Stop Turning your Commander into a Combo Piece

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Salubrious Snail

Salubrious Snail

Күн бұрын

This is the last time I mention Zaxara, I promise
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www.salubrioussnail.com
0:00 Introduction
2:58 Opposing threat assessment
8:01 Know the game you want to play

Пікірлер: 476
@shooberoni
@shooberoni 9 күн бұрын
"figuring out ways to win that your opponents will allow you to perform the setup for" is a really good statement that I don't think I've heard of before or at least never phrases in such a way, I like it
@EdHGuru
@EdHGuru 9 күн бұрын
Facts it’s a fine line to walk between fun and powerful and if your win lines are innocuous or blend in with your general game plan it can be difficult for opps to see it coming or know which pieces are problems and which are just value.
@SidePressure
@SidePressure 9 күн бұрын
it's also the reason i prefer 1v1
@TheMCGamer2012
@TheMCGamer2012 9 күн бұрын
needing your opponents to allow you to win is why I won't step foot in Commander
@whatcookgoodlook
@whatcookgoodlook 9 күн бұрын
@@TheMCGamer2012it’s really not all that bad. Depends on your playgroup and how much they care about winning vs having fun
@matthewgagnon9426
@matthewgagnon9426 9 күн бұрын
It's a tricky line to walk, but I've definitely attempted it before as a deliberate strategy.
@fearghaill9738
@fearghaill9738 9 күн бұрын
To paraphrase another MTG creator (Maldhound): "If you show up at my party and I know that 90% of the time you're a chill person, and 10% of the time you're going to take a dump on the floor, I'm going to get rid of you as fast as possible."
@RandallStephens397
@RandallStephens397 10 күн бұрын
A wise man once told me "Yeah, sword of feast and famine is good, but I might get to keep a greatsword."
@robmitchell3039
@robmitchell3039 9 күн бұрын
Sometimes I'll keep a card that eats removal in the deck, BECAUSE it eats removal. If the card is good (Great? Broken?😀) , but not strictly necessary to win, that's one less removal they can use on thing I do need to win the game.
@HellecticMojo
@HellecticMojo 9 күн бұрын
Cheap first strikers are my go to for eating it. Everyone fears first strike and it will be played around.
@magnusbevaart2477
@magnusbevaart2477 9 күн бұрын
Was it Richard?
@jameshamilton6618
@jameshamilton6618 9 күн бұрын
​@@robmitchell3039this is precisely why Vorinclex sits in my deck
@sebastianahrens2385
@sebastianahrens2385 9 күн бұрын
@@robmitchell3039 Great point. I think a good example card would be Consecrated Sphinx. It probably never ends a game with its 4 power, but the resources it provides if not removed. And even IF it is removed, it might already have drawn enough cards to pay for itself.
@dawgiedawg6893
@dawgiedawg6893 9 күн бұрын
"Stop Turning your Commander into a Combo Piece" unless you are in blue and run a shit ton of counterspells.
@xxhellspawnedxx
@xxhellspawnedxx 9 күн бұрын
It's more than that. I can use an example from my own bag of tricks: I built an Abdel Adrian + Candlekeep Sage flicker deck recently, and it included Restoration Angel and Felidar Guardian, which was a mistake. It was intended to be a fun, reactive sort of deck - Keep your entire board hidden under Abdel, and use flicker effects to pop them out several times a turn, generating a shitload of value - But the combos the two aforementioned cards enables took the deck over completely. With Restoration Angel or Felidar Guardian coming into play while Abdel is around, they flicker each other back and forth, leading to infinite ETB's, which includes infinite life gain, infinite tokens, infinite card draw, infinite mana... Anything I have an ETB for in my deck. This now became the focus of the deck, and subsumed the fun, tricky and reactive value train that I intended the deck to be. If I have a way to win, I'll go for it - I don't "play with my food" - and thus I summarily removed them, because those combos wasn't what I wanted the deck to do.
@TheMattmatic
@TheMattmatic 9 күн бұрын
It also has a lot to do with consistency. Your playgroup doesn’t remember all the times you sat there and did nothing because your commander died - they remember the one time you combo killed the entire table turn three. When you pull out that deck again, that’s what they’ll base their threat assessment on.
@dawgiedawg6893
@dawgiedawg6893 9 күн бұрын
@@TheMattmatic Lmao i'm sorry but in my experience, no. Last week ran my Nasrset Enlightened Exile deck with no combos. Popped the commander 8 times in two games as soon as it hit. I get targeted for existing Next week i'm running my combo Zaxara deck that I took apart my cedh Malcolm/Vial Smasher deck to feed.Shit ton of counterspells baby, ready for the 1v2 as they gang up on me when my buddy isn't there.
@TheMattmatic
@TheMattmatic 9 күн бұрын
@@dawgiedawg6893 Are you playing with a regular playgroup, where you know the players and it’s a known ”meta”? Or vs unknown players? That can also change things a lot in my experience.
@dawgiedawg6893
@dawgiedawg6893 9 күн бұрын
@@TheMattmatic Playing with a regular playgroup but it's complicated. One player never shows so that leaves me with two guys that are friends that don't really target each other. Which leaves me to deal with everything. One guy is newer and never a threat but leaves his interaction for me, other guy is a threat and sees me as the threat.
@lukebortot7625
@lukebortot7625 10 күн бұрын
As an additional comment on Atraxa running poison. Poison (and also commander damage) focused decks all have the same weakness in a free for all format: you are the only player at the table that can advance your win con. Everyone at the table will be doing regular damage. If you get someone to 15 hp they must be concerned about their life total, and therefor must be scared of everyone. If you get someone to 6 poison counters they only need to be concerned about you (and more specifically, how they can remove you from the game). Poison (or voltron) can be fun but only If you want to be the archenemy of the table.
@camoking3609
@camoking3609 9 күн бұрын
Phyrexians became archenemy of the entire multiverse so i consider that a flavor win
@robmitchell3039
@robmitchell3039 9 күн бұрын
But commander damage is also regular damage. So while I may be on my own doing 21+ with my commander, if someone else takes an opponent down to 15, then that's all I need to do. I find commander damage to be a ridiculously reliable wincon.
@lukebortot7625
@lukebortot7625 9 күн бұрын
​@@robmitchell3039 This is very true. Maybe this effect is mostly a symptom of my pod's deck pool where life gain is fairly common. I have played several games where I have gotten 15+ commander damage on someone when they have more that 40 hp. At that point in the game, I am basically the only threat to that player so they hard focus me and take me out.
@robmitchell3039
@robmitchell3039 9 күн бұрын
@@lukebortot7625 honestly, if I have someone running heavy life gain, I mostly ignore them, until I can one shot them with commander damage.
@Icameron259
@Icameron259 9 күн бұрын
This is very true, and it's exactly what I sign up for when I play Tomer's budget Dimir Poison deck.
@shayneweyker
@shayneweyker 9 күн бұрын
Alternative title: Commit To the Bit
@camoking3609
@camoking3609 9 күн бұрын
In all fairness to the Altraxa poison players, it is by far the most flavorful and lore accurate way to play her You might be archenemy, but perfection always comes at a cost, so all hail Phyrexia
@comlitbeta7532
@comlitbeta7532 9 күн бұрын
This whole explanation of the dread of inevitable death by poison really puts in word why i love my atraxa poison deck. I am the arch villain. Stop me if you can.
