Deck & Commander Strategies
Ashling, the Limitless
Utilizes evoke to cast elemental spells at a reduced cost, sacrificing them to create haste token copies that maintain board presence and pressure.
Auntie Ool, Cursewretch
Applies minus one minus one counters via blight to weaken opponents' creatures while drawing cards and draining life from opponents when their creatures are affected.
Mass of Mysteries
A large elemental with first strike, vigilance, and trample that grants myriad to other elementals, aiming to swarm opponents with multiple attacking tokens.
The Reaper King, No More
Places minus one minus one counters on creatures to enable stealing opponents' creatures when they die, generating value from creature removal and combat.
Gameplay Insights
- 1
Casting elementals with evoke to create token copies that gain haste is a powerful way to maintain tempo while generating multiple threats.
- 2
Placing minus one minus one counters strategically not only weakens opponents' creatures but also triggers card draw and life loss via Auntie Ool's blight ability.
- 3
The Reaper King incentivizes sacrificing creatures with counters to steal opponents' creatures, forcing opponents to carefully evaluate combat and removal.
- 4
Using ramp spells early, such as Soul Ring and Cultivate, enables casting higher-cost elementals and commanders quickly, accelerating board development.
- 5
Token generation through repeated sacrifice and evoke triggers creates a resilient board state that can overwhelm opponents through numbers and incremental value.
Notable Cards
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Ashling, the Limitless
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Auntie Ool, Cursewretch
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Mass of Mysteries
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Dusk Urchins
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Cultivate
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Vernal Sovereign
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Dread Tiller
Gameplay Summary
The game unfolds on the plane of Lorwyn and Shadowmoor with four players piloting preconstructed decks featuring paired commanders from the new set.
Early turns focus on ramp and setting up board presence, with players casting mana accelerants like Soul Ring and Cultivate to accelerate their game plans.
Ashling the Limitless quickly establishes a board presence by evoking elementals and generating haste tokens, while Auntie Ool utilizes her blight counters to weaken opponent creatures and draw cards.
Mass of Mysteries shows potential as a powerful elemental that can grant myriad, though it remains mostly on the sidelines initially.
The Reaper King applies pressure by distributing minus one counters and leveraging creature deaths to steal opponents' creatures. A key turning point occurs when Ashling evokes Vernal Sovereign, creating a growing elemental token army and triggering token copies despite the sacrifice clause.
Auntie Ool capitalizes on placing minus one counters to chip away at opponents' creature bases and draw cards, synergizing well with creatures like Dusk Urchins that draw cards upon death tied to minus one counters.
The Reaper King threatens to steal creatures with its death triggers, forcing opponents to carefully consider blocking and attacking choices.
The interplay of minus one counters and sacrifice mechanics drives the board state, with players balancing aggressive attacks and defensive plays.
Ultimately, the game revolves around maintaining board control with incremental value from counters and tokens, aiming to overwhelm opponents with repeated elemental token generation and creature theft.
