I have heard the social contract spiel a million times, it has never worked [for me]. This game is too expensive for people to do different decks.
There that should be the reason you heard about the social contract a million times it works for people, its just unfortunate that it doesn't work for you.
Yes there is power creep in Magic and they push standard sets to sell packs, and yes they have commander in mind when designing cards (its their cash cow afterall) but besides the Commander product they do rarely if any design cards where the only application is commander. And like other people said you dont have to play them if you don't want if you wanna search for other synergies go ahead.
Just going to say: Zada dies to removal. One board wipe and a Zada deck is never recovering. It needs Gauntlet of Might to have a chance of winning multiplayer.
All that being said: budget Zada is fun to build and play. Even if it cannot best all three friends, it can at least knock one out early.
Did I see this card spoiled and immediately think Zada? Yes I did. Traditional red Aggro is so hard to run in commander due to the starting life difference and the multiplayer aspect that a single common card will not make a difference. Torbran, Thane of Red Fell is another card printed to try to make traditional red aggro work, and a non optimized Torban Brawl deck can go head to head with the Chulane precon.
Lastly, did we see Smothering Tithe? I’m not even going to link it; search it up if you missed it because it is the best white staple still in standard. Most believe it was printed to try to give white edh decks a chance.
Point being, there are a lot of decks out there. Many that are pet projects that will never be competitive, but it is nice once and a while to have a card printed that works with an otherwise hampered strategy. Fists of the flame didn’t make Zada competitive, the only red tutor that could get it is Gamble anyway; still leaving the chances of getting to it under 7%.
I have heard the social contract spiel a million times, it has never worked [for me]. This game is too expensive for people to do different decks.
There that should be the reason you heard about the social contract a million times it works for people, its just unfortunate that it doesn't work for you.
Yes there is power creep in Magic and they push standard sets to sell packs, and yes they have commander in mind when designing cards (its their cash cow afterall) but besides the Commander product they do rarely if any design cards where the only application is commander. And like other people said you dont have to play them if you don't want if you wanna search for other synergies go ahead.
I honestly believe it is mostly people just repeating it without having ever tried it or needing to try it, because that's what the edh rules emphasize. Every time I have tried it with different groups it doesn't work.
It works for me I have Decks in variing Powerlevels for my different Playgroups and I am not the only one in one of them who does that. The social contract actually also applies for our casual 60 Card decks as well.
Edit:
Granted this doesn't work as well with often changing playgroups or stuff like MTGO, due to different powerlevel interpretations.
If people are sick of reading about stuff just stop taking part. You have 100% control over what you read. Simic Ascendancy isn't going to get banned just because you didn't tell someone to shut up on the internet.
I honestly believe it is mostly people just repeating it without having ever tried it or needing to try it, because that's what the edh rules emphasize. Every time I have tried it with different groups it doesn't work.
Would you care to elaborate what do you mean by "it doesn't work"? Have you tried to identify why it doesn't work in your case? It clearly works for a lot of other people so there must be a reason why it does not in your case. Finding root cause is the first step in solving problems.
I honestly believe it is mostly people just repeating it without having ever tried it or needing to try it, because that's what the edh rules emphasize. Every time I have tried it with different groups it doesn't work.
Would you care to elaborate what do you mean by "it doesn't work"? Have you tried to identify why it doesn't work in your case? It clearly works for a lot of other people so there must be a reason why it does not in your case. Finding root cause is the first step in solving problems.
"You sound like you just don't want to lose"
"I can't spend money on cards right now"
"I only have the one deck"
"I want to win"
"I prefer games with stronger cards"
"Combo is just part of the game"
"You sound like you just don't want to lose"
"I can't spend money on cards right now"
"I only have the one deck"
These ones can be a good basis for a starting conversation - for the one who can't spend money on cards - perhaps a discussion with the group about budget - in order to keep the game on a more even level would help be more inclusive for that person. Likewise for the person who only has one deck. Having one deck doesn't need to be a barrier either - There's bound to be a middle ground each of you can reach with simple modifications to the deck.