@doomygoomy6347
@doomygoomy6347 9 күн бұрын
@@comlitbeta7532as the mollusk has decreed, it is okay to run a foreseeable and threatening gameplan so long as you are open to defending it.
@nestrior7733
@nestrior7733 9 күн бұрын
See that's the thing about that deck. If you know and embrace it, it is very clear what is going to happen. But a lot of casual commander can be very unfocused. That's what this video is about, ultimately. Your opponents will probably switch things up the moment you hit your powerful-but-not-your-gameplan combo that your commander helps/interacts with no matter how far along your actual gameplan is. Snail's "find ways to win your opponents will allow you to set up for" point. Which is probably why a lot of casual EDH decks run "too few" counter spells. You keep enjoying your villain arc. That deck sounds like a lot of genuine fun. Just pity the poor fools that only thought "Yeah, this is a nice addition that happens sometimes" without accounting for what will happen when it does.
@davidbilich1708
@davidbilich1708 9 күн бұрын
In all fairness to atraxia players they are terrible people.
@dude8351
@dude8351 9 күн бұрын
@@davidbilich1708 as an Atraxa player i agree
@jacobd1984
@jacobd1984 9 күн бұрын
"A Grand Experiment in Mildly Rigged Democracy", huh? Thanks, I'd been trying to come up with a name for my Tivit deck.
@psychedelicsewell
@psychedelicsewell 10 күн бұрын
You and trinket mage have cost me a lot of hours making my decks more fun to play. Thank you for that.
@MeZimm
@MeZimm 9 күн бұрын
Many years ago I played a game at a convention where a guy was really eager to try out his Ezuri, Claw of Progress deck. I kinda casually mentioned "oh yeah, there's a two-card infinite combo with him and Sage of Hours, have you heard of that?" His response was a "you caught me" smile and a defeated-sounding "... yeah... that's in here..." It was otherwise a fun casual +1+1 counter simic deck, but I remember feeling weird about how to handle to it since I never knew which turn he might try to trigger the combo. It's nice to have some validation for that feeling, all these years later.
@nathanvalleewilson2001
@nathanvalleewilson2001 10 күн бұрын
I wanna say that your videos have changed the way I approach building decks and I'm more fulfilled by the decks I build
@potatogrease2420
@potatogrease2420 9 күн бұрын
I feel the exact same way, I look at deck building entirely differently
@maxcrist9654
@maxcrist9654 9 күн бұрын
Same for me. Made my decks a lot better and WAY more fun.
@Sir_Basil
@Sir_Basil 9 күн бұрын
I WANT to say that Snail's videos have changed the way I build decks, but if I'm totally honest I'm still a combo-building, archenemy-inducing, hyper-competitive degenerate.
@khay0z
@khay0z 9 күн бұрын
@@maxcrist9654I agree, could I ask what made the the desk more fun for you?
@jonathonmenth3901
@jonathonmenth3901 9 күн бұрын
He’s really good at explaining in-depth topics.
@sandwichboy1268
@sandwichboy1268 9 күн бұрын
My playgroup made a rule that you have to let us know about your infinite combos before the game. This, in turn, discourages those infinite combos, as they have to say "yeah, I'm running a 2 card infinite combo with my commander" and get rightly focused down from turn 1.
@salubrioussnail
@salubrioussnail 9 күн бұрын
I'll typically ask my opponents what their general gameplan is if I don't know their deck, and likewise I'll tell my opponents the entire contents of my deck and how it wins. Opposing decks shouldn't be a mystery, it just makes the game worse.
@Graatand
@Graatand 9 күн бұрын
What about non-infinite game winning combos? 🤔
@associatedixon
@associatedixon 9 күн бұрын
Its why non-deterministic combos are fun. If I don't know if I win, then you are usually too late to stop it when I do
@matheuscomparini1663
@matheuscomparini1663 8 күн бұрын
​@@Graatandstill a game winning combo, doesn't rally matter
@ShjadeNexayre
@ShjadeNexayre 5 күн бұрын
@@salubrioussnail I have to admit I don't understand this point of view. I don't play MtG anymore, and never played Commander, but I'm assuming from the video and comments that it's generally played in an atmosphere of "we're here to enjoy the game, not to win the game," and that's good! I like that mentality. The part I don't understand is suggesting surprises aren't enjoyable. Are you really telling me the group wouldn't be blown away/have a good laugh when they discover that a deck they thought they had figured out was running an ulterior gameplan the whole time when it's sprung on them? Especially in an environment where winning isn't everyone's primary goal anyway? Why wouldn't that be a moment for laughing about it with an air of "Oh man I thought you were going for X and when Y dropped I felt my heart stop for a second"-the sort of twist that comes up in great boardgames when you realize someone who seemed behind most of the game has been building up one of the alternative win conditions and is suddenly threatening to sneak the game out from under the leader? It comes off sounding a bit like "This isn't a format where we play to win, so you shouldn't play a deck that might make me suddenly lose," which is a bit...confusing, at least from an outsider's perspective. If you're there for the love of the game, why is that a problem?
@michaelsparks1571
@michaelsparks1571 9 күн бұрын
More accurately "Stop turning your Commander into an 'Oops I win' combo piece in otherwise lower power decks".
@Swoozman
@Swoozman 9 күн бұрын
Ive had a Kaalia player ask me why I blew up their boots and then killed Kaalia the following turn. Answer is, I know your deck cant do anything without the commander swinging. “So you’re not going to let me play the game” Not if you make it so easy, I guess.
@700pierwizard4
@700pierwizard4 9 күн бұрын
“Git gud”
@PhoenicopterusR
@PhoenicopterusR 9 күн бұрын
Kaalia is super all or nothing, not sure why they just expected people to let them run away with the game. Gotta work hard to protect those kinds of commanders.
@hughjass5494
@hughjass5494 9 күн бұрын
"I'm going to make you play at the same speed as the rest of us, if I can."
@andrewborkosky2709
@andrewborkosky2709 3 күн бұрын
The problem is that people say they just want to "do the thing" for their deck, but when you build your deck such that letting you do the thing means letting you win, you're either going to win, or not have a good experience with the deck.
@RoscoeKane
@RoscoeKane 9 күн бұрын
Overdependence on the commander is a major issue a lot of decks have. The commander enabling both a fun game mechanic and a combo is very similar to decks that play a lot of cards that are great with the commander but worthless without the commander. Enough of those good only with commander cards, and your opponents will think "I don't have to fight the player on anything other than having the commander in play. If I focus on that, I can pretty much let them do whatever else they want and not worry about it." Which leads the person with the deck overly dependent on the commander never having their commander and staring at a hand of garbage turn after turn not having fun.
@edhdeckbuilding
@edhdeckbuilding 9 күн бұрын
agree with this methodology. however, your zaxara (or whatever combo commander) will always be a target because the combo exists. regardless if you're playing it or not.
@ShawThing323
@ShawThing323 9 күн бұрын
You're absolutely right if you're playing at an LGS against randoms, but if you're playing in a consistent pod where each player learns (or at least is willing to trust) the abilities of each player's deck, this method can work much better.
