Advice: Build decks that you would like to play against, not just decks that you like to play. Magic is not solitaire and everyone will team up against you, even before and outside the game if you play stupid decks that don't allow people to play the deck they built at all.
My system: -do I like the character and art? -does it do something interesting? -can I lean into its ability/characteristics in an unexpected way? -can I tell a story with this? I need all 4.
4:08 - I'd argue that there's a third category of "love playing against them". I love when I get to play against a combo deck sometimes - it can completely change the feel of a game.
One addition: vets should keep a precon or very low power deck to play with people opening their first deck. Great video, good for new players, needed reminders for vets.
A good chunk of my non-MTG friends have all started playing thanks to WH40K, LotR and Dr Who and having some Precons sleeved up has been great. It keeps the power level relatively on par and everyone has fun :)
The 4 deck archetypes are a good starting off point for any beginner looking to build a deck from scratch. There's no point building a Pillowfort deck and then realizing you hate the slow and grindy playstyle. Themes definitely help with card choice and selection but themes don't always dictate play style.
Another tip should be to always be open to experimenting with new deck types. I find the most fun I have in commander is when I see a new legendary card that I didn't know about or don't play much of and try to make something around it. On that note, there's a huge arsenal of information to help build decks like channels on youtube obviously, or websites like EDHRec to see what direction people take their decks in or Archidekt to theorycraft decks (their search is super in depth).
When I first started playing Commander, I would refuse to play Green. "When you play Green, the terrorists win". It took me a while, but I soon got over that when I started playing Commander for Fun instead of just winning.
I know this is more of a sidebar then anything to do with the video , but in my case Xenagos is more aggro then midrange. If you can ramp the first 3 or 4 turns plop out Xenagos and a huge creatue you can kill everyone within another couple of turns after that.
Yeah fair enough. I was looking for easy to play examples and they just came to mind. I had him in mind to just play big chonkers 1 after another and fire them at players.
I know this video is a little older but just found you channel… my advice to a new player is don’t try to keep up with the Jones’ …. Play cards you find but until you play a deck. 8-10 times you really don’t know how it’s going to perform… don’t just build a deck you find on the web and think it’s going to play awesome for you… you may not have the experience to understand how strong some cards really are… looking at you bolas’ citadel or nercopotence… some cards are all about timing when the best time to use them is… just because you can play a sol ring on turn 1 doesn’t mean you should, it can/ will draw some attention you may not want or r be able to defend against.. certain cards may be part of you win conditions and other people will know that and you may not even realize it yet..
As a new player this was super helpful. Also as someone who picked up the Host of Mordor precon, I'd love to see the spellslinger Lord of the Nazgul deck
I don't have the Spell Slinger list complete yet as I've been working on other videos, but you can find my Pillowfort list on my Moxfield account along with all the other decks I currently have built :) www.moxfield.com/users/attackoncardboard
7:55 is probably the most important part, If you're new player please heed this. this is a casual format please match the power of your play group, don't be a dick.
I'm guessing stax was left out to keep this video more beginner friendly? I'd argue that Xenagod is an aggro deck, often the game plan is ramp him out ASAP with a hefty chonky trampler and swing face until your opponents are dead. Midrange to me is more synergistic and value engine centered. Edit: Thedanath already pointed that out below.
@@attackoncardboard I am curious if you will say anything about the commander ranking on edhrec. I ordered a new deck literally today and the commander is #1606 on the list with 130decks in the database. And with the companion there are no decks in the database. I have to say, it feels good to have a low played (or not played) commander combination. :)
Advice: Dont get salty. Its a four player format. You should win 25% of the time against other equal players. Let other people do their thing. Dont scoop because the other guy made forty thousand bees. Let him quote the bee movie until he swings out. Play something comfy instead of the galaxy brain MENSA deck you came up with shuffling through your collection. This is a format for filthy casuals, and you need to accept that. If you want faster games, play the same cards everyone else does. Everyone knows what a rhystic study is. If you want interesting games, play the cards that have bizarre features. Equal Treatment is my favorite. Keep a 60 card deck on the side and have a few games of traditional 1v1. The honesty of 'Im going to be unfair to you, and you should do the same' is refreshing. Seriously Commander isnt the only format.
There's no such thing as unfair so long as it's within the rules. Sure some things are extremely overpowered And can be unfun to play against, but that's when you laugh about it instead of crying about it and/or getting angry. It's all about the mindset which many have the wrong one when playing. It's just a game after all
8:57 Or your doing very poorly. I've kind of stopped playing because I have a "good commander" so I must have a finely tuned deck that can win quickly. I originally like the format before WOTC made it a product because it was all about having fun and now its just money and winning.
The 'social contract' generally stops players from attacking people who are struggling with land drops etc And in regard to the product, I see it as an easy entry point for beginners wanting to play. Building my first Commander Deck without a precon was a nightmare. It was a mishmash amalgam of cards that eventually became a proper deck after I expanded my collection. Lowering the barrier to entry is always a plus.
