Purphoros vs Kumena vs Rafiq vs Varina [EDH Commander] Gameplay 2020

Deck Strategies

• 

  Purphoros, God of the Forge

  Generate tokens and trigger Purphoros's damage effect to chip away at opponents' life totals, aiming for a damage race and token synergy.

• 

  Kumena, Tyrant of Orazca

  Develop a strong merfolk tribal board with synergy, using tapping and drawing abilities to maintain card advantage and apply pressure through wide board presence.

• 

  Varina, Lich Queen

  Control the game through milling and card draw, leveraging powerful artifacts like Alhammarret's Archive and disruption tools such as Hullbreacher to outvalue opponents.

• 

  Rafiq of the Many

  Assemble a Voltron build by equipping powerful auras and leveraging exalted triggers to deal high single-target damage quickly.

Gameplay Insights

• 1

  The use of Hullbreacher by Kumena to shut down Varina's card draw from Ancient Excavation was a crucial disruption that slowed down Varina's combo potential.

• 2

  Purphoros's ability to generate tokens and deal damage to all opponents simultaneously created constant pressure and forced players to respond quickly.

• 3

  Rafiq's Voltron approach with multiple exalted triggers on attacks allowed for high damage bursts, making him a significant threat despite slower board development.

• 4

  Varina's decision to cast Inspiring Call in response to Black Sun's Zenith to protect creatures and draw cards showcased a smart timing play to maintain board presence.

• 5

  Kumena's use of Miro Commerce to untap merfolk and pump counters enabled explosive turns where board state and card advantage snowballed.

• 6

  The presence of multiple mana rocks and ramp spells like Manic Crypt and Farseek ensured smooth early game development and access to high-impact spells quickly.

Notable Cards

• 

  Armadillo Cloak

• 

  Hullbreacher

• 

  Beetleback Chief

• 

  Blackblade Reforged

• 

  Alhammarret's Archive

• 

  Black Sun's Zenith

• 

  Master of the Pearl Trident

• 

  Bond of Insight

Summary

The game opened with all four players setting up their respective strategies, with Purphoros focusing on creating damage through tokens, Kumena building a powerful merfolk tribal board, Varina aiming for card draw and control, and Rafiq assembling a Voltron-style aggressive build. Early turns featured steady ramp and development with key plays like Hullbreacher disrupting Varina's card draw, and Kumena utilizing Cavern of Souls to protect merfolk spells. Purphoros, after assembling some token generators like Beetleback Chief, began trading incremental damage and pressuring opponents with his aggressive red deck. Rafiq equipped Blackblade Reforged to push through high damage with exalted triggers, while Varina leveraged Alhammarret's Archive for card advantage and attempted to control the pace with spells like Black Sun's Zenith.