Last year on May 13, I started recording the basic information about each multiplayer EDH game I played at my LGS of choice, Active Imagination. I wrote down which deck I was playing, which opposing commanders I faced, and who won. Over this one-year period, I played 145 games and won 41 of them, for an overall win percentage of 28.28.
Meta
There's considerable diversity at Active Imagination: of experience, of budget, of format philosophy, of skill, etc. Many players eschew mass land destruction, other forms of mana denial, and at least easy infinite combos. Others enjoy these elements. A few people hate sweepers like Planar Cleansing and/or counterspells, but most don't. Some players have borderline competitive decks. Every now and then somebody rolls in with a unaltered precon.
Win Percentages, My Decks
Godo won 6/15 (40%) Rubinia won 7/18 (38.89%) Dakkon won 4/11 (36.36%) Selenia won 6/21 (28.57%) Intet won 7/26 (26.92%) Oona won 6/24 (25%) Xira won 5/26 (19.23%) Saffi won 0/4 (0%)
Notes
The linked lists are approximate and changed at least to some extent over the course of the year. I'm amused that my monored deck ended up with the highest win percentage.
Opposing Commanders in Order of Appearances (wins/appearances)
I only recorded the opposing commander. I didn't keep track of specific builds, though it many cases it was one build piloted by a single player. In a few cases, such as one of the opposing Oona and the opposing Intet deck, it was my deck in another player's hands.
Win Percentages of Opposing Commanders with 9 or More Appearances
All the Riku appearances are one deck and player, built to ramp and then combo out with Reiterate and Turnabout/Rude Awakening, Nivix Guildmage and Turnabout/Rude Awakening, or some such. Another regular accounts for most or all of the Sedris and Jeleva appearances, and some of the Nekusar appearances. The Sedris deck doesn't combo but just plays an excellent value game and then crushes you with reanimated creatures. The Jeleva deck has a value and burn plan, even playing awful cards like Mindblaze, but it somehow manages to win a decent amount of the time anyway. I'm surprised the Derevi decks did so poorly. They were different builds and players, but mostly goodstuff. Most of the Progenitus appearances were an all-star legendary creature build, which has scary threats but relatively few ways to interact.
Going Forward
I'm switching over to a second set of eight decks. I plan to continue recording my games, adding more detail to my notes if possible.
All of the Derevi deck were at least relatively fair, not mana dorks and lockdown elements or anything like that. At least one of the pilots didn't seem to much care about winning. Derevi decks can additionally draw hate; I know I fear Derevi and target Derevi players. The one Derevi deck that won comboed out with Sage of Hours and Ezuri, Claw of Progress.
This is sweet. How much credit would you give to player skill over commander/deck power?
I would give it quite a bit. As I mentioned, the Jeleva, Nephalia's Scourge deck has a burn theme and played (maybe still plays) Mindblaze of all things. It's got a solid chassis of value cards too, and of course casts opposing cards with Jeleva, but I think the pilot's skill has much to do with that deck's success. The Riku of Two Reflections deck combines player skill with deck power and a solid commander. The same player managed to win with my Oona deck the one time he borrowed it.
I think its interesting that both sharuum and tasigur have such low winrate. Seeing as they are in powerful colors and are themselves powerful commanders.
Also the low winrate on Animar is very surprising to me as i've yet to see a fair animar deck that doesn't go infinite very early.
How much would you say hating out certain decks based on their commander impacts your games?
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EDH decks:
RWUNarset, jeskai burn RUB Marchesa the black rose R Daretti, reanimator goodstuff BU Vela, ninja assasin UG Ezuri, woodland critters.
I think its interesting that both sharuum and tasigur have such low winrate. Seeing as they are in powerful colors and are themselves powerful commanders.
Also the low winrate on Animar is very surprising to me as i've yet to see a fair animar deck that doesn't go infinite very early.
The sample size is small. Additionally, the main (probably only, not sure) Sharuum the Hegemon deck I faced is a value list. It doesn't combo from what I've seen. While some of the Animar, Soul of Elements decks indeed went infinite with stuff like Ancestral Statue or Cloudstone Curio, none was anything like a tuned competitive list (and infinitely huge Animar alone doesn't necessarily win the game). The Tasigur, the Golden Fang list I played against had infinite-mana combos and an artifact theme that included Time Sieve.
How much would you say hating out certain decks based on their commander impacts your games?
It matters, but we all know that that Riku of Two Reflections deck combos out if we don't stop it and we still fail to do that most of the time. I try to hate on Riku as much as possible, as do most other experienced players at Active Imagination, but in that case the deck's power and resiliency combined with the pilot's skill means it still wins more often than not.
