Final Fantasy VII x Resident Evil x Street Fighter x Frogger | Commander Clash S9 E11 | Video Games

Deck Strategies

• 

  Niv-Mizzet Reborn

  A control and value-oriented deck that leverages Niv-Mizzet Reborn's multicolor versatility to cast powerful spells from multiple colors, aiming to build a strong board presence and win through overwhelming card advantage and damage.

• 

  Xyris, the Writhing Storm

  A tribal frog deck that uses synergy among frogs, vehicles, and snake creatures to mimic the Frogger game's thematic crossing and dodging mechanics, aiming to outpace opponents by navigating hazards and assembling incremental advantages.

• Volrath, the Shapeshifter

  A survival-horror inspired deck focusing on control, resource denial, and puzzle-like interactions, reflecting Resident Evil’s atmosphere of scarcity and tension, aiming to disrupt opponents while maintaining board presence through shapeshifting creatures.

• 

  Bruse Tarl, Boorish Herder & Kydele, Chosen of Kruphix

  An aggressive combo deck that uses the partner commanders to generate large amounts of mana and card draw, enabling a series of combat tricks and combos to quickly close out the game with overwhelming damage.

Gameplay Insights

• 1

  Tomer’s decision to streamline his Street Fighter deck enhanced its ability to combo off quickly despite the flavor constraints limiting card choices.

• 2

  Richard’s Final Fantasy VII deck balanced thematic flavor with competitive card draw and control elements, allowing steady progression in the midgame.

• 3

  Crim’s Resident Evil deck utilized resource denial and puzzle-themed mechanics to maintain pressure on opponents and simulate survival horror tension.

• 4

  Seth’s Frogger deck relied on tactical positioning of creatures and vehicles to navigate around threats, reflecting the game’s core challenge of dodging obstacles.

• 5

  Communication hiccups early in the game, such as muted players, briefly affected coordination and pacing but did not hinder strategic development.

Notable Cards

• 

  Niv-Mizzet Reborn

• 

  Xyris, the Writhing Storm

• 

  Bruse Tarl, Boorish Herder

• 

  Kydele, Chosen of Kruphix

Summary

The game featured a thematic clash among five uniquely flavored decks inspired by iconic video games. Richard piloted a Final Fantasy VII deck led by Niv-Mizzet Reborn, focusing on references and flavor that evoked the classic RPG experience. Seth played a Frogger-themed deck with Xyris, the Writhing Storm as commander, combining frog tribal synergies with vehicle and hazard interactions to mimic the game's perilous crossings. Crim's deck, led by Volrath, the Shapeshifter, embodied the survival horror elements of Resident Evil, incorporating puzzle and resource scarcity themes. Tomer ran a Street Fighter deck with Bruse Tarl and Kydele as partners, aiming to combo off and achieve a decisive victory, blending fighting game references with a streamlined, aggressive strategy. The game unfolded with players engaging in their respective strategies, highlighting the interplay between flavor-driven deckbuilding and competitive Commander gameplay. Key moments included Tomer's attempts to assemble combos for a swift win, Richard's methodical buildup of powerful spells echoing Final Fantasy climaxes, and Crim's thematic use of resource management and control elements to simulate survival horror tension. The Frogger deck added a unique pacing element by dodging threats and gradually advancing its board state. Ultimately, the game showcased a balance between thematic expression and effective gameplay, with Tomer's combo-oriented Street Fighter deck making significant strides toward victory as the game progressed.