[MTG] Commander/EDH

[Sixty]

In Magic: the Gathering, a fun format conceptualized by the fans has risen in popularity to be one of the most popular formats in the game. This format, originally named "Elder Dragon Highlander", was adapted by Wizards to become Commander.

In Commander, you choose a legendary creature to lead the helm of your deck, and very specific rules follow:

1) Your deck can only consist of cards with matching color identities to your commander.

   -This includes any and all mana symbols in the mana cost and/or text box. If your commander, for example, is Memnarch, a colorless artifact legendary who also has blue mana symbols in his text box, then you can still run blue in the deck. However, you can't put Memnarch in a commander deck that doesn't have blue in its commander's color identity.

2) Your deck must be 99 cards; no more, no less.

 

3) All of these cards except basic lands must be unique. No multiple copies of any card unless it says so.
 

 Your commander starts out separate from the deck, in what's known as the "Command Zone". You can cast your commander from the zone at any time you could cast a creature spell. If your Commander is exiled or dies, it is put back in the Command Zone. There exists a "commander tax" of two colorless mana. Every time your commander dies adds another 2 to its casting cost. If your commander died once, it costs two more. If it died three times, it costs six more. If the commander is sent to the deck or hand, it goes there and not to the Command Zone. It is optional to send the commander to the command zone in cases of it being exiled or sent to the graveyard.

 

Players begin with 40 life. If a player takes 21 or more combat damage from a particular commander over the course of the game, that player loses regardless of their life total. 

 

[url=http://www.mtgcommander.net/rules.php]There is also a banlist, listed under "Deck Construction" in this link.[/url]
 

Despite these rather tight restrictions, the format is super fun and leads to large multiplayer social events. 

Discuss all things Commander.

 

[DeathSDelano]

I think you should also state, that EDH games can literally take 4+ hours depending on what decks everyone is using[I've been in a game for 6 hours of us having fun].

 

O ya, and I also heard is  new commander decks coming out this year in November. So that would be a good way for those who do not have irl commander decks, to get ahold of one or more [or at least good base to start with].

[Simping For Hina]

I was at my LGS for about 7 hours playing a 10 player EDH game.

[Sixty]

I'm lucky if I get a four player game going. I usually only get to do 1v1 or do three player games. 

[DeathSDelano]

I'm lucky if I get a four player game going. I usually only get to do 1v1 or do three player games. 

 

I've have not play EDH irl, only on cockatrice[well before it got smacked with copyright issues from hasbro] as A) don't have a commander deck, though I am getting pieces of one together B) noone I play, plays the format.

 

I was at my LGS for about 7 hours playing a 10 player EDH game.

That does not sound that bad, as the 6 hour game I was in [on cockatrice] was just with 4 people XD. I believe I was using Kalador spirit tribal Commander deck.

 

What style of EDH decks do ya'll use/favorite commander?

[Simping For Hina]

I have a Karn deck completed and I have a Sharuum Proxy deck. Artifact control/combo is some of the best games I ever play at my LGS. I haven't played EDH on cockatrice since I find the experience lackluster compared to the events that take place at actually tables.

[Sixty]

I love three of my decks in particular: Sek'Kuar, Deathkeeper; Teysa, Orzhov Scion; and Experiment Kraj

Sek'Kuar is basically Jund beats but is a lot of fun to play. Also my most pimped out deck since I've altered a lot of the cards and have all foil basic lands.
Experiment Kraj is crazy and gets a ton of +1/+1 counters all over the place.
Teysa's my most recent build but I love running it. It's a token build that floods my board with tokens. I have a separate deckbox for the tokens alone.

[DeathSDelano]

I have a Karn deck completed and I have a Sharuum Proxy deck. Artifact control/combo is some of the best games I ever play at my LGS. I haven't played EDH on cockatrice since I find the experience lackluster compared to the events that take place at actually tables.

