Comments on: Catalyzing a Good Time

By: Psilence6K

Psilence6K — Fri, 15 Jul 2011 12:20:09 +0000

In reply to @JulesRobins. I agree with this! I have my Merike ri Berret deck as my "powerful" deck and Hazezon Tamar (when I eventually find one! lol) as my "casual" deck. I think as long as all players KNOW what kind of game they're in for, they can choose the deck that best fits the "scene".

By: @JulesRobins

@JulesRobins — Thu, 14 Jul 2011 20:56:57 +0000

In reply to Psilence6K. I guess 'm not so much condoning intensely competitive play so much as the effect it has. When somebody asks to play Commander, they're usually expecting a slow casual game, and so playgroups like the one you have in London can drive them away by playing too rough. I think both communities could exist side by side, but the unintended intermingling has some unsavory effects.

By: @JulesRobins

@JulesRobins — Thu, 14 Jul 2011 20:53:26 +0000

I'm glad to hear you liked the article, but it really saddens me to see somebody driven away from the format I love so dearly by cutthroat play. Not to say the format can't be played that way, but I think for a lot of people Commander is the only readily available outlet to escape from a competitive tournament scene, and really ought to be an available option.

By: Psilence6K

Psilence6K — Thu, 14 Jul 2011 14:45:54 +0000

Seems like here in London, Ontario all of our EDH decks are as cutthroat as possible! It's nice to read an article that advocates against that. HOWEVER I think most of us here in London really, REALLY like to win, so as long as we're all playing uber-decks, we all have fun! LOL I can;t wait to break out my new Hazezon Tamar deck!! Haha 😛

By: @JulesRobins

@JulesRobins — Tue, 12 Jul 2011 20:30:19 +0000

In reply to sarroth. I think the issue with the Coffer-tron is that the effect is very powerful. Using that mana to drop a lot of fun cards that aren't too difficult to answer makes for great games; using the mana to Exsanguinate the entire table does not. I'm glad you liked the article!

By: sarroth

sarroth — Tue, 12 Jul 2011 03:33:41 +0000

I've never before read Tomb of Yawgmoth, Vesuva, and Cabal Coffers all mentioned as examples of more fun before. It seems those cards get a lot of hate as well. I won't lie, I'm cheap, so if I'm running Green I'd stick to Green cards that grab land, such as the Elders. If I'm playing Black/Red, then I'd go to the Cabal Coffers routine.

Otherwise, good article. I love to see solid suggestions for keeping the format healthy and casual.

By: J.D.

J.D. — Mon, 11 Jul 2011 17:18:49 +0000

This article was incredible. Our Commander playgroup attempts to adhere to the "Gentleman's Rule," but every once in a while, we have to pull ourselves back from an arms race. This inspired me to change my Mimeoplasm deck back to a light-milling strategy, rather than the sort-of control deck I'm running now. I'm excited and can't wait to get back to the drawing board.
Thanks!