This past Saturday marked the second night of Commander Night: Losers Bracket, and once again, the event delivered spectacular plays and an amazing experience for all!
What is Commander Night: Losers Bracket?
It’s a unique 3-week event where the goal is to be the first player eliminated! With its own special rules and tailored banlist, players battle it out to “lose” in the most spectacular ways possible.
Key Highlights
Borborygmos Enraged
A 99-lands Commander deck is a classic approach, but this build showcased a fascinating twist: self-inflicted massive damage. With some additional support cards, this strategy could easily rise as a top contender.
Fractured Identity & Sheoldred, the Apocalypse
Sheoldred, the Apocalypse is renowned for its life-draining abilities, causing opponents to lose life whenever they draw cards. However, in this format, using Fractured Identity to give each opponent a copy of Sheoldred turns the tables, making them gain life while you lose life—a swift path to self elimination.
Sokrates, Athenian Teacher
Paired with the Sheoldred combo, Sokrates nudges yourself, and opponents to draw multiple cards, amplifying the self-destructive synergy. While its impact was limited this week, the potential for chaos is undeniable.
The One Ring
Cards with minor drawbacks in standard formats shine brilliantly here, where those “drawbacks” become game-ending tools. The One Ring demonstrated its value, offering card draw while rapidly draining life—a perfect storm for this format.
Chain Lightning
Simple yet devastating. Targeting yourself for 1 red mana and repeating the effect by paying two red mana each time? Chain Lightning almost single-handedly closed out a game. The ensuing stack war of responses made for one of the night’s most intense moments.
The Lord of Pain.... Lands
Appearing in two pods, Lord of Pain secured a win in one by leveraging its game-ending abilities alongside some truly punishing terrain. The resulting board state kept everyone scrambling, unable to outpace the damage.
Final Thoughts
With just one session left, Commander Night: Losers Bracket has proven to be a thrilling success. While I missed some early plays (apologies if I overlooked any great moments!), the excitement and creativity shown by our community have been incredible.
We’re excited to bring this format back occasionally for casual games and special events. Join us for the remaining session: Saturday, November 23rd at 6:30 PM.
New players are always welcome—see you there! 🎮
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