Selvala vs Gaddock vs Rakdos vs Sliver Overlord EDH / CMDR game play for Magic: The Gathering

Deck Strategies

• 

  Rakdos, Lord of Riots

  Ramp heavily into powerful black mana sources to cast high-impact creatures and spells that generate board presence and drain opponents' life, leveraging damage-based triggers to push for quick and overwhelming offense.

• 

  Gaddock Teeg

  Deploy early game hatebears and disruption to prevent opponents from casting large spells and combos, establishing board control and slowing down the game to a manageable pace.

• 

  Selvala, Heart of the Wilds

  Focus on ramp and card draw through mana generation and creature abilities, aiming to cast big spells like Tooth and Nail for decisive creature combos and overwhelming board presence.

• 

  Sliver Overlord

  Build a sliver tribal board by tutoring and casting synergistic slivers that enhance each other with evasion and combat bonuses, applying continuous pressure through aggressive attacks.

Gameplay Insights

• 1

  Fred's early use of Pithing Needle and Keeper of Silence was crucial in shutting down key ramp and combo pieces from Adam and Selvala, significantly delaying their game plans.

• 2

  Adam's careful sequencing during Rise of the Dark Realms, including managing triggers from Massacre Wurm and Fleshbag Marauder, maximized board presence while minimizing opponents' responses.

• 3

  The interaction between Selvala's need for mana to cast Tooth and Nail and Fred's Gaddock Teeg on the battlefield created a strategic conundrum that limited Selvala's ability to execute the combo.

• 4

  Adam's use of Noxious Gearhulk to remove Gaddock Teeg cleared a major disruptor, opening the path for his combos and board development.

• 5

  Adam's effective use of Cabal Coffers with Grim Monolith and Mana Crypt enabled explosive mana acceleration that was key to casting game-winning spells early.

• 6

  The presence of Null Rod on Fred's side effectively shut down artifact mana production, further complicating Selvala's ramp strategy.

Notable Cards

• 

  Rise of the Dark Realms

• 

  Noxious Gearhulk

• 

  Massacre Wurm

• 

  Fleshbag Marauder

• 

  Fauna Shaman

• 

  Tooth and Nail

• 

  Null Rod

• 

  Cabal Coffers

• 

  Grim Monolith

• 

  Mana Crypt

• 

  Skyshroud Claim

• 

  Pithing Needle

• 

  Gaddock Teeg

• 

  Leeching Sliver

Summary

The game began with a fast ramp and mana acceleration from most players, particularly Adam on Rakdos, Lord of Riots, who quickly set up a powerful mana base with Cabal Coffers and Grim Monolith to cast high-impact spells like Noxious Gearhulk and Rise of the Dark Realms. Fred on Gaddock Teeg applied early pressure and disruption with hatebears like Keeper of Silence and Pithing Needle, effectively slowing down Adam's combo potential and Selvala's ramp. Dylan on Sliver Overlord started slower but developed a threatening board with flying slivers, granting evasion and enabling impactful attacks. Selvala's deck, piloted by the video creator, focused on ramp and value but struggled with mana and timely plays due to opponents' disruption and board states. A pivotal moment occurred when Adam successfully cast Rise of the Dark Realms, bringing back a host of creatures from his graveyard, turning the tide heavily in his favor. Despite attempts from Fred and others to disrupt him with hatebears and removal, Adam leveraged the overwhelming board presence and mana advantage to push lethal damage, swinging with multiple tokens and creatures. Attempts to combo out with Tooth and Nail by Selvala were hindered by board states and opposing hate permanents like Null Rod. Eventually, Adam cemented his dominance with a combination of Rakdos's damage triggers and a large zombie token army, leading to the elimination of at least one opponent and a strong position toward victory.