Happy Holidays, Here's Some News - Podcasting!

Happy Holidays all, hope you've been enjoying the break!

I will have a writer profile thingy availabel on TCGPlayer this Friday, but in the mean time, Calvin, Christian Renoe, and I had been recording podcasts, which we dubbed 'Off Color Cast'  I took over editing tonight, so hopefully I'll have episode 1 ready to go, with ep 2 shortly after! 

All the articles I had planned for the break turned into material for the show, hence the lack of anything, but to be fair, not too much EDH news has been going down.

I've reached out to a few people interested in writing about magic, so there may be some junior authors popping up on YCHt'N. 

Cheaterface - Alex Bertoncini

So, I figured I'll weigh in on the subject of Alex Bertoncini's recent suspension by the DCI for his rampant cheaterness.  I played the dude at the TCGPlayer 75K in the third round, at table 6 nonetheless!  We got a deck check (so I am quite sure there was no sideboard shennanigans!) so Alex and I actually got a lot of time to shoot the shit and talk magic, and suprisingly, EDH.  I played poorly because of the goofing off, and was soundly beaten.  Did I watch him Ponder?  No, and it is possible that the cards that punished my poor play were cheated into hand.  Eitherway, bravo.

 http://mixedknuts.wordpress.com/2011/12/12/unlocking-the-cheats-of-scg-player-of-the-year-alex-bertoncini/

Here Comes Godo Clause! is up at TCGPlayer.com

My newest article is up at TCGPlayer.com, this time a Godo list sent in by Marcus.  Enjoy!!!

http://magic.tcgplayer.com/db/article.asp?ID=10199

Glissa's Myr All Over the Mothership!

There's something, on the wing.  Some, thing!  It looks like, a metal gummy bear?

http://www.wizards.com/Magic/Magazine/Article.aspx?x=mtg%2Fdaily%2Fdeck%2F864

Another of my deck lists got posted on Wizards.com, this time the Standard Commander Glissa's Myrs list i posted last week.  Good times.

International Gaming - Germany and the Grand Prix over at Completely Casual

Good ol' Dominik has been working on this bad boy for a while, and it's an interesting departure from the normal discourse on EDH and Magic out there.  Dominik likes to talk about Magic in the outside world in general, but this one is more of a technical and functional accomplishment.  Very good stuff!

http://www.cafeschoenleben.de/wordpress/?p=1939

Maelstrom Wanderer - Planechase 2012 and EDH

Okay, so I know I am a little behind on this, but I want to bring it up anyways.  Wizards recently announced the second run of Planechase, scheduled for Summer of 2012.  What is interesting to me is the fact that it will include NEW cards for eternal formats.  They spoiled a single card, and there is no doubt that us Commander'ers are the target audience for the new cards.  Check out Maelstrom Wanderer, something only an EDH general could love.

http://www.wizards.com/magic/magazine/article.aspx?x=mtg/daily/arcana/848

Standard Commander 2 : Glissa's Myrs is up at TCGPlayer.com

I like building with goofy restrictions, and one of the more interesting to me is using the Standard pool only. 

http://magic.tcgplayer.com/db/article.asp?ID=10184

Gold Bordered for Life - Volrath's Stronghold

I picked up a gold bordered Volrath's Stronghold on Ebay for 5 bucks plus some change.  Compared to the 20 dollar price tag for the the regular one, I think I got a deal.  I am still searching for the elusive GB Gaea's Cradle. 

Fat Stacks Reader Requested Elves at TCGPlayer.com

This week's article is reader requests - one is a super pimped out Rhys the Redeemed deck and one is Edric, Spymaster of Trest.  Enjoy!!

http://magic.tcgplayer.com/db/article.asp?ID=10161

Apology to my Readers - Sorry, dudes!

I usually update the blog on Tuesdays (and post the updates throughout the week) but my babysitter has been unable to come the last two tuesdays so I haven't had time to bring the bacon to YCHtN.  I have a lot of stuff planned, so be sure to check back regularly.

Spoiled Rotten - Graveborn

SO this is the full compliment of Graveborn.  It is pretty darned sweet, and I especially like the foiled up Terastodon and Verdant Force.  The deck seems a little awkward, as there are plenty of ways to have an uber dead draw and the mana only really supports the black cards.  Of course, that means you just buy it and tear it up for shiney Swamps/badasses.  PLUS - NEW CROSIS ART!!!!!!!

Fat Stacks - Making it Happen with the Captain at TCGPlayer!!!

Here is the link for my latest article, backed up this week by Captain Red Zone.  Enjoy!!!!!

http://magic.tcgplayer.com/db/article.asp?ID=10150

Bridging the One on One and Multiplayer Gap at Commandercast.com

Here is the crossover article I was talking about. Enjoy!

http://www.commandercast.com/bridging-the-one-on-one-and-multiplayer-gap

Accumulated Knowledge - Fast and Furious by Sean Patchen aka Swords to Plow

Welcome to Commander Crossover month.  My name is Sean Patchen aka SwordsToPlow and today I will be stealing space from your beloved Cassidy.  If you truly miss him, you can wander on over to http://www.commandercast.com/ to catch a taste of what you have all grown to expect.  This month all the material that would normally be posted on CommanderCast will be posted on affiliated websites and those sites will have guest article over on CommanderCast.  My series on CommanderCast is called Accumulated Knowledge.  You may know me a little better from http://redsitewins.com/ where I write The Commander’s Chair.  If you like what you read today, head on over to one of those sites to catch up on what I have written.  This week me and Cassidy will both be covering one of the least popular aspects of Commander, 1v1.
When playing 1v1 Commander, speed is king.  A powerful first or second turn play can end a game in short order.  You need fast mana and a powerful spell that can shut your opponent down before they can even get started or give you enough advantage that they can’t catch up. I am going to give you the knowledge that every “degenerate” Commander player uses to win the game before their opponent gets a chance to play.  Be prepared, this is by no means a budget article.

Dead Guys Ale EDH - by Verdell Shannon

So, my bud Cassidy said it was okay for me to hijack a post of his blog to discuss my view on deck building… and maybe a future post or two on another matter I find pressing.

The most common question I get when introducing people to EDH (or “Commander” if you will), is about deck construction. How do you build a deck with such a huge pool of cards? What’s a good general? I give the same advice time and again. Go back to basics. When in doubt, look up a classic deck that you think is cool and fun and build it out into a 100 card pile of awesome. Here’s an Example:

Spoiled to Death - Graveborn Spoilers Wave 1

Wizards recently released a picture of the new Premium Deck line, Graveborn.  At first I thought it would be mono Black, since Fire and Lightning was needlessly mono Red, but I am happy with the decision they made here.

FAT STACKS Inaugral Edition up at TCGPlayer.com

Okay, so this is something new I am doing where I pull decks from the TCGPlayer submissions and give them a quick review to make them better.  It will be a recurring segment, and I already have a crossover with Calvin in the works (as in, partially written) and my fan Joao from Portugal has agreed to send in  adeck list as well.  Who will show up in the future?

