Sliver Hivelord vs Rankle vs Vial Smasher || Ikra vs Yidris EDH / CMDR game play for Magic

Deck Strategies

• 

  Vial Smasher the Fierce

  Deals damage to opponents whenever a spell is cast, combining aggressive creature attacks with direct damage and cascade into powerful spells to maintain tempo and control.

• 

  Ikra Shidiqi, the Usurper

  A lifegain-focused commander that supports a midrange value plan, leveraging life gain to stabilize while deploying impactful creatures.

• 

  Rankle, Master of Pranks

  Uses discard, sacrifice, and aggressive combat to disrupt opponents' hands and board states, with synergy around sacrificing tokens and creatures for card advantage and control.

• 

  Sliver Hivelord

  A tribal Sliver deck focused on overwhelming opponents with synergistic Slivers that grant protection and buffs, aiming to dominate through sheer number and resilience of creatures.

• 

  Yidris, Maelstrom Wielder

  Cascade-focused deck that generates value by casting multiple spells per turn, often leveraging cloning and stealing spells to capitalize on the chaos and outvalue opponents.

Gameplay Insights

• 1

  Early game counters and removal shaped the board heavily, with enchantments like Sylvan Library being countered and key creatures like Sliver Legion and Sliver Hivelord repeatedly removed.

• 2

  Mind's Dilation was a pivotal card that allowed Dan to steal and cast powerful spells from opponents, including Liana, the Veil Off and Nicol Bolas, God-Pharaoh, shifting the balance of power.

• 3

  Vial Smasher's ability to deal damage on spell casts created consistent incremental damage pressure, synergizing well with multiple spells being cast in a turn, especially with cascade effects from Yidris.

• 4

  Rankle's aggressive haste and disruption proved effective in removing planeswalkers and forcing opponents into difficult decisions, leveraging sacrifice and discard to maintain tempo.

• 5

  Trevor’s use of Fury Storm copying Dark Deal spells maximized card draw and discard, enabling him to dig deeply into his deck and refill his hand multiple times in a single sequence.

• 6

  The Sliver tribal synergy was strong, but the deck suffered from timely removal and disruption, showcasing the importance of protecting key tribal pieces against spot removal and board wipes.

Notable Cards

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  Sliver Legion

• 

  Sliver Hivelord

• 

  Rankle, Master of Pranks

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  Vial Smasher the Fierce

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  Yidris, Maelstrom Wielder

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  Mind's Dilation

• 

  Cyclonic Rift

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  Murderous Cut

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  Pernicious Deed

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  Reanimate

• 

  Razaketh, the Foulblooded

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  Lightning Greaves

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  Swords to Plowshares

• 

  Dark Deal

• 

  Murmuring Bosk

Summary

The game began with all players establishing their early mana bases and deploying key ramp and utility spells. Trevor (Vial Smasher) aggressively applied pressure with creatures like Bird tokens and cast efficient removal spells such as Murderous Cut and Crossing Grip to control the board. Elijah (Sliver Hivelord) focused on assembling a powerful Sliver tribal presence, using cards like Sliver Legion and Murmuring Bosk to bolster his army, though his key pieces were repeatedly removed by opponents. Dan (Yidris) utilized cloning effects and tutors to maintain board presence and disrupt others, notably copying Sliver Hivelord and leveraging Mind's Dilation to steal and cast opponents' spells. Michael (Rankle) played a graveyard-focused, sacrifice-driven deck with powerful reanimation and disruption, bringing back Razaketh and making aggressive plays with Rankle to clear planeswalkers and pressure opponents.