FOMO and the Pressure to Upgrade Decks | EDHRECast 328

[@Lazydino59]

I feel like my FOMO got so overwhelming it’s turned to apathy. New set spoilers? Don’t care. New mechanic? Don’t care. I play and upgrade my decks when I want to but I got tired chasing the dragon and collapsed from exhaustion.

[@brendans1983]

Yeah mate, I'm at the point where I wont play against a precon. So sick of having new cards, and new mechanics, read out to me.

[@ogliara6473]

Honestly same

[@derickquintana4236]

Agreed. If I do end up playing against a precon, I just go with whatever they say the effect is. I don't even care enough to read the card myself. If they say the card lets them draw 7 for 2 mana, okay.

[@jandrem]

Agreed

[@Davulzz]

Same. To much new stuff, so I don't care anymore. I'll pick up on cards played against me, and maybe a few others, but the days of watching card by card reviews are long gone

[@dustinchang5089]

IMHO, gold fishing on Archidekt has really eliminated the FOMO because sometimes you just have to “do the thing” to get it out of your system but it’s not worth physically building the deck.

[@JackbatMurphy]

for real. I get obsessed with trying to make commanders work. I recently had to build a megatron deck despite knowing I would never actually own it because it just has too much removal.

[@warrentang7459]

Same man. Assembling the deck online for me a lot of the time satisfies that itch

[@Tuss36]

I feel this big time. I use Tabletop Simulator, and have had a ton of decks I've played once 'cause they were either way too clunky or way too smooth, to say nothing of the simple "Ohh but what about..." that leads to deck brewing. Certainly saved a lot of money playing digitally that way!

[@danaroach29]

It also keeps you from the feelbads you get from building a deck that doesn't play the way you wanted, or at the very least it helps you ID those problems and try to fix them before you get the deck in cardboard and sit for the first pod.

[@EDZ1LLA]

I agree with Joey about the theme decks, I feel almost obligated to check. MY solution is to just bookmark scryfall pages. I also have a Burakos party deck and I have a scryfall bookmark that is a search for BW Rogues, Warriors, Clerics or Wizards sorted by release date. Now, if I want to see if a new party creature is out I click on one button and can have a quick scroll once the set is released; saves so much time trawling through spoilers!

[@MrPhyCycle]

I happened to be on a cross-trainer in the gym, listening to this on headphones. Then they used that exact situation as a metaphor. Never before have I had so intense the paranoid delusion of "...can they see me?"

[@danaroach29]

Joey messed up there. Our legal team has strongly suggested that we're not supposed to let listeners know we're watching them.

[@vincentbatten4686]

The way I do things, in case it helps others, is to check every 3 months. I treat it like we still have 4 sets a year. So I will be checking in September to see what's happened since June.

[@EDHRECast]

That's a really good point. For some folks doing it in smaller but also more frequent chunks is easier, but if you've found that doing larger but less frequent updates works for you then that's a great adaptation.

[@augustobs24]

Commander has become a revolving door of deck upgrades ever since 2020. It feels like they have learned from the free spell cycle that universal power creep is not a great feeling to push constantly... BUT specific archetype power creep sells like hot cakes and normally gets a pass. Energy and Suspend getting commander support felt huge, getting new creatures for whatever your favorite tribe is feels great, getting new landfall/aristocrats/lifegain,etc. payoffs happen all of the time. They only way to avoid feeling like you are missing out on these new upgrades to the archetypes is to be someone who does not play that specific strategy, but since a lot of commander play involves creating several decks to play with... then FOMO becomes perpetual. So you can skip the archetypes and strategies that don't matter to you at all, but every set you skip where there was support printed for your archetype, you ARE essentially getting left behind. This is how TCGs keep themselves in business.

[@JJMickeyMedia]

I definitely experience the anxiety of an "unfinished" deck while waiting for upgrades to arrive. Also I find it much easier to resist the temptation to include cards that make my deck stronger overall, rather than to replace cards I find lacking. In other words, I care a lot more about shoring up weaknesses than trying to boost my win rate.

[@danaroach29]

Yeah, finding that balance where you're shoring up weak spots while also not pushing the deck to power levels that cause issues is really tricky.

[@mrvirtualis]

Two things that helped me: While looking at the cards during previews I add the to my considering pile for each deck and depending on the set and deck the time until I look through those cards can vary. The other thing is, I slowly started accepting that not every set is for me and even if the cards are more powerful, if I don't like the flavour, I simply skip them. Don't get me wrong, this isn't an easy thing to change. Also: I currently have 4 "incomplete" decks I can't play until I have all cards I replaced 😂

[@spiralshadow]

For real - the card pool is so huge now that if you've upgraded your deck sometime in the last 2 years or so... you're probably good for a long while. Nothing is gonna come out that's 100% strictly better than anything you already have. Unless there's some niche thing that happens to be a perfect fit for a particular deck, you're probably not missing out on much.

[@maggiek8616]

Haha I feel this. Deck restrictions breed creativity as MaRo always says. And that isn't exclusively tribal, but also considers Universe Beyond, companions, and artwork/themes. The easiest deck these days has to be 100% UB because there's roughly 1-2 products a year 😂

[@EDHRECast]

I remember a gazillion years ago watching John McEnroe at the end of his tennis career take sets off, meaning he'd go into a set knowing he'd probably lose it with the plan to just not exert himself to treat it like a longer rest period. Lose one set to have a chance to win the next three, etc. Sometimes you just gotta sit out a set.

[@dr00ness]

'fomo for a deck that doesn't even exist yet' is such a mood. i've been wanting to make a jolene, the plunder queen deck for months now. it's been sporadically available here in NZ, and every time it is i take a few hours to think about it and what other cards i want, it's too expensive, or something else happens, and then it sells out. i can't move on to make the rest of the deck or buy all of these other cards.... but basically the next time i see it for sale, i'm snap buying it immediately, regardless if that same store could have all the cards i also want for the deck.

[@EDHRECast]

Brewing a list on a deckbuilder like Archidekt can sometimes solve that, but yeah, we totally understand that crush that you just can't get over.

