MTG Commander Gameplay! Alesha V Xavier V Zaxara V Brallin/Shabraz! Does the bracket system matter?

Deck & Commander Strategies

• 

  Alesha, Who Laughs at Fate

  Aggressively recur creatures from the graveyard, forcing opponents to sacrifice creatures and controlling the board through repeated pressure and value from graveyard synergies.

• 

  Xavier Sal, Infested Captain

  Accelerate mana and build a swarm of creatures with +1/+1 counters, leveraging untap synergies to overwhelm opponents with sheer numbers and incremental growth.

• 

  Zaxara, the Exemplary

  Generate infinite mana combos using spells and permanents like Pman’s or Free from the Real to enable combos such as pinging the board to death with Walking Ballista.

• 

  Brallin, Skyshark Rider / Shabraz, the Skyshark

  Draw and discard cards aggressively to fuel incremental damage and grow a large flying shark, aiming for a dramatic finish with evasive threats.

Gameplay Insights

• 1

  Alesha’s ability to force sacrifices combined with creature recursion created a persistent threat that pressured opponents and disrupted their board development.

• 2

  Xavier’s use of Intruder Alarm to prevent creatures from untapping effectively locked down combat phases and slowed aggressive attacks.

• 3

  Zaxara’s focus on building infinite mana combos required careful resource management and was vulnerable to targeted removal and timing of board wipes.

• 4

  Brallin/Shabraz leveraged card draw and discard synergies to maintain hand advantage and gradually increase board presence, using evasive creatures to threaten opponents.

• 5

  The players utilized discard wheels to refill hands and disrupt opponents’ plans, creating dynamic shifts in card advantage and tempo.

• 6

  Blocking decisions focused on managing Alesha’s first strike and sacrifice triggers to minimize damage while maximizing board presence.

Notable Cards

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  Alesha, Who Laughs at Fate

• 

  Judith, the Scourge Diva

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  Evolution Witness

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  Intruder Alarm

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  Walking Ballista

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  Solemn Simulacrum

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  Urban Evolution

• 

  Force of Vigor

Gameplay Summary