Webcam Wizards #12: Gavi vs Xyris vs Mannichi vs Niv-Mizzet, Reborn

Deck Strategies

• Niv-Mizzet, Reborn

  A five-color goodstuff deck focused on assembling a broad board of multicolor creatures and leveraging card draw effects to generate value and control the game.

• 

  Gavi, Nest Warden

  A cycling-focused deck aiming to draw multiple cards per turn, ramp mana, and leverage cycling triggers for value and card advantage.

• 

  Mannichi, the Fevered Dream

  A storm-oriented deck that relies on casting multiple spells per turn to build up storm count and finish the game quickly with a combo or burn spells.

• 

  Xyris, the Writhing Storm

  A token swarm deck that creates snake tokens whenever opponents draw extra cards, using this synergy to overwhelm opponents with a large board presence supported by continuous card draw.

Gameplay Insights

• 1

  Xyris capitalized on opponents' extra card draws to continuously create snake tokens, quickly building a formidable board presence.

• 2

  The use of Echo of Eons by Xyris was a game-ending play, refilling the hand and generating a massive number of snake tokens simultaneously.

• 3

  Mannichi's early ramp was hampered by a poor hand and lack of impactful spells, limiting his ability to execute a storm finish.

• 4

  Early mana ramp and mana rocks like Sol Ring and Gilded Lotus helped Niv-Mizzet and Gavi establish their boards but were insufficient to keep pace with Xyris' token swarm.

• 5

  The synergy between Xyris' ability and opponents' card draw made it difficult for other players to stabilize or remove threats effectively.

Notable Cards

• 

  Echo of Eons

• 

  Sol Ring

• 

  Nature's Lore

• 

  Gilded Lotus

• 

  Karametra, God of Harvests

• 

  Flowstone Overseer

• 

  Genesis Chamber

• 

  Volcanic Island

Summary

The game began with slow ramping and setup from all four players, with early plays including mana rocks like Sol Ring and mana ramp spells such as Nature's Lore. Mannichi, the Fevered Dream struggled a bit with his opening hand but managed to develop a board presence. Xyris, the Writhing Storm quickly established a token swarm by generating snake tokens, benefiting from its ability to create a snake whenever opponents draw cards outside their draw step. Niv-Mizzet, Reborn focused on assembling a multi-color board and leveraging card draw to fuel its powerful effects. A key turning point occurred when Xyris started to flood the board with snakes, creating a substantial threat that pressured the table. Eventually, Xyris cast Echo of Eons, drawing seven cards and triggering massive card draw and snake token generation, overwhelming opponents. The combination of continuous card draw and token production proved decisive, leading to a swift conclusion of the game in favor of Xyris. Despite good ramp and some strong individual plays from other commanders, the sheer volume of snakes and card advantage generated by Xyris proved insurmountable.