[@mrpandabites]

Oh my gosh! This topic lays my darkest traits bare for the world to see! I absolutely have a FOMO and deck upgrade problem. I have 49 decks (I know, I know. I rediscovered Magic in 2015 and somewhere along the way, I decided I needed a deck in every archetype). The upshot of this, however, is that every set has cards that go in at least 30% of them. Each deck is only taking 1 or 2 upgrades per set, but over 49 decks it gets crazy.

[@Blacklodge_Willy]

Wow every archetype? I've never heard someone do that before. If you decide to pull back maybe try one of each color pairing (32), this might scratch that itch of various strategies.

[@lookitsmaxable]

Same, dude!

[@EDHRECast]

Oh yeah it adds up fast. Dana only really wanted 1 card on avg from Assassin's Creed for his decks, but that winds up being 25ish cards spread across 24 decks. Even a light set can be a ton of changes when you have a lot of decks, and some folks have way more than 24 decks.

[@mrpandabites]

@@Blacklodge_Willy That's actually another thing I do😅. I have every colour combination except WURG and colourless so far. Part of me is scared to finish that set because, well, then it's just ... finished. The every archetype thing can be broken down into fractions of fractions, so there's no way I'm finishing that any time soon.

[@johnathanrhoades7751]

I have given up on keeping up since Karlov Manor. I got so overwhelmed I just stopped caring. Also WotC’s practices are so borked at the moment (MtG and D&D) that I really would rather just not give them any more money and am rather upset at them at the moment. I might look at each deck once a year or so going forward. We’ll see.

[@tfc_mtg]

This is such a relatable episode!! I struggle with MTG FOMO constantly. Something that helps me a lot is compartmentalizing my decks. For example, I don't play universes beyond cards in any of my decks unless they have a universes beyond commander/theme. That way i don't have to feel like cards from EVERY set need to be considered for every deck.

[@EDHRECast]

Universes Beyond are a super cool product, and they're also a super easy one to just sit out to avoid being overwhelmed.

[@tfc_mtg]

@@EDHRECast My thoughts exactly!!

[@RodrigoCML7]

Ok, until this day I thought the Dana murderboards were hyperbole, or a metaphor. Mad respect for Dana knowing now that they are real 😂

[@EDHRECast]

It's only a little bit scary!

[@AxillaryPower2]

Most of the time, I'll add cards to my *considering* lists for each deck and let it sit there for months and see if I still want it later. Usually, these "upgrades" are actually side grades, and the shine just needs to wear off. I also just don't get to play too often, so if I made changes to every deck every set, then the decks would be changing faster than being played.

[@EDHRECast]

It's especially hard to evaluate those sidegrades when you might not get a chance to see them in action enough to evalute them before the next set of sidegrades comes out that want that slot in your deck.

[@Will_Morand]

10:46 Not Dana staring directly into my soul and describing what he sees

[@AlthalusKanemtg]

My playgroup have recently been going through changes where this episode resonates. We are moving from 20+ decks down to 10 or so to help consistency of games. As we are filing cards away, we are finding cards which make us want to build a new deck around a new commander. How do you decide which decks you keep and which you break down? How do you decide upon new decks/commanders? Is it based upon archetypes or alternative play styles of the same type of deck you alreadu have?

[@Lazydino59]

Generally I try to cycle through all my decks and play them regularly, and decks that I actively skip I decide they either need an overhaul or to be taken apart. I give myself a hard limit of 15 decks and to build a new one I take apart one that I’m consistently not wanting to pick up and play. I may have 1 or 2 exception decks for super high or low power level but every “7” deck if I’m not excited/content to play it when it’s time comes in the cycle and skip it then it’s a clear indicator I need to change it. Also if you have the deckbuulding itch I like to build online and when it’s time to build a new paper one I can use my queue of online lists so I can enjoy brewing and playing separately instead of simultaneously

[@AlthalusKanemtg]

@@Lazydino59 When building online, do you generally know what cards you have or do you keep a record of your collection to help building decks? Alternatively do you just not worry about the cards you have and buy the specific ones you need outside of the staple cards?

[@Lazydino59]

@@AlthalusKanemtg generally I just build the deck with no restriction for what I have or don’t, and when I start cutting to get to the final 100, factor in what I know I don’t have and budget maybe $20 for a typical deck for cards to buy for it. Cards I don’t have that I would maybe buy in the future I toss in the maybe board. My collection isn’t online personally but I know most of what I have so not an issue for me.

[@EDHRECast]

Each of us does it differently. This is Dana replying right now, and answering for myself it varies. I took my Sigarda enchantress deck and my Juri treasures deck apart because both felt too "easy" in that the architype had too many tools to feel fun; the sheer amount of enchantment enablers (Light-paws being the final straw) and the amount of treasures just removed the challenge. When I first built Juri I had to run commons like Hoarding Ogre to make it work, etc. It didn't help that enchantress and Juri in general had become much more popular too.

[@AlthalusKanemtg]

@@EDHRECast I definitely understand the "feeling easy" decks. I used to play the Prosper Precon and even that felt pretty much solved in its initial form. We are having a change up this week where each of the players are using a deck I have built. This means there is less pressure on deck performance and gives a change of experience too.

[@Gimpocalypse]

My heroes on an otherwise boring day. Love your videos. This one really spoke to me as well. I am an obsessive tinkerer like Dana, so it was interesting to unpack some of the reasons *why*.

[@EDHRECast]

The tinkering is a lot of the fun! And thanks for the kind words.

[@RedCometNurse]

I absolutely love tinkering. Every one of my decks is in a constant state of improvement. Not just to improve their capability but also their playability my enjoyment and the enjoyment of the table. I keep a little list of cards that I want to slide into my decks when I am upgrading them as soon as a new set starts being revealed.

[@EDHRECast]

Those tiny nickel and dime improvements really add up when you do it for a dozen sets a year these days too.

