How to Tell if You're a SPIKE in Commander

[@simonteesdale9752]

I'm pretty sure that the spikiest card is the promo Wurmcoil engine. The thing is covered in them. The runners up are every other card by Raymond Swanland.

[@NitpickingNerds]

Lol 😂 this is true

[@HomeCookinMTG]

Comedy gold. Another honorable mention for Basilisk Collar.

[@evanwilliams9426]

Spike feeder ?

[@mitchellrowland1017]

Phyrexian dreadnaught gives it a run for its money 😝

[@jamesoakley9333]

Well played sir

[@zotmaster]

Oko is one of the most tilting, unfun cards I've ever had to play against. I'm pretty sure that every time an Oko player loses, a puppy is brought back to life.

[@NitpickingNerds]

We all need to start playing Oko so that puppies live forever!

[@hanschristopherson8056]

It literally took me two years to realize that okos second ability was a plus ability and not a minus ability it’s like my brain told me it couldn’t be a plus ability

[@zotmaster]

@@hanschristopherson8056 Right? Most walkers have an opportunity cost, especially when it comes to removal. Oko is "effectively remove something and gain loyalty", or "gain loyalty, but faster".

[@Akoustikus]

I had heard the tales, as I didn't actively play during his time in standard, and threw it in a food themed edh deck without looking much at the other abilities. The turn I resolved Oko the first time I forfeit and grabbed a different deck on the grounds that i didn't realize i brought cedh cards to a casual pod. Biggest mtg balance failure in a long, long time.

[@sw33tshar3]

K'Rrik is literally covered in spikes. Surely the spikiest card.

[@NitpickingNerds]

How could we forget?

[@sw33tshar3]

@@NitpickingNerds Plus you can pay 4 life to cast Grave Titan for 4 mana instead of 6 with K'rrik making him a totally overpowered spike card

[@zachryharp]

@@sw33tshar3 true he's super spicy, win con in my deck for sure, unfortunately for me also KoS

[@GreenLightningHood]

I don't see how you guys keep coming up with quality content at this rate. I know the videos are coming and they still surprise me every time. Wish I could subscribe twice.

[@MTG69]

It snows a lot in Buffalo this time of the year.

[@antfayden]

Yawg will is a value card that sometimes combos. Breach is a combo card that sometimes values. That's the best way imo to summarize them as a player who plays at a variety of power levels including cedh

[@AFzizou]

Definitely, Yawg Will often simply recurs some ritual, removal, cantrip or helps having a counterspell up and that's really all we ask! :D

[@ItsMeBeeee]

So I'd love a discussion on alternative win cons. Once I started powering up my izzet decks I became intimately familiar with the Win Fish (Thassa's) but it's very polarizing. I really enjoy mill but not so great in edh, I just like another way to win besides damage

[@originalusername295]

Aetherflux reservoir kills people with damage, but it could be a good choice (especially in izzet)

[@NitpickingNerds]

You can play token makers and goblin sharpshooter type effects

[@iancollishaw3330]

izzet wins primarily through a lot of repeated damage effects or self-milling to Thassa's you might be able to mill out the opponents with a cheeky Psychic Spiral or Traumatize style effects but without access to black for things like Mind Grind/Mind Funeral/Glimpse the Unthinkable it might be harder than you'd hoped.

[@V2ULTRAKill]

@@iancollishaw3330 i mean if its storm you can also storm mill them with 69420 brain freezes after dramatic sceptering

[@jamesoakley9333]

I have a token machine that "opponents lose 1" an infinite number of times.... 4 card combo critical mass type. I'm mostly a Johnny but I started as a timmy.

[@JohnDoe-vc5qb]

Kiki-Jiki combo if they have red, carpet of flowers + sylvan library in green, grand abolisher, thalia, archon of xyz in white, vamp and demonic tutor in black, fishy and rystic study in blue are the spike staples imo.

[@NitpickingNerds]

Red you can add in Dockside.

