I believe he meant that LD after cheating a huge fat demon into play is what most kaalia decks do, and that it's boring.
Easy fix is to, idk, kill kaalia. Or do something just as broken, if not more so. They're not gonna blow up lands if they don't have some semblance of a board, and they're not going to blow up lands if you put down something broken that is hard to deal with.
ONTOPIC: I get annoyed when someone complains about everyone hating on them then the next game/day telling everyone to go nuts and knock me out early for having a turn 1 birds of paradise while they sit at the other end of the table setting up ftw while being completely ignored by everyone besides me
I got whined at for killing someone who had an open board because they "weren't the most threatening person at the table". Ticked me off because nobody was a real threat at the time, but up until then I'd been used to killing off people if the opportunity arose. This was even online where it takes all of a minute to find another game to join :/
Also, as for LD whining, I really really do not like mass land destruction (Despite managing to win a game a few days ago after an opponent cast mass LD). It just really makes the game completely unfun. I don't mind (mass) LD with a catch like, say Ruination or Dwarven Blastminer. For competitive stuff? LD, counter, etc until your heart is content.
I'm only annoyed by mass LD when there is no win-con on the board so everyone just rebuilds very slowly.
Which is usually the case. The Kaalia player thinks they are so smart, drop a fatty into play, get ready to blow up the lands, Kaalia and the demon get killed / removed and then the game stalls. I have seen this like 10x already.
Normally mass LD falls apart and leaves a bad board state and everyone unhappy. When it works it normally leaves a person in a place where they have the win easily, again a place that is going to lead to a scoop anyway. Its just a boring tactic.
Easy fix is to, idk, kill kaalia. Or do something just as broken, if not more so. They're not gonna blow up lands if they don't have some semblance of a board, and they're not going to blow up lands if you put down something broken that is hard to deal with.
Bolded for emphasis. Best way to deal with powerful strategies is to go over the top and play broken ones. Of course, YMMV. Still, good advice nonetheless.
The only thing that annoys me is being targeted for no good reason when someone else just dropped a Necro on turn 3, i.e. poor threat assessment. Oh, and incredibly slow play is obnoxious too. It's not rocket surgery.
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We, who do not deny the animal of our nature
We, who yearn to preserve our liberation
We, who face darkness in our hearts with a solemn fire
We, who aspire to the truth and pursue it's strength
Either give into their complaints and attempt to find a deck that can make you and them happy or ignore them and keep playing the deck you want. Adding complaining to complaining doesn't accomplish anything unless your goal is to make everyone miserable.
I think the OP has half a point, but failed to make the other half due to a few missing, though vital qualifications to his post.
Having infinite combos in your deck does not automatically make it a competitive deck. You can have Mikaeus and Triskelion in your Karador deck and choose to use it as a slightly worse Mephidross Vampire and Triskellion combo.
The problem with the OP's description of his play style is this. He says he will play on a "fair" level as long as others are playing on a fair level. I support this mindset as I don't feel there is no reason to infinite combo someone unless they try to do it first, or have proven that they always try to do so. Even in that case I would suggest killing that play with the combo and then continuing the game at the "fair" level. The vague nature of the statement ("I will play fair as long as others do") comes in those situations where there OP either interprets something fair to be unfair, or is about to lose the fair way. If he is always using an infinite combo when on the verge of losing the "fair" way, then his opponents are probably justified in their distaste of his deck. Similarly, if he determines "Genesis Wave for 15" on turn 14 due to a few mana accelerators as unfair and pull the trigger on an infinite combo, then I think his whole argument has fallen apart and he is, in fact, the one QQing about his opponents objection to his lack of understanding of the group's consensus understanding format.
Oh, no, someone tries to win with synergies. What a cheater.
Who said anything about cheating? Do you play Kaalia? Because this is starting to sound like when I argue with my nephew and he just makes up new words to put in my mouth that are easier to argue against.
Also: This move won't win you a game if you're not playing against donkeys.
Never said it always does, it just puts the game in a place where myself, and typically others, do not want to be, and rather just start a new game. I laid out both examples in the very paragraph that you only half quoted. Its pretty similar to Karn ultimate. We had someone at the table swear they wouldn't over and over, and then they did, and we just started a new game.
