Diamond Commander League | S1: E10 | Kelsien, Neyith, Thrasios // Tymna, Beckett | MTG EDH Gameplay

Deck Strategies

• 

  Kelsien, the Plague

  Focuses on gaining experience counters by shooting small creatures and killing them, empowering Kelsien to become a lethal threat that can kill multiple creatures at once.

• 

  Neyith of the Dire Hunt

  Utilizes fighting mechanics to consistently remove creatures from opponents while doubling creature power to dominate combat.

• 

  Thrasios, Triton Hero // Tymna the Weaver

  Combines torpor effects and disruption of triggered abilities with efficient creatures and card draw engines to outvalue opponents and establish board control.

• 

  Admiral Beckett Brass

  Builds a pirate token army, removes blockers, and steals opponents’ best permanents, turning their own resources against them.

• 

  Tymna the Weaver

  Works alongside Thrasios to apply pressure with low-cost creatures, gain incremental card advantage through damage dealt, and support tribal synergies.

Gameplay Insights

• 1

  Kelsien’s strategy to shoot and kill small creatures early on effectively disrupted opponents’ board development and built experience counters quickly.

• 2

  The use of Ruinous Ultimatum by one player to destroy all non-land permanents on opponents’ sides was a pivotal reset, forcing a shift in board states and strategies.

• 3

  Temporary truces formed to avoid unnecessary conflict with certain players, allowing focused attacks on bigger threats or strategic targets.

• 4

  Combining tribal synergies with spells like Coat of Arms significantly amplified token creatures' power, creating a large combat threat.

• 5

  The interaction of fighting mechanics with creatures gaining +1/+1 counters and death touch led to efficient board control and lethal combat phases.

• 6

  Using acorn catapults to incrementally damage creatures and generate tokens added consistent pressure and created favorable fight outcomes.

Notable Cards

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  Judith, the Scourge Diva

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  Return to Dust

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  Austere Command

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  Torpor Orb

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  Birds of Paradise

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  Defense Grid

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  Coat of Arms

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  Ruinous Ultimatum

• 

  Skeletal Scrying

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  Skullclamp

• 

  Dire Fleet Captain

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  Acorn Catapult

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  Deadeye Plunderers

• 

  Thorn Mammoth

Summary

The game features a dynamic battle among five commanders, each with distinct strategies. Early turns focus on ramping mana and establishing board presence, with Kelsien, the Plague targeting small creatures to build experience and eventually become a powerful threat that kills key creatures. Neyith of the Dire Hunt aggressively fights and removes opposing creatures to maintain board dominance. Thrasios and Tymna leverage torpor effects and draw engines, playing cheap creatures with ETB drawbacks while disrupting opponents' triggers. Admiral Beckett Brass builds a pirate army, aiming to steal opponents’ best permanents and clear blockers. The game shifts with multiple board wipes, including Austere Command and Ruinous Ultimatum, which reset the board and force players to rebuild their strategies. Key combat exchanges and removal spells keep the pace intense, with players negotiating temporary truces to avoid targeting each other directly. The late game sees powerful tribal synergies and combat tricks, such as Coat of Arms enhancing fairy tokens, and acorn catapults facilitating incremental damage and fights, pushing several commanders into high-impact attacks. The match balances between incremental creature combat, targeted removal, and leveraging commander abilities to control the board and chip away at opponents’ life totals.