Dralnu vs Ramirez vs Lyzolda vs Ur-Dragon EDH / CMDR game play for Magic: The Gathering

Deck Strategies

• 

  Scion of the Ur-Dragon

  Ramp mana quickly to cast powerful Dragon creatures and leverage Dragon synergies. Use card draw and tutoring spells to assemble combos like Paradox Engine and Exsanguinate for life gain and drain, controlling the board with dragons and spells.

• 

  Ramirez DePietro

  Utilize ninjutsu to generate incremental card advantage and tempo. Employ bounce effects and recursion from the graveyard to maintain board presence while cycling through cards rapidly.

• 

  Lyzolda, the Blood Witch

  Apply pressure via life gain and damage triggers from creatures and enchantments like Bounties Monument. Use sacrifice and damage synergies to chip away at opponents' life totals.

• 

  Dralnu, Lich Lord

  Control the game with counterspells and draw/land synergy. Utilize life gain and disruption to maintain board control and outlast opponents.

Gameplay Insights

• 1

  Matt’s casting of Paradox Engine and chaining it with draw spells and Exsanguinate created a strong life swing and card advantage engine pivotal to his board control and win potential.

• 2

  Use of bounce and recursion effects by Ramirez DePietro to maintain tempo and pressure, especially using ninjutsu to draw extra cards while avoiding blockers.

• 3

  Effective timing of counterspells like Swan Song and Cryptic Command prevented opponents from establishing their key spells and combos, showing high-level control play.

• 4

  Impact Tremors and similar damage triggers created incremental damage that influenced combat decisions and life total management throughout the game.

• 5

  Sacrificing permanents to protect combos and prevent target lock-downs (such as sacrificing Paradox Engine) was necessary to mitigate opponent disruption.

Notable Cards

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  Paradox Engine

• 

  Exsanguinate

• 

  Impact Tremors

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  Scourge of the Throne

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  Stormbreath Dragon

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  Broodmate Dragon

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  Mystical Tutor

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  Snuff Out

• 

  Cryptic Command

• 

  Swan Song

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  Thought Vessel

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  Waterfront Bouncer

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  Ninja of the Deep Hours

• 

  Anger of the Gods

Summary

The game featured a dynamic four-player Commander match with Scion of the Ur-Dragon, Ramirez DePietro, Lyzolda the Blood Witch, and Dralnu, Lich Lord leading their respective decks. Early turns saw players developing their mana bases and casting key ramp spells like Cultivate, Birds of Paradise, and Evolving Wilds. Matt, piloting the Ur-Dragon deck, focused on ramping into impactful dragons and value creatures, while Harry with Ramirez DePietro utilized ninjutsu and card draw engines like Thought Vessel and Waterfront Bouncer to generate tempo and card advantage. Significant turns included Matt casting Paradox Engine followed by Mystical Tutor to set up an Exsanguinate on top of his library, enabling a powerful life drain and gain swing that kept him healthy and pressured the table. There was heavy interaction involving bounce spells, counters like Swan Song and Cryptic Command, and removal such as Snuff Out to keep board states in check. Impact Tremors and other damage triggers created incremental damage to all players, making life totals fluctuate. Matt leveraged Dragon synergies effectively, summoning threats like Stormbreath Dragon, Hellkite, and Broodmate Dragon, while Sean's Lyzolda deck applied pressure with creatures and life gain via Bounties Monument and Anger of the Gods. The game revolved around controlling the board with counters and removal while ramping aggressively into high-impact dragons and combos. Matt's use of Paradox Engine combined with Exsanguinate and card draw proved a crucial turning point, allowing him to swing the game in his favor through massive life swings and board presence. The other players attempted to disrupt Matt’s plans with bounce and removal, but the synergy and card advantage from the Ur-Dragon deck positioned him strongly by mid to late game.