[@poofypeanut0221]

@@NitpickingNerds and Jeskas Will 😂

[@wave6553]

Sol ring and mana crypt are not "basically the same power level" Turn 1 Sol Ring: Unless you've got another two mana or less artifact in your hand, you're passing the turn. Turn 1 Mana Crypt: You're potentially capable of casting most 3 cmc or less cards in your hand, probably getting your 3 cmc or less commander onto the battlefield providing your only in one color, or getting your companion into your hand if your deck has one. Sure, after the turn you play it not only is mana crypt no longer better, it's actually worse but if you get to the point where you're putting mana crypt in your deck, the turn you play it should be the only turn that matters in the long run.

[@ItzYuki1i]

Loving the channel right now!

[@NitpickingNerds]

Glad to hear it!

[@pepocomfy6420]

39:23 I think the first thing I'd think is that they didn't read Verdant Catacombs

[@NitpickingNerds]

That's a valid play! We just had Volanic on screen for the entire dual land segment :p

[@bobm1476]

Came to make this exact comment

[@HomeCookinMTG]

I don't like Thassa's Oracle, but I do like self mill win decks. I'm okay with Lab Man and Jace because they actually be interacted with. I also liked brainfreeze in conjunction with the magecraft treasure dude, and Mizzix Mastery.

[@Dayyyjoey26]

Seeing that a good half of these cards are in my personal favorite deck says a lot. Nothing makes me feel good like a super optimized Sisay

[@TheMackhimself]

Really wanted to support you guys by buying Dragon Shield through your link. Too bad they have ridiculous shipping solutions - and they're even from my own country (Danmark) like 200km away! Buying sleeves from like.. a LGS in Spain 2500km away, is half the price for me, compared to directly from the producer.. So if it's the thought that counts.. please receive my appreciative support :P

[@NitpickingNerds]

We also get kickback on thoughtfulness!

[@durarada]

A sort of practical way to resolve Lim-Dul's Vault that my group okayed: Set aside piles of five for how much life you're willing to pay, ordered 1 to X from next to your library to the edge of your playmat. Look through each pile in order, deducting one life for each pile looked at besides the first. Pick the pile you like, put all other cards on the bottom of your library, and then shuffle (the shuffling/cutting process negates any perceived advantages of getting the unchosen piles on the bottom of your library) and finish the resolve. Usually turns this from an 8-15 minute card into a five minute recreation of card's artwork; the player losing their mind as a swarm of cards and mana symbols fly around them.

[@NitpickingNerds]

If that is the simple way to resolve this card can we just ban it? 😂

[@durarada]

@@NitpickingNerds i didnt say we liked it any more than banning it, but we had to prove a point to the person who played it because he did all that, finally picked the cards he wanted, and then passed turn into a craterhoof win because NONE OF IT MATTERED

[@kevin_Masters]

If you cant resolve with decent tempo and each pile takes a lot of time to decide to keep it don't play it. I'd say if it took too long the next pile is the last because we are there to play. Maybe a chess clock to speed things up?

[@hitbycars]

Whoa! You guys get like 200 comments a video now? I remember when I would leave your videos on in the background to help boost your viewer counts when you were just starting. I’m proud of y’all, and the content has quality has stayed good and consistent.

[@DaveDevourerOfPineapple]

Absolutely loved this series guys. Nitpicking heaven.

[@ThomasLadder1]

You had the perfect opportunity to bring back disclaimer guy. Nice grave titan meme though.

[@secondslash587]

26:39 Beezy independently comes up with the idea of “HARD once per turn” effects seen on Yugioh cards

[@AbyssArray]

I wasn't watching the screen when you mentioned Grave Titan - I was super confused for a sec lol

[@NitpickingNerds]

Got em!

[@golgariguy]

I recently included the Mikaeus/Ballista combo in my Meren deck because I was playing 0 combos and sometimes I had trouble closing games.

[@satsuki5679]

spike titan is the spikiest of the titans

[@NitpickingNerds]

So spikey

[@ryansand20]

Great series, thank you! One tip. I went to watch the last video of this series today, but there was no links back to the previous videos in the series. This would be nice for those discovering it later.

