The Thing Commander! | Big Deck Energy

Deck & Commander Strategies

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  Minn, Wily Illusionist

  Generate illusion tokens by drawing extra cards each turn and use the death of illusions to cheat large permanents onto the battlefield, creating a snowballing board state.

• 

  Jenara, Asura of War

  Ramp mana aggressively and cast big creatures to maximize mana production and board impact, leveraging equipment and mana abilities for sustained pressure.

• 

  Ruric Thar, the Unbowed

  Punish opponents for casting non-creature spells by dealing damage, controlling the pace of the game through aggression and forcing opponents to play carefully.

• 

  Maelstrom Wanderer

  Build up mana and board presence to cast Maelstrom Wanderer with cascade triggers, generating multiple free spells and overwhelming the table with tempo and value.

Gameplay Insights

• 1

  Minn’s ability to generate illusions with each card draw and then use their death triggers to cheat big permanents onto the battlefield created a powerful engine that could snowball rapidly if unanswered.

• 2

  Ruric Thar’s constant threat of dealing 6 damage to players casting non-creature spells forced opponents to be cautious with their spellcasting, shaping the game’s tempo and interactions.

• 3

  The use of Mind's Aglow to encourage all players to draw cards simultaneously created a moment of shared advantage but also highlighted players’ reluctance to draw too many cards, showing hand size management considerations.

• 4

  Jenara’s ramp and ability to produce mana off large creatures helped accelerate her gameplan, making her a significant threat once she hit critical mass.

• 5

  Maelstrom Wanderer’s potential to cascade into multiple spells posed a looming threat that could swing the game dramatically once cast, forcing opponents to consider counterspells or removal preemptively.

Notable Cards

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  Minn, Wily Illusionist

• 

  Ruric Thar, the Unbowed

• 

  Maelstrom Wanderer

• 

  Jenara, Asura of War

• 

  Arcane Signet

• 

  Sakura-Tribe Elder

• 

  Lightning Bolt

• 

  Scytheclaw Raptor

Gameplay Summary