Magic The Gathering

[Oddjob OTP]

I feel like this is the end result every time I try to build a rakdos deck. The only alternative is to generate tons of mana with cabal coffers/stronghold and exsanguinate the last player but that's such a lame way to win that I always end up taking the decks apart. My favorite deck remains Dihada because I get to play exclusively with cool legendary creatures and turn them sideways.

I feel like I don't have that problem but I think other than Kardur the only Rakdos commander I've played is Prosper Theft/Treasures and you usually string together some infinite treasure to graveyard bullshit that uses them for something other than just big nuke and burn everyone out of the game 1 life at a time like John Rack, inventor of the Rack intended. Keep meaning to play Blim but it's never The Time. I think next on my to play list is NuObeka.

 

[Peep Plops]

I feel like I don't have that problem but I think other than Kardur the only Rakdos commander I've played is Prosper Theft/Treasures and you usually string together some infinite treasure to graveyard bullshit that uses them for something other than just big nuke and burn everyone out of the game 1 life at a time like John Rack, inventor of the Rack intended. Keep meaning to play Blim but it's never The Time. I think next on my to play list is NuObeka.

I'll admit I did have one rakdos deck that was pretty good at killing all opponents, especially before the dockside ban: Juri, Master of the Revue. I've always liked aristocrats but later in the evening it can be bitch to keep up with all the triggers and Juri always felt like a somewhat simplified version of roughly the same basic idea.

I'm unsure what deck I'll build next. I usually like to have four commander decks because of autism but I've gone with three for a while now.
Maybe it's time to give Rakdos another shot.

 

[UB Despiser]

Queen Marchesa was actually my first commander deck and I originally tried to turn her into a "legends matter" type thing but Dihada ended up overshadowing her so the roles got switched around. Queen Marchesa doesn't work very well as an aggro deck in my experience, best built as a somewhat pillowfort style control deck with politics. Pretty fun to play but eventually got bored with it.

I see, thanks for the info, I'll keep it in mind for when I actually get around to building a the deck. For the moment I need to wrap up Dihada, it was my first so I feel like I have to make it better

I'm unsure what deck I'll build next. I usually like to have four commander decks because of autism but I've gone with three for a while now.
Maybe it's time to give Rakdos another shot.

Have you checked out Duskmourn's Rakdos deck? It's pretty good in multiplayer, with Valgavoth growing quickly and providing a lot of card draw once you have something to ping opponents on their turns in play

 

[DootSkeleton]

I have come to absolutely hate that "Everyone has to do their thing" and "Winning is bad" has become a normal thing in EDH

It's why I've never been interested in it. It's not a good format if you think winning is fun. Yes, I can enjoy myself if I lose a game where me and my opponent are playing well and making tons of decisions, but I'd enjoy it even more if I ended up winning it.
Unfortunately it's so fucking popular that it's warped game design around it. Look at the number of legendaries per set before EDH got super popular versus and after EDH's popularity boom. You can also find more subtle changes such as cards more frequently saying "each opponent" rather than "target opponent" or cards saying "if you have X much life more than your starting total" rather than "if you have X much life". Serra Ascendant is a great example of the latter which we rarely see anymore.

 

[Honka Honka Burning Love]

It's not a good format if you think winning is fun.

Very Hard Disagree, EDH is the most fun format to win in..if the four decks are of equal power and the players are of equal skill because finding a new way to win after your first two or three win cons are out of commission is much more fun than 60 card formats where you get 4 of all the best cards.

The power creep from the number of cards printed now really ruins that cool puzzle though.

 

[UB Despiser]

Very Hard Disagree, EDH is the most fun format to win in..if the four decks are of equal power and the players are of equal skill because finding a new way to win after your first two or three win cons are out of commission is much more fun than 60 card formats where you get 4 of all the best cards.

The power creep from the number of cards printed now really ruins that cool puzzle though.

In my (little) experience, that's a big IF. In my playgroup we rarely have balanced matches (precons usually are more balanced, but even then some are much stronger than others because of powercreep), unfortunately, and when it happens it's because someone gets a headstart (land into sol ring into mana rock scenario) and one gets manascrewed and doesn't do anything, so the other two join forces against the one ahead, which is a bit of a bummer, but I guess that's 100 cards singleton decks.

Still, I agree, it's a fun format and it's very exciting when you manage to win, especially in matches where you were the archenemy (not actual archenemy, just the one ahead). One of the most memorable matches I had was one just like this, where I somehow got a huge advantage over the other two players and, regardless of what they'd throw at me, I had an answer and ended up winning!

 

[Peep Plops]

In my (little) experience, that's a big IF. In my playgroup we rarely have balanced matches (precons usually are more balanced, but even then some are much stronger than others because of powercreep), unfortunately, and when it happens it's because someone gets a headstart (land into sol ring into mana rock scenario) and one gets manascrewed and doesn't do anything, so the other two join forces against the one ahead, which is a bit of a bummer, but I guess that's 100 cards singleton decks.