@MisterWebb
@MisterWebb 9 күн бұрын
@@ShawThing323Snail does seem to be working on the assumption that one plays against the same pod every time. That’s not my experience at all, so his content does not resonate with me as much as with all the fanboys here. I must say, however, that I am envious of everyone who gets to play with friends instead of randoms. Finally, my Zaxara deck uses only cards with alliterative card names (so no Freed from the Real or Pemmin’s Aura) and it still slaps.
@salubrioussnail
@salubrioussnail 9 күн бұрын
Valid point! My theorizing here presumes opponents that care about the contents of your deck, but people do end up having memorable experiences with certain commanders that tend to color their view on the commander as a whole going forward.
@hamsterfromabove8905
@hamsterfromabove8905 9 күн бұрын
The idea that to win a game of EDH you must devise a wincon that you're opponents will see coming and choose to allow in favor of disrupting other players. That's a very good thought that relatively concisely explains a concept I've been thinking about. The first person to pop off rarely wins assuming the decks are within similar power ranges. No one can 1v3 in a fair match. So don't play in a way that makes your opponents all agree you are the biggest threat unless you are actually ready to be the threat they see you as.
@grahamlarsen2082
@grahamlarsen2082 9 күн бұрын
I agree and this is also something I’ve learned to appreciate. If you’re behind, you can always sneak out of the pack and snag a win out from people’s noses rather than try to do so as the archenemy
@aradraugfea6755
@aradraugfea6755 3 күн бұрын
Someone I don't play with often, but consider a friend basically only shows up with an Elfball Deck. Mindful that board wipes exist, he'll only really get his "BEHOLD MY MASSIVE ARMY" shit going the turn before or the turn he intends to throw down the Craterhoof. Nobody's building to counter it, but if I pull a "Counter target creature spell" card, you bet your ass I'm keeping the mana open and kepeing that card in hand until he pulls his thing. He also tends to do it at the moment when the math works out so he exactly kills the table. I've Dispatched the Craterhoof and still gotten taken out of the game, but slowed him down enough for the rest of the table to compete. His wife, for a long while, only had this Exquisite blood deck. Two copies of basically the same 2 card combo... oh, and one part of that was in her command zone. She ran no enchantment removal, almost no interaction, the deck was about as all in on this one win con as you could get without running a shit ton of tutors. She stopped playing ibt because, yeah, until those combos went off, it was just this little life gain deck and probably the least threatening thing on the board. Some people, for politics reasons, would let her do her thing, and if the combo came out (Which she did admittedly always have to draw into), GG. But there were also players that ran enough interaction that they weren't sitting on a beast within all game IN CASE. Oh, your commander's out? Murder. Oh, someone's trying to cast Curiosity with Niv'mizzet the NEXT TURN? Swords. They could spot remove all day, the opportunity cost for making sure the lifegain deck didn't take over the game at random was low, so they'd always keep her pinned down, but because the deck was all in on that one specific thing, this mean she basically just sat there accomplishing nothing. Ultimately lead to a 2 hour conversation that Snail has honestly summarized nicely across a few different videos. She has a handful of significantly more Timmy decks she plays now instead, saving Dina for high power tables.
@hanschristopherson8056
@hanschristopherson8056 9 күн бұрын
Another reason to not play atraxa infect is not having to deal with that one player complaining about how infect os broken in commander and needs to be twenty counters
@camoking3609
@camoking3609 9 күн бұрын
I almost want to allow people to rule 0 it to 20, so i can play Vishgraz the doomhive The Commander that would get buffed by poison requiring 20 counters
@Kryptnyt
@Kryptnyt 9 күн бұрын
@@camoking3609 Instead of being dead, your opponents give you more power; not sure if this is a buff!
@MisterWebb
@MisterWebb 9 күн бұрын
My Atraxa deck uses only cards with art by Rebecca Guay. It’s called “Persecuted Artist”.
@ashmarten2884
@ashmarten2884 9 күн бұрын
People just start complaining when they see atraxa, infect or not. Like bro, it’s 2024. My uncommon bulk legends are more powerful than her.
@eggs8021
@eggs8021 9 күн бұрын
I don't hate infect because it's strong, I just hate it because it's annoying
@dimitriid
@dimitriid 10 күн бұрын
I usually tell people combos are easy, its defending the combos and negating other people's combos where most of your budget turns your deck into cedh.
@0rcd0c
@0rcd0c 6 күн бұрын
Also the speed at which you can assemble your combo i.e. mana base and tutors
@SilentGe42
@SilentGe42 9 күн бұрын
Thats the reason why certain friends are always the archenemies and they sometimes don't even realize it, even after explaining this to them. It kills fun, sometimes, or at least for them.
@johnsmith-dn8kv
@johnsmith-dn8kv 10 күн бұрын
Big agree here. I've had some people tell me to include this or that combo in my zombie tribal deck, but I feel as if what you mentioned here would occur- my zombie commander would turn from "just another zombie value piece" into "Kill on sight combo enabler".
@hunterreid7169
@hunterreid7169 9 күн бұрын
😮😮😮
@deifiedtitan
@deifiedtitan 9 күн бұрын
Poison is a great alternative win con specifically because it’s out in the open. There’s only a few cards that can get you from 0-10 in a single turn so the majority of the time you have presented a clock that’s a rough equivalent to an unblockable 4/x creature hitting you once per turn. With a lot of combos your options as the opponent are to either play blue or remove the player regardless of actual threat. Visible clocks like Atraxa, although they feel bad in the moment, are far more fair than a good portion of decks solely due to that transparency.
@TheLuckySpades
@TheLuckySpades 10 күн бұрын
This explains rather well why I split my Chatterfang deck into a combo deck that is highly tuned for said combos and a token spamming overrun deck The latter has no tutors, no infinite combos at all simply to avoid the "thing A" and "thing B" issue you mention because that was exactly what was happening to the deck for me My Master Multiplied deck has a few infinite combos, just like your example Combat Celebrant is in some of them, but all the pieces individually play into the decks strategy very well and so far it hasn't felt like it is running into the issues that Chatterfang had before
@jacobesterson
@jacobesterson 9 күн бұрын
I just run Chatterfang as a no inf-combo aristocrats deck and it works very well. First deck I ever made and it feels satisfying to win with algebra. Feels like a storm deck a lot of the time cause most of the individual cards can combo off of each other in some way.
@ethanboyd2981
@ethanboyd2981 9 күн бұрын
This is exactly why I don't run Exquisite Blood in my Dina deck, and I start every pregame conversation with Dina explaining this.
@seveneightlp
@seveneightlp 9 күн бұрын
yup. my dina has plenty of combos that can end the game on the spot, but none of them involve pieces that aren’t already on a level with what the deck is already doing.
@wesleymclain9146
@wesleymclain9146 8 күн бұрын
When I explain that I’m not playing “that combo” or “that deck”, I’m still trying under suspicion. No clue why. I gain nothing by lying.
@winter945
@winter945 8 күн бұрын
If I play a deck with partner malcom and red, then glunthorn buccaneer is seperate from my deck to show my opponents I am not running the card. I wanted to play temur and play pirates, I am not playing infinites here
@vileluca
@vileluca 10 күн бұрын
Lmao. This video is calling out a person I used to play with and it's hilarious.
@baval5
@baval5 5 күн бұрын
I always like to build my decks as "if I was this commander, what cards would I use?". Sometimes this results in decks where my commander is relatively redundant because the cards I choose are ones similar to his own effect, but I have a good time with the roleplay of it and I think its the intended spirit of the game.
