ALL HALLOW'S EVE? | Edgar Markov vs Reaper King vs Vren vs Phenax | MTG Commander Gameplay | GMR #11

Deck Strategies

• 

  Vren, the Relentless

  Swarm the board with rat tokens and grow them by leveraging creatures dying each turn, aiming for overwhelming board presence through mass token generation.

• 

  Edgar Markov

  Flood the battlefield with vampires, boosting them with anthem effects and creating life link and death touch creatures to dominate combat and maintain board control.

• 

  Reaper King

  Use bounce and destruction effects on artifacts and enchantments, while utilizing scarecrows and shapeshifters to disrupt opponents and control the board.

• 

  Phenax, God of Deception

  Mill opponents heavily to fill graveyards, then leverage graveyard recursion and milling finishers to drain opponents’ resources and win through attrition.

Gameplay Insights

• 1

  Phenax’s massive milling with Jace’s ultimate was a key turning point, setting up graveyard recursion and putting opponents on the back foot.

• 2

  Reanimation of Roaming Throne allowed strategic selection of creature types, synergizing with Edgar Markov’s vampire token generation and Vren’s rat swarms.

• 3

  Vren’s ability to create a large number of tokens after creatures die enabled a strong board presence even after potential wipes.

• 4

  Edgar Markov’s use of Maven of the Dusk and token creation with life link provided sustainable pressure and combat advantage.

• 5

  Reaper King’s early board control through bounce and removal helped mitigate threats from token swarms and graveyard synergies.

Notable Cards

• 

  Bloodchief Ascension

• 

  Jace, the Perfected Mind

• 

  Roaming Throne

• 

  All Hallow's Eve

Summary

The game began with players establishing their mana bases and early board presence, with key plays like casting Bloodchief Ascension and setting up for graveyard interactions. Phenax focused on milling opponents heavily, exemplified by a powerful Jace, the Perfected Mind ultimate that milled 15 cards, fueling graveyard strategies and enabling reanimation. Vren, the Relentless steadily swarmed the board with rats, leveraging token creation and boosting their power to apply pressure. Edgar Markov built a vampire army, generating tokens with life link and death touch to control the battlefield. Reaper King controlled the board by bouncing and destroying artifacts and enchantments, aiming to clear threats and capitalize on his unique scarecrow and shapeshifter theme. A pivotal moment was the large-scale milling that set up graveyard recursion and the subsequent reanimation of key creatures like Roaming Throne, which allowed targeting creature types and further board advantage. Vren’s ability to create numerous rat tokens after creatures died was a strong tempo play, while Edgar Markov’s token generation with aggressive buffs posed a significant threat. Phenax aimed to close the game through milling and disruption, while Reaper King maintained board control with bounce and removal effects. The game featured tense interactions around paying costs and responding to triggers, with players balancing aggressive board states against defensive plays. The game progressed with cautious swings due to flying being absent early on, and players preparing for larger combat phases and combos.