Hello, I wanted to know if anyone had thoughts on decks with goals other than winning.
I have an example deck. https://tappedout.net/mtg-decks/and-in-the-beginning-and-in-the-end/
(I haven't physically put it together yet. Unfortunately.)
I like to consider this a whole archtype of its own. Some decks are "Tron" and some are "Spellslinger." Etc. but this deck, I view as a "Goldilocks" archtype.
In an optimal game, each player should be drawing 10-13 cards each upkeep. Each players mana should be essentially tripled. And each player should be able to play up to three lands a turn.
And here comes the catch, the should also only be able to play a few spells each turn. But if they don't play enough, they get punished.
The point is, this deck has a goal of setting everyone's "deck power" to be the same.
But that's enough of my deck.
Do you know speedrun categories? Take legend of zelda, breath of the wild for example. There is a category which is "Dog%" where the goal is to get every dog in the game to like you as fast as possible.
I'm essentially looking for dog% decks and people's thoughts on them.
This is my first time posting on these forums, so if this is in the wrong place, let me know! Thanks for the read!
I have an all Russian Izzet watermark deck I play on drinking nights, with the goal of getting completely trashed due to the "rules" the deck has when playing. Even tho the deck is horrendously underpowered, in my mind I'm still winning every time I play it
I don't have the original list saved but I also had a deck built when Jeleva, Nephalia's Scourge first came out designed to make as many unique exile piles as possible, using cards like Pyxis of Pandemonium and Praetor's Grasp, just to clutter up the table and irritate all of the opponents. I'm sure this one could be updated with newer goodies like Gonti.
I think you can create some unpleasant situations when you're trying to do something besides win. Like imagine you're all about to die, and you have a board wipe to save you, but if you cast some other useless card it'll achieve whatever goal you've set out for yourself. I'd be pretty annoyed if I was one of the other players and you did your dumb play. Or if I won, I wouldn't feel like I really won.
I have experimented with what I like to call "AI-like behavior", where I use some element of automation to dictate my moves. For example, I had a stack of (non-magic) cards that said things like "whoever controls the most creatures" that I'd flip over on my upkeep, and then that would be the person I attacked that turn. It was kind of funny. I could see someone finding it annoying though.
DirkGently, I do understand your point. It could make it feel less. But the goals I've seen aren't "cast one spell to achieve it". Like my deck merges stax and grouphug so that everyone can only play so many things. But they get to play what they want.
Or the clutter goal from Macabre. It's not something you "achieve" per se. It's just a different way of playing because you don't have the intent to win. At least that's how I see it.
And your AI behavior deck sounds interesting.
I guess it depends on what stage you're accomplishing your "other goal". Are you building a deck that doesn't have a good win condition, and instead plays a bunch of cards that do ____? Or, once you've picked up the deck, are you playing the game in order to do ____ rather than win? Or both?
The first I think is totally fine, no problems whatsoever. Looking at your deck, it looks like you've got plenty of ways to win, even if they're not very reliable. You could sit and down and play that deck to win, and probably end up doing ____ in the process of winning. Mission accomplished!
If you sat down and said "I'm not trying to win this game at all, I'm just going to do ____ and that's my only goal" then I might have a problem with that. But that's just me, others might not.
I was thinking along the first option. This whole idea was inspired by the turing deck and meme speedruns.
And I thought, what wacky things can I do with ___ being the main goal. While having a chance to win as an option.
However I also like to build something that seems derpy on the surface. I have a Pako, Arcane Retriever and Haldan, Avid Arcanist deck. Its companion is currently Keruga, the Macrosage, will depend on the restrictions for the RG one and if its better. The rest of that deck is lands, 98 to be specific. It has basics and manafixers, but also cards that have other utility such as Rogue's Passage. Pako has whiffed, other times I stole something valuable like an Expropriate, Pako however never whiffs when he exiles a card from my deck as he always get a +1/+1 counter.
My advice is that Commander is the most fun when you have at least two decks. One to play competitively, one to goof off with.
Sorry I took so long to respond.
