IS PHYREXIA A TOXIC PLACE? | Kemba, Elesh Norn, Atraxa, Ixhel | Worst Possible Commander Show #47

Deck Strategies

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  Atraxa, Grand Unifier

  Utilize Atraxa's ETB and blink effects to draw cards and generate value, aiming to combo with Omniscience to play spells for free and overwhelm opponents.

• 

  Elesh Norn, Mother of Machines

  Double all ETB triggers through Elesh Norn's anthem effect, combo flicker creatures to generate infinite ETB triggers, and buff tokens with Cathars' Crusade to deal massive damage.

• 

  Ixhel, Scion of Atraxa

  Apply toxic counters through combat damage with toxic creatures and spells, disrupt opponents by exiling cards, and finish the game with infect damage and overwhelming board presence.

• 

  Kemba, Kha Enduring

  Build a Voltron-style deck focusing on cats and equipment, generating tokens and attaching multiple equipments to commanders and creatures to win through commander damage.

Gameplay Insights

• 1

  Elesh Norn’s ability to double ETB triggers paired with flicker combos created a strong infinite value engine that pressured opponents significantly.

• 2

  Ixhel’s toxic mechanic forced opponents to be wary of combat engagements, as poison counters could quickly lead to exile of cards or loss.

• 3

  Atraxa’s strategy relied heavily on ramping into a high mana cost commander and assembling the blink and Omniscience combo, which was a critical timing point.

• 4

  Kemba’s low-cost, aggressive Voltron approach enabled early board presence and steady pressure through equipment and token generation.

• 5

  Norn's Decree synergized well with Ixhel’s poison counters to draw extra cards and penalize attackers, influencing combat decisions.

• 6

  Mana acceleration artifacts like Soul Ring and Pearl Medallion were crucial in enabling early plays and speeding up key commander deployments.

Notable Cards

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  Omniscience

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  Felidar Guardian

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  Restoration Angel

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  Cathars' Crusade

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  Triumph of the Hordes

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  Norn's Decree

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  Pearl Medallion

• 

  Sram, Senior Edificer

Summary

The game started with all four players deploying their Phyrexian-themed commanders and setting up their respective strategies. Atraxa, Grand Unifier aimed to blink and duplicate its powerful draw and ETB effects, hoping to combo off with Omniscience for a massive free-casting turn. Elesh Norn, Mother of Machines focused on doubling ETB triggers and generating infinite value through flicker combos involving creatures like Felidar Guardian and Restoration Angel, supported by Cathars' Crusade to buff tokens for lethal damage. Ixhel, Scion of Atraxa brought a toxic theme, generating poison counters through combat damage and leveraging cards like Triumph of the Hordes and Tilonalli's Rex to overwhelm opponents with infect damage. Kemba, Kha Enduring played a Voltron-style equipment synergy deck, creating and buffing cats tokens while attaching multiple equipments to deal commander damage efficiently in combat. Early game saw players developing their board states with mana ramp and utility creatures. Elesh Norn’s player utilized Norn’s Decree to punish attackers and draw cards when opponents were poisoned, synergizing well with Ixhel’s toxic strategy. Atraxa’s player focused on ramping into their commander and assembling pieces to blink and draw cards, while Kemba’s player prioritized building a board of cats and equipping them for aggressive combat damage. The game featured tension around managing toxic counters and avoiding giving Elesh Norn and Atraxa the mana and board presence needed to execute their powerful combos. The toxic counters and blink combos were pivotal, with Elesh Norn’s ability to double triggers and Ixhel’s toxic damage applying pressure while Kemba aimed to finish with commander damage. The interplay of these strategies created a dynamic and challenging game state.