Deck & Commander Strategies
Hydro-Man, Fluid Felon
Leverages bounce spells and incremental growth to control the board while increasing Hydro-Man’s power. The deck aims to cast instant-speed spells and creatures repeatedly, using land drops to enable multiple spell casts per turn, gradually overwhelming opponents with a growing threat.
Phelia, Exuberant Shepherd
Focuses on creating and flickering tokens to generate value and pressure opponents. Phelia’s flicker effect enables reuse of enter-the-battlefield abilities, while token generation and protective equipment help maintain board presence and push for damage.
Gameplay Insights
- 1
Using mass bounce spells like Gulf of Shores effectively reset Phelia’s token board, providing Hydroman critical tempo advantage.
- 2
Hydroman’s ability to cast spells multiple times per turn through land drops synergizes well with bounce and cantrip spells to maintain pressure and grow the commander.
- 3
Phelia’s player uses equipment and selective token creation to mitigate Hydroman’s bounce effects and keep board presence viable.
- 4
Timing of spell casting and blocking decisions, such as when to cast Kozilek's Flanker and when to block with tokens, significantly impacted the flow of combat and board control.
- 5
Hydroman’s deck benefits from strategic use of protection-granting creatures like Mother of Runes to safeguard key threats against targeted removal.
Notable Cards
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Torrential Gearhulk
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Skullclamp
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Withdraw
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Mother of Runes
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Crush of Tentacles
Gameplay Summary
The game features a dynamic duel between Hydroman, Fluid Felon, and Phelia, Exuberant Shepherd, showcasing a battle between blue tempo and flicker token strategies.
Early on, Phelia establishes board presence with tokens and flicker effects, pressuring Hydroman's somewhat slower but scalable creature base.
Hydroman’s player uses bounce spells such as Gulf of Shores and Withdraw to reset Phelia’s board, leveraging Hydroman’s ability to grow larger with each spell cast and the capacity to recast spells thanks to its land interaction.
Key moments include the repeated use of mass bounce effects to clear Phelia's tokens and the tactical deployment of creatures like Torrential Gearhulk to counter Phelia’s threats.
Meanwhile, Phelia’s player adapts by focusing on protective equipment and careful token generation to maintain pressure.
A crucial turning point is when Hydroman’s player manages to swing for significant damage boosted by spells and creatures, while Phelia’s side looks for synergy with cards like Skullclamp to maintain card advantage.
The interplay of protection from blue and bounce spells creates a tense back-and-forth where timing and resource management decide board control.
Despite some technical issues, the match demonstrates the strengths and weaknesses of both decks, with Hydroman aiming to stabilize and finish through incremental advantage and Phelia pushing aggressive token flicker synergy to overwhelm the opponent.