I am aware, but its fine if you have a lack of irl commander deck/cards/money and/or people to actually play it. I've been working on getting a Rith, the awakener token EDH and Melek EDH deck. I already have decks built on tappedout [all of them being under $100 in price]

[Simping For Hina]

Talking about costs? I usually borrow from my friends, the cards I need, or I proxy them until I can afford them. I make decks online because I get bored a lot and don't have my card collection on me at all times.

[Sixty]

I love how commander is the cheapest expensive format around. Sure you gotta pitch in, but you only have to pitch in for one of the cards as opposed to a playset.

Also, all three of those decks I've mentioned are on TappedOut as well:
http://tappedout.net/mtg-decks/graveswarm-edh/

http://tappedout.net/mtg-decks/experiment-krazy/
http://tappedout.net/mtg-decks/teysa-and-her-tokens/

 

[Simping For Hina]

I have my decks on tapped out, I don't know if they are complete or not, but I might end up posting them later.

[Sixty]

Aside from those three I have five more: Baru, Fist of Krosa; Varolz, the Scar-Striped; Mistform Ultimus; Isperia the Inscrutable; and Vorosh, the Hunter.

Once you start making EDH decks you can't really stop.

[DeathSDelano]

Commander can be more expensive then most formats, if you really want to go that far. Just depends on how you look at how you are prebuilding the deck, before actually buying it.

 

here are ones that I've put up: 

 

http://tappedout.net/mtg-decks/melek-double-casting-for-edh-fun-time/

http://tappedout.net/mtg-decks/the-creature-only-club/

http://tappedout.net/mtg-decks/devour-all-the-tokens-1/

[Flame Dragon]

http://www.wizards.com/Magic/Magazine/Article.aspx?x=mtg/daily/arcana/1281

 

 

I'll just this for now. My next post will have one of my EDH decks. Need to update it with the stuff from M14.

[Mysty]

You forgot many rules and small technicalities, including, but not limited to:
1. the Partial Paris method (admittedly, little used by more serious crowds, since it favors combo players).
2. the Commander going to the command zone instead of to the Graveyard or exile is optional and is a replacement effect - you won't trigger graveyard or "dies" triggers. It also doesn't have to be going to the zones from the battlefield - you can, for example, replace the milling of your Commander with going to the command zone.
3. Probably the most important one for Voltrons: If a player takes 21 or more combat damage from a particular commander over the course of the game, that player loses. Note that Commanders with the same name count as different Commanders.
4. the banlist.

Go to www.mtgcommander.net to see a complete list of rules and such. The banlist is in Deck Construction.


The quality of Commander games mainly depends on the kind of crowd at your locals. Some crowds treat EDH as 99-card 1-of Legacy Format and will defeat you turn 3 or 4 with a degenerate combo. Others have huge games where players build up mana for the first hour and then proceed to just play power bombs turn after turn after turn, with the fate of the game shifting after each, and don't use degenerate combos.

My local crowd are a middle-ground between the two - they won't defeat you first turn, but you have to carry a lot of nukes and a lot of counters to big combos.

In general, my rules for playing EDH are:
1. Try to lay low and build up resources without looking threatening. as such, I prefer not using blue commanders, for reason #3. Ironically, I use Glissa, the Traitor, remarked as one of the most dangerous non-blue commanders in the game, but since I'm poor and from a poor city, everyone figures my deck is bad.
2. Try to gain at least loose alliances quickly - people who will help attack for your cause. They'll help for when certain people need to die.
2. If the crowd isn't all combo players, attack the known combo players first. If you can defeat them before he gets his combo going, the game will last longer. If they can win with his combo while he everyone is gunning for them, why is anyone still playing Commander with them?
3. Once the known combo players are dead, attack the blue player. If there are more than one, attack the one who likely has the higher concentration of Blue. Blue is the most powerful color in the game, and Commander is no exception. There are exceptions and blue isn't always 'unfair', but in my view, blue has little place in a casual format. Maybe you don't have so many bad experiences with blue, but blue has wrecked too many of my casual games.
4. Once the blue players are dead, attack any player who has or gains a good board position. Attack them until they are weak again.
5. (optional) Kill the weak players. Many players will cull the weak while they can, since weak players have been known to come back. I personally like trying to make late-game alliances with them - they're usually easier to kill late-game if kept properly in check, or they serve as a meat-shield for a few hits.

