The Commander 2015 League Continues!

Our Commander 2015 League is at the halfway point and it’s time to bring you more exciting play by play action!

As a quick review for those of you just tuning in, my friends Keith, Michael, Shea, and Todd (collectively The Monday Night Gamers) each have one of the five Commander 2015 preconstructed decks. After each game we play, we’re allowed to swap out a card. In case of two players wanting the same card, there’s a pick order based on the previous game: first player out, first kill, high number of experience points, and the player without a point. After the play by play, I’ll provide you complete standings of the point totals.

I’ve so far kept you updated on the first twelve picks. Prior to the game you’ll see, we made three more picks. The first was an Oath of the Gatewatch Freeroll. We figured that a free pick for the new set seemed appropriate. No one wanted the same card (also Todd and I had some chatter about Crush of Tentacles). Here are those picks and the two others, in the order we took them:

Keith (Meren of Clan Nel Toth)

In:

Out:

Michael (Kalemne, Disciple of Iroas)

In:

Out:

Shea (Daxos the Returned)

In:

Out:

Me (Ezuri, Claw of Progress)

In:

Out:

Todd (Mizzix of the Izmagnus)

In:

Out:

Turn 1

Michael (Kalemne, Disciple of Iroas): Terramorphic Expanse for Plains.

Me (Ezuri, Claw of Progress): The relevant part of my keep is Llanowar Reborn, two Forest, and Solemn Simulacrum. Certainly I’ll get to a fourth land by the time I get to Solemn Simulacrum. If it’s not blue, then I’ll fetch it. Like a boss, I peel Island. I drop Llanowar Reborn and immediately start getting itchy about Thief of Blood.

Shea (Daxos the Returned): Swamp.

Todd (Mizzix of the Izmagnus): Island.

Keith (Meren of Clan Nel Toth): Swamp

Turn 2

Michael (Kalemne): Forgotten Cave.

Me (Ezuri): Island.

Shea (Daxos): Plains, Phyrexian Reclamation.

Todd (Mizzix): Mountain.

Keith (Meren): Forest.

Turn 3

Michael (Kalemne): Plains, says “and so it begins.” Casts Worn Powerstone. Michael, while excited like the rest of us with mana rocks, it unenthused about the raw number of them in this deck.

Me (Ezuri): Forest, Simic Keyrune.

Shea (Daxos): Oreskos Explorer (for 2). New Benalia. Keeps the scry.

Todd (Mizzix): Faithless Looting. He discards Vandalblast and Capsize. Plays Spinerock Knoll.

Keith (Meren): Grim Backwoods and Blood Bairn.

Turn 4

Michael (Kalemne): Mountain; Kalemne, Disciple of Iroas.

Me (Ezuri): Island, Solemn Simulacrum for Island. At least I have a blocker for Kalemne, which we’ve discovered is what one needs to survive the early part of these games.

Shea (Daxos): Scoured Barrens (41). Casts Daxos. Attacks Todd with Oreskos Explorer (38). We have a brief discussion about the inevitability of Todd’s deck. He agrees but doesn’t like the target hat. Perhaps if we called it a target chapeau instead…

Todd (Mizzix): Mountain.

Keith (Meren): Forest, Meren.

Turn 5

Michael (Kalemne): Attacks Shea for six commander damage (35). Warstorm Surge. It’s going to get ugly.

Me (Ezuri): I peel Multani, Maro-Sorcerer. It’s the first time we’ve seen it since I put it in. I play Oran-Rief, the Vastwood and cast Multani. It’s currently 29/29.

Shea (Daxos): Plains. At the end step, Todd casts Steam Augury. His split is Sphinx-Bone Wand and Island in one, Izzet Signet, Vivid Crag, and Mountain in the other. Keith gives him the latter. We talk about the possibility of him doing a 4/1 split, leaving Sphinx-Bone Wand alone. He says that he considered it.