[@thorbalt1]

You could save yourselves a world of trouble by just setting specific dates that you go through your decks and see if there is anything you want to add to it, and only do it X times a year. Doing it that way would mean that you could watch how the new cards actually worked and if they would be a fit for how you play instead of assuming you need them and finding out they did nothing new. Or just make an entirely new deck with the same commander and see if it plays the way you want

[@endersblade]

Was just gonna post this. This is exactly how I do it. Every 3-4 months, I crack open Cockatrice, update the DB, and then open my decks one by one and start looking at what's new and what needs to be added. I have long stopped following spoilers or even trying to keep up on releases.

[@Sicktoid]

One problem I've had with this approach is that by doing that, I sometimes end up paying a lot more for my cards because of it. Once the sets have been out for a while, not that many boosters are being cracked anymore, and cards have already had a chance to establish themselves as staples, their prices can go up to like 10-20 times that of what they were at launch.

[@mathimus55]

This is what I have been doing but then Reddit tells me I don't update my decks enough to have an opinion...whatcha gonna do

[@suzikumieda2452]

Update on B&Rs

[@Tuss36]

I concur. The big reason spoiler season seems constant is because you're checking in daily for spoilers to know things up to the minute, even though you could just wait until the end and read through everything in like twenty minutes.

[@danielgoldberg2129]

I’ve been playing for quite a while, so the hardest thing for me is cutting cards out of a deck that I anguished over putting IN the deck. Sometimes I cut cards out of a deck that I don’t ever remember having actually played in a game yet.

[@EDHRECast]

Cutting cards you haven't even drawn yet feels so bad.

[@gsumbreon]

I recently came back from a 2 year break and honestly, I missed less than I expected. It was very eye-opening. The way card design goes nowadays, if you wait until something expensive is cheap, it will be powercrept down eventually. And precons are so much better than they used to be! It is so easy to just pick up where I left off! Slowing down is good!

[@EDHRECast]

(Dana here) I was out of the game from Homelands through Return to Ravnica, and I honestly think that gap would be easier than taking two years off today.

[@weeklyweeks7545]

The best remedy - it’s okay to feel not complete or finished. It’s the journey, not the destination. Do your best and enjoy the ride. This applies to MTG as well.

[@EDHRECast]

That's really the best way to handle it, though that's also easier said than done 🤣

[@EmperorNorton668]

I appreciate the "Sometimes humans do be like that."

[@AndyTalesTV]

I have never related to a feeling more. Deck brewing and ADHD really are the best of friends.

[@EDHRECast]

No lies detected 🤣

[@SunSwipePrime]

OMG, this episode hits quite close to home. Hahha. For pricier cards that I want but don't necessarily need is I buy only one and then I color-print-proxy a couple for experimenting with decks with. This way I kind of always have one on hand. No tapping my foot waiting for the mail to come. For really expensive cards that I'm not so sure I need, I have a proxy versions to test before I put real money down. Sometimes playing with the proxy a few times is enough to dispel the FOMO because playing the card isn't as amazing as I anticipate. For me, I think a lot of it is about lifting the mystery of the card. In terms of optimizing decks maybe a bit too much, I'm not sure if this is good practise for FOMO, because in some ways it's kind doubling the work/worry. But, for my favorite decks, I have two versions, an optimized version and one where things are more loose and a bit more budget/fun conscious. For example, I have two versions of my Trostani Selesnya's Voice deck. One version is filled with 4-5 tutors. The other only has one as a finisher. One has a Nesting Dovehawk in it for craziness. The other doesn't. Both play similar, but the optimized one obviously has sharper teeth and can go for the throat a lot more easily.

[@EDHRECast]

We had that conversation off-line before recording, but yep, that makes for a good way to test things and get the FOMO out of your system.

[@joeferreti9442]

Yes, that FOMO to upgrade all your 30+ Commander decks with each set release is strong. And with set releases currently happening each month and each set being actually at least 2-3 sets, this is very very exhausting! An important thing is to understand that decks don't have to be perfect, especially not powerlevel-wise. Also, many powerful new cards nowadays are ridiculously overpowered and not fun to play, so a lot of expensive chase cards of new sets can be skipped. Scratching the itch digitally seems to be the best way. I'm still looking for the right platform that lets me select cards more naturally and visually and group, arrange and mark them very flexibly.

[@martinwestphal7288]

Thank you all for being graceful and honest custodians of our shared game

[@EDHRECast]

Thanks, we appreciate that. We started off doing primarily stat-based stuff but we're trying to do different things like this that are a little less analytical.

[@martinwestphal7288]

@@EDHRECast and doing it amazingly, too. Many of your experiences strike nerves with me around social inclusivity, and I feel like you're spreading the best vibes in our community, even over here in Australia.

[@redbirdriot]

I’m a budget player, and one of the things I love doing is going to my nearby lgs and going through their bulk bins, where I then pull every rare that looks good and should cost more than they charge, even if I don’t presently have a deck that can use it. The irony (of course) is that if I didn’t do that and just bought a more expensive card I’d actually improve my decks and probably save money as well. I don’t like how much this episode was aimed at me but I probably need to hear it.

[@EDHRECast]

If that's fun to do though you can kinda factor that into the cost, too. If you like picking through bulk and building a collection that way then that's also part of the larger "game".

[@redbirdriot]

@@EDHRECast That's all the permission I need! ;)

[@charliesterry4604]

I think subconsciously I experience magic FOMO on a daily basis, but it's kinda just stuck in as place where I can easily ignore it. Often times with my decks I aim to build decks I like and think I would find fun, try them out for a few games and make a list of changes. One of the things I kinda pride myself on is being the budget player of my playgroup, so I'm never waiting too long to be able to do wacky stuff, and because my decks are always weird and wonderful like that, I don't often consciously think about FOMO because it almost never actually helps me improve my decks.

[@EDHRECast]

Finding a healthy way to not let it nag at you is really ideal, so good work.

[@thriftypsgr]

15:37 this is what I did once MH3 came out. All of my decks got upgraded from MKM, OTJ, and MH3

[@EDHRECast]

Finding the solution that works best for you as an individual is the best way to handle it for sure.

[@jaysuede2627]

It is an internal pressure that can be gamed by external forces. That's how confidence men keep getting work.