If you have a deck you would like to submit, email me at CSilver85@gmail.com with the link and a short description of what you would like the deck to do and any other concerns/comments.

http://magic.tcgplayer.com/db/article.asp?ID=10139

Crossover Month - Welcome Sean Patchen AKA Swords to Plow

As many of you know, November is Crossover Month over at Commandercast.  The point of the initiative is to talent share and cross promote, which I am all for, so I will have a Commadercast writer doing a guest article while I will be posting something on Commandercast itself! 

Sean Patchen and I paired up, deciding early on to write articles based on the 1v1 duel format.  At first we were scheduled for later int he month, but due to some snafu, Andy has asked that we go a lot sooner.   The articles will be up on both the websites on this Friday, so keep a look out!

Public Display of Affliction up at TCGPlayer.com!!!

http://magic.tcgplayer.com/db/article.asp?ID=10118

The Arien Werewolf Conspiracy on the Mothership!!!!!

http://www.wizards.com/Magic/Magazine/Article.aspx?x=mtg%2Fdaily%2Fdeck%2F829

12 Solid EDH Decks

This is a thread started by my EDH cohort Verdell, showcasing his 12 decks mostly based on sound strategies from sanctioned formats.  Enjoy!

http://community.wizards.com/go/thread/view/75842/28622763/ONG312s_EDH_Decks_(over_a_dozen_different_decks)

Aunt Lily is Confused Over at Completely Casual

Check out completely Casual for a great little video lampooning both Magic terminology and ignorant fuddy duddys who think we all worship satan (just MBC players do!)

Also appearing now is a great little article on Trolls in the real and how to spot and deal with them!

The Arien Werewolf Conspiracy on TCGPlayer!

http://magic.tcgplayer.com/db/article.asp?ID=10078

Commandercast: Scoopy McGee and the Salt Truck

This is a good one!!!

http://www.commandercast.com/commandercast-s4e5#more-1042

Dear Azami - Writing Damia's Wrongs

Check it out!!!!

http://www.starcitygames.com/magic/commander/22959_Dear_Azami_Writing_Damias_Wrongs.html

Getting Out There - Commandercast and Dear Azami

I have mentioned a bit that I am doing a crossover with Sean McKeown at SCG, and we have ironed out a lot of the details so far.  I am going to be on Dear Azami with my Damia Goodstuff Sucks deck, and he is going to co write the maiden article in my own advice-type column.  I am slating it for the week after this next, so cheggit out!

I also recorded another podcast with Andy and co last Thursday, and it should be up tomorrow as well.  We were all pretty tired I think, and more often than not things got a little slap happy.  Was great times though for sure!

Me? On the Wizards website? What?

Not really sure how it came about, but there is a mention of my Olivia Voldaren deck/article.  I scrubbed out pretty hard at States today, but it was after I found out about this so I barely cared!

http://www.wizards.com/magic/magazine/Article.aspx?x=mtg/daily/deck/819

Grimgrin's Zombocalypse at TCGPlayer.com

A zombie deck led by Grimgrin, Corpse-Born.  Also included is my Ruhan Level 2 deck.  Cheggit!

http://magic.tcgplayer.com/db/article.asp?ID=10061

First Strike to the FACE!

I really like this article/deck, cheggit out!!!!!!!!

http://threetotheface.blogspot.com/2011/10/oh-captain-my-captain_12.html

SUIT UP at Completely Casual!!

While I don't necessarily agree with wearing a suit while playing Magic, I can not fault anyone who combines How I met Your Mother with Magic.  Bravo, good sir.

http://www.cafeschoenleben.de/wordpress/?p=1959

Chronicles of the Gold Border - Onslaught Fetch

How is everyone?

I have been super busy/exhausted for a while so updates have slowed down a bit, but i have some big plans in the works when I get the time. 

I just bought two Gold Bordered cards from eBay - Flooded Strand and Windswept Heath.  Its no secret that Fetch lands kick ass, and especially so in eternal formats like EDH where all the non-basic with basic types are readily available. 

Both the Heath and Strand price at way over 25 dollars, and I received each of them for under 10 bucks a piece.  This is another good example of how the GB cards can bridge the casual/sanctioned gap. 

For the record, that makes 9 Gold bordered cards I will be playing, including Force of Will, Survival of the Fittest (2), Grim Monolith, Wasteland, Eternal Witness, and a Tradewind Rider.  There may be other that are escaping my memory.

GOLD BORDERED FOR LIFE!

Off Cut Foil Parallel Lives

It is a little hard to tell in the photo, but the borders on this FOIL Parellel Lives are indeed skewed.  I figure in this day and age they would have ways to prevent this, definitely a surprise when we opened it in our box.  

UW Control for States

So this is what I am running at State this weekend so far, what does everyone think?

3 Consecrated Sphinx
4 Solemn Simulacrum

2 Gideon Jura
2 Elspeth Tirel
1 Karn Liberated

3 Dismember
3 Timely Reinforcements
3 Oblivion Ring
4 Mana Leak
3 Day of Judgment
2 Dissipate
3 Tezzeret's Gambit
1 Disperse
6 Plains
4 Ghost Quarter
8 Island
4 Glacial Fortress
4 Seachrome Coast

SB: 3 Nevermore
SB: 1 Timely Reinforcements
SB: 2 Phyrexian Metamorph
SB: 3 Mental Misstep
SB: 3 Spellskite
SB: 1 Day of Judgment
SB: 1 Elspeth Tirel
SB: 1 Oblivion Ring

Its a pretty solid control deck, the main win cons being the Sphinx's and Gideon.  The Simulacrums will make sure I get that crucial 5th land drop for both Tirel and Jura, and double as good chumpers to the huge aggro creatures.  Gideon and Tirel work well together because you can turn ol' Gids indestructible and then board wipe. 

I am still developing the specific board plan, but I want to be abel to Fight off UW Aggro, Solar flare, RDW, and Hawkward. 

Voldaren's Coven on TCGPlayer.com!

This deck is pretty straightforward, I didnt get any time to playtest it unfortuntely but I feel it is strong and playable.

http://magic.tcgplayer.com/db/article.asp?ID=10050

Garruk Relentless Color Identity Crisis - Green AND Black

It may come as a surprise to some of you, but Garruk Relentless actually counts as both a Green and Black card when it comes to color identity.  This means that Garruk will not be legal in any Green deck without Black. 



Bummer.

Commandercast S4 E3 - Purity of the Race is up!

Check the link below and listen to Andy, Byron, Justin and I shred up the airwaves with some nuggets of EDH truth. 

http://www.commandercast.com/commandercast-s4e3-yak-riderz#more-773

Check out Commandercast Tomorrow for Yours Truly

About a month ago, I hopped on Skype and had about a 2 hour discussion on EDH and what not.  It'll be available tomorrow on Comandercast.com.

Proud of this one, can't wait to hear it tomorrow!!!!!

Box o' Innistrad

So my brother and I split a box of Innistrad today.  Although it was not the first box I ever opened, it was the first one i'd ever purchased. 