"I want to win"
"I prefer games with stronger cards"
"Combo is just part of the game"
These ones aren't necessarily a failure - these people are discussing and making their own preferences clear. Some groups simply will run at a higher powerlevel because they want to.
"You sound like you just don't want to lose"
"I can't spend money on cards right now"
"I only have the one deck"
"I want to win"
"I prefer games with stronger cards"
"Combo is just part of the game"
So the vast majority wants high power and combo. If there were people who wanted to play at a lower power level, you would be able to cultivate that. If you have not been, that is unfortunate, but also a rarity. The alternative is a repressive ban list that does not allow people and the format to thrive. You have never been able to articulate an alternative past 'do what makes it better for me'.
On top of that you actively deny it works for other groups.
If people are sick of reading about stuff just stop taking part. You have 100% control over what you read. Simic Ascendancy isn't going to get banned just because you didn't tell someone to shut up on the internet.
Lol, if people don’t want to play low-powered then that’s their prerogatives, but what a bad excuse. You can’t afford $30 to buy a precon to play low-powered, because you spent thousands on cEDH...right...
Yes actually, people don't want to spend money on weak cards. That's a thing. Why would you believe this isn't a thing?
you said the game is too expensive to have multiple decks. I can sympathise with the college student who bought one precon and that’s it, but if someone has a cEDH deck and “can’t afford” a low-powered one, then it’s pretty obvious that they COULD afford it, they just don’t want to. Don’t pretend like cost is the central reason when it obviously isn’t.
If the price of a deck is the X-Axis, how tuned it actually would be is the Y-Axis. Even amongst the precons, they are tuned to varying degrees despite being priced around the same.
You’d have to be pretty oblivious to think there isn’t a correlation between cost and power. Sure, it’s not always 100% consistent - sol ring is fairly cheap, guru lands are expensive - but you can’t make a top-tier cEDH deck for cheap, and if you want a decent low-power deck you can do it for less than a precon easy - just look at commanders quarters or something.
"You sound like you just don't want to lose"
"I want to win"
Well obviously people play this game to win and not to lose... But do they want to win when playing against decks of considerably lower power? If yes then I would stop playing EDH with them immediately as this is not a healthy attitude. Otherwise you need the reasons why they cannot build decks on the same power level as you.
"I can't spend money on cards right now"
"I only have the one deck"
This seems to contradict what you said about high power level of deck in your playgroup. As DirkGently said - it's hard to imagine someone with a high power deck but without any collection of cards to power it down or not enough funds to buy low power cards. And even then you can borrow them a deck. Proxying cards is also an option (although proxying cards to power down a deck would be something new to me).
That's perfectly fine. Suggest assembling different power level pods. Alternate between playing cEDH and casual decks. Maybe they will be interested in using their Mana Crypts and Ancient Tombs to channel some more less obvious stuff and not always flash in hulk first turn.
Also perfectly fine. But what kind of combo? Flashing in Hulk is a combo. Assembling all Stations is also a combo. Power levels of those are wildly different. Inquire why do they need to play the strongest combo.
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There that should be the reason you heard about the social contract a million times it works for people, its just unfortunate that it doesn't work for you.
Yes there is power creep in Magic and they push standard sets to sell packs, and yes they have commander in mind when designing cards (its their cash cow afterall) but besides the Commander product they do rarely if any design cards where the only application is commander. And like other people said you dont have to play them if you don't want if you wanna search for other synergies go ahead.
All that being said: budget Zada is fun to build and play. Even if it cannot best all three friends, it can at least knock one out early.
Did I see this card spoiled and immediately think Zada? Yes I did. Traditional red Aggro is so hard to run in commander due to the starting life difference and the multiplayer aspect that a single common card will not make a difference. Torbran, Thane of Red Fell is another card printed to try to make traditional red aggro work, and a non optimized Torban Brawl deck can go head to head with the Chulane precon.
Lastly, did we see Smothering Tithe? I’m not even going to link it; search it up if you missed it because it is the best white staple still in standard. Most believe it was printed to try to give white edh decks a chance.