Last year on May 13, I started recording the basic information about each multiplayer EDH game I played at my LGS of choice, Active Imagination. I wrote down which deck I was playing, which opposing commanders I faced, and who won. Over this one-year period, I played 145 games and won 41 of them, for an overall win percentage of 28.28.
Meta
There's considerable diversity at Active Imagination: of experience, of budget, of format philosophy, of skill, etc. Many players eschew mass land destruction, other forms of mana denial, and at least easy infinite combos. Others enjoy these elements. A few people hate sweepers like Planar Cleansing and/or counterspells, but most don't. Some players have borderline competitive decks. Every now and then somebody rolls in with a unaltered precon.
Win Percentages, My Decks
Rubinia won 7/18 (38.89%)
Dakkon won 4/11 (36.36%)
Selenia won 6/21 (28.57%)
Intet won 7/26 (26.92%)
Oona won 6/24 (25%)
Xira won 5/26 (19.23%)
Saffi won 0/4 (0%)
Notes
The linked lists are approximate and changed at least to some extent over the course of the year. I'm amused that my monored deck ended up with the highest win percentage.
Opposing Commanders in Order of Appearances (wins/appearances)
Derevi, Empyrial Tactician 1/15
Selenia, Dark Angel 2/15
Sedris, the Traitor King 6/14
Animar, Soul of Elements 3/13
Gisela, Blade of Goldnight 2/13
Nekusar, the Mind Razer 3/13
Progenitus 1/12 (appeared twice in one game)
Karador, Ghost Chieftain 1/10
Heliod, God of the Sun 4/9
Jeleva, Nephalia's Scourge 4/9
Jenara, Asura of War 2/9
Omnath, Locus of Rage 2/9
Ezuri, Renegade Leader 2/8
Zedruu the Greathearted 1/8
Gerrard Capashen 2/7
Sharuum the Hegemon 1/7
Kruphix, God of Horizons 4/6
Tasigur, the Golden Fang 0/6
Azami, Lady of Scrolls 2/5
Brago, King Eternal 1/5
Child of Alara 0/5
Feldon the Third Path 1/5
Narset, Enlightened Master 2/5
Prossh, Skyraider of Kher 3/5
Reaper King 0/5
Sidisi, Undead Vizier 1/5
Sliver Overlord 1/5
Alesha, Who Smiles at Death 3/4
Ghoulcaller Gisa 1/4
Krenko, Mob Boss 1/4
Kaalia of the Vast 0/4
Marath, Will of the Wild 1/4
Meren of Clan Nel Toth 1/4
Aurelia, the Warleader 0/3
Barrin, Master Wizard 0/3
Kytheon, Hero of Akros 1/3
Jhoira of the Ghitu 0/3
Karona, False God 1/3
Kozilek, Butcher of Truth 1/3
Mikaeus, the Lunarch 0/3
Omnath, Locus of Mana 1/3
Oona, Queen of the Fae 1/3
Scion of the Ur-Dragon 2/3
Surrak Dragonclaw 0/3
Tariel, Reckoner of Souls 1/3
Teneb, the Harvester 0/3
Vish Kal, Blood Arbiter 1/3
Ayli, Eternal Pilgrim 0/2
Captain Sisay 1/2
Edric, Spymaster of Trest 0/2
Endrek Sahr, Master Breeder 0/2
Garza Zol, Plague Queen 1/2
Ghave, Guru of Spores 0/2
Karlov of the Ghost Council 0/2
Mayael the Anima 1/2
Melek, Izzet Paragon 1/2
Mishra, Artificer Prodigy 2/2
Momir Vig, Simic Visionary 1/2
Phenax, God of Deception 1/2
Sen Triplets 0/2
Shauku, Endbringer 0/2
Sidisi, Brood Tyrant 0/2
Tajic, Blade of the Legion 1/2
Talrand, Sky Summoner 1/2
Teferi, Temporal Archmage 1/2
The Mimeoplasm 0/2
Trostani, Selesnya's Voice 2/2
Zurgo Helmsmasher 0/2
Brimaz, King of Oreskos 0/1
Brion Stoutarm 0/1
Cromat 1/1
Daxos of Meletis 1/1
Doran, the Siege Tower 0/1
Dragonlord Atarka 0/1
Elesh Norn, Grand Cenobite 0/1
Emmara Tandris 0/1
Ezuri, Claw of Progress 0/1
Freyalise, Llanowar's Fury 0/1
Geist of Saint Traft 0/1
Glissa, the Traitor 0/1
Horde of Notions 1/1
Intet, the Dreamer 0/1
Jace, Vryn's Prodigy 0/1
Jor Kadeen, the Prevailer 0/1
Kothophed, Soul Hoarder 0/1
Kresh the Bloodbraided 0/1
Krond the Dawn-Clad 0/1
Lavinia of the Tenth 0/1
Liliana, Heretical Healer 0/1
Maelstrom Wanderer 0/1
Marchesa. the Black Rose 0/1
Mizzix of the Izmagnus 1/1
Orim, Samite Healer 0/1
Prime Speaker Zegana 0/1
Rith, the Awakener 1/1
Roon of the Hidden Realm 1/1
Sek'Kuar, Deathkeeper 0/1
Seshiro the Anointed 0/1
Skithiryx, the Blight Dragon 0/1
Teferi, Mage of Zhalfir 0/1
Ulamog, the Ceaseless Hunger 0/1
Vhati il-Dal 1/1
Wort, the Raidmother 0/1
Yasova Dragonclaw 1/1
Zur the Enchanter 0/1
Notes
I only recorded the opposing commander. I didn't keep track of specific builds, though it many cases it was one build piloted by a single player. In a few cases, such as one of the opposing Oona and the opposing Intet deck, it was my deck in another player's hands.
