Top 8 Gameplay - 5TH NLL w/ EN Commentary [Duel Commander-EDH] - Magic: The Gathering

Deck & Commander Strategies

• 

  Marath, Will of the Wild

  A midrange token and +1/+1 counter deck that seeks to control the board through incremental damage and creature removal, using Marath's ping ability to manage opposing threats and finish the game through combat damage.

• 

  Kinnan, Bonder Prodigy

  A combo and ramp deck that generates large amounts of mana through artifact acceleration and synergistic creatures, enabling explosive plays with infinite mana combos, food token generation via Oko, and efficient value creatures to overwhelm opponents.

• 

  The Gitrog Monster

  A value-based midrange deck that leverages land sacrifice and card draw mechanics to generate card advantage and board presence, aiming to grind down opponents with continuous resource generation and powerful creatures.

Gameplay Insights

• 1

  The use of Tango Wire combined with Winter Orb effectively locked down Marath's mana and board development, illustrating the power of resource denial in Kinnan's strategy.

• 2

  Marath's reliance on ping damage to control the board was insufficient against Kinnan's multiple mana rocks and artifact synergies that allowed for high-impact plays like casting Primeval Titan on turn three.

• 3

  Kinnan's ability to generate food tokens via Oko and convert them into value creatures created a resilient and overwhelming board state that was difficult for Marath to answer.

• 4

  Marath's decision to remove key artifacts like Walking Ballista early was critical but ultimately insufficient due to the continuous pressure and mana advantage Kinnan maintained.

• 5

  The presence of multiple infinite mana combos and synergistic interactions in Kinnan's deck allowed for flexible win conditions and resilience against disruption.

• 6

  Despite Marath's fair deck approach and attempts at board control, Kinnan's combo-oriented deck demonstrated superior late-game power and resource generation, leading to decisive victories.

Notable Cards

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  Oko, Thief of Crowns

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  Tangle Wire

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  Winter Orb

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  Lotus Petal

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  Mox Amber

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  Walking Ballista

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  Elder Gargaroth

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  Primeval Titan

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  Elite Spellbinder

• 

  Fury

Gameplay Summary