Beluna vs. Old Rutstein - Duel Commander - EDH│MTG│bitzelberg

Deck Strategies

• 

  Old Rutstein

  A reanimator deck that leverages graveyard recursion, token generation, and discard effects to control the board and bring back powerful creatures repeatedly, aiming to grind out value and win through resilient threats.

• 

  Beluna Grandsquall // Seek Thrills

  A Temur aggro deck focused on fast mana ramp via lands and treasure tokens, deploying efficient creatures and utilizing adventure spells to apply early pressure and close out the game quickly.

Gameplay Insights

• 1

  Old Rutstein's use of exile effects to remove key threats was crucial to maintaining board control against Beluna's aggressive creatures.

• 2

  Beluna's mana acceleration with Lotus Cobra and Bloom Tender enabled multiple threats and spells per turn, but the lack of sufficient removal spells limited recovery options.

• 3

  The recurring graveyard recursion from Old Rutstein's deck, including creatures like Eternal Witness, created a resilient board state that was difficult for the aggro deck to dismantle.

• 4

  Combat decisions, such as double-blocking and timing attacks to maximize damage while minimizing losses, played a significant role in the shifting momentum of the game.

• 5

  Beluna's commander ability facilitated aggressive early plays, but the mid- to late-game grind favored Old Rutstein's value engine and board presence.

Notable Cards

• 

  Old Rutstein

• 

  Beluna Grandsquall // Seek Thrills

• 

  Lotus Cobra

• 

  Bloom Tender

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  Orcish Lumberjack

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  Scavenging Ooze

• 

  Questing Beast

• 

  Eternal Witness

Summary

The game began with both players establishing their mana bases and early board presence. Old Rutstein's reanimator deck focused on setting up graveyard interactions and leveraging powerful creatures through reanimation, supported by token generation and discard synergies. Meanwhile, Beluna's Temur aggro deck aimed to apply early pressure with efficient creatures and ramp through lands and treasure tokens. Early turns saw strategic plays such as fetching lands, playing ramp creatures like Lotus Cobra and Bloom Tender, and setting up key triggers from both commanders. The game featured critical combat exchanges where blocks and damage trades shaped board control. Notably, Old Rutstein managed to exile key threats and maintain strong board presence through recursive creatures and graveyard interactions, while Beluna utilized aggressive attacks and mana acceleration to keep pace. As the match progressed, the reanimator deck's ability to reuse creatures and control the battlefield started to overwhelm the aggro strategy, ultimately tipping the game in favor of Old Rutstein.