Jodah vs Ivy vs Garna vs Balmor DOMINARIA UNITED | MTG Commander EDH Gameplay | QMTG thumbnail Blurred backdrop thumbnail
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Jodah vs Ivy vs Garna vs Balmor DOMINARIA UNITED | MTG Commander EDH Gameplay | QMTG

Quintessential MTG


Commanders featured in this Gameplay Reviewed & Verified

Decklists

Deck & Commander Strategies

  • Jodah, the Unifier

    Jodah, the Unifier

    Build a five-color legendary creature army, leveraging legendary synergies and powerful spells to overwhelm opponents with diverse threats.

  • Garna, Bloodfist of Keld

    Garna, Bloodfist of Keld

    Aggressive red-green beatdown focused on attacking with creatures and triggering combat damage abilities to drain opponents' life and generate board advantage.

  • Ivy, Gleeful Spellthief

    Ivy, Gleeful Spellthief

    Spellslinging and tempo control by bouncing creatures, copying spells, and stealing opponents' abilities to disrupt and seize board control.

  • Balmor, Battlemage Captain

    Balmor, Battlemage Captain

    Historic spells and flash creatures to generate card advantage and maintain a flexible, reactive board state with legendary-focused synergies.

Gameplay Insights

  • 1

    Jodah's player prioritized ramp and legendary synergy, using Plaza of Heroes and legendary permanents to enable aggressive multi-color casting.

  • 2

    Garna's player split attacks to maximize combat triggers, effectively spreading damage and forcing opponents into tough blocking decisions.

  • 3

    Ivy's player used bounce effects and spell copying to maintain tempo and disrupt opponents' board development.

  • 4

    Balmor's player leveraged flash creatures like Rath to maintain board presence and surprise opponents during combat phases.

  • 5

    The use of historic spells and legendary permanents created recurring value and card draw, allowing players to sustain pressure and recover from board wipes.

Notable Cards

  • Plaza of Heroes

    Plaza of Heroes

  • Loyal Apprentice

    Loyal Apprentice

  • Minamo, School at Water's Edge

    Minamo, School at Water's Edge

  • Reki, the History of Kamigawa

    Reki, the History of Kamigawa

  • Cyclonic Rift

    Cyclonic Rift

  • Ardent Elementalist

    Ardent Elementalist

  • Blood Artist

    Blood Artist

  • Stormchaser Mage

    Stormchaser Mage

Gameplay Summary

The game featured four players piloting decks led by Balmor, Battlemage Captain; Garna, Bloodfist of Keld; Ivy, Gleeful Spellthief; and Jodah, the Unifier.

Early turns involved establishing mana bases and deploying low-cost creatures and utility spells.

Jodah's deck focused on assembling a diverse army of legendary creatures, leveraging the new Plaza of Heroes and tapping into powerful legendary synergy.

Garna's deck aggressively attacked with creatures like loyal apprentices and leveraged combat triggers, applying early pressure on opponents.

Ivy's deck engaged in spellslinging with tempo plays, bouncing creatures and stealing abilities to control the board.

Balmor's deck played historically themed creatures and flash creatures, generating value through historic spellcasting and card draw. A key turning point came when Garna's player strategically attacked multiple opponents to spread out damage and trigger synergies, while Jodah's player used draw and land ramp spells to facilitate casting multiple legendary creatures.

Ivy's player demonstrated tactical control by bouncing creatures to hand and retaking board presence with a mix of spells, trying to disrupt others' plans.

Balmor's player flashed in Rath, a legendary creature with flying and flash, to maintain board presence and keep opponents off balance.

The game revolved around incremental advantage from legendary synergies, combat triggers, and spellslinging interactions, with each deck attempting to leverage their unique mechanics to outpace the others.

The gameplay highlighted the dynamic interplay between aggressive combat and control elements, with no single player dominating early, setting the stage for a multi-faceted endgame scenario.

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