Kozilek vs Ravos | Reyhan vs Freyalise vs Ikra | Vial Smasher EDH / CMDR game play

Deck Strategies

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  Vial Smasher the Fierce

  Utilizes aggressive spell-slinging powered by Vial Smasher's damage trigger paired with sacrificing lands to ramp and recur key spells from the graveyard, aiming to control the board and chip away at opponents' life totals.

• 

  Ravos, Soultender and Reyhan, Last of the Abzan

  A partner combo focusing on value creatures and graveyard recursion, ramping mana and developing a resilient board state to support combat and attrition.

• 

  Kozilek, the Great Distortion

  Colorless Eldrazi deck that utilizes powerful colorless lands, ramp, and disruption cards like strip mines and all is dust, aiming to control the board and cast massive Eldrazi threats.

• 

  Freyalise, Llanowar's Fury

  Elf tribal deck focusing on rapid mana ramp, token generation, and pumping elves with anthem effects, culminating in overwhelming opponents with a large swarm and big finishers like Craterhoof Behemoth.

• 

  Ikra Shidiqi, the Usurper

  A life-gain focused deck that leverages Ikra's ability to drain life from opponents when creatures deal damage, supporting a defensive and attrition-based playstyle.

Gameplay Insights

• 1

  The elf tribal deck capitalized on token generation and anthem effects, quickly building a massive board presence that pressured all opponents simultaneously.

• 2

  Vial Smasher's damage trigger was effectively used to weaken opponents while ramping aggressively by sacrificing lands for maximum value.

• 3

  The colorless Eldrazi deck used strip mines and wastelands to disrupt opponents' lands, although it struggled to fully capitalize on its commanders this game.

• 4

  Reap the Past was a key recursion spell that allowed Vial Smasher's player to recover key cards from the graveyard, maintaining tempo and options.

• 5

  The timely casting of Craterhoof Behemoth with a large elf army was the decisive turning point, forcing concessions and ending the game.

• 6

  Not using All Is Dust earlier was a missed opportunity for the Eldrazi player to potentially reset the board and slow down the overwhelming elf swarm.

Notable Cards

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  Vial Smasher the Fierce

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  Freyalise, Llanowar's Fury

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  Craterhoof Behemoth

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  Elvish Promenade

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  Priest of Titania

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  Reap the Past

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  Relic of Progenitus

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  Strip Mine

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  All Is Dust

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  Ramunap Excavator

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  Vizier of the Menagerie

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  Sylvan Library

Summary

The game featured a diverse group of commanders with distinct strategies, including a powerful elf tribal deck, a colorless Eldrazi deck, and a spell-slinging Vial Smasher deck. Early turns saw ramp and setup plays, with players developing their mana bases and casting key creatures like Arbor Elf, Elvish Mystic, and Vial Smasher. The elf tribal player, leveraging Freyalise's token generation, quickly amassed a large board presence, culminating in casting Elvish Promenade to flood the board with elf warriors. With multiple anthem effects and pump spells, the elf deck surged ahead, eventually overwhelming opponents with a massive Craterhoof Behemoth finisher after generating an enormous mana pool from Priest of Titania and other elf synergies. The game ended with a decisive combat phase, where the overwhelming number of elves forced a concession from the table.