Deck & Commander Strategies
Skullbriar, the Walking Grave
Aggressively grow Skullbriar by dealing combat damage to place +1/+1 counters that persist across zones, building a big threat to eliminate opponents one by one.
The Gitrog Monster
Sacrifice lands and use graveyard synergies to draw cards and generate value, leveraging land recursion to maintain pressure and resource advantage.
Joel, Resolute Survivor and Ellie, Brick Master
Build a wide board with creatures and zombie tokens that benefit from creatures dying, creating a resilient and growing army to overwhelm opponents.
Zimone, Paradox Sculptor
Accumulate and double +1/+1 counters on creatures to produce powerful threats and control the board through strategic board wipes.
Gameplay Insights
- 1
Skullbriar’s ability to retain +1/+1 counters even after leaving the battlefield forced opponents to prioritize dealing with him early.
- 2
The Gitrog Monster’s land sacrifice and graveyard recursion combo provided continuous card draw and resource advantage, fueling a steady tempo.
- 3
Joel and Ellie’s token generation triggered whenever an opponent was attacked, adding constant pressure and board presence.
- 4
Zimone’s plan to accumulate counters before deploying a board wipe allowed for a controlled reset, leveraging powerful creatures post-wipe.
- 5
Players carefully managed life payments and land plays to maximize mana acceleration and maintain pressure each turn.
Notable Cards
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Skullbriar, the Walking Grave
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The Gitrog Monster
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Joel, Resolute Survivor
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Ellie, Brick Master
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Zimone, Paradox Sculptor
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Kodama of the West Tree
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Diabolic Intent
Gameplay Summary
The game began with players establishing their boards and ramping mana, each pursuing their unique strategies.
Skullbriar, the Walking Grave quickly started building +1/+1 counters through combat damage, aiming to grow into a large threat that could steadily pressure opponents.
Meanwhile, The Gitrog Monster player focused on sacrificing lands and leveraging graveyard recursion to generate massive card advantage and value.
The partner duo Joel, Resolute Survivor and Ellie, Brick Master built a creature and token army, using synergistic effects to create a persistent and growing board presence that could overwhelm opponents.
Zimone, Paradox Sculptor concentrated on accumulating and doubling +1/+1 counters to produce powerful creatures and planned to use board wipes to control the battlefield when the time was right. A key turning point occurred when the Gitrog Monster player utilized land sacrifice for card draw and recursion, steadily outvaluing opponents and pressuring life totals.
Skullbriar maintained constant aggression, growing larger and forcing others to respond quickly to avoid losing life or board presence.
The partner commanders generated multiple zombie tokens that attacked alongside other creatures, enhancing their board state.
Zimone’s strategy appeared more reactive initially, accumulating counters and preparing for a decisive board wipe to reset the battlefield while maintaining board control.
The game featured dynamic shifts in tempo as each player applied pressure in different ways, with combat damage and resource advantage playing crucial roles.
Ultimately, the interplay between aggressive growth, token swarms, and graveyard recursion shaped the flow of the game.
![Commander VS S17E9: Vish Kal VS Vilis VS Skullbriar VS Queen Marchesa [Magic: The Gathering EDH] thumbnail](https://i.ytimg.com/vi/PclCM0FiXKE/sddefault.jpg)
![Commander VS S13E3: Skullbriar vs Niv-Mizzet vs Tuvasa vs Etrata [EDH] thumbnail](https://i.ytimg.com/vi/5EGIlbpfVkE/sddefault.jpg)
![Commander VS S3E1: Olivia vs Gitrog vs Odric vs Sigarda [MtG: Multiplayer] thumbnail](https://i.ytimg.com/vi/IeIh3dkob-Y/sddefault.jpg)