Still, I agree, it's a fun format and it's very exciting when you manage to win, especially in matches where you were the archenemy (not actual archenemy, just the one ahead). One of the most memorable matches I had was one just like this, where I somehow got a huge advantage over the other two players and, regardless of what they'd throw at me, I had an answer and ended up winning!

Nothing beats the feeling of casting Approach of the Second Sun and giving your opponents one turn cycle before doing it again and watching fear wash over them as the try in vain to do anything to stop their inevitable doom.

 

[Honka Honka Burning Love]

In my (little) experience, that's a big IF. In my playgroup

I would say skill imbalance is the biggest factor in the majority of games.

Nothing beats the feeling of casting Approach of the Second Sun and giving your opponents one turn cycle before doing it again and watching fear wash over them as the try in vain to do anything to stop their inevitable doom.

Approach of the Second Sun + Lich's Mastery is a hilarious combo.

"Oh I gained 7 life...I draw 7 cards."

 

[Krokodil Overdose]

Cards printed for EDH feel like they're against the spirit of EDH. Figuring out how to make weird, unusual shit work is part of the creative puzzle. Pyromancer Ascension + Spellweaver Volute was awesome to pull off.

Unpopular opinion: I like Companions because the deck building restrictions they impose add an additional wrinkle to the format.

 

[Polock]

I like Companions because the deck building restrictions

Yeah I wouldn't have a problem with even the old companion rule if the deckbuilding restrictions were actually, y'know, restrictive.

the creative puzzle

One of the best events MTGA ever had was the Standard Shakeup Tournament where they banned the top 10 most used cards every week for 10 weeks. It was such a fun deckbuilding puzzle.
The first like 2 ban waves were super obvious, but towards the end you ended up with a lot of different decks and trying to predict the metagame to position your own deck was basically impossible.

 

[Rich Evans Ayypologist]

Tarkir limited is weird. That pondering the orb is emerging as the best strategy bar-none is greatly amusing, and I don't think more casual players will ever clue in on the fact that a common mana-rock is such a high pick.

The bracket system was a great first-step towards curating a better EDH environment, but Wizards really needs to not half-ass it. The format needs constant curation to make pick-up-games more generally enjoyable, as friend groups can already self-moderate. And the main impediment towards pick-up-games is precisely that there's many different philosophies on how to play the format, which pubstompers intentionally obscure so they can shitstomp precons.

Yeah I wouldn't have a problem with even the old companion rule if the deckbuilding restrictions were actually, y'know, restrictive.

I mean, they were - but having a 8th card in your opening hand is busted no-matter the restriction. Juicy J is about the only one that I would argue didn't really have a meaningful restriction. Lurrus's restriction is genuinely pretty big - you'll see it crop up in legacy/vintage cube a lot - but it's so good to have an 8th card, especially one that can get you a free draw with bauble every turn.

I don't like them in Commander because Lesson-Learn and Wishboards are banned, but Companion isn't? It reeks of Maro pressuring the RC to let companions in.

 

[Very Professional]

Cards printed for EDH feel like they're against the spirit of EDH. Figuring out how to make weird, unusual shit work is part of the creative puzzle. Pyromancer Ascension + Spellweaver Volute was awesome to pull off.

Unpopular opinion: I like Companions because the deck building restrictions they impose add an additional wrinkle to the format.

I'm not a fan of Companion but I agree otherwise. WotC focusing on your format is like the Eye of Sauron glaring down at it, and you can see it in EDH going from a casual jank/lore format to a bastardized Legacy for neurotic crybullies. Pioneer is arguably the best format in the game atm and they cancelled all tournament support for it late last year.

 

[LanceMaster01]

I'm just getting into MtG using Shandalar and Forge. Don't really plan on getting into paper in this economy, and Arena can go bite the big one. 'S pretty fun, but I want to know how bad the power creeep can get in recent formats. I obviously know how broken some early cards are, but then we have all this crossover shit and my mates are fucking me over with funni Final Fantasy cactus.

 

[Honka Honka Burning Love]

but I want to know how bad the power creeep can get in recent formats.

It is less power creep on it's own (there is some) but the fact that they print 4 times the cards as they used to means that cardpools are insanely powerful.

 

[Polock]

no-matter the restriction

Nahhhh, there's definitely deck restrictions you could design that make an 8th card in your hand not busted.

Like, off the top of my head
"Your deck cannot contain any cards other than basic lands and creatures with no abilities"
"Your deck cannot use nonbasic lands and must contain 2 cards of each color pair."

The real problem with companions is that you can't make balanced companions that also sell packs.

 

[Krokodil Overdose]

The real problem with companions is that you can't make balanced companions that also sell packs.

They don't have to make companion a draw, though, if they'd just get a bit creative (or just remember how they designed shit back in OG Kamigawa.) Have companions across multiple rarities with Companion as a sweetener as opposed to the core mechanic, and some cards that interact with Companions as a mechanic. They don't need to be the draw, especially if we're going back to Ikoria and have giant monsters and Triomes to move product.

 

[Rich Evans Ayypologist]

"Your deck cannot contain any cards other than basic lands and creatures with no abilities"
"Your deck cannot use nonbasic lands and must contain 2 cards of each color pair."