If you don't want the game to stall, just don't kill Kaalia. It will come to an end very quickly. But you will kill her, because you don't want to lose. You want to win. You accept the risk of the game being stalled because you think that killing Kaalia could win you the game. Guess what! That's exactly the reason why the Kaalia player tries to blow up all the lands. Players usually want to win the game - if that's not the case, the respective game is redundant.
I kill her to prove a point, that its not only a lame strategy, but its boring to everyone else, which is why after I scoop, normally everyone else does and gets ready for a new game. I hope through repetition to teach people corrective behavior. I seen it on a show once, hopefully it works eventually.
No one said ban. I played Kaalia for a while, just without LD. I don't think Kaalia or LD should be banned. I just don't enjoy playing against it, and as a human with free will, will often scoop to either get the game over with quicker, or to encourage everyone else to do the same and start a new game, hopefully at that point expressing to the LD player that what they are doing is "bad, very bad." but without smacking them on the nose with a newspaper.
No one said ban. I played Kaalia for a while, just without LD. I don't think Kaalia or LD should be banned. I just don't enjoy playing against it, and as a human with free will, will often scoop to either get the game over with quicker, or to encourage everyone else to do the same and start a new game, hopefully at that point expressing to the LD player that what they are doing is "bad, very bad." but without smacking them on the nose with a newspaper.
What exactly do you mean by "smacking them on the nose with a newspaper"? Because IMO quitting because you're butthurt your lands got destroyed is just that: you're refusing the player the satisfaction of playing through the game and possibly winning because of his strategy, just because you find it boring.
I can't believe people keep complaining about mass LD. Armageddon is nothing when you have a child of alara player recurring jolkulhaups multiple times a game. Talk about being annoyed that your lands are gone. Jeez people find something better to complain about. Having the entire bored wiped 3 times a game is just that. When that becomes a common place then I will give all these Mass LD complaints a thought.
To get that clear: I think it's ok to scoop when the Kaalia player resolves his mass ld without getting Kaalia shot. He will most likely win anyway. It always depends on how you're scooping. If you just say "Ok, you won. Next game." without any sign of aggression or any other offensive behavior, it's fine. However, what Zer0faults writes rather reminds me of Francis, the tableflipper.
(Not to be taken serious, Zer0faults most likely is not that crazy.)
I actually find when I play nice, calm, and smug... other people flip tables.
To get that clear: I think it's ok to scoop when the Kaalia player resolves his mass ld without getting Kaalia shot. He will most likely win anyway. It always depends on how you're scooping. If you just say "Ok, you won. Next game." without any sign of aggression or any other offensive behavior, it's fine. However, what Zer0faults writes rather reminds me of Francis, the tableflipper.
(Not to be taken serious, Zer0faults most likely is not that crazy.)
Man, all these people complaining about casual players makes me thankful for my nice, casual playgroup lol. It really isn't that hard for us: if you make a deck and people don't have fun playing against it/ you don't have fun playing it, modify it or scrap it. Then again, we all play to have fun, not to win.
Nothing about EDH is worth stressing over. It's just a game... a game which doesn't mean anything.
If someone plays a card that spoils my fun, I take solace in the knowledge that retribution will be swift and cruel in the next game. Politics > whining
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EDH Azami (video)
:symw::symb::symg: Teneb (video) Drana (video) (retired)
:symw::symr: Brion (video)
:symb::symr: Wort (video) Arcum (video) (retired)
:symr::symg: Stonebrow (video) BShirei (video) WURasputin (video) (retired) RUrabrask (video) WURZedruu (video) (retired) WIsamaru UBGrimgrin UMistform Ultimus (video) UBRGwendlyn (video) URGAnimar (video) RGThromok WBSelenia Standard WUGeist of Saint Traft standard EDH (video) (retired) WUB Battle of Wits!
What exactly do you mean by "smacking them on the nose with a newspaper"? Because IMO quitting because you're butthurt your lands got destroyed is just that: you're refusing the player the satisfaction of playing through the game and possibly winning because of his strategy, just because you find it boring.