Todd (Mizzix): Vivid Crag, Izzet Signet.

Keith (Meren): Has no action, so he simply bounces Grim Backwoods in order to play Golgari Rot Farm.

Turn 6

Michael (Kalemne): Gideon, Ally of Zendikar. Uses the second ability to put a Knight onto the battlefield and domes Keith with the trigger (38). I wonder why he didn’t kill Daxos.

Me (Ezuri): Forest, Ezuri, grafting the Llanowar Reborn counter onto it. Cast Patagia Viper, go to three experience counters. Todd is the only open one, so I figure attacking him is the right call in light of the previous conversation about inevitability. I figure once he’s in single digits, he’s less of a threat. I battle him with Multani, taking him to (8). It turns out Shea has a different idea than I do. At end of turn, he flashes in Dictate of Heliod.

Shea (Daxos): He drops Plains, and attacks with both creatures to kill Todd. He then casts Fate Unraveler, which will slowly drain away a good deal of life from us.

In light of the way we’ve set up picks, it makes some strategic sense to First Kill one of the players with whom you share no colors when you get an opportunity. They’ll get first pick, but they’re not going to pick something in one of your colors, although they might cut you on an artifact. Still, I feel a little bad about Todd getting killed so early.

He’s a little irritated, but says it’ll give him time to sort out some stuff with his deck and figure out his next picks. I tell him I’ll agree to stop attacking him first if he takes Capsize out of his deck. He declines my most generous offer. Speaking of offers, Keith expresses interest in trading for Multani. I’m game for a trade. I ask for Seedborn Muse. He (not so) politely declines.

Keith (Meren): (37). He plays Grim Backwoods and casts Acidic Slime to take out Warstorm Surge. It’s the right play for the time being, but I plant the seed (knowing he’s going to recur that thing) that Fate Unraveler is also an enchantment. He doesn’t seem worried about it.

Turn 7

Michael (Kalemne): (39). Inferno Titan, which does two damage to Acidic Slime and one to me (39). Michael then ultimates Gideon, getting the +1/+1 emblem. He attacks Keith with Kalemne, who blocks with Blood Bairn.

Me (Ezuri): (38). Beastmaster Ascension. Go to combat. Put three counters on Patagia Viper (since it flies). Slam Multani into Michael, who blocks with the token. Viper hits Keith (32).

Shea (Daxos): Casts Nighthowler as a creature, plays Command Tower.

Keith (31): Swamp, Duplicant. Takes out Inferno Titan. At end of turn, Meren triggers, putting Acidic Slime back into his hand.

Turn 8

Michael (Kalemne): (38). Puts Faith’s Fetters on Patagia Viper (bet you’ve never heard that before). Goes to (42). Casts Lightning Greaves, equips it to Kalemne.

Me (Ezuri): (37). Combat, put the three counters on Solemn Simulacrum. I send the two tokens and Multani at Michael. He blocks one of the tokens and goes to (23). Beastmaster Ascension now at +5. Island. At end of turn, Shea makes a Spirit.

Shea (Daxos): Thief of Blood. Gets all fifteen of my counters. Bounces tapped Plains to play Orzhov Basilica. Attacks me with Oreskos Explorer and the Spirit. I block the token with Solemn Simulacrum, going to (35) and then (34) for drawing a card.

Keith (Meren): (30). Phyrexian Rager (28). Acidic Slime, targeting Dictate of Heliod. At the end step, gets back Blood Bairn back to hand.

Turn 9

Michael (Kalemne): (22). No action.

Me (Ezuri): (33). Stingerfling Spider to take out Thief of Blood and get his fourth experience counter. Forest, Bident of Thassa. Go to combat and put the four counters on Stingerfling Spider, since it has reach. Tell Michael I won’t send Multani his way if he lets a Snake through. He agrees. Send Multani at Shea, who blocks with Nighthowler. Michael to (21). I draw a card off the Bident trigger (32). Beastmaster Ascension +2, although I suspect it’ll never see +7 because of Keith’s recurring Acidic Slime.