@wat_omy
@wat_omy 9 күн бұрын
It’s a big problem I’ve noticed recently where the average casual deck has increased in power level significantly, I used to play cedh and have a strong casual deck which was typically the “strongest” deck at any given table. In the last few years my “strong casual” decks have been just average
@Snipfragueur
@Snipfragueur 9 күн бұрын
Litterally my second commander game, playing with a pod with slightly upgraded precon, played Tevit tinking it was just a fun voting commander, put Time Sieve because EDHREC knows best, procede to win turn 5 with the infinite combo. I did not realize I was doing an "infinite" until after Time Sieve resolved
@cigbhungus3359
@cigbhungus3359 9 күн бұрын
The EDHREC channel actually made a video (think it’s called Why Your Deck Doesn’t Click or something like that) discussing this exact problem with Tivit. That card is the victim of such poor design. Now, the ward is part of it, but the crux of it is one half of the card says “mid-power funny vote deck” and the other says “high-power/cEDH infinicombo deck”. If you’re trying to build casually and you’re not really thinking about what power level you want your deck to go at, you can easily end up including Time Sieve and other combo pieces and/or blink effects, and before you realize it, your “mid-power vote deck” has morphed into a high-power monstrosity. Then you go out to play, sit down against a bunch of precons/low-power decks, and accidentally pub stomp them like a comatose goomba.
@OmegaFerretMusic
@OmegaFerretMusic 10 күн бұрын
the snail giveth
@EnRandomSten
@EnRandomSten 10 күн бұрын
And the snail taketh (down your combo piece commander)
@disappointedmom6176
@disappointedmom6176 9 күн бұрын
but most importantly, the snail teacheth (us regular idiots how to play EDH correctly)
@semi-decent1844
@semi-decent1844 9 күн бұрын
I think a lot of people should consider how certain cards change threat assessment so drastically. I feel similarly to land based decks where they can do their thing no problem but as soon as they play a clinging mists the entire game changes around that card and needing to deal with it. So if you want to run a fun silly lands deck don't run cards like that
@laytonjr6601
@laytonjr6601 9 күн бұрын
Oh I'm just playing a landfall deck that tutors Field of the Dead on turn 3 don't worry
@codysorenson4298
@codysorenson4298 9 күн бұрын
Stop making your commander a combo piece. Here's my combo commander deck at the end.😂
@matthewgagnon9426
@matthewgagnon9426 9 күн бұрын
The video is more about not having your deck be one thing, but also including a different plan that's WILDLY more powerful than the rest of the deck but isn't the focus of the deck.
@codysorenson4298
@codysorenson4298 9 күн бұрын
@@matthewgagnon9426 yeah I got that part. It's just funny cause of title and the end
@HZAres
@HZAres 9 күн бұрын
I don't know, building a deck that doesn't lose to interaction is also a part of the game.
@matheuscomparini1663
@matheuscomparini1663 8 күн бұрын
Sure, but good luck playing around 3 other people's interaction AND stopping other eventual threats from them being the priority 1 target at the table.
@Mmoll1990
@Mmoll1990 9 күн бұрын
How is Niv-Mizzet+Curiosity any better or less of a 1 card combo than Tivet+Time Sieve?
@andrewborkosky2709
@andrewborkosky2709 3 күн бұрын
It's not. The point of the video is that Niv decks are usually pretty up front with the game-plan being combo, and since the deck-builder knows that's the primary focus, it's a consistent plan, so keeping niv off the board is both logical and shouldn't surprise the owner. For Tivet, if the player has a time sieve in the deck, the only logical thing to do is to keep tivet under control. But if they don't have it in hand, then it feels really bad, since without it they're just a midrange value deck. It's almost an argument for deck consistency. If your deck is a fairly powerful 8/10 every single time, you can either play knowing you'll be archenemy, or play with other powerful decks and have good games. If your deck is mostly just a pile of esper good stuff that's generally a 5/10, that every 10 games or so gets infinite turns, then opponents HAVE to treat it as if it'll give you infinite turns EVERY game, since doing otherwise isn't logical. It's a similar reason why I really enjoy my Eowyn deck, since it's average game starts by playing around 2-3 value pieces/ramp, gets the commander out, and starts to gradually build a board, while protecting it using a bunch of phase-outs. I can play it pretty reasonably without the commander if I get another source of card advantage out, since it's basically Jeskai human value pile. What it doesn't do is win out of nowhere. The board state + hand size is a very good indicator of whether I'm doing well or not. If I have 5 cards in hand and my commander with 2-3 non-tokens on the field, I'm pretty comfortable. If I'm at 3 cards with just a creature or two in play, I'm not really going to be a threat for another 2-3 turns at least. If I was instead playing a bunch of extra combats, token doublers, and the extra combat enchantment that combos with her directly, I could be a threat the turn she comes down, depending on my mana available.
@MageSkeleton
@MageSkeleton 9 күн бұрын
This is a great argument for those who look to just play more casually. it always bothered me that someone would actually want to play casual but they play a commander option that screams "i can end the game when i feel like it" and especially when that player doesn't want to inform the other players about any combo pieces but also if that player gets ignored and allowed to do whatever they want. it's always really strange when your sitting there being targeted and focused when your not even capable of doing much of anything, meanwhile a whole other player is being made "king" through not being targeted.
@theannouncer55
@theannouncer55 9 күн бұрын
This is the main reason why I cut Curiosity from my Niv deck. I only drew into it so many times, and when I didn't it just hung in the air over my opponents and they wouldn't let Niv stick. But I just wanted to play my boy so I dropped the card. I also like watching the wheels spin on that deck and curiosity didn't really let me do that, since it was just "here's one card I win."
@grahamlarsen2082
@grahamlarsen2082 9 күн бұрын
So true! I feel like people in casual win more when they stay off the radar at the right times until they have what they need to really pop-off and go for the win. There are tons and tons of games where someone jumps out to an early lead and presents themselves as a threat, only to get focused down and die first.
@mintspears6714
@mintspears6714 5 күн бұрын
Honestly I think every single MTG content creator needs to make a video on this subject. There is a very large number of experienced players I come across that dont understand the concepts you discuss here and its something everyone needs to learn. Great vid!
@reanamet1901
@reanamet1901 9 күн бұрын
Zaxara was a very good example, I had to commit the crime of ruining a game's vibes once, before I realized Freed from the Real needs to not be in my Zaxara deck due to how I do and do not want to see it generally behave and be reacted to.
@shoopy44
@shoopy44 10 күн бұрын
Jeff the Great gotta catch a ban next season what was R&D thinking
@ardynamberglow3124
@ardynamberglow3124 7 сағат бұрын
I've often said to many of my friends that when building a commander deck-- you build with the commander in mind but not as the _Sole_ focus. That way the deck itself can function without to much assistance from the commander. I have a Zaxara Deck, but I don't run Infinite mana, I just make a shit ton of tokens, and hydras and cast exponentially bigger spells. Sure, you or I might know if there's an infinite combo but that is more of the exception, than the rule. Taking my Stax Deck for exmaple; I designed to function without a commander but the one I do have just so happens to be a good Stax piece. So regardless of how the deck is played, the commander is just one piece of the puzzle that while does help is not necessary to win or stagnate the game.
