Nekusar VS Atraxa VS Brenard EDH/CMDR Gameplay

Deck Strategies

• 

  Nekusar, the Mindrazer

  A wheel and damage-based deck that forces opponents to draw extra cards and lose life simultaneously, using spells and artifacts that accelerate card draw and maximize damage output from Nekusar’s ability.

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  Atraxa, Praetors' Voice

  A +1/+1 counters and proliferate deck focused on ramping into powerful creatures and planeswalkers, generating incremental value and board presence over time.

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  Brenard, Ginger Sculptor

  A landfall and sacrifice synergy deck that leverages additional land drops and sacrificial effects to generate value, ramp, and board control.

Gameplay Insights

• 1

  Nekusar's use of 'Apathy into the Abyss' was a game-winning play, forcing an opponent to draw half their library and lose half their life, leading to a quick elimination.

• 2

  Cyclonic Rift was strategically used by Nekusar to clear the board and reset the game state when under pressure, allowing for a strong comeback.

• 3

  Brenard’s sacrifice and landfall synergy allowed for efficient ramp and resource generation, though it was ultimately disrupted by Nekusar’s wheel effects.

• 4

  Atraxa's ramp and counter distribution via Johnny, Mentor of Heroes, provided significant board development but was insufficient to overcome Nekusar’s incremental damage engine.

• 5

  The interplay between Nekusar’s forced draws and damage created a situation where opponents were reluctant to cast spells, fearing lethal damage from their own draws.

Notable Cards

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  Mana Crypt

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  Demonic Tutor

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  Cyclonic Rift

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  Forced Fruition

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  Purify

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  Cultivate

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  Gamble

Summary

The game started with a typical ramp and setup phase, where each player developed their mana base and cast early spells. Nekusar quickly established his presence by casting his commander and playing Mana Crypt to accelerate his game plan. Early interactions featured attempts to disrupt Nekusar, including a Purify targeting his commander from Brenard. As the game progressed, Nekusar leveraged his wheel effects and card draw to apply pressure, culminating in a pivotal moment where he cast "Apathy into the Abyss," forcing an opponent to draw half their deck and lose half their life, effectively eliminating that player from the game. Atraxa utilized ramp and +1/+1 counters, focusing on board development and value generation, which posed a significant threat. Brenard played a tempo and landfall style, generating additional land drops and resources through sacrifice effects. A critical turning point came when Nekusar used Cyclonic Rift to reset the board, buying time and clearing threats. Eventually, the overwhelming card draw and damage from Nekusar’s wheels, combined with strategic spells like Demonic Tutor and Forced Fruition, put the other players in untenable positions. The game ended with one player conceding, recognizing that any spell cast would only accelerate Nekusar's lethal damage output, leading to a Nekusar victory through incremental damage and resource denial.