[@alexavery5510]

Because of how Yawgmoth's Will is worded "You may play cards in your graveyard as if they were in your hand." The card lives up to its busted reputation with Rakdos, Lord of Riots and Abaddon the Despoiler. I've had it in my Rakdos deck since 2013 and it is very rare where Yawg's will isn't game flipping in my favor.

[@sephyrias883]

38:25 Yisan cEDH decks often use Craterhoof as win-condition, mostly because they can cheat it into play on turn 3 or 4 already.

[@V2ULTRAKill]

Yisan decks are hilarious

[@marcwinkler4607]

I feel the need to play all of these against Joe and watch the anxiety levels go threw the roof when I don't combo lol

[@drewhartl2755]

This was a great idea for an episode. I'll love to see you guys do the same thing for the other two player archetypes.

[@houdini8894]

Do you Plan to make a Deck Profile for Torens? Joe was really excited to Build him. And it should be pretty similar to your Oketra deck. Would love to See your take on him.

[@daguynexdoor]

The biggest thing for me about mana crypt is its 0 casting cost. Turn 1, if you have a sol ring and a land, you tap the land and are left with 2 generic mana. Now that same hand with a mana crypt instead of sol ring is able to play the land and the crypt and are left wit 2 generic and one of a colour! That, for me, is why I don't quite put sol ring at the same tier as mana vault. Amd price too I guess, if I could afford to run both, I would

[@devinsarter9713]

The big difference between Sol Ring and mana crypt is the 1 cmc casting cost. Mid to late game it doesn't matter as much, but early game it matters alot. Mana crypt allows you to play a 3 drop on turn one, and it can have a color pip. Sol Ring is a colorless 2 drop, which is usually just another mana rocks. It seems like a small thing, but that difference in cmc/mana value is huge

[@NitpickingNerds]

They're both extremely powerful but Crypt is better

[@SvviftDeath]

You forgot the Spikiest land of them all, Gemstone Caverns. You only play this if you are a spike. It has such a low chance of tapping for mana but spikes will take any fast mana they can. And hey if you see no blue at the table Carpet of Flowers is free fodder for Caverns, Force of Viger, or even Chrome Mox. Turn your useless card into discard/exile fodder seems good. I am definitely a spike and I have done this.

[@midnalight6419]

chrome mox and force require cards of color. Gemstone has no color.

[@SvviftDeath]

@@midnalight6419 I was talking about Carpet of Flowers. Pitching that to Chrome Mox, Force of Vigor, or Gemstone Caverns when your opponents aren't playing blue.

[@TheAaronir3]

Perfect just enough cards to build a deck with and win lol

[@NitpickingNerds]

You even have Kenrith for a 5 color commander!

[@Knightfall8]

another spikey example for Kiki-Jiki: the Snoop! I love having snoop out then resolving goblin recruiter to make a snoop pile

[@royhubbard4321]

Loved the grave titan joke

[@cobaltdeleon]

I feel Mycosynth Lattice is the perfect middle point between Spike and Johnny. Am I doing silly Rube Goldberg things with Clock of Omens? Am I overloading Vandalblast? Equipping my entire board to Kazuul's Toll Collector with Bludgeon Brawl? Dropping Karn, the Great Creator for a hard lock? So many choices, all dependent on where the player falls on that scale.

[@cobaltdeleon]

Rip had to edit and lost the heart.

[@V2ULTRAKill]

@@cobaltdeleon I'd say ad naus is a good middle point too, like you can wheel spin for days and do some really goofy shit Or you can draw half your deck play a 2 card combo and win the turn it goes out

[@Clonekiller66]

8:28 Hey look! It's my favorite Magic card of all time!

[@mrcalvinelm]

Kaervek's Torch is the x spell I used prior to torrent of hellfire's print

[@aidanirish]

Surprised Yuriko wasn’t mentioned here

[@AceManSlowed]

Fr, yuriko players are definitely spikes lol.

[@jonathanjenson2986]

I feel called out, I play most of the cards pointed out in this video. Power creep/arm's race hit my play group hard since the most common players play alot og these's as well. 2 or 4 out of like 10-ish players do have at least 1 cEDH deck(I'm one of them).

