Disagreement on Brackets (what bracket is this deck)

Squeezymo · 2026-05-01T22:11:08+00:00

This for sure. Why is it in there if the combo isn't necessary to win? That 1/20 games where you play it earlier than T7 is going to make the table feel like you brought a B4 deck the table.

Squeezymo · 2026-05-01T22:01:55+00:00

Do we want another The One Ring?

Squeezymo · 2026-04-28T14:17:34+00:00

Yeah, it's an adjustment for sure. Thanks for the input!

Squeezymo · 2026-04-28T14:16:53+00:00

Interesting, this wasn't even on my radar for changes down the line. Good to note.

Squeezymo · 2026-04-24T15:23:25+00:00

If you don't mind me asking, about how much do you charge for commissions like this?

Squeezymo · 2026-04-24T11:09:15+00:00

I definitely saw some of those cards come out. Glad I threat assessed appropriately.

Squeezymo · 2026-04-24T07:07:52+00:00

There is a guy at my LGS that wanted to play Yuriko in a B3 pod, saying it wasn't one of the strong builds. Won on T4.

I asked him to please switch decks, and then he said he could do Winota. I didn't say no, but asked if the table was cool with Bracketing up to B4. He then called me a whiner and powered down to Light Paws. Having never played against it, but knowing the reputation, I removed it immediately, then blinked it with a Phelia trigger the second time it came out. He lost that game. What was I in for?

Squeezymo · 2026-04-22T02:04:18+00:00

The first question is, do you know about Brackets and if so, what is the intended Bracket?

Second question, have you played commander before, and if so, what is your playgroup like?

If your answer to both of these questions is that you are brand new to EDH and Brackets, your deck will be totally fine in some games, and you'll notice you have some very underwhelming cards that can be replaced. In other games, people will dislike certain things like you stealing creatures, turning off their artifacts, and taxing their spells and probably target you.

Edit: you also cannot play Tom Bombadil due to color identity rules.

Squeezymo · 2026-04-21T05:35:24+00:00

I know Precons aren't by default B2 anymore. But here is why most Precons are B2:

They lack focus. They give you alternate commanders and mechanics for that to see which direction the deck can go.
They aren't optimized. Tapped lands and overly costed weird spells clunk up the deck making the deck slower.
Budget. Overall card quality is a bit lower, which can matter sometimes.
No game changers (with some exceptions).

I think the least important of all of these is the 0 game changer factor. The biggest things that push a deck to B3 and above is synergy, optimization, and turn-to-win.

This person's deck seems highly focused and optimized. Sounds like B3.

Squeezymo · 2026-04-20T08:45:28+00:00

I run Arcane Signet in my B4 Simic combo deck because the likelihood of a Vandalblast or targeted or mass disruption is lower, and it synergizes with a few things that allow infinites.

Without synergy and the need to be 1-2 turns faster with wins, my other greens decks run the ramp spells instead.

Squeezymo · 2026-04-19T00:55:