Hogaak vs Livio/Sakashima | Round 2 | MU 012222

Decklists

Deck & Commander Strategies

Hogaak, Arisen Necropolis
Utilizes graveyard self-mill and sacrifice outlets to quickly bring Hogaak back from the graveyard, overwhelming opponents with recursive threats and leveraging graveyard synergies.
Livio, Oathsworn Sentinel / Sakashima of a Thousand Faces
Combines tempo and cloning strategies by using Livio to generate value and Sakashima to copy key creatures, creating multiple threats and disrupting opponent’s synergy to control the board and win through incremental advantage.

Gameplay Insights

1
The cloning ability of Sakashima proved critical in breaking Hogaak’s synergy by replicating key creatures and generating board presence faster than Hogaak could recur.
2
Hogaak's strategy of graveyard recursion required careful protection and timing, as disruption to the graveyard or sacrifice outlets significantly hindered its effectiveness.
3
Tempo swings created by Livio’s abilities helped stabilize the board and allowed the Livio/Sakashima player to transition from defense to offense effectively.

Notable Cards

Hogaak, Arisen Necropolis
Livio, Oathsworn Sentinel
Sakashima of a Thousand Faces

Gameplay Summary

The Duel Commander match featured a clash between a graveyard-centric Hogaak deck and a versatile Livio/Sakashima deck that leveraged cloning and tempo plays.

Early in the game, the Hogaak player focused on quickly filling the graveyard and assembling the combo to resurrect Hogaak, Arisen Necropolis, a powerful threat that can quickly overwhelm opponents with its graveyard recursion and synergy.

Meanwhile, the Livio/Sakashima deck aimed to develop board presence through creatures like Livio, Oathsworn Sentinel, and Sakashima of a Thousand Faces, which can copy other creatures to generate value and pressure.

The game turned on key interactions where the cloning abilities of Sakashima disrupted Hogaak's plans and produced multiple threats to contest the board.

Despite Hogaak's resilience, the Livio/Sakashima player managed to stabilize and leverage tempo to secure victory in the second game after a closely fought first.

Watch on YouTube