Shea (Daxos): No action. I put him on Comeuppance.

Keith (Meren): (27). Forest, Blood Bairn. Vulturous Zombie, which can get huge in short order. At end of turn, gets Phyrexian Rage back onto the battlefield (25).

Turn 10

Michael (Kalemne): (20). Vivid Crag, no other action. Seems like he needs more card draw.

Me (Ezuri): (31). I think for a bit. Todd, now done messing with his deck and watching the game, knows what I’m thinking about. He asks “Prime Speaker?” I confirm, then decide YOLO. Cast Prime Speaker Zegana. Fortunately, Multani is smaller than it once was. Go to (20), draw a pile. Reliquary Tower is in the middle of them. Play it, Sol Ring, and Simic Signet. Go to combat. Put the counters on Patagia Viper, but don’t attack anyone. With this grip full of gas, I don’t want to make a misstep and get killed before I can cast any of them. At end of turn, Shea uses Phyrexian Reclamation to put Thief of Blood on top of his library (33).

Shea (Daxos): Wastes. (First time we’ve seen one; we talked when the league started about being able to swap basic land for basic land at no pick cost. Michael used some to rebalance his mana; Shea put in two Wastes.) He does nothing else, which really suggests Comeuppance. At the end step, Keith sacrifices Phyrexian Rager and Acidic Slime to pump his experience counter count up to five (which is conveniently the converted mana cost of Acidic Slime).

Keith (Meren): (24). Vivid Grove. Indrik Stomphowler takes out Beastmaster Ascension. At end of turn, reanimates Acidic Slime to nuke Reliquary Tower, a pretty cheeky move. Vulturous Zombie +2.

Turn 11

Michael (Kalemne): (19). Angel of Serenity, getting Prime Speaker, Ezuri, and Stingerfling Spider. I choose to not move Ezuri to the command zone. Attaches Lightning Greaves to Angel of Serenity, but chooses to not attack.

Me (Ezuri): (13). Coiling Oracle into an Island. Multani attacks Michael, who blocks with Kalemne. Postcombat, I cast Viridian Shaman to take out Lightning Greaves. Cast Trygon Predator, which I know Shea doesn’t like since he’s light on fliers and heavy on enchantments. My discard isn’t all that terrible, pitching seven lands, Kodama’s Reach, and Thelonite Hermit. In my hand still are Mystic Snake, and (I think) more importantly, Arachnogenesis. At end of turn, Shea makes five Spirits.

Shea (Daxos): Swamp, Seal of Doom. No other spells, making me think that he’s going to just ride the Spirit plan. At end of turn, Keith sacrifices Duplicant (six experience counters).

Keith (Meren): (23). Battles Shea with Vulturous Zombie (18). End of turn, brings back Duplicant to take out Fate Unraveler. It’s done its work.

Turn 12

Michael (Kalemne): Sculpting Steel, copies Duplicant to exile Trygon Predator. Casts Stinkdrinker Devils and passes.

Me (Ezuri): Skullwinder, targeting Keith, who has only Phyrexian Rager in his graveyard. I get back Reliquary Tower. If he wants to spend all his resources blowing up that, more power to him. Also cast Night Soil and Chameleon Colossus. Send Multani at Michael, who blocks with his Sculpting Steel/Duplicant. At end of turn, Shea makes two more Spirits.

Shea (Daxos): Swamp, attacks me with all eight Spirits, Oreskos Explorer, and Daxos. I get ten Spiders. I block Daxos with Chameleon Colossus, since my Colossus is a Spider and can deal damage. Before damage, he makes one more Spirit. Looks at everyone’s graveyard and seems irked. Casts Sepulchral Primordial and we understand why. The only thing he gets is my Solemn Simulacrum.

