Tabletop Jocks - Etrata vs Jan Jansen vs Blanka vs Nethroishi | MTG Commander Gameplay episode 26

Deck Strategies

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  The Howling Abomination

  Utilizes graveyard recursion and sacrifice mechanics to generate value and board presence, aiming to overwhelm opponents through continuous card advantage and resilient threats.

• 

  Jan Jansen, Chaos Crafter

  A treasure token and artifact synergy deck that ramps aggressively with artifacts and uses treasures as a resource to cast powerful spells and generate value through token production and card draw.

• 

  Etrata, the Silencer

  A hit-counter based deck that aims to remove opponents' creatures by putting and manipulating hit counters, leveraging Etrata’s ability to exile creatures and win through incremental disruption and damage.

• 

  Nethroi, Apex of Death

  A reanimation-focused deck that uses Nethroi’s ability to bring back multiple creature cards from the graveyard, aiming to flood the board with resilient threats and overwhelm opponents through value recursion.

Gameplay Insights

• 1

  Rapid artifact ramp and treasure token generation on turn one set a high-tempo pace that shaped the entire game.

• 2

  Jury Master of the Vein's synergy with +1/+1 counters and damage-dealing on death provided a potent threat that pressured opponents throughout.

• 3

  Clever Impersonator copying key spells and creatures created unexpected board interactions, adding layers of complexity to the game state.

• 4

  Players strategically used hit counters and incremental damage from Etrata’s ability to disrupt and control opposing boards.

• 5

  Token generation combined with planeswalker support allowed sustained pressure and multiple blockers to deter attacks.

• 6

  Sacrificing tokens and artifacts to generate treasures and mana was a key resource management strategy enabling big plays.

Notable Cards

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  Clever Impersonator

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  Vivien, Monsters' Advocate

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  Dowsing Dagger // Lost Vale

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  Vesuva

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  Arcane Signet

Summary

The game began explosively with an incredibly strong turn one board state, highlighted by multiple players deploying ramp and key artifacts to quickly accelerate their mana. Early plays included Soul Ring, treasure tokens, and powerful ramp creatures, setting the pace for a high-tempo game. Notably, one player utilized Jury Master of the Vein to build a formidable threat capable of dealing direct damage, while another focused on creating tokens and leveraging planeswalkers to establish board control. The interaction between artifact ramp and token generation created a dynamic battlefield with fast-developing threats. As the game progressed, clever plays such as copying spells and creatures with Clever Impersonator and utilizing recursion mechanics kept the board state fluid and unpredictable. Players exchanged blows and removed key threats strategically, with one player leveraging Etrata, the Silencer’s ability to put hit counters to disrupt opponents. The game featured a mix of aggressive attacks, well-timed blockers, and incremental advantage plays like drawing cards via creatures with additional abilities. The players’ synergy between ramp, token production, and removal spells framed the game as a battle of attrition, with the win condition revolving around overwhelming opponents with sustained pressure and leveraging unique commander abilities to outlast others.