[@alicenya6945]

I think regarding the point about sol ring and the statement about some cards not counting as staples there’s an interesting argument to be made that this actually makes them the spikiest cards by far in my eyes; those “staple” cards don’t differentiate your deck at all from other decks, offer low to no synergy, and are played purely to make your deck better at winning, and on top of that the main reason people justify running them when they wouldn’t run other “cedh” cards or whatever is that everyone does run them, but this means that their main reason of running the card is purely so they can avoid being at a disadvantage to the others who do, and the fact it actively takes away from your decks uniqueness out of fear of being less optimal than other players makes them the spikiest cards by far, but since so many people outside cedh don’t wanna think of their choices as spikey they would never say that Also side note I’m very surprised you mentioned pitch spells and other free spells but didn’t specify the pacts, which in my mind are probably the spikiest cards in the entire format, and also that you brought up carpet but not other similar cards especially pyroblast, and hyper efficient cantrips but not spellpierce type effects even tho you mentioned both being extra hypercompetitive in hypercompetitive metas in other videos Love u guys and sorry for a LOT of rambling but those definitely stood out as things to touch on as a proud spike myself since hyperoptimized metas are things you guys shy away from usually. Also final note you stated hoof wouldn’t be playable in cedh because it’s 8 mana but you’d be surprised how expensive some cards can get and while it’s not in most cedh decks, hoof decks are definitely fringe playable and other expensive cards like peer into the abyss can be quite good as well

[@mattratcliffe2181]

I valued with kiki in my Obeka deck. By the end of the game I had 4 consecrated sphinxes.

[@fiofio601]

Tergrid and Cyclonic Rift. Ok now I'll watch the video

[@Mattismen]

I play Augustin IV in my Storvald deck for the double discount on my 7-cost commander, and Kiki-jiki mostly makes eggs in my Atla Palani Shaman Tribal deck.

[@andrewrockwell1282]

I take great care in making my deck and I prefer to make it myself and not netdeck. I always find if I craft it I have a better idea how to play it. But when I play I play to win, and with your advice I have been winning more than I lose.

[@helmutlvx]

Never thought of myself as a Spike... but I play a bunch of these cards 😬

[@sharkmanyt4431]

Craterhoof is actually played in some (but very few) cedh decks

[@ingolf82]

I consider myself a Johnny. I love combo stuff. someone was playing Emery and he was making infinite mana very easily, but I don't think he knew what his wincons were, so I said "here, I'll sell you my walking ballista, I'm not using it, at least, this way, you have something to win the game with now :) I natural ordered out a Vorinclex on turn 3 hehehe, that was fun. went , land, mana dork, land, land, naturl order, sac my mana ddork, gort out Vorinclex and I had 8 mana on turn 4 :)

[@robby6382]

In my opinion, Serra Ascendant increases your lose percentage since from my experience, everyone looks at you after for the rest of the game

[@CJ-nd9gg]

I think part of what makes Mana Crypt different from Sol Ring is the damage it does, making it so you have to think about winning fast enough to not die from it. It’s kinda inherently spiky as a card.

[@V2ULTRAKill]

I mean if youre dying to mana crypt burn Your deck isnt good enough to run mana crypt, that shit takes forever to kill

[@zachw5768]

I run food chain in my chatterfang deck as a mana generator. No combo pieces are run with it. It is basically a cross between ashnods altar and phyrexian altar but can be way better.

[@purepipboy6496]

Bro that grave titan cameo LOL

[@NitpickingNerds]

Deathtouch OP

[@mfitkin]

I am thankful for the nitpicking nerds

[@NitpickingNerds]

Awwwwwwwwwwwwwwww

[@cteal2018]

Red Elemental Blast, Pyroblast, Overmaster or other Combo Protection, anti-counter spells, or off color counter spells like mana tithe, or dashed hopes...(I do have spikey tendencies)

[@ganzzert3477]

I feel like Rituals also could be added to the list (Like Desperate Ritual, Dark Ritual, etc.), they just seem super "get my stuff out as fast as possible and win." Usually found alongside storm.