If all you care about is the win, you shouldn't care if you won through combat or by the opponent scooping. If you do care how you win, then you've established that winning isn't the only aspect of playing a game, and we can have a conversation.
No I don't flip tables, I scoop and others sometimes do as well. The Kaalia player can take that as a sign of winning, which they did technically. Scooping is forfeiting. However I think they realize why the table scooped and they usually change decks. At least in my playgroup that is.
I play Magic to have fun. I don't think mass LD is fun, especially when its not going to win on that turn. As such, as someone who is attempting to have fun, I rather scoop and speed up the game by having one less player, or inspire others to do the same and have the game end that way. Either way I only get to play Magic one day a week and the 5 hours are hours I rather not spend staring at my hand in boredom.
As for right or wrong, we are all expressing opinions and personal feelings on a tactic and how enjoyable it is. If your enjoyment is to play by yourself while everyone else just stares at their hands, that cool, but it doesn't mean I have to enjoy it, or sit through it. Its similar to a Lattice Forge Disk lock. Do all of you guys really sit there and wait for the 1/1 Myr they have out to kill everyone, or do you scoop to get to another game?
A healthy EDH meta is one that has both casual and competitive playgroups and allows players to pick which of them to participate in on any given game. This is what I have around my area and it works quite well.
Although EDH began as a casual format, I see no reason why it has to stay that way. Let it evolve based on the players' needs and wants. If you play your precon Commander deck and you want a low-intensity game with a lot of silly effects and no "serious" players, that should not interfere with my desire to have a high-level game with a bunch of ruthless combo-control decks. No one can say the format should be casual or competitive, and if they try to then they are wrong. EDH is both. Your playgroup is what happens to be one or the other.
Player dissatisfaction with EDH being too casual or too competitive usually stems from a meta that is predominantly one almost to the exclusion of the other. If somebody wants to play a causal game but most of the players at his or her LGS are competitive, then that player will feel left out. It inevitably happens, and it's unfortunate, but trying to regulate the format so it's forced to become one or the other is the absolute worst "solution" there is.
Speaking of which, players should also note that the official banlist is not their personal tool. If you don't like a certain card or strategy, don't whine about it every opportunity you get. Instead, sit down with your friends and form your own kitchen table banlist. Make it a rule that if a player wants to participate in your group's game, then he or she must abide by the banlist. This will be attractive to some and dissuasive to others, but at the end of the day you're playing a variant that you enjoy more. If somebody is playing a deck that nobody else in the playgroup likes, ban him or her from your group (or at least that deck).
If you are the minority voice in your meta, then this is harder. You should usually be able to find at least one or two other players that want the same thing out of a game as you do, so look for them and get some games going.
As far as events go, your LGS (or the TO) will set the guidelines. If you don't like them, don't play in the event. If you do play, then don't get angry when someone shows up with a deck that isn't of the same caliber as yours; organized EDH is like any other format - people build different styles and levels of deck. Nobody is forcing you to take part in the event; if you participate then you accept the possibility that someone will show up with a $3000 deck and crush you and someone else will have a $50 deck and be crushed by you.
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Epochalyptik from http://tappedout.net/ EDH isn't about what you play, it's about who you play with.
I feel if you overreact to someone being a troll give them a reason to continue doing it because they get off on irritating people . The best way to combat those types of people is to not give them the satisfaction of losing your cool and shuffle up for the next game or find a new group to play with.
Although EDH began as a casual format, I see no reason why it has to stay that way. Let it evolve based on the players' needs and wants. If you play your precon Commander deck and you want a low-intensity game with a lot of silly effects and no "serious" players, that should not interfere with my desire to have a high-level game with a bunch of ruthless combo-control decks. No one can say the format should be casual or competitive, and if they try to then they are wrong. EDH is both. Your playgroup is what happens to be one or the other.
