Spells and Serpents: Niv-Mizzet, Parun vs Xira vs Koma vs Tymna | Vial Smasher EDH / CMDR gameplay

Deck Strategies

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  Tymna the Weaver & Vial Smasher the Fierce

  A spell-slinging and card advantage focused deck that aims to generate large amounts of mana to fuel high-impact spells and combos, leveraging Tymna's card draw from combat damage and Vial Smasher's damage triggers to control the board and close out the game.

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  Koma, Cosmos Serpent

  A ramp and value-based strategy centered around creating serpent tokens each turn and amassing a wide board presence to overwhelm opponents, with an emphasis on mana acceleration and board control.

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  Xira Arien

  A graveyard recursion and artifact synergy deck that mills cards to fuel reanimation and recursion effects, aiming to grind out value over time and disrupt opponents' plans.

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  Niv-Mizzet, Parun

  A spell-heavy control deck focused on casting multiple instants and sorceries to trigger Niv-Mizzet’s damage and draw engine, leveraging spells to control the board and draw cards for a lethal finish.

Gameplay Insights

• 1

  The destruction of Smothering Tithe early by Reclamation Sage significantly slowed down the ramp potential of Tymna and Vial Smasher's player, forcing them to find alternate ways to generate mana.

• 2

  Collector Ouphe’s artifact shutdown temporarily hindered artifact-dependent strategies, particularly impacting Tymna and Vial Smasher's mana rocks and combos.

• 3

  The use of Doubling Season by Koma’s player amplified token production and counters but was effectively removed by a Maelstrom Pulse, preventing an overwhelming board state.

• 4

  Tymna and Vial Smasher’s player capitalized on large mana generation with spells like Mana Geyser and casting multiple spells in one turn, leveraging Bonus Round to copy key spells and generate lethal damage.

• 5

  The final winning sequence involved casting Cut // Ribbons with a massive mana investment, copied by Bonus Round to clear the board and deliver lethal damage simultaneously, demonstrating the deck’s combo finish potential.

Notable Cards

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  Smothering Tithe

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  Reclamation Sage

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  Collector Ouphe

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  Doubling Season

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  World Shaper

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  Niv-Mizzet, Parun

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  Mana Geyser

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  Demonic Tutor

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  Faithless Looting

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  Cut // Ribbons

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  Bonus Round

Summary

The game began with a typical ramp and setup phase, where players developed their mana bases and deployed early value and ramp spells. Key early plays included the casting of Smothering Tithe, which was promptly destroyed by a Reclamation Sage, and the use of ramp spells like Rampant Growth and Skyshroud Claim to accelerate mana production. The board state saw incremental growth with token generation from Koma, Cosmos Serpent and card advantage engines such as Xira Arien's commander draw ability and Tymna the Weaver's card draw through combat damage. A notable disruption was Collector Ouphe shutting down artifact abilities, impacting some players' strategies.