[@Shulwelld]

I think they’re great in casual decks that draw too many cards, great way to get some value instead of having to discard

[@mtgsus]

I understand your opinions on proteon hulk and kiki-jiki. But guess what, Johnny players use them for value. Hulk goes in my henzie deck and kiki-jiki in my ghired deck. Pretty fun value cards there.

[@joshberg7944]

What happened to the play episode?

[@d43m0n412]

My Oona, Queen of the Fae deck felt very attacked by this list lol.... Because I built this deck when I first started playing commander and took it apart to build other decks in other formats and when I was finally able to put it back together I kind of went all in on rebuilding the deck and now I feel like a spike after seeing like 3/4 of the blue cards in the deck (there is no thoracle win in the deck although it has been considered as a back up way to win) but yeah... seeing this list though, I'm really questioning myself as a player... Thanks guys lol...

[@psycoteck0808]

I use penmins aura as a protection card usually for my commander or sometimes as a cheeky way to give flying and do direct damage I've never used it as a combo piece

[@HeirophantCarneus]

When someone plays Yawgmoth's will, usually that means they are winning that turn through graveyard loops. They have just put their library into the graveyard, or are about to.

[@BjornEinarr]

You cannot loop spells from the graveyard with Yawg's Will, as it exiles cards that hit the grave for the turn.

[@HomeCookinMTG]

Well, they aren't looping with Yawg will, everything gets exiled once it resolves. it basically only goes in a storm deck.

[@HeirophantCarneus]

Youre both 100% correct, I used the wrong term. It's a 'storm off from your graveyard' enabler

[@thrillhouse4151]

Oko is so mean, I love him. I wish there was some sort of artifact/token commander in Temur so I can have Brudiclad turn all his food into Karnstructs or treasure. I took Zealous Conscripts out of my Krenko deck and am running pure value Kiki Jiki, now he just gets an Imperial Recruiter to copy each turn instead, the goblin matron and Terror of the Peaks are my other favorites.

[@andrebarnhill]

Excellent video!

[@Dracomandriuthus]

Value Kiki Jiki as commander is a fun little deck. I play Kiki Value as my monored deck. He's great. I win with a Mayhem Devil effect, or just by overwhelming people with a buncha gobbos

[@brentclark8453]

How is stasis not on this list? Auto spike card

[@energetek661]

The Grave titan section was amazing😂.

[@NitpickingNerds]

Thank you, thank you

[@RENEG4DE4NGEL]

My favorite Tooth & Nail combo rn is Emrakul, The Aeons Torn and It That Betrays. Let's get some permanents!

[@willgary8792]

Isn't Emmy banned in commander?

[@JavelinMike]

Is there a Timmy version I missed?

[@devilpuncher8706]

I don't know where I got my Yawg's Will, but I'm going to play.

[@stephanhasenberg7783]

I really enjoyed this video it was a good one

[@mushclone298]

My permission deck is Rielle ... and has about 30 counters.

[@workyoutube7798]

... How'd you guys find my decklist?

[@NitpickingNerds]

We have our ways.

[@Kopekemaster]

Thassa's Oracle is definitely a spikey wincon, but it doesn't *have* to be. It (alongside its brothers) is my only wincon in my Eligeth deck, that relies not on exiling your entire library in a turn or turbo milling or something, but requires you to DRAW your entire deck. It's a difficult enough challenge to do that Thassa's Oracle is a completely fair way to win from there.

[@NitpickingNerds]

Yeah all cards can be spikey and used for fun 😊

[@maxwellnichols3873]

Is it difficult? I have the same deck and I always win the turn I resolve Dream Halls with Eligeth out, usually T5-6

[@Kopekemaster]

@@maxwellnichols3873 Well, I don't have Dream Halls haha. There aren't many combos/"I win on the spot" cards in the deck, the closest thing is Ghostly Flicker with Shipwreck Douser+a creature that scries a lot when it enters the battlefield. It's not exactly a *budget* deck, but it's definitely on the lower end, maybe $300. Most expensive card is Cyclonic Rift, and that's only because I had one on hand.

