ZURGO & OJUTAI V. HELIOD V. RAKDOS V. ETALI - cEDH Gameplay

Deck Strategies

• 

  Zurgo and Ojutai

  Utilizes a combination of aggressive creatures and card selection through surveil to maintain pressure and control the flow of the game, aiming to disrupt opponents while advancing its own board state.

• 

  Heliod, the Radiant Dawn // Heliod, the Warped Eclipse

  Focuses on an enchantment-based control strategy, leveraging value creatures like Faerie Mastermind and Jeskai Ascendancy to generate incremental advantage and protect key permanents.

• 

  Etali, Primal Conqueror // Etali, Primal Sickness

  Relies on big creatures and high-impact spells to generate value and card advantage, using Etali's ability to steal cards and disrupt opponents' plans while maintaining board presence.

• 

  Rakdos, the Muscle

  Aggressive midrange strategy focusing on fast mana, early pressure with creatures like Ragavan, and efficient disruption to maintain tempo and capitalize on board control.

Gameplay Insights

• 1

  Using Ragavan to exile the top card of an opponent's library was a key tactic for disrupting their planned plays and generating card advantage.

• 2

  Avoiding casting Wheel of Fortune in the presence of Bowmaster was a strategic decision to prevent opponents from capitalizing on the mass discard and draw triggers.

• 3

  The timing of bouncing creatures like Ragavan back to hand to reuse their enter-the-battlefield effects was leveraged to maximize value and maintain board presence.

• 4

  Players actively targeted enchantments and key creatures to break opponents' combos and control elements, especially Heliod's enchantment synergies.

• 5

  Surveil and card manipulation mechanics were crucial in setting up draws and protecting important spells from disruption.

Notable Cards

• 

  Ragavan, Nimble Pilferer

• 

  Jeweled Lotus

• 

  Mox Opal

• 

  Faerie Mastermind

• 

  Mana Vault

Summary

The game featured a fast-paced cEDH multiplayer match with Zurgo and Ojutai, Heliod, the Radiant Dawn, Etali, Primal Conqueror, and Rakdos as commanders. Early turns saw players establishing mana bases and deploying key early threats like Ragavan, Nimble Pilferer, and various mana rocks including Mox Opal and Jeweled Lotus. The Zurgo and Ojutai player leveraged meticulous card selection with surveil mechanics while Rakdos generated early pressure with Rakdos's Muscle and aggressive creatures like Ragavan. Heliod's player focused on assembling a control-oriented board with enchantments and value creatures such as Faerie Mastermind and Jeskai Ascendancy, while Etali's player aimed to capitalize on card advantage and impactful creatures like Steel Enchantment and Bell Master. The interplay around Ragavan's ability and the use of bounce effects to disrupt opponents' top-deck strategies were pivotal early game moments. One player wisely avoided a risky Wheel of Fortune play due to the threat of Bowmaster on the board, highlighting the tension and respect players had for each other's threats. The game was characterized by tight resource management, careful sequencing, and attempts to generate incremental advantages through card draw and efficient removal, setting the stage for explosive midgame plays.