Commander Adventures #21 - Riku v. Yawgmoth v. Merieke v. Kami [EDH GAMEPLAY]

Deck Strategies

• 

  Riku of Two Reflections

  Ramp into powerful creatures and spells, then double their effects with Riku's ability to generate value and control the game through copying spells and creatures.

• 

  Yawgmoth, Thran Physician

  Establish sacrifice loops and graveyard recursion to drain opponents' life, generate tokens, and maintain board control through incremental value and attrition.

• 

  Merieke Ri Berit

  Control the board by taking opponents' creatures, disrupting their plans, and leveraging her commander to lock down key threats while setting up a potential combo finish.

• 

  Kami of the Crescent Moon

  Use card draw, bounce spells, and counterspells to control the tempo of the game, aiming to out-resource opponents and create opportunities for a big finisher.

Gameplay Insights

• 1

  Riku's use of Fireball combined with mana acceleration and mana sinks helped apply pressure and maintain board presence despite control elements.

• 2

  Yawgmoth's sacrifice engine with Grave Pact and Deathgreeter created continuous board clearing and life gain, forcing opponents to carefully manage their creatures.

• 3

  Kami's overloaded Cyclonic Rift was a pivotal play that wiped the board, allowing a reset in a complex board state and opening new strategic avenues.

• 4

  Merieke's control of key creatures like Jace's Archivist and attempts to leverage Enter the Infinite highlighted the deck's potential to end games through combo but was disrupted by opponents' counter plays.

• 5

  The final sequence of Windfall combined with Snapcaster Mage and overloaded Cyclonic Rift led to all players decking themselves simultaneously, showcasing a high-level understanding of timing and resource manipulation.

Notable Cards

• 

  Cyclonic Rift

• 

  Yawgmoth, Thran Physician

• 

  Merieke Ri Berit

• 

  Riku of Two Reflections

• 

  Jace's Erasure

• 

  Sphinx's Tutelage

• 

  Enter the Infinite

• 

  Snapcaster Mage

• 

  Grave Pact

• 

  Nest of Scarabs

Summary

The game began with typical ramp and resource development from all four players, each setting up their board and early mana base. Riku focused on ramping and value creatures, Yawgmoth established a sacrifice and value engine with grave pact and graveyard recursion, Merieke aimed to control the board with her commander and suppression effects, while Kami leveraged card draw and bounce spells. Early skirmishes included targeted removal and control plays, such as Riku's fireball triggering responses and Merieke taking control of opponents' creatures. The board state became cluttered with tokens, sacrifice fodder, and value engines, particularly around Yawgmoth's sacrifice loops and graveyard synergies. A major turning point occurred when Kami overloaded Cyclonic Rift to clear the board, resetting the battlefield and enabling fresh plays. Later, a critical interaction involved Merieke attempting to combo off with Enter the Infinite, paired with card draw and mill effects from Jace's Erasure and Sphinx's Tutelage, threatening to mill out all opponents. However, Riku responded with an overloaded Cyclonic Rift that bounced all nonland permanents and then used Snapcaster Mage with Windfall to refill and disrupt. This sequence led all four players to deck themselves simultaneously, resulting in a rare and unexpected game-ending draw.