Daretti vs Geth vs Doran vs Rafiq EDH / CMDR game play for Magic: The Gathering

Deck Strategies

• 

  Daretti, Scrap Savant

  Artifact synergy and sacrifice to ramp mana and generate card advantage, setting up combos with cards like Spine of Ish Sah and Blightsteel Colossus to close out the game.

• 

  Geth, Lord of the Vault

  Utilizes Cabal Coffers and artifact interactions to generate large amounts of mana, steals opponents' creatures and artifacts, and controls the board with graveyard recursion and mass removal like Living Death.

• 

  Doran, the Siege Tower

  Leverages high-toughness creatures and defensive utility to stabilize the board, with repeated land drops and creatures that scale well with Doran’s damage redirection abilities.

• 

  Rafiq of the Many

  Aggressive combat focused on granting double strike and evasion to Rafiq using equipment and combat tricks, aiming to finish opponents quickly through combat damage.

Gameplay Insights

• 1

  Kevin’s use of Geth to steal key artifacts and creatures disrupted opponents’ strategies and provided him card advantage.

• 2

  Daretti's sacrifice and artifact recursion combo was mitigated by Geth's timely sacrifice of Mindstone with Slow Bot to protect Mind Slaver.

• 3

  Living Death cast by Geth devastated the board but favored his graveyard strategy, shifting momentum in his favor.

• 4

  Brian’s use of Wakestone Guardian and Axe B Guardian provided significant mana ramp and board presence, but was repeatedly challenged by artifact removal.

• 5

  Adam’s Rafiq deck tried to leverage evasion and equipment for damage, but was slowed by artifact and graveyard control.

• 6

  The interaction between Cabal Coffers and Urborg was a key mana engine enabling large spells and activation of Geth’s ability multiple times.

Notable Cards

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  Cabal Coffers

• 

  Living Death

• 

  Blightsteel Colossus

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  Spine of Ish Sah

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  Liliana Vess

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  Rogue's Passage

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  Swiftfoot Boots

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  Sun Titan

• 

  Mystifying Maze

Summary

The game began with a slow development phase as players set up mana bases and cast early utility creatures and mana rocks. Daretti used artifact synergies to accelerate mana and establish board presence with Arcbound Ravager and Scarecrone, while Geth leveraged Cabal Coffers and artifacts to generate massive mana and cast powerful spells like Living Death, devastating opponents' boards. Doran focused on land drops and resilient defenders, repeatedly casting himself and using creatures like Axe B Guardian and Wakestone Guardian to bolster his defenses. Rafiq's player relied on aggressive equipment and combat tricks, such as Swiftfoot Boots and Rogue's Passage, to make Rafiq an evasive threat and swing for damage early on. Midgame saw high-impact plays including Kevin (Geth) combining Cabal Coffers with Urborg, Tomb of Yawgmoth and activating Geth's ability to steal key artifacts and creatures, generating card advantage and mill pressure. Daretti attempted a combo with Spine of Ish Sah and Blightsteel Colossus, but Geth's timely sacrifice of Mindstone with Slow Bot thwarted this threat. A pivotal moment was Kevin's Living Death, which disrupted multiple players but favored him and his board state. Kevin then used Life's Finale to destroy all creatures and followed with Liliana Vess and other support to maintain control. Adam's Rafiq deck tried to keep pace with evasive threats and card draw via Ristic Study, but struggled against the heavy artifact and graveyard interaction. Ultimately, Geth’s control over artifacts and graveyard, combined with recurring threats and disruption, positioned him strongly heading into the late game.