Yes because all formats have to become competitive formats once they get popular. A good reason to keep it casual is to keep prices down on "staple" cards. Another good reason is to reduce the overall player dissatisfaction. Yet another good reason to keep it casual is to keep it friendly to new players. I've seen countless people attend FNM and then quit playing magic. I've seen people show up at a prerelease, get their packs, and leave. More often than not the reason I hear for why is "I'd rather have fun playing than deal with these jerks who think it's a job" or similar comments. (Not calling anyone a jerk, just stating that I've heard others address competitive players as such). Competitive play can be friendly, I won't say it can't, but it's far to often it turns what should be a fun game into a million dollar poker stare off with new players getting trounced and losing interest in the game all together. When I hear "competitive" players saying they're glad there are so many new people, because it's so many easy points and easy wins it makes me feel disgusted with the game. When I see people running netdecked T1 decks in an FNM because they know the people who are regulars there aren't running T1 they're running their own homebrew decks and trying to just have a good night it makes me feel like the average "competitive" player is just going to be a jerk to people for the sake of his/her ego. Fortunately I know some competitive players who aren't like that so I know it's not everyone, but it certainly is some.
Aside from that point, you're right. It isn't a purely casual or a purely competitive format. It's better suited to casual play than competitive play. It always has been and will be. It can certainly be either, and everyone should adapt to it the way they enjoy playing and find others who share their feelings on the game to play with.
As far as events go, your LGS (or the TO) will set the guidelines. If you don't like them, don't play in the event. If you do play, then don't get angry when someone shows up with a deck that isn't of the same caliber as yours; organized EDH is like any other format - people build different styles and levels of deck. Nobody is forcing you to take part in the event; if you participate then you accept the possibility that someone will show up with a $3000 deck and crush you and someone else will have a $50 deck and be crushed by you.
No one is forcing mister $3000 deck to ruin everyone else's good time either. Not all events have to be Pro Tour finals. You can host an EDH event just for fun. Though you will always have Spike show up to bully the other players to his way of playing, it doesn't mean it's the only way or the right way.
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Through me the way to the suffering city; Through me the everlasting pain; Through me the way that runs among the Lost. Justice urged on my exalted Creator: Divine Power made me, The Supreme Wisdom and the Primal Love. Nothing was made before me but eternal things And I endure eternally. Abandon all hope - You Who Enter Here.
Yes because all formats have to become competitive formats once they get popular. A good reason to keep it casual is to keep prices down on "staple" cards. Another good reason is to reduce the overall player dissatisfaction. Yet another good reason to keep it casual is to keep it friendly to new players. I've seen countless people attend FNM and then quit playing magic. I've seen people show up at a prerelease, get their packs, and leave. More often than not the reason I hear for why is "I'd rather have fun playing than deal with these jerks who think it's a job" or similar comments. (Not calling anyone a jerk, just stating that I've heard others address competitive players as such). Competitive play can be friendly, I won't say it can't, but it's far to often it turns what should be a fun game into a million dollar poker stare off with new players getting trounced and losing interest in the game all together. When I hear "competitive" players saying they're glad there are so many new people, because it's so many easy points and easy wins it makes me feel disgusted with the game. When I see people running netdecked T1 decks in an FNM because they know the people who are regulars there aren't running T1 they're running their own homebrew decks and trying to just have a good night it makes me feel like the average "competitive" player is just going to be a jerk to people for the sake of his/her ego. Fortunately I know some competitive players who aren't like that so I know it's not everyone, but it certainly is some.
How exactly do you propose to "keep it casual?" I don't believe that restrictions should be imposed that force the format to be as good as it could be. If you and your playgroup want to customize the rules to exclude some of the higher-power combos and cards in the format, then by all means go for it. I absolutely disagree that the format in its entirety should be "kept casual" though. That shuts half of the players out right there and only to protect the less hardcore ones. Learning who to play with is as essential a process as learning how to play. We shouldn't be trying to define EDH, we should be trying to define playgroups.
As for the players showing up to events, nobody is saying that a hardcore player ruins the experience for everybody. You will have some people that feel that way and others who love to take it as a challenge. If you don't want that kind of player entering into an event, then design the event differently and restrict or ban certain strategies or cards. I went to one of my LGSs and took first in an EDH tourney playing a high-caliber combo-control deck against some lower-level players, but not one person complained that they weren't having fun because of my deck or strategy.
