Thirsty Thursday with Runo vs Gor Muldrak vs Meren vs Kethis EDH / CMDR game play

Deck Strategies

• 

  Meren of Clan Nel Toth

  Focuses on sacrificing creatures to gain experience counters, then recurs creatures from the graveyard to maintain board presence and drain opponents’ life with synergy cards like Blood Artist.

• 

  Kethis, the Hidden Hand

  Leverages legendary spells and artifacts to ramp and control the board, using superfriends and utility creatures to disrupt opponents and gain incremental advantage.

• 

  Gor Muldrak, Amphinologist

  Generates numerous 4/3 salamander tokens through commander triggers and populates tokens to create wide boards, gaining card draw and overwhelming opponents with force of numbers.

• 

  Runo Stromkirk // Krothuss, Lord of the Deep

  Utilizes milling and top-deck manipulation to control opponent’s libraries and generate value, while attacking with evasive creatures and creating token copies to apply pressure.

Gameplay Insights

• 1

  Gor Muldrak doubling himself with a major spell led to a significant token flood, drastically shifting board presence and card advantage.

• 2

  Meren repeatedly sacrificed creatures to gain experience counters, enabling strong recursion and incremental drain damage through Blood Artist triggers.

• 3

  Runo’s use of Theft of Dreams to tap opponents’ creatures allowed multiple card draws, increasing hand resources and tempo.

• 4

  Miguel’s milling and token creation strategy synergized well with Runo’s abilities, enabling consistent pressure and board development.

• 5

  Maximus’s decision to stifle Marin’s experience counter trigger prevented potential recursion, illustrating timely disruption.

• 6

  Dom’s use of Mangara and Kaya helped control opponents’ threats and maintain board stability despite aggressive token swarms.

• 7

  The interaction between sacrifice outlets, token generation, and card draw created a dynamic game flow where incremental advantages snowballed into dominant board states.

Notable Cards

• 

  Blood Artist

• 

  Deranged Assistant

• 

  Mangara, the Diplomat

• 

  Kaya the Inexorable

• 

  Viscera Seer

• 

  Dread Return

• 

  Theft of Dreams

• 

  Caustic Caterpillar

• 

  Devoted Druid

• 

  Spawning Pit

Summary

The game began with each player establishing their board through early ramp and utility creatures, setting the stage for mid-game interactions. Meren of Clan Nel Toth focused on sacrificing creatures to gain experience counters and recurring threats, while Kethis, the Hidden Hand accelerated artifact and legendary spells to maintain board presence. Gor Muldrak generated numerous salamander tokens and leveraged his ability to populate and draw cards, creating a wide board and card advantage. Runo Stromkirk utilized milling and top-deck manipulation to maintain control and pressure opponents with evasive threats. A key turning point occurred when Gor Muldrak doubled himself with a major spell, resulting in a flood of tokens that overwhelmed the board and provided significant card draw. Meren’s recurring creatures and sacrifice outlets allowed steady incremental advantage and drain effects through cards like Blood Artist. Runo’s Theft of Dreams enabled multiple card draws by tapping opponents’ creatures, while Kethis facilitated powerful legendary plays including Mangara and Kaya to disrupt opponents and control the pace. Combat phases became pivotal as Gor Muldrak and Runo’s token armies clashed with Meren and Kethis’s synergistic creatures, with commander damage and token swarms shaping the board state. The game showcased a strong interplay of token generation, recursion, and control elements, with Gor Muldrak’s ability to create multiple creatures and draw cards fueling aggressive board presence. Meren’s sacrifice and recursion engine provided resilience and incremental damage, while Kethis’s superfriends theme added utility and removal. Runo’s mill and manipulation strategies pressured opponent resources and enabled value through milling and topdeck control. The win condition revolved around overwhelming opponents with a mix of token armies and recurring threats, while using control elements to maintain advantage and prevent opposing win conditions.