Ruric Thar vs Edgar Markov vs The Reality Chip vs Abdel Adrian [EDH/Commander, MTG Gameplay 2022]

Deck Strategies

• 

  Ruric Thar, the Unbowed

  Cast Primal Surge to cheat a creature-heavy deck onto the battlefield, using creatures like Kiki-Jiki and Zealous Conscripts for combo kills, emphasizing aggression and combo finishers.

• 

  Edgar Markov

  Build a vampire tribal army quickly, leveraging vampire synergies to apply pressure and outpace opponents through wide board presence and incremental damage.

• 

  The Reality Chip

  Use artifact mana rocks and card draw to ramp and assemble combos that generate massive advantage, controlling the board and accelerating towards a decisive combo finish.

• 

  Abdel Adrian, Gorion's Ward

  Set up the Worldgorger Dragon and Agent of the Iron Throne combo to exile and repeatedly return permanents, enabling an infinite loop to wipe opponents or generate overwhelming board states.

Gameplay Insights

• 1

  Wayne prioritized ramping and casting Primal Surge early to unleash his creature combo quickly, putting pressure on opponents to disrupt him before he could execute his plan.

• 2

  Abdel Adrian efficiently used animate dead effects to bring back key combo pieces like Worldgorger Dragon, enabling the infinite exile-return loop with Agent of the Iron Throne.

• 3

  Edgar Markov leveraged vampire tribal synergies to steadily grow his board and apply consistent damage, forcing opponents to respond or take heavy hits.

• 4

  The Reality Chip focused on building artifact mana and drawing cards to assemble combos and maintain control over the game’s tempo.

• 5

  Players carefully chose when to attack or hold back creatures to avoid feeding into potential board wipes or combo triggers, highlighting cautious and strategic gameplay.

• 6

  Targeted removal and disruption were critical, especially to slow down Wayne's Primal Surge threat and Abdel's infinite combo setup.

Notable Cards

• 

  Primal Surge

• 

  Kiki-Jiki, Mirror Breaker

• 

  Zealous Conscripts

• 

  Agent of the Iron Throne

• 

  Worldgorger Dragon

• 

  Legion's Landing // Adanto, the First Fort

• 

  Animate Dead

• 

  Grand Architect

• 

  Dark Ritual

• 

  Sylvan Library

Summary

The game featured a dynamic four-player Commander match with Ruric Thar, the Unbowed; Edgar Markov; The Reality Chip; and Abdel Adrian, Gorion's Ward as the commanders. Early turns established board presence with aggressive plays from Edgar Markov using vampire tribal synergies, while Abdel Adrian focused on assembling a Worldgorger Dragon combo involving Agent of the Iron Throne to enable an infinite loop that could wipe out opponents. The Reality Chip sought to leverage artifact and combo synergies, building up mana and card advantage to set up a powerful mid-game. Ruric Thar’s deck aimed to cast Primal Surge and overwhelm the table with creatures and combo pieces such as Kiki-Jiki, Zealous Conscripts, and Mirror Breaker, capitalizing on the creature-heavy deck to close out the game quickly if the combo resolved. Throughout the game, players jockeyed for position with careful resource management and targeted attacks. Key moments included Abdel Adrian successfully animating lands and setting up his combo, Edgar Markov growing his vampire army and applying pressure, and Wayne (Ruric Thar) threatening a Primal Surge that could turn the tide instantly. Tactical decisions about when to attack, hold back, or remove threats shaped the flow, with the various decks' unique strategies clashing in a complex interplay of board states. The Reality Chip’s capacity to generate card advantage through artifact mana rocks and draw spells also influenced the pace, forcing opponents to respond timely to prevent a runaway lead. In the end, the game revolved around managing these combo threats and tribal synergies, with each player presenting different win conditions: infinite combos, tribal aggro, and explosive creature-based surges. The intricate balance of aggressive plays, combo assembly, and countermeasures made for a tense and engaging match.