These are both effectively restrictions that mean in no circumstance will anyone play the card.

I would hardly call effectively unplayable cards 'balanced.' The moment that we tweak them into cards that people will actually play, they shift into being meta-warping.

Umori, requiring all your nonlands to be the same type, is at the very edge of playability - being byfar the weakest - and even then it's still ridiculous to have that extra card. Juicy J was for all intents and purposes just a 5/5 for 5 that you could have for free in most decks, and that was enough to get it banned.

 

[Aegir55]

I have a Dihada deck too, though I'm having a few issues making it consistent: when it works, it's pretty good with a ton of lifegain etc., but it doesn't have a consistent game plan besides playing Dihada and +2ing on one creature. Mind sharing your decklist?

I play Dihada as well, legendary tribal, instead of just a turbo reanimator or just for the treasures. It is a very resilient deck, and added the Godo/Aurelia + Helm of the Host combo to help me finish games.

Commander
1 Dihada, Binder of Wills

Artifact
1 Blackblade Reforged
1 Bolas's Citadel
1 Helm of the Host
1 Shadowspear
1 Swiftfoot Boots
1 Sword of the Animist
1 The One Ring

Creature
1 Aurelia, the Warleader
1 Delina, Wild Mage
1 Drana and Linvala
1 Gisa, Glorious Resurrector
1 Gisela, Blade of Goldnight
1 Godo, Bandit Warlord
1 Kardur, Doomscourge
1 Lae'zel, Vlaakith's Champion
1 Lotho, Corrupt Shirriff
1 Magar of the Magic Strings
1 Mila, Crafty Companion
1 Nashi, Moon Sage's Scion
1 Odric, Lunarch Marshal
1 Orcus, Prince of Undeath
1 Ravos, Soultender
1 Reidane, God of the Worthy
1 Rem Karolus, Stalwart Slayer
1 Shanid, Sleepers' Scourge
1 Sheoldred
1 Sheoldred, Whispering One
1 Skrelv, Defector Mite
1 Thalia, Heretic Cathar
1 The Infamous Cruelclaw
1 Tinybones, the Pickpocket
1 Tomik, Wielder of Law
1 Tymna the Weaver
1 Valki, God of Lies
1 Varragoth, Bloodsky Sire
1 Yoshimaru, Ever Faithful

Enchantment
1 Kaya's Ghostform
1 Oubliette
1 Phyrexian Arena
1 Smothering Tithe
1 Virtue of Persistence

Instant
1 Anguished Unmaking
1 Chaos Warp
1 Despark
1 Fell the Profane
1 Generous Gift
1 Kolaghan's Command
1 Malakir Rebirth
1 Path to Exile
1 Swords to Plowshares
1 Teferi's Protection
1 Vampiric Tutor

Land
1 Arid Mesa
1 Blood Crypt
1 Bloodstained Mire
1 Clifftop Retreat
1 Command Tower
1 Dragonskull Summit
1 Eiganjo Castle
1 Eiganjo, Seat of the Empire
1 Fabled Passage
1 Ghost Quarter
1 Godless Shrine
1 Isolated Chapel
1 Marsh Flats
4 Mountain
4 Plains
1 Polluted Delta
1 Prismatic Vista
1 Sacred Foundry
1 Savai Triome
1 Shizo, Death's Storehouse
1 Strip Mine
4 Swamp
1 Takenuma, Abandoned Mire
1 Urborg, Tomb of Yawgmoth
1 Windswept Heath

Mana Rocks
1 Arcane Signet
1 Fellwar Stone
1 Mox Amber
1 Relic of Legends
1 Sol Ring

Planeswalker
1 Kaya the Inexorable

Sorcery
1 Demonic Tutor
1 Insatiable Avarice
1 Legions to Ashes
1 Mythos of Snapdax
1 Reanimate
1 Ruinous Ultimatum
1 Urza's Ruinous Blast

 

[UB Despiser]

I play Dihada as well, legendary tribal

Same here! Thanks for the decklist I'll see if there's anything that works for me. I'm a bit autistic about it because, aside from mana rocks and most lands, I want every other permanent to be Legendary for the flavor. Would it be better with a few non-Legendary permanents? Sure it would, but my table is pretty low power so I can afford not minmaxing the deck. I'm still looking to improve it where I can though, so appreciated!

Hadn't really though about Helm of the Host + Aurelia, the Warleader before. That'd go infinte, correct? As the token copy would add another combat phase, and so on. I have both, Helm not in the deck, but I think I can make room for it. It's a late game 2-piece combo but should be fine, I feel

 

[Aegir55]

!Hadn't really though about Helm of the Host + Aurelia, the Warleader before. That'd go infinte, correct? As the token copy would add another combat phase, and so on. I have both, Helm not in the deck, but I think I can make room for it. It's a late game 2-piece combo but should be fine.

Yes, the combo is infinite but fair. As your opponents can either destroy Aurelia or the Helm.

Godo is slightly more unfair because he fetches for the helm.