EDH Gameplay - Episode 36: Urza VS Meren VS Diaochan VS Edgar

Deck Strategies

• 

  Edgar Markov

  Builds a vampire tribal board by generating vampire tokens with each vampire cast, buffing them, and leveraging extort and anthem effects to overwhelm opponents with aggressive combat and life gain.

• 

  Urza, Lord High Artificer

  Focuses on artifact synergies to generate card advantage, create artifact creatures, and control the board with disruptive artifact spells and equipment like Lightning Greaves.

• 

  Meren of Clan Nel Toth

  Uses graveyard recursion and sacrifice outlets to generate value from creatures dying, accumulating experience counters to return bigger threats each turn and create a persistent board presence.

• 

  Diaochan, Artful Beauty

  Utilizes her ability to destroy artifacts and creatures, disrupting opponents’ key pieces and slowing down their strategies while building a board presence with aggressive creatures.

Gameplay Insights

• 1

  Equipping Lightning Greaves to Urza prevented the opponent from stealing or removing him easily, maintaining artifact synergy momentum.

• 2

  Diaochan’s timely use of her ability to destroy Urza’s Construct and Meren’s key creatures shifted board control temporarily in her favor.

• 3

  Edgar Markov’s player effectively combined token generation with anthem effects and extort triggers to deal large chunks of damage while sustaining life.

• 4

  Meren’s sacrifice of creatures to gain experience counters and recurring threats kept her relevant despite disruption from opponents.

• 5

  The interaction between artifact recursion and removal spells created a dynamic battlefield where players had to carefully time their plays to maintain advantage.

Notable Cards

• 

  Lightning Greaves

• 

  Forerunner of the Legion

• 

  Olivia Voldaren

• 

  Darksteel Relic

• 

  Swords to Plowshares

• 

  Rapid Hybridization

• 

  Deathreap Ritual

• 

  Fervor

Summary

The game started with all four players establishing their early board states, with Edgar Markov generating vampire tokens quickly and Urza assembling artifact synergies. Early skirmishes involved targeted removal and equipment plays, notably with Lightning Greaves protecting key creatures like Urza and Olivia Voldaren. Diaochan's player used her commander’s ability to destroy powerful artifact and creature threats, creating disruption for the other players. Meren leveraged graveyard recursion and sacrifice outlets, gradually building experience counters and creating value through death triggers. Midgame saw Edgar Markov's player aggressively pushing with vampire tokens buffed by anthem effects, gaining significant life and dealing heavy damage. Urza’s player maintained card advantage through artifact draws and spellcasting, while Diaochan’s timely destruction spells helped reset critical threats. Meren focused on board presence through token generation and incremental value. Key turning points included board wipes, removal targeting Urza's Constructs and Olivia, and sacrifices that diminished opponent resources. The game revolved around managing threats, combos, and attrition, with Edgar Markov’s tribal vampire swarm positioning for a decisive win condition through overwhelming damage and life gain.