Edric vs Sakashima//Vial vs Meren vs Animar [EDH/Commander, Magic The Gathering] MTG Gameplay 2020

Deck Strategies

• 

  Edric, Spymaster of Trest

  Maximize card draw by dealing combat damage with evasive creatures, then use the card advantage to assemble extra turn effects and finish the game through combat damage.

• 

  Sakashima of a Thousand Faces // Vial Smasher the Fierce

  Midrange aggressive deck that aims to deploy Vial Smasher to flip coins for random damage, disrupting opponents and closing out the game with direct damage bursts.

• 

  Meren of Clan Nel Toth

  Graveyard matters midrange deck that leverages creature recursion and synergy to outvalue opponents, grinding the game down and winning through incremental advantage and board control.

• 

  Animar, Soul of Elements

  Creature-heavy ramp deck that quickly casts low-cost creatures to increase Animar's counters, enabling big plays and combo potential to end the game swiftly.

• 

  Vial Smasher the Fierce

  Focus on casting spells to trigger Vial Smasher's damage ability, combined with coin flips to deal random damage to opponents and create chaos on the board.

Gameplay Insights

• 1

  Edric's ability to draw cards off multiple attacking creatures quickly allowed him to maintain a strong hand advantage and find necessary answers or threats.

• 2

  Meren's synergy with graveyard recursion created a steady stream of value creatures, applying pressure while also disrupting opponents' strategies.

• 3

  The use of counterspells and sacrifice of creatures like Mausoleum Wanderer to protect key creatures was a pivotal interaction that slowed down opponents' attempts to remove Edric.

• 4

  Sakashima's and Vial Smasher's aggressive burn and coin-flip damage created tension but was often mitigated by well-timed blockers and removal from other players.

• 5

  Animar's decision to avoid casting creatures early limited his ramp potential, which hindered his ability to capitalize on his commander’s explosive power.

• 6

  The interplay between ramp, card draw, and removal shaped the game’s tempo, with key moments involving countering of Earthcraft and delaying of Veil of Summer highlighting strategic priority on disruption.

Notable Cards

• 

  Edric, Spymaster of Trest

• 

  Vial Smasher the Fierce

• 

  Sakashima of a Thousand Faces

• 

  Meren of Clan Nel Toth

• 

  Animar, Soul of Elements

• 

  Mystic Remora

• 

  Mausoleum Wanderer

• 

  Okaun, Eye of Chaos

• 

  Deathrite Shaman

• 

  Caustic Caterpillar

• 

  Phyrexian Revoker

Summary

The game starts with a typical setup as each player develops their board and ramps mana. Edric, Spymaster of Trest focuses on drawing cards by attacking with low-cost creatures, leveraging his political ability to generate card advantage and find key spells like extra turns and utility creatures. Meanwhile, Sakashima and Vial Smasher aim to flip coins and deal direct damage with their aggressive midrange and burn strategy. Meren of Clan Nel Toth utilizes graveyard recursion and synergistic value creatures to farm opponents’ resources and close out the game through incremental advantage. Animar, Soul of Elements attempts to ramp quickly by casting cheap creatures and then powering up Animar for a big explosive finish. Early turns see Edric drawing multiple cards and applying pressure, while Meren sets up her graveyard engine and Animar prepares to activate his combo potential. Sakashima/Vial Smasher tries to disrupt and burn key targets but faces counterplay from the group.