[@EDHRECast]

Capitalism too, though to be fair there's a lot of overlap 🤣

[@Ent229]

Upgrading because "a new card is stronger" is a trap in commander. If we think about "does the new card fit the theme of the deck better" then those upgrades are healthier for commander and also rarer to see printed. This helps with the FOMO and pressure to upgrade. I have a group hug deck that might replace Heliod's Intervention (removal, instant) with Wear Down (Gift a card, removal, sorcery).

[@EDHRECast]

Really often a "weaker" synergistic card is stronger in a deck than a generically "stronger" card.

[@Ent229]

@@EDHRECast That is not exactly what I was talking about. I was talking about a weaker thematic card, even when NOT stronger in the deck than a generically stronger card, might still be a better card for the deck. As long as you can GROK stronger =/= better, most of the FOMO evaporates. Heliod's Intervention is stronger than Wear Down in my group hug deck. That is even after accounting for the synergies Wear Down has. However Heliod's Intervention does not help the deck play its group hug theme. There for the card that is weaker, even after considering synergy, is still the better pick for my group hug deck.

[@TelesphoreArt]

We need a Golden Girls SLD!! Blanch - Legendary Human Siren. P/T: 6/9 Ability: Soldier spells you cast cost 3 less to cast. Male creature cards may be cast from the top of your library without paying its mana value.

[@EDHRECast]

The secret card would be Richard Mulligan from Empty Nest.

[@TelesphoreArt]

@@EDHRECast LOL, perfectionnnn. Also Blatch and him would totally be partner cards. lolol

[@BradleyRalph-r4x]

I’ve learnt to have less FOMO for more JOMO (Joy Of Missing Out) There is so much now I’ve moved to just grabbing the bits I need and want and avoiding the rest

[@EDHRECast]

JOMO, we really like that.

[@MrMalorian]

I'm sure content creators are also pressured to upgrade decks to have new things for their content.

[@EDHRECast]

(Dana here) For me that makes it a little easier as I kinda mentally bake it into the job. It's not really a lot different than knowing I'm going to have to apply a new firmware to a switch or access point monthly, etc.

[@rteishe]

So funny that Joey uses Diresight as an example. I'm going through one of these "I have to tune & tweak & keep up!" Fomo phases from the last few sets with all my decks right now, and as someone who also plays alot of black & GY strategies...Diresight replacing read the bones in a number of decks is a move I literally JUST made, hahah

[@joshuasinger4649]

Since I don’t have to keep up with cards to create content, I’ve actually managed to reframe both the power creep and constant product releases into good things. With the crazy power creep we’ve had, there are so many cards that are so very powerful, that there are many good options for every card slot we could want, which actually does allow for greater variance in deck building outside of circles where only the most powerful are contenders. With the constant product release, I pretty much don’t look at spoilers besides the commander precons. That way, I get to be surprised by cards I didn’t know about more organically either by opening my own packs or seeing other people playing those cards.

[@20x20]

if you count forsaken city as taking a spell slot, you've basically turned any card you want into a lotus petal. that sounds interesting.

[@SWNJim]

When I build commander, just about everything is sorted out in the brewing process, which can take months. Once the deck is finished, tested, and I’m happy with how it plays, I don’t make too many additions to it unless a card is overwhelming better than what I have and I’ll give two examples. Licia, which started out as a weaponized life gain deck added Rowan, Scion of War. I already had ways of getting Licia out cheap by gaining life, but Rowan allowed me to do the same while intentionally losing life, something which was already part of the deck strategy. The deck is also 50% black and about 20% red so there’s a lot of spells I can get out for just the he base colored pips. Extus added Return the Favor but not Flare of Duplication. The reason for one but not the other is due to their functions. With RtF, I can pay 3 mana to copy an instant or sorcery spell or change the target of a spell or 4 to do both. With FoD, I pay 3 to copy an instant or sorcery just the same but I can sacrifice a non-token red creature to cast out for free. Since my Extus deck is not built around an aristocrats theme and there are few red creatures in the deck, the added functionality of RtF outweighs the free casting ability FoD. Sometimes it’s the little intricacies that make the difference.

[@Tuss36]

One thing I find helps is to take the step back and think on just how often the upgrade could matter. For example, if you had two identical cards but one dealt 3 damage while the other dealt 4 damage. How much more often are you facing 4 toughness threats to warrant the upgrade? Or if you're using damage doublers, how often does 8 damage do what 6 can't? It's not a zero amount in either case, but when you add on when you had the card in hand in those situations to begin with, even if it cost 2 cents to buy it might still not be worth the effort search through your deck, unsleeve the old card, sleeve up the new card, and shuffle it in. That time could've been spent playing instead!

[@vincentwerts4724]

Sofia from golden girls would be an elder tribal commander, and I would build it.

[@lomalindasmogcheck1]

36:34 Fumori Vault is incredibly busted. Smothering tithe works very well with it. I'm amazed it's not limited use i.e. sac it, once p turn.

[@EDHRECast]

That card is capitol B Broken.

[@alternateimagegaming]

My biggest comment and takeaway... you don't need to put a card in every deck. The fomori vault example "I'm gonna put this in every artifact deck"... nah. That's half the point of commander - variation. Unless you're playing CEDH, you explicitly do not need any given "staple" in every deck it fits. Not only do you not need it, you should not want it, because it defeats the point of the casual version of the game.

[@James-mm8pr]

I appreciated the honesty and self awareness. I’d like to suggest that terms like should/auto include are dated. They were more “useful” with a smaller card pool. With the ever expanding card pool we can move to terms like “can/could” be include for “x” reason: flavour, functionality, access to the card, pet card, etc…

[@shorewall]

True. Back in the day, decks would have to include bad cards just to have enough. Now decks don't have bad cards, and you have to take out good cards to replace.

[@EDHRECast]

Auto-include is one of the most overrused terms in the format for sure.

[@syctheofsymphogear4290]

well, the only card from Bloomburrow which comes into 1 of my older Commander Decks is the Ral Otter in my Myra Deck, because i really like it, and then i rebuild Decks from 0 or just build new Ones

[@Customerbuilder]

I've had a Bell Borca deck for a while. I initially built it for "hipster" points, but it is a terrifying Voltron commander with bolted-on value. Basically, it's Prosper that can 2- or 3-hit someone.

