Deck Strategies
Valgavoth, Harrower of Souls
A life drain and incremental growth deck that punishes opponents when their creatures enter the battlefield and when they sacrifice artifacts or tokens, using Mayhem Devil and Bloodseeker to chip away life and draw cards while growing Valgavoth.
Arabella, Abandoned Doll
Token flood and life drain by creating numerous small creatures and draining opponents’ life totals when Arabella attacks, capitalizing on wide board presence to steadily weaken opponents.
The Jolly Balloon Man
Treasure token generation combined with copying powerful Boros creatures to gain card advantage, life gain, and token synergies, leveraging artifacts and tokens to overwhelm opponents.
The Mindskinner
A mill-focused deck that copies its commander to increase milling output, while producing numerous small creatures to pressure opponents and support milling synergies.
Gameplay Insights
- 1
Mayhem Devil's damage triggers were crucial in punishing Kyle's heavy Treasure and token sacrifice plays, creating a steady stream of damage that kept his board in check.
- 2
Valgavoth's player prioritized protecting their commander with Lightning Greaves to preserve the ongoing life drain and card draw benefits, enabling sustained pressure.
- 3
Kyle's use of Smothering Tithe and Treasure tokens allowed explosive ramp and multiple spell casts per turn, gaining significant card advantage and board presence early.
- 4
Arabella's life drain triggered multiple times in combat, effectively softening opponents and gaining life, making wide board presence a constant threat.
- 5
The Mindskinner's strategy of copying its commander to enhance milling output combined well with creating multiple small attackers to keep pressure consistent.
- 6
The interaction between Peros, God of the Forge and token generation created a lethal damage output that forced opponents to focus removal on Kyle's board state, shifting the game's tempo.
Notable Cards
Mayhem Devil
Smothering Tithe
Goblin Bombardment
Lightning Greaves
Charitable Levy
Mother of Runes
Prosperous Partnership
Summary
The game began with players establishing their boards and mana bases, with early plays including mana rocks, taxing enchantments, and low-impact creatures. Kyle's Jolly Balloon Man deck ramped quickly using Treasure tokens and synergy with tokens like Bea the Bounding Spring to generate card draw, life gain, and token production. Meanwhile, the Valgavoth deck focused on incrementally growing its commander and draining opponents' life through creatures entering the battlefield and Mayhem Devil triggers punishing Treasure sacrifices. Arabella's player flooded the board with small creatures that drained life upon attacking, creating steady pressure and life swing. The Mindskinner deck pursued a mill strategy, copying its commander to amplify milling and also producing multiple small creatures to support the board state. Mid-game saw pivotal moments when board interactions intensified: Kyle leveraged Smothering Tithe and Treasure tokens to swarm the board and cast multiple spells, while Mayhem Devil inflicted consistent damage through opponents sacrificing artifacts and tokens. Arabella's life drain triggered heavily in combat, synergizing well with the token flood. Valgavoth's commander grew large from multiple triggers and drew cards steadily, keeping value and pressure up. A key turning point was when Kyle's tokens and Peros, God of the Forge created overwhelming damage potential, forcing the table to respond. However, targeted removal and combat damage whittled down key threats, with Valgavoth’s player using Lightning Greaves to protect their commander and deliver impactful attacks. The game remained tense with life totals fairly even, and the interaction of token generation, life drain, and sacrifice damage created a dynamic board state with multiple threats vying for control.
