GROUP HUG AND SLUG IN THE SAME POD??? - GirlPod, ThatTCGGuy, EnkstheViking!

Deck Strategies

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  Baylen, the Haymaker

  Generate tokens and use aristocrat synergies to create a growing army that can overwhelm opponents, while leveraging those tokens for mana, card draw, and enhancing Baylen’s power.

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  Gluntch, the Bestower

  A group hug approach that boosts creatures with counters, provides card draw, and creates treasure tokens for all players, fostering a shared advantage while gaining incremental personal benefits.

• 

  Obyra, Dreaming Duelist

  Drain opponents’ life passively and repeatedly return to hand to apply consistent flying damage, while controlling the board and gaining incremental value through commander damage.

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  Vial Smasher the Fierce

  Aggressively cast big mana spells to deal direct damage to opponents, leveraging Vial Smasher’s damage trigger to maximize impact and pressure other players quickly.

• 

  Thrasios, Triton Hero

  Support big mana and ramp strategies by filtering draws and generating card advantage, complementing aggressive spells and enabling powerful late-game plays.

Gameplay Insights

• 1

  Gluntch the Bestower’s ability to distribute counters, card draws, and treasures created a unique political dynamic, encouraging interaction and cooperation among players while advancing her own board state.

• 2

  Vial Smasher’s reliance on big spells and commander damage forced other players to remain vigilant and disrupted their plans by applying early pressure.

• 3

  Baylen’s token generation combined with aristocrat synergies allowed for flexible resource use, turning tokens into both offensive and defensive assets.

• 4

  Intimidation Campaign was a key enchantment that chipped away at opponents while providing life gain, illustrating the effectiveness of incremental advantage in multiplayer games.

• 5

  The mix of group hug and aggressive decks in the pod resulted in an interesting balance of cooperation and competition, requiring players to carefully choose when to support others and when to strike.

Notable Cards

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  Gluntch, the Bestower

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  Vial Smasher the Fierce

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  Baylen, the Haymaker

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  Obyra, Dreaming Duelist

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  Intimidation Campaign

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  Arcane Signet

Summary

The game began with players setting up their mana bases and early board presence, including ramp spells and initial creatures. The group hug deck, piloted by Sarah with Gluntch, the Bestower, aimed to boost other players by distributing counters, card draws, and treasure tokens, creating a supportive atmosphere but also gaining incremental advantage. Meanwhile, Corey’s Vial Smasher and Thrasios deck focused on casting big mana spells to deal direct damage, leveraging the commander’s damage trigger to aggressively pressure opponents. Enk’s Baylen, the Haymaker deck utilized token generation and aristocrat synergies to build a growing threat on the battlefield, looking to overwhelm opponents with a mix of tokens and card advantage. Sandwich’s Obyra, Dreaming Duelist deck worked on draining opponents' life and repeatedly using the commander to apply steady flying damage and control elements. Early turns involved careful resource management, including casting ramp spells like Arcane Signet and deploying impactful enchantments such as Intimidation Campaign to chip away at life totals while gaining benefits. The group hug dynamic introduced interesting interactions, as treasures and counters were passed around, and players had to navigate the tension between cooperation and competition. Key actions included Vial Smasher’s aggressive plays with spells and creatures like Baby Jace to maintain pressure and the use of intimidation campaign to inflict incremental damage while boosting life gain. The gameplay showcased a mix of aggressive strategies and political decision-making, with players balancing between helping each other and advancing their own win conditions. The game’s flow hinted at a gradual escalation of threats from token swarms and direct damage, with the potential for combos or finishers emerging as mana and cards accumulated.