[@Spencer4686]

I always pay attention to cards when they come and make a mental note about what's needed for each deck I have, I also have a non destructive system for marking cards in my decks for cut but I won't buy upgrades untill they have been out for a few months so the market has settled and to make sure I personally still want to go there. The exception to this would be reprints like fetch lands etc grab them when they are cheap for sure.😂

[@RagdorUltron]

Great video. I was thinking about these topics today. You know to much product is coming out when you upgrade a deck with a new set then a little while later you pull it out to upgrade with another set and realize you didnt even play the deck in-between those two times haha. I try and keep up with the sets and small upgrades to my deck but it has been difficult this year.

[@EDHRECast]

Looking at a deck for cuts and seeing half a dozen cards you haven't even draw yet feels soooooo bad.

[@lora5030]

Using proxies is one of the best ways to handle this issue in my opinion (at least the spending part of it). It allows you to check out how the card performs and feels, so you will only buy the ones that actually work well with your deck and your playstyle. I usually don't go card by card with new releases and just use searches and tags to see if anything new came out for the particular deck I'm looking at. Oh, and I semi-regularly watch mtg-related videos/podcasts that talk about new sets so if a potentially interesting card comes up I note the name down and then check it out. I wouldn't say I'm completely free of FOMO (skipping Duskmourn precons is kinda tough for me, not gonna lie) but I recently started to try to change my mindset for deckbuilding in general to prioritize cards I already have over those I would need to proxy/buy.

[@aaronmorgan1989]

The more magic content I consume, the stronger the FOMO gets

[@EDHRECast]

TBH the same thing happens to us.

[@bealtaine2373]

Oh my god, before the episode even started... I struggle SO much with this, it's insane. I'm SO glad somebody else is talking about it, 'cause like, my friends look at me like I'm insane, and I'm just like "no you don't understand what if my deck sucks and you guys think I'm an idiot who is bad at deckbuilding". Thank God I'm not the only one who thinks about this. Whatever your conclusions by the end, just, thanks for this episode... existing.

[@EDHRECast]

Glad you liked it and found it helpful to know we do the same things in our own heads.

[@Mobius_ll]

On a scale of Matt - Dana, I would be a lot closer to Dana on this issue. A few things cause it for me: 1) Despite WotC enforcing "this product is not for you" EVERY product is for commander. If you play commander you will feel every inch of power creep and every new mechanic without choice. 2) My play group often makes me feel overpowered against their 'upgraded precons' (whatever that means) even though most of my decks win at the exact same pace and rate. Every loss give's me that same feeling that maybe if I just had a slightly better card or something like that. Frustrating. 3) Now that I'm deeper into the hobby after a couple years and seeing a little how the market works after a release I get heavy FoMo for new cards. Even if it's "for a deck that doesnt exist yet" I feel like I have to pick up a hot card before it explodes 1000% in value. Proxies help, but the sweet satisfaction of FoMo will always be prefered to the bitter taste of a $200 piece of cardboard I'll never get to experience because reasons.

[@EDHRECast]

Number 1 is a really hard one to not feel.

[@jean-guylabbe2903]

I recognize myself soo much in what you said in this video, I’m think sometimes that i really got a problem cause i want to upgrade my decks everytime a see a new nice card to put in it or got a new ideas.. all of that just 2 play maybe 1 or 2 times a month.. 😅😂😂 but i really like brewing mi deck with a nice movie and a good beer! Thanks for all of your videos and continue your great job! 🙂

[@mightyone3737]

I had to accept that trying to chase the 'next optimum card' will always result in me paying the most for cards, so I made a point of not worrying about it, and just buying a copy if the card goes down to a 'reasonable' price. It's frustrating when it's something like Esper Sentinel, but most upgrades aren't huge (for example it's hard to find a truly better Wood Elves, and that's an old card) so you won't suffer from not using them. Heck, I regularly don't have specific cards I want, and generally if I want a specific version for a deck I don't really care for the alternatives, but otherwise you don't need to shell out $20 when the old $5 version of the effect is now $0.50, just play the old card that was very good before, it's still good now! One of the funnier things I've noticed about not using the 'strictly best' version of certain things is that the version you do use is better at something, and the other is that if you're used to a certain card, sometimes you can play better with that worse card than you can with the 'better' version, 'don't take a new deck to a tournament' kinda thing. I no longer do early pre-order stuff because 1) I'm not THAT good at spotting what going to spike, for the amount of work you have to put into it, ordering early needs to be outright profitable for you or it's a waste of time/money, 2) lots of what I want will actually plummet because nobody else runs decks like mine apparently. I honestly couldn't believe that Warren Soultrader went down so low, but nobody else uses Gravecrawler combos apparently, and even printing a better Phyrexian Altar for the deck won't make them play it. That's just one card, and it's not like I can't bend my rule and order something spicy when I'm convinced there is no way it's ever going to go down (often a limited print card, like from a Drop or really old set), but even then it's not all sunshine and sprinkles, plenty are neutral buys over time, and again, if you're not using a card and it didn't accrue value it can be annoying I admit. Korvold is the one deck I didn't buy from the Brawl stuff, I didn't want Stomping Grounds and didn't think Korvold looked fun to play, so I'm not shocked you also have no desire to play something that pushed, it sucks a lot of the fun out of the experience, both for you and opponents. Tergrid is another one I wasn't interested in building, but I ended up tossing her into my Discard deck, as one of the better payoffs in he 99. That's my usual solution for stuff I don't want to play against as a Commander (especially at a lower power level), slip it in the 99 and let it breathe for a bit, if you still want to try it as a Commander you always can. The biggest problem with Korvold is that Jund is easily one of the most supported shards/wedges, it has tons of great Commanders, so unless you're desperate to build an 8 or stronger deck you don't need Korvold. I built Kresh instead, I think I'm much happier with that, even if Korvold would have been much stronger/easier to play. How far out of date before you're ACTUALLY obsolete? This is a trick question, right? Guys, OG Zur is still a cEDH Commander, and most of the best stuff Zur could ever do he could do the day he was printed. IMHO you can win games at a table full of 7s with a truly awful Commander, but you'll have to be a better player. The reason people lose games isn't usually because their deck is way worse, it's because they are a worse Magic player (luck plays a huge role, but lots of players overextend on a good hand and end up losing, so even getting lucky doesn't translate into wins, and you get as many unlucky games as lucky). I think if your power level is 6 or below you could probably bring an Oldschool deck and participate, so it's more of a power level issue than just how old. If you want to play cEDH your deck has to be more up to date, but even there people don't have to be truly optimal, it just helps and is the end goal.