Win Percentages of Opposing Commanders with 9 or More Appearances
Heliod, God of the Sun 4/9 (44.4%)
Jeleva, Nephalia's Scourge 4/9 (44.4%)
Sedris, the Traitor King 6/14 (42.9%)
Animar, Soul of Elements 3/13 (23.1%)
Nekusar, the Mind Razer 3/13 (23.1%)
Jenara, Asura of War 2/9 (22.2%)
Omnath, Locus of Rage 2/9 (22.2%)
Gisela, Blade of Goldnight 2/13 (15.4%)
Selenia, Dark Angel 2/15 (13.3%)
Karador, Ghost Chieftain 1/10 (10%)
Progenitus 1/12 (8.33%)
Derevi, Empyrial Tactician 1/15 (6.67%)
Analysis
All the Riku appearances are one deck and player, built to ramp and then combo out with Reiterate and Turnabout/Rude Awakening, Nivix Guildmage and Turnabout/Rude Awakening, or some such. Another regular accounts for most or all of the Sedris and Jeleva appearances, and some of the Nekusar appearances. The Sedris deck doesn't combo but just plays an excellent value game and then crushes you with reanimated creatures. The Jeleva deck has a value and burn plan, even playing awful cards like Mindblaze, but it somehow manages to win a decent amount of the time anyway. I'm surprised the Derevi decks did so poorly. They were different builds and players, but mostly goodstuff. Most of the Progenitus appearances were an all-star legendary creature build, which has scary threats but relatively few ways to interact.
Going Forward
I'm switching over to a second set of eight decks. I plan to continue recording my games, adding more detail to my notes if possible.
I'm also surprised how poorly Derevi, Empyrial Tactician did despite how often it saw play.
Trap your friends in an endless game with this 23-card combo!
All of the Derevi deck were at least relatively fair, not mana dorks and lockdown elements or anything like that. At least one of the pilots didn't seem to much care about winning. Derevi decks can additionally draw hate; I know I fear Derevi and target Derevi players. The one Derevi deck that won comboed out with Sage of Hours and Ezuri, Claw of Progress.
I would give it quite a bit. As I mentioned, the Jeleva, Nephalia's Scourge deck has a burn theme and played (maybe still plays) Mindblaze of all things. It's got a solid chassis of value cards too, and of course casts opposing cards with Jeleva, but I think the pilot's skill has much to do with that deck's success. The Riku of Two Reflections deck combines player skill with deck power and a solid commander. The same player managed to win with my Oona deck the one time he borrowed it.
I think its interesting that both sharuum and tasigur have such low winrate. Seeing as they are in powerful colors and are themselves powerful commanders.
Also the low winrate on Animar is very surprising to me as i've yet to see a fair animar deck that doesn't go infinite very early.
How much would you say hating out certain decks based on their commander impacts your games?
RWU Narset, jeskai burn
RUB Marchesa the black rose
R Daretti, reanimator goodstuff
BU Vela, ninja assasin
UG Ezuri, woodland critters.
The sample size is small. Additionally, the main (probably only, not sure) Sharuum the Hegemon deck I faced is a value list. It doesn't combo from what I've seen. While some of the Animar, Soul of Elements decks indeed went infinite with stuff like Ancestral Statue or Cloudstone Curio, none was anything like a tuned competitive list (and infinitely huge Animar alone doesn't necessarily win the game). The Tasigur, the Golden Fang list I played against had infinite-mana combos and an artifact theme that included Time Sieve.
It matters, but we all know that that Riku of Two Reflections deck combos out if we don't stop it and we still fail to do that most of the time. I try to hate on Riku as much as possible, as do most other experienced players at Active Imagination, but in that case the deck's power and resiliency combined with the pilot's skill means it still wins more often than not.