The Most Overlooked Basics of Commander Deckbuilding

[@SuperBigChops]

This is gonna take my deckbuilding from a 7/10 to a 7/10!

[@RebellLily]

Perfect!!!!

[@svenstornator]

7/3628800 ?! That seems worse!

[@XmortoxX1990]

Maye even a 6!

[@robsonyuken8613]

I think a really important plan that people overlook is ramping to curve their commanders in. Not enough rocks and dorks to play the commander as early as possible is so common. Specially cmc 4 and 5 could use a bit more tempo

[@RebellLily]

Yeah, that comes down to not understanding their gameplan in that a fundamental step for some decks involves playing commander on curve or ahead, while some decks don't need to play commander on curve, so mana rocks matter differently

[@NatFreeman666]

i usually think of my decks like a flow chart. it’s good to see someone putting this into a video! edit: i love hearing bad snacks at the end of your videos, she has been one of my best friends for years and it always makes me smile. :)

[@benjaminwright-rj9xc]

I tend to think of my card groupings as interlocking circles. But I love combos and engines but despise infinite combos.

[@Snipfragueur]

Yeah I think that's why I like content creator like Aegis who do not only provide a decklist and explanation for the choices he made, but also a "Timeline", meaning a gameplan at least for the early turn of the game. For example in an Anhelo, it's not good enough that your body fit the "Casualty 2" clause, it should also cost 2 mana or less to fit the timeline of plays "Sacrifice fodder>Anhelo>Big Spell" .

[@shawnhancock3963]

My gameplan is to drop random red cards that make everyone miserable

[@NyxTheScary]

I too love Norin chaos decks

[@DrAngryMongoose]

My plan it to drop random red cards and lose.

[@ZenSkechbook]

I have seen that mono blue deck . It's broken

[@Alucard_Ander]

as a blue player I say no you

[@XmortoxX1990]

Also lose I guess

[@Snipfragueur]

"What is your CEDH deck gameplan ? -It wins with a Thassa's Oracle combo. -... All that tells me is that your deck has blue and black in it.

[@XmortoxX1990]

You videos has been very helpfull. I find a bti funny how the EDH focused channels i follow are smaller channels. Little clickbait, to the point, great lessosn and even some stories. Great stuff

[@MrNemitri]

This helps with the arduous process of deciding which cards to take out of a deck!

[@robertomacetti7069]

My hilariously over engineered is a werewolf tribal that uses Rocco as a commander and and interlocking combinations of humans, elves and wolf to maximize the disgust potential of cards like winota and voja while putting pressure from turn 1 and beat the table down with massive card draw power to counter the typical aggro weakness Also is a 7

[@rara2ra2yrra3racjj2]

Oh, this topic is deeply interesting. You have a lot of knowledge and understanding about this, would you wanna make a full discussion video that goes more in-depth and covers more examples of decks and gameplans? This video serves to deliver the core idea quickly, and it's great, but it only tickles the imagination. Think of the possibilities! Have a nice day :D

[@Benjithegreat37]

I think the biggest hurdle EDH players have is that they build for explosivity and don’t focus on solid basics like Ramp and interaction. At least that’s what I see most

[@KarlosMorale]

My gameplan is to get some stupid huge dork to ride the froggy. The froggy attac then the dork goes to live in the bin. I draw a bazillion cards and put a disgusting amount of lands in to play. Repeat this until someone else combos off. Idc cos froggy did lands. Great video Rebell ❤

[@Kettchup090885]

This makes so much sense, I'm going to have to start doing all of this from now on

[@cashcolin1537]

I want to see what you do with Eldrazi!!

[@Theorak]

Very astute observation, actually useful AI! Gameplan should also include how Commander-centric your win plan is, thus how often you need support cards for your Commander (I've seen decks fold helplessly to command tax). I would defend Tutors in casual to make a gameplan leaner to allow for more theme cards, but please include in your Pregame discussions how lean your gameplan is, as said, the leanest is cEDH.