It was a pretty good box all in all, no Liliana, but I got Garruk (in the same pack as Cagebreakers, talk about a good sealed booster!) and my brother got Snapcaster. 

I got a few other money/good cards, but nothing too exciting.  I traded my Mindshrieker for his Mentor of the Meek, though we both agreed that one would go up in value and one down.  No biggie, thats how we roll on trades.

The weirdest thing - my brother got a foil Parallel Lives that is cut just awful.  I'm having him send me a pic of it and I'll post it ASAP.

Also got Olivia Voldaren, who i plan on building next week anyways!  I doubt she will be worth anything, but still, pretty kewl. 

Played a buncha games of EDH with family and friends tonight, all around good times.

YARRRR! Pirates at THREE TO THE FACE!

This week, Calvin at 3TTF made a jolly good pirate deck for everyone!  As a huge fan of theme decks that have to do with Pirates, I was smitten by the article immediately!  Calvin always puts out good stuff, but he out did himself this week.  Cheggit!

http://threetotheface.blogspot.com/2011/09/oh-captain-my-captain_28.html

Holy Spirit and the Wasted Angels on TCGPlayer.com!

The newest article is up this week!  I tackled the Geist of Saint Traft in a nice lil voltron deck.  Cheggit!

http://magic.tcgplayer.com/db/article.asp?ID=10038

CommanderCast - GB Debate.

Been a long weekend here folks, and I've been finishing up the article for this week so I've been a tad busy. 

Anyhoo, I did finally get a chance to listen to this week's CommanderCast today.  The episode - season 4, episode 2 - had Andy joined by Justin, Donovan, and Sean McKeown from SCG (same guy who answered Alex's Vish Kal letter!)

They discussed proxies and Gold Bordered cards,and how they are kinda the same thing.  I have to be honest, I don't think they are the same at all!  To me, the Gold Bordered world Champion cards are the greatest thing about EDH.  The fact that they are not tournament legal makes them worthless, but this does not make them 'fake.'  They are printed on MTG cardstock, with MTG ink and MTG art.  They are not counterfeit, nor illegal. 

 

So why are they proxies?

Pre-Release Fail

I a sorry to report that I totally underestimated the popularity of Innistrad, and none of the stores around me had any Innistrad left by today.  I am pretty bummed, 'cause I missed out on the Promo Mayor that I really wanted for a Wolf EDH deck - probably Tolsimir Wolfblood at this point - but I think I will end up splitting a box with my brothers instead. 

Did end up getting a Tactics Ogre PSP game that looks bad ass.  Game Stop always makes me laugh, cause they always ask me what systems I have, and I always say - Game Cube and PSP.  They kinda shake their heads.  Recently the Wii replaced my Game Cube, but Wii game are still to expensive for my tastes. 

The Wii stills makes the Game Stop guys shake their heads.

Also got a buncha Auntie Anne's Pretzel Dogs and Pepperoni Pizza Pretzels.  Om-nom-nom-nom-nom.

Free DIY Finale - BOTCHAMANIA!!!!!

So. this is the last of the FD IY P snipe its, and it also the weirdest - http://www.botchamania.com/.  Thes is another wrestling related freebie, though it is mostly just a collection of cufk ups and miss cues.  He has almost 2o0 videos in his archive and they is all hilarious.

In fart, I downlodded a sound bored app for my fone, and now when I reseeve callz, my phone play s the Iron Sheik screams "FAKKING BULLSHIT!"

Its perfect, cuz it is describin 905% of the calls I receive.

CHEGGIT OUT!

Free DIY Pioneers - The Angry Video Game Nerd - James Rolfe

For today's FDIYP, I am bringing you the king of online video game recordings in the Angry Video Game Nerd over at http://www.cinemassacre.com/.  Like the Nostalgia Critic, the AVGN looks at older games that are nostalgic and sees how they stack up to modern standards.

If any of you ever owned an NES, you know that a good 95% of the games that were made for it were flat out un-playable.  Either they are too hard, or so poorly designed that you literally cannot figure out WTF to do. 

Talk about RAGE.

An Angry Letter to MaRo from Balthor Bob

If you are like me and hate the new Zombies in Innistrad (damn you, Blue, you get everything!) then you will like this angry letter written to Mark Rosewater from none other than Balthor Bob himself.  Bob knows Zombies, and won't let MaRo get away scot-free!

 

http://togedher.blogspot.com/2011/09/open-letter-from-bob-to-maro.html

Brain Salad BG at Three to the Face!

Hey y'all,

If'n y'all are hankering for s'more Commander-y goodness, hop on over to 3ttF for a great BG build based on the recent vid'ya game Plants vs Zombies.  Think Little Shop of Horrors meets Night of the Living Dead.

http://threetotheface.blogspot.com/2011/09/oh-captain-my-captain_21.html

Innistrad Spoiler - Staples

This is the second part of my all out Innistrad blitz.  This time I am addressing the cards that will be iconic for the set and staples in most, if not all, of the formats.

Innistrad Spoiler - Tools of the Trade

With only a few days until the pre-release of Innistrad, I am going to finish the spoilers with a two part bang.  First, I'll discuss the artifacts that will be perfect for a multitude of old and new builds.  We're checking out the tools of the trade.

Anti-Tuck Tech

Free DIY Pioneers - Nostalgia Critc AKA That Guy With the Glasses - Doug Walker

I dunno about y'all, but every Wednesday I log my cookies at http://www.thatguywiththeglasses.com/ for the newest episode of Nostalgia Critic.  The Critic does movie reviews of films that came out when I was a kid - the late 80's and early 90's - to see how they hold up now that we are all rational adults.  You will be surprised how many of your fondest childhood movies actually suck total ass!

The best part about Doug Walker - the alias of the Critic - is that he is an entrepreneur.  His site has tons of different reviews and videos - so many that I don't think it would be physically possible for one person to have seen everything! 

Also, he is a fellow Chicagoan, and as such knows the pain of living in Illinois.  If you don't know what I am talking about, just search Illinois and Sucks on Google and read away!

Free DIY Pioneers - Jon Lajoie

I am starting another regular column for YouCantHandletheNath.com - DIY Pioneers.  This is where I will talk about folks who have been making some wicked jams for free, all by their lonesome. 

I'll start with Jon Lajoie.  Some of you may recognize him from the super awesome FX show the League, where he plays the unrepentent stoner retard Taco.  He's actually a Canadian dude with some soap opera chops who has been youtubing hilarious videos for years.  I put two of my favorite videos below, but the links will take you to his awesome website/video archive.

http://www.jonlajoie.com/home.html

http://www.jonlajoie.com/videos.html

The Knowledge Pool - Baddest Joint on the Web.

Okay, so I have talked about the Knowledge Pool, and my Knowledge Pool Crew, in many of my articles.  No, it's not the lamest gang bangers you've ever heard of, (or maybe it is?) 

SO SHINY IT HURTS!