@ExistToComment
@ExistToComment 8 күн бұрын
"If you choose a combo commander, expect people to expect the combo, even if you're not running it". Message so blindingly obvious I didn't think it needed to be said, but I sat through 5 mins to watch so I guess entertaining vid
@Orniflyer
@Orniflyer 9 күн бұрын
This issue seems to be based on two assumptions, both of which aren't true for more experienced or CEDH pods: 1. illogical or emotional threat estimation 2. inefficient use of interaction ressources or lack thereof in my book it's completely fine to bamzoole the table by seeming like a weak deck to stay under the radar but then flip the script, potentially winning in one sudden turn. that's part of the game and players should always look out for whatever ressources another player *might* have that could win them the game.
@Currywurst4444
@Currywurst4444 9 күн бұрын
If you are slightly ahead it is logical to remove the deck with the highest variance.
@GabeBassist
@GabeBassist 5 күн бұрын
Dude, following you was one of my best decisions ever regarding deck building
@Theanthill216
@Theanthill216 9 күн бұрын
I agree; i like jank and casual edh, also really rather play underwhelming or under appreciated commanders. Being a visible threat out the gate and making yourself arch enemy doesn’t seem like a good move.
@blue-eyesdepresseddragon3753
@blue-eyesdepresseddragon3753 2 күн бұрын
The moral of the story here really seems to be "Don't play infinite combo bullshit with your friends or you will never get to play the game." and that's a very good moral.
@AMageOldAsDirt
@AMageOldAsDirt 10 күн бұрын
My highest winrate deck is Felisa, Fang of Silverquill. It runs no ramp, very little card draw, and most of the cards in the deck do basically nothing on their own. But all of those cards that look like they don't do anything are what win the game. So people just let them stick around and I win basically every game where I draw a sac outlet. Looking unassuming is VERY powerful.
@JiorujiDerako
@JiorujiDerako 9 күн бұрын
I've had pretty good success with my Piru deck for similar reasons. It's an intentionally limited deck (I don't run any creatures that aren't legendary), my commander costs 8 mana, she needs to die to do her biggest effect, and her 'board wipe' often whiffs with everyone else having lots of legendaries. People frequently allow my deck to get that 8-drop commander out, and not only that, sit there and swing for a few turns, because it's relatively slow and rarely the table threat (or occasionally Piru is the answer to the _actual_ threat and they want her to blow up). But at the same time, that's a 7/7 with flying and lifelink dealing commander damage, and it's surprisingly common for people to just not bother answering her until they're suddenly one hit away from losing.
@elbiggamehunter
@elbiggamehunter 9 күн бұрын
I had a Felisa deck that I loved, but never had much luck with it. Mind sharing your list?
@MisterWebb
@MisterWebb 9 күн бұрын
Hahaha! Fancy playing to win! Hahaha!
@matheuscomparini1663
@matheuscomparini1663 8 күн бұрын
The same goes for my Liesa, shroud of dusk deck, It is full of cheap damage group slug effects that come under the radar, i've had so many opponents dying by casting living death and rise of the dark realms into my suture priest or bloodseeker
@pauldaulby260
@pauldaulby260 3 күн бұрын
In terms of "what kind of magic are you wanting to play" I'm planning on rocking up to casual games with a little card of extra rules text to make sure everyone's on the same page. ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Cards with "you win the game" lose the text "you win the game" Loops must be stoped at 4 iterations. This includes fully infinite loops, and ones that would technically end by things like running out of cards in deck. 4 iterations of a loop refreshes at the start of your turn, this means you can only do 4 iterations total between your turns, no extra iterations on opponents turns. ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ if someone doesn't want to play with that, I'll know to ruthlessly target them :p
@zalabimshala
@zalabimshala 6 күн бұрын
1 minute in. The title is something I'm interested in. Things he's not talking about: if your commander has an infinite combo that wins you the game (Niv-Mizzet + Curiosity) How he justifies it: "My best two decks involve my commander being used in a combo for this exact reason" Title of the video: "Stop turning your commander into a combo piece"
@ReasonableLee7154
@ReasonableLee7154 9 күн бұрын
That's exactly how my Tormod deck operates. He's not necessary for the deck to function, but he is part of a combo
@The0m0fNom
@The0m0fNom 10 күн бұрын
Love the content Snail! Got really excited when I saw this fresh in my feed. Your ideas have been really helpful in shaping vibes/experiences within my pod. One small complaint, that could be an issue in my end, is that I can only set the video quality to 360p. 720p would greatly assist my eyeballs
@JiorujiDerako
@JiorujiDerako 9 күн бұрын
KZbin takes time to render the higher resolutions, so if you catch a video right after it's been uploaded, most likely only 360p has finished processing, and the higher resolutions are still encoding. It's two hours later on my end and I have 1080p as an option, for example
@The0m0fNom
@The0m0fNom 9 күн бұрын
Ah, thanks!
@yummines
@yummines 9 күн бұрын
It's pretty funny that this video came up cause I actually was building a Queza, Augur of Agonies deck recently but decided against it. That commander has several ways to draw and drain infinitely, so it just being there basically threatens a thoracle or lab man victory (assuming you didn't win by draining several players anyways). It's pretty annoying when, as you mention, you just play your commander and it gets removed even though you didn't have a way to infinite. But at the same time it doesn't feel great when you didn't remove a commander on sight and you lose the next turn.
@alexscott8799
@alexscott8799 10 күн бұрын
The magnificent mollusk maketh magic
@PensFan96
@PensFan96 9 күн бұрын
Counter Point If you play a deck, you need to understand what baggage comes with your commander even if you aren't playing an infinite. Don't cry if Tivit gets removed. I *have* to assume that you are playing the "good cards" from a tactics perspective. Like, I don't care that you say that you aren't playing X card. The deck will probably try to approximate what that X card does. I'm not letting Urza Lord High Artificer stick around... or Zaxara, or Jhoira, or Yawgmoth, or whatever pushed legendary you pull out.
@Currywurst4444
@Currywurst4444 9 күн бұрын
You never play someone again?
@seanwechsler6783
@seanwechsler6783 9 күн бұрын
My friend runs a Zaxara deck with this same combo. One game I removed it 3 times in back to back turns and after the third time he just scooped and gave up….with over 30 life and all players still alive. Saying “well if you kill my commander every time, then it’s impossible for me to win”. This same friend also says that we(other table players) run the weaker decks, because we don’t run competitive infinite combos.
@pelosuelto70
@pelosuelto70 9 күн бұрын
Your friend sounds very salty!
@seanwechsler6783
@seanwechsler6783 8 күн бұрын
@@pelosuelto70 I mean we all get a little salty sometimes. We all have different perspectives on what we want out of a game and what is or isn’t “fun”. He likes fast paced combo on turn 5-6 games. I enjoy a slower paced combat damage fest. But calling your methods “better” and then scooping when games don’t go your way is where he comes off as a little too salty.
@oscarguzman3017
@oscarguzman3017 9 күн бұрын
I see a lot of folks saying that being the archenemy with Atraxa poison counters is a flavor win. Unfortunately, commander is a social game, and no one wants to deal with that. You won't have room to complain if you're always instantly deleted. If you find spectating that fun, more power to you.
@MisterWebb
@MisterWebb 9 күн бұрын
I’d really rather to crash and burn trying to pull off a dank combo than sit through a stax-y game. This is why I like red.