[@CptShrimps]

This is pretty similar to how I've been thinking about deckbuilding lately. When adding or cutting cards, I think about what I want to be doing on each turn. For example, my favorite deck at the moment is Toluz, Clever Conductor. The end state of the deck is a combo finish with Skirge Familiar or Mind Over Matter. In order to get there, I want to play a 2-cost looter creature on turn 2 which draws me a card on every turn thereafter, Toluz on turn 3, and then turns 4, 5, and maybe 6 are spent protecting myself and slowing down opponents with cheap interaction or playing wheels to set up my victory. Then, somewhere between turns 6 to 8, I try to combo off. Once I settled on this timeline of what I want to be doing on each turn, I knew how not to include cards that would compete with more important things I want to do on each turn, such as 2 cost ramp which competes with my looters, and boardwipes which slow myself down too much (Starfall Invocation gets a special exception).

[@simonchi5372]

This is a very good video, thank u! Think my biggest issue why some deck sometimes stumble is usually my deck idea comes just from wanting to execute some card interactions but the gameplan of doing so might not have an end goal in mind. Really makes me think over that now that i do execute my gameplan how do i plan to win with it.

[@AlexMTG_]

Great style video!

[@orangesodaninja8882]

Could we ever have a video of the characters playing commander with non precon decks? Like more personal ones?

[@rainx381]

Being able to know how to develop a game plan while brewing my own deck was probably my biggest level up in playing Commander. Not knowing what's out there and what-good-is was a big stumbling block for me.

[@UnreasonableOpinions]

I started doing this to my decks some time ago and found it by far the most useful tool for refining them. What does the deck actually want to do? Hazezon wants to generate a LOT of token creatures, then convert tokens to winning by huge buffs or Tremors effects. That means I need to get Hazezon down as early as possible as the best token generator there, and I want to do that by only keeping hands that let me play him, playing colour fixing early, then building value engines after that turn to accelerate the win. Focusing on fixing instead of ramping felt wrong but made the deck vastly faster. Nevinyrral is also a token creatures deck, but playing exactly the opposite. It wins by doing zombie ETB, dies, sac value. That means I need to have zombies that make zombies in the opening hand to fuel the engine, then it wants to build the engine, and only then when the engine is up and running do I deploy Nevin to turbo boost the engine to a win - or to sweep the board before I lose and hope to mass-reanimate my recovery first. Taking out engine or accelerator pieces in favour of worse pieces on zombie bodies seemed counterintuitive but eliminated stalled states.

[@chriswhitright9097]

This is great. Thank you.

[@Burningtreeblood]

Hello. I’m back. I failed your first course and second course something clicked. So I came back to study the first course 🙏🏽

[@FallenLegend]

Comparisons for identifing differences work as well, can you share your decks so we can see the build up (specially the Augustin =) )?

[@A11L1V3ESL0ST]

I think the reason I'm having a hard time with this video is I start in the middle. "This is how I want to generate value" and work out both ways from there. "This is how that value can win me the game" and "this is what I need to support that value"

[@oripaper7727]

the gameplan is to have a nice conversation with frends, cast rhystic study, remora, and smothering tithe, and I dont get invited back 🤣🤣 also 1:04 LMAO

[@ElJugadorBAMF]

I'm probably gonna ruin someone's day playing Sadistic Hypnotist, thanks for enlightening me 😈

[@TheStandardKnife]

This is a great video

[@didierdiez1175]

Question: Isnt this deckbuilding approach tend to have a deck that is weaker to response? P.E. if craterhoof is my end plan doesnt a counter will devastate my gamplan? i know that having multiple end plans act like back up plans. but just wonderin: How to still be able to fight back if all my end pieces got answered?

[@RebellLily]

That’s why having more similar effects to the end game card is good because you’re not reliant on that one card. Idk if you watched cube theory yet but I’d put finishers into its own package. The other part is when you know your end game is Card A, it simplifies your decision making so you can then focus on how your opponents can counter play what you do. A lot of normal magic fundamentals will help, but sometimes you just need to commit to draw another finisher later, or you build in cards specifically to resolve your finisher as part of your plan.

