Clash of the Commander Shows - The Nitpicking Nerds - EDH Gameplay Ep 74

Deck Strategies

• 

  Edgar Markov

  Uses vampire tribal synergies to generate aggressive vampire tokens and drain opponents' life through combat damage and triggered abilities, aiming to overwhelm opponents quickly.

• 

  Karador, Ghost Chieftain

  Utilizes graveyard recursion and a mix of nostalgic favorite creatures to generate value over time, relying on creature recursion and incremental advantage rather than combo.

• 

  Lazav, Dimir Mastermind

  A control-oriented deck that mills opponents to fuel Lazav’s ability to copy powerful creatures from graveyards, maintaining board control while disrupting opponents' plans.

• 

  Kaalia of the Vast

  Aggressively cheats large angels, demons, and dragons onto the battlefield whenever she attacks, aiming to quickly establish a dominating board presence and pressure opponents.

Gameplay Insights

• 1

  Playing Emeria, the Promised Land early to generate value through land drops was a key part of Karador’s strategy, but its timely removal by Booka Bog disrupted this plan significantly.

• 2

  Lazav’s ability to copy creatures from opponents' graveyards after milling forced the table to focus on graveyard management and made each mill effect more threatening.

• 3

  Kaalia's deployment of her commander early and consistently cheating in big threats pressured opponents to use removal spells preemptively, shaping the dynamics of the combat phases.

• 4

  Edgar Markov’s aggressive token production and life drain created a fast clock that forced opponents to balance between defense and advancing their own board state.

Notable Cards

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  Talisman of Indulgence

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  Sakura-Tribe Elder

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  Vault of the Archangel

Summary

The game started with players developing their boards cautiously while setting up their strategies. Kaalia of the Vast quickly established a threatening presence by deploying herself and aiming to cheat powerful angels, demons, and dragons into play, putting pressure on the table early. Karador, Ghost Chieftain took a more nostalgic and value-driven approach, relying on favorite and synergistic creatures to generate incremental advantage. Lazav, Dimir Mastermind focused on a control and mill strategy, aiming to manipulate the graveyard and copy opponent creatures to control the board. Edgar Markov leveraged vampire tribal synergies to build a wide board presence and life drain effects, steadily pressuring opponents with aggressive vampire tokens and combat damage. Key turning points included the destruction of a critical Emeria, the Promised Land, by a Booka Bog play that disrupted Karador’s graveyard setup. Lazav’s ability to copy impactful creatures from opponents’ graveyards created an ongoing threat that demanded attention. Edgar Markov’s vampire tokens and aggressive life drain began to shift the game tempo as opponents scrambled to stabilize. Kaalia’s consistent ability to cheat high-impact angels, demons, and dragons onto the battlefield made her a formidable threat that forced opponents to prioritize removal against her. The game revolved around graveyard interactions, milling, and maximizing the value of powerful creatures on board, culminating in a tense battle of attrition and board control.