The Alex dewd from the Small World post has all but completed his obscenely expensive all foil Sharuum deck.  I can attest from personal experience that this deck is powerful and extremely shiny.

CHEGGIT! http://forums.mtgsalvation.com/showpost.php?p=7339334&postcount=569

No TCGPlayer Article this Week - Knowledge Pool Crew Forever.

Evening, fellow nerdlings!

So I got some good news today - I got an email from Andy of Commandercast, letting me know I had been made the Global Moderator of the site I frequent (frequently) known as the Knowledge Pool.  I was at the Shedd Aquarium when I received the email, (Androids are pretty cool, I guess,) so I couldn't respond right away - I was keeping track of four kids while being sick as a dog.  More on this later.

Before we left the Aquarium, I received another email - this time from my bosses over at TCGPlayer.com.  The gist of the letter was - Rotation is here, need all week to tear apart Innistrad for the competitive players, you'll be on next week.  I wasn't terribly upset, as I completely understand that the casual scrubs, such as myself, are really on the lower totem pole in the Magic world.  No big deal, we don't take the lumps, we don't get the time. 

COLT CABANA! COLT CABANA!

Okay, so my other hobby is sneaking into YouCantHandletheNath.com - PRO WRESTLING!

And not even pro wrestling really, just the one wrestler that I am a mega mark for - Chicago's Own Colt Boom Boom Cabana. 

SUCK ON MY BAN HAMMER!

The new banned list is out form WotC AND the EDH Commander crew-

EDH first! 

More Spoils for the Spoiled

Hey Folks!

By now, all the cards in Innistrad have been spoiled.   A lot of them still don't have good pictures, so I am going to go with cards that have their art intact (the art in this set is amazing)

So let's get to it! 

HOLY BALLS - COMMANDERCAST.COM is UP and READY TO VIOLATE YOUR EARS!

Just checked out the re-launch of CommanderCast's website.  SO AWESOME!  Check it out, right now!

http://www.commandercast.com/

The site isn't polished cause I got no visual skillz.  Anyone who wants to help out with that, let me know!

Innistrad - Spoils for the Spoiled

In usual fashion, I am posting some more of the Innistrad spoils that catch my eye.  We are past the half-way mark for the new set, and therefore have seen most of the stuff that is going ot be available.  With that said, I am supremely impressed.  The cards I have below are all top notch (IMHO) so lets get right to it!

All Hail the Reaper King! on TCGPlayer.com.

Good afternoon! 

My newest article entitled - All Hail the Reaper King! - is up at TCGPlayer.com right now!

http://magic.tcgplayer.com/db/article.asp?ID=10008

Innistrad Teaser Commercial

Check out this righteous Innistrad trailer!    Love the 2.5D effects!

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=B6eUQ5DTqtU

Breaking News - Mirrans Are Screwed

My buddy Dominik wrote a killer piece of Magic fiction tthat I thought y'all would enjoy!

http://www.cafeschoenleben.de/wordpress/?p=1943

A New Breed of EDH Tournament - Commander Triathlon

Howdy!

As I mentioned in my previous article, there was a Commander tournament held at New Game in Town in DeKalb, IL.  Now, I live in Chicago, but I have family out there (as in, my whole family) and a good chunk of us play EDH. 

I go to the EDH tournaments at New Game in Town if I can - usually they had been a three week league system with achievement based points.  Though it was fun, the achievement system was easy to break, especially when you build deck designed to stay in the game and perform ridiculous combos to get the points.

This time around was different though.  This time, the tournament was a Triathlon style Iron-man competition - three rounds of Commander brutality to choose a winner.

Lords of Innistrad - Spoiled

With the new wave of spoils, we come across two highly powerful Lord-type creatures in the Keeper of the Lineage and the Kessig Cagebreakers.

Small World - Sean McKeown A Letter From My EDH Buddy Alex!

Alex was one of the four in my EDH group til he up and went to college in New York!  Check out his letter and how Sean responds to it! 

http://www.starcitygames.com/magic/commander/22772_Dear_Azami_Vicious_Carnage_With_Vish_Kal.html

CCG's of Yesterday - RAGE

Ok so I am doing something a little different today - I am going to talk about a card game BESIDES Magic. 

GASP!

Now a days, the CCG scene is rather clean cut - Magic dominates everything, with a few games here and there still printed for adults (L5R/WoW is all I've actually seen lately) and stuff like Pokemon and Yugio are cornering the markets for the kiddies. 

Things are very different from when I was a kid.  There were always new CCGs to try out and there were dozens already in production if you weren't into trying new things (who could afford it?)

I played most of the games that came out at the time, even if only a starter deck.  One game I got really into, was RAGE.

New Domain Name?

I want to get a better domain name for the site and I was wondering what peoples takes were on it?

I could do a play on the title-

www.youcanthandlethenath.com
www.ychtn.com
www.ychtnath.com

I could go with my Bogspot style name-

www.magidedh.com
www.edhcommander.com

Or I can rename the entire blog and give it a new triple dubs too -

www.masteringcommander.com
www.commandandcontrol.com

Any other suggestions welcomed!

What do you guys think?

Innistrad Spoilers - the Good, the Bad, and the Weird

Hey guys,

I want to do something a little different for the spoilers today -

I am going to check out a few of the cards that caught my eye, whether because they are good, bad, or just plain weird!

Bolas/Animar Article is Up and I am Exhausted!

Hey all,

My article is up over at TCGPlayer.com - this week I talked about a Bolas creatureless deck, an all creature Animar deck, and an updated Omnath list for an upcoming FtV Legends Commander tourney.

http://magic.tcgplayer.com/db/article.asp?ID=9994

It was a super long day - my 8 month old Milo is in that clingy/cry constantly mode and its not condusive to putting the pen to paper (or fingers to keys in this case.)  I have a bunch of drafted posts for the blog but my brain is still tired from the beating it took yesterday and I'm not sure what will come out of the current slow drip. 

With that said, I will definitely have a few posts done by tonight, so check back regularly! 

Thanks for stopping by!

Planeswalker Points = FAIL

So I finally checked to find out what level I am, and turns out I am a level 13 Task Mage.

Not that I care, but it seems low.

So I look at my event record and there are a grand total of 4 events on it.

I've done 4 events in the last month, let alone a lifetime.  In fact, I just WON a draft and it's not on there.  The only game from my LGS that is on there - a Draft from February.

What's more, friends who attended the SAME events have it recorded on their little pages.

I really dunno if I should be angry, and if I should, who to be angry at. 

Also, can I retroactively fix this pile?

So anyways, thought I would share my experiences with this obviously flawed system. 

http://www.wizards.com/Magic/PlaneswalkerPoints/1223875839

Update- So I checked the website to see what can be done, and they point you to a link that will take you to an appeals type page.

Trouble is - the stupid thing takes you back to your own page.  Sigh.  So pointless.

Welcome 3TF Fans!

Hey everyone!

