Captain N'gathrod VS Varina 1v1 EDH/CMDR Gameplay

Deck Strategies

• 

  Varina, Lich Queen

  Focuses on creating a wide board of zombies, leveraging cost reducers and zombie synergies to flood the battlefield. Uses milling and zombie token generation to eventually drain opponents through damage based on zombie count.

• 

  Captain N'ghathrod

  Utilizes milling combined with graveyard recursion to generate value, creating tokens from the sacrifice of creatures and equipment. Employs unblockable threats and token generation to deal steady damage and overwhelm opponents.

Gameplay Insights

• 1

  Using Extract from Darkness to mill and then resurrect key creatures maximized board presence and value generation.

• 2

  Equipping Dowsing Dagger to Captain N'ghathrod and making him unblockable was crucial for dealing consistent damage.

• 3

  Sacrificing Magus of the Bridge to create multiple zombie tokens significantly increased damage output and life gain.

• 4

  The opponent’s damage ability tied to zombie count turned lethal against themselves due to the large zombie army on the board.

Notable Cards

• 

  Captain N'ghathrod

• 

  Varina, Lich Queen

• 

  Dowsing Dagger // Lost Vale

• 

  Extract from Darkness

• 

  Magus of the Bridge

• 

  Rogue's Passage

• 

  Thought Vessel

• 

  Soaring Thought-Thief

• 

  Corpse Harvester

Summary

The game began with both players developing their mana bases and establishing early board presence. Varina, Lich Queen focused on assembling a zombie army through cards like Soaring Thought-Thief and Undead Augur, leveraging cost reduction effects to flood the board with zombies. Captain N'ghathrod, on the other hand, utilized his precon deck's synergy between sacrifice, milling, and token generation to pressure Varina early. Key plays included casting Captain N'ghathrod himself to enable unblockable attacks and recurring value from milling, alongside equipping Dowsing Dagger to create additional threats. A pivotal moment occurred when Captain N'ghathrod’s player combined Extract from Darkness with their graveyard to resurrect Wavered Servant and Dowsing Dagger, activating multiple triggers to generate tokens and board advantage. The game turned decisively when a large unblockable creature (7/7) was swung through thanks to Rogue's Passage and equipment, dealing significant damage and triggering life gain. Ultimately, the opponent's ability to force damage equal to the number of zombies on the battlefield backfired, resulting in self-inflicted lethal damage and a win for Captain N'ghathrod’s player.