Akiri v Edgar v Rafiq v Yuriko [EDH/Commander Gameplay] 2020

Deck Strategies

• 

  Akiri, Fearless Voyager

  A fast equipment-focused aggro deck that aims to quickly equip powerful auras and equipment like Sword of Fire and Ice to cheap creatures, generating card advantage and dealing consistent early damage.

• 

  Edgar Markov

  A vampire tribal deck that leverages Edgar’s eminence ability to create vampire tokens, uses cards like Champion of Dusk for card draw and life gain, and builds overwhelming board presence with tokens and pump effects to close out the game.

• 

  Rafiq of the Many

  An aggressive commander that uses exalted triggers to boost single attackers, combined with ramp and evasive creatures to deliver heavy commander damage quickly, pressuring multiple opponents.

• 

  Yuriko, the Tiger's Shadow

  A ninja-themed deck that uses ninjutsu to sneak in unblockable damage, triggering Yuriko’s ability to reveal and cast impactful spells from the top of the library, dealing damage to all opponents while maintaining control and card advantage.

Gameplay Insights

• 1

  Equipping Sword of Fire and Ice early on enabled Akiri to draw cards and control key opposing creatures, limiting Yuriko’s ability to develop her board.

• 2

  Edgar Markov’s eminence ability consistently created vampire tokens, allowing him to maintain board presence even when under pressure.

• 3

  Yuriko’s use of Seagate Restoration combined with Scheming Symmetry was a clever synergy to ensure land drops and simultaneous damage to opponents.

• 4

  Collaborative plays between Edgar and Rafiq helped to eliminate the biggest threats before focusing on the eventual winner.

• 5

  Sunforger protected key creatures by granting protection from black, allowing Edgar to continue attacking despite removal spells.

• 6

  Late-game emblem generation by Edgar Markov significantly increased his board’s power, overwhelming opponents with multiple pumps and life gain.

Notable Cards

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  Sword of Fire and Ice

• 

  Champion of Dusk

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  Sunforger

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  Familiar's Ruse

• 

  Mother of Runes

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  Cryptic Command

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  Lightning Greaves

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  Indulgent Aristocrat

• 

  Sorin, Lord of Innistrad

Summary

The game featured an aggressive four-player pod with Akiri, Fearless Voyager; Edgar Markov; Rafiq of the Many; and Yuriko, the Tiger's Shadow. Early turns saw rapid development of aggressive boards, with Akiri quickly equipping Sword of Fire and Ice to Fervent Champion, generating card advantage and board control. Edgar Markov leveraged his vampire tribal synergies alongside Champion of Dusk to generate tokens and draw cards, steadily building his board and life total. Rafiq applied pressure with evasive commander damage while utilizing ramp and card advantage sources. Yuriko, piloted by Adrian, focused on leveraging ninjutsu and damage triggers to reveal impactful spells like Familiar's Ruse and Seagate Restoration, dealing damage to all opponents while maintaining card advantage. Despite this, Yuriko was targeted early, with Sword of Fire and Ice preventing her from establishing her usual board state. Key turning points included a board wipe of Yuriko's defenses, collaborative efforts between Edgar and Rafiq to deliver large commander damage strikes, and Edgar's late-game emblem generation which overwhelmed opponents. Ultimately, Edgar Markov's vampire tribal synergies and life gain proved decisive, delivering a commanding victory in the mid-to-late game. The game highlighted the tension in aggressive pods where multiple players threaten to win simultaneously, requiring careful prioritization of threats and timing. Equipment like Sword of Fire and Ice and Sunforger played crucial roles, enhancing creature threats and controlling the board. Yuriko's ability to deal damage through triggers and disruption was notable, but she was ultimately outpaced by the vampire tribal synergy and aggressive commander damage strategies.