I used to play a Korlash, Heir to Blackblade deck that had an infinite mana combo and Exsanguinate in it, but the combo was slow and difficult to put together and I hadn't even realized it was in the deck at the time I built it. The deck was built to win via general damage and played a lot of equipment, but people would still give me a hard time because I could pull out a win when I was about to lose if nobody checked my boardstate. They didn't take into account that for every game I won via Exsanguinate, I won 5 others through combat.
Moral of the story: people will whine about anything in the game they aren't pleased with. I'm just fed up with those same people trying to get cards officially banned because they can't afford to play them or don't like when they get beat by them. If you aren't pleased with something in the format, then ban it in your playgroup. If you don't like that my BUG deck goes infinite, ask me not to play in your games. I'll go find another group that enjoys the same things in a game that I do. If you let me play knowing my deck and strategy (and keep in mind that I'm not playing for the sake of beating up on all the less expensive decks), then you've no right to complain if I win that way.
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Epochalyptik from http://tappedout.net/ EDH isn't about what you play, it's about who you play with.
The only thing that really bugs me is when people try to pick apart the flavor in my decks to "spike" it up. A recent conversation with a Spike over a small EDH game at the local shop. Just me and my friend bashing out a game. My friend using my monoblack vamp tribal, and me using my All-in Kaalia.
Spike: "You know who the general of that deck should be? Griselbrand."
Me: "But that's not a vampire. Wouldn't fit the flavor."
Spike: "Nah, I still think it should be griselbrand lol."
I like that deck because it's only vampires. That's what makes it interesting. I find if I don't build around a flavor, I find the deck very boring to play. My only "goodstuff" deck I tired of very quickly, sadly, and I'm thinking of redoing it with an insect theme instead. Is anowon not the best monoblack general? Sure, but he fits the deck really well. Is Eladamri the best elf general? Probably not, but he's my favorite monogreen legend. Are there better choices for a pauper general than Ramirez, using the uncommon general rule? Sure, but that defeats the entire flavor behind commander if you ask me.
Not that my decks don't try to win, mind you. Braids always gets a number of groans from my playgroup when I start going off big time styley. But I still keep her flavor, baby, I'm totally vorthos over my deck. A Jhoira deck without her Timebug and Toolbox is no deck to me, and tribal is TRIBAL for me, baby! I even coordinate the basic lands in my decks.
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Props to Theismisacrime for the sig! Click for Trade list!
Major EDH player! Current decks:UUBraids, Waifu | UGZegana | RGWEnchantress Uril, the Miststalker | WBTriad of Fates (new!) | RBGXira Arien Re-dredge-imator (unretired!)
Eladamri | Anowon | Sydri | Melek | Augustin IV | Thelon | Sliver Overlord | Ramirez DePietro
Retired! Kangee | Kaalia
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Easy fix is to, idk, kill kaalia. Or do something just as broken, if not more so. They're not gonna blow up lands if they don't have some semblance of a board, and they're not going to blow up lands if you put down something broken that is hard to deal with.
Isperia, Supreme Judge: Control
Malfegor: Control
ONTOPIC: I get annoyed when someone complains about everyone hating on them then the next game/day telling everyone to go nuts and knock me out early for having a turn 1 birds of paradise while they sit at the other end of the table setting up ftw while being completely ignored by everyone besides me
Currently playing
Nath of The Gilt-Leaf
Teysa, Orzhov Scion
Also, as for LD whining, I really really do not like mass land destruction (Despite managing to win a game a few days ago after an opponent cast mass LD). It just really makes the game completely unfun. I don't mind (mass) LD with a catch like, say Ruination or Dwarven Blastminer. For competitive stuff? LD, counter, etc until your heart is content.
Which is usually the case. The Kaalia player thinks they are so smart, drop a fatty into play, get ready to blow up the lands, Kaalia and the demon get killed / removed and then the game stalls. I have seen this like 10x already.
Normally mass LD falls apart and leaves a bad board state and everyone unhappy. When it works it normally leaves a person in a place where they have the win easily, again a place that is going to lead to a scoop anyway. Its just a boring tactic.
