Grazilaxx vs Tarrasque vs Krydle vs Gretchen | MTG EDH Gameplay | S3:E11 | AFR Commanders

Deck Strategies

• 

  Gretchen Titchwillow

  Landfall-focused deck that ramps quickly and gains card advantage by playing lands and triggering landfall effects. It aims to close the game with the Retreat to Coral Helm combo for infinite damage.

• 

  Krydle of Baldur's Gate

  Utilizes evasive creatures and milling to disrupt opponents while slowly chipping away at life totals. Employs unblockable attacks and ninjutsu to maximize damage and card advantage.

• 

  Grazilaxx, Illithid Scholar

  Draws cards by dealing unblockable damage with creatures, using bounce effects to replay creatures and generate value. Employs extra turns and counterspells to control the game and build advantage.

• 

  The Tarrasque

  Ramp-heavy green deck that aims to establish a massive board presence with creatures and artifacts, then finish with overwhelming combat damage using classic finishers like Craterhoof Behemoth.

Gameplay Insights

• 1

  Gretchen’s landfall triggers were maximized with ramp spells and land-fetching cards, enabling quick setup of her combo finish.

• 2

  Krydle leveraged unblockable creatures and ninjutsu to apply pressure without committing to blocks, increasing card draw and mill effectiveness.

• 3

  Grazilaxx’s use of bounce effects to replay creatures allowed repeated card draw triggers and protected key creatures by equipping Lightning Greaves.

• 4

  The Tarrasque’s indestructibility forced opponents to prioritize removal spells on other permanents, shifting combat dynamics.

• 5

  Strixhaven Stadium introduced a unique alternate win condition by accumulating counters through combat damage, influencing attack targets and timing.

• 6

  Players carefully chose attack targets based on board states and potential combos, balancing aggression with defense to mitigate threats.

Notable Cards

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  Growth Spiral

• 

  Lightning Greaves

• 

  Strixhaven Stadium

• 

  Nature's Lore

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  Mnemonic Deluge

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  Craterhoof Behemoth

• 

  Incubation Druid

• 

  Wall of Roots

• 

  Sword of the Animist

• 

  Reality Shift

Summary

The game kicked off with players developing their board states and ramping mana early on. Gretchen Titchwillow focused on a landfall strategy, ramping with lands and card draw engines such as Soul Ring and Growth Spiral. Krydle of Baldur's Gate used evasive creatures and milling to pressure opponents, occasionally leveraging unblockable attackers and ninjutsu for incremental damage and card advantage. Grazilaxx, Illithid Scholar aimed to draw cards by dealing unblockable damage and utilizing bounce effects to replay creatures, while The Tarrasque player prioritized ramp and a big board presence with classic green finishers like Craterhoof Behemoth to close out the game. Early turns saw players trading small amounts of damage and setting up key combos, like Gretchen’s Retreat to Coral Helm for a win condition and Krydle’s milling strategy to eliminate opponents or cripple their boards. Grazilaxx’s ability to draw cards off damage and blink creatures proved crucial, especially when combined with equipment such as Lightning Greaves to protect threats. The Tarrasque player established a large threat that was difficult to remove, forcing opponents to focus their removal and attacks carefully. A pivotal moment came when Strixhaven Stadium was played, setting up an alternate win condition through accumulating counters from combat damage. Throughout the midgame, attacking patterns and combat tricks shaped the board state, with players balancing aggression and defense around their combos and synergies. Ultimately, the game revolved around careful management of threats and combos tied to landfall, milling, and card draw with incremental combat damage leading to a lethal board state or alternate win.