Sidisi vs Anafenza vs Kadena vs Zurgo EDH / CMDR game play from Magic Fest Montreal 2019

Deck Strategies

• 

  Anafenza, the Foremost

  A midrange creature-focused deck that emphasizes resilient threats and graveyard hate, using Anafenza's ability to bolster creatures and recursion spells like Replenish to recover enchantments and maintain board presence.

• 

  Kadena, Slinking Sorcerer

  A morph and enchantment synergy deck that ramps aggressively with artifacts and enchantments, leveraging morph creatures and spells like Scroll of Fate to gain card advantage and board control.

• 

  Zurgo Helmsmasher

  An aggressive red-white deck that focuses on fast, hard-hitting combatants, supported by equipment and burn spells, using Zurgo's indestructibility and combat prowess to apply relentless pressure.

• 

  Sidisi, Brood Tyrant

  A graveyard-centric deck that uses threshold and reanimation to swarm the board with zombies and other creatures, employing cards like Stitched Together and Protein Hulk to build a resilient army.

Gameplay Insights

• 1

  Kevin’s use of Zealous Conscripts to steal key creatures like Nezha Hall significantly disrupted opponents' board states and gave him vital tempo advantage.

• 2

  Casting Wrath of God while Zurgo was indestructible maximized board control and allowed Kevin to reset the game state favorably.

• 3

  Matt’s effective use of Replenish to return multiple enchantments after a board wipe was crucial in regaining momentum and rebuilding his board presence.

• 4

  Francis’s threshold and graveyard strategies created strong zombie tokens but were ultimately countered by repeated board wipes and creature theft.

• 5

  Kevin’s strategic deployment of Mishra’s Jeté and equipment on Zurgo created a persistent threat that pressured opponents continuously.

• 6

  Use of City of Solitude to grant indestructibility to Zurgo Helmsmasher protected key threats from removal and board wipes, enabling sustained aggression.

Notable Cards

• 

  Zurgo Helmsmasher

• 

  Anafenza, the Foremost

• 

  Sidisi, Brood Tyrant

• 

  Kadena, Slinking Sorcerer

• 

  Zealous Conscripts

• 

  Agent of Erebos

• 

  Replenish

• 

  Wrath of God

• 

  City of Solitude

• 

  Scroll of Fate

• 

  Starfield of Nyx

• 

  Mother of Runes

• 

  Anguished Unmaking

• 

  Eternal Witness

Summary

The game begins with all four players developing their mana bases and establishing their early board presence. Kevin, piloting Zurgo Helmsmasher, aggressively pressures opponents with Zurgo and utilizes cards like Mother of Runes and Zealous Conscripts to control combat and steal key creatures. Matt, with Anafenza, the Foremost, plays a midrange strategy focusing on creature resilience and recursion, frequently using cards like Agent of Erebos and Replenish to sustain his board. Francis, on Sidisi, Brood Tyrant, leverages graveyard synergies, casting threshold cards like Stitched Together and Protein Hulk to maintain a strong undead presence. Matthias, playing Kadena, Slinking Sorcerer, employs morphs, artifact ramp, and enchantments like Scroll of Fate and Starfield of Nyx to build a versatile and threatening board state. A major turning point occurs when Kevin uses Wrath of God to clear the board while Zurgo remains indestructible, significantly shifting the tempo in his favor. Despite board wipes, Matt efficiently rebuilds his forces with Replenish and Eternal Witness, capitalizing on enchantment synergies to overwhelm opponents. Francis attempts combos involving reanimation targets but ultimately struggles to find answers, leading to his concession. Kevin continues to escalate pressure by equipping Zurgo with Mishra’s Jeté and casting powerful spells like Anguished Unmaking to maintain board control. Throughout the game, strategic combat decisions, such as stealing creatures with Zealous Conscripts and using the City of Solitude for indestructibility, define the flow. The game culminates in Kevin's Zurgo deck asserting dominance and winning through consistent damage output and resilient threats supported by powerful artifact and enchantment synergies.