Deck & Commander Strategies
Tymna the Weaver & Rograkh, Son of Rohgahh
A fast, aggressive deck combining Tymna's card draw from combat damage with Rograkh's sacrifice outlets and token generation to pressure opponents while ramping into powerful spells and combos.
Tinybones, Trinket Thief
A mono-black discard-centric strategy that disrupts opponents by forcing them to discard cards while generating value from their misfortune and recurring threats via Tinybones' abilities.
Varina, Lich Queen
A slow-burning control deck that leverages zombie tokens, graveyard recursion, and Varina’s card advantage to outlast opponents and establish a commanding board presence.
Meren of Clan Nel Toth
A Golgari reanimator deck focused on sacrificing creatures for value and recurring key threats from the graveyard, with Protean Hulk as a centerpiece for explosive combos.
Gameplay Insights
- 1
Brian's timely use of Overloaded Mine Rake forced multiple discards, significantly hindering opponents' hand resources and enabling him to take advantage with Animate Dead on an Opposition Agent.
- 2
Fernando's sacrifice of Caustic Caterpillar to destroy Brian's Waste Knot was a crucial move to prevent ramp acceleration that could have overwhelmed his slower Golgari strategy.
- 3
Lexi’s careful sequencing of ramp spells and card draw, including casting Right of Flame before Minds Enzo, maximized mana efficiency and card advantage despite some mana missteps.
- 4
Josh’s use of Wand of Orcus equipped on Varina created lethal threats that pressured opponents and leveraged zombie tokens to maintain board control.
- 5
The interplay between discard effects from Tinybones and recursive threats from Meren and Varina created a dynamic game state where resource management and timing were critical to survival.
Notable Cards
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Vampiric Tutor
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Animate Dead
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Caustic Caterpillar
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Wand of Orcus
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Bitterblossom
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Vandalblast
Gameplay Summary
The game began with players establishing their mana bases and early board presence.
Lexi on Tymna/Rograkh utilized ramp and card draw engines like Arcane Signet and Vampiric Tutor to dig for key spells while applying pressure with creatures such as Ranger Captain of Eos.
Brian on Tinybones focused on disruption through discard spells and value from opponents' forced discards, leveraging cards like Overloaded Mine Rake and Animate Dead to generate board presence.
Josh's Varina deck developed a zombie army and used control elements alongside card advantage from Varina's ability, slowly chipping away at opponents.
Fernando on Meren played a grindy reanimator strategy, using Protean Hulk and sacrifice outlets like Caustic Caterpillar to fuel his graveyard and reanimate threats, maintaining incremental value throughout the game. Early skirmishes involved tactical attacks and blocks, with players carefully weighing trades and the timing of removal spells.
Key turning points included Brian's discard-heavy disruptions limiting opponents' options and Fernando sacrificing creatures to remove problematic artifacts.
Lexi's aggressive card draw and ramp allowed her to maintain momentum and pressure.
Josh’s zombie tokens and equipment like Wand of Orcus created threats that forced opponents to respond, while Meren’s recursion kept the board dynamic.
The interactions between discard effects, recursion, and incremental damage created a tense and evolving battlefield.
The game’s outcome hinged on managing resources and timing big plays, with Tinybones' disruption and Meren’s reanimation engine standing out as pivotal forces.