Deck & Commander Strategies

Saheeli, the Sun's Brilliance
Focuses on copying artifacts and repeatedly triggering ETB and death effects to generate card advantage and board value, controlling the game through artifact synergies.

Ezuri, Stalker of Spheres
Builds experience counters by deploying small creatures and then pumps creatures using those counters, aiming to overwhelm opponents with large, evasive threats.

Skullbriar, the Walking Grave
Aggressive and fast-paced, aiming to quickly develop board presence with persistent counters on creatures that survive combat and removal, applying early pressure.

Anhelo, the Painter
Uses spell copying and token generation to maximize value from casual and powerful spells, with a backup plan to end the game rapidly using Tormenting Hailfire.
Gameplay Insights
- 1
The randomization rule for damage assignment significantly altered combat strategy and target priority, forcing players to adapt their attacks and defenses dynamically.
- 2
Brian’s use of proliferate combined with Hardened Scales and experience counters created a major swing in board state, demonstrating the power of incremental counter synergies under chaotic conditions.
- 3
John’s artifact recursion with Everflowing Well allowed continuous card draw and milling, providing resilience and maintaining pressure despite the chaos on the board.
- 4
Corey’s combination of spell copying and token generation, alongside a powerful game-ending spell in Tormenting Hailfire, showcased a versatile approach to both value and sudden win conditions.
- 5
Players effectively balanced aggressive early plays with maintaining resources for mid-to-late game interactions, highlighting the importance of tempo despite the chaotic ruleset.
Notable Cards
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Slither Blade
-

Hardened Scales
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Jadar, Ghoulcaller of Nephalia
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Sword of Truth and Justice
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Thrun, the Last Troll
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Portal Mage
Gameplay Summary
The game began with all six custom house rules enabled, creating a highly chaotic environment.
Players quickly established their boards with their commanders and early ramp, utilizing tutors and key artifacts like Soul Ring and Mox Lantern to accelerate their plays.
Brian focused on building experience counters with his Ezuri, Stalker of Spheres deck, pumping creatures to apply pressure.
John’s Saheeli, the Sun's Brilliance deck aimed to exploit artifact synergies, repeating ETB and death triggers with card draw and value engines like Everflowing Well.
Dell’s Skullbriar deck sought fast aggression and board presence, while Corey’s Anhelo, the Painter deck revolved around copying spells and generating token value, leveraging the potent Tormenting Hailfire as a late-game finisher. Early turns saw strategic deployment of creatures and incremental growth in experience counters, while also navigating the unpredictable damage allocation forced by the randomization rule.
Key moments included Brian’s explosive combat phase where he massively proliferated counters on his creatures, turning the tide of board presence.
John’s use of artifact recursion and milling through Everflowing Well created a steady stream of resources, enabling continuous pressure and control elements.
Throughout the game, lethal threats and board wipes were avoided as players balanced offensive and defensive moves, with dice rolls heavily influencing damage distribution and combat outcomes.
The game’s turning point was when a player leveraged proliferate and counters to amplify creatures’ power significantly, forcing opponents to respond or face an overwhelming attack.
The match continued with players adapting to the chaotic rules, maintaining tension and unpredictability until a decisive win condition emerged from either overwhelming the board with counters and creatures or executing a devastating spell combo.












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