[@ExKiwi-yw8er]

I really want to play thasa's oracle in my gavi cycling blink deck because it has a lot of cool synergies and just happens to be a win con but.... it's just too good. People would descend upon me like a pack of wild dogs as soon as I play it.

[@DracoMagna]

I for one am disappointed, a whole list of the spikiest cards, and yet no mention of arguably the spikiest card ever: Spike Cannibal from Exodus. Protean Hulk, no spikes, Oko, no spikes.

[@NitpickingNerds]

I knew this was coming

[@brandonbrooks779]

*Spikeshot Elder enters the conversation

[@workyoutube7798]

feeder and weaver for the win as well - although i admittedly try to actually work cannibal into most of my black decks, so...

[@davidmcgaha7932]

As an ultimate Timmy I will be patiently waiting for that video

[@flol.1741]

Funniest thing I've seen lately was from a wannabe Spike who wasn't quite there yet. Played Thassa's Oracle, (everybody else at the table starts chuckling) responded to the ETB with Demonic Consultation (Everybody is now grinning, trying so hard to keep it in) . Consultation resolves, he empties his library. With Oracle ETB still on the stack another player goes: Tap my Geier's Reach Sanitarium, everybody draws and discards...

[@avarice6733]

Brutal

[@blakem000]

Love the list! One I would add: rest in peace. So many decks are GY based, and this absolutely shuts them down. Kudo's if you put in a Helm of Obedience for extra spike...!

[@plasmawisp18]

People need to play more graveyard hate. Letting the muldrotha and Meren player just freeroll value is how you lose grindy games

[@christophersalvatore1631]

Mishras Bauble is a scry one draw two for zero in my Korvold deck 😅 (though one draw is on the next upkeep).

[@olivermeloche2042]

You called me out with having, pyroblast/red elemental blast in a chainer deck lmao

[@hwosaidicantfreerun]

underworld breach in Obeka becomes a persistent yog's will xD

[@jamesdavidson6976]

Pemmin's aura was in my Merieke deck

[@TheAmazingSpiderman87]

Idea: 4 player rule 0 grave titan commanders. Only caveat, joe and beezy must cast their commander at least twice each.

[@codelicious6590]

I've always mostly considered myself a Jimmy; part Timmy part Johnny. Despite Rudy's influence of negative connotations on the. "Timmys" they are still the most fun players I think.

[@kevin_Masters]

I hate timmy's the most as they hate out a lot of strats and play no interaction. I like casual players the most as they can have any style.

[@codelicious6590]

@@kevin_Masters Well, I suppose any word can have any meaning to anyone but, I think maybe the meaning you in particular give to the label of, "Timmy" may just be different than mine- to me, Timmys are the absolute most casual of the three archetypical Magic players.

[@kevin_Masters]

@@codelicious6590 yeah that is true. So we might enjoy the same type of people.

[@codelicious6590]

@@kevin_Masters I think so, yeah.

[@spudster8887]

Maybe says something that almost all of these cards are in my decks. Hell some of my decks are built specifically around these cards, my meren deck with protean hulk for example.

[@lukepilon4440]

I play Thalia and Deafening Silence in my Oketra deck to keep my opponents from outpacing me

[@jacobwest7921]

Straight up called out my Brallin and Shabraz deck rip

[@davidg8594]

Kiki would still combo with snoop with that wording ;)

[@noname_joe4854]

I just learned that I am the Spike.

[@DudeManGuyBro]

Spike is the competitive player. Spike plays to win. Spike enjoys winning. To accomplish this, Spike will play whatever the best deck is. Spike will copy decks off the Internet. Spike will borrow other players’ decks. To Spike, the thrill of Magic is the adrenalin rush of competition. Spike enjoys the stimulation of outplaying the opponent and the glory of victory.

[@NitpickingNerds]

Sounds right to us!

[@workyoutube7798]

Shameless copy/pasta!

[@DudeManGuyBro]

@@workyoutube7798 Well, yeah. I had no idea what a Spike player was so when I saw this video I looked it up and found an old post made by Mark Rosewater. I thought it'd be cool if I shared that paragraph here, is all.

