Duel Commander | MU 071721 | Round 4: Karlov vs Esika thumbnail Blurred backdrop thumbnail
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Duel Commander | MU 071721 | Round 4: Karlov vs Esika

Duel Commander PH


Commanders featured in this Gameplay Reviewed & Verified

Decklists

Deck & Commander Strategies

  • Karlov of the Ghost Council

    Karlov of the Ghost Council

    Focuses on gaining life and growing Karlov through life gain triggers to become a formidable threat. Uses removal and incremental life gain to control the board and outlast opponents.

  • Esika, God of the Tree // The Prismatic Bridge

    Esika, God of the Tree // The Prismatic Bridge

    Ramp mana early and use The Prismatic Bridge to cheat legendary creatures onto the battlefield, creating a powerful and diverse board presence that overwhelms opponents through value and combat damage.

Gameplay Insights

  • 1

    Esika's player prioritized ramp and securing The Prismatic Bridge early to maximize repeated legendary creature deployment.

  • 2

    Karlov's player aimed to leverage life gain triggers to grow Karlov and remove threats one by one but was ultimately outpaced by Esika's tempo and board presence.

  • 3

    The interaction between life gain and removal highlighted Karlov's resilience but also its vulnerability to persistent, high-impact creatures from Esika's deck.

Notable Cards

  • Karlov of the Ghost Council

    Karlov of the Ghost Council

  • Esika, God of the Tree // The Prismatic Bridge

    Esika, God of the Tree // The Prismatic Bridge

  • The Prismatic Bridge // The Prismatic Bridge

    The Prismatic Bridge // The Prismatic Bridge

Gameplay Summary

The game featured a matchup between Karlov of the Ghost Council and Esika, God of the Tree // The Prismatic Bridge in a Duel Commander format.

Early game pacing was slow, with both players developing their boards cautiously.

Karlov's player focused on building a resilient board state through incremental life gain and removal, leveraging Karlov's ability to grow stronger with each life gain trigger.

Meanwhile, the Esika deck aimed to ramp mana quickly and cheat powerful legendary creatures into play using The Prismatic Bridge's ability, creating diverse threats that pressured Karlov's defenses. A key turning point occurred when Esika successfully resolved The Prismatic Bridge, enabling repeated deployment of impactful legendary creatures that swung the board state heavily in their favor.

Karlov's player attempted to stabilize through targeted removal and life gain triggers but struggled against the continuous stream of threats.

The game ultimately tilted towards Esika's deck, whose synergy and board presence overwhelmed Karlov's incremental advantage, leading to a decisive victory through sustained creature combat and value generated by legendary permanents.

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