Keith (Meren): Liliana, Heretical Healer. Sacrifices Acidic Slime, transforming Liliana. We all discard one. For Shea it’s Thief of Blood, I lose Illusory Ambusher, Michael pitches Hostility (which he shuffles back into his library), and Keith gets rid of Skullclamp. Attacks and kills Shea with Vulturous Zombie, making my read of Comeuppance wrong. On his way out, Shea kills Skullwinder with Seal of Doom. At end of turn, Meren triggers. Keith targets Acidic Slime; I remove it and Duplicant with Night Soil. Keith, remembering now that he had forgotten the onboard trick, says words not fit for a family website.

Turn 13

Michael (Kalemne): Recasts Kalemne, Disciple of Iroas.

Me (Ezuri): Attack Keith with my now-large team. He flashes in Cloudthresher. Michael to (17), me to (11), Keith to (21). He blocks Multani with Cloudthresher, Chameleon Colossus with Indrik Stomphowler, Coiling Oracle with Blood Bairn, and Viridian Shaman with Meren. He goes to (9), I draw twelve cards. Play Forest and my newest acquisition, Opposition. I then cast Nissa, Voice of Zendikar and make a Plant. Finally, I cast Ohran Viper.

Keith (Meren): In a last-ditch effort to kill me, Keith casts Jarad, Golgari Lich Lord. Fortunately, I have Mystic Snake still available. He uses the –X ability on Liliana to reanimate Indrik Stomphowler. I remove it and Jarad. He casts Riftsweeper, shuffling Jarad back into his library. Goes to combat. I tap Vulturous Zombie with the Plant token. At end of turn, he targets Cloudthresher; I remove it and Liliana with Night Soil. My synergy has kicked in.

Turn 14

Michael (Kalemne): Casts Victory’s Herald, which does not, in this case, herald victory. He goes to combat, and I tap down everyone. We do the math, and realize I can kill them both unless one of them has something. They compare notes and don’t, so we’re done.

***

After that game, we played two more. The first one was ruled by Michael’s Kalemne and Dictate of the Twin Gods plus Todd’s Rite of the Raging Storm, which we agreed is great for his deck, less good for Michael’s (which is why he took it out). Michael didn’t kill me when he had the chance, and my very lucky peel of Overrun made him regret the choice. Here are the picks:

Keith (Meren of Clan Nel Toth)

In:

Out:

Keith had already planned Spellbane Centaur before I picked Opposition, but even then it was a solid choice, what with all of Todd’s blue chicanery. When he picked Yavimaya Elder, I realized how good it was for his deck and wondered why I hadn’t picked it up earlier (since it’s also pretty good for mine). Guess we can’t pick everything.

Michael (Kalemne, Disciple of Iroas)

In:

Out:

Michael is going for the jugular with his picks. Strangely enough, as you’ll see in the stats below, despite often being the early aggressor, he has ended up with very few kills.

Shea (Daxos the Returned)

In:

Out:

Some techy picks from Shea here, with Mark of Asylum neutering all of Michael’s damage-dealing creature killing and Sphere of Safety keeping large armies off of his face. Cathars’ Crusade can get a little nutty with token-creation (and when either he or Keith plays Thief of Blood, it’ll be something).

Me (Ezuri, Claw of Progress)

In:

Out:

If I can’t have Prophet of Kruphix or Seedborn Muse, I’ll take Murkfiend Liege to go along with Opposition. Nylea is there to give my token-buffed creatures (not to mention Multani) trample. I also have a more nefarious plan in mind for it with my next pick—Willbreaker. By the time the guys read this, it’ll already be in the deck. Obviously Opposition is the real key to breaking wills, but having an extra targeting outlet is just spicy.

Todd (Mizzix of the Izmagnus)

In:

Out:

Dack’s Duplicate is just spicy. Dissipate is there to keep stuff from recurring—mostly Keith’s, but I have both Ulamogs to think about. Consecrated Sphinx is a pick I wanted down the road, but Todd simply got to it first.