Point being, there are a lot of decks out there. Many that are pet projects that will never be competitive, but it is nice once and a while to have a card printed that works with an otherwise hampered strategy. Fists of the flame didn’t make Zada competitive, the only red tutor that could get it is Gamble anyway; still leaving the chances of getting to it under 7%.
I honestly believe it is mostly people just repeating it without having ever tried it or needing to try it, because that's what the edh rules emphasize. Every time I have tried it with different groups it doesn't work.
Edit:
Granted this doesn't work as well with often changing playgroups or stuff like MTGO, due to different powerlevel interpretations.
"You sound like you just don't want to lose"
"I can't spend money on cards right now"
"I only have the one deck"
"I want to win"
"I prefer games with stronger cards"
"Combo is just part of the game"
and so on
These ones can be a good basis for a starting conversation - for the one who can't spend money on cards - perhaps a discussion with the group about budget - in order to keep the game on a more even level would help be more inclusive for that person. Likewise for the person who only has one deck. Having one deck doesn't need to be a barrier either - There's bound to be a middle ground each of you can reach with simple modifications to the deck.
These ones aren't necessarily a failure - these people are discussing and making their own preferences clear. Some groups simply will run at a higher powerlevel because they want to.
Retired EDH - Tibor and Lumia | [PR]Nemata |Ramirez dePietro | [C]Edric | Riku | Jenara | Lazav | Heliod | Daxos | Roon | Kozilek
On top of that you actively deny it works for other groups.
EDH Primers
Phelddagrif - Zirilan
EDH
Thrasios+Bruse - Pang - Sasaya - Wydwen - Feather - Rona - Toshiro - Sylvia+Khorvath - Geth - QMarchesa - Firesong - Athreos - Arixmethes - Isperia - Etali - Silas+Sidar - Saskia - Virtus+Gorm - Kynaios - Naban - Aryel - Mizzix - Kazuul - Tymna+Kraum - Sidar+Tymna - Ayli - Gwendlyn - Phelddagrif 4 - Liliana - Kaervek - Phelddagrif 3 - Mairsil - Scarab - Child - Phenax - Shirei - Thada - Depala - Circu - Kytheon - GrenzoHR - Phelddagrif - Reyhan+Kraum - Toshiro - Varolz - Nin - Ojutai - Tasigur - Zedruu - Uril - Edric - Wort - Zurgo - Nahiri - Grenzo - Kozilek - Yisan - Ink-Treader - Yisan - Brago - Sidisi - Toshiro - Alexi - Sygg - Brimaz - Sek'Kuar - Marchesa - Vish Kal - Iroas - Phelddagrif - Ephara - Derevi - Glissa - Wanderer - Saffi - Melek - Xiahou Dun - Lazav - Lin Sivvi - Zirilan - Glissa
PDH - Drake - Graverobber - Izzet GM - Tallowisp - Symbiote Brawl - Feather - Ugin - Jace - Scarab - Angrath - Vraska - Kumena Oathbreaker - Wrenn&6
Well obviously people play this game to win and not to lose... But do they want to win when playing against decks of considerably lower power? If yes then I would stop playing EDH with them immediately as this is not a healthy attitude. Otherwise you need the reasons why they cannot build decks on the same power level as you.
This seems to contradict what you said about high power level of deck in your playgroup. As DirkGently said - it's hard to imagine someone with a high power deck but without any collection of cards to power it down or not enough funds to buy low power cards. And even then you can borrow them a deck. Proxying cards is also an option (although proxying cards to power down a deck would be something new to me).
That's perfectly fine. Suggest assembling different power level pods. Alternate between playing cEDH and casual decks. Maybe they will be interested in using their Mana Crypts and Ancient Tombs to channel some more less obvious stuff and not always flash in hulk first turn.
Also perfectly fine. But what kind of combo? Flashing in Hulk is a combo. Assembling all Stations is also a combo. Power levels of those are wildly different. Inquire why do they need to play the strongest combo.