Commander VS Archenemy: Gideon, Nissa, Chandra vs Nicol Bolas

Deck & Commander Strategies

Nicol Bolas, Planeswalker
Utilizes Archenemy schemes to disrupt and control opponents, gaining incremental advantages by forcing opponents to lose resources and controlling key creatures. Bolas leverages powerful spells and creatures to maintain board dominance and ultimately reduce the team’s life total.
Chandra, Pyromaster
Focuses on aggressive burn spells and creatures to pressure opponents, aiming to chip away at the Archenemy’s life while providing direct damage and disruption.
Nissa, Worldwaker
Develops a strong mana base and creature presence with land-based synergies, aiming to create large threats and stabilize the board through ramp and powerful creatures.
Gideon Jura
Plays a defensive and supportive role by deploying tokens, enhancing creatures, and providing protection to the team, helping to maintain board state and bolster the durability of the Gatewatch.

Gameplay Insights

1
Nicol Bolas’s Archenemy schemes provide a strong early tempo advantage by stealing opponents’ creatures and applying negative ongoing effects.
2
The Gatewatch team’s ability to block for each other introduces an important coordination mechanic, allowing them to better survive the onslaught of schemes and attacks.
3
The use of 'double scheming' on non-ongoing schemes by Nicol Bolas intensifies the pressure, enabling repeated impactful effects within a single turn.
4
The team’s sequencing of plays, such as holding off on discarding cards from Tormenting Voice and waiting to deploy key creatures, reflects cautious resource management against the Archenemy’s disruptions.

Notable Cards

Nicol Bolas, Planeswalker
Precinct Captain
Tormenting Voice

Gameplay Summary

The game is an Archenemy format match featuring three players allied as the Gatewatch—Gideon Jura, Nissa Worldwaker, and Chandra Pyromaster—against a single powerful opponent piloting Nicol Bolas, Planeswalker.

The Archenemy begins with 40 life and sets schemes into motion each turn, introducing powerful effects that challenge the Gatewatch team from the outset.

Early turns see Nicol Bolas successfully taking control of an opponent's creature and deploying ongoing schemes that can trigger multiple times, pressuring the three-player team.

The Gatewatch players respond by developing their board with creatures like Doom Traveler, Precinct Captain, and flying attackers such as a Vampire Nighthawk analog, trying to stabilize against the escalating threats.