Pharika vs Korvold vs Kruphix vs Hanna EDH / CMDR game play for Magic: The Gathering

Deck Strategies

• 

  Korvold, Fae-Cursed King

  A Jund sacrifice deck that generates value by sacrificing tokens and other permanents to draw cards and grow Korvold with +1/+1 counters, overwhelming opponents with large threats.

• 

  Pharika, God of Affliction

  A midrange deck focused on disruption and creature-based removal, leveraging Pharika’s ability to create deathtouch and poison effects while controlling the board.

• 

  Kruphix, God of Horizons

  A ramp and value-based deck that uses mana acceleration and card draw to deploy big threats and control the board, often utilizing Eldrazi and reanimation spells.

• Hanna, Ship's Navigator

  A control shell relying on bounce effects, board wipes, and reactive plays to stabilize the board, gain incremental advantage, and protect key permanents to outlast opponents.

Gameplay Insights

• 1

  Korvold's repeated sacrifices of tokens and creatures to draw cards and grow larger allowed him to maintain consistent pressure and card advantage.

• 2

  Kruphix’s use of All Is Dust and other board wipes helped reset the board state, but Korvold's ability to quickly rebuild kept him ahead.

• 3

  Hanna's use of bounce spells like Teferi, Time Raveller and board wipes like Time Wipe effectively disrupted aggressive plays and stabilized her position temporarily.

• 4

  Strategic use of mana rocks and ramp spells such as Cultivate and Golgari Signet enabled faster deployment of threats and combos.

• 5

  Multiple counterspells and discard interactions were pivotal in slowing down key spells, particularly against Kruphix and Korvold’s attempts to establish dominance.

• 6

  Manicrypt’s random damage risk was mitigated well by Trevor, allowing for repeated mana acceleration without significant life loss.

Notable Cards

• 

  Korvold, Fae-Cursed King

• 

  Dreadhorde Invasion

• 

  Desecration Demon

• 

  Swiftfoot Boots

• 

  All Is Dust

• 

  Time Wipe

• 

  Azorius Chancery

• 

  Ghost Quarter

• 

  Cultivate

• 

  Golgari Signet

• 

  Reassembling Skeleton

• 

  Maelstrom Pulse

Summary

The game featured four commanders with distinct strategies vying for control. Early turns focused on ramp and establishing board presence, with Korvold aggressively accumulating +1/+1 counters by sacrificing tokens and creatures to draw cards, leveraging his ability to gain incremental advantage and pressure opponents. Pharika applied a midrange strategy, playing impactful creatures and removal spells, while Kruphix focused on ramping mana and controlling the board through value creatures. Hanna utilized control elements with bounce spells and board wipes such as Time Wipe and Detention Sphere to manage threats and stabilize the game. A key turning point came when Korvold repeatedly sacrificed tokens and creatures to grow larger and draw cards, enabling him to maintain pressure by swinging with a large commander and other creatures. Meanwhile, Kruphix used spells like All Is Dust and reanimation effects to reset the board and recover quickly. Hanna’s control spells helped keep the board in check, but Korvold’s continuous card advantage and token generation proved difficult to suppress. The game also featured several board wipes and counterspell interactions that shifted momentum. Ultimately, Korvold’s proactive card draw and growing threat presence set the pace, making it challenging for others to keep up with his escalating board state.