[Off-Topic] Community Chat Thread

[TheAmericanSpirit]

@pokken I used to be harder on 5p than I currently am. We had a big knockdown debate about ISBP's assigned seating situation last year and Dirk convinced me to be more open to it if it means some poor bastard didn't have to drive 45 mins or whatever to sit around and watch other people play. Since then, I've played 3 5p games and none that I would consider bad. Granted, the tables did need a little a prodding to keep the pace up, but I can handle that.

I did once hear tale of a local vintage group playing an 8 player game of Edh with Emperor, Archenemy, and Planechase added into the mix. I don't know the specifics, but allegedly the game took 3 days. You should consider yourself lucky, how many Magic players in history ever have the opportunity to experience the lunacy of an 11 player game?

[Hermes_]

@pokken I used to be harder on 5p than I currently am. We had a big knockdown debate about ISBP's assigned seating situation last year and Dirk convinced me to be more open to it if it means some poor bastard didn't have to drive 45 mins or whatever to sit around and watch other people play. Since then, I've played 3 5p games and none that I would consider bad. Granted, the tables did need a little a prodding to keep the pace up, but I can handle that.

I did once hear tale of a local vintage group playing an 8 player game of Edh with Emperor, Archenemy, and Planechase added into the mix. I don't know the specifics, but allegedly the game took 3 days. You should consider yourself lucky, how many Magic players in history ever have the opportunity to experience the lunacy of an 11 player game?

i don't remember the number but we decided to limit the area of influence, then in a different game we did the planar map variant of planechase. We used another table for the planes

[DirkGently]

I once played an 8 or 9 player 60-card game on the floor in the hallway of my highschool over lunch. No sleeves. We did not finish.

It's honestly impossible for me to imagine a group of 11 people, all of whom would rather play 11p than 3p. Absolutely psychotic.

[pokken]

I should add that at one point I got up and walked around the corner to circle k and got a soda and a snack and it still wasn't my turn when I got back.

[pokken]

@pokken I used to be harder on 5p than I currently am. We had a big knockdown debate about ISBP's assigned seating situation last year and Dirk convinced me to be more open to it if it means some poor bastard didn't have to drive 45 mins or whatever to sit around and watch other people play. Since then, I've played 3 5p games and none that I would consider bad. Granted, the tables did need a little a prodding to keep the pace up, but I can handle that.

I did once hear tale of a local vintage group playing an 8 player game of Edh with Emperor, Archenemy, and Planechase added into the mix. I don't know the specifics, but allegedly the game took 3 days. You should consider yourself lucky, how many Magic players in history ever have the opportunity to experience the lunacy of an 11 player game?

I am still 100% out of 5pods but I always volunteer to sit out

[DirkGently]

@pokken why didn't you just split into a 5 and a 6 man?

[duducrash]

You gotta try everything at least once, right?

[pokken]

@pokken why didn't you just split into a 5 and a 6 man?

Dude this was 10 years ago I was playing my Doran wall deck that's win condition was activating that gargoyle that lets your walls attack. Because we were dumb!

[materpillar]

I should add that at one point I got up and walked around the corner to circle k and got a soda and a snack and it still wasn't my turn when I got back.

I went to a game store waaaaaay back when I started magic (around Alara I think?). Everyone who showed up was thrown into one pod for the evening. 60 card casual throw downs, no infinite combos.. The store owner played with unsleeved moxen just to flex. Another guy played Howling Mine + Fogs with his only wincon being Feldon's Cane. I found the super sweet tech of Dragon Broodmother. Some poor bastard brought white wheenie. I remember those games being really enjoyable but I don't remember many of the specifics anymore. Sitting down to one of those was closer to a game of diplomacy than magic the gathering. Just wild shifts of alliance, sometimes 5 people would hang up to murder someone else in a dumpster pile of creatures.

[Ruiner]

With my playgroup it is actually rare to play a 4 player game. Most of my games are 5 or 6 player games, with 7 or 8 player games not being super uncommon. Very rarely we will have a 9 player game but it happens maybe once a year. It's just whoever happens to show up for our regular weekly Saturday night game night out of our regular group, and we don't split up into separate pods.

Usually 4-6 player games end up being a free for all, and they don't tend to drag out terribly long unless some really grinding control decks are in the mix at the end.