That deck sounds fun to play with. You probably know by now. But the red green one is WUBRG in colour identity. It's unfortunate that it can't be played in most decks.
Private Mod Note
():
Rollback Post to RevisionRollBack
To post a comment, please login or register a new account.
I have an example deck. https://tappedout.net/mtg-decks/and-in-the-beginning-and-in-the-end/
(I haven't physically put it together yet. Unfortunately.)
I like to consider this a whole archtype of its own. Some decks are "Tron" and some are "Spellslinger." Etc. but this deck, I view as a "Goldilocks" archtype.
In an optimal game, each player should be drawing 10-13 cards each upkeep. Each players mana should be essentially tripled. And each player should be able to play up to three lands a turn.
And here comes the catch, the should also only be able to play a few spells each turn. But if they don't play enough, they get punished.
The point is, this deck has a goal of setting everyone's "deck power" to be the same.
But that's enough of my deck.
Do you know speedrun categories? Take legend of zelda, breath of the wild for example. There is a category which is "Dog%" where the goal is to get every dog in the game to like you as fast as possible.
I'm essentially looking for dog% decks and people's thoughts on them.
This is my first time posting on these forums, so if this is in the wrong place, let me know! Thanks for the read!
I don't have the original list saved but I also had a deck built when Jeleva, Nephalia's Scourge first came out designed to make as many unique exile piles as possible, using cards like Pyxis of Pandemonium and Praetor's Grasp, just to clutter up the table and irritate all of the opponents. I'm sure this one could be updated with newer goodies like Gonti.
Links to my most current deck lists;
Primary EDH; Rakka Mar Token Perfection, Crosis Mnemonic Betrayal, Cromat Villainous, Judith Gravestorm, Rakdos Empty Storm, Exava Artifacts, Bant Trash, & Fumiko Voltron!
EDH kept at home; Ruzzian Isset & Rakdos LoR!
EDH (nostalgic/pimp/retired) in storage;
Latulla Burns, Akroma Smash, Jeska Voltron, Rakdos Storm, Bladewing Darghans, Lyzolda Worldgorger, Xantcha Steals your Heart, Jori Storm, Wydwen Permission, Gwendlyn Paradox, Jeleva Warps, & Sigarda Brick!
Legacy Showanimator and High Tide!
I have experimented with what I like to call "AI-like behavior", where I use some element of automation to dictate my moves. For example, I had a stack of (non-magic) cards that said things like "whoever controls the most creatures" that I'd flip over on my upkeep, and then that would be the person I attacked that turn. It was kind of funny. I could see someone finding it annoying though.
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
Or the clutter goal from Macabre. It's not something you "achieve" per se. It's just a different way of playing because you don't have the intent to win. At least that's how I see it.
And your AI behavior deck sounds interesting.
The first I think is totally fine, no problems whatsoever. Looking at your deck, it looks like you've got plenty of ways to win, even if they're not very reliable. You could sit and down and play that deck to win, and probably end up doing ____ in the process of winning. Mission accomplished!
If you sat down and said "I'm not trying to win this game at all, I'm just going to do ____ and that's my only goal" then I might have a problem with that. But that's just me, others might not.
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
And I thought, what wacky things can I do with ___ being the main goal. While having a chance to win as an option.
While I am brewing a Brallin, Skyshark Rider & Shabraz, the Skyshark cycling wheel deck that is in the process of being tuned to its best.
However I also like to build something that seems derpy on the surface. I have a Pako, Arcane Retriever and Haldan, Avid Arcanist deck. Its companion is currently Keruga, the Macrosage, will depend on the restrictions for the RG one and if its better. The rest of that deck is lands, 98 to be specific. It has basics and manafixers, but also cards that have other utility such as Rogue's Passage. Pako has whiffed, other times I stole something valuable like an Expropriate, Pako however never whiffs when he exiles a card from my deck as he always get a +1/+1 counter.
My advice is that Commander is the most fun when you have at least two decks. One to play competitively, one to goof off with.
That deck sounds fun to play with. You probably know by now. But the red green one is WUBRG in colour identity. It's unfortunate that it can't be played in most decks.