I've noticed that over the past few months, my core group of friends with whom I play Magic, have mostly spent money on and played EDH. It's a bit odd, considering I love 1V1 Magic, and EDH is usually multiplayer. I'm curious, have any of you ditched other formats in favor of commander? It might be partially because standard has become so dull, and legacy is so expensive, that commander is the only other constructed format (besides modern) that is enjoyable to play. But, hey, maybe that's just me.
Me. I've never really played magic for 1v1. 1v1 to me is very linear, 20 life is not enough and is too advantageous for friggin' aggro decks everywhere. Plus it disallows a lot of cards that are fun to play but cost too much mana to play.
I was more of a 2hg player in Standard and Modern, but when I found out about EDH I was hooked. Games are always different (you're always facing different generals...not the same archetypes over and over), plus with it being a singleton format it allows for more dynamic games all around (unless you're playing a toolbox.dec.. zzzzz Captain Sisay, Arcum Dagsson I'm looking at you..)
Magic has always been about fun for me primarily, competition second, and I think that EDH is the MOST fun format while still retaining a level of competition.
I'm guilty of this too. I most of the time play EDH, even though I own a Legacy and Modern deck, I still play with them randomly, never in tournaments, since I've taken liking on EDH.
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90% of the time I only play EDH. In the past, I was also heavy into drafting, but after 7 years of it, I'm a bit over that format. Especially after ravnica block.
Modern masters sort of re kindled my love for it, but 30+ dollars a draft was just too much. M14 is terrible for drafting, and I just don't want to waste my time and money just to go 3-2 because I can't remove a bomb because wizrad's now hates removal and counter magic.
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The EDH stax primer When you absolutely, positively got to kill every permanent in the room, accept no substitutes.
I generally hate every other format. Commander was the only format I ever got into, and that's because my cousin plays and we don't have a whole lot in common.
I may eventually cave and build a modern deck. I have a buddy who's been playing since the beginning of magic, and he let me borrow his Wee Dragonauts/Kiln Fiend deck one night.
It was an absolute blast. Unfortunately they banned both ponder and preordain shortly after, and we never remade the deck. I hear there's a version now that runs Nivmagus Elemental, so I might try that out.
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If combo should die before I wake I'll slide a Smokestack in every deck I play, roll in every shop wreck the Spirit of EDH.
Yep, absolutely. I used to play Standard and a little bit of extended every now and again, and from time to time my buddies would sponsor me for a local legacy tournament. Now though, and for the past 5 years or so all I play is EDH. I love the format, I love that the group usually takes fun as a priority over winning, I love the variaotion, I love the fact that O'm not dishing out $300-$500 to WoTC every time they determine to release a new set just so I can stay competitive...
It's definitely my favorite and only played format
Me too for the most part, although I will make exceptions for the occasional limited event, Cube, or Grand Prix (which could be Legacy/Standard/whatever).
But for the most part EDH is just the best fit for me right now. I like Standard but simply can't play often enough to justify the constant influx of cash. I like the older formats but don't get many opportunities to play them. I LOVE limited and still do squeeze those in when I get the chance (basically the only thing I do on MODO).
But EDH is great because I can run by the shop and squeeze in some games just about any time, and of course the non-rotating thing helps too.
Yep, EDH all the way for me too. It's got everything I want: competition, creativity, social interaction, and the ability to play on my own terms rather that a fluid meta game that forces me to play a certain way.
Yep, EDH all the way for me too. It's got everything I want: competition, creativity, social interaction, and the ability to play on my own terms rather that a fluid meta game that forces me to play a certain way.
That's a good point that I forgot about so much in the other formats. If you aren't playing the 'best' types of decks you will always get stomped into the ground.
Not to mention Force of Will x4 in Legacy. *shudder*
That's a good point that I forgot about so much in the other formats. If you aren't playing the 'best' types of decks you will always get stomped into the ground.
Not to mention Force of Will x4 in Legacy. *shudder*
Meh, I think this is a major overstatement. I think Standard, Modern, and Legacy all leave players plenty of room to brew and be reasonably competitive without playing one of the best 5-10 known decks.
Are you likely to win a SCG event or GP with your home brew? No. But you could probably go 4-4 and have a good time at a large event like that, or even win a smaller local event.
...you could probably go 4-4 and have a good time at a large event like that, or even win a smaller local event.