6+ players and we usually play the alternative "Kingdom" format, which is a blast at that size game but also keeps games from dragging out. Often those games can go very quickly because of the inherent roles that dictate actions people will usually want to take.

6 players is usually our "maybe we will free for all, maybe it's Kingdom" and we might alternate through the night as our whims dictate.

I'd way rather play 5+ than a 3 player game.

I do loathe the Planechase format in those larger games. If we are going to use that deck at all it is usually one initial game to appease those who like it. I find that just takes away so much tactical choice to where my own deck hardly matters at times.

[DirkGently]

I do loathe the Planechase format in those larger games. If we are going to use that deck at all it is usually one initial game to appease those who like it. I find that just takes away so much tactical choice to where my own deck hardly matters at times.

preach.

[DirkGently]

Friend of mine from my local playgroup actually commissioned me to build a commander deck for him lol, he's paying me $50 (possibly in the form of beer since that seems less weird). (plus the cost of the cards obviously)

I've already got a few strong contenders, but I thought I'd see if y'all have any good suggestions based on what he's told me so far:

-he wants something "spciy" to stand up to one of the local metas (I'm thinking an 8 or so, it doesn't need to be cEDH or anything)
-1-2 colors, 3 if it's a really good idea
-"Something less well known or doing something unusual sounds great. Ideally something as fun to play against as it is to play."
-aggro sounds fun to try (compared to control)
-"meh" on tribal
-"sounds interesting" on partners
-he "has too many" gruul decks already
-some interest in equipment
-doesn't mind a learning curve
-combos okay but not a fast tutor combo, more incidental
-he likes dice rolling a lot, but currently we're thinking that might be a separate deck because dice rolling commanders are traaaaaash
-doesn't really like attractions (since I suggested Myra the Magnificent as a competitive dice rolling option).
-still waiting to hear back about his budget, probably in the couple hundred range.

So currently my top 3 ideas are:

Purphoros, Bronze-Blooded

Yusri, Fortune's Flame

Maelstrom Wanderer

Other strong contenders:

Akiri, Fearless Voyager

Esior, Wardwing Familiar + Tymna the Weaver

Edric, Spymaster of Trest

Ardenn, Intrepid Archaeologist + somebody idk

[TheGildedGoose]

Yusri, Fortune's Flame

This is what I was actually going to suggest. I use dice instead of coins, so that's a choice.

If you want a decklist...

[Hermes_]

Ardenn, Intrepid Archaeologist +

Akiri, Line-Slinger can get scary real fast, i've been winning with a voltron build recently including tonight

[TheAmericanSpirit]

@DirkGently

Screw Tymna and Esior, they are nothing but bastard pretenders to the Esper Aggro throne so rightly occupied by Raffine, Scheming Seer. You should build Raffine is what I'm saying. Most of the cards are actually pretty cheap, few of the expensive cards are even necessary (more about the curve than anything else), and it is a blast to play. Plus, I built your Phelddagrif deck and slung that for over a year. Why not meet me halfway? My list is very easy to find.

Regardless, I will never stop plugging this deck. It is a masterpiece and everyone should experience it. ISBPathfinder is a genius and with what he has given me, I will continually file away the roughness and polish this deck until the sun burns out or somehow the EDH meta at large regresses into the Goodstuff Heavy Control Meta Hell of 2009-2012, which I think only a resurgence in tuck or a tripling of the commander tax could do.

[duducrash]

@TheAmericanSpirit I tought you had taken your Raffine apart. Is it back together?

[TheAmericanSpirit]

@TheAmericanSpirit I tought you had taken your Raffine apart. Is it back together?

It was dead for about 3 weeks but I just couldn't stay away. Nothing else compares. I played a Goreclaw deck for a bit in that brief period of disassembly and it was like ashes in my mouth. How inefficient. How unrefined. How pedestrian.

Frankly, life is too short not to do the things you love, and though at first it surprised me too, it turns out I just love wrecking people with a pile small goons led by a big mean sphinx demon. I dunno, have you ever had that with a deck before? Where you find the one that really seems to exemplify your philosophy towards the game and just plays exactly how you want to play without compromise? I felt it playing Burn back in the day. I feel it again with Raffine. It is what I was looking for in this format this whole time.

