Merry Melee #4: Korvold vs Kruphix vs Olivia vs Bruna EDH / CMDR game play for Magic: The Gathering

Deck Strategies

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  Korvold, Fae-Cursed King

  Ramp aggressively while sacrificing permanents to draw cards and grow Korvold, leveraging lands and treasures to gain card advantage and close out the game with overwhelming board presence.

• 

  Kruphix, God of Horizons

  Utilize graveyard recursion and mana ramp to cast large Eldrazi and control creatures, maintaining a strong board state while disrupting opponents through mill and sacrifice effects.

• 

  Olivia, Mobilized for War

  Aggressively reanimate creatures and use discard outlets to control the board while applying commander damage pressure, supported by sacrifice synergies and disruption.

• 

  Bruna, Light of Alabaster

  Equip and enchant flying creatures to generate strong aerial threats, using control elements and card draw to maintain tempo and finish with powerful spells and synergy-based combat.

Gameplay Insights

• 1

  Matt capitalized on Korvold’s sacrifice triggers by repeatedly sacrificing Dockside Extortionist and other permanents to generate treasure tokens and draw cards, accelerating his game plan.

• 2

  Mike's use of Living Death to reanimate a board of Eldrazi and other creatures created a significant swing in board presence, forcing opponents to adjust their strategies.

• 3

  Trevor's strategic use of Mirage Mirror to copy Avatar of Woe provided additional board control and synergized well with his aura and equipment-based deck.

• 4

  The players effectively used board wipes like Winds of Wrath to stall the game, but graveyard recursion and token production quickly restored threats, leading to a dynamic and shifting board state.

• 5

  Olivia's sacrifice and reanimation synergy allowed for repeated aggressive attacks, putting consistent pressure on opponents through commander damage.

Notable Cards

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  Dockside Extortionist

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  Deathrite Shaman

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  Living Death

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  Lord of the Void

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  Shadowborn Demon

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  Skyshroud Claim

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  Mirage Mirror

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  Avatar of Woe

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  Goblin Bombardment

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  Kozilek, the Great Distortion

• 

  Angelic Destiny

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  Narset, Parter of Veils

Summary

The game started with players establishing their mana bases and early board presence, including ramp spells and graveyard setup. Matt led with Korvold, leveraging landfall and sacrifice synergies, gaining treasure tokens from Dockside Extortionist and utilizing Deathrite Shaman to fuel his graveyard. Mike's Kruphix deck focused on graveyard recursion and Eldrazi threats, deploying Living Death and controlling the board with key creatures like Lord of the Void and Shadowborn Demon. Ryan's Olivia deck operated as a reanimator and aggressive commander damage deck, using discard outlets and reanimation to pressure opponents. Trevor played Bruna, focusing on auras and equipment to create resilient flying threats and control the board with spells like Epiphany and Kozilek as finishers. Key turning points included Mike's Living Death reshaping the board, Matt sacrificing permanents to fuel Korvold and draw cards, and Trevor flashing back Skyshroud Claim to ramp into big Eldrazi threats. Board wipes such as Winds of Wrath momentarily reset the battlefield, but graveyard recursion and token production quickly restored pressure. Olivia and Korvold repeatedly pushed damage with commander attacks and synergistic sacrifices. Trevor’s use of Mirage Mirror to copy Avatar of Woe and casting Lammacq, Ceaseless Hunger with multiple auras showcased a strong late-game presence. The game revolved around managing graveyards and maximizing value from sacrifice and reanimation effects, with players balancing aggressive attacks and defensive board states.