Someone a page or so back mentioned something similar, but I tend to let my guard down when someone plays a general that has me intrigued, either because I'm wondering what the deck does or, occasionally, because I am thinking of building with that general and am interested in seeing what the other player has done.
Some choices of general, though, I'm always curious what the player's up to. Squee, Xira Arien, under-powered or over-costed Legends or Homelands generals that don't lend themselves easily to any specific build... I almost always get more intrigued than cautious about those sorts of generals.
I find this happens a lot when I play my obscure decks with people. They typically don't counter the spells that my normal playgroup will counter at all costs. Example: with Mishra, artificer prodigy, possibility storm is one of those cards. But other obscure commanders of mine, people will start hating on immediately becasuer its so weird that they know something is up. For me that would be Eron the Relentless. The obscure Homelands monored commander seems to always autodraw hate when I play him with new people. Basically you need to find a commander that can play a purpose to the deck yet not be too purposeful as that draws hate also.
I've actually wanted to make a Eron deck pretty much since I started EDH but I haven't started on it yet. He can be good with voltron strategies and can survive board wipes that don't exile or prevent regeneration, which includes most of red's options. I figure tossing in some red hate cards like Ruination and Stranglehold, bolstering with some artifacts, it might be workable. It will be interesting to see how people respond to him when I do make that deck.
Maraxus of Keld. Nobody has idea what the theme will be. Voltron? A disguised goblin tribal? A red stax/control? Land Destruction? Nobody knows on the first game.
I've actually wanted to make a Eron deck pretty much since I started EDH but I haven't started on it yet. He can be good with voltron strategies and can survive board wipes that don't exile or prevent regeneration, which includes most of red's options. I figure tossing in some red hate cards like Ruination and Stranglehold, bolstering with some artifacts, it might be workable. It will be interesting to see how people respond to him when I do make that deck.
I have it linked in my Sig now so feel free to look.
Maraxus of Keld. Nobody has idea what the theme will be. Voltron? A disguised goblin tribal? A red stax/control? Land Destruction? Nobody knows on the first game.
yeah that's what my Eron seems to do to people as he is so obscure they question my motives with him in comparison to other mono red commanders
I've actually wanted to make a Eron deck pretty much since I started EDH but I haven't started on it yet. He can be good with voltron strategies and can survive board wipes that don't exile or prevent regeneration, which includes most of red's options. I figure tossing in some red hate cards like Ruination and Stranglehold, bolstering with some artifacts, it might be workable. It will be interesting to see how people respond to him when I do make that deck.
I have it linked in my Sig now so feel free to look.
Maraxus of Keld. Nobody has idea what the theme will be. Voltron? A disguised goblin tribal? A red stax/control? Land Destruction? Nobody knows on the first game.
yeah that's what my Eron seems to do to people as he is so obscure they question my motives with him in comparison to other mono red commanders
Indeed. As your choice of commander alone can speak volumes of what your strategy is without you as the player saying a single word. Like what Lou Cypher was talking about on Page 1 in terms of what Goblin commander to run.
Lets say hypothetically there was a commander that won you the game by having the text "At the beginning of your upkeep, if you have 20 or more sorceries or instants in your graveyard, you win the game."
If that was your commander people are instantly going to notice that:
A) Your running a deck filled with lots of Instant/Sorcery support.
B) They know exactly how your going to win.
C) That you will pose a threat to everyone else at the table.
D) That they will need to save at least one of their Tuck/Kill/Counterspell/Exile/Bounce cards for your commander to prevent you from winning the game.
E) That your deck might very well be very consistent and can do its trick by a specific turn.
F) That you may run other cards like Pact of the Titan + Hive Mind that act as alternate win conditions.
G) That graveyard hate would be desirable towards your direction.
Especially in a multiplayer environment where your commander is a political signal to everyone on what you might be up to.
Yet if you swapped it so that win-condition commander was actually just one of the ninety-nine and your commander was Tibor and Lumia, your opponents may let their guard down a bit. Which means you got a bit more wiggle room to work with. This amount of "wiggle room" increases when their is a seemingly more threatening general at the table like Krenko, Mob Boss at the table.
Nin, the Pain Artist. She can be political. She is cheap to cast, so you can get her out early and she can hit herself if you need cards and recast her without much trouble. Best part is, if you target your own dude, then flicker or bounce it, you still draw the cards. U/R is a great color for stealing creatures, and if it is a temporary steal, Nin poke that creature and draw cards. She is a lot of fun and has some versatility, but most people don't see her as a threat because she is so small and if you do target their fatty, at least they draw a grip... unless, of course, she has a Basilisk Collar on.
Today, I met a new EDH player at my game shop, though he looked experienced, and we went heads-to-head because the remainder of the EDH play group left or participating in the FNM event. He took out Kangee, Aerie Keeper. I commented that I was familiar with the card before he could explain the legendary. He appreciated it. I did not drop my guard because of his general; although, I dropped my guard because he was new to the shop.
