Rakdos vs Karrthus vs Temmet vs Ur-Dragon EDH / CMDR game play for Magic: The Gathering

Deck Strategies

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  Karrthus, Tyrant of Jund

  A Jund elemental and dragon tribal deck that aims to generate value through elemental triggers and aggressive creatures, utilizing equipment and ramp to pressure opponents early and sustain board presence.

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  Temmet, Vizier of Naktamun

  A token and go-wide strategy leveraging Temmet's ability to generate multiple creature tokens, combined with planeswalkers and anthem effects to pump tokens and swarm opponents.

• 

  Rakdos, Lord of Riots

  An aggressive Eldrazi and artifact synergy deck that uses Rakdos's ability to cast big creatures for cheap by dealing damage to opponents, while controlling the board with spells like Toxic Deluge and recurring threats with cards like Cauldron of Souls.

• 

  The Ur-Dragon

  A dragon tribal ramp deck focused on casting large dragons and leveraging dragon synergies, supported by mana acceleration and anthem effects to overwhelm opponents with powerful flying creatures.

Gameplay Insights

• 1

  Using Toxic Deluge to clear a wide token board effectively set back the Ur-Dragon player's momentum.

• 2

  Matt's timely counterspell Swan Song on Orzhov's Expertise prevented a major draw and swing, showcasing strong interaction.

• 3

  Rakdos player capitalized on artifact destruction combined with damage triggers to eliminate Shawn's key creatures, shifting the board advantage decisively.

• 4

  The use of exalted creatures by Matt to deliver incremental damage built up to significant life gain and board pressure early in the game.

• 5

  Shawn's repeated pumping of his creatures using Nissa and other abilities maximized combat damage output but was ultimately stymied by removal and board wipes.

• 6

  Rakdos's ability to cast large threats cheaply through opponents' damage allowed rapid board development and lethal swings.

Notable Cards

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  Temmet, Vizier of Naktamun

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  Rakdos, Lord of Riots

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  The Ur-Dragon

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  Toxic Deluge

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  Collected Company

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  Cauldron of Souls

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  Path to Exile

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  Reality Shift

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  Steel Hellkite

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  Cyclonic Rift

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  Anointed Procession

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  Nissa, Voice of Zendikar

• 

  Basilisk Collar

Summary

The game began with players establishing their mana bases and early board presence, with Temmet focusing on token generation and Rakdos setting up aggressive Eldrazi threats. Early combat saw Timet repeatedly attacking Ben with exalted triggers, while Shawn's Ur-Dragon deck ramped and cast powerful dragons, but was countered by Matt's timely spells. The board state escalated as Shawn built a wide board with Nissa and Anointed Procession, while the Rakdos player utilized damage-dealing creatures and spells like Toxic Deluge to control the battlefield. A pivotal moment occurred when the Rakdos player used Collected Company and Cauldron of Souls to generate value and maintain pressure, eventually casting Kozilek and Steel Hellkite to threaten lethal damage. Matt's deck tried to stabilize with removal such as Path to Exile and Reality Shift, while Shawn’s Ur-Dragon was repeatedly disrupted. The Rakdos player managed to use Colton's Command to destroy a key artifact and finish off Shawn by killing his creatures, significantly swinging the game. In the final stages, the Rakdos player set up lethal damage with a combination of creatures and artifacts, while Matt and Ben struggled to contain the growing threats, with Rakdos ultimately dominating the late game through relentless aggression and recursive threats.