[@workyoutube7798]

@@DudeManGuyBro Yeah, no, after i posted that, I was like, "shizz; that homie actually doing a service for everyone, and i'm teasing them him..." the only way I knew it was copy pasta is from looking up same article, i'm sure (i always get a timmy and a johnny mixed up, and they of course explain spikes with the same rosewater quotes). So, you get the rarest thing EVER in a youtube comments section: an apology.

[@joshsykes3670]

Did I miss Dockside Extortionist in this video or did you miss the second spikiest card after Thassa's Oracle?

[@NitpickingNerds]

We didn’t put it but it is very spikey

[@HokaMagic]

27:40 You forgot Null Rod. Extremely spikey card.

[@spinaldart5773]

Can we get a video of a completely optimized mana base according to the nerds?

[@PawzBrownMTG]

This was a great set of cards guys

[@esrohm6460]

the untap auras are not only combo. if your commander is in blue with a tap ability or your deck is about tap abilities its also good outside of combos. for example roon just becomes 3 mana blink something. also wow i haven't seen roon in a whle and 2 mana tap to blink something. if today this blue green mythic would of been printed he probably would just be tap and also put a counter on the creature, draw you a card, do your taxes and make you a 3 course meal. we're already at the point where we do the yugioh thing of once per turn, when do we reach the point where standard is just vintage without power 9.

[@alicenya6945]

As what seems like one of the few who often sees themselves as a spike in most games but often plays casual petdecks too, I feel like some of these, but especially stuff like the counters parts and stax pieces stuff, aren’t actually spikey (in fact I’d argue the opposite, dedicating a deck specifically to either one rather than just running a few implies you care more about adhering to a specific play style than winning) but end up being associated more with spikes because spike players are the ones who, while again I would say if anything are less likely to want to play stacks and FAR less likely to play some talrand counterspell deck, will never mind going against such decks and if anything often relish the opportunity to see how our decks fare against such strategies. That said, I don’t fault anyone for lumping in such stuff since whatever the reason it is something more often played at spikey groups and thus more associated with spikes, because spike is a weird category anyway and it’s much harder to straight up call a card spikey for reasons besides “this is really good,” but I feel like stuff like that contributes to people who feel like we just...hate fun, which seems to be a common perception and I’d argue enjoying playing against people’s other decks when others won’t is the opposite to me Tldr I think some unpopular strats are thought of as spikey, but it’s more that they’re “unbanned” by spikey players who love playing against stuff others often hate.

[@DonJuanDecepticon]

Do you guys ever proxy out cards? Or do you just opt for a lower power option card?

[@NitpickingNerds]

We usually don't proxy and just buy what we need, but we have unique circumstances I'd say

[@noobtuber10]

Silent arbiter was the creature that limits attacks

[@andrewrockwell1282]

I have a Kenny deck and it is group hug with two cards in the deck that can really give me a win.

[@NitpickingNerds]

Which two?

[@andrewrockwell1282]

I had had door to nothingness and tendrils of agony. I have modified the deck, I now have door to nothingness, torment of hailfire, and tunnel vision (after using removal that puts cards on the bottom of their library). I have won a surprising amount with tunnel vision. I have come to believe that I play like a spike player, I enjoy the game but I play to win. But none of the traits that commonly describe Spikes apply to me.

[@sharkmanyt4431]

Yawgmoth’s Will actually is very good in commander, well, at least in cEDH. Never tried in casual.

[@landonhohgrefe3807]

I play walking ballista in my rakdos lord of riots deck and I feel like it's just alright there

[@crustycarhartt]

I'm so spikey that I'm watching this for new cards to play! :k

[@joe.5103]

Are there any suggestions for someone who is hyper competitive but don’t really care if I win? Like I want to play the best cards without being a bunch of two card combos. Basically I want to have a fun deck that can compete and beat most decks but also isn’t something that isn’t as spikey as these guys talk about. Maybe that’s impossible. Would it be okay to run these decks if I just didn’t win by a combo?

[@joe.5103]

Like I don’t want to play oko but I do want to play FOW, the best card draw, best tutors, value tooth and nails. Idk stuff like that.