@camoking3609
@camoking3609 8 күн бұрын
If they can't handle being Archenemy, they weren't worthy of Phyrexia's glory to begin with
@RaptieFeathers
@RaptieFeathers Күн бұрын
Here's how I build like 99 EDH deck: 1. Come up with an idea 2. See what colors support that idea 3. Choose a cute monster (usually female) with those colors as my commander The job of my commander is to sit there and look pretty, dangit. 😂 Once I stopped caring about what my commanders actually _do,_ it gave me so much more freedom to explore my ideas
@rusty5707
@rusty5707 9 күн бұрын
A deck building live stream would be interesting. Basically just stream yourself building a new commander deck from scratch walking through your process live.
@gearsfan6669
@gearsfan6669 3 күн бұрын
my pet deck is basically my commander is there for the ride and to occasionally help me ramp, it's a Muldrotha deck that is basically Fireball without red as the 3 main win cons are all X spells (Torment of Hailfire, Villainous Wealth and Exsanguinate) so it's honestly just a bonus that she enables a mindslaver lock and she is just a big body so she also serves the function of alternate win con on 2 fronts. My first deck that I'm revamping is going with a Tezzeret tribal theme (running 4 of the Tezzerets, the idea started when they changed how planewalkers worked to it just being they follow the Legend Rule so only the actual card name mattered) where my main win con is getting Agent of Bolas' Ult to go off while also having the option to go insanely wide and/or build up the resources with my commander Breya, Sai, a bunch of low cost artifacts to trigger Sai and Thopter-Sword-Sieve combo, the deck itself is first and foremost an artifacts matter deck as that was my dad's 60 card pet deck when he was still playing so I wanted to turn it's spirit into a commander deck so that me scrapping the deck is less of a blow. Key take away from my rambling is that I tend to build decks where the commander synergizes with the deck and is usually part of the alternate win con rather than the main win con
@AIMLESS-NAMELESS
@AIMLESS-NAMELESS 9 күн бұрын
Over the last 2 weeks I’ve been working on a written version of my “deck building philosophy” and haven’t my recently found your videos I now have to make sure I’m not actively plagiarizing you lol. Great content
@Wyldomark
@Wyldomark 9 күн бұрын
Really like the "figuring out ways to win that your opponents will allow you setup for" philosophy. I play Meren ever since she was released almost 10 years ago - love at first sight - it's my pet deck. I run zero combos on her. Even if adding a single Gravecrawler could turn on multiple combos. The enablers are not there for a combo win, there are there because they are very good value engines for a midrange aristocrat graveyard deck. Yawgmoth, Phyrexian Altar, all sorts of Blood Artist effects, Birthing Pod, Devoted Druid - these are great with my long term value plan, slow grind of resources. All this allows me to play those cards in any situation, knowing they might get removed for being too good, but never for being a scary combo piece. If someone else has a Craterhoof in the deck and has 5+ creatures in play already, the table is probably more concerned with them than with me.
@quantum6637
@quantum6637 2 күн бұрын
6:15 This scenario is why when I play my casual Kiki-Jiki deck I explicitly tell everyone at the start that I’m not running any infinites.
@enderstorm2460
@enderstorm2460 9 күн бұрын
i definitely agree. I built a proliferate + counters deck with Perrie the Pulverizer, and I left poison counters out of the deck for the same reason you mentioned in the video. I felt like they would overshadow the other cool parts of my deck.
@DrLizaroj
@DrLizaroj 9 күн бұрын
This perfectly sums up why my magar of the mgic strings deck started feeling bad after I added the two infinite-combo spells
@paxtonkocka3803
@paxtonkocka3803 10 күн бұрын
Unsure if you saw my comment on a previous video, but thanks for talking about poison a little even if it wasn't the main point of the video
@rileykwinn3527
@rileykwinn3527 9 күн бұрын
the video title was pretty misleading LOL, I build a lot of decks as combo decks centered around something the commander does, but these all definitely fall into the category you mentioned at the beginning of the video. Combo is harder to interact with than dirdly midrange, but I think it's just as valid a way to play, and at the same time if you are running combo you should expect your combo pieces to be removed and/or interacted with as soon as they hit the board
@deltadevlin
@deltadevlin 3 күн бұрын
My favorite kind of commander, and maybe this is an idea you can run with for a video, is a commander who generates enough value to snowball even if removed instantly. But also doesnt draw enough threat from other players to warrant instant removal. Roxanne, Starfall Savant is great at this for me.
@wuvination6939
@wuvination6939 9 күн бұрын
This has really made me question the Treebeard deck I’ve been making. A lot of the deck has instant speed lifegain spells that don’t do anything without the commander or a few other lifegain matters pieces, and after watching the video it made me realize that instant speed life into instant speed counters on my trample commander is going to always be a threat. There’s also a scurry oak combo with my deco that while needing three cards is pretty easily enabled and happens instantly. You even used a similar get life make soldier example in the video. Not sure totally what to do now though haha
@F4xP4s
@F4xP4s 9 күн бұрын
I will do what I want.
@NotBer
@NotBer 9 күн бұрын
Fine, I'll stop adding Combat Celebrant, Rionya, and Kiki-Jiki in all my Red decks
@redhoodproductions292
@redhoodproductions292 9 күн бұрын
I suscribe to the philosophy that every deck should have a back door way to end the game if the board is clogged. Beatdown is cool, but if you can't get through its worth it to have a combo that either breaks the board stall or ends the game.
@guywithaguitar8521
@guywithaguitar8521 9 күн бұрын
for me it usually ends up with me asking my Pod what they are running. one of my friends runs a Godo Bandit Warlord deck, and always makes sure to announce that he does not plan on going infinite with helm of the host. instead its an interesting tribal deck that uses decent red Samurai, Maskwood nexus to turn your other red creatures into Samurai so they can have extra combat steps. fun deck overall. I have a casual Tymna + Kraum deck, and in many peoples heads who enjoy CEDH this screams sweaty blue farm deck. but actually this is just my Dark Jeskai deck. running a bunch of cards like Radiant Flames, Painful Truths, Monastery Mentor, Mantis Rider, all to relive one of my favorite decks from standard. If you have a good group of friends, make sure to let them know about your deck limits, so you can get your casual combos off. rather than getting your commander blown off the field for existing, or becoming the archenemy because of the colors you run.
@hellNo116
@hellNo116 9 күн бұрын
Since I have an atraxa deck with plenty of toxic and poison effects I would argue that it is really important to build it right. My deck is a low economy deck that plays on average 12 spells per game. Every card is meant to be a big impact card. It is the opposite of a value or a token deck. Poison causes a constant pressure and sets a clock. Basically it is the ideal deck to teach new players threat assessment. Either you beat me or you die. And there is a countdown dice on the board for all you. Also it is very clear what cards are causing the issue since they are the cards that cause poison go up. And I am not exaggerating when I say that this deck operates on 12 spells on average. I have win against an elves deck that stormed off because no one managed to play a board wipe and I had glissa and the odric that gives all the keywords to all your creatures on board. I believe that such deck feels a very good spot in casual. And before people say I say so because I am the one piloting I have given the deck to friends who I consider really good players and played against it. It is fine. I would argue newer atraxa makes it a lot stronger since it is in the deck and it wraps the game around her even though the deck has no build in synergy with her in mind.