With a roll, I played my Ruhan of the Fomori deck. After slow-rolling my hand, I was awaken to the nature of the game: he was playing Prison Control. When Winter Orb hit play turn three, I understood Tangle Wire and friends on queue. I lost game one. I clearly defeated him game two, and I completely swept him game three. But during game two, he made a comment as he cast Grand Arbiter Augustin IV that caught my attention: "Look. It is my original commander. I don't use him because no one lets me play if they see me using him as my General." I do not mind the deck strategy; nor do I mind those with equal or greater power level. His comment irked me because a turn prior he attempted to Spin into Myth Ruhan, but I responded with Mana Drain. "Mana Drain. I did not expect that. Counterspell maybe but not Drain. That card is unfair. You're up five mana," he quipped. I did not responded physically or verbally like the time I realized what deck I was matching.
We played two more games before I had to leave, and I won those final two matches. He explained that my deck was too fast. I let him have his words. I thought his deck was too slow.
Why did I share this? Maybe letting one's guard down is equally attributed to being socially incline to playing less oppressive or more forgiving decks with strangers as much as foreign generals that seem too obscure to take seriously or seem underwhelming? I knew a player that played Cromat with a shtick. He would reveal Cromat and pretend he is getting Islands or non-basic lands that only produced blue mana, so his opponents would sympathize and provide him a chance; when in reality, for those who knew, it was a Mono-Blue Control deck. He will win game one. Game two, he will put in Azami, Lady of Scrolls.
I find this happens a lot when I play my obscure decks with people. They typically don't counter the spells that my normal playgroup will counter at all costs. Example: with Mishra, artificer prodigy, possibility storm is one of those cards. But other obscure commanders of mine, people will start hating on immediately becasuer its so weird that they know something is up. For me that would be Eron the Relentless. The obscure Homelands monored commander seems to always autodraw hate when I play him with new people. Basically you need to find a commander that can play a purpose to the deck yet not be too purposeful as that draws hate also.
I have it linked in my Sig now so feel free to look.
yeah that's what my Eron seems to do to people as he is so obscure they question my motives with him in comparison to other mono red commanders
Indeed. As your choice of commander alone can speak volumes of what your strategy is without you as the player saying a single word. Like what Lou Cypher was talking about on Page 1 in terms of what Goblin commander to run.
Lets say hypothetically there was a commander that won you the game by having the text "At the beginning of your upkeep, if you have 20 or more sorceries or instants in your graveyard, you win the game."
If that was your commander people are instantly going to notice that:
A) Your running a deck filled with lots of Instant/Sorcery support.
B) They know exactly how your going to win.
C) That you will pose a threat to everyone else at the table.
D) That they will need to save at least one of their Tuck/Kill/Counterspell/Exile/Bounce cards for your commander to prevent you from winning the game.
E) That your deck might very well be very consistent and can do its trick by a specific turn.
F) That you may run other cards like Pact of the Titan + Hive Mind that act as alternate win conditions.
G) That graveyard hate would be desirable towards your direction.
Especially in a multiplayer environment where your commander is a political signal to everyone on what you might be up to.
Yet if you swapped it so that win-condition commander was actually just one of the ninety-nine and your commander was Tibor and Lumia, your opponents may let their guard down a bit. Which means you got a bit more wiggle room to work with. This amount of "wiggle room" increases when their is a seemingly more threatening general at the table like Krenko, Mob Boss at the table.
With a roll, I played my Ruhan of the Fomori deck. After slow-rolling my hand, I was awaken to the nature of the game: he was playing Prison Control. When Winter Orb hit play turn three, I understood Tangle Wire and friends on queue. I lost game one. I clearly defeated him game two, and I completely swept him game three. But during game two, he made a comment as he cast Grand Arbiter Augustin IV that caught my attention: "Look. It is my original commander. I don't use him because no one lets me play if they see me using him as my General." I do not mind the deck strategy; nor do I mind those with equal or greater power level. His comment irked me because a turn prior he attempted to Spin into Myth Ruhan, but I responded with Mana Drain. "Mana Drain. I did not expect that. Counterspell maybe but not Drain. That card is unfair. You're up five mana," he quipped. I did not responded physically or verbally like the time I realized what deck I was matching.
We played two more games before I had to leave, and I won those final two matches. He explained that my deck was too fast. I let him have his words. I thought his deck was too slow.
Why did I share this? Maybe letting one's guard down is equally attributed to being socially incline to playing less oppressive or more forgiving decks with strangers as much as foreign generals that seem too obscure to take seriously or seem underwhelming? I knew a player that played Cromat with a shtick. He would reveal Cromat and pretend he is getting Islands or non-basic lands that only produced blue mana, so his opponents would sympathize and provide him a chance; when in reality, for those who knew, it was a Mono-Blue Control deck. He will win game one. Game two, he will put in Azami, Lady of Scrolls.
Keep brewing.