Yuriko, the Tiger's Shadow vs Felothar the Steadfast vs Hapatra, Vizier of Poisons vs Gargos

Deck Strategies

• 

  Hapatra, Vizier of Poisons

  Generate -1/-1 counter tokens and leverage sacrifice synergies with creatures like Yogmoth to control the board and draw cards, aiming for attrition and incremental advantage.

• 

  Yuriko, the Tiger's Shadow

  Utilize ninjutsu and evasive creatures to trigger Yuriko’s damage-based abilities, dealing direct damage and controlling board through card advantage.

• 

  Felothar the Steadfast

  Build a defensive wall-based board with tokens and low-power creatures, use synergy with Felothar to buff walls and generate card advantage, and leverage graveyard recursion.

• 

  Gargos, Vicious Watcher

  Stack +1/+1 counters on creatures, use fight abilities to remove threats, and capitalize on hydra tribal synergies to build a large board presence and overwhelm opponents.

Gameplay Insights

• 1

  Arj’s use of Yogmoth and Hapatra’s sacrifice loop to wipe the board and refill his hand was a critical turning point, showcasing powerful synergy for board control and card draw.

• 2

  Matt’s timely Aetherize bounced multiple attackers, preventing lethal damage and buying time against Arj’s aggressive combos.

• 3

  Gargos’s fight ability was used strategically to force opponent creatures into unfavorable trades, often targeting key threats like Yogmoth.

• 4

  The interaction of card draw and sacrifice effects, especially involving Blood Artist and Bastion of Remembrance, created incremental life drain and card advantage pressure.

• 5

  Fred’s use of Reunion of the House demonstrated a well-timed graveyard recursion to stabilize a board full of defensive creatures and walls.

• 6

  Throughout the game, incremental value from hydras and counters compounded over time, emphasizing the importance of board development and synergy in multiplayer Commander.

Notable Cards

• 

  Hapatra, Vizier of Poisons

• 

  Gargos, Vicious Watcher

• 

  Aetherize

• 

  Bastion of Remembrance

• 

  Greater Good

• 

  Reunion of the House

• 

  Bristling Hydra

• 

  Wall of Blossoms

• 

  Blood Artist

Summary

The game began with a slow buildup of mana and board presence from all four commanders: Hapatra, Vizier of Poisons; Yuriko, the Tiger's Shadow; Felothar the Steadfast; and Gargos, Vicious Watcher. Early turns saw key creatures like Hapatra generating tokens and Yogmoth, Thran Physician enabling repeated sacrifice loops to control the board. A pivotal moment occurred when Arj used Yogmoth and Hapatra's synergy to repeatedly sacrifice tokens and remove opponents' creatures, effectively wiping the board and drawing a large number of cards. Matt responded with a well-timed Aetherize to bounce attackers, stalling Arj's aggressive board control and preserving his life total. The fight ability of Gargos was leveraged multiple times to force trades and protect itself, while other players attempted to stabilize with removal and card draw spells like Felothar's Reunion of the House and various hydras boosting the board state. The game swung back and forth with intricate interactions involving counters, tokens, and combat tricks, ultimately focusing on board dominance and incremental advantage through creature value and combo synergies.