EDH Decks:
B Toshiro Umezawa B
W Mikaeus, the Lunarch W
G Azusa, Lost but Seeking G
UB Grimgrin, Corpse-Born BU
BGU The Mimeoplasm UGB
GUW Rubinia Soulsinger WUG
GRB Sek'Kuar, Deathkeeper BRG
Bolded for emphasis. Best way to deal with powerful strategies is to go over the top and play broken ones. Of course, YMMV. Still, good advice nonetheless.
The only thing that annoys me is being targeted for no good reason when someone else just dropped a Necro on turn 3, i.e. poor threat assessment. Oh, and incredibly slow play is obnoxious too. It's not rocket surgery.
We, who yearn to preserve our liberation
We, who face darkness in our hearts with a solemn fire
We, who aspire to the truth and pursue it's strength
Having infinite combos in your deck does not automatically make it a competitive deck. You can have Mikaeus and Triskelion in your Karador deck and choose to use it as a slightly worse Mephidross Vampire and Triskellion combo.
The problem with the OP's description of his play style is this. He says he will play on a "fair" level as long as others are playing on a fair level. I support this mindset as I don't feel there is no reason to infinite combo someone unless they try to do it first, or have proven that they always try to do so. Even in that case I would suggest killing that play with the combo and then continuing the game at the "fair" level. The vague nature of the statement ("I will play fair as long as others do") comes in those situations where there OP either interprets something fair to be unfair, or is about to lose the fair way. If he is always using an infinite combo when on the verge of losing the "fair" way, then his opponents are probably justified in their distaste of his deck. Similarly, if he determines "Genesis Wave for 15" on turn 14 due to a few mana accelerators as unfair and pull the trigger on an infinite combo, then I think his whole argument has fallen apart and he is, in fact, the one QQing about his opponents objection to his lack of understanding of the group's consensus understanding format.
Who said anything about cheating? Do you play Kaalia? Because this is starting to sound like when I argue with my nephew and he just makes up new words to put in my mouth that are easier to argue against.
Never said it always does, it just puts the game in a place where myself, and typically others, do not want to be, and rather just start a new game. I laid out both examples in the very paragraph that you only half quoted. Its pretty similar to Karn ultimate. We had someone at the table swear they wouldn't over and over, and then they did, and we just started a new game.
I kill her to prove a point, that its not only a lame strategy, but its boring to everyone else, which is why after I scoop, normally everyone else does and gets ready for a new game. I hope through repetition to teach people corrective behavior. I seen it on a show once, hopefully it works eventually.
No one said ban. I played Kaalia for a while, just without LD. I don't think Kaalia or LD should be banned. I just don't enjoy playing against it, and as a human with free will, will often scoop to either get the game over with quicker, or to encourage everyone else to do the same and start a new game, hopefully at that point expressing to the LD player that what they are doing is "bad, very bad." but without smacking them on the nose with a newspaper.
EDH Decks:
B Toshiro Umezawa B
W Mikaeus, the Lunarch W
G Azusa, Lost but Seeking G
UB Grimgrin, Corpse-Born BU
BGU The Mimeoplasm UGB
GUW Rubinia Soulsinger WUG
GRB Sek'Kuar, Deathkeeper BRG
I actually find when I play nice, calm, and smug... other people flip tables.
His name is Zerofaults....
...were you expecting him admit he was wrong lol?
Isperia, Supreme Judge: Control
Malfegor: Control
If someone plays a card that spoils my fun, I take solace in the knowledge that retribution will be swift and cruel in the next game. Politics > whining
EDH
Azami (video)
:symw::symb::symg: Teneb (video)
Drana (video) (retired)
:symw::symr: Brion (video)
:symb::symr: Wort (video)
Arcum (video) (retired)
:symr::symg: Stonebrow (video)
B Shirei (video)
WU Rasputin (video) (retired)
R Urabrask (video)
WUR Zedruu (video) (retired)
W Isamaru
UB Grimgrin
U Mistform Ultimus (video)
UBR Gwendlyn (video)
URG Animar (video)
RG Thromok
WB Selenia
Standard
WU Geist of Saint Traft standard EDH (video) (retired)
WUB Battle of Wits!
