MTGO Match-Up: Wort VS Roon VS Rafiq VS Karlov EDH / CMDR game play video

Deck Strategies

• 

  Wort, the Raidmother

  Ramp heavily through artifacts and lands to cast powerful spells and mass removal, aiming to overwhelm opponents with large creatures and board wipes.

• 

  Roon of the Hidden Realm

  Utilize flicker effects and equipment to generate value, protect key creatures, and control the board through incremental advantage and tempo plays.

• 

  Rafiq of the Many

  Exploit exalted triggers to boost single attackers into lethal damage, focusing on Voltron-style combat to pick off opponents one by one.

• 

  Karlov of the Ghost Council

  Leverage life gain and removal synergies by growing Karlov through +1/+1 counters and repeatedly removing threats with his triggered abilities.

Gameplay Insights

• 1

  Wort’s reliance on heavy ramp and artifacts made her vulnerable to slow starts when lands were not drawn early, emphasizing the risk of greedy mana bases.

• 2

  Roon’s ability to flicker creatures and reuse enter-the-battlefield effects created a steady incremental advantage and board resilience.

• 3

  Blasphemous Act’s cost reduction based on creatures on board created a powerful reset condition, but protection effects like Mother of Runes complicated its timing and targets.

• 4

  Karlov’s life gain and removal synergy made him a significant early threat, forcing opponents to prioritize dealing with him to prevent snowballing.

• 5

  Rafiq’s exalted-focused strategy required a stable mana base to maintain pressure, and mana starvation limited early effectiveness in this game.

• 6

  Players showed cautious behavior, often passing turns due to slow mana development and waiting for key spells or ramp pieces to hit the board.

Notable Cards

• 

  Blasphemous Act

• 

  Mother of Runes

• 

  Stoneforge Mystic

• 

  Skullclamp

• 

  Swiftfoot Boots

• 

  Solemn Simulacrum

• 

  Reliquary Tower

• 

  Ancient Tomb

Summary

A key turning point was the deployment of board wipes such as Blasphemous Act, which became cheaper as more creatures hit the battlefield, potentially resetting the board and disrupting opponents’ development. However, Mother of Runes provided protection for key creatures, complicating wipe effectiveness. Wort struggled to establish her game plan due to low early mana and difficulty drawing lands, while Roon and Karlov maintained board control. The game’s pace was characterized by cautious plays and incremental value, with Karlov likely taking an early advantage due to better board presence and life gain. The match highlighted the importance of ramp and tempo in a multiplayer setting with diverse strategies.