[@EDHRECast]

(Dana here) Yeah, I can't stand cards like Esper Sentinel that are probably worth running in almost every deck, but also are just generic value pieces while being expensive to boot.

[@Aerix]

Contrary to hasbro's release schedule there is an absobption rate in which players familiarize and integrate new product and mechanics and renew "open interest". They hope that by pushing previews so far back up against the previous release they can minimize the gap between releases. To create a neverending stream of fomo. But like, I just finished digesting Fallout. Its been over 1/3 of a year and I probably won't give another set a serious chance till duskmorne. Please take your time and try not to get sucked into the endless hypetrain.

[@EDHRECast]

It's hard to avoid getting sucked into the hypetrain, but we each need to find our limits and ways to put boundaries in place for sure.

[@maggiek8616]

So far I'm managing to curb the FOMO with my 15 commander decks in a few ways. Firstly, the majority of my decks exclude Universe Beyond products, while 1 deck only uses UB cards. This decreases the need to keep up as a whole. Secondly, for a large amount of cards I've restricted myself to either 1 copy, or 1 of each art (for cards like Sol Ring, Command Tower). So while I might scramble to pick up a card, I generally know which specific deck it's going in. Keeps the financial burden down especially for very high demand cards. The only time I feel like immediately going to buy new cards, is when a new commander comes out that does something I absolutely want to build. Because you can play a deck without one of the 99, but you can't play without a commander. Most recently this was Gev and lizard tribal.

[@EDHRECast]

Excluding things like UB products helps a lot in what you have to keep up with.

[@maggiek8616]

@@EDHRECast when you play 100% foil decks, getting to ignore all the commander exclusive products also helps with keeping up !

[@dullestpenguin4151]

I've limited myself to making upgrades twice a year. I might note down a few cards to make it easier, but it is a huge effort at the time. Keeps me from feeling like it consumes me to keep double digit decks updated.

[@EDHRECast]

You've found a system that works for you, and that's what we all need to strive for.

[@empurress77]

Can't help thinking Chromatic Lantern is starting to take on more value to yallz. About time too.

[@EDHRECast]

(Dana here) I've always been a fan of it, but I also don't really like 3+ color decks, and it doesn't feel like it does enough for me in a two color list.

[@empurress77]

@@EDHRECast Fair. I do use it in my (Mostly) 2 color (Blue/Green Weird Harvest) control magic deck. For obvious reasons. Personally, i love 5 color decks. My favorite commander is Korona false god. *With Vows, so my opponents have to cope with her. Shenegans ensue. Mwahahahaaaa!

[@lulu1997master]

How soon until WotC regrets printing a card literally named FOMO?

[@palicaoo]

if we learnt one thing is that Wotc never regreats

[@quesog32]

There is literally a card named Fear of Missing Out in Duskmourn.

[@brendans1983]

​@@quesog32what did you think the initial post was referring too?

[@quesog32]

@@brendans1983 I can’t read and thought it said “How soon until WotC prints a card named FOMO?” 😅

[@brendans1983]

​@@quesog32😂👍

[@claytoncook731]

Little shop is jund, Audrey 2 out here enabling food chain combos

[@EDHRECast]

(Dana here) I'm not a huge Secret Lair guy but I'd absolutely buy that.

[@noah2508]

Very happily have Prisoner's Dilemna in my Davros deck!

[@lit_wick]

Im newer to commander, but still have 5 decks I've constructed. With bloomburrow, I sort of found out how I treat new sets. One deck is mostly cantrips, so if a cheap gruul cantripy spell comes out, I might add it. Another deck (mayeal) is constructed with 75 engine pieces and lands, and 80 5+ power creatures for mayeals effect. If I pull a creature from a booster pack that fits the criteria, I'll add it to my 80. And the other decks, I just don't think they need updating. I am new to magic so I don't have those expensive cards people run. I've chosen to only get those for one deck, and I get them very slowly. I also have my a "wishlist" of magic cards my wife knows abt. I get those cards through her mostly 😂 an expensive card three times a year (birthday, anniversary, Christmas).

[@dreyfus37_65]

Very much felt with regard to not being able to play a deck until you get the card you ordered for it. I just made some upgrades to Titania, Protector of Argoth because of some cards I pulled recently and decided that now was the time to finally buy the food chain I’ve been wanting for it. Can’t play it. I tried the other day, but I just can’t do it because it’s essentially not complete right now

[@EDHRECast]

Yep, we share that pain friend.

[@pretty_fly_for_a_jeskai]

I definitely get FOMO for niche cards that I want for my stuff. Like I got my start in magic in Azorius flyers, and I always wanted to have a straight up bird themed deck. And there were tons of birds, but really the closest one that felt like a BIRD commander was... Akim. Just not great. Kastel the Wind-Crested felt like a commander that spawned from my dreams and I needed every relevant bird card in Azorius colors immediately. Luckily it was niche enough there that I really didnt spend much on those themed cards, and cards like Plumecreed Mentor and Salvation Swan were actually moved to other decks just for that with a bunch of flying birds in the deck already, they never really did much, but both do work in Kykar.

[@scovillemtg]

Most of the time I only upgrade with trades or stuff from drafts or sealed. The only time I order cards for an existing deck is if I do a complete overhaul

[@EDHRECast]

That's a really good solution.

[@scovillemtg]

@@EDHRECast Living that budget life :)

[@Aweal7]

Me and my friends took a 7 year mtg/ edh break coming back having added some new cards... Fewwww the format has changed.

