Torbran vs Saheeli vs Zacama vs Tiamat (ft. @CardboardCommand) EDH / CMDR game play for MTG

Deck Strategies

• 

  Torbran, Thane of Red Fell

  A mono-red aggressive build focused on dealing incremental damage through Torbran’s damage boost combined with Pyrohemia’s repeatable board-wide burn, equipped with Darksteel Plate to ensure Torbran’s survival and maximize damage output.

• 

  Saheeli, the Gifted

  A control and value-based deck leveraging artifacts and powerful planeswalkers like Ugin, combined with exile effects and card draw to disrupt opponents and stabilize before deploying big threats like Ulamog.

• 

  Zacama, Primal Calamity

  A ramp-focused deck using Sylvala and Rhythm of the Wild to accelerate mana production and pressure opponents with large creatures and dragons, aiming to dominate through raw board presence and combat damage.

• 

  Tiamat

  A dragon tribal ramp deck that tutors for powerful dragons to build a threatening board state quickly, using Tiamat’s ability to find multiple dragons and Morophon to reduce casting costs and cheat dragons into play.

Gameplay Insights

• 1

  Colin’s repeated activations of Pyrohemia to control the board and deal damage to all opponents created significant tempo advantage and pressured everyone simultaneously.

• 2

  Equipping Darksteel Plate to Torbran ensured he remained on the battlefield to maximize damage output from Pyrohemia’s abilities.

• 3

  Daniel’s exile of key ramp pieces like Rhythm of the Wild with Ogin slowed down Zacama’s acceleration, showing targeted disruption’s value in multiplayer.

• 4

  Johnny’s Tiamat deck demonstrated strong synergy by tutoring for multiple dragons and leveraging Morophon to cheat dragons into play, but was overwhelmed by Torbran’s burn and board wipes.

• 5

  James’s role as archenemy was evident through his aggressive swings and multiple creatures, but insufficient mana sources and removal from other players limited his impact.

Notable Cards

• 

  Torbran, Thane of Red Fell

• 

  Pyrohemia

• 

  Darksteel Plate

• 

  Tiamat

• 

  Morophon, the Boundless

• 

  Ugin, the Ineffable

• 

  Ulamog, the Ceaseless Hunger

• 

  Rhythm of the Wild

• 

  Dockside Extortionist

Summary

The game began with a typical setup of ramp and mana fixing, with James on Zacama establishing early board presence with Sylvala, Heart of the Wilds and Rhythm of the Wild, while Colin on Torbran focused on mono-red aggression supported by Pyrohemia and equipment like Darksteel Plate. Early interaction included Colin repeatedly using Pyrohemia’s damage ability to clear creatures and deal damage to opponents, establishing a strong control presence. Daniel on Saheeli struggled initially with mana issues but eventually kicked into gear with Ugin and Ulamog, exiling key threats and generating value, though his red mana sources were limited. Johnny on Tiamat ramped quickly to cast his commander and tutor for powerful dragons like Sign of the Ur-Dragon and Morophon, setting up a potent late game threat. James’s Zacama deck played aggressively, leveraging Sylvala and creatures like Bail Fire Dragon and Terror of the Peaks to apply pressure, though he was neutralized somewhat by targeted removal from Daniel and Colin. The pivotal turning point came when Colin fully leveraged Torbran and Pyrohemia’s synergy—equipping Torbran and repeatedly activating Pyrohemia to deal massive damage to all players and creatures. This culminated in a final Pyrohemia activation that wiped the board and dealt lethal damage to Johnny, ending the game decisively in Colin’s favor.