Deck & Commander Strategies
Arcades, the Strategist
Builds around walls to generate card draw and defensive board presence, aiming to win through combat damage using walls buffed with evasion or bounce effects, and protecting them with flicker and board wipes that spare walls.
Kruphix, God of Horizons
Ramp heavily to cast large Eldrazi creatures with flash, control the board with blue spells, and repeatedly untap lands and mana producers to fuel multiple spells and attacks in a single turn.
Yennett, Cryptic Sovereign
Manipulate the top of the deck to cheat expensive and impactful spells into play, maintaining control and drawing cards efficiently while disrupting opponents with well-timed countermagic and enchantments.
Omnath, Locus of the Roil
Ramp and deploy elemental creatures and synergies, using incremental value from elemental triggers and equipment like Shadow Spear to control the board and inflict damage, aiming to close out the game through sustained pressure.
Gameplay Insights
- 1
Arcades player leverages multiple board wipes that spare walls, maintaining a resilient defensive board while drawing cards and setting up for a combat finish.
- 2
Kruphix player uses retreat triggers and mana ramp extensively to maintain pressure with Eldrazi commanders, including flash casting and untapping mana sources for multiple activations.
- 3
Yennett's manipulation of the top deck with Soothsaying and Ristic Study creates a steady flow of resources and control spells, enabling tactical plays and disrupting opponents' plans.
- 4
Omnath player uses Shadow Spear to enhance walls and strategically remove problematic opponent permanents, balancing offense and defense effectively.
- 5
Beast Within is used to break key creatures from removal effects, demonstrating the importance of flexible removal in multiplayer commander games.
- 6
Counterspells like Stubborn Denial are crucial in protecting key enchantments and spells, maintaining momentum and board presence.
- 7
The game features multiple instances of commander damage as a primary win condition, with players focusing attacks on opponents to reduce options while advancing their own board state.
Notable Cards
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Burgeoning
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Soothsaying
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Wall of Tanglecord
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Stonecoil Serpent
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Burnished Hart
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Gilded Lotus
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Beast Within
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Gift of Immortality
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Stubborn Denial
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Azusa, Lost but Seeking
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Angelic Arbiter
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Aetherflux Reservoir
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Thorn of Amethyst
Gameplay Summary
The game opens with all four players deploying blue-inclusive decks, each pursuing distinct strategies centered around their commanders.
The Arcades deck focuses on a wall tribal strategy, leveraging walls for card draw and protection while aiming to close out with combat damage.
Kruphix's deck ramps aggressively to cast powerful Eldrazi creatures, utilizing flash and multiple untaps for explosive turns.
Yennett's Esper deck manipulates the top of the deck to cheat high-value spells into play, maintaining strong board control and card advantage.
Omnath's elemental-focused deck ramps and gains incremental value through elemental synergies and incremental damage. Early turns see ramp spells like Burgeoning and Soothsaying setting the pace, with aggressive commander attacks dealing significant damage.
Key plays include Kruphix casting powerful Eldrazi and protecting his board with counters, while Arcades establishes a wall defense bolstered by flicker effects and multiple board wipes that leave walls intact.
Yennett uses top-deck manipulation and tutoring effects to maintain control, including casting Ristic Study to fuel card draw.
Omnath's player uses Shadow Spear to enhance wall creatures and disrupt opponents' permanents.
The game features multiple combat phases where commanders deal heavy damage, and interactive plays like Beast Within freeing commanders from removal effects.
The board state remains dynamic with counters, equipment, and enchantments influencing combat and control. Though the full conclusion is not shown, the game is characterized by heavy interaction, incremental advantage through card draw and ramp, and the use of commanders as primary damage sources.
The win conditions revolve around either overwhelming with commander damage, leveraging elemental and wall synergies, or deploying large Eldrazi threats for board dominance.