Deck Strategies
Ellie and Alan, Paleontologists
Focuses on self-mill and assembling combo pieces such as Thassa's Oracle or a Karmic Guide combo to win by milling opponents out.
Kaheera, the Orphanguard
Aggressive tribal strategy that enhances all creatures with vigilance and combat prowess, aiming to dominate the board through strong creature synergy.
Yurlok of Scorch Thrash
Utilizes repeated mana generation through tapping and untapping itself, combined with burn spells and equipment to achieve a high-damage finish.
Toshiro Umezawa
Mono-black disruption and control, deploying instant-speed removal and a draining combo with Chain of Smog and Professor Onyx to exhaust opponents' hands and life totals.
Gameplay Insights
- 1
The use of Gemstone Cavern to exile Finale of Devastation pregame allowed for a powerful mana boost early in the game.
- 2
Ellie and Alan’s deck leverages multiple combos and self-mill mechanics, including moving equipment like Lightning Greaves to mill the entire deck, creating a strong late-game threat.
- 3
Toshiro Umezawa’s player capitalized on instant-speed control spells and the Chain of Smog combo to disrupt opponent resources and gain incremental advantage through life drain.
- 4
Yurlok’s synergy with Umbra Mantle enabled repeated untapping and mana generation, setting up a potential explosive mana ramp leading to a lethal burn finish.
- 5
Mesmeric Orb’s interaction with untapping permanents forced players to continuously mill cards, accelerating the self-mill and combo strategies on the board.
- 6
Snapcaster Mage’s bounce of Toshiro at a critical moment delayed black player’s disruption and combo execution, demonstrating the importance of timely interaction in the game.
Notable Cards
Thassa's Oracle
Karmic Guide
Chain of Smog
Professor Onyx
Noble Hierarch
Snapcaster Mage
Mesmeric Orb
Victory Chimes
Lightning Greaves
Summary
The game features a diverse and interactive board state where each player deploys their unique strategies centered around their commanders. Early plays include efficient mana acceleration and positioning, such as the use of Gemstone Cavern to cheat expensive spells and the deployment of creatures that generate incremental advantage. Ellie and Alan’s deck focuses on self-mill combos, aiming to assemble pieces like Thassa's Oracle or a Karmic Guide and Revelar combo to mill opponents out. Despite the slow build, this deck poses a significant threat if left unchecked. Meanwhile, Kaheera’s deck emphasizes creature synergy and aggression, leveraging vigilance and strong board presence to pressure opponents. Toshiro Umezawa’s player uses a control and disruption approach, deploying numerous instant-speed removal spells and a combo involving Chain of Smog and Professor Onyx to drain opponents’ resources and life totals simultaneously. Yurlok of Scorch Thrash brings a high-tempo strategy with repeated mana generation and burn spells, utilizing equipment like Umbra Mantle to repeatedly untap and generate mana for a lethal Mana Burn finish. Throughout the game, key moments include the bounce of Toshiro by Snapcaster Mage to prevent early aggression and the triggering of Mesmeric Orb to mill players during untap steps, intensifying the self-mill threats on the table. The interactions between continuous mill effects, combo potential, and aggressive board states create a dynamic environment with multiple win conditions vying for supremacy.
