I feel like I'm in an odd space for a Commander player. I am by no means a novice, I've been playing by years and I'm an ultra Magic fan, I play with expensive cards and love the commander format. At the same time, I certainly am not a competitive player. I don't like playing Commander games that last only 4 or 5 turns, I don't like a bunch of tutors in a singleton format and I don't like playing with infinite combos. I'm trying to get a better understand of describing my playstyle and power level when introducing myself to players and tables. I find sometimes I'm pubstomping or getting dominated by cEDH decks.
These are my two favorite decks to play (and they are probably my best ones). How would you describe the power level for these decks (the more detail the better)?
4 Color Midrange Control - It has tons of board removal, but only 3 counterspells. So what happens is that against more casual decks, you'll normally do a lot better, as they tend to play permanents. However as you get more competitive, a lot of the more powerful spells are instants are sorceries, which you are weaker against. That's why you stomp some decks, but as you get closer to true competitive, you're less efficient.
It's got lots of nice cards, but it is relatively mana inefficient with the casting cost of the creatures especially. You only really have Vorinclex, Voice of Hunger and Mirari's Wake as a means to really get multiple threats onto the table.
Too be honest it looks like a reanimation shell, without the reanimation, so it's going to be slow to deploy your threats against more competitive decks on average.
So your ability to deploy threats is at a casual level, but your board control is competitive. I would say the deck is 75%.
If you're introducing yourself at a table, just say "I have a lot of removal, but I also play a fair deck". People hate removal, so can get salty if you target their stuff, so that's why you probably get backlash from casual players.
Yennett Deck - Is very similar to your other deck, but at least you have Yennett to cheat some of those threats into play.
This deck is "focused" or 75% for sure. So that's all you really need to tell the table.
...
My only suggestions are that 38 lands is quite a lot, so like a Brainstorm can go a long way with your fetch lands (5 in Atraxa), to help in flooded games. A small addition can go a long way.
Then also for Yennett Brainstorm and Scroll Rack can really help with both manipulating the top of your library for the "odds" and also helps with flooding a bit, although there is a lack of library shuffling, so you really want to get those fetchlands as you save your pennies.
My other suggestion is that if you want to be better against more competitive decks, then change some of the permanent removal for counterspells.
I think your decks are both a bit unfocused, which limits their overall power level. You also aren’t rocking a ton of “fast mana” which is generally what I look for to assess a baseline power level.
I like the saying "I play a fair deck". I think it's a good way to describe it. I definitely play powerful cards and a lot of interaction, but I'm not trying to combo out, I'm not doing the exact same thing ever game, I'm not trying to prevent you from casting spells. Is the term "fair deck" something people say often? What does that usually mean?
38 lands is a lot, but I really don't want to miss land drops because even though I have about 8 or 9 nonland mana sources, I have a pretty high curve in the Atraxa deck.
And yeah, I'm not playing fast mana, I think cards like Sol Ring and Mana Crypt are degenerate/broken (although I used to play them years ago).
I like the saying "I play a fair deck". I think it's a good way to describe it. I definitely play powerful cards and a lot of interaction, but I'm not trying to combo out, I'm not doing the exact same thing ever game, I'm not trying to prevent you from casting spells. Is the term "fair deck" something people say often? What does that usually mean?
38 lands is a lot, but I really don't want to miss land drops because even though I have about 8 or 9 nonland mana sources, I have a pretty high curve in the Atraxa deck.
And yeah, I'm not playing fast mana, I think cards like Sol Ring and Mana Crypt are degenerate/broken (although I used to play them years ago).
Maybe the better way of saying it, is that "I don't play anything degenerative".
I like the saying "I play a fair deck". I think it's a good way to describe it. I definitely play powerful cards and a lot of interaction, but I'm not trying to combo out, I'm not doing the exact same thing ever game, I'm not trying to prevent you from casting spells. Is the term "fair deck" something people say often? What does that usually mean?
I have the same problem from time to time. The way I put it when people ask is 'I game hard but fair'. It doesn't work all the time, I had someone complain my mono white Bruna deck was too staxy one time (it really isn't, they were complaining about Thalia, Heretic Cathar), but you can't please everyone.