[@didierdiez1175]

@@RebellLily I just came from the cube theory vid, great one! i was having trouble building a consistent Lynde curse-themed deck and i will give it a shot

[@Mulletdog1]

I want to build a spell based boros control deck with phlage as the commander. Use goad spells and low cmc dorks to disrupt and control the board, then win with phlage beats or approach of the second sun. So something like this?

[@flpn2275]

2:11 for a moment there i thought i had too much Jäger lol

[@towelguy]

meanwhile I'm like -try to do the theme -??? -do the theme maybe -success? oh wait I have to end the game uhh

[@lanceeastman9716]

Banger

[@Nolu-Shizmat]

This is my table power tailored deck. I drink and know things.

[@chamucoliz]

Question. Would you run multiple craterhoof behemoth effects or just 1 Or have multiple different game ending effect?

[@RebellLily]

Great question. I would run multiple! The idea is that you identify your gameplans, then fill out with more cards to boost up those plans.

[@kangthecarnivore]

When I play Urtet (7/10), I just want to play little guys a lot, and tape knives to them. ....With various artifacts that's untap or buff those little guys with said knives taped to them..... Then I throw a Myr Ball at them. Covered in knives.

[@evilded2]

What is a seven? I've never heard any other numbers... I have an ishi ishi deck that does nothing but make people feel bad. Is that a 7?

[@thetrinketmage]

Help my deck rebell plz

[@evilded2]

I believe in you

[@feliciahennigar1954]

engagement!

[@thetyzonator]

Further engagement!

[@elblekqet]

i just attack every turn, best way to trigger instants or whatever, puts pressure on players. in the end getting the other players to 0 is the most optimal and yet basic game play

[@musashibriem1352]

You’re right they always do 🍑

[@zacharymccutcheon8607]

cEDH people, don't be annoying. Shots fired!

[@DeWillpower]

:3c

[@KIKthaFRIK]

most of casual players left the video at 2:28 because they refuse to spend the money on staples and good decks and spend it on bling extra treatment commanders that they will never cast before turn 7

[@Iam3DHomer]

Good video, but this is more competitive than casual focused. In my experience a lot of casual decks don't have such a clear gameplan specifically BECAUSE they're trying not to have such clear endpoints, not because they overlooked this part of deckbuilding. I do still think the overall argument of this video is correct and having a gameplan greatly helps good deckbuilding, but I think it's actually harder for players to figure out their gameplan when they're trying to build a lower power deck, or at least one with fewer clear end points. Players want variance and often good deck building concepts like concrete endpoints and consistency lead to stronger decks but not the experiences casual players are looking for. Which is maily to say that the examples in the video are good at good at illustrating the concept for players who don't know it, but less useful to players who are trying to eschew obvious gameplans but wind up lost in the woods with no gameplan.

[@BR1NSOP]

Having a clear gameplan first makes everything easier though, including deciding which derpy/theme/pet cards I want to run for fun. If I understand my gameplan I can power up or down easier.

[@Iam3DHomer]

@ Sure, but maybe this is just my bubble but usually it’s clear end points, like 2 card combos and Craterhoof, that casual players purposefully want to avoid. The argument of this video I completely agree with. But the examples are very straightforward and I think players who need this advice could really use a more off beat example. Also that’s just my thought and I realize I’m basically going “Good video, you should have made a different video”

[@Iam3DHomer]

I feel bad about how I framed this comment. So I just wanna say that all I should have said is I would love a follow up video with some more complicated or esoteric examples.

[@dustinsanity85]

I didn't learn anything from this video. And I think that's a skill issue.

[@wolfshowl5566]

@1:19 Okay so NO SO the question Should be! **Are you BUILDING a Deck to win in a tournament??, OR . . are you building for Fun and just to Play**

[@evilded2]

How are you going to have a deck that is fun while being non-functional?