Deck & Commander Strategies
Neriv, Heart of the Storm
Utilizes storm and token generation to create a swarm of creatures, leveraging graveyard recursion and card draw to overwhelm opponents with sheer numbers and value.
Teval, the Balanced Scale
Focuses on landfall triggers and sacrificing lands to generate tokens and value, controlling the board through recurring threats and leveraging enchantments like Awaken the Honor Dead.
Zurgo Stormrender
Aggressively attacks to generate tokens and draw cards, combining sacrifice synergies with Grave Pact and Bastion of Remembrance to maintain pressure and drain opponents’ life.
Hashaton, Scarab's Fist
Copies and tutors powerful creatures to establish board presence, synergizing with graveyard recursion and flicker effects to repeatedly reuse impactful enters-the-battlefield abilities.
Gameplay Insights
- 1
Fred's strategic use of Grave Pact combined with token generators allowed him to repeatedly force opponents to sacrifice creatures, gaining card advantage and board control.
- 2
Matt leveraged Awaken the Honor Dead and field triggers effectively to maintain a token army that could survive board wipes like Supreme Verdict.
- 3
Arja maximized Hashaton’s copying ability to create multiple hasty threats, enabling aggressive attacks that pressured opponents while drawing cards via tutoring.
- 4
The timing of Blasphemous Act during Fred’s turn wiped much of the board, but he mitigated losses through token sacrifice and card draw engines, maintaining dominance.
- 5
Players used flicker effects like Restoration Angel and Port of Carfell smartly to reuse valuable enters-the-battlefield effects and disrupt opponents’ plans.
- 6
Multiple layers of sacrifice and token triggers created complex stack interactions, rewarding precise sequencing to maximize value and minimize losses.
Notable Cards
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Grave Pact
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Bastion of Remembrance
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Lightning Greaves
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Supreme Verdict
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Tortured Existence
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Mass Hysteria
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Skullclamp
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Restoration Angel
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Blasphemous Act
Gameplay Summary
The game opened with each player developing their board and establishing key early plays such as Ragavan and Zurgo Stormrender applying pressure.
Teval, the Balanced Scale focused on leveraging landfall triggers with Lotus Field and token generation to build a resilient board, while Neriv, Heart of the Storm prioritized creating tokens and manipulating the graveyard to maintain card advantage.
Hashaton, Scarab's Fist showcased a value engine with token copying and tutoring, synergizing well with graveyard recursion and disruption.
Zurgo Stormrender aggressively generated tokens and card draw through combat damage and sacrifice synergies, maintaining constant pressure on opponents. A significant turning point came when Fred (Zurgo) cast Grave Pact, forcing multiple sacrifices and generating tokens, ramping his board state while draining opponents with Bastion of Remembrance.
Matt (Teval) responded by flickering creatures and utilizing Awaken the Honor Dead to create a steady stream of zombies, maintaining board presence despite setbacks.
The game further escalated as Arja (Hashaton) created copies of Runescar Demon and aggressively attacked, while Matt executed key plays like Supreme Verdict to reset the board and Tortured Existence to recur threats.
Ultimately, Fred’s use of Blasphemous Act and Vampiric Wrath, paired with token generation and card draw engines, shifted the board heavily in his favor, eliminating Arja and severely damaging the rest of the table.
The game showcased a dynamic interplay of sacrifice effects, token generation, and recursion leading to a high-stakes midgame fight over board control.
![Tarkir: Dragonstorm PACK TACTICS ft. Teval, Felothar, Eshki, Zurgo [ EDH / Commander Gameplay ] thumbnail](https://i.ytimg.com/vi/hZuA4Kdlt04/sddefault.jpg)
