Xyris vs Grimgrin vs Mogis vs Illuna [EDH Gameplay] 2020

Deck Strategies

• 

  Xyris, the Writhing Storm

  Generate large amounts of +1/+1 counters on multiple creatures to create a massive horde of tokens that deal commander damage, supported by wheels and mana acceleration to maintain card advantage.

• 

  Mogis, God of Slaughter

  Use land destruction, enchantments like Polluted Bonds, and the god's ability to control the board and drain opponents' life totals while slowly building pressure through attrition.

• 

  Illuna, Apex of Wishes

  Ramp mana quickly and use mutate mechanics with cascade spells to generate multiple value creatures and extra combat steps, leveraging cards like Kiki-Jiki for infinite or repeated triggers.

• 

  Grimgrin, Corpse-Born

  Assemble zombie tribal synergies, using recursion with creatures like Grave Crawler and Zombie Master to build a resilient army that can repeatedly attack and disrupt opponents.

Gameplay Insights

• 1

  Leveraging multiple wheel effects in conjunction with Xyris to refuel hands and generate a massive board state of snakes enabled an explosive midgame presence.

• 2

  Using mutate combined with cascade allowed Illuna's player to chain multiple powerful creatures onto the battlefield and maximize value from limited resources.

• 3

  Polluted Bonds provided continuous life drain and board control, synergizing well with Mogis’s strategy of attrition and pressure.

• 4

  Grimgrin's player prioritized assembling zombie recursion combos early to maintain a resilient board presence capable of repeated attacks.

• 5

  Playing Impact Tremors on a large token base significantly amplified damage output, accelerating the threat level for opponents.

• 6

  Responding to Petty Theft with Swan Song showed awareness of protecting key creatures and denying opponent's disruption.

• 7

  The early ramp and mana filtering enabled all players to deploy impactful spells quickly, setting a fast and interactive pace for the game.

Notable Cards

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  Xyris, the Writhing Storm

• 

  Wheel of Fortune

• 

  Winds of Change

• 

  Impact Tremors

• 

  Polluted Bonds

• 

  Kiki-Jiki, Mirror Breaker

• 

  Zombie Master

• 

  Sensei's Divining Top

Summary

The game featured an intense four-player Commander match with Xyris, the Writhing Storm, Mogis, God of Slaughter, Illuna, Apex of Wishes, and Grimgrin, Corpse-Born. Early turns saw players ramping aggressively with mana acceleration spells like Cultivate, Nature's Lore, and Arcane Signet. Jake, piloting Xyris, built a massive board of snake tokens by leveraging his commander's ability alongside spells like Wheel of Fortune and Winds of Change, generating copious amounts of mana and card advantage. He then cast impactful mass damage spells like Impact Tremors, escalating his board presence and threatening opponents with swift, lethal strikes. Guy on Mogis utilized land destruction and board control with cards like Polluted Bonds and Snaring Bridge, aiming to stifle opponents' plays while maintaining pressure with gods and enchantments. The Grimgrin player capitalized on zombie tribal synergies, assembling combo pieces such as Grave Crawler and Zombie Master to create resilient, recurring threats. Meanwhile, Illuna's deck focused on ramp and card selection through cascade effects, using mutates and Kiki-Jiki to generate additional value and multiple combat phases. Key moments included Jake's double wheel effects to refill hands and fuel his token production, allowing him to dominate the midgame. The interplay between board wipes, token generation, and combos defined the flow of the match as players jockeyed for control and prepared for decisive attacks. Ultimately, the game highlighted the explosive potential of Xyris's commander damage strategy amplified by token swarms and wheel effects, while Grimgrin and Mogis sought to disrupt and outlast through synergy and attrition. Illuna's cascade and mutating creatures added complexity and burst damage potential, making for a dynamic and multifaceted gameplay experience.