Daretti vs Alesha vs Xenagos vs Horobi EDH / CMDR game play for Magic: The Gathering

Deck Strategies

• 

  Daretti, Scrap Savant

  Artifact-based recursion and value generation, using artifact sacrifice and reanimation effects to out-resource opponents and control the board.

• 

  Alesha, Who Smiles at Death

  Aggressive combat-focused deck that recurs creatures with low power from the graveyard to maintain pressure and generate combat triggers.

• 

  Xenagos, God of Revels

  Ramp and big creatures with haste, using Sneak Attack and combat pump effects to deal large bursts of damage quickly.

• 

  Horobi, Death's Wail

  Graveyard and persist synergy deck that punishes opponents by destroying creatures when they die and leveraging multiple death triggers.

Gameplay Insights

• 1

  Kevin maximized Xenagos' potential by using Sneak Attack to put out high-impact creatures and then applying combat pumps to deal heavy damage in a single turn.

• 2

  Roxy's use of Retribution of the Meek wiped the board of large creatures, significantly resetting the game state and forcing players to adapt their strategies.

• 3

  Josh leveraged Horobi's persist ability to control the board by destroying creatures repeatedly, disrupting opponents' tempo and removing threats.

• 4

  Daretti capitalized on artifact recursion with Scrap Mastery and Thran Temporal Gateway, enabling multiple artifact drops in a turn and regaining board presence after wipes.

• 5

  The timing of Insurrection by Xenagos was met with Horobi's persist responses, which effectively neutralized the threat by destroying most creatures immediately.

• 6

  Combat damage and attack triggers were crucial for Alesha's deck, as she repeatedly returned key creatures like Horobi to the battlefield to maintain pressure.

Notable Cards

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  Thran Temporal Gateway

• 

  Scrap Mastery

• 

  Alhammarret's Archive

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  Sneak Attack

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  Scourge of the Throne

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  Cauldron of Souls

• 

  Insurrection

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  Retribution of the Meek

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  Sire of Insanity

• 

  Skullclamp

Summary

The game started with the players establishing their mana bases and early board presence. Xenagos took an aggressive approach, leveraging ramp spells and sneak attack to cheat out powerful creatures like Scourge of the Throne, enabling big swings that pressured opponents. Alesha focused on reanimation and combat triggers to recur creatures and maintain board presence, with repeated attacks against Josh's Horobi deck. Daretti used artifact synergies and recursion, employing cards like Thran Temporal Gateway and Scrap Mastery to recycle artifacts and generate value, while protecting his board with removal and disruption. Horobi capitalized on graveyard interactions and persist mechanics to control the board and punish opponents whenever creatures died, using Cauldron of Souls and reanimation spells to maintain resilience. A pivotal moment occurred when Kevin (Xenagos) cast Insurrection, gaining control of all creatures and trying to capitalize on the chaos, but Horobi's persist triggers destroyed most creatures, resetting the board. Roxy (Alesha) also executed a board wipe with Retribution of the Meek, thinning the board of large threats. Daretti then rebuilt with value plays, including casting Scrap Mastery to recast artifacts from the graveyard and swinging with a massive lifelinking Wormcoil Engine boosted by Alhammarret's Archive. Meanwhile, Josh used Horobi's abilities to repeatedly destroy or exile threats and disrupt opponents' plans. The game showcased a dynamic interaction of aggressive creature strategies, artifact recursion, and graveyard control, with players constantly responding to board wipes and large combat phases. The key to victory involved maintaining board presence while punishing opponents' overextensions through well-timed removal and recursion.