I agree that they are nice for entry-level, but before, it was a casual format, and nobody was playing it until Wizards of the Coast made it a format. Now everybody that does play only plays competitively. I only see experienced players buying the products, and new ones find it confusing and intimidating because they don't have money to be competitive.
If you feel everyone is playing competitively, that sounds more like a playgroup problem than a product problem. If you're playing with your friends, I'd highly recommend Rule 0 before the game or prior to meeting up and playing, try setting deck limitations. You can simply have your own ban list or set some deck construction rules. "Decks that cost $50 or less" "Uncommons and Commons only" "Cards from a single Block" etc.
I personally don't think Infect is that bad. Infect is perfect at punishing players that don't run interaction. I'll always preach to run more lands and more interaction in decks.
@@ceulgai2817 Infect draws a lot of hate because you effectively only need to deal 75% less damage to a player than you normally would. Not to mention it's utility with damage abilities. But as I mentioned, generally those that are losing to infect aren't running enough interaction, whether that's counter spells or removal.
@@attackoncardboard I'm aware lol. People think infect is super OP because you can kill one player in one explosive blast, but... it's not broken. It can only do that once in commander, and so it often turns a 4p game into a 2p game. I much prefer a stick and spread style of infect. Also, the "you only need to deal 10 damage" viewpoint is highly flawed, considering you're often the only one doing so, as opposed to combat, where you have allies helping you.
Advice: Build decks that you would like to play against, not just decks that you like to play. Magic is not solitaire and everyone will team up against you, even before and outside the game if you play stupid decks that don't allow people to play the deck they built at all.
My system:
-do I like the character and art?
-does it do something interesting?
-can I lean into its ability/characteristics in an unexpected way?
-can I tell a story with this?
I need all 4.
4:08 - I'd argue that there's a third category of "love playing against them". I love when I get to play against a combo deck sometimes - it can completely change the feel of a game.
One addition: vets should keep a precon or very low power deck to play with people opening their first deck.
Great video, good for new players, needed reminders for vets.
A good chunk of my non-MTG friends have all started playing thanks to WH40K, LotR and Dr Who and having some Precons sleeved up has been great. It keeps the power level relatively on par and everyone has fun :)
Damn i still saving the money but picking the precons is really stressful
I get why you used deck archetypes but deck themes are way more relevant in commander for what a deck is
The 4 deck archetypes are a good starting off point for any beginner looking to build a deck from scratch. There's no point building a Pillowfort deck and then realizing you hate the slow and grindy playstyle.
Themes definitely help with card choice and selection but themes don't always dictate play style.
Another tip should be to always be open to experimenting with new deck types. I find the most fun I have in commander is when I see a new legendary card that I didn't know about or don't play much of and try to make something around it. On that note, there's a huge arsenal of information to help build decks like channels on youtube obviously, or websites like EDHRec to see what direction people take their decks in or Archidekt to theorycraft decks (their search is super in depth).
When I first started playing Commander, I would refuse to play Green. "When you play Green, the terrorists win". It took me a while, but I soon got over that when I started playing Commander for Fun instead of just winning.
5:43 what song is playing in the background? I recognize it.
Muffin Shuffle - Harris Heller (Streambeats Chiptune)
THIS IS SO HELPFUL! Thank you!!
Yooo the video quality is top tier cant wait to see this channel grow 🥳🥳🥳
Really appreciate the feedback ☺
I know this is more of a sidebar then anything to do with the video , but in my case Xenagos is more aggro then midrange. If you can ramp the first 3 or 4 turns plop out Xenagos and a huge creatue you can kill everyone within another couple of turns after that.
Yeah fair enough. I was looking for easy to play examples and they just came to mind. I had him in mind to just play big chonkers 1 after another and fire them at players.
I know this video is a little older but just found you channel… my advice to a new player is don’t try to keep up with the Jones’ …. Play cards you find but until you play a deck. 8-10 times you really don’t know how it’s going to perform… don’t just build a deck you find on the web and think it’s going to play awesome for you… you may not have the experience to understand how strong some cards really are… looking at you bolas’ citadel or nercopotence… some cards are all about timing when the best time to use them is… just because you can play a sol ring on turn 1 doesn’t mean you should, it can/ will draw some attention you may not want or r be able to defend against.. certain cards may be part of you win conditions and other people will know that and you may not even realize it yet..
Good advice!
As a new player this was super helpful. Also as someone who picked up the Host of Mordor precon, I'd love to see the spellslinger Lord of the Nazgul deck
That's great to hear! If there's anything else you need a hand with, feel free to ask/let me know and I'll do my best to help ☺️
Great video, but where can I find your lists for pillow fort and spellslinger?
I don't have the Spell Slinger list complete yet as I've been working on other videos, but you can find my Pillowfort list on my Moxfield account along with all the other decks I currently have built :)
www.moxfield.com/users/attackoncardboard
@@attackoncardboard Thank you
7:55 is probably the most important part, If you're new player please heed this. this is a casual format please match the power of your play group, don't be a dick.