Here are the compiled statistics. I’ll make two notes. First, things are a little skewed, because all five points get awarded in each game. That means if the player who is the first out or makes the first kill also has the most experience points, the player with the second most XPs gets that point. Weirdly enough, you can get Last Standing by not actually being the last one in. In a four-player game (meaning the missing player automatically gets the No Point), if the last person standing gets any of the other three points, the point defaults to the last person killed.

Second, no point may also reflect the player not being there for the game. For example, Todd missed some early games when he was ill for a few weeks. My notes are incomplete, so I had to cobble together best guess about one or two games. The thing I’ll do next time we do a league is actually record the player beyond the first that actively killed another player.

The total score is pretty arbitrary. Each of the “active” points, First Kill, Most XPs, Last Standing are worth two; the two “passive” points, First Out, No Point are worth one. I’d be interested to see what the scores were if we added another League (obviously not pick order, since they’re already assigned) for each kill—although in that case, Last Standing would only be one since it generally reflects killing the next-to-last player.

PLAYER	1st Out	1st Kill	Most XP	Last Standing	No Point	Score
Shea	3	3	4	5	2	29
Sheldon	4	7	2	3	1	29
Keith	2	4	5	2	4	28
Michael	3	2	5	3	4	27
Todd	5	1	1	4	6	23

We’re having a great deal of fun with the League, although it’s not without its frustrations. Given the closed nature of the card pool, we can get locked into lines of play instead of the expansive ones we might have at our fingertips in “normal” Commander games. We simply have fewer answers at our disposal than we otherwise might. It means the games instantiate differently, and sometimes we know that we’re drawing dead for a few turns. As we move along, however, and our picks get crazier, like Michael taking Warp World because I took The Great Aurora, I suspect the games will get even wilder. Stay tuned for details.

This Week’s Deck Without Comment is the Ezuri I have for the league, in its current (eighteen cards updated) form.

Check out our awesome Deck List Database for the last versions of all my decks:

ADUN’S TOOLBOX;

ANIMAR’S SWARM;

AURELIA GOES TO WAR;

CHILDREN of a LESSER GOD;

DEMONS OF KAALIA;

EREBOS and the HALLS OF THE DEAD;

GLISSA, GLISSA;

HELIOD, GOD OF ENCHANTMENTS;

DREAMING OF INTET;

FORGE OF PURPHOROS;

KARN, BEATDOWN GOLEM;

HALLOWEEN WITH KARADOR;

KARRTHUS, WHO RAINS FIRE FROM THE SKY;

KRESH INTO THE RED ZONE;

LAVINIA BLINKS;

LAZAV, SHAPESHIFTING MASTERMIND;

ZOMBIES OF TRESSERHORN;

MELEK’S MOLTEN MIND GRIND;

MERIEKE’S ESPER CONTROL;

THE MILL-MEOPLASM;

MIMEOPLASM DO-OVER;

NATH of the VALUE LEAF;

NYLEA OF THE WOODLAND REALM;

OBZEDAT, GHOST KILLER;

PURPLE HIPPOS and MARO SORCERERS;

ZEGANA and a DICE BAG;

RITH’S TOKENS;

YOU DID THIS TO YOURSELF;

RURIC THAR AND HIS BEASTLY FIGHT CLUB;

THASSA, GOD OF MERFOLK;

THE ALTAR of THRAXIMUNDAR;

TROSTANI and HER ANGELS;

THE THREAT OF YASOVA;

RUHAN DO-OVER;

KARADOR DO-OVER;

KARRTHUS DO-OVER

If you’d like to follow the adventures of my Monday Night RPG group (in a campaign that’s been alive since 1987 and is just now getting started with a new saga called “The Lost Cities of Nevinor”), ask for an invitation to the Facebook group “Sheldon Menery’s Monday Night Gamers.”