I think people overestimate the potency of Nekusar
I've autolost a game by wheeling the mono blue player into two time warps
It's kind of hard to autolose to someone by cheating Avacyn into play turn 4 with kaalia, or just flat out going infinite on turn 4 with Prosh or Animar
I don't think he's one of the best generals, just one of my least favorite to play against, especially when people who play him try to play it off as a group hug deck or argue that they shouldn't be attacked because they're giving everyone more cards.
Pretty much this. There's a Nekusar player in my playgroup and I always focus him in multiplayer games. He whines about getting focused only to go off next turn dealing 40+ damage to everyone laughing giddily. He justifies playing Nekusar by saying how "challenging" it is by giving everyone answers as free cards. Nekusar decks aren't fun to play against because it's always the same BS I hear as excuses from players. Puppy eyes for the entire match before putting many knives in your back.
Haha I just finished a Nekusar deck and I'd come to check out some threads to get more ideas, but after reading this I've decided I'm not going to bother because apparently there aren't going to be any other zombie aggro lists on the entire internet. Yes, of course, I'm running all the wheel clones, but mostly for a fresh grip once I dump my hand. The 7 damage is icing. I also play a derevi deck focused around tokens and untapping pingers.
Anyways, I hate playing any mono-U commander with any decent amount of money in it, because I don't really get to... play... That being said, I did just have a wonderful game which included a Braids, conjurer adept and it never lived past my turn because I'd just keep dropping duplicant or something on my upkeep. It was hilarious.
But, honestly, any commander game where I don't get to interact or play cards or do anything is a waste of my time. I might as well just be watching paint dry. The worst offenders for me are talrand, sky summoner and, actually, my own pet Glissa, the traitor deck (it revolves around disruption and liberal use of removal until a TnN Mike n' Trike. Now I only really play it against other disgusting money decks and people who need their egos deflated.) Honorable mention goes to Gisela as well, for being a nigh unstoppable Iona + Insurrection haymaker engine during my mono colored deckbuilding phase.
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Currently trying to think up a way to abuse giant oyster
There's a reason I tore apart Nekusar. It's not because he's oppressively powerful or anything, he's just so damn dull to pilot. And the opposition knows it, too. They know what to expect. "Oh, so what now, Wheel of Fortune or Winds of Change? Or are you gonna mix it up with a Whispering Madness? Oh the excitement." Yeah, it's not particulary interesting.
The first few times you kill a table with your wheeling and dealing it's still kinda fun. But it loses its fun fast.
Though there ARE fun decklists possible with Nekusar - I've worked on a Zombie tribal list myself - but those already had Thraximundar as a "tribal" legend as it was.
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My Commander decks:
Chandra, Torch of Defiance - Oops! All Chandras.
Prime Speaker Zegana - Draw for Power.
Pir & Toothy - Counterpalooza.
Arcades, the Strategist - Another Brick in the Wall.
Zacama, Primal Calamity - Calamity of Double Mana.
Edgar Markov - Vampires Don't Die.
Child of Alara - Dreamcrusher.
There's a reason I tore apart Nekusar. It's not because he's oppressively powerful or anything, he's just so damn dull to pilot. And the opposition knows it, too. They know what to expect. "Oh, so what now, Wheel of Fortune or Winds of Change? Or are you gonna mix it up with a Whispering Madness? Oh the excitement." Yeah, it's not particulary interesting.
I'd love to see someone run Nekusar zombie tribal. As is, I just keep seeing the same linear Nekusar lists you mention. They're incredibly boring to play against, and I would think they'd be equally tedious to play.
Again, its not stopping Nekusar, its using resources and turns to stop him when all of it sometimes should be focusing on the real threat. Ignore Nekusar, and he can blow the game out of the water just like any other glass cannon. Add all of that up to the dull game plan of wheeling for damage and you have yourself a recipe for annoyed players.
Nekusar is by far not a strong commander, there are plenty stronger then him, but like Kaalia its a boring deck that you can't afford to ignore.
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Top Control: The only pure lockdown deck in Modern.
One game of cockatrice EDH later...
Man I despise Nekusar, most boring general I have ever see. Just wheel after wheel, puzzle box there, I get kicked for playing Ruination followed up by a Roiling Terrain for lethal on the same turn seeing as how they were mostly nonbasic and mine were not. Hopefully other generals I come across are not one trick ponies like Nekusar.
I can't really say I hate/dislike any commanders because, hey that's the format! You build a deck around a commander. Now there are some commander I find a bit silly that i'm like ohhh one of those decks I see. Like Kaalia of the Vast for example, I love commander but she makes it feel a bit too timmy.
So far it's Prossh and Marath in my meta. Prossh is just so fast either killing with damage or death trigger cards. And Marath is a swiss army knife. However, the latter wasn't giving the proper amount of pressure to keep it in check.
Nekusaar isn't a complete blow out. Its player in my meta usually speeds the game up and has lost as much as he's won with it. Hasn't become that big of a pain in the neck yet.
