I'm not seeing a problem here. As long as the deck has a good mana base and card flow such that it can make relevant plays, being weak is perfectly acceptable, often preferable, in my opinion. The spectrum of "strength" is extremely wide, relative, and involves many factors. Not being restricted to cutthroat levels of efficiency and power options a pod's options up to way more cards and interactions than it would otherwise. And as long as the table is relatively balanced and people are enjoying themselves, why should it matter the power level of an individual deck?
I'm not seeing a problem here. As long as the deck has a good mana base and card flow such that it can make relevant plays, being weak is perfectly acceptable, often preferable, in my opinion. The spectrum of "strength" is extremely wide, relative, and involves many factors. Not being restricted to cutthroat levels of efficiency and power options a pod's options up to way more cards and interactions than it would otherwise. And as long as the table is relatively balanced and people are enjoying themselves, why should it matter the power level of an individual deck?
And yet Carthage does have a valid point to a degree. I had two very creative decks, one based on Frank Herbert's Dune, one a gorgon mafia deck. Very, very oozy with creativity and flavor. Too much it seems for my group's fascination with voltron/combo decks and were just not strong enough for my meta. So I did what every reasonable player would...kept the friends and ditched the decks. Now I play decks with more good stuff and a higher overall power level, but we all have a lot of fun this way and they really seem to enjoy the decks I put together. Still, tolerance for creativity is very meta-sensitive.
And yet Carthage does have a valid point to a degree. I had two very creative decks, one based on Frank Herbert's Dune, one a gorgon mafia deck. Very, very oozy with creativity and flavor. Too much it seems for my group's fascination with voltron/combo decks and were just not strong enough for my meta. So I did what every reasonable player would...kept the friends and ditched the decks. Now I play decks with more good stuff and a higher overall power level, but we all have a lot of fun this way and they really seem to enjoy the decks I put together. Still, tolerance for creativity is very meta-sensitive.
I'm not saying he's wrong, just that that's not the only metric worth considering when building decks. Having a weaker deck in one's collection is a good thing IMO.
I think there's also a difference between being having a low power level and being unable to reliably do what a deck is intended to do and the latter is really all I care about, though it will affect the power of a deck since it implies decent card flow and base regardless of whatever the business spells are.
Mechanics first, then flavor/art. And then it needs to fit a slot I have not completely hammered in stone or be a good replacement for a commander I have.
For example, Tishana, Voice of Thunder is replacing Prime Speaker Zegana at the helm of the deck... but regardless of general, my UG will always be my 'spam creatures to spam more creatures' deck unless something really cool comes along for UG and I find another UGx deck working less greatly and want to change that.
That's the way it usually goes. Great potential commander -> theme/idea I want to work in somewhere -> start looking at what my current deck is in that color combo, and whether or not that theme could go elsewhere.
I rather enjoy the ever-continuing search for the 'perfect for me' 32 decks. Good half of my decks are at a point where something rather awesome and different needs to come along for me to change them heh.
Private Mod Note
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Rollback Post to RevisionRollBack
X Hope of Ghirapur Swordpile W Ghosty Blinky Anafenza U Nezahal- Big, Blue and HERE! B Gonti Can Afford It R Etali, Primal 'Whatjusthappened?' G Polukranos Wants More Mana WU The Exalted Vizier Temmet WB Home, Athreos WR Basandra, Recursive Aggression WG Karametra, Momma of Lands UB Wrexial Eats Your Brains UR Arjun, the Mad Flame UG The Fable of Prime Speaker BR Hellbent, Malfegor Style BG Jarad, Death is Served RG Running Thromok WUB Varina and ALL the Zombies WUBYennett, the Odd Pain-Train WUR Zedruu the Furyhearted WUG Arcades' Strategy, Shmategy, Sausage and Spam WBR A Case of Mathas' Persistent F*ckery WBRLicia's League of Legendary Lifegain Layabouts WBG The Karador Advantage PackageWRG Gahiji Rattlesnake Collection UBR Jeleva... does... things UBG Damia's Just Deserts URG Yasova's Has More Power Than Sense BRG Wasitora, Bad Kitty WUBRBreya, Eggs, Breya'd Eggs WUBG Tymna and Kydele, Extended Borrowing WURG Kynaios and Tiro, Landfall Impersonations WBRG Saskia Pet Card EnchantressUBRG Yidris of the Chi-Ting Corporation WUBRG Tazri's Amazing Allies
Older Magic as a Board Game: Panglacial Wurm , Mill
I think there's also a difference between being having a low power level and being unable to reliably do what a deck is intended to do and the latter is really all I care about, though it will affect the power of a deck since it implies decent card flow and base regardless of whatever the business spells are.
Older Magic as a Board Game: Panglacial Wurm , Mill
For example, Tishana, Voice of Thunder is replacing Prime Speaker Zegana at the helm of the deck... but regardless of general, my UG will always be my 'spam creatures to spam more creatures' deck unless something really cool comes along for UG and I find another UGx deck working less greatly and want to change that.
That's the way it usually goes. Great potential commander -> theme/idea I want to work in somewhere -> start looking at what my current deck is in that color combo, and whether or not that theme could go elsewhere.
I rather enjoy the ever-continuing search for the 'perfect for me' 32 decks. Good half of my decks are at a point where something rather awesome and different needs to come along for me to change them heh.
Zurgo helmsmasher is my guy.