[@MrSJM1983]

Do you guys see a set release and then, there are cards in the set which trigger the brewing process for new decks as well as upgrades? Double whammy

[@EDHRECast]

(Dana here) For me, not really. It takes me a long time for an idea to gestate to the point I want to put it to cardboard, and when I do I don't like to use a commander that's newer than the last couple years. Observationally Joey and Matt have that happen though.

[@paperwatt]

I stumbled upon Diresight when I cracked open a pack at Gencon. I'm so glad my card evaluating is still good, and that so many people have a "veggie" card like that in their lists. No doubt from this show I'm guessing.

[@EDHRECast]

Unsurprisingly it's performed really well for us too. And thanks for the kind words.

[@TehRoflNinja]

Burakos, folk hero is definitely a commander that feels like you need to pay attention to new cards. There are always orhov clerics, warriors, rogues, and wizzards in every set.

[@EDHRECast]

Yep some cmdrs really lend themselves to always evolving.

[@noise.s]

Is it FOMO that often? The amount of product coming out is tiring, but would be much more so for 1v1 format players who need to consider meta and getting multiple copies of cards ASAP before they spike. The process of upgrading decks is fun to me. I liked the concept or commander of the decks I built and I want them to be the best they can be, even tho I very rarely get to play them. Hell I built 3 decks and a workshopping a 4th that I haven't gotten to use yet cause I'm away from my cards and when back home too little to have a day for commander. So upgrading (on a budget) from time to time is all I got

[@EDHRECast]

It can be a couple of things at the same time, but there's a lot of overlap. Agreed that upgrading is fun for sure, too. It can just be a lot when you feel the internal pressure to do it so often.

[@Manifibell]

If I see a card and I can think of a place for it in the moment, I will put it there. I am not too concerned with having them updated. I can always just use EDH rec and Scryfall later :p

[@the_r4ts]

A commander deck is never finished, merely abandoned -Paul Valéry if he was a Magic player

[@EDHRECast]

Not finishing a deck is indeed the great silence.

[@lewish1248]

Very well thought out episode! I’m closest to Matt w the upgrades, kinda do it whenever, averages out to once a quarter? But my playgroup is casual and we go stretches of time without playing. I also feel like I dodged a bullet if i’ve been gone for so long sometimes the newest card is a better version of a card i missed when I checked out haha.

[@EDHRECast]

Thanks. And if you've found a system upgrading quarterly that works for you then fantastic.

[@Alessandro-mg9oh]

I stop caring too much when I started stressing too much on which cards to cut and replace...right now it's so hard cuz there are so many good cards

[@alphathewolf583]

I have somewhere between 48 and 60 decks at a time. I usually just build from what I have, and upgrade as i aquire cards that feel right.

[@EDHRECast]

With that many decks your FOMO has FOMO.

[@Sunborne187]

Dana really lowered the bar on Dad Jokes this week.

[@EDHRECast]

Dad joke about a dad joke. It's dad joke Inception.

[@RuudAwakening]

for those interested: FOMO (and the likes) can be worked on The fella's here describe kinda like a first level of understanding: it's a human thing But trust there is movement possible. It's not a i-picked-this-up-so-gotta-live-with-it thing thankfully. You're not doomed. You'd be surprised how many things that is true for btw! But sidetrack 1st level would be like what Joey and Dana bring up here: notice it, acknowledge it, be ok with it 2nd level could be: am i satisfied with the place this has in my life? Having a Q&A with yourself, but no judgments or cursing yourself. Like making a pro's and con's list and having a look at it a couple of times. I.e. "I like the excitement of trying new tools and interactions when i put new cards in my deck, and i find relaxment in moments of deckbuilding" "But i don't like the amount of time i spend per month on this" (or maybe even a week, had that myself) 3rd then to be like: could i replace or shift some of the con's while keeping the pro's "intact"? For example if you find there you spend each weekend a couple of hours on scrolling and listing cards but you'd rather also have time for an outdoor activity because you see some friends less than you'd like. Ponder a bit on things you could do with the friends that would give you the aforementioned excitement and relaxment. Like a hobby or sport or whatever matches. !! replacing is crucial in this btw !! because if just saying "im gonna do less of this" it will over time sneak back up on you. A need or an urge stays open and seeks fulfillment one way or the other. So if wanting to change something, anything i always go by "how could i fill the gap?"

[@RuudAwakening]

Now why i am so eager to share on this? Because it is gravely underestimated the impact of keeping people 'hooked' Psychologically or neurology it isn't that different from addictions on stuff that is considered a problem. Marketing strategies to get your time and money. Companies like WOTC very much know they influence their customer's ability to commit or to distance themselves. The marketing-teams would most likely aim for statistics that say "our audience is 24/7 hooked" Well, sorry, you at WOTC bring joy and community to people, but you're not the pinnacle of life. Health family friends nutrition education, those (i'd say) are high values. TCGs are a luxury, a hobby, a means to an end to bring people together. But it stops at that. I wish many people to find a "golden spot" for their hobbies. Have it the place in their life that they feel good to, not to take it over. "Well than this product is just not for you" is one of those lines that shows the direction that WOTC's marketing department chooses. They don't go for "hmm we hear what our audience says let's have a healthy ethical conversation on it" They choose "how can we phrase it in the way that responsibility stays fully at the audience, and we can keep doing our thing with 0 changes" Be mindful of that. Keep your hobby in the place in your life where you want it.

[@opie5314]

I play predh now. I have rid myself of fomo for new sets. But i still upgrade my decks when i dive into the old cards on scryfall and find something new to do with them

[@robertprueter3292]

I was gonna post this last episode, but it might be more appropriate here. When I go to upgrade a deck the first question I ask is "does this help the [Spirit] of the deck?" By "Spirit" I mean the theme, identity, over arching goal the deck is trying to do. If it does, that's an upgrade worth considering. If it doesn't, will it harm or dilute the spirit of the deck? Example: I have a Doran, Siege Tower deck that is all about playing high toughness Treefolk to bash people's faces in. I built it when the LotR set came out and I wanted to play "The Ents go to war." So a card Asceticism works great, it's powerful and on theme. A card like Oathsworn Giant is very good in that deck, but it's not in the spirit of the deck. Sometimes I compromise here and there, like with Chromatic Lantern and Arcane Signet, but otherwise I try to only upgrade with cards that fit the Spirit of the deck.