If you are stopping by cause my buddy Calvin of THREE TO THE FACE is pointing you my way, well then welcome, welcome, welcome (too any welcomes?)  3Tf is having technical trouble with Google Docs and he is in the process of getting his article Troll-Proofed over at the Knowledge Pool.  Read a bunch of the article (pretty busy right now) and I will guaran-damn-tee it is worth the wait.

I am smack dab in the middle of finishing up my article for this week - featuring no more than and no less than three distinct EDH decks- so I actually don't have too much time to make super witty and involved conversation here, but if you come back tomorrow I will link everyone over to my article, and I am going to finish up the post below of RAGE.

How you say?

Well, I a going to talk about what RAGE is.  It really gave me an idea - I have played a butt ton of games in my life and i might as well rip a page from the fellow Chicagoan Doug Walker (www.thatguywiththeglasses.com) and Nostalgia it up a bit.

I already see an article for Doomtown and L5R coming around the bend.  Not to mention the greatest card game of all time - WWE RAW DEAL, mah'fcks!

Also, I have gathered a bunch of images for my Commander webshow that I actually haven't talked about much on my blog.  Get ready for an Omnath with Championship gold around his waste and crazy interference from a dejected Emrakul, banned from ringside.

Stay tuned and thanks for coming! 

Innistrad Spoilers - NEW GENERALS!

Ok peeps!

If you are like me, you love your spoilers and you love spoiled Legends even more.  The set is barely revealed and already we have a few cards with great potential as a general.

First -

Draftng Deja Vu and Animar's Hydras

So I meant to tell this story in my last article, which was themed on competition, but the thing was long as hell by the time I finished discussing the Skithiryx deck (which I barely did anyways) so I decided to write a little blurb about it here, in the Blogosphere.

As I have mentioned before, we tend to do FNM drafts, and this past week I was seated next to my EDH buddy Richard for an M12 draft - I’ve had bad luck with M12 Limited so I was not expecting much.

That was until I was passed a Foil Primordial Hydra, after I first picked Overrun.  

Boy, I love Green!

As I drafted, I wavered between GR and GB, though I knew from experience that Jund would be too dicey to run.

All that changed yet again, when I first-picked a Frost Titan.  Richard and I ended up drawing for first (he had Gideon, so F that) and like any good Commander-er, we went into some crazy 99's.

I tell you all this not to brag, but to establish the point of repetition, the anchor to the deja vu of the weekend.

Fast forward to the Sunday, and another M12 draft, this time for the FtV Legends box down at Evil Squirrel.  Again, I was seated next to Richard.  He must be a good luck charm.

My first pick - Primordial Hydra.  

My first pick from booster 2- Frost F'ing Titan.

I lost in the last rounds to a Boros Weenie deck (even after I boarded in a Mountain, 2 Circle of 

Flames, AND I played both in game 2) but in all fairness, I had 5 lands in hand end of game 1 after a Hunter's Insight and a Ponder.  GG.

Anyone else ever had a repeat draft like that?  It was crazy!

It also inspired my latest in-the-real builds - Animar's Hydras!  I don't have many straightforward stompy decks, and this one has been performing admirably, even before I had a second look at the beginning build!  

Here it is!

Animar

1 Clone

1 Utopia Tree

1 Spellbreaker Behemoth

1 Yavimaya Elder

1 Acidic Slime

1 Man-o'-War

1 Urabrask the Hidden

1 Sakura-Tribe Elder

1 Vigor

1 Azure Mage

1 Terastodon

1 Oracle of Mul Daya

1 Draining Whelk

1 Spearbreaker Behemoth

1 Siege-Gang Commander

1 Phantasmal Image

1 Brutalizer Exarch

1 Riku of Two Reflections

1 Kira, Great Glass-Spinner

1 Shrieking Mogg

1 Coiling Oracle

1 Magmatic Force

1 Surgespanner

1 Tradewind Rider

1 Forgotten Ancient

1 Primeval Titan

1 Primordial Hydra

1 Brawn

1 Protean Hydra

1 Fierce Empath

1 Sylvan Ranger

1 Phyrexian Ingester

1 Garruk's Horde

1 Frost Titan

1 Farhaven Elf

1 Edric, Spymaster of Trest

1 Birds of Paradise

1 Bogardan Hellkite

1 Momir Vig, Simic Visionary

1 Regal Force

1 Kiki-Jiki, Mirror Breaker

1 Solemn Simulacrum

1 Ivy Elemental

1 Fallen Ferromancer

1 Deadwood Treefolk

1 Vexing Shusher

1 Feral Hydra

1 Krakilin

1 Green Sun's Zenith

1 Cloudstone Curio

1 Mimic Vat

1 Red Sun's Zenith

1 Loxodon Warhammer

1 Simic Signet

1 Hull Breach

1 Izzet Signet

1 Darksteel Ingot

1 Mind's Eye

1 Gruul Signet

1 Swiftfoot Boots

1 Birthing Pod

1 Lightning Greaves

8 Island

11 Forest

10 Mountain

1 Vivid Grove

1 Vivid Crag

1 Vivid Creek

1 Rootbound Crag

1 Evolving Wilds

1 Tolaria West

1 Fungal Reaches

1 Novijen, Heart of Progress

Still need to find a replacement to my cubed Inferno Titan, and my brother traded away the  Apocalypse Hydra I was going to use, but now it has Man-O-War and all sorts of snazzy shizzle.

Peace!  And War.

Cassidy

Commander in the Modern Age - Get Down With the Skithiryx! Available at TCGPlayer.com

The new article is up, ready for everybody to read over the weekend.  Lemme knw what you guys think about it over at:  http://magic.tcgplayer.com/db/article.asp?ID=9977

Garruk Relentless - Spoiled

BAM!

Wow is he amazing!  Removal on a Green Planeswalker?  BAM!  He is going to love all the new Werewolf cards, not to mention Master of the Wildhunt, the other great piece of Green removal tech.

The Flip side is even better - a creature tutor for -1??  A great chump blocker on +1???

As for the ultimate - SAY WHAT?????

Cause Overrunning just ins't enough anymore.

Few things worth noting - there is no mechanic on the card that will transform Garruk back into his non-evil self.  Once hes transformed, we are free to abuse the hell out of him. 

Also, his alter-side seems to be BG, but he has no Black mana symbols.  This means he is GOING STRAIGHT INTO OMNATH!


Other notable spoils -



Miss the Tutor ability (Garruk stole it) but the Edict ability is a nice replacement.  Her discard ability has been bumped up to be abusable in EDH.  Her ultimate is very interesting, kind of like the Black version of Fact or Fiction.

One final thing- she casts on Beleren mana!  3 CMC is a key cast cost with cards like Sun Titan available in all the formats.  She only costs B more than a Diabolic Edict!  AMAZING!

New Ghost Quarter - AWESOME!

Much better than the Ravnica Block art, which rubbed me the wrong way and even kept it out of some builds I've created.  Never again!  This thing is is EVERY DECK from now on. 

BOOOOO!




and last, but not least -


       Oh, WotC went there...

