Studio Slam #4: I think we're getting the hang of this? Lathril vs Kodama | Alharu vs Orvar vs Etali

Deck Strategies

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  Alharu, Solemn Ritualist

  A human tribal deck that prioritizes card draw and value generation through creatures and enchantments, aiming to out-resource opponents and control the board.

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  Orvar, the All-Form

  A blue-based deck focused on copying and tempo, aiming to leverage spells like Mistform and token generators to outpace opponents, but vulnerable to early aggression.

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  Etali, Primal Storm

  An aggressive red deck that uses Etali's ability to cast extra spells during additional combat phases, generating massive card advantage and damage through repeated combat steps.

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  Kodama of the East Tree

  A Selesnya (green-white) human tribal deck that uses creatures and enchantments to ramp, gain life, and control the board through value engines like Guardian Project.

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  Lathril, Blade of the Elves

  An elf tribal deck that generates tokens and uses anthem effects and life gain synergies to overwhelm opponents with wide boards and incremental advantage.

Gameplay Insights

• 1

  Early use of Demonic Tutor allowed a player to assemble a key combo piece by turn two, accelerating their game plan significantly.

• 2

  Etali leveraged extra combat phases and hasty attacks to draw multiple cards and trigger powerful combat synergies, creating a major tempo swing.

• 3

  Lathril's ability to generate multiple elf tokens each turn created a growing threat that pressured opponents and provided life gain synergy.

• 4

  Players carefully managed equipment like Swiftfoot Boots and Lightning Greaves to protect key creatures from removal and combat damage.

• 5

  The use of Guardian Project in the human tribal deck was a pivotal source of card advantage, drawing a large number of cards as creatures entered the battlefield.

• 6

  Interactions involving copying spells with Orvar created additional value but were ultimately insufficient to overcome the board states created by other decks.

• 7

  A well-timed Wheel of Fortune disrupted opponents' hands and allowed for fresh draws, shifting the momentum in favor of the player who cast it.

Notable Cards

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  Demonic Tutor

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  Elvish Archdruid

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  Guardian Project

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  Wheel of Fortune

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  Gauntlet of Power

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  Slip Through Space

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  Wolverine Riders

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  Sorin, Solemn Visitor

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  Sea Gate Stormcaller

Summary

The game began with a fast and aggressive start, featuring early mana acceleration and tutors such as Demonic Tutor to set up key combos. Etali, Primal Storm quickly established board presence by leveraging extra combat phases and hasty attacks to draw multiple cards and trigger powerful abilities. Lathril, Blade of the Elves built an aggressive elf token strategy, capitalizing on synergy with Elvish Archdruid and other elf tribal staples to generate significant board advantage and life gain. Kodama of the East Tree and Alharu, Solemn Ritualist focused on a human tribal build with a strong emphasis on card draw and incremental value through creatures like Guardian Project and stallion lieutenants. Orvar, the All-Form struggled to maintain tempo and was eventually eliminated early due to focused aggression and lack of resources.