Commander VS S5E7: Lovisa vs Kurkesh vs Jaya Ballard vs Grenzo

Deck Strategies

• 

  Grenzo, Havoc Raiser

  Uses Grenzo’s ability to exile and cast cards from opponents’ decks, generating value and disruption while applying aggressive pressure with small, hasty creatures.

• 

  Jaya Ballard, Task Mage

  Focuses on casting powerful red spells and leveraging Jaya’s planeswalker abilities for burn, card advantage, and control elements to dominate the game.

• 

  Kurkesh, Onakke Ancient

  Builds around artifacts and energy generation, utilizing modules and artifact synergies to create value and powerful copy effects, aiming for a big impact by paying life to double effects.

• 

  Lovisa Coldeyes

  Swarm strategy that creates multiple 1/1 red Warrior tokens by exiling cards from the library, leading a horde of warriors to overwhelm opponents through sheer numbers and aggression.

Gameplay Insights

• 1

  Kurkesh’s use of Decoction Module to gain energy and repeatedly bounce creatures created tempo advantage and artifact synergy opportunities.

• 2

  Lovisa’s ability to exile cards from the top of the library until hitting a land to generate multiple warrior tokens allowed for rapid board development and pressure.

• 3

  Grenzo’s ability to exile and cast opponents’ cards introduced unpredictable elements and threats that opponents needed to answer quickly.

• 4

  Jaya Ballard’s deployment of burn spells and planeswalker abilities provided both removal and card advantage, maintaining control over the board.

• 5

  The presence of Breakthrough Line created a formidable defensive wall that was difficult for mono-red decks to remove, influencing attack strategies.

• 6

  The use of artifact-centered cards like Inventor's Fair and Great Furnace supported Kurkesh’s artifact synergies and mana base.

Notable Cards

• 

  Decoction Module

• 

  Smuggler's Copter

• 

  Shinka, the Bloodsoaked Keep

• 

  Key to the City

• 

  Molten Birth

• 

  Great Furnace

Summary

The game featured four mono-red Commander decks led by Grenzo, Havoc Raiser; Jaya Ballard, Task Mage; Kurkesh, Onakke Ancient; and Lovisa Coldeyes. Early turns focused on developing board presence and ramping into key artifacts and creatures. Kurkesh aimed to leverage artifact synergies and energy to generate value, utilizing modules like Decoction Module and big artifact interactions. Lovisa Coldeyes focused on generating a horde of 1/1 red Warrior tokens through a unique graveyard exile mechanic, preparing to swarm the board aggressively. Jaya Ballard brought classic red spells and powerful planeswalker-based burn and control, threatening players with direct damage and spell recursion. Grenzo relied on his ability to exile cards from opponents’ libraries and cast them, creating unpredictable but impactful plays while maintaining pressure with haste creatures.