No I don't flip tables, I scoop and others sometimes do as well. The Kaalia player can take that as a sign of winning, which they did technically. Scooping is forfeiting. However I think they realize why the table scooped and they usually change decks. At least in my playgroup that is.
I play Magic to have fun. I don't think mass LD is fun, especially when its not going to win on that turn. As such, as someone who is attempting to have fun, I rather scoop and speed up the game by having one less player, or inspire others to do the same and have the game end that way. Either way I only get to play Magic one day a week and the 5 hours are hours I rather not spend staring at my hand in boredom.
As for right or wrong, we are all expressing opinions and personal feelings on a tactic and how enjoyable it is. If your enjoyment is to play by yourself while everyone else just stares at their hands, that cool, but it doesn't mean I have to enjoy it, or sit through it. Its similar to a Lattice Forge Disk lock. Do all of you guys really sit there and wait for the 1/1 Myr they have out to kill everyone, or do you scoop to get to another game?
EDH Decks:
B Toshiro Umezawa B
W Mikaeus, the Lunarch W
G Azusa, Lost but Seeking G
UB Grimgrin, Corpse-Born BU
BGU The Mimeoplasm UGB
GUW Rubinia Soulsinger WUG
GRB Sek'Kuar, Deathkeeper BRG
Although EDH began as a casual format, I see no reason why it has to stay that way. Let it evolve based on the players' needs and wants. If you play your precon Commander deck and you want a low-intensity game with a lot of silly effects and no "serious" players, that should not interfere with my desire to have a high-level game with a bunch of ruthless combo-control decks. No one can say the format should be casual or competitive, and if they try to then they are wrong. EDH is both. Your playgroup is what happens to be one or the other.
Player dissatisfaction with EDH being too casual or too competitive usually stems from a meta that is predominantly one almost to the exclusion of the other. If somebody wants to play a causal game but most of the players at his or her LGS are competitive, then that player will feel left out. It inevitably happens, and it's unfortunate, but trying to regulate the format so it's forced to become one or the other is the absolute worst "solution" there is.
Speaking of which, players should also note that the official banlist is not their personal tool. If you don't like a certain card or strategy, don't whine about it every opportunity you get. Instead, sit down with your friends and form your own kitchen table banlist. Make it a rule that if a player wants to participate in your group's game, then he or she must abide by the banlist. This will be attractive to some and dissuasive to others, but at the end of the day you're playing a variant that you enjoy more. If somebody is playing a deck that nobody else in the playgroup likes, ban him or her from your group (or at least that deck).
If you are the minority voice in your meta, then this is harder. You should usually be able to find at least one or two other players that want the same thing out of a game as you do, so look for them and get some games going.
As far as events go, your LGS (or the TO) will set the guidelines. If you don't like them, don't play in the event. If you do play, then don't get angry when someone shows up with a deck that isn't of the same caliber as yours; organized EDH is like any other format - people build different styles and levels of deck. Nobody is forcing you to take part in the event; if you participate then you accept the possibility that someone will show up with a $3000 deck and crush you and someone else will have a $50 deck and be crushed by you.
EDH isn't about what you play, it's about who you play with.
[EDH]
BUG Combo/Control:
BUG Dominus - Dreamcrusher Edition GUB
Yes because all formats have to become competitive formats once they get popular. A good reason to keep it casual is to keep prices down on "staple" cards. Another good reason is to reduce the overall player dissatisfaction. Yet another good reason to keep it casual is to keep it friendly to new players. I've seen countless people attend FNM and then quit playing magic. I've seen people show up at a prerelease, get their packs, and leave. More often than not the reason I hear for why is "I'd rather have fun playing than deal with these jerks who think it's a job" or similar comments. (Not calling anyone a jerk, just stating that I've heard others address competitive players as such). Competitive play can be friendly, I won't say it can't, but it's far to often it turns what should be a fun game into a million dollar poker stare off with new players getting trounced and losing interest in the game all together. When I hear "competitive" players saying they're glad there are so many new people, because it's so many easy points and easy wins it makes me feel disgusted with the game. When I see people running netdecked T1 decks in an FNM because they know the people who are regulars there aren't running T1 they're running their own homebrew decks and trying to just have a good night it makes me feel like the average "competitive" player is just going to be a jerk to people for the sake of his/her ego. Fortunately I know some competitive players who aren't like that so I know it's not everyone, but it certainly is some.
