Polukranos, Unchained vs Atemsis vs Marisi vs Shalai EDH / CMDR game play for Magic: The Gathering

Deck Strategies

• 

  Polukranos, Unchained

  Focuses on graveyard recursion and land synergy to maintain resource advantage, employing creature removal and board control through Avatar of Woe and Ramunap Excavator, eventually winning through overwhelming board presence.

• 

  Atemsis, All-Seeing

  Utilizes a spell and creature synergy deck that generates card advantage via combat damage with double strike and pump effects, supported by equipment and draw engines to maintain pressure and resource flow.

• 

  Marisi, Breaker of the Coil

  Aggressive token generation and combat-focused deck leveraging Marisi’s ability to create elemental tokens and promote attacking, aiming to win through consistent combat damage and incremental card draw.

• 

  Shalai, Voice of Plenty

  A defensive and protective build that strengthens creatures with hexproof and counter synergies, using ramp and life gain to stabilize and outlast opponents.

Gameplay Insights

• 1

  Martin’s repeated use of Light from the Loam combined with Deadbridge Chant and Ramunap Excavator maximizes land recursion and dredge triggers, enabling powerful graveyard interactions and resource advantage.

• 2

  Eric’s decision to pump all creatures using Atemsis’s ability at key moments creates massive card draw and pressure, particularly when combined with Duelist's Heritage and Frostfang for repeated hits.

• 3

  The interaction where Martin uses Avatar of Woe to destroy Shalai is effectively countered by Eric’s Court of Calling and Bastion Protector, showcasing the importance of protecting key creatures with indestructibility effects.

• 4

  Nick and Chris demonstrate cooperative play by allowing attacks through and managing combat damage to maintain board presence and card advantage, highlighting political dynamics in multiplayer Commander games.

• 5

  The use of Seedborn Muse creates multiple untap opportunities per turn, significantly increasing the pace and complexity of the game by allowing multiple activations and combat phases.

• 6

  Strategic targeting of lands like Strip Mine and Wasteland disrupts opponents’ mana bases, reflecting the importance of land hate in controlling game tempo.

Notable Cards

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  Avatar of Woe

• 

  Ramunap Excavator

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  Oracle of Mul Daya

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  Seedborn Muse

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  Duelist's Heritage

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  Consecrated Sphinx

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  Harvester of Souls

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  Swords to Plowshares

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  Lightning Greaves

Summary

The game features a dynamic four-player Commander match with Polukranos, Unchained, Atemsis, All-Seeing, Marisi, Breaker of the Coil, and Shalai, Voice of Plenty. Early turns are focused on ramping and establishing board presence. Martin, piloting Polukranos, leverages graveyard recursion and land interactions extensively, utilizing Light from the Loam and Deadbridge Chant to repeatedly reuse lands and trigger dredge effects. His deck capitalizes on combo pieces such as Ramunap Excavator and Avatar of Woe to control the board, clearing problematic creatures and disrupting opponents' strategies. Meanwhile, Eric on Atemsis applies pressure with creatures buffed by his commander’s ability and equipment like Duelist's Heritage, generating card advantage through combat damage and drawing engines like Oracle of Mul Daya and Seedborn Muse to maximize his turns.