Commander Adventures #18 - Riku v. Kynaios and Tiro v. Polukranos Unchained v. Yawgmoth

Deck Strategies

• 

  Riku of Two Reflections

  Ramp quickly and cast multiple spells per turn, copying them to generate card advantage and board presence, aiming to overwhelm opponents with value and tempo.

• 

  Kynaios and Tiro of Meletis

  Utilize group hug effects to draw cards and ramp, control the board with enchantments and protective spells, and win through combo or card advantage engines like Folio of Fancies.

• 

  Polukranos, Unchained

  Play big creatures to beat down opponents, use Lord of Extinction to threaten massive damage or mill out opponents, leveraging graveyard size to grow threats.

• 

  Yawgmoth, Thran Physician

  Build a sacrifice and token engine with Genesis Chamber and Phyrexian Altar to generate incremental value, kill creatures, draw cards, and drain opponents’ life.

Gameplay Insights

• 1

  Devon’s decision to cast Lord of Extinction after tutoring it with Demonic Tutor capitalized on the large graveyards to create a massive threat that pressured the entire table.

• 2

  Michael’s timely use of Blasphemous Act wiped a dominant board, resetting the game state but allowing Devon to flip Journey to Eternity and continue his recursion plan.

• 3

  RJ’s activation of Yawgmoth with Phyrexian Altar to sacrifice tokens and creatures like Edric and Pala Chronos was a key interaction that removed threats while drawing cards and maintaining board presence.

• 4

  Players were attentive to disrupting the others’ combos and synergies, with Danny using Dream Fracture to counter key plays and RJ using Leyline of the Void to delay graveyard strategies.

• 5

  Michael’s manipulation of the top of his library with Sensei’s Divining Top and Search for Azcanta allowed him to maintain card advantage and find needed spells at critical moments.

Notable Cards

• 

  Blasphemous Act

• 

  Lord of Extinction

• 

  Journey to Eternity // Atzal, Cave of Eternity

• 

  Genesis Chamber

• 

  Phyrexian Altar

• 

  Mystic Remora

• 

  Folio of Fancies

• 

  Caustic Caterpillar

• 

  Sensei's Divining Top

Summary

The game started with all players ramping aggressively to establish their mana bases and early board presence. Michael on Riku of Two Reflections focused on ramp and card selection, quickly casting his commander to set up for spell copying and value generation. Danny, piloting a group hug Kynaios and Tiro deck, established control and card draw with enchantresses and various protective spells, aiming to leverage Folio of Fancies for a late-game win. Devon, on Polukranos, Unchained, aimed to dominate the board with large creatures and mill strategies, highlighted by casting Polukranos and later Lord of Extinction for a massive threat. RJ, playing Yawgmoth, Thran Physician, built a sacrifice engine combined with token generation from Genesis Chamber, enabling repeated value from creatures and removal through Phyrexian Altar synergies. Key moments included Devon's large Lord of Extinction threatening to end the game by leveraging graveyard size, followed by a devastating board wipe from Michael's Blasphemous Act that reset the board but left Devon with a flipped Journey to Eternity, a strong recursion piece. RJ's Yawgmoth combo with Phyrexian Altar allowed him to control the board by sacrificing creatures to kill key threats and draw cards, forcing opponents to respond. Michael's Riku provided critical card advantage and board manipulation through spells and top-deck manipulation. The game saw repeated interaction around major threats like Polukranos, Lord of Extinction, and Yawgmoth's sacrifice engine, with players balancing aggression and control to gain the upper hand.