Diamond Commander League | S1:E3 | Nethroi, Gargos, Muldrotha, Athreos | MTG EDH Gameplay

Deck Strategies

• 

  Nethroi, Apex of Death

  Build a resilient tribal cat board using mutate to maximize value and recur creatures, continually refreshing the board state and removing opponents' permanents.

• 

  Gargos, Vicious Watcher

  Ramp aggressively to cast large hydras cheaply, using Gargos's fight-trigger ability to control the board and dominate with big trampling creatures.

• 

  Muldrotha, the Gravetide

  Use Muldrotha's graveyard recursion for card advantage and board presence, aiming to combo with Primal Surge and a win condition like Jace, Wielder of Mysteries or Laboratory Maniac.

• 

  Athreos, God of Passage

  Deploy multiple Shadowborn Apostles and aristocrat creatures to leverage sacrifice and life drain effects, pressuring opponents with repeated creature recursion and damage.

Gameplay Insights

• 1

  Using mutate to exile cards and destroy opponent's artifacts disrupted key equipment and slowed down their tempo.

• 2

  Gargos's ability to reduce hydra costs combined with ramp allowed for early deployment of large threats, forcing opponents into defensive plays.

• 3

  Winds of Abandon overloaded was a pivotal board wipe that helped Muldrotha stabilize and set up for a potential combo finish.

• 4

  Athreos's player balanced accumulating apostles while timing their sacrifice effects carefully to maintain pressure without overcommitting.

• 5

  Players leveraged politics to avoid unnecessary attacks and maintain favorable board states, especially around Gargos's large hydras and Nethroi's tribal synergy.

Notable Cards

• 

  Nethroi, Apex of Death

• 

  Gargos, Vicious Watcher

• 

  Muldrotha, the Gravetide

• 

  Athreos, God of Passage

• 

  Winds of Abandon

• 

  Hooded Hydra

• 

  Shadowborn Apostle

• 

  Sword of the Animist

• 

  Harvester of Souls

Summary

A critical turning point was when Nethroi's player used mutate to exile cards and destroy a key artifact, disrupting opponents' equipment. Gargos's player effectively deployed multiple large hydras, including a Hooded Hydra with six counters, pressuring the table with big creatures and combat damage. Muldrotha's player cast Winds of Abandon overloaded, wiping the board and allowing them to replenish lands, which helped stabilize after the aggressive early game. Athreos's player maintained pressure through attacks and sacrifice synergies, forcing opponents to make tough defensive decisions. The interaction of mutate, recursion, and combat damage dynamics shaped the midgame, with each player leveraging their strengths toward their respective win conditions.