Yarok vs Teysa Karlov vs Ikra | Vial Smasher vs Hapatra EDH / CMDR game play

Deck Strategies

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  Yarok, the Desecrated

  Maximize value from enter-the-battlefield and death triggers by doubling these effects, leveraging enchantments and creatures to control the board and generate card advantage.

• 

  Teysa Karlov

  Exploit death triggers and sacrifice synergies to control the board, generate treasures, and gain incremental advantage through cards like Smothering Tithe and Ashnod's Altar.

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  Hapatra, Vizier of Poisons

  Generate deathtouch snake tokens with -1/-1 counters, applying poison counters to opponents and leveraging sacrifice and drain effects to whittle down opponents' life totals.

• 

  Ikra Shidiqi, the Usurper

  Focus on life gain and life drain through commander damage and synergistic creature interactions to control the board and outlast opponents.

• 

  Vial Smasher the Fierce

  Aggressively deal damage through hasty creatures and spells, often combined with equipment and direct damage, to pressure opponents early and maintain tempo.

Gameplay Insights

• 1

  Talas uses Doomwake Giant in combination with his enchantments to effectively wipe opponents' boards by reducing creature toughness, a key turning point in the game.

• 2

  Ryan's use of Black Sun's Zenith aims to reset the board but is countered by a timely response from Yarok to keep key creatures alive, preserving his board advantage.

• 3

  Multiple players utilize sacrifice outlets like Priest of Forgotten Gods and Ashnod's Altar to force opponents to sacrifice creatures and gain incremental value.

• 4

  Yarok's doubling of enter-the-battlefield triggers enables powerful recursion plays, allowing him to repeatedly bring back impactful creatures and maintain board control.

• 5

  Teysa's treasure generation combined with sacrifice synergies creates a steady resource advantage, allowing for sustained pressure and card draw.

• 6

  Vial Smasher and Hapatra apply early pressure through combat damage and poison counters, forcing opponents to respond defensively.

• 7

  Players capitalize on ramp, card draw, and value engines like Frontier Siege, Harmonize, and Seasons Past to maintain resources and tempo throughout the game.

Notable Cards

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  Doomwake Giant

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  Black Sun's Zenith

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  Smothering Tithe

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  Ashnod's Altar

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  Lightning Greaves

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  Hex Parasite

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  Priest of Forgotten Gods

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  Flesh Carver

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  Planar Void

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  Contagion Clasp

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  Seasons Past

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  Mentor of the Meek

Summary

The game begins with early development from each player, with Hapatra establishing a board presence through poison counters and token generation, while Vial Smasher applies early pressure with aggressive creatures and equipment like Lightning Greaves. Yarok ramps and draws cards through enchantments, setting up for powerful value plays. Teysa Karlov's deck focuses on board control and value from death triggers, deploying key enchantments such as Smothering Tithe and utilizing sacrifice outlets like Ashnod's Altar. A pivotal moment occurs when Talas, playing Yarok, casts Doomwake Giant, which synergizes with his enchantments to shrink opponents' boards, effectively wiping out Ryan's board state and significantly shifting the tempo. Ryan responds with Black Sun's Zenith, only to have Yarok's commander survive thanks to a timely response, preserving his board presence. Later, Talas leverages Yarok's doubling triggers to recur threats and maintain pressure. Matt's Teysa deck capitalizes on treasure generation and sacrifice synergies, while Ryan's Hapatra deck continues to apply poison counters and drain life. The game features heavy interaction with board wipes, recursion, and resource denial, culminating in Yarok's ability to maximize enter-the-battlefield effects and control the board, positioning himself for the win.