Deck & Commander Strategies
Jace, Multiverse Architect
Sammy's deck manipulates its library with Sensei's Divining Top, Brainstorm and Scroll Rack, and makes small creature tokens, Might tokens above all. Jace's minus ability then polymorphs them into much bigger threats, and Displacer Kitten and Talismans let him flicker Jace for repeated activations. Black Market Connections adds card draw and Treasure, and counterspells like Offer You Can't Refuse protect the board.
Vraska, Soul of Stone
Max's deck builds a wide board of Gnome and Sculpture tokens. It gets extra value from Thousand-Moon Smithy, Talismans and Signets, and untaps its board with Jeskai Ascendancy. It uses improvise to cast big artifacts like Kappa Cannoneer and attacks wide with the tokens.
Vraska, the Cutting Glare
Kuzno's deck ramps quickly with Deathrite Shaman, Farseek, Rampant Growth and Nature's Lore, then uses Vraska's enter-the-battlefield destruction to remove key permanents. Panharmonicon and Cabal Coffers add extra value and mana. Damnation can reset the board while Supernatural Stamina saves the commander.
Breena, the Demagogue
Arjan's deck attacks with Breena and Goblin tokens to punish opponents who are ahead on cards or life. Breena's counters build one huge Goblin token and draw cards. Sacrificing that token to Ruthless Technomancer for Treasures powers out Marionette Master, which can drain the table. Mother of Runes, Thalia, Gix and Sheoldred add protection and pressure.
Gameplay Insights
- 1
Arjan sacrificed his enormous Goblin token to Ruthless Technomancer for nine Treasures right after redirecting Reality Shift to a construct. That gave him enough mana to cast Marionette Master and drain Max out of the game.
- 2
Max responded to the lethal Marionette Master triggers with Boros Charm for four damage to Arjan on his way out.
- 3
Kuzno chained Damnation with Supernatural Stamina to protect Vraska while wiping Arjan's board. Sammy also used Flawless Maneuver to protect his own board from Damnation.
- 4
Displacer Kitten let Sammy flicker Jace repeatedly. Combined with a chain of Talismans, this gave him multiple Jace activations in one turn, turning Might tokens and creatures into Nezahal, Sepulchral Primordial, Serra's Emissary, Nissa and Nicol Bolas.
- 5
Polymorphing Ruthless Technomancer into Nicol Bolas let Sammy take control of Kuzno's Vraska.
- 6
Sammy used Sensei's Divining Top to find Offer You Can't Refuse in response to Tragic Arrogance, holding off the board wipe that would have broken his board and winning him the game.
- 7
Kuzno's Vraska triggers hit lands such as Sammy's Underground River and Hallowed Fountain, and later Jin-Gitaxias. In the game review, Muddstah suggests targeting more powerful creatures and using Stroke of Midnight on a different permanent might have slowed Sammy down.
Notable Cards
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Displacer Kitten
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Sensei's Divining Top
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Marionette Master
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Ruthless Technomancer
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Damnation
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Supernatural Stamina
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Flawless Maneuver
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Black Market Connections
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Nicol Bolas, Planeswalker
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Tragic Arrogance
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Kappa Cannoneer
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Jeskai Ascendancy
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Smothering Tithe
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Stroke of Midnight
Gameplay Summary
The game started slowly, with Sammy's Jace deck setting up Sensei's Divining Top and Brainstorm effects while the other players developed their boards.
Max built a wide board of Gnome and Sculpture tokens with Thousand-Moon Smithy, Jeskai Ascendancy and Kappa Cannoneer.
Kuzno ramped heavily with Deathrite Shaman, Rampant Growth and Nature's Lore, then used Vraska to destroy key permanents such as Smothering Tithe.
Arjan's Breena kept connecting with attackers and drawing cards.
He grew a huge Goblin token using Breena's triggers, which he later sacrificed to Ruthless Technomancer for nine Treasures. The game turned when Arjan used those Treasures to cast Marionette Master and cracked six more at Sammy's end step, using the Master's triggers to eliminate Max.
Max got in a Boros Charm for four damage in response, and Arjan finished the turn with Stroke of Midnight on Vraska, Relic Seeker.
Kuzno then cast Damnation with Supernatural Stamina on his commander, and Sammy protected his own board with Flawless Maneuver.
This wiped Arjan's board and left Sammy as the strongest player. Sammy took over with Jace, Multiverse Architect, polymorphing Might tokens and other creatures into Jin-Gitaxias, Nezahal, Sepulchral Primordial, Serra's Emissary, Nissa and Nicol Bolas.
Displacer Kitten and a chain of Talismans let him flicker Jace and activate it again and again, and Nicol Bolas stole Kuzno's Vraska.
Arjan tried a Tragic Arrogance to break the board.
Kuzno responded with Feigned Death on Vraska, but Sammy used Sensei's Divining Top to find and cast Offer You Can't Refuse and counter it.
With no answer left, Kuzno and Arjan conceded.
