Kotis, the Fangkeeper vs Pantlaza, Sun-Favored vs Teval, the Balanced Scale vs Breena, the Demagogue

Deck Strategies

• 

  Teval, the Balanced Scale

  Utilizes sagas and landfall triggers to generate value, recurring key spells like Encroaching Dragonstorm to chain powerful effects and control the board through versatile plays.

• 

  Breena, the Demagogue

  Focuses on placing +1/+1 counters on attacking creatures to grow a swarm and generate card advantage from combat damage, backed by recursion and resource generation from Black Market Connections.

• 

  Kotis, the Fangkeeper

  Leverages equipment and +1/+1 counters to grow a large dinosaur threat, applying pressure through combat and evasion, while protecting key creatures with bounce and recursion.

• 

  Pantlaza, Sun-Favored

  Generates multiple dinosaur tokens and buffs them with counters and haste, using sacrifice outlets and synergy with other dinosaurs to maximize combat damage and tempo.

Gameplay Insights

• 1

  Arj's use of Profane Tutor and Smothering Tithe allowed him to maintain card advantage and mana flow, creating a strong midgame presence.

• 2

  Callum's exploitation of Pantlaza's ability to recur creatures like Primal Conqueror and grant haste led to multiple aggressive combat phases that pressured opponents heavily.

• 3

  The board wipe from Damnable Pact significantly reset the board state but left key resilient creatures intact, demonstrating the importance of timing and resilience in board control.

• 4

  Max’s strategic equipping of Kotis with Blackblade Reforged and Cryptic Coat maximized his commander's threat potential, enabling impactful combat damage.

• 5

  Players carefully used combat blocks and trades to mitigate damage while preserving important creatures for future turns, showing tight tactical play.

• 6

  The recurring use of Encroaching Dragonstorm to chain spells and generate card advantage was a critical engine for both Teval and Max.

• 7

  Arj’s deployment of Elesh Norn and Sheoldred, alongside Black Market Connections, created strong synergies that increased board control and resource generation.

Notable Cards

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  Breena, the Demagogue

• 

  Pantlaza, Sun-Favored

• 

  Kotis, the Fangkeeper

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  Teval, the Balanced Scale

• 

  Profane Tutor

• 

  Smothering Tithe

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  Elesh Norn, Grand Cenobite

• 

  Black Market Connections

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  Cryptic Coat

• 

  Encroaching Dragonstorm

• 

  Blackblade Reforged

• 

  Damnable Pact

• 

  Unearth

• 

  Reclamation Sage

Summary

The game began with typical early ramp and development from all four players, each establishing their board states with their commanders and supporting creatures. Early aggression was seen with creatures like Giver of Runes and Archavist of Agma generating card advantage and life gain. Key early plays included Arj's recurring Breena, the Demagogue with Unearth and Arj's use of Profane Tutor and Smothering Tithe to build card advantage and mana resources. Callum's Pantlaza, Sun-Favored led to strong token generation and synergy with dinosaurs, including Savage Order and Primal Conqueror, producing powerful attackers and enabling multiple attack phases with haste granted by Primal Storm. Midgame saw several pivotal board wipes and combat phases that shifted momentum. Arj's overload of Damnable Pact wiped the board, though some resilient creatures remained. Max's Kotis, the Fangkeeper utilized equipment like Blackblade Reforged and Cryptic Coat to grow and apply pressure. Notable interactions included Callum exploiting Pantlaza's ability to recur creatures like Primal Conqueror, and the use of Encroaching Dragonstorm by Matt and Max to chain spells and generate advantage. Arj's deployment of powerful creatures like Elesh Norn and Sheoldred, along with Black Market Connections, further bolstered resource generation. The game featured several combat skirmishes where players carefully blocked and traded creatures to maintain board presence. As the game progressed, players leveraged their commanders' unique abilities to generate advantage, with Callum's Pantlaza leading aggressive swings, Arj's Breena enhancing creature strength and card draw, Matt's Teval manipulating sagas and landfall triggers, and Max's Kotis growing into a formidable threat with equipment. The dynamic and shifting board states kept the gameplay engaging, with strategic use of tutors, removal, and combat damage shaping the outcome. The win condition appeared to center around combat damage from large, synergistic creature boards and recurring threats enabled by their commanders' abilities and supporting spells.