[@EDHRECast]

That's a really good way to look at it.

[@stevenkouns233]

I personally look at spoilers once they wrap up and limit myself to only cards that I will actively use in my current decks

[@derekpreston1989]

I’m here for the golden girls secret lair 😊

[@MetFreak42]

@0:50 oh lordy... 😂 When my little brother was about 5... we were sitting around the table in the evening having family supper. We'd been eating for about 10 minutes, no one has really said anything to anyone, no particular reason, when out of nowhere my brother says in his cute little 5 year old voice... "A man walked into a bar, and said "Ouch." "

[@EDHRECast]

John Mulaney's origin story 🤣

[@bladethebeast2]

I have some decks that are in constant flux. The new sets are irrelevant to me wanting to tweak the deck. They don't help when it adds a ton of new cards to filter though and decide on. But I do that with old cards all of the time

[@cread13]

The fomo is mainly around the secret lairs more specificly the limited supply ones like the recent miku ones and Monty python. I want all 3 but the scalpers got to them before I could finish loading the site.

[@EDHRECast]

Missing out due to scalpers and not even players feels real bad.

[@cread13]

@@EDHRECast I realy enjoyed the idea behind secret lairs with the unique alt arts for cards but with the new direction they have taken with them has made them no longer worth going for. I went from either buying the full foil bundle each time or at least most of the available secret lairs in the sale to now I haven't purchased any for the last 3 or 4 sales because the main ones I wanted got scalped.

[@Alico_Reborn]

My FOMO would be overwhelming if I focused on each deck I have like you guys do. I run 40-50 decks at any given moment, as I enjoy the variety. My method to avoid FOMO is to only buy a fat pack from each set, maybe trade for some pieces with cards I don't need, but otherwise build decks only from cards I own. I just don't stress about it, as I don't see the reason to do so. If my deck is worse for it, that's fine, I have other decks which are better if I am in the mood for a higher power game.

[@EDHRECast]

Oh yeah, with that many decks it would be insurmountable.

[@SDaHyo]

Thank you Dana for validating the change card A for card B in between anxiousness 😂

[@EDHRECast]

Hey it feels good for us to know we aren't the only ones too.

[@shadowmyst9661]

As a newer player and collector of MTG I actually feel like I’m missing out on older cards when it comes to the prices of certain cards I want/need.

[@EDHRECast]

Yeah, it was so much easier a decade ago. Even the small stuff costing a dime instead of a quarter adds up.

[@okgut2033]

hey joey i think if you play tergrids back side its far more interesting to build around that instead :)

[@AuronCommander]

I gave into FOMO when they first reprinted pearl medallion. I thought they were never going to reprint it again, so I bought it at $8. now its $2

[@EDHRECast]

(Dana here) I did the same with the medallions

[@JustinNovack]

Let's talk about REAL FOMO. Mystery Booster Box 2.

[@EDHRECast]

Real easy tone to Miss Out on too.

[@DrukenReaps]

At one point I was buying and making decks every time I thought a potential commander was even slightly interesting... This was expensive. I still have more cards and decks than maybe I should have because I like the physical cards but I use websites like Tappedout and build tons and tons of decks on there instead of physically. So for years now most of "my decks" have only existed virtually. Though the idea is being held there in a cloud of sorts so I know if I really get interested in it for some reason, I can revisit it and build it pretty easily.

[@Werewolfoverlord12]

Some sets, absolutely i feel this. Other sets... MEH. Cause i play in paper and have a VERY strict budget mindset for each card, because it keeps me from doing stupid things. that said... i may have been looking at lizard outlaws and been like "oh thats a jasper flint card". ... and might have taken apart my Orzhov Clerics deck to build bats before the set was out but it was only like... a couple days prior? ... 😅

[@narvuntien]

I am extremely paitent, so while I basically have a running list of upgrades and cards to get I just wait until someone turns up at my LGS with it in their rare folder. I got myself a Kastrayl for my birds deck because someone in draft got one in draft and then opened another in his prize pack (after beating me with flyiers). I needed that card for a bird kindred deck but I was going to just wait for ever.

[@EDHRECast]

Being patient is really the key to a lot of this for sure.

[@ivernedit]

I starve for new cards but am never satisfied. I love brewing so much. I just wish I would play test stuff more because I tend to remove cards after not drawing them for a few games.

[@EDHRECast]

Being never satisfied mentally exhausting, but when you love brewing and tinkering it's at the same time really fun.

[@ivernedit]

@@EDHRECast yeah. Always up and down. Constant state of imbalance and the inverse.

[@ramonfigueiredo4995]

I'd really like to take a look a that Burakos Folk Hero list 👀

[@EDHRECast]

Here you go: archidekt.com/decks/4301639/burakos_party_of_four

[@ramonfigueiredo4995]

@@EDHRECast thanks! ❤️

[@stormtrooperjeepjk]

I love building with "old" tech!

[@EDHRECast]

Resident old guy Dana feels the same way about old tech.

[@stormtrooperjeepjk]

@@EDHRECast darn us gen x magic players lol

[@Qaos]

Personally, the biggest driving force that helped me beat FOMO was just being broke as shit. It becomes so much easier to stop caring if you miss something when you are genuinely incapable of taking part in it

[@TeaHauss]

I knew Dana and I were similar but man, those changelogs are revealing

[@EDHRECast]

In a good way right? We're gonna assume revealing in a good way 😅

[@kaba9926]

The worst is cutting previously FOMOed cards. So quick tip : make the cuts BEFORE buying cards. Print it, goldfish and be play your deck first

[@kaba9926]

Honestly at this point to get the same feeling as before I really think I’d need 200 cards decks. I mean really

[@thriftypsgr]

39:49 one thing I tell myself is that my deck was good without those new cards. It is still good even if I don’t add them. My merfolk deck is like that. I have nothing from bloomburrow to add to it and I didn’t add anything from OTJ or MKM. I added mdfc from mh3