Your decks seem fine for most circles to me - I assume what you're asking here is less about win rates and more about how acceptable your decks are to play? If that's the case I see no cause for complaint. Seems like you like a hard game but you play fair and don't like to wail on people. I can respect that. It's just a hard thing to communicate to people because there's a lot of people out there with preconceived ideas of what EDH 'is'.
These are my two favorite decks to play (and they are probably my best ones). How would you describe the power level for these decks (the more detail the better)?
4 Color Midrange Control
Yennett Deck
UBRKess, Dissident MageUBR - Controlling Dissidents
GRhonas the IndomitableG - Indomitable Four Drops
WUBOloro, Ageless AsceticWUB - Loot & Renanimate
It's got lots of nice cards, but it is relatively mana inefficient with the casting cost of the creatures especially. You only really have Vorinclex, Voice of Hunger and Mirari's Wake as a means to really get multiple threats onto the table.
Too be honest it looks like a reanimation shell, without the reanimation, so it's going to be slow to deploy your threats against more competitive decks on average.
So your ability to deploy threats is at a casual level, but your board control is competitive. I would say the deck is 75%.
If you're introducing yourself at a table, just say "I have a lot of removal, but I also play a fair deck". People hate removal, so can get salty if you target their stuff, so that's why you probably get backlash from casual players.
Yennett Deck - Is very similar to your other deck, but at least you have Yennett to cheat some of those threats into play.
This deck is "focused" or 75% for sure. So that's all you really need to tell the table.
...
My only suggestions are that 38 lands is quite a lot, so like a Brainstorm can go a long way with your fetch lands (5 in Atraxa), to help in flooded games. A small addition can go a long way.
Then also for Yennett Brainstorm and Scroll Rack can really help with both manipulating the top of your library for the "odds" and also helps with flooding a bit, although there is a lack of library shuffling, so you really want to get those fetchlands as you save your pennies.
My other suggestion is that if you want to be better against more competitive decks, then change some of the permanent removal for counterspells.
Niv-Mizzet Reborn
Feather, the Redeemed
Estrid, the Masked
Teshar
Tymna/Ravos
Najeela, Blade-Blossom
Firesong & Sunspeaker
Zur the Enchanter
Lazav, the Multifarious
Ishai+Reyhan
Click images for decks->
-Prime Speaker Vannifar
---------------------Will & Rowan Kenrith
RBGLiving EndRBG
EDH
UFblthpU
BRXantchaRB
BGVarolzGB
URWZedruuWRU
38 lands is a lot, but I really don't want to miss land drops because even though I have about 8 or 9 nonland mana sources, I have a pretty high curve in the Atraxa deck.
And yeah, I'm not playing fast mana, I think cards like Sol Ring and Mana Crypt are degenerate/broken (although I used to play them years ago).
UBRKess, Dissident MageUBR - Controlling Dissidents
GRhonas the IndomitableG - Indomitable Four Drops
WUBOloro, Ageless AsceticWUB - Loot & Renanimate
Niv-Mizzet Reborn
Feather, the Redeemed
Estrid, the Masked
Teshar
Tymna/Ravos
Najeela, Blade-Blossom
Firesong & Sunspeaker
Zur the Enchanter
Lazav, the Multifarious
Ishai+Reyhan
Click images for decks->
-Prime Speaker Vannifar
---------------------Will & Rowan Kenrith
I have the same problem from time to time. The way I put it when people ask is 'I game hard but fair'. It doesn't work all the time, I had someone complain my mono white Bruna deck was too staxy one time (it really isn't, they were complaining about Thalia, Heretic Cathar), but you can't please everyone.
Your decks seem fine for most circles to me - I assume what you're asking here is less about win rates and more about how acceptable your decks are to play? If that's the case I see no cause for complaint. Seems like you like a hard game but you play fair and don't like to wail on people. I can respect that. It's just a hard thing to communicate to people because there's a lot of people out there with preconceived ideas of what EDH 'is'.