Teysa Karlov vs Trostani vs Ayula vs Athreos EDH / CMDR game play for Magic: the Gathering

Deck Strategies

• 

  Teysa Karlov

  Focuses on doubling death triggers and creating value from sacrificing creatures and tokens, leveraging synergy with aristocrat-style cards to drain opponents and control the board.

• 

  Ayula, Queen Among Bears

  Aggressive midrange deck that uses sacrifice outlets and tokens to drain life from opponents while applying pressure through efficient creatures and combat-focused buffs.

• 

  Trostani, Selesnya's Voice

  Token and life gain strategy that generates value from creating tokens, gaining life, and abusing sacrifice outlets like Ashnod's Altar and Black Market to fuel incremental advantages.

• 

  Athreos, God of Passage

  Utilizes Shadowborn Apostles and recursion effects to maintain a steady flow of creatures, leveraging life payment and sacrifice outlets to draw cards and disrupt opponents.

Gameplay Insights

• 1

  Sacrifice outlets like Ashnod's Altar and Zulaport Cutthroat enabled effective life drain loops, pressuring multiple opponents simultaneously.

• 2

  The destruction of Forebearers Blade curtailed equipment synergy, reducing the offensive potential of Teysa Karlov's deck.

• 3

  Cavalier of Dawn's removal ability was pivotal in destroying key enchantments such as Black Market, disrupting Trostani's resource generation.

• 4

  Players carefully timed combat blocks to maximize the value of death triggers and minimize damage intake, showcasing the importance of tactical defense.

• 5

  Necropotence and Shadowborn Apostle recursion allowed Athreos to maintain card advantage despite board pressure and life loss.

• 6

  The use of Zendikar Resurgent provided significant ramp and card draw, enabling explosive midgame plays and board development.

• 7

  Players leveraged triggers from commanders and equipment to incrementally weaken opponents while bolstering their own board states.

Notable Cards

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  Talisman of Hierarchy

• 

  Thought Vessel

• 

  Shadowborn Apostle

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  Skullclamp

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  Ashnod's Altar

• 

  Zulaport Cutthroat

• 

  Necropotence

• 

  Cavalier of Dawn

• 

  Black Market

• 

  Karametra's Blessing

• 

  Zendikar Resurgent

• 

  Tectonic Edge

• 

  Beast Within

• 

  Blood Artist

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  Dictate of Erebos

• 

  Vanquisher's Banner

Summary

The game started with players developing their mana bases and establishing early board presence through efficient creatures and ramp artifacts such as Soul Ring, Talisman of Hierarchy, and Thought Vessel. Early combat focused on incremental damage and token generation, with Teysa Karlov and Trostani leveraging their token synergies and life gain. Athreos, God of Passage, built a board of Shadowborn Apostles, utilizing recursive effects and life payment to maintain card advantage through Necropotence and sacrifice outlets. Ayula's deck centered around aggressive creatures and sacrifice combos to capitalize on life drain and board control. Midgame saw a flurry of interactions involving sacrifice outlets like Ashnod's Altar and Zulaport Cutthroat, enabling powerful drain loops and token generation. Key plays included the destruction of Forebearers Blade to disrupt equipment synergies, the use of Cavalier of Dawn for removal, and multiple board wipes that shifted tempo. A pivotal moment occurred when the player controlling Ayula used Cavalier of Dawn to destroy the heavily stacked Black Market, significantly hindering Trostani's resource engine. The game featured sustained combat exchanges with players carefully blocking and using their commanders' abilities to chip away at opponents, while also managing life totals with life gain and drain triggers. The game continued with strategic plays around recursion, token generation, and incremental damage as each commander attempted to secure a winning board state.