Ao vs Jetmir vs Grolnok vs Najeela

Decklists

Deck & Commander Strategies

Najeela, the Blade-Blossom
Leverages infinite combat steps through Najeela's ability or Underworld Breach combos to generate overwhelming attacks and win quickly.
Ao, the Dawn Sky
Uses light stax elements to slow opponents while setting up a combo through Ao to win the game.
Grolnok, the Omnivore
Ramps into milling its entire library to set up a Thassa's Oracle combo for an instant win.
Jetmir, Nexus of Revels
Implements heavy stax and board lockdown to win through attrition and incremental advantage.

Gameplay Insights

1
Charles used Pithing Needle early to name Najeela, effectively hindering Drake’s infinite combat and token generation potential.
2
Drake’s use of Derevi to repeatedly untap lands and tap down opposing creatures allowed multiple attacks and significant board presence gains each turn.
3
Noah’s Eldritch Evolution into Spellseeker to fetch Cyclonic Rift demonstrated an important timing play for board reset against heavy stax.
4
Nick’s deployment of Rest in Peace shut down graveyard recursion, a key line of defense against recursive combos this game.
5
Artifact disruption such as Portable Hole and Stony Silence were pivotal in slowing down ramp and combo enablers.
6
Gilded Drake was used strategically to exchange control of Najeela, creating shifting alliances and combat dynamics.

Notable Cards

Pithing Needle
Portable Hole
Allosaurus Shepherd
Rest in Peace
Cyclonic Rift
Mana Vault
Jeweled Lotus
Green Sun's Zenith
Vampiric Tutor
Eldritch Evolution
Spellseeker
Gilded Drake
Deadly Rollick
Deafening Silence
Mirage Mirror

Gameplay Summary

The game began with aggressive early plays from all four commanders, each setting up their respective strategies quickly.

Drake, piloting Najeela, the Blade-Blossom, established early board presence and token generation to pressure opponents.

Charles on Ao, the Dawn Sky, pursued a stax and combo-centric control strategy, using disruption like Portable Hole and Pithing Needle to hinder others, notably targeting Najeela and artifact ramp.

Noah with Grolnok, the Omnivore, ramped quickly and aimed to mill his library for a Thassa's Oracle win, while Nick on Jetmir, Nexus of Revels, deployed heavy stax elements such as Deafening Silence, Rest in Peace, and Allosaurus Shepherd to lock the board and gain incremental advantages through attrition. Key turning points included Drake's use of Derevi, Imperial Tactician to untap lands and tap down key creatures, enabling multiple attacks and token creation, and Charles’ well-timed Pithing Needle naming Najeela to slow Drake's momentum.

Noah's Eldritch Evolution to Spellseeker and fetching Cyclonic Rift opened up board reset potential, while Nick's Rest in Peace shut down graveyard recursion crucial for some combos.

Combat exchanges were intense, with multiple creatures dying and board states shifting rapidly.

The interaction between artifact disruption, creature removal, and stax elements created a tense tempo battle.

Ultimately, the game showcased a dynamic balance between aggressive token combat, control stax, and combo setups with each player adapting to the evolving board state to inch closer to a win condition.

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