COMMANDER EP 2 Group Hug is Love until it's not KAMIZ // GLUNTCH // YUSRI // GROLNOK

Deck Strategies

• 

  Kamiz, Obscura Oculus

  Focus on dealing combat damage to place +1/+1 counters on creatures, then use the counters to gain incremental value and win through combat.

• 

  Gluntch, the Bestower

  Play a group hug style deck that distributes +1/+1 counters, treasure tokens, and card draw to all players to accelerate the game and build board presence.

• 

  Yusri, Fortune's Flame

  Draw large amounts of cards with coin flip mechanics that can allow casting spells for free and deal damage to self, aiming to generate value from card draw and alternate win conditions.

• 

  Grolnok, the Omnivore

  Mill self to improve card selection, then deploy a large board presence with creatures that become difficult to block, using evasive abilities and equipment to maintain pressure.

Gameplay Insights

• 1

  Gluntch's end step ability to distribute counters, card draw, and treasures helped push the group hug dynamic early, accelerating everyone's development.

• 2

  Yusri's coin flip mechanic created a tension between risk and reward—drawing cards but taking damage, with the potential to cast spells for free if successful.

• 3

  Grolnok used self-mill combined with evasive abilities and equipment like Lightning Greaves and Aqueous Form to protect himself and his creatures while building a threatening board.

• 4

  Kamiz leveraged extra land plays from Azusa, Lost but Seeking to ramp quickly, enabling the deployment of powerful creatures and the accumulation of counters faster than opponents expected.

• 5

  The interplay between group hug benefits and individual win conditions created a dynamic where cooperation initially balanced the board but shifted as players started focusing on their own paths to victory.

Notable Cards

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  Wizard Class

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  Howling Mine

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  Azusa, Lost but Seeking

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  Chasm Skulker

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  Lightning Greaves

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  Aqueous Form

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  Smothering Tithe

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  Nashi, Moon Sage's Scion

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  Circle of Dreams Druid

Summary

The game began with a slow setup phase where players established their mana bases and began deploying key pieces to support their strategies. Kamiz, Obscura Oculus focused on accumulating +1/+1 counters through combat damage and leveraging them for value. Gluntch, the Bestower played a group hug style, distributing counters, treasures, and card draw to keep the game progressing quickly and foster a cooperative environment initially. Yusri, Fortune's Flame aimed to draw large amounts of cards and use coin flips for potential free casting and damage mitigation, creating a high variance but powerful engine. Grolnok, the Omnivore sought to mill himself for card advantage and then dominate the board with a large, overwhelming presence.