Deck & Commander Strategies
The Great Goblin
Builds an aggressive board of orcs that grow with each damage dealt, applying incremental damage and pressure through pings and combat, aiming to overwhelm opponents with a growing army and disruption.
Thranduil, the Elvenking
Focuses on a midrange value plan leveraging elves and landfall-style synergies, generating card advantage and board presence to outpace opponents and control the battlefield.
Shorikai, Genesis Engine
Utilizes artifact ramp and value engines to accelerate mana and draw cards, establishing protection and control elements with cards like the One Ring to create a resilient board state capable of winning through attrition or combo.
Elsha of the Infinite
A Jeskai combo deck aiming to assemble a fast and lethal combo with Eldritch Evolution tutors and Thassa's Oracle combined with Demonic Consultation to win on the spot, while using spells and cantrips to maintain card advantage and control.
Gameplay Insights
- 1
Disrupting Elsha's early combo attempt with targeted removal on Fiend Horn Elves severely slowed down her game plan and shifted momentum.
- 2
The Great Goblin's incremental damage pings combined with Orc Army's growth created sustained pressure that forced opponents to respond continuously.
- 3
Casting the One Ring on turn four by Shorikai enabled protection from all colors, allowing safe deployment of threats and complicating removal for opponents.
- 4
Elsha's decision to reveal her hand early to the table was a risky move attempting to catch opponents off guard but ultimately was countered effectively.
- 5
Players carefully managed their life totals and triggers from artifacts like Smothering Tithe and Mystic Remora to maintain card advantage while applying board pressure.
Notable Cards
-
Orc Army
-
Eldritch Evolution
-
Thassa's Oracle
-
Demonic Consultation
-
Mystic Remora
-
Smothering Tithe
-
Staff of Domination
Gameplay Summary
The game began with each player setting up their board state and mana base, with early interaction highlighting the aggressive potential of The Great Goblin and the card advantage engines from Elsha and Shorikai.
Early on, The Great Goblin player utilized Orc Army to apply pressure by dealing incremental damage through pings, while Elsha's player attempted a quick combo finish using Eldritch Evolution to find Thassa's Oracle combined with Demonic Consultation to win, but was disrupted by The Great Goblin's removal.
Throughout the midgame, players jockeyed for board control, with The Great Goblin amassing a potent orc army and leveraging continuous damage triggers, while Shorikai established mana acceleration and cast the One Ring to gain protection and a strong board presence.
Key turning points included the disruption of Elsha’s early combo attempt and The Great Goblin’s steady life total attrition from Orc Bowmasters and Orc Army.
The game featured layered strategic plays with Elsha pitching spells to cast herself, Shorikai utilizing artifact synergies for ramp and protection, and Thranduil building his board while managing resources carefully.
The Great Goblin’s ability to chip away at opponents’ life totals while growing his board presence created mounting pressure that shaped the flow of the game.
Ultimately, the interplay between removal, card advantage, and incremental damage set the stage for a high-tension finish with each player needing to navigate around opposing threats and protection effects to secure victory.