I have my fun casual, my competitive, and my just evil deck that annoys everyone. It has some silly cards, like doorway to nothingness😂
I'm guessing stax was left out to keep this video more beginner friendly?
I'd argue that Xenagod is an aggro deck, often the game plan is ramp him out ASAP with a hefty chonky trampler and swing face until your opponents are dead. Midrange to me is more synergistic and value engine centered.
Edit: Thedanath already pointed that out below.
Pretty much. The brief was to aim this video more at Beginners than Intermediates, so that's why I skipped Stax :)
Actually, the toughest question to answer in Commander is "Do you pay the one?"
Master warcraft can't be played in Hanna, ship navigator. I know this might only be an exemple, but for new player it might be confusing.
You're correct. It's just an example of a card that can go into a "Pillow Fort" theme deck, not specifically the Hanna version.
Man... could you have not done that half a year ago when i picked mtg up again. ._.
It would saved me so much money.
😅 Hopefully when you watch it, there will be at least something you can take away from it 😀
@@attackoncardboard I am curious if you will say anything about the commander ranking on edhrec.
I ordered a new deck literally today and the commander is #1606 on the list with 130decks in the database.
And with the companion there are no decks in the database.
I have to say, it feels good to have a low played (or not played) commander combination. :)
I selected the commanders of my decks on the basis of badassness
When one asks others players how strong their deck is, they will almost invariably tell you “It’s a seven”.
I'll have you know my Sram deck with only commons and 15 lands in it is a 8 or 9 but bare minimum a 7.
Yeah, I tend not to lean on the number system and just ask "Fast/Free Mana? Infinite combos? 2 Card Combos?" and go from there.
Advice:
Dont get salty. Its a four player format. You should win 25% of the time against other equal players.
Let other people do their thing. Dont scoop because the other guy made forty thousand bees. Let him quote the bee movie until he swings out.
Play something comfy instead of the galaxy brain MENSA deck you came up with shuffling through your collection. This is a format for filthy casuals, and you need to accept that.
If you want faster games, play the same cards everyone else does. Everyone knows what a rhystic study is.
If you want interesting games, play the cards that have bizarre features. Equal Treatment is my favorite.
Keep a 60 card deck on the side and have a few games of traditional 1v1. The honesty of 'Im going to be unfair to you, and you should do the same' is refreshing. Seriously Commander isnt the only format.
This short comment is probably a better video than most of the "how to get into commander" videos I've seen. Wonderful work!
There's no such thing as unfair so long as it's within the rules. Sure some things are extremely overpowered And can be unfun to play against, but that's when you laugh about it instead of crying about it and/or getting angry. It's all about the mindset which many have the wrong one when playing. It's just a game after all
I usually end up a target- my favorite commanders are Ur Dragon, Gishath, Edgar Markov, Lathril and Kaalia (Angel tribal)
8:57 Or your doing very poorly. I've kind of stopped playing because I have a "good commander" so I must have a finely tuned deck that can win quickly. I originally like the format before WOTC made it a product because it was all about having fun and now its just money and winning.
The 'social contract' generally stops players from attacking people who are struggling with land drops etc
And in regard to the product, I see it as an easy entry point for beginners wanting to play. Building my first Commander Deck without a precon was a nightmare. It was a mishmash amalgam of cards that eventually became a proper deck after I expanded my collection.
Lowering the barrier to entry is always a plus.
I agree that they are nice for entry-level, but before, it was a casual format, and nobody was playing it until Wizards of the Coast made it a format. Now everybody that does play only plays competitively. I only see experienced players buying the products, and new ones find it confusing and intimidating because they don't have money to be competitive.
If you feel everyone is playing competitively, that sounds more like a playgroup problem than a product problem. If you're playing with your friends, I'd highly recommend Rule 0 before the game or prior to meeting up and playing, try setting deck limitations. You can simply have your own ban list or set some deck construction rules. "Decks that cost $50 or less" "Uncommons and Commons only" "Cards from a single Block" etc.
in my shitty opinion, if you play something like a Thassa+Consultation deck with this combo and a lot of tutors you're not playing commander...
It's definitely something that should be brought up at Rule 0. "Hey, I run a 2 card win the game combo, is that ok?"
For sure @@attackoncardboard
The 5th core and most hated. Any infect deck. Get that broken stuff outta here
I personally don't think Infect is that bad. Infect is perfect at punishing players that don't run interaction. I'll always preach to run more lands and more interaction in decks.
Infect isn't broken? Wdym?
@@ceulgai2817 Infect draws a lot of hate because you effectively only need to deal 75% less damage to a player than you normally would. Not to mention it's utility with damage abilities.
But as I mentioned, generally those that are losing to infect aren't running enough interaction, whether that's counter spells or removal.
@@attackoncardboard I'm aware lol. People think infect is super OP because you can kill one player in one explosive blast, but... it's not broken. It can only do that once in commander, and so it often turns a 4p game into a 2p game. I much prefer a stick and spread style of infect.
Also, the "you only need to deal 10 damage" viewpoint is highly flawed, considering you're often the only one doing so, as opposed to combat, where you have allies helping you.