My brain is having trouble figuring out how amazing this card will be in EDH.  A UB Zombie themed deck with a Futuresight may be able to spit about an obscene amount of the recently re-animated.  Helldozer for 0?

In retrospect, I can see why Skithiryx is a Skeleton.

This Ain't No Talking Robot - Innistrad and Transforming

Lemme tell you, guys, I was really looking forward to Innistrad.  M12 has been extremely boring and flavorless to me, especially with the reprint of the dumbest creatures ever printed - the Titan cycle - and reprinting of the most obnoxious Planeswalker - Gideon Jura.  Beyond the weird Phantasm theme that seems kinda cool and the 'of Empires' artifacts, the set reminds me of bland oatmeal.

Innistrad would be the saving grace though, the reason to keep drafting through this boring set.  A horror theme?  COOL!  A new printing of Liliana?  SWEET! 

Double-sided transforming cards...

...



...

WTF?

To me, the transforming cards are an extremely unpleasant thought.  First off, who wants to telegraph their draft pick so much as to actually SHOW the other players exactly what card you drafted. 

First, I am going to address the Werewolves, the crux of the mechanic.  According to the article from the mother-ship, all the werewolves will transform on the same mechanic; it reads, "At the beginning of each upkeep, if no spells were cast last turn, transform [Card Name Here]" 


                                 Master of the Wild Hunt has a new BFF.

Why?

I guess I don't get the connection - how does the amount of spellcasting relate to Werewolves and Lycanthropy in general, or Night and Day?  The idea that it may cause an opponent to over-develop to keep casting spells is semi-interesting, but I hate how it seems like it will intentionally slow down games. 

Not all of the Transforming cards are Werewolves, we have Vampires and... other things, spoiled so far -


                                                                Meh.


                                 OK the Test Subject seems pretty awesome.

If I am not mistaken, we have to constantly de-sleeve a card, multiple times in one game no doubt, and that sounds obnoxious.  If you don't have sleeves, they have this to help -



Yet again, WTF?
The interesting thing to me about the checklist is the way it semi-spoils a portion of the set yet unspoiled.  If you notice, there is a card on the list named 'Garruk Relentless.'  I had heard mention of just about every Planeswalker besides Garruk showing up (though i guess it makes sense in the story) and since Garruk had a recent reprinting, and a hefty upgrade at that, I did not think it possible that Green would be that lucky.

Also, this explains the odd statement made by MaRo about a Planeswalker with FIVE abilities being printed in the set - my guess is Transformed Garruk will have one power in common with his un-transformed version and then two abilities on each of the faces.  I am super excited about the card, but this is what i keep thinking in my head -

"Oh look, Cass got Garruk in his pack.  Definitely not passing this good green card his way."

"Fucking Garruk."

The off-color duals in the set are going to be amazing, though I doubt they will take the pressure off the Ravnica Shockland market, which I was hoping Innistrad would address with a reprint.  They are a great alternative to the Painlands in Modern, which have lost me a few games against Zoo Aggro.

Of course, as I write all this, the set is largely unspoiled and un-played, so it may all be in error.  Somehow I doubt it though, as both the mechanic itself and the logistics of said mechanic are seemingly poorly conceived and executed. 

I will still draft the set and Mythic-draft Garruk, but it feels like a poor sign of things to come.  I enjoyed the story of the Scars saga so much - the Mirrodin Besieged Pre-release felt fucking epic - and I thought Innistrad would be as epic, if not more.  On the otherhand, the Scars cycle had its own disapointing mechanics (cough Metalcraft cough.)

For the record, I placed Ninth out of 100+ players at the MBS pre-release, all because I drew on the last round after some Math snafu.  No one is to blame but myself but its not a good idea to trust opponents when it comes to the Math winning.  I had Sword of Feast and Famine and Spikeshot Elder.  Yeah, PREEEEEETTTTYYY good.  For anyone who didn't choose the Mirran packs, you missed out on super easy SoFaF picks.

I would have enjoyed drafting the cycle more if there wasn't a weird fad of drafting New Phyrexia first, the going backwards through MBS and Scars.  I felt it was counter-intuitive and much lamer to draft, since the draft decks had such divisive builds. 

Anyways, that's my rant on the spoiled cards.  I feel like this rant is different from other rants because unlike other rants, it is completely and utterly infallible.

Just kidding.  Still, WTF?

Peace out.

NEW NEWS - Articles, Commandercast, Modern, and the Knowledge Pool

Once again, been a while since I have updated the blog, half from being busy with life and half from playtesting the shit out of Modern. 

So some updates - My latest article actually came out a week ago and I only now realized I didn't post about it.  Cheggit out at http://magic.tcgplayer.com/db/article.asp?ID=9932 .

Just recorded on another episode of Commandercast with Andy, Justin and Byron.  The topics were really cool and I think we recorded a little bit of Commander history right there.  Not exactly sure when the episode will go live but you know ill be keeping y'all informed. 

This weeks article will be partly about the Modern format.  I was extremely happy when Melira was spoiled and now I have a format to abuse her in without feeling like a douche. 

Just wanted to bring up the Knowledge Pool.  Its a members only shin dig created by Commandercast Andy and has been a super useful resource for help with editing and ideas.  Also, its rare to find a forum with a select membership so it has a very friendly community tone to it.  Trolling is strictly prohibited.

Friend me over on Facebook at my Cassidy silver page, and like You Can't Handle the 'Nath on Facebook for the updates I know you are all drooling over. 

Im gonna drop some knowledge about Innistrad in another folloowing post.

Thanks for reading!

Ajani and Nicol Bolas Spoiled Rotten

Check out the link below.  Not terribly impressed, seems like everything is pretty boring.  Having a Bolas will be sweet, though I already have a Vengeant.

http://www.gatheringmagic.com/decklists-for-ajani-vs-nicol-bolas-spoiled/

New article- Kiki-Jiki Goblins!

Sorry folks, been busy with a lot of stuff., but the Kiki-Jiki article was put up earlier this week and I love the build! 

http://magic.tcgplayer.com/db/article.asp?ID=9916

From the Vault: Legends Spoiled! All Sorts of Shinies + NEW CARD

Set includes:

Teferi, Kresh, Progenitus, Doran, Kiki, Sun Quan, CAo CAo, Sisay, Omnath, Oona, Rafiq, Sharuum Ulamog Visara, and the new card from Innistrad, Mikaeus, the Lunarch.

A few have new art, though I will mention that I like Kiki-Jikis old art better.  Probly will look cool shiny though.


http://www.wizards.com/Magic/Magazine/Article.aspx?x=mtg%2Fdaily%2Farcana%2F774

Celestial Kirin Stax on TCGPlayer.com!!!!!

Went over a lesser known general, Celestial Kirin, and built a Mono-White Stax deck from it.  Also went over some M12 cards for Commander.  Enoy!!!

http://magic.tcgplayer.com/db/article.asp?ID=9876

Finessing Power- Omnath Explosive Control on TCGPlayer!

Finessing Power- Omnath Explosive Control on TCGPlayer!

