Daretti vs Nicol Bolas vs Nazahn vs Thromok EDH / CMDR game play for Magic: The Gathering

Deck Strategies

• 

  Daretti, Scrap Savant

  Artifact-focused deck that leverages artifact recursion, sacrifice outlets, and powerful artifact creatures to control the board and generate value over time.

• 

  Nicol Bolas

  Control-oriented deck using removal, countermagic, and planeswalkers to disrupt opponents and maintain dominance until a late-game finish.

• 

  Thromok the Insatiable

  Aggressive strategy focusing on dealing combat damage and sacrificing creatures to grow Thromok and overwhelm opponents with large threats.

• 

  Nazahn, Revered Bladesmith

  Equipment and token synergy deck that ramps quickly and equips creatures to create a wide board presence of powerful tokens to dominate combat.

Gameplay Insights

• 1

  Daretti's use of Planar Bridge to cheat large artifact creatures into play was pivotal in maintaining board presence despite initial mana struggles.

• 2

  Nazahn's player effectively capitalized on equipment and token generation, particularly with Bloodforge Battle-Axe, to build a threatening board state.

• 3

  Nicol Bolas’s player used removal and silencing effects to disrupt token generators and key creatures, briefly shifting momentum before being eliminated.

• 4

  Trevor's (Nicol Bolas) timely use of Mystical Tutor and Dig Through Time showed a focus on card selection and control, but mana issues limited his impact.

• 5

  The interaction between artifact recursion via Scrap Mastery and milling through Sequestered Stash allowed Daretti to sustain threats and recover from board wipes.

• 6

  Sean’s repeated activation of Blighted Woodland for mana fixing and land ramp facilitated Nazahn’s rapid deployment of equipment and tokens.

• 7

  Mike’s use of Eldritch Evolution to find and trigger Pandemonium demonstrated synergy exploitation to punish opponents and gain card advantage.

• 8

  The game featured multiple instances of player cooperation and targeted aggression to keep the most dangerous threats in check while setting up their own win conditions.

Notable Cards

• 

  Planar Bridge

• 

  Combustible Gearhulk

• 

  Scrap Mastery

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  Codex Shredder

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  Reflecting Pool

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  Nissa, Voice of Zendikar

• 

  Lightning Greaves

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  Chromatic Lantern

• 

  Return to Dust

• 

  Chaos Warp

Summary

The game began with a slow early pace as players developed their mana bases and cast small utility creatures and artifacts. Daretti's player struggled initially with land drops but managed to deploy key artifacts like Topor Orb and Planar Bridge, aiming to leverage artifact synergies. Nicol Bolas's player focused on control elements with counterspells and removal, while Nazahn's player ramped steadily and equipped creatures with various auras and equipment, building a wide token army. Thromok's player aimed to grow large creatures and capitalize on combat damage with aggressive plays and sacrifice outlets. As the game progressed, key turning points included Planar Bridge enabling Daretti to cheat powerful creatures like Combustible Gearhulk onto the battlefield, and Nazahn generating a critical mass of axe tokens through card synergy and equipment like Bloodforge Battle-Axe. Meanwhile, Nicol Bolas's player disrupted opponents' plans with targeted removal and countermagic. Trevor (Nicol Bolas) eventually fell after a coordinated strike by multiple players, signaling a shift in board control. The game featured several notable board wipes and strategic use of artifact recursion, with Daretti leveraging Scrap Mastery and milling effects to sustain board presence. The game was characterized by incremental advantage through token generation, artifact recursion, and combat damage with growing creatures, culminating in a tense standoff between the surviving players with diversified threats and board states.