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Duel Commander | MU 080121 | Round 1: Sai vs Aminatou

Duel Commander PH


Commanders featured in this Gameplay Reviewed & Verified

Decklists

Deck & Commander Strategies

  • Sai, Master Thopterist

    Sai, Master Thopterist

    Generate an army of Thopter artifact tokens through casting artifacts, draw cards to maintain momentum, and overwhelm opponents with a large board presence.

  • Aminatou, the Fateshifter

    Aminatou, the Fateshifter

    Utilize blink abilities to repeatedly trigger enter-the-battlefield effects, control the board, disrupt opponents’ strategies, and gain incremental value through clever positioning and recursion.

Gameplay Insights

  • 1

    Sai’s ability to continuously draw cards by casting artifacts allowed for sustained pressure and board development.

  • 2

    Aminatou’s blink triggered significant value by resetting key permanents and protecting them from removal.

  • 3

    The timing of Sai’s token generation was crucial in applying pressure before Aminatou could stabilize with blink recursion.

  • 4

    Managing threats and prioritizing removal targets was essential for both players to maintain tempo and control.

  • 5

    The interaction between blink effects and artifact token production created a dynamic duel with multiple shifts in board control.

Notable Cards

  • Sai, Master Thopterist

    Sai, Master Thopterist

  • Aminatou, the Fateshifter

    Aminatou, the Fateshifter

  • Thopter Foundry

    Thopter Foundry

  • Smuggler's Copter

    Smuggler's Copter

  • Felidar Guardian

    Felidar Guardian

  • Teferi, Time Raveler

    Teferi, Time Raveler

Gameplay Summary

The Duel Commander match between Sai, Master Thopterist and Aminatou, the Fateshifter showcased a classic battle of artifact synergy versus blink value.

Sai's deck focused on generating numerous Thopter tokens through casting artifacts, leveraging Sai's ability to draw cards and build a formidable board presence.

Early turns saw Sai establishing a steady flow of tokens and card advantage, putting pressure on Aminatou.

Meanwhile, Aminatou utilized her blink ability to repeatedly reuse powerful enter-the-battlefield effects, aiming to control the board and disrupt Sai's momentum.

Key moments included Aminatou blinking critical permanents to reset threats and Sai deploying overwhelming token swarms that required careful answers.

The game’s turning point came when Sai managed to capitalize on a large token army, ultimately securing victory by overwhelming Aminatou before she could stabilize with her disruptive value plays.

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