Gandalf vs Urza vs Averna vs Dihada [EDH/Commander, Magic the Gathering Gameplay 2023]

Deck Strategies

• 

  Dihada, Binder of Wills

  Focuses on graveyard recursion and assembling A, B, or C combos through milling and sacrificing creatures to win, prioritizing combos over combat.

• 

  Urza, Chief Artificer

  Utilizes artifact synergies and ramp to create large artifact creatures and overwhelm opponents, capitalizing on artifact mana engines and efficient artifact tutors.

• 

  Averna, the Chaos Bloom

  Leverages cascade and landfall mechanics to cast big spells and generate value, including token creation and Maze's End as a secondary win condition.

• 

  Gandalf the Grey

  Combines burn spells and extra turns with Guttersnipe and Epic Experiment to either burn opponents out or chain spells for a large burst of advantage.

Gameplay Insights

• 1

  Urza's early artifact mana ramp with Soul Ring and Trinket Mage enables quick deployment of powerful artifact creatures, setting a strong tempo early in the game.

• 2

  Averna uses cascade and landfall triggers effectively to gain incremental value and maintain board presence, while also progressing toward a Maze's End secondary win.

• 3

  Dihada's strategy revolves around milling cards with creatures like Undead Butler and using graveyard recursion to assemble combos, focusing on non-combat win conditions.

• 4

  Gandalf's use of Firebrand Archers and burn spells pressures opponents while preparing for big spell chains via Epic Experiment to gain extra turns and cast multiple spells in one turn.

• 5

  Players carefully manage mana and creature tokens to generate treasure tokens and prepare for large plays, highlighting the importance of resource flexibility in this multiplayer game.

• 6

  Holding mana open to respond to potential threats or to protect combo pieces underscores the tactical depth of the game, balancing aggression with defense.

Notable Cards

• 

  Trinket Mage

• 

  Ancient Den

• 

  Prosperous Partnership

• 

  Epic Experiment

• 

  Guttersnipe

• 

  Maze's End

• 

  Talisman of Dominance

Summary

The game features four distinct commanders each pursuing different strategies that unfold over a series of turns with incremental board development and resource generation. Dihada, Binder of Wills focuses on graveyard interactions and assembling combo pieces primarily through putting cards into the graveyard and finding specific combos to end the game. Urza, Chief Artificer leverages artifact synergies and ramp to create large artifact creatures and overwhelming board presence. Averna, the Chaos Bloom uses cascade and landfall mechanics, aiming to cast big spells and generate value through lands and tokens, while also utilizing Maze's End as a secondary win condition. Gandalf the Grey's strategy centers around burn effects and extra turns, notably using cards like Guttersnipe and Epic Experiment to either burn opponents out or chain spells for advantage. Early turns involve setting up mana bases and ramping with artifacts and lands. Key plays include Urza assembling a fast artifact mana engine with cards like Soul Ring, Trinket Mage, and Ancient Den, allowing him to quickly deploy threats. Averna cascades into impactful spells and sets up landfall triggers, while Dihada mills cards and searches for combo parts. The game features strategic interactions such as token generation, treasure creation, and sacrificing creatures for mana. Tactical decisions around holding mana open to respond to threats and executing combos while balancing board presence shape the flow. The game appears to lean towards combos and big spell chains as the primary win conditions, with aggressive artifact ramp and burn effects playing pivotal roles in tempo and damage output.