Who's The Beatdown??? ft. Edgar Markov, Myrel, Akiri, and Zhulodok [EDH/Commander Gameplay 2023]

Deck Strategies

• 

  Zhulodok, Void Gorger

  Cast large colorless spells with cascade to generate multiple creatures for board presence, focusing on volume and overwhelming opponents with big threats.

• 

  Akiri, Fearless Voyager

  Aggressive equipment-based strategy that enhances creatures quickly, protects key attackers, and draws cards through combat damage to maintain tempo and pressure.

• 

  Myrel, Shield of Argive

  Token generation with soldier artifact creatures combined with a locking ability that restricts opponents' spellcasting and activated abilities during combat, aiming to control the board and win through attrition.

• 

  Edgar Markov

  Vampire tribal deck that produces vampire tokens with each vampire cast, building a wide board and leveraging tribal synergies to apply constant pressure and overwhelm opponents.

Gameplay Insights

• 1

  Drannith Magistrate was used effectively to lock down opponents’ commanders, preventing them from casting or activating abilities, which slowed the game and forced strategic adjustments.

• 2

  Akiri's use of equipment to both increase power and protect recruiters created strong, resilient attackers that drew cards and maintained board pressure.

• 3

  Myrel's token generation combined with her locking ability created a strong defensive setup that also pressured opponents during combat phases.

• 4

  Edgar Markov’s vampire token production allowed him to rapidly build a threatening board state, leveraging tribal synergies to keep the pressure on multiple players.

• 5

  Zhulodok’s cascade triggers maximized value from each large colorless spell cast, allowing him to deploy multiple big creatures and maintain board presence.

Notable Cards

• 

  Drannith Magistrate

• 

  Legion Lieutenant

• 

  Smothering Tithe

• 

  Forsaken Monument

• 

  Esper Sentinel

Summary

The game started with a relatively slow and cautious pace, with players developing their boards and ramping mana. Zhulodok, Void Gorger, cascaded into multiple colorless spells to flood the board with large creatures, aiming to leverage his cascade triggers. Akiri, Fearless Voyager’s player equipped various equipment to quickly bolster aggressive creatures, focusing on protecting key attackers and drawing cards to maintain pressure. Myrel, Shield of Argive built a token army of soldier artifacts, locking down opponents' ability to cast spells or activate abilities when attacking, creating a strong defensive and offensive presence. Edgar Markov, as the classic vampire tribal commander, steadily produced vampire tokens with each vampire cast, applying consistent pressure and benefiting from tribal synergies. One key turning point was the deployment of lock pieces like the Drannith Magistrate, which limited opponents' ability to cast commanders and other spells, reshaping the flow of the game by restricting responses and slowing down potential combos. The game revolved around board presence, incremental advantage through tokens and equipment, and maintaining pressure to find an opening for a decisive alpha strike or gradually overwhelming opponents through attrition and synergy.