Commander Gameplay ON THE STACK | The Spike Feeders

Deck Strategies

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  Derevi, Empyrial Tactician

  A stax build focused on locking down opponents with taxing permanents like Ensnaring Bridge, while leveraging Derevi's ability to untap key permanents and execute a hidden combo to gain control or win the game.

• 

  Animar, Soul of Elements

  Aggressive creature ramp and synergy deck that grows Animar through creature and enchantment spells, enabling the casting of large threats and combos that capitalize on Animar’s counter accumulation.

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  Tymna the Weaver and Kraum, Ludevic's Opus

  A wheels deck that disrupts opponents' hands while drawing extensively and refilling, aiming to win via Thassa’s Oracle or Laboratory Maniac combos after emptying opponents' resources.

• 

  Silas Renn, Seeker Adept

  Not directly featured in the gameplay portion, but typically a deck that reanimates artifacts and enforces artifact synergy to control and win through artifact-based combos.

• Bears in Cars

  A stax deck combining hatebears with vehicles, using taxing effects and efficient blockers to slow opponents while applying consistent pressure through evasive damage sources.

Gameplay Insights

• 1

  Jim’s early use of Enlightened Tutor to place Mana Crypt on top of the library and follow up with Thorn of Amethyst established a taxing and fast mana start, putting pressure on opponents to deal with tax effects quickly.

• 2

  Maddy’s timely Ensnaring Bridge deployment effectively locked down large creatures from attacking, demonstrating how Derevi’s stax elements can stall aggressive boards.

• 3

  Alex’s use of Gitaxian Probe early on provided critical information on opponents’ hands, enabling precise disruption through wheel effects to control the game pace.

• 4

  Eliot’s Animar leveraged creatures like Fyndhorn Elves and Destiny Spinner to quickly grow Animar counters, pushing for a strong board presence despite the stax elements on the field.

• 5

  The interplay of taxing effects such as Thorn of Amethyst and Rhystic Study created a challenging resource environment that rewarded careful mana management and strategic plays.

Notable Cards

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  Luminarch Ascension

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  Thorn of Amethyst

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  Ensnaring Bridge

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  Mana Crypt

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  Rhystic Study

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  Chrome Mox

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  Gitaxian Probe

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  Fyndhorn Elves

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  Destiny Spinner

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  Priest of Titania

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  Tymna the Weaver

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  Thassa's Oracle

Summary

The game started with a strong early focus on resource development and stax elements, as Jim's Bears in Cars deck set up a tax-heavy board state with cards like Thorn of Amethyst and Luminarch Ascension, aiming to generate incremental advantage through angel tokens. Alex's Tymna and Kraum wheels deck worked toward disrupting opponents' hands while refilling theirs, looking for a combo finish with Thassa's Oracle or Laboratory Maniac. Maddy's Derevi stax deck aimed to establish control through lockdown elements such as Ensnaring Bridge and taxing permanents, while also setting up a secret combo. Eliot's Animar deck pushed to ramp and develop a board presence quickly using creatures like Fyndhorn Elves and Destiny Spinner to grow Animar and generate threats.