to cast Sauron early, leveraging Cabal Ritual and Demonic Consultation for explosive mana and card draw to fuel a combo finish.

• 

  Sisay, Weatherlight Captain

  Build a token army and ramp with creatures like Weatherlight Captain and Noble Hierarch, using equipment and utility creatures to maintain board presence and value.

• 

  Najeela, the Blade-Blossom

  Generate and grow an orc army using amass mechanics and combat triggers, applying constant pressure with wide boards and synergy with warrior tribal elements.

• 

  Kinnan, Bonder Prodigy

  Utilize mana-producing creatures and artifacts to accelerate mana quickly, using tutors and flicker effects to assemble combos and maintain card advantage.

Gameplay Insights

• 1

  Using The One Ring’s incremental card draw and protection was a key advantage for Sauron, enabling multiple card digs per turn.

• 2

  Braids, Cabal Minion was leveraged to force opponents to sacrifice creatures, providing card draw and slowing enemy boards.

• 3

  Najeela’s amass mechanic combined with warrior tokens created a significant combat threat that demanded attention from opponents.

• 4

  Sauron’s use of Demonic Consultation and Cabal Ritual enabled explosive mana generation and digging for combo pieces early in the game.

• 5

  Players used flicker effects strategically to reuse powerful enter-the-battlefield abilities and protect key creatures.

• 6

  Sisay’s token generation and ramp established a stable midgame board presence, although she had to contend with the aggressive combo and amass decks.

Notable Cards

• 

  The One Ring

• 

  Cabal Ritual

• 

  Demonic Consultation

• 

  Braids, Cabal Minion

• 

  Noble Hierarch

• 

  Mox Amber

• 

  Armored Scrapgorger

• 

  Machine God's Effigy

Summary

The game started with players establishing their mana bases and early board presence, with Sisay deploying early creatures and ramp while Kinnan and Sauron began assembling their combo pieces. Najeela quickly built up an orc army and used amass mechanics to generate pressure on opponents. Key turning points included Sauron casting his commander and leveraging Cabal Ritual and other spells to ramp aggressively. Braids, Cabal Ritual, and Demonic Consultation allowed Sauron to accelerate mana and dig for answers. Meanwhile, Sisay used Weatherlight Captain to generate tokens and ramp, and Najeela used her combat triggers and army size to threaten player life totals. Midgame saw several critical interactions involving The One Ring, which was used by Sauron to draw multiple cards each turn, gaining a significant advantage. Najeela’s orc army and Sisay’s tokens created combat tension, forcing blocks and sacrifice triggers, especially involving Braids for card draw. Kinnan used tutors and mana generation combos, including Mox Amber and mana-producing creatures, to stay competitive. The game shifted rapidly with players using flicker effects, tutors, and mass card draw to dig deeper into their decks. Sauron’s ability to chain rituals and spells ultimately put him in a dominant position with large mana pools and card draw, outpacing others in the late game. Although all decks displayed strong synergy and execution, Sauron’s dark lord strategy, fueled by Cabal Ritual and Demonic Consultation, alongside the incremental value of The One Ring, proved pivotal in gaining the upper hand. The gameplay emphasized tempo swings, resource management, and timely interaction, culminating in Sauron leveraging his combo pieces and board presence to control the late game flow.