Purphoros vs Toxrill vs Jodah vs Meria [EDH/Commander, Magic The Gathering Gameplay 2022]

Deck Strategies

• 

  Meria, Scholar of Antiquity

  Leverages artifact synergies to generate card advantage and value, using artifacts to fuel powerful plays and control the game until a win condition emerges.

• 

  Purphoros, God of the Forge

  Focuses on creating and deploying numerous creatures to trigger Purphoros's damage ability, aiming to chip away at opponents' life totals quickly and finish through repeated damage bursts.

• 

  Toxrill, the Corrosive

  Uses creatures and artifact interactions to build a resilient board presence with a focus on poison and corrosive effects, supported by mana acceleration and disruption.

• 

  Jodah, the Unifier

  Utilizes a legendary tribal and multi-color spell strategy that generates value from diverse legendary creatures, employing powerful spells to control the board and leverage the versatility of Jodah’s colors.

Gameplay Insights

• 1

  Using Gamble to tutor critical cards early accelerated the deck's setup and allowed for fast deployment of threats.

• 2

  Purphoros’s damage triggers created pressure on all players, forcing them to respond quickly or risk losing significant life each turn.

• 3

  The interaction between artifact synergies and creature deployment was a key factor in maintaining board presence and card advantage, especially for Meria’s deck.

• 4

  Players carefully chose which creatures to sacrifice or destroy in combat to mitigate incoming damage and preserve board control.

• 5

  Mana ramp and fixing with lands like Myriad Landscape and mana rocks enabled explosive plays and ensured access to multiple colors for Jodah and others.

• 6

  Treating lands as creatures, as seen with the swamp-related effects, introduced unique board interactions that complicated combat and removal decisions.

Notable Cards

• 

  Gamble

• 

  Priest of Titania

• 

  Sensei's Divining Top

• 

  Myriad Landscape

• 

  Reflecting Pool

• 

  Beast Within

• 

  Goblin Rabblemaster

• 

  Destiny Spinner

• 

  Captain Lannery Storm

Summary

The game featured a four-player Commander match with Meria, Scholar of Antiquity; Purphoros, God of the Forge; Toxrill, the Corrosive; and Jodah, the Unifier. Early turns focused on ramping mana and setting up key pieces, with each player deploying their commanders and starting their respective strategies. Purphoros aimed to leverage his ability to deal damage when creatures enter the battlefield, while Toxrill sought to build a corrosive presence on the board with creatures and artifacts. Meria focused on artifact synergies and card draw, and Jodah played a versatile legendary tribal deck with a variety of colors and spells. The board state evolved with several powerful creatures, mana rocks, and enchantments entering play, increasing the stakes and setting up for impactful combat phases. Notable moments included aggressive deployment of creatures like Priest of Titania and Krinko Street Kingpin, and the use of Gamble to tutor key cards quickly, accelerating the pace of the game. Players also made tactical decisions such as targeting opponents' threats while managing their own resources and life totals carefully. The game showed strong interplay between combat damage, creature abilities, and artifact interactions, with players jockeying for control and positioning for a win condition that could come from overwhelming damage, combo, or value engines.