[Guardman]

My suggestion for when anyone asks for a deck that plays a little different is Etali, Primal Storm. You can build it exile matters, play your opponent's deck matters, or chaos. It is pretty powerful on its own since there are a lot of ways to give Etali haste and such and even cheat her out. And the best part, while it has pretty decent base power due to getting up to 4 free spells per attack, is that it scales with the power level of other players' decks. Plus, it is the commander that gives the best stories. People at my LGS still talk about the game I won a few years ago with an opponent's Laboratory Maniac / Demonic Consultation combo.

[Ruiner]

Killian, Ink Duelist might fit well. It is definitely an aggressive deck, plays some less used cards, can do well with some equipment, and tends to recover pretty well. Deck is only two colors and doesn't tend to be hated very much. It could probably be built relatively cheap but obviously a larger budget makes it better. My list is in my signature if that sounds appealing and you want a decent starting point.

[DirkGently]

@TheAmericanSpirit I did suggest Raffine to him, he didn't bite though. Surprisingly he didn't seem interested in Yusri either. Passed on Etali as well. He's going with Purphoros (2).

Should be pretty easy to build tbh, especially since I built him before. The annoying part will be finding everything in NZ. I've tried doing international shipping from tcgplayer but it's expensive and takes forever.

[TheAmericanSpirit]

@DirkGently hey, it is as they say: you can lead a horse to water, but you can't make it drink. C'est la vie!

[DirkGently]

@TheAmericanSpirit I did have a raffine deck briefly as (my first?) set commander list. It didn't go super great, though, Mike was playing Talrand, Sky Summoner so he had a million blocks + interaction whereas Jon was playing the "modified creatures" precon and got upset that I kept hitting him lol. And then I got blown out by removal and never recovered I'm sure it's a lot stronger when normally constructed though.

[materpillar]

@TheAmericanSpirit I tought you had taken your Raffine apart. Is it back together?

It was dead for about 3 weeks but I just couldn't stay away. Nothing else compares. I played a Goreclaw deck for a bit in that brief period of disassembly and it was like ashes in my mouth. How inefficient. How unrefined. How pedestrian.

Frankly, life is too short not to do the things you love, and though at first it surprised me too, it turns out I just love wrecking people with a pile small goons led by a big mean sphinx demon. I dunno, have you ever had that with a deck before? Where you find the one that really seems to exemplify your philosophy towards the game and just plays exactly how you want to play without compromise? I felt it playing Burn back in the day. I feel it again with Raffine. It is what I was looking for in this format this whole time.

Sitting down with my Tivadar of Thorn deck results in my favorite pregame interactions of all time.

Me: "I hate goblins! Did you guys know your decks are just infested with these filthy creatures."
Opponents: "I don't run any goblins at all…"
Me: "Nah. The slimy little buggers are extremely sneaky. I assure you, your deck is infested and Tivadar is here to cleanse it for you."
Opponents: "There isn't any goblins in here."
Me: "Ooooooook…"
—-30 minutes later—-
"I cast Shields of Velis Vel. Look your entire board is just filled with filthy goblins! I warned you! So I'm going to cast Tivadar of Thorn and he's going to kill your commander, who is a goblin. Then, I'm going to move to my end step and target Tivadar with Teleportation Circle…"

Similarly, I love my Esika, God of the Tree high CMC tribal. Watching it slowly dawn on people just how utterly terrible the mana curve is in that deck is just one of the best feelings ever. You can watch people go from "This man is an idiot. Have you seen mana curves these days? Combustible Gearhulk is a bad card, I'll just take the damage" to "huh, his deck has some chunky cards, maybe I shouldn't risk the flip" to "Dear god, my opponent is utterly crazy and no sane person in their right mind shoild risk a Combustible Gearhulk flip against him, just draw 3"

I think we want different things out of this format @TheAmericanSpirit

[TheAmericanSpirit]

@materpillar we mostly do, no doubt. But man, have I mulled building a copy of your high cmc deck more than once. I'm afraid my meta is just a little too cutthroat to have much opportunity to play it, but every time I sit down across a bunch of precons and have to borrow a deck in order to play nice, I think of that glorious insane pile of yours.

We're not so different, you and I. We both like winning with handicaps. My rules just allow for more war crimes in service of a glorious combat victory than yours might.

[Dragonlover]

@materpillar what did you think of my wifes Grozoth deck in the end? You know, once I'd remembered to actually send you the link like a normal human.

Dragonlover