Aside from that point, you're right. It isn't a purely casual or a purely competitive format. It's better suited to casual play than competitive play. It always has been and will be. It can certainly be either, and everyone should adapt to it the way they enjoy playing and find others who share their feelings on the game to play with.
No one is forcing mister $3000 deck to ruin everyone else's good time either. Not all events have to be Pro Tour finals. You can host an EDH event just for fun. Though you will always have Spike show up to bully the other players to his way of playing, it doesn't mean it's the only way or the right way.
How exactly do you propose to "keep it casual?" I don't believe that restrictions should be imposed that force the format to be as good as it could be. If you and your playgroup want to customize the rules to exclude some of the higher-power combos and cards in the format, then by all means go for it. I absolutely disagree that the format in its entirety should be "kept casual" though. That shuts half of the players out right there and only to protect the less hardcore ones. Learning who to play with is as essential a process as learning how to play. We shouldn't be trying to define EDH, we should be trying to define playgroups.
As for the players showing up to events, nobody is saying that a hardcore player ruins the experience for everybody. You will have some people that feel that way and others who love to take it as a challenge. If you don't want that kind of player entering into an event, then design the event differently and restrict or ban certain strategies or cards. I went to one of my LGSs and took first in an EDH tourney playing a high-caliber combo-control deck against some lower-level players, but not one person complained that they weren't having fun because of my deck or strategy.
EDH isn't about what you play, it's about who you play with.
[EDH]
BUG Combo/Control:
BUG Dominus - Dreamcrusher Edition GUB
Moral of the story: people will whine about anything in the game they aren't pleased with. I'm just fed up with those same people trying to get cards officially banned because they can't afford to play them or don't like when they get beat by them. If you aren't pleased with something in the format, then ban it in your playgroup. If you don't like that my BUG deck goes infinite, ask me not to play in your games. I'll go find another group that enjoys the same things in a game that I do. If you let me play knowing my deck and strategy (and keep in mind that I'm not playing for the sake of beating up on all the less expensive decks), then you've no right to complain if I win that way.
EDH isn't about what you play, it's about who you play with.
[EDH]
BUG Combo/Control:
BUG Dominus - Dreamcrusher Edition GUB
Signature by Inkfox Aesthetics by Xen
[Modern] Allies
Spike: "You know who the general of that deck should be? Griselbrand."
Me: "But that's not a vampire. Wouldn't fit the flavor."
Spike: "Nah, I still think it should be griselbrand lol."
I like that deck because it's only vampires. That's what makes it interesting. I find if I don't build around a flavor, I find the deck very boring to play. My only "goodstuff" deck I tired of very quickly, sadly, and I'm thinking of redoing it with an insect theme instead. Is anowon not the best monoblack general? Sure, but he fits the deck really well. Is Eladamri the best elf general? Probably not, but he's my favorite monogreen legend. Are there better choices for a pauper general than Ramirez, using the uncommon general rule? Sure, but that defeats the entire flavor behind commander if you ask me.
Not that my decks don't try to win, mind you. Braids always gets a number of groans from my playgroup when I start going off big time styley. But I still keep her flavor, baby, I'm totally vorthos over my deck. A Jhoira deck without her Timebug and Toolbox is no deck to me, and tribal is TRIBAL for me, baby! I even coordinate the basic lands in my decks.
Props to Theismisacrime for the sig! Click for Trade list!
Major EDH player! Current decks: UUBraids, Waifu | UGZegana | RGWEnchantress Uril, the Miststalker | WBTriad of Fates (new!) | RBGXira Arien Re-dredge-imator (unretired!)
Eladamri | Anowon | Sydri | Melek | Augustin IV | Thelon | Sliver Overlord | Ramirez DePietro
Retired! Kangee | Kaalia