Singles Only Episode 4 - Flashing & Flickering w/Khris & Benj! | Duel Commander

Deck Strategies

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  Phelia, Exuberant Shepherd

  Aggro-tempo deck that uses equipment and efficient creatures to apply early pressure and lock down opponents. It synergizes with Stoneforge Mystic to fetch powerful equipment like Batterskull and Sword of Fire and Ice to outvalue and outlast control decks.

• 

  Aminatou, the Fateshifter

  A flexible control deck focused on flickering permanents to abuse enter-the-battlefield effects. It aims to stall the game with counterspells and card draw, then wins by decking the opponent using combos involving Helm of Obedience and Rest in Peace or by drawing out the deck with Jace, Wielder of Mysteries.

Gameplay Insights

• 1

  Early deployment of Drannith Magistrate effectively shut down Aminatou’s ability to play key permanents, significantly disrupting her game plan.

• 2

  Phelia’s use of Stoneforge Mystic to fetch protective equipment was pivotal in maintaining board control and pressuring Aminatou.

• 3

  Aminatou's sequencing with Brainstorm and Experimental Augur to find answers and Supreme Verdict to clear the board were critical attempts to stabilize but were hampered by mana constraints and early pressure.

• 4

  The decision to prioritize removal of Drannith Magistrate shaped the flow of the game, as leaving it on board severely limited Aminatou's options.

• 5

  Aminatou’s strategy relied heavily on flicker synergy and card selection, but the aggressive tempo and equipment synergy of Phelia proved difficult to overcome.

Notable Cards

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  Drannith Magistrate

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  Stoneforge Mystic

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  Batterskull

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  Sword of Fire and Ice

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  Supreme Verdict

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  Helm of Obedience

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  Rest in Peace

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  Jace, Wielder of Mysteries

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  Brainstorm

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  Force of Will

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  Temporal Mastery

Summary

The Duel Commander match featured a clash between Phelia, Exuberant Shepherd's aggressive, equipment-driven strategy and Aminatou, the Fateshifter's control-oriented flicker and value engine. Early in the game, Phelia established board presence quickly with a Drannith Magistrate, which severely hindered Aminatou's ability to deploy her key pieces and interact as intended. Aminatou struggled to find answers initially, relying on card draw and interaction spells like Brainstorm and Supreme Verdict to stabilize against the growing pressure. Meanwhile, Phelia leveraged Stoneforge Mystic to fetch powerful equipment, notably Batterskull and potentially other protection pieces like Sword of Fire and Ice, to cement board dominance and outvalue Aminatou's control plan. Aminatou attempted to leverage her flicker ability to reuse enter-the-battlefield effects and draw through her deck, aiming to assemble a late-game win condition involving Helm of Obedience and Rest in Peace for milling or Jace for card advantage. However, the early disruption from Drannith Magistrate and Phelia’s aggressive tempo made it difficult for Aminatou to stabilize. Key turning points included the timely use of Supreme Verdict to clear Phelia’s threats and the strategic decisions around sequencing and prioritizing removal of Drannith Magistrate. Despite Aminatou's toolbox and flexibility, Phelia's fast-paced equipment synergy and mana fixing ultimately put Aminatou on the back foot for much of the match.