@MisterWebb
@MisterWebb 9 күн бұрын
My Atraxa deck uses only cards with art by Rebecca Guay. It’s called “Persecuted Artist”.
@nixilis5352
@nixilis5352 10 күн бұрын
This is exactly what happened with my zaxara deck. It was my first commander deck that I built from scratch. I built it and had freed from the real and pemmin's aura. Wasn't thinking about this concept and it ruined the deck for me and my friends. It lead to me never playing it as it wasn't fun. I would almost always hit the combo as I had a couple tutors too. A bit different than your example, but basically I accidentally made it a combo deck rather than a hydra deck. Now that I've built a lot more decks and know what I want from it, I fixed it and it's just a fun hydra/x spells deck.
@illuxionist8765
@illuxionist8765 9 күн бұрын
I'm glad you mentioned this - it's a lesson I learned the hard way with Ezuri, Claw of Progress and Sage of Hours. Great synergy right - get 5 exp counters and you have infinite turns! Now everyone knows you can potentially do that every game after seeing it a few times. And well, it stopped being fun when I got focused out on 3 exp counters and a bunch of weenies because "you go infinite on 5 counters." Just because you can doesn't mean you should.
@MisterWebb
@MisterWebb 9 күн бұрын
Bruh, you need more decks.
@willemboele2079
@willemboele2079 10 күн бұрын
in a multiplayer game, the player who gets all the attention usually get's all the hate. when you include these kind of combo's, you get 100% of the hate even when you only represent the threat level to justify it 15% of the time. feels bads all around, even when it's "supposed to make your deck stronger". in a multiplayer setting, these kind of things need to be taken into account, just as much as the raw power a deck has.
@vileluca
@vileluca 10 күн бұрын
That's assuming everyone at the table can threat assess.
@willemboele2079
@willemboele2079 9 күн бұрын
@@vileluca if you’re building your decks with the assumption that everyone’s threat assessment is bad, you’re gonna end up with some weird ass decks
@cesarvazquez961
@cesarvazquez961 9 күн бұрын
Is there a video on that archelos deck???? Id love to see it!
@ToastytheWulf
@ToastytheWulf 5 күн бұрын
This video made me take a good long look at my Zaxara deck. Not so I could ditch my Pemmin's Aura combo but rather so I could turn the deck into the infinite mana xspell deck it was always supposed to be. My take away from this video was not "dont put combo pieces in your deck just because they combo with your commander" but rather "recognize the power level of your commander and dont put a potentially explosive commander in a hydra tribal deck." I get the idea that this video is trying to convey, and i don't think it's necessarily wrong, but i think the broader issue with the examples given and other notable combo piece commanders is that they are just good cards even outside of combos. No one is gonna let a zaxara stay on the board for long regardless of if that player is running the combo or not. Malcolm could be used as a fun pirate tribal commander that has nothing to do with combo, im still not letting that thing stay on the board. Even if you arent using mikeaus to combo off he still says all your creatures basically have an extra life and to me, that warrents a counterspell. Tivit has built in ramp and card draw and is a flying 6/6 with ward 3, who in their right mind is letting that hit the battlefield under any circumstance? The advice given here, that you shouldnt play big scary combos and instead play more subtly, leads to an all bark no bite deck. If you wanna play a lower power deck and don't wanna get hard targeted, switch to a lower power commander. To use a weird analogy: its like bringing a gun to a knife fight and telling everyone "oh don't worry its not actually fully loaded" like, okay neat you are still getting stabbed first my dude.
@VivBrodock
@VivBrodock 7 күн бұрын
my favorite kind of commander is a faceup win condition. atm I really play 2 decks my most recent build Etrata, the Silencer who is plainly about trying to kill you by exiling your creatures with hit counters (I would actually argue it's more of a Mari the Hidden Quill hidden commander deck), and maybe even winning with Ramses when I do. and my oldest deck Phage, the Untouchable who has some hoops to jump through but is just a mono-black voltron commander at the end of the day. I like the feeling of being archenemy it's fun to sit back for a few turns playing a defensive plan then busting out your commander and people realize "oh if I don't do something I could be dead next turn"
@wolfmelonpan5858
@wolfmelonpan5858 5 күн бұрын
Hey dude, I love your videos! You made my love for mtg grow strong in a time when I was about to leave it. Also you try to show all perspectives during a game and that's something I'd never thought of! Also, would you try The Goose Mother as a Commander? I think you'd have fun
@benjaminloyd6056
@benjaminloyd6056 9 күн бұрын
My Radha, Heart of Keld deck is my new favorite. Being able to look at the top of my deck and filter lands off is nice ramp, my opponents don't usually look twice until my 3/3 first strike taps 6 for +X/X, where X is my lands 😊
@ryomi2370
@ryomi2370 9 күн бұрын
my best deck is a slimefoot and squee one, basically trying to loop my commander with some strong ETB effects (etali (LCI), rune-scarred demon, apex altisaur etc.). i ended up taking one of the best cards out, because it combo'd with my commander so well, even though it fit into the normal gameplan and would only infinite with other pieces. pitiless plunderer would effectively make my commander loops cost 1 instead of 4, but any token generation would make that instantly an infinite, and with the amount of tutors, and their reusable nature I could just grab the combo, and it was so much stronger than the beatdown aspect that it lead to the zaxara problem (killing me rather than my commander cuz i want him dead). it's definitely more fun now
@nestrior7733
@nestrior7733 9 күн бұрын
I think this is one of my bigger problems with EDH as a format. Your commander will communicate at least some of what it is that you're planning to do. Where your opponents are in a weird spot. They won't know if your are going on your villain arc the moment they see your Altraxa deck for the first time. Or if that even is an option. So should they be on sight and use their limited counter spells on her? Where we get into the other problem in this video. The limited counter spells. CEDH wants to win *_despite_* your opponents actively trying to stop you. While casual has the silent agreement that everyone wants to do what they came to do without drawing too much attention. So when someone draws the attention this strongly because they got one of the three cards that give their opponents a poison counter with Altraxa anywhere visible, everyone is going to have a bad time. So be aware(, decide if you want to embrace villainy) and be prepared.
@CameronsVideo
@CameronsVideo 9 күн бұрын
The one thing this video didn't get into that I wish it did: How the reputation caused by people who build deck like this causes the rest of us to be punished by every person we play against. I have had people lose their minds over seeing Captain Sisay as my commander in my fun Shrine Tribal deck and literally start screaming about her before we even start to play, refusing to listen to what the deck even is. I don't play infinites, or really even tutors in decks, and still sometimes run into people who seem to act like I am lying to them about what my deck can and cannot do and I'm actually going to combo out on them in my Niv Mizzet deck that runs Firemind instead of Paruun and no Curiosity effects.
@ra2.0yeetedition17
@ra2.0yeetedition17 9 күн бұрын
All this video’s done is made me realize I need time sieve in my Will/Dustin flicker deck
@Rucks01
@Rucks01 9 күн бұрын
I had a Tivit deck based on the party mechanic, and Tivit was the mastermind who funded the adventurers
@gregbridge
@gregbridge 9 күн бұрын
Great video. Unfortunately made me realize one of my decks does this exact thing, having twisted Fealty in my Stella Lee upgraded precon
@CraigArgyleAudio
@CraigArgyleAudio 9 күн бұрын
Proud owner of a Tivit clue deck with no Sieve. Players will still complain Tivit is cedh and shouldn't be run, but I do enjoy activating Tezzeret Master of the Bridge for 20 life drain as a wincon.