[.Rai]

Jeleva's awesome. Prossh is awesome too, but clearly weaker. Just waiting for the Bant one of the cycle really.

The quality of Commander games mainly depends on the kind of crowd at your locals. Some crowds treat EDH as 99-card 1-of Legacy Format and will defeat you turn 3 or 4 with a degenerate combo. Others have huge games where players build up mana for the first hour and then proceed to just play power bombs turn after turn after turn, with the fate of the game shifting after each, and don't use degenerate combos.
My local crowd are a middle-ground between the two - they won't defeat you first turn, but you have to carry a lot of nukes and a lot of counters to big combos.

In general, my rules for playing EDH are:
1. Try to lay low and build up resources without looking threatening. as such, I prefer not using blue commanders, for reason #3. Ironically, I use Glissa, the Traitor, remarked as one of the most dangerous non-blue commanders in the game, but since I'm poor and from a poor city, everyone figures my deck is bad.
2. Try to gain at least loose alliances quickly - people who will help attack for your cause. They'll help for when certain people need to die.
2. If the crowd isn't all combo players, attack the known combo players first. If you can defeat them before he gets his combo going, the game will last longer. If they can win with his combo while he everyone is gunning for them, why is anyone still playing Commander with them?
3. Once the known combo players are dead, attack the blue player. If there are more than one, attack the one who likely has the higher concentration of Blue. Blue is the most powerful color in the game, and Commander is no exception. There are exceptions and blue isn't always 'unfair', but in my view, blue has little place in a casual format. Maybe you don't have so many bad experiences with blue, but blue has wrecked too many of my casual games.
4. Once the blue players are dead, attack any player who has or gains a good board position. Attack them until they are weak again.
5. (optional) Kill the weak players. Many players will cull the weak while they can, since weak players have been known to come back. I personally like trying to make late-game alliances with them - they're usually easier to kill late-game if kept properly in check, or they serve as a meat-shield for a few hits.

Well, when I occasionally play with Chris and Rod, it basically comes "LOL KILL RODRIGO BEFORE MAELSTROM WANDERER KILLS US". The most powerful combos in EDH are pretty much all blue. After that, the blue players are simply the pillowfort/control players. In which case, there is literally no point trying to kill them unless everyone is. Because you're just wasting resources.

The only house rule we have for EDH is basically don't be a douche really.

[Sixty]

I hadn't realized it, but my blue EDH decks totally run away with the game if left unattended. My monoblue Mistform Ultimus deck has a really convoluted combo that allows for infinite extra turns, for example. 

[Miror B]

The quality of Commander games mainly depends on the kind of crowd at your locals. Some crowds treat EDH as 99-card 1-of Legacy Format and will defeat you turn 3 or 4 with a degenerate combo. Others have huge games where players build up mana for the first hour and then proceed to just play power bombs turn after turn after turn, with the fate of the game shifting after each, and don't use degenerate combos.

You forgot the guys who play to troll. Like in my group of friends someone decided to make a kill all lands deck. Won 3 out of 3 and tore the deck apart never to be used again.

[Simping For Hina]

You forgot the guys who play to troll. Like in my group of friends someone decided to make a kill all lands deck. Won 3 out of 3 and tore the deck apart never to be used again.

Playing to troll means nothing. It is quite easy to work with manafixes if you have enough in your deck, which could be used to work against lands anyways. PLaying a colorless EDH deck means that you have to rely more of the ramp for the most part as they are sometimes your best option against a player. Though, color-reliant decks are just great when it is something unexpected and interesting. Those who end up trolling doing for self-satisfaction, and that just seems boring in the end if you keep up the same strategy to piss someone off.