Campaign EDH

This is a current pet project of mine that is a WiP – a Commander League that starts off with Pauper-style decks that get better as the games go by.   

TCGPlayer.com $75k Tourney August 12th - 14th! Who's Coming With Me?

Hey all, TCGPlayer is having a big 75K Standard Tournament August 12-14 at the Rosemont Horizon.  I have been wanting to get into the big time tourney scene for a while and this seems like the perfect time. 

Haven't had all the time in the world to work on a type 2 deck but I have a pretty solid UB Tezzeret Infect and a Puresteel Paladin Equip deck.

here is the link to the event: TCGPlayer.com $75K Championship!

Last Commander Deck Reviewed- Kaalia of the Last but Not Least

For this week's article I bring a run of the mill agro/control Kaalia deck and the updated forms of my Ghave and Damia deck to show how a deck evolves as you play games- I use Role-Playing metaphors to illustrate what i really love about Commander.

Cheggit out!

Kaalia of the Last but Not Least

Political Puppets- RUHAN SMASH! available on TCGPlayer.com!

I take things in a new direction and turn this bland 'political' deck into an all out stomp fest with plenty of CAPITAL LETTERS!  RUHAN LIKE CAPITAL LETTERS!

READ OR RUHAN WILL SMASH!

LARPers- Nerds or Terrorists?

So there was a bomb threat downtown at Millenium Park the other day.  Amy commented on how she was glad she wasn't at work because she is very close to Millenium Park and the traffic would be awful.  Today she mentioned to me that it turned out to be a LARPers prop bomb that the uber nerds have left behind.

I don't want to depricate any LARPers out there, not my thing though my friends and I did beat the crap out of eachother with LARP like weapons.  To this day I am proud of my PVC Flail. 

Check out the examiner report- Probably Just Nerds

THE 'Nath Approves- Commandercast s3e7 is READY FOR YOUR AUDITORY ELATION!

The title explains it all.

I would like to say that I was a little intimidated by the Skype format as I have become somewhat of a Thrun since I started full-time dadditude and my interaction with "human beings" has been limited to my wife, son, and magic friends.  If I come off as a douche, well then suck it!

I want to say that the scalable strategies was meant to address 1v1 and League style play as well where a deck may need more or less power.  Holding back with power cards was a strategy I picked up in league play, for which I used Omnath exclusively.  Hard to remember all the points I wanted to make even when I had them written down.  Should have paid attention in Speech class (not!)

I really liked the way it turned out, mostly got my point across!
Check out the cast at- Commandercast s3e7- Like a M-F'ing Hurricane

Thanks to Byron, Justin, and of course, Andy, for welcoming me and attempting to decipher what the hell I was trying to say. 

PEACE OUT Y'ALL, EH?

You Can't Handle THE 'Nath- Updated Deck List.

Hey all,

I am writing up an updated Omnath deck list so Andy can post a link to it in the Commandercast notes, so here goes.  Note that I am saving a fullblown deck breakdown for an article so i will just go over it briefly.

THE 'Nath Approves- Mirror Mastery on TCGPlayer.com

I have a double article for ya.  Well technically even 3, as Split Decision has an alternatable commander.  Check it out and leave some comments!

Mirror Master; Split Decision and Master of Espionage

Updates- Commandercast Recorded; Mirror Mastery Written

Hey folks,

Finished recording my new podcast tonight, and I only sort of sucked at it.  Much better than the total suckitude I expected.  Hopefully Andy will be able to make something out of my ramblings.  Next time I will be much better at it.  Learning curve and all.

Just sent this weeks commander article to Frank at TCGPlayer.com, I am really happy with what I came up with and really can't wait to drop some ninjas.  Make sure to go and comment!

THE 'NATH APPROVES- M12 Spoiler- Garruk, Primal Hunter

 

He is so much better than Wildspeaker in scope of power; I will miss the double untap, but not really.  

He is such a bad ass that he is too cool for the cardboard- he is literally stepping out of the picture.  Not only that, you can see his legs as shadow behind the text.  Just a really bad ass card, I can't wait to play him.

When it comes to strategy, he fits perfectly with my Omnath combo deck, as I pack both momentous fall and greater good.  What do you guys think?

Commandercast Appearance- Ranting on THE 'Nath

Hey guys, I am going to appear on the seventh episode, third season of the ONLY magic podcast in THE ENTIRE WORLD- Commandercast. 

We will be talking about Mono Green; so I get to rant on THE 'Nath. 

Check out older episodes at www.commandercast.blogspot.com. 

Devour for Power; Damia, Sage of Mill Stone on TCGPlayer.com

Go check it out, leave some comments and let them know Commander is where its at!

A Review of Devour for Power; Damia, Sage of Mill Stone

Vindication- Counterpunch Review Posted to TCGPlayer Main Page

Hey guys, just got my Counterpunch deck review posted on front page of TCGplayer.  I took down the one i posted on here to avoid any issues.  Go to the article and comment on it, let them know that people are interested in Commander!

The article- Counterpunch on TCGplayer

Shiny Shiny- Black Premium Deck "Graveborn" due for 11-18-11

Not much is known yet, but the red "Fire and Lightning" deck had a lot of cool rare cards in it. 

Commander Pre-Cons- Which is Best and Why?

When most Magic: The Gathering players hear the word “pre-constructed”, they can’t help but laugh a little.  Not only are the pre-constructed decks rarely any good, but the rares provided in said decks are often cards that have no chance of being desirable in any meta game.  With that said, I was elated still at the announcement of the commander pre-constructed decks that will contain NEW cards, never before seen, alongside a plethora of presumably useful cards in the format.  Boy was I not disappointed.

TCG Player Submission- What is Commander and Why Should I Play It?

 I submitted this to TCGPlayer.com when I asked them about writing a regular Commander column on their website.  Wish me luck!

Greetings all, my name is Cassidy and I will be your content provider for the next 1500 or so words.  I have been playing Magic on and off since the release of Alliance though I was never as engaged by the game as much as when I played my first game of EDH, which has now been officially re-monikered as Commander.  With the imminent release of the Commander preconstructed decks, there will be many questions floating around the MTG Community.  Whether you are a seasoned veteran new to the format or if you are just a plain old newbie, a serious gamer or a kitchen table card flopper, the Commander format has plenty to offer any personality and preference.  To this end, I will explain what Commander is and why you should play it, facilitating the discussion by breaking it down into pre and post deck construction considerations of the rules, strategies, and social aspects that make commander unique in the MTG universe.

So what is Commander, and why should you be playing it?

