Who Has The Power? | Magic: The Gathering Gameplay

Commanders featured in this Gameplay Reviewed & Verified

Deck & Commander Strategies

Ixhel, Scion of Atraxa
Spread poison counters to reduce opponents' life totals to 10, then leverage exile and casting of opponents' exiled cards to gain value and control the game.
Chulane, Teller of Tales
Generate incremental card advantage through casting creatures, create tokens, and finish the game by overwhelming opponents with a large creature or a big creature-based combat swing.
Firkraag, Cunning Instigator
Utilize the goad mechanic to force opponents' creatures to attack, drawing cards whenever goaded creatures attack, while applying aggressive pressure in combat.
Urza, Lord High Artificer
Assemble artifact synergies, produce artifact creature tokens, and control the board with powerful artifact interactions, setting up to overwhelm opponents with artifact-based threats.

Gameplay Insights

1
The interaction between goad mechanics and poison counters created dynamic combat decisions, forcing players to attack and reconsider combat targets.
2
Urza’s artifact token production marked a turning point, shifting the game toward a controlling artifact swarm strategy.
3
Chulane’s incremental token and card advantage generation set up for a potential large creature finish, making efficient use of small creatures and draw triggers.
4
Ixhel’s poison counter buildup pressured opponents to manage life totals carefully, adding a layer of threat that influenced attacks and defenses.
5
Political maneuvers were evident as players directed attacks to maximize their advantage or to disrupt others’ strategies.

Notable Cards

Ixhel, Scion of Atraxa
Chulane, Teller of Tales
Firkraag, Cunning Instigator
Urza, Lord High Artificer
Sylvan Library
Chivalric Alliance
Godless Shrine
Prismatic Vista

Gameplay Summary

The game began with players developing their boards cautiously while exploring their commanders' synergies.

Ixhel, Scion of Atraxa focused on spreading poison counters and leveraging the exile and casting of opponents' exiled cards, aiming for a slow but inevitable poison win.

Chulane, Teller of Tales deployed a strategy of small creatures and value generation, looking to build up to a large finish with a big creature or overrun effect.

Firkraag, Cunning Instigator pushed an aggressive goad-based combat approach, forcing opponents’ creatures to attack and drawing cards to maintain pressure.

Urza, Lord High Artificer aimed to assemble artifact synergies and utilize powerful artifact creatures and tokens to control the board and overwhelm opponents.

Early turns saw the players casting key hatebears, ramp spells, and drawing cards to establish tempo.

Ixhel’s toxic counters and poison mechanic started to influence combat decisions, while Firkraag’s goad ability incited chaotic combat interactions.

The Chulane player focused on incremental advantage through drawing and token creation, setting up for a large swing.

Urza’s player threatened to assemble Tron lands and flood the board with artifact creatures, creating a looming threat.

The dynamic board state involved political maneuvering, forced attacks, and careful trading of creatures.

A pivotal moment was when Urza’s artifact tokens began to accumulate, signaling a shift toward a controlling, artifact-based endgame.

Meanwhile, Ixhel’s toxic counters remained a persistent threat that kept players wary of extended combat. Throughout the game, the interaction between goad mechanics and poison counters created tension and forced players to reconsider attacks.

The game appeared to be heading toward a clash between Chulane’s creature overrun and Urza’s artifact swarm, with Ixhel’s poison ticking quietly in the background.

Firkraag’s aggressive combat style ensured no one could sit back for long.

The overall win condition for each player revolved around either combat damage through goaded creatures, poison counter accumulation, or overwhelming board presence through tokens and artifact synergy.

Watch on YouTube