Deck & Commander Strategies
Slick Imitator
Utilizes spell copying and artifact synergies to generate value and tempo advantage, aiming to outpace opponents through repeated spell effects and board presence.
Cynical Loner
Focuses on discarding powerful creatures into the graveyard to later reanimate them, leveraging graveyard recursion for sustained threats and board control.
Lazav, Familiar Stranger
Builds counters by committing crimes, then uses graveyard creatures to clone or steal threats, disrupting opponents and turning their graveyards into resources.
Thalisse, Reverent Medium
Generates a large number of flying Spirit tokens each turn to overwhelm opponents with a growing army, relying on token synergies and board presence.
Gameplay Insights
- 1
The Slick Imitator player’s use of Aether Spellbomb to repeatedly draw cards and bounce creatures created flexible interactions that kept their hand stocked and board stable.
- 2
Cynical Loner’s ability to discard creatures to the graveyard early set up strong reanimation plays later, forcing opponents to respect potential big threats emerging.
- 3
Lazav’s strategy of committing crimes to build counters and then copying creatures from graveyards synergized well with other players’ discard and graveyard-focused tactics, making graveyard management a critical aspect.
- 4
Thalisse’s exponential token production created a significant threat that pressured all players to find answers quickly or be overwhelmed by a wide, flying army.
- 5
The interaction of cycling lands and creatures with graveyard and token strategies allowed for resource optimization and flexibility in response to board states.
Notable Cards
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Aether Spellbomb
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Silver Raven
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Soul Warden
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Mortuary Mire
Gameplay Summary
The game began with all players setting up their unique Pauper Commander decks, each with distinct strategies.
Early turns saw the Slick Imitator player focusing on generating value by copying spells and creatures while accelerating with artifact and blue spells.
The Cynical Loner player aimed to fill their graveyard with powerful creatures to later reanimate them, leveraging the commander's ability to search and discard.
Lazav, Familiar Stranger, synergized by committing crimes (triggering counters) and planning to steal or copy creatures from graveyards, capitalizing on the graveyard-centric strategies of others.
Meanwhile, Thalisse, Reverent Medium, built up a massive token army by continuously creating Spirit tokens each turn, preparing for a wide board presence.
The game featured multiple tempo shifts as players used cycling, sacrifices, and interaction to control the board and fill their graveyards or battlefield with threats. A key turning point was when the graveyard strategies began to intersect, with Lazav attempting to leverage creatures discarded or killed by Cynical Loner's reanimation plans and others.
The token swarm from Thalisse added pressure, making board wipes and removal crucial.
The Slick Imitator’s ability to copy spells and permanents allowed for explosive turns when timed well, creating multiple threats or value plays.
The interactions between graveyard recursion, token generation, and spell copying led to dynamic board states, with players needing to adapt quickly.
The game’s win conditions revolved around overwhelming opponents either through attrition and graveyard value or overwhelming board presence from tokens and copied spells.