Call me a try hard, but If I'm going to pay to play in a large event and likely pay to travel to it's location there is no way in hell that I'm having fun with a 4-4 record. When I play in a tournament it is to do well and come as close to finishing in the top spot as possible. I can tell you with all honesty that I would not be brewing random "fun" decks to take to a big tournament with a goal of 4-4, as it would be a waste of my time and money. I would be bringing whatever proven deck seems to have the best game against the field and or is positioned best in the expected meta. Now I would obviously make some changes here and there to the card counts and SB as carbon coping rarely is the best idea. I would expect that most people that go to big events are not just bringing whatever home brew jank they threw together for the Lulz. Hell even the people that pilot the "rogue" decks to decent finishes run their builds through heavy gauntlets of play testing.
TL;DR: I find it very hard to believe that anyone would call paying for gas/tournament entry in any large event with the expected goal of a 4-4 finish to be Fun.
All of that being said, I'm obviously not a pro player and I do not posses the skill, money, or time needed to bring myself up to the level needed to grind events.
More on topic:
I have also stopped playing most other formats in favor of EDH. I find that I no longer have the time to keep up with competitive magic. It doesn't help that where I live now the only thing played is standard and I abhor rotating formats. I have sold off most of my collection over the last year and a half besides my 5 EDH decks. I decided to keep two legacy decks together just in case I acquire more free time down the road or if I feel like playing in a random SGC 5k or something.
I was guilty of this for a while but I recently got into modern and just bought what I needed for my first true legacy deck. That being said, I see edh always being my format of choice
Yep, EDH all the way for me too. It's got everything I want: competition, creativity, social interaction, and the ability to play on my own terms rather that a fluid meta game that forces me to play a certain way.
Yes, reporting in. Second what Cryogen said. Didn't really like the competitiveness of other formats, is either forced to play established/top tier meta decks or just sit there alone as other players wun even bother to play with me. Time is precious they say, rather play against other competitive legacy/modern/standard to improve their skills than play casual 60cards.
When I got into the game in 93-94, we'd all play these massive multiplayer games. I've played magic off & on since then (block, std, vintage)- but I realized its a waste of my time & money to play a formatlike standard - so I was out of the game from lorwyn to scars of mirrodin. Then I discovered EDH. EDH is the only format I play (except prereleases) and the only way I'd see myself ever playing.
I used to play a ton of Modern until about six months ago. I still like the format, but between work, training and a young child, I just don't have time to keep up with an evolving metagame.
So it's mostly been Commander since then. I'm not complaining though, I love it.
I played a great deal of other formats when I got into Magic: Standard, Extended, Limited and I loved them all. However some time around the original Mirrodin block I began to a change in the culture around the game it became increasingly competitive and less and less about just having fun playing the game.
St that point I stopped playing many sanctioned events. The culture around them really turned me off from playing them. For a number of reasons. First if you weren't playing with the best cards then your chances of being competitive were incredibly small. Second my favorite thing about Magic is deck building and Commander in my opinion is the best format for it.
Commander puts just enough of a restriction on deck building while still providing you a great deal of freedom and fuel to really come up with some interesting designs. Of course there is still a great deal of room for growth in the format the fact that it isn't sanctioned by DCI is the best thing about it. Because when people stop playing for fun and more for prizes the game of Magic in my opinion looses it's fun factor.
Other than limited formats (sealed/draft), EDH is all I play on a regular basis. On rare occasions I'll toss together a Standard deck for a game day event or something like that, mostly to just pick up the free premium cards, but I haven't even bothered with that since R2R. Between EDH and limited, I'm much more an EDH person. Currently, probably 85% of my play is EDH.
I've always been attracted to the wide range of options presented by a large card pool, and the singleton format and vast pool means you can see - and use - tons of stuff you would never see played in constructed formats. Plus, since the early days of the game I've always preferred multiplayer variants due to the social/political elements and the advantage multiplayer gives to less linear deck design.
Above everything, Im a collector. I collect foil legendaries. Since foil legendaries are rather expensive, Im usually left with a very small deck-building budget every month meaning that EDH and limited are the only formats I can play without having to cut back on the amount of foils I buy every month.
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My finished EDH decks:
GSelvala, Heart of the Wilds Inf Combo/FattiesG GWSaffi Eriksdotter Inf ComboGW BLiliana, Heretical Healer StaxB RKiki-Jikki, Inf Combo/ETB AbuseR
The last time I played a different format was during the Innistrad prerelease and a few times after that. I enjoyed building Sealed decks and focusing on choosing the best monster type to go with for the deck. It was like Super Gothic Smash Siblings!