[DeathSDelano]

Playing to troll means nothing. It is quite easy to work with manafixes if you have enough in your deck, which could be used to work against lands anyways. PLaying a colorless EDH deck means that you have to rely more of the ramp for the most part as they are sometimes your best option against a player. Though, color-reliant decks are just great when it is something unexpected and interesting. Those who end up trolling doing for self-satisfaction, and that just seems boring in the end if you keep up the same strategy to piss someone off.

and also once people know you are the troll deck, everyone is out to kill you ignoring each other until the troll is dead XD

[Simping For Hina]

and also once people know you are the troll deck, everyone is out to kill you ignoring each other until the troll is dead XD

I don't troll, I control. That is my favorite part. Everyone focuses on who to hit first, but you stall until the end.

[DeathSDelano]

I don't troll, I control. That is my favorite part. Everyone focuses on who to hit first, but you stall until the end.

I generally try to make myself seem like the less threatening, using my cards that would make people go for me, until I have established myself, or can at least protect my cards to an extent.

[Sixty]

EDH STORYTIME

My friend and I were playing a game where I used my Wort, the Raidmother deck and he played my Teysa, Orzhov Scion deck. He didn't get a whole lot of mana but managed to play Twilight Drover and Teysa. I decided to help us both out by doubling our mana with Zhur-Taa Ancient, but he utilized it to get a bunch of tokens and then followed up by killing the Ancient before my turn. I responded on my turn by blowing up two of his lands with a conspired Bramblecrush for swift justice, then played Siege-Gang Commander. He played Murder Investigation on his Twilight Drover, and I immediately realized the irony of sacrificing Goblin tokens to try and blow up his Drover. It's like pumping air into a balloon and having it explode into spikes. I simply blew up the Investigation with my Sylvan Primordial then eventually overtook the game with a conspired Overrun.

For the sake of keeping this thread alive, let's share EDH stories and tales. EDH STORYTIME

[DeathSDelano]

EDH STORYTIME

My friend and I were playing a game where I used my Wort, the Raidmother deck and he played my Teysa, Orzhov Scion deck. He didn't get a whole lot of mana but managed to play Twilight Drover and Teysa. I decided to help us both out by doubling our mana with Zhur-Taa Ancient, but he utilized it to get a bunch of tokens and then followed up by killing the Ancient before my turn. I responded on my turn by blowing up two of his lands with a conspired Bramblecrush for swift justice, then played Siege-Gang Commander. He played Murder Investigation on his Twilight Drover, and I immediately realized the irony of sacrificing Goblin tokens to try and blow up his Drover. It's like pumping air into a balloon and having it explode into spikes. I simply blew up the Investigation with my Sylvan Primordial then eventually overtook the game with a conspired Overrun.

For the sake of keeping this thread alive, let's share EDH stories and tales. EDH STORYTIME

had an EDH game with me using Drana, Kalastrina Bloodchief. with one person using tajic, another with  I can remember the other ones. The Tajic guy comes to find out has MLD, after the 1st one, one person quit, while the 3rd person and myself say in [I had  alot of mana making artifacts out with Liliana of the dark realms in my hand] which we all recovered from easily. I was close to being able to take out MLD guy, but the other guy  played Nevinyrral's Disk with I forget the name an artifact thats makes your come in tapped stuff come in untapped, to blow up my board because I kill one an annoying creature early, while the other person has avacyn out[and prevented me from being able to deal with avacyn]. the MLD on his turn plays worldslayer and puts in on avacyn, and it pretty much went down hill from .-.

 

 

here is the decklist I used http://tappedout.net/mtg-decks/drana-edh-31-07-13-1/

[(GigaDrillBreaker)]

I just sit around with my Caged Suns, Mana Flares, Braids of Fire, and High Tides until I can use Epic experiment to literally cast my whole deck.