BUDGET EDH — Millicent vs Firja vs Tovolar vs Yuriko (Commander Gameplay)

Deck Strategies

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  Yuriko, the Tiger's Shadow

  A blue-black ninja tribal deck that aims to burn opponents out through repeated unblockable combat damage triggers, leveraging ninjutsu and evasive creatures to draw cards and deal incremental damage.

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  Firja, Judge of Valor

  An Orzhov graveyard value deck focused on accruing advantage through reanimation, sacrifice, and recursion combos, potentially involving Karmic Guide to create powerful loops.

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  Tovolar, Dire Overlord

  A Gruul werewolf tribal deck that uses Tovolar’s ability to draw cards and create wolf tokens during night to build board presence and convert that into lethal combat damage.

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  Millicent, Restless Revenant

  A blue-white spirit tribal deck that builds a wide board of spirit tokens and fliers, utilizing combat triggers and counterspells to control the game and overwhelm opponents with multiple attackers.

Gameplay Insights

• 1

  Yuriko’s ability to chain unblockable ninjas and trigger multiple damage instances in a single combat phase was a major turning point, dealing significant damage to all opponents simultaneously.

• 2

  Tovolar’s werewolf tribal synergy with Wolfcult tokens and card draw allowed him to maintain pressure and build a threatening board presence during nighttime.

• 3

  Millicent’s strategy of generating multiple spirit tokens through combat triggers effectively built a wide board that could threaten multiple opponents simultaneously.

• 4

  Firja’s deck focused on graveyard combos and value generation with recursive creatures, aiming to outvalue opponents over time despite not showing a decisive combo during the observed gameplay.

• 5

  The interaction between combat damage triggers and token generation created dynamic board states that required careful attention to timing and sequencing of attacks and blocks.

• 6

  Players managed their hand sizes strategically, with Tovolar's card draw ability increasing his options while Yuriko leveraged card draw off ninjutsu to maintain pressure.

Notable Cards

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  Yuriko, the Tiger's Shadow

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  Tovolar, Dire Overlord // Tovolar, the Midnight Scourge

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  Firja, Judge of Valor

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  Millicent, Restless Revenant

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  Karmic Guide

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  Mayor of Avabruck // Howlpack Alpha

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  Supreme Phantom

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  Spectral Sailor

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  Katilda, Dawnhart Martyr // Katilda's Rising Dawn

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  Eidolon of Philosophy

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  Strixhaven Stadium

Summary

The game began with a typical setup from each player, with Millicent ramping up spirits tokens, Yuriko focusing on her ninja tribal theme for incremental damage, Firja developing graveyard value, and Tovolar building a werewolf board state. Early turns saw Yuriko dealing steady commander damage and Firja establishing graveyard synergies. Tovolar leveraged his ability to create wolf tokens when nightfall conditions were met, while Millicent aimed to flood the board with spirits to overwhelm opponents. The gameplay featured Yuriko and Tovolar both drawing multiple cards and dealing incremental damage through combat and triggered abilities, pressuring the table constantly. Firja's deck focused on recursion and value plays, though her main combo was not fully detailed in the footage. Millicent generated multiple spirit tokens through combat triggers and synergy, building a threatening board presence. A critical turning point occurred when Yuriko executed a powerful ninja chain, hitting all opponents for a massive 12 damage at once, showcasing her ability to capitalize on ninjutsu and unblockable creatures. Tovolar’s werewolf tokens and combat damage continued to apply pressure, while Millicent’s spirits and tokens grew in number, ready to overwhelm defenses. Firja remained a value engine in the background, attempting to stabilize with reanimation and sacrifice effects. The game’s tempo shifted heavily as Yuriko’s burst damage and Tovolar’s aggressive board presence forced opponents to react quickly, ultimately making these two commanders the biggest threats on the board by mid-game.