Autobots.... Roll Out! Optimus, Megatron, Soundwave, Cyclonus | Worst Possible Commander Show #39

Deck Strategies

• 

  Soundwave, Sonic Spy

  Generate creature tokens and cast spells from opponents' graveyards for free, utilizing the Sword of the Meek combo to create infinite tokens and value.

• 

  Cyclonus, the Saboteur

  Gain multiple upkeep steps to draw through the entire deck slowly and win with Lab Maniac, leveraging upkeep-focused synergy and card advantage.

• 

  Megatron, Tyrant

  Generate colorless mana equal to opponents' life lost each turn and sacrifice large artifact creatures to deal massive damage, aiming for explosive artifact-based damage output.

• 

  Optimus Prime, Hero

  Focus on bolster counters to modify creatures, enabling multiple combat phases and overwhelming combat damage through synergy with modified creatures and combat tricks.

Gameplay Insights

• 1

  Shay quickly escalated board pressure by repeatedly bolstering Esper Sentinel, growing it into a major threat with trample that forced opponents to respond immediately.

• 2

  Ben’s use of artifact ramp and sacrifice outlets to generate damage with Megatron showcased a potent synergy that pressured life totals and mana resources simultaneously.

• 3

  CGB’s plan to assemble the Sword of the Meek combo token engine created a looming infinite threat, demanding careful interaction from opponents to prevent token flood.

• 4

  Blake’s upkeep-multiplying strategy with Cyclonus provided a unique slow advantage, drawing cards and taking incremental control despite not applying early pressure.

• 5

  The inclusion of Balance by Shay added a high-stakes reset element that could disrupt everyone’s board and mana, requiring timing and strategic consideration to maximize its impact.

Notable Cards

• 

  Sword of the Meek

• 

  Thopter Foundry

• 

  Esper Sentinel

• 

  Monastery Mentor

• 

  Balance

Summary

The game began with each player developing their board according to their commanders' strategies. Ben, playing Megatron, focused early on ramping mana using lands and artifacts like Soul Ring and casting impactful creatures such as Esper Sentinel, setting up for his plan to generate large amounts of colorless mana by dealing damage and sacrificing artifacts. CGB on Soundwave aimed to build a token army and leverage graveyard spells, setting up the Sword of the Meek combo for infinite tokens and value. Blake piloted Cyclonus with a unique upkeep-based strategy to take multiple upkeep steps, slowly drawing through their deck and aiming to win with Lab Maniac. Shay's Optimus Prime deck focused on modifying creatures with bolster counters to enable multiple combat phases and overwhelming combat damage through synergy with modified creatures like Aky Battle Squad, also incorporating the powerful board reset card Balance to disrupt opponents' resources. A pivotal moment early in the game saw Shay quickly grow an Esper Sentinel with bolster counters, creating a threatening attacker with trample that pressured the table immediately. Throughout the game, Ben’s strategy of generating mana and sacrificing large artifact creatures to deal damage posed a constant threat, while CGB worked towards assembling the infinite token combo. Blake’s slow but steady plan to maximize upkeep steps kept him in the game, although his win condition was more gradual. The interaction between Shay’s multiple combat phases and CGB’s token generation created tense board states, forcing players to navigate around potential wipe effects and lethal swings. The game’s tension revolved around managing these escalating threats and the threat of infinite combos, with players needing to balance aggression and defense carefully.