In the years I played Standard, I tended towards designing rogue decks. I took a break around 2004-5, getting back during Rise of the Eldrazi. I did the Standard thing for awhile, switched over to Modern briefly, and then about six months after the release of the first Commander precons, just about tattooed "EDH for Life" on my soul and never looked back.
I like to create and tell stories and EDH has proven the best Magic format for that kind of expression. I'm considering building an Innistrad block Cube at some point, but EDH is where my Magical attention will be focused for the foreseeable near future.
I love the diversity of the format and the complexity of the interactions. I like how the games I play tend to be at least an hour or more. Finally, as others have commented already, I appreciate that EDH is an Eternal format where I'm not shelling out money for multiple copies of the same card.
What other (non-Limited) format gives me an opportunity to play Mantle of Leadership with a straight queer face and an honest chance of winning the game?
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There are no divisions: for ye are all one in Christ Jesus. -Galatians 3:28
How about you guys?
[Primer] Kozilek, Butcher with Juice.
I was more of a 2hg player in Standard and Modern, but when I found out about EDH I was hooked. Games are always different (you're always facing different generals...not the same archetypes over and over), plus with it being a singleton format it allows for more dynamic games all around (unless you're playing a toolbox.dec.. zzzzz Captain Sisay, Arcum Dagsson I'm looking at you..)
Magic has always been about fun for me primarily, competition second, and I think that EDH is the MOST fun format while still retaining a level of competition.
Username: Cabz
Modern masters sort of re kindled my love for it, but 30+ dollars a draft was just too much. M14 is terrible for drafting, and I just don't want to waste my time and money just to go 3-2 because I can't remove a bomb because wizrad's now hates removal and counter magic.
The EDH stax primer
When you absolutely, positively got to kill every permanent in the room, accept no substitutes.
I generally hate every other format. Commander was the only format I ever got into, and that's because my cousin plays and we don't have a whole lot in common.
I may eventually cave and build a modern deck. I have a buddy who's been playing since the beginning of magic, and he let me borrow his Wee Dragonauts/Kiln Fiend deck one night.
It was an absolute blast. Unfortunately they banned both ponder and preordain shortly after, and we never remade the deck. I hear there's a version now that runs Nivmagus Elemental, so I might try that out.
WBRG Saskia the Unyielding
WUB Sharuum the Hegemon
RWU Shu Yun, the Silent Tempest
RG Wort, the Raidmother
WU Brago, King Eternal
B Chainer, Dementia Master
It's definitely my favorite and only played format
Signature by Inkfox Aesthetics
[Primer]WIsamaru, the Howling BladeW[Primer]
[Primer]BGSkullbriar: From Life, Death Eternal (1v1)GB[Primer]
BGRbighaben and Feverous' Prossh, Skyraider of KherRGB
BGRProssh-Gro (1V1)RGB
But for the most part EDH is just the best fit for me right now. I like Standard but simply can't play often enough to justify the constant influx of cash. I like the older formats but don't get many opportunities to play them. I LOVE limited and still do squeeze those in when I get the chance (basically the only thing I do on MODO).
But EDH is great because I can run by the shop and squeeze in some games just about any time, and of course the non-rotating thing helps too.
Misc. EDH Stuff: Commander Cube | Zombies (Horde)
Resources:Commander Rulings FAQ | Commander Deckbuilding Guide
Follow me on Twitter! @cryogen_mtg
That's a good point that I forgot about so much in the other formats. If you aren't playing the 'best' types of decks you will always get stomped into the ground.
Not to mention Force of Will x4 in Legacy. *shudder*
Username: Cabz
Meh, I think this is a major overstatement. I think Standard, Modern, and Legacy all leave players plenty of room to brew and be reasonably competitive without playing one of the best 5-10 known decks.
Are you likely to win a SCG event or GP with your home brew? No. But you could probably go 4-4 and have a good time at a large event like that, or even win a smaller local event.
EDH:1 vs 1
Talrand, Sky Summoner Retired.
EDH Multiplayer
Drana. Kalastria Bloodchief
Talrand, Sky Summoner
My Blog -
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Tips for Freelance Magic Writing
Call me a try hard, but If I'm going to pay to play in a large event and likely pay to travel to it's location there is no way in hell that I'm having fun with a 4-4 record. When I play in a tournament it is to do well and come as close to finishing in the top spot as possible. I can tell you with all honesty that I would not be brewing random "fun" decks to take to a big tournament with a goal of 4-4, as it would be a waste of my time and money. I would be bringing whatever proven deck seems to have the best game against the field and or is positioned best in the expected meta. Now I would obviously make some changes here and there to the card counts and SB as carbon coping rarely is the best idea. I would expect that most people that go to big events are not just bringing whatever home brew jank they threw together for the Lulz. Hell even the people that pilot the "rogue" decks to decent finishes run their builds through heavy gauntlets of play testing.