The only commander I hate is Maelstrom Wanderer. It's in the unfun color combination of u/g/x, meaning it has access to ramp, and card advantage. Most of the games I've played against it have been uninteractive and just not fun. It doesn't help that unless you run tuck based removal, you're probably only helping the guy out by killing his 7 power haste enabler.
Purphorous, God of the Forge: Yes I understand monoR burn needed a decent commander, and this certainly delivered, but his power level is through the roof. All the decklists are basically the same token spam list with little flexing.
Rafiq of the Many: There are interesting ways to play him, but I almost always see him as just voltron. He's just another uninspired predictable general.
Nekusar, the Mindrazer: So cookie cutter it makes me want to throw up. Make a zombie tribal or something >_>
Jhoira of the Ghitu: I personally have actively tried to make a decent fun JotG list, that strays from just suspending fat and MLD. It's damn near impossible. If you see Jhoira, be prepared to hold lands in your hand.
Pretty much this. There's a Nekusar player in my playgroup and I always focus him in multiplayer games. He whines about getting focused only to go off next turn dealing 40+ damage to everyone laughing giddily. He justifies playing Nekusar by saying how "challenging" it is by giving everyone answers as free cards. Nekusar decks aren't fun to play against because it's always the same BS I hear as excuses from players. Puppy eyes for the entire match before putting many knives in your back.
Credit to Heroes of the Plane Studios for the Avatar & Miraculous Recovery for the Banner.
My 540 Card Cube (WIP)
Anyways, I hate playing any mono-U commander with any decent amount of money in it, because I don't really get to... play... That being said, I did just have a wonderful game which included a Braids, conjurer adept and it never lived past my turn because I'd just keep dropping duplicant or something on my upkeep. It was hilarious.
But, honestly, any commander game where I don't get to interact or play cards or do anything is a waste of my time. I might as well just be watching paint dry. The worst offenders for me are talrand, sky summoner and, actually, my own pet Glissa, the traitor deck (it revolves around disruption and liberal use of removal until a TnN Mike n' Trike. Now I only really play it against other disgusting money decks and people who need their egos deflated.) Honorable mention goes to Gisela as well, for being a nigh unstoppable Iona + Insurrection haymaker engine during my mono colored deckbuilding phase.
BPauper Glissa EDHG
WMaw of the Obzedat PDHB
The first few times you kill a table with your wheeling and dealing it's still kinda fun. But it loses its fun fast.
Though there ARE fun decklists possible with Nekusar - I've worked on a Zombie tribal list myself - but those already had Thraximundar as a "tribal" legend as it was.
Chandra, Torch of Defiance - Oops! All Chandras.
Prime Speaker Zegana - Draw for Power.
Pir & Toothy - Counterpalooza.
Arcades, the Strategist - Another Brick in the Wall.
Zacama, Primal Calamity - Calamity of Double Mana.
Edgar Markov - Vampires Don't Die.
Child of Alara - Dreamcrusher.
I'd love to see someone run Nekusar zombie tribal. As is, I just keep seeing the same linear Nekusar lists you mention. They're incredibly boring to play against, and I would think they'd be equally tedious to play.
UR Melek, Izzet ParagonUR, B Shirei, Shizo's CaretakerB, R Jaya Ballard, Task MageR,RW Tajic, Blade of the LegionRW, UB Lazav, Dimir MastermindUB, UB Circu, Dimir LobotomistUB, RWU Zedruu the GreatheartedRWU, GUBThe MimeoplasmGUB, UGExperiment Kraj UG, WDarien, King of KjeldorW, BMarrow-GnawerB, WBGKarador, Ghost ChieftainWBG, UTeferi, Temporal ArchmageU, GWUDerevi, Empyrial TacticianGWU, RDaretti, Scrap SavantR, UTalrand, Sky SummonerU, GEzuri, Renegade LeaderG, WUBRGReaper KingWUBRG, RGXenagos, God of RevelsRG, CKozilek, Butcher of TruthC, WUBRGGeneral TazriWUBRG, GTitania, Protector of ArgothG
Nekusar is by far not a strong commander, there are plenty stronger then him, but like Kaalia its a boring deck that you can't afford to ignore.
u/Anon_Amarth - Fun as a zero sum game: If my opponent is having none of it, then by extension I must be having all of it.
Current Top Control Decklist
Cockatrice: Spage
Man I despise Nekusar, most boring general I have ever see. Just wheel after wheel, puzzle box there, I get kicked for playing Ruination followed up by a Roiling Terrain for lethal on the same turn seeing as how they were mostly nonbasic and mine were not. Hopefully other generals I come across are not one trick ponies like Nekusar.
- Gentlemen_Minotaur
Nekusaar isn't a complete blow out. Its player in my meta usually speeds the game up and has lost as much as he's won with it. Hasn't become that big of a pain in the neck yet.
Executive Infiltrator of [House Dimir].
My Trade Thread
Current EDH Decks
Braids
Wrexial
Bruna
Marath
Vorel
Tariel WIP
This sounds absolutely fun for azami!