@MCC17011
@MCC17011 9 күн бұрын
This is great. I feel somewhat called out as I have a Zaxara deck with a different untap aura but is otherwise very mid. I may keep it in until I can play several games in a row and see how people react. People at my LGS are pretty "un-mature" so I'm not sure how it would even go. I will add, I built a mono blue Jacob deck and am putting the final touches on an Ashling, Flame Dancer deck. Both try to exemplify some of the absurdity both colors can do, obviously in didferent ways. The blue deck takes multiple turns, puts down bug creatures, draws lots of cards, counters stuff, etc with the emd goal of winning... Somehow. Maybe a few big beaters protected by counterspells will win the game, maybe I pull off Triskaidekaphile we 13 cards, or lab man, or people scoop when I give myself 5 extra turns. I'm trying make the gameplay quick and interactive however, which has gone well enough. Ashling is similar where I may ping people to death, go for an infinite twinflame combo, generate a ton of mana and cometstorm the table to death, etc. I'm concerned how long my turns might take while storming off, but on paper it looks good. The point is that the decks aim to have a great degree of variance in the actual win con I pursue, and are very interactive. I'm still working on both, and this video will be top of mind when evaluating how they perform and how people treat them.
@MisterWebb
@MisterWebb 9 күн бұрын
I’d be interested to see your Ashling list. Mine’s titled “Twin-Turbo Flamenco”.
@MCC17011
@MCC17011 5 күн бұрын
@@MisterWebb I tried replying but I guess KZbin still cracks down on link sharing. Try going to Moxfield and searching under my MCC1701 and you should find it. It's a WIP but is fun the last few times I've played it.
@xternalpunk
@xternalpunk 9 күн бұрын
Wait I think you gave a good reason to build a deck that has many things that can do more than one thing if it makes my opponent scratch their heads and not play around things as easily. I don't want to make all my decks so easy to read and counter.
@MisterWebb
@MisterWebb 9 күн бұрын
Snail plays with the same folks every week, probably with the same deck, so he has to condition his buddies.
@bryanbonar
@bryanbonar 9 күн бұрын
I agree with the general idea that you don't want a one-card combo with your commander to throw off the vibe of the deck, because it will get you focused more than you generally deserve, but I don't necessarily agree that a deck should be all-in on the combo or ignore it for the vibes. I'm the type of player that would be remiss to not include the card that combos with my commander because I personally really enjoy combos. But that generally doesn't take away from my game plan even if I don't build around getting the combo super fast, because in general I build the rest of the deck to still be quite powerful and worth interacting with at pretty much all stages of the game. And if I draw the "I win" card, yipee. If I don't, I'm still doing powerful shenanigans. However I play is a good time for me.
@runegage4553
@runegage4553 6 күн бұрын
There's no law against how I build my deck Salubrious. It's not my fault if my opponents don't have the out.
@Riff.Wraith
@Riff.Wraith 9 күн бұрын
What I want out of a commander is some kind of immediate value (whether it's to disrupt an opponent or improve my own situation) on the turn I cast them. I think of the commander as something that I can almost always cast but can almost never keep on board, behaving more like a spell than a creature. Something like Maelstrom Wanderer is ideal to me.
@Spacie_687
@Spacie_687 9 күн бұрын
i feel like this problem comes up because of the intersection between board games and trading cards that is commander. tcgs are very cutthroat usually they are played with 2 people so it makes sense that parody can get broken when it wasn't meant to especially in a 100 card singleton deck
@MisterWebb
@MisterWebb 9 күн бұрын
*parity … and you’re correct - casual commander is fundamentally broken in that regard
@thatoneguy1164
@thatoneguy1164 7 күн бұрын
This comes down to Rule 0, which means that before u start playing the game u should speak with your playgroup and if you are running any infinite combos or other noteworthy cards you should tell them about it. this can make it so that ur commander wont get killed off instantly just because of what it COULD do, however if u play something like Narset, enlightened master or Urza, lord high artificer then dont expect people to hold their removal.
@sebastianahrens2385
@sebastianahrens2385 9 күн бұрын
And then there's decks like Aesi or Kaalia, where there might not be a commander-combo waiting, but the card is SO aligned with the decks game plan that it's enough of a threat already. Problem here is, there is no "under the radar" way if playing it. Those decks just have to be built with removal in mind, and choosing such a commander requires you to accept these consequences. PS: Your content is amazing. Multiple layers deeper than most other channels, but thought through, structured and explained so nicely that it's easy to grasp.
@DeanJayJackmanJr
@DeanJayJackmanJr 9 күн бұрын
I think inherently distrusting your opponent when they tell you that they're not running the combo and instead want to do a midrange value engine and you're assuming that they are misrepresenting their deck in the pod. When they groan because you still removed/countered their commander regardless of their claims, makes you the sweaty. In a way, you're saying. "Don't make decks with commanders that are often times used as combo pieces because people will assume you're running the combo." I just can't get on board.
@MisterWebb
@MisterWebb 9 күн бұрын
Same. This is surely the worst of the snail’s takes.
@andrewborkosky2709
@andrewborkosky2709 3 күн бұрын
I don't think this was ever said though... He said that the problem arises when you *do* know that the deck runs the combo. 6:12 The other thing is, everybody only gets so many "yea it's not one of *those* _____ decks" and having it be one of *those* decks, before the group just doesn't pay heed to your pre-game hedging. For some people, they've been burned by players doing this too many times, and extend it to everyone, regardless of your trust level, and that's just human nature. People have a right to not be trusting, but that doesn't change that the video wasn't arguing for that in the first place.
@zack875
@zack875 9 күн бұрын
One of my favorite decks has the original Izzet Partner commanders, and uses that card draw to use every wild and degenerate copy spell in the game. Another is Grixis wheel, but disguised by two partner commanders to hide from early game aggro
@monat7623
@monat7623 4 күн бұрын
This is kinda how my unearth dragon engine works, it’s an unearth deck that can set up a funny meme strat, but of course I also have the better unearth commander for it
@silentcalling
@silentcalling 9 күн бұрын
Alternatively, don't build your deck in such a way that without the commander it does nothing. Also, be mindful of the pods you're playing in. I have a Tivit deck (how dare you call me, random internet person #38,7001) with exactly one tutor effect in Tamiyo's Journal, and yes - I have Time Sieve in the deck. The deck is formidable, but fair even by the admission of my pods that play against it. It draws the appropriate level of ire, and I completely understand when he gets targeted. That said, the deck isn't one-dimensional in "play Tivit, get Time Sieve, win game." It's not a combo deck, and it's definitely not meant to win exclusively through combo, but I also don't play it against preconstructed or similarly powered decks. Meanwhile, the "Timmy" player says they're playing Ghalta green stompy, then sac Ghalta on ETB to Greater Good to draw 12 and drop every single Eldrazi titan in play at once - but that's not a "combo" in the traditional sense, so it gets a pass and "Timmy" is left to believe he's not playing a combo deck simply because the game plan is to overrun the board with big creatures.
@RooStefano
@RooStefano 9 күн бұрын
Thanks for this video. My Playgroup banned combos, we just play with kindred decks or theme decks that win based on combat damage, it is so fun man.
@vileluca
@vileluca 9 күн бұрын
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