TL;DR: I find it very hard to believe that anyone would call paying for gas/tournament entry in any large event with the expected goal of a 4-4 finish to be Fun.
All of that being said, I'm obviously not a pro player and I do not posses the skill, money, or time needed to bring myself up to the level needed to grind events.
More on topic:
I have also stopped playing most other formats in favor of EDH. I find that I no longer have the time to keep up with competitive magic. It doesn't help that where I live now the only thing played is standard and I abhor rotating formats. I have sold off most of my collection over the last year and a half besides my 5 EDH decks. I decided to keep two legacy decks together just in case I acquire more free time down the road or if I feel like playing in a random SGC 5k or something.
EDH
WBG Karador's Sepulcher GBW
Yes, reporting in. Second what Cryogen said. Didn't really like the competitiveness of other formats, is either forced to play established/top tier meta decks or just sit there alone as other players wun even bother to play with me. Time is precious they say, rather play against other competitive legacy/modern/standard to improve their skills than play casual 60cards.
WUBRG Reaper King - Elf Tribal WUBRG | Tribal Fun
WRG Gishath, Sun's Avatar - Dinosaur Tribal WRG | Rawr!!!
WUG Derevi, Empyrial Tactician - Enchantress Tactics WUG | Enchantments Focused
GBG The Gitrog Monster - Land Shenanigans GBG | Lands/Mill Focused
WBW Kambal, Consul of Life Allocation Matters WBW | Life Gain/Loss focused
UBR Kess, Dissident Mage of the Lotus UBR | Spellslinger
BGB Hapatra, Vizier of Poisons - Counters & Tokens BGB | -1/-1 counters focused
Kamahl, Fist of Krosa | Korlash, Heir to Blackblade | Karador Apostles | Brago, King Eternal | Talrand the Sky Summoner | Mageta the Lion
So it's mostly been Commander since then. I'm not complaining though, I love it.
St that point I stopped playing many sanctioned events. The culture around them really turned me off from playing them. For a number of reasons. First if you weren't playing with the best cards then your chances of being competitive were incredibly small. Second my favorite thing about Magic is deck building and Commander in my opinion is the best format for it.
Commander puts just enough of a restriction on deck building while still providing you a great deal of freedom and fuel to really come up with some interesting designs. Of course there is still a great deal of room for growth in the format the fact that it isn't sanctioned by DCI is the best thing about it. Because when people stop playing for fun and more for prizes the game of Magic in my opinion looses it's fun factor.
Multani, Maro-Sorcerer - Group Hug
Aurelia, the Warleader - Multi-Attack step aggro
Karona, False God - Your spells are my spells
Glissa, the Traitor - Artifact Toolbox
I've always been attracted to the wide range of options presented by a large card pool, and the singleton format and vast pool means you can see - and use - tons of stuff you would never see played in constructed formats. Plus, since the early days of the game I've always preferred multiplayer variants due to the social/political elements and the advantage multiplayer gives to less linear deck design.
GSelvala, Heart of the Wilds Inf Combo/FattiesG
GWSaffi Eriksdotter Inf ComboGW
BLiliana, Heretical Healer StaxB
RKiki-Jikki, Inf Combo/ETB AbuseR
In the years I played Standard, I tended towards designing rogue decks. I took a break around 2004-5, getting back during Rise of the Eldrazi. I did the Standard thing for awhile, switched over to Modern briefly, and then about six months after the release of the first Commander precons, just about tattooed "EDH for Life" on my soul and never looked back.
I like to create and tell stories and EDH has proven the best Magic format for that kind of expression. I'm considering building an Innistrad block Cube at some point, but EDH is where my Magical attention will be focused for the foreseeable near future.
I love the diversity of the format and the complexity of the interactions. I like how the games I play tend to be at least an hour or more. Finally, as others have commented already, I appreciate that EDH is an Eternal format where I'm not shelling out money for multiple copies of the same card.
What other (non-Limited) format gives me an opportunity to play Mantle of Leadership with a
straightqueer face and an honest chance of winning the game?RGW Uril, the Miststalker
BU Oona, Queen of the Fae