           

Commander is primarily a multiplayer format, though it can be played as a one versus one duel.  With that said, the primary motivation for a player engaged in Commander is meeting new people and having a good time.  The tone of the format is overtly casual, even going so far as to have a “suggested” set of banned cards instead of a hard banned list, though the suggested list is often followed implicitly.  Social policing of offensive cards is encouraged within each meta-game and in essence, Commander operates on a sort of Rousseauian social contract.  Cards and strategies will be discouraged on a local level, and if a player threatens or breaks this social contract through anti-social behavior, a reactive social response will often ensue, including but not limited to forcing a player off the table or even overt shunning if necessary.  This leads to a phenomenon known as “group expectation,” examples of which would be the expectation that games will last long or the expectation that mass land destruction will not be employed.  The group expectation is really the most important aspect of the Commander Social Contract.  The social considerations on deck building is obvious then- some cards will garner more anger than others, and the reaction of other players to your cards and actions is more important than actually winning the game.  In further articles, I will give each card a “hate rate” depending on socially acceptable a card will be.  I encourage readers to voice their opinion.

Say you go to a store you have never been to before for an FNM fix but the draft/standard round doesn’t start for another half an hour.  If you see some random people about to sit down to a game of Commander, you may ask to join.  If you play a commander, card or combo that reduces the fun of everyone else at the table, there is less of a chance that this same group will want to play with you again.  Seeing their displeasure, you can either A) remove the offending cards or change the strategy to keep games fun and interesting, or B) alienate yourself from the group and probably everyone else in the store by continuing with the obnoxious antics. 

Many pre-deck construction factors set the Commander format apart from the other formats, the most prevalent of which is the unique ruleset on which it operates.  Before deck construction, a player must choose a single legendary creature as the “Commander” of their deck.  Any colored mana in the commander’s casting cost and text create what is called the “Color Identity” of the commander.  Only cards sharing a color identity with the commander are allowed in the deck; for instance, the “Dawn Bringer” cycle from Fifth Dawn all have a five color identity despite being mono-colored creatures themselves.  Similarly, split cards, split mana cards, and the phyrexian mana cards cannot be packed in the deck if they have a mana color on them that is not in the commander’s color identity.

Say your commander is Omnath, Locus of Mana.  He is two colorless and one green mana to cast, and has no other mana symbols in his text, making his color identity mono-green.  This Omnath deck cannot contain any other mana symbols, basically limiting the arsenal to green, artifact, and green/colorless producing land cards.  Cards such as Kitchen Finks or Phyrexian Metamorph, despite the fact that they could technically be played by an Omnath player with only green mana to spend, do not share ‘Nath’s color identity so cannot be placed in the deck.  If you switched to a WUG general such as Angus Mackenzie, either card will be legal.

Further impacting deck construction is the Highlander/Singleton format on which Commander is based.  Highlander style decks have only a single copy of any non-basic land cards, totaling to an exact card count of one hundred including the commander, from any of the available Magic sets besides the “Un-“ expansions (though as mentioned, local custom can overturn even this rule.)  Because of this highlander base, building a good Commander deck can be as simple or complex as desired.  With each deck consisting of at least seventy different cards with no overlap, there is a lot more room for pet cards and different strategies to shine. 

This unique deck building ruleset necessarily creates strategies distinct to Commander.  As we will discuss in a bit, the chosen commander is almost always available for the player to cast, making it a prime starting point to build a deck around.  A good example of this is Rhys the Redeemed, who will lead a strong token creature centered deck.  On the other hand, a specific commander can be chosen for their unique color identity, especially the Planar Chaos wedge Elder Dragon cycle such as Vorosh, the Hunter or Intet, the Dreamer who were the sole legendary creatures in their colors, in this case BUG and RUG, until the unique cards in the Commander pre-constructed decks were printed.  Not that a commander deck needs to be built upon a commander- some players use key-word/mechanic themes such as land destruction/resource denial or haste and choose a commander who will fit in with the theme; one can even build a deck based on the knowledge that the games will be multiplayer and capitalize on this fact, creating what is commonly known as a “group hug” deck, usually commanded by Pheldagriff or another legend that can create goodwill towards men/women.  Due to the casual nature of Commander, a player can even choose their commander based on how hilarious the card is, whether or not it is “good.”  While not overtly powerful in conception, a five color Atogatog deck will be very fun if for no other reason than you are playing a freaking Atogatog.  Atogatogatogatogatogatog.

After the deck has been constructed, the commander has another unique role in the deck- your commander is always available for play providing you have the mana, making it the most reliable card in your deck and the natural focal point for strategic planning.  When any game starts, players place their commanders in the ‘command zone’ where they will remain as long as they are not in play or ‘tucked’ back into the deck via certain spells and abilities.  A player may cast their commander from the command zone by paying its mana cost as normal at anytime they could normally cast a creature.  Once a commander dies or is exiled, instead of going to the graveyard or into exile, the commander is returned to the command zone with a counter marking the death.  A player may play the general again, at a cost of two extra colorless mana for each death counter.  

Following the previous example, Omnath has been cast from the command zone after his player taps three forests.  Unfortunately, an opponent taps their two swamps and sends a terror ‘Nath’s way.  Omnath goes back to the command zone with a death counter.  If ‘Nath’s player would like to cast him again, the player must pay four colorless and one green mana.  If he dies again, it will increase to six colorless, and so on.

Commander’s last distinctive trait is the life total and the corresponding ‘commander damage.’  Each player’s life total starts at a whopping forty (40), double that of traditional formats.  To balance this bountiful vitality, a player loses if they take up to twenty one (21) damage from a commander, including their own. 

“Fine, Commander is obviously very unique, but why should I play?”

            As a primarily multiplayer format, Commander lends itself to friendly games, possibly around the kitchen table, possibly to fill time before a tournament.  On the other hand, the interaction between cards can become quite intense and games can become cut throat as players accumulate cards and their decks become fine tuned killing machines.  You can play a game of aggressive domination or a game of political bargaining.  You can play an extremely goofy commander, such as the previously mentioned Atogatog or a no nonsense commander like Skithiryx, the Blight Dragon.  You can play a game that lasts four turns where a player combos off and wins the game with cards like Exsanguinate, or games that last for hours as the players build their forces, poised for an epic showdown.   In other words, whatever kind of game you want to play, Commander is like All State- there for you.

            For those that have played Magic for years, Commander is a great place to put all those unused cards that are awesome but have long since rotated out in other formats.  As a bonus, these old cards will interact with newer cards in strange and hilarious ways, breathing new life into your collection.  Elder cards such as Seedborn Muse, Future Sight, and even Strip Mine all take on new dimensions in a Commander deck.  

Conversely, for newer players, Commander is an inexpensive way to get into the game and learn the ins and outs of playing Magic in general.  Many older cards are one dollar or lower, and a decent commander is usually around two to five.  Adding to this, most expensive cards have low costing alternatives that will do in a pinch.  One could easily assemble an effective commander deck for under forty dollar, and a not so effective one for much less.  Even if you can’t afford to build a deck, go to your LGS, ask to sit in on a game or if you know how to play ask to borrow a deck from another player.  Most Commander players have multiple decks; I always carry around my Omnath, Kemba, and Captain Sisay decks that I would be more than happy to lend anyone without a deck. 

            Thus ends my primer on the Commander format, I hope its relevance was apparent.  Stay logged for future articles about Commander including deck building, strategy, and social contract.