Sir Ix-a-lan: I Like Big Buffs - The Lost Caverns of Ixalan Precon Gameplay Breakdown - Decked Out
Merfolk. Dinosaurs. Vampires. Pirates. Long ago, the four nations lived together in harmony. Then, everything changed when Maldhound attacked.
Lost Caverns of Ixalan is here with four fan favorite creature types, so Decked Out has assembled four fan favorites to pilot them. Zbexx and Maldhound join MTGNerdGirl and VeggieWagon to shuffle up some of the most synergistic precons to date!
Veloci-Ramp-Tor
Forget Gishath! Zbexx has a new cascading dinosaur to trample her opponents. The new discover mechanic can cast or draw the next nonland in her library, and Pantlaza is checking out her dinos' butts. With plentiful thematic ramp like Topiary Stomper and Thunderherd Migration, Zbexx can quickly start summoning her biggest dinosaurs. Elder dinos Zetalpa, Primal Dawn, Etali, Primal Storm, and even Zacama, Primal Calamity are ready to crash in for big damage. Some high-power includes like Xenagos, God of Revels and Chandra's Ignition give this deck some massive firepower. Will Zbexx claim her spot at the top of the food chain, or is extinction on the horizon?
Blood Rites
Maldhound and his vampires are no joke! This is pure Orzhov value; dead vampires spawning bigger demons AND drawing cards. Between Timothar, Baron of Bats, Elenda, the Dusk Rose, and Mavren Fein, Dusk Apostle, there will always be creatures on the board. Clavileño, Blood Artist, and Cordial Vampire ensure that Mald can full send in combat without worry, and a fantastic reprint of Exquisite Blood gives the deck even more longevity. Can Maldhound conquer the table, or will he be laughed out of Ixalan?
Ahoy Mateys
Captain Veggie is hooked on the pirates precon! The powerful abilities of Coercive Recruiter and Angrath's Marauders are now returning from the graveyard thanks to the new version of Admiral Brass. The treasures from Malcolm, Keen-Eyed Navigator and Captain Lannery Storm help fuel the thieving pirate theme. If Port Razer hits the board, each new combat will trigger Admiral Brass's reanimate ability; that's four possible in one turn! The pirates have gained a few brand new cards to help expand their ranks like Skeleton Crew. Will Veggie rule the seven seas, or will he sink down to Davy Jones's locker?
Explorers of the Deep
NerdGirl's fishy bois are ready to flood the board with counters. Not only does Hakbal pump the team with explore triggers, he also ramps with each attack. Merfolk are already slippery creatures: hard to block because of Herald of Secret Streams and hard to target thanks to Kopala, Warden of Waves. The longer they stay on the battlefield, the more counters they'll gain, and NerdGirl will almost always have answers in hand with draw engines like Tatyova, Benthic Druid and Svyelun of Sea and Sky. New cards Ripples of Potential and Wave Goodbye give Merfolk some tools to fill out their game plan. Can NerdGirl make a splash in this battle for Ixalan, or are there other fish in the sea?
How It All Went Down
"I thought the old lady dropped it into the ocean" - The Early Game
Ban Sol Ring! NerdGirl top decks a turn one Sol Ring, setting up a turn two Cold-Eyed Selkie and a turn three Hakbal of the Surging Soul. Maldhound curves out with Legion Lieutenant and Welcoming Vampire, but the buffs from the Lieutenant interrupt the draw triggers. Veggie and Zbexx do their best to ramp and catch up, but NerdGirl's engine is already online.
Booty Cascade - The Mid Game
Zbexx drops her commander Pantlaza, Sun-Favored, discovering more ramp and turning on her Topiary Stomper. Veggie manages to remove NerdGirl's Herald of Secret Streams with a sneaky Lethal Scheme, but Svyelun of Sea and Sky locks up the rest of NerdGirl's board. To even the playing field, he also casts Windfall to catch himself and Maldhound up to the other players' full hands. Maldhound lands a threatening Vona, Butcher of Magan but needs to keep it untapped to block the fishy onslaught. Thrashing Brontodon threatens a single lethal swing on NerdGirl when a surprise Akroma's Will makes it an unblockable 30 damage.
Do the Wave - The Late Game
In response to the Akroma's Will, NerdGirl saves herself with Commit//Memory, tucking Zbexx's lethal creature and leaving the other attackers to hit Mald and Veggie. The board stays locked up for a little while with no one able to get through, allowing Veggie to catch up and play his commander Admiral Brass, Unsinkable. He mills three good pirates, including Port Razer, but there's not quite enough time to set up before NerdGirl returns Herald of Secret Streams from the graveyard and knocks out the entire table with unblockable fish.
By the Numbers
- Explore triggers: 18
- Combo non-bos: 1
- Dinosaurs discovered: 1 out of 3
- Bad advice given: 3
- Bad advice taken: 0
Watch the full episode here so Veggie doesn't have to keep pirating season 2 of Gilmore Girls.
