New vs Old! Korvold vs Shorikai vs Zalto vs Kynaios & Tiro EDH / CMDR game play

Deck Strategies

• 

  Korvold, Fae-Cursed King

  Utilizes sacrifice outlets and token generation to draw cards, grow his commander, and control the board through incremental damage and card advantage.

• 

  Zalto, Fire Giant Duke

  Focuses on venturing through the Dungeon of the Mad Mage to cast free spells and equip his commander with powerful equipment and auras to maximize damage output.

• 

  Shorikai, Genesis Engine

  Leverages artifact synergy and crew mechanics to generate tokens, draw cards, and maintain board presence, applying pressure with evasive flyers.

• 

  Kynaios and Tiro of Meletis

  A group-hug style deck that ramps and draws cards for all players, enabling massive life gain and strategic combat while accelerating the game pace.

Gameplay Insights

• 1

  Korvold’s repeated sacrifice of creatures to Witch's Oven maximizes card draw and board growth, creating a strong snowball effect.

• 2

  Zalto’s use of dungeon venturing to cast Basilisk Collar for free significantly increases his commander’s threat level and board control.

• 3

  Shorikai’s activation for drawing multiple cards and creating pilot tokens enables efficient use of crewed flyers to apply consistent aerial pressure.

• 4

  Kynaios and Tiro’s group draw triggers facilitate rapid card advantage but also accelerate opponents’ strategies, requiring careful timing of life gain and damage spells.

• 5

  Mirage Mirror’s ability to copy Korvold midcombat disrupts opponent plans and allows for unexpected responses to board threats.

• 6

  The interaction of multiple equipment and auras on Zalto creates a threatening commander that demands immediate answers from other players.

• 7

  Strategic pinging to venture dungeons not only advances Zalto's game plan but also pressures opponents to react defensively.

Notable Cards

• 

  Witch's Oven

• 

  Mayhem Devil

• 

  Basilisk Collar

• 

  Torment of Hailfire

• 

  Shorikai, Genesis Engine

• 

  Parhelion II

• 

  Mask of Memory

• 

  Mirage Mirror

• 

  Replication Specialist

Summary

The game starts with players developing their mana bases and deploying early ramp and utility creatures. Korvold aggressively leverages sacrifice synergies, utilizing Witch's Oven and Mayhem Devil to draw cards, grow his board, and deal incremental damage. Zalto focuses on venturing through the Dungeon of the Mad Mage, equipping his commander with various auras and equipment to increase threat and utility. Shorikai utilizes crew and artifact synergy, generating pilot tokens and recurring utility creatures to maintain board presence and card advantage. Kynaios and Tiro plays a group-hug style deck, ramping quickly with creatures like Old-Growth Dryads and triggering his commander to draw cards for all players, thus accelerating the game pace. Midgame sees pivotal interactions such as Korvold sacrificing creatures to grow larger and draw cards, while Zalto completes the dungeon to cast powerful spells like Basilisk Collar for free, enhancing his commander’s lethality. Shorikai’s ability to generate tokens and crew flyers leads to steady aerial pressure, culminating in a significant combat step where Parhelion tokens deal lethal damage. Meanwhile, Kynaios and Tiro’s life gain and ramp keep him in the game, but he also plays a high-impact Torment of Hailfire, dealing damage distributed among opponents. The game’s tempo shifts with artifact recursion and strategic pings to commanders to venture dungeons, increasing the complexity of interactions. The match's defining moments revolve around Korvold’s sacrifice engine, Zalto’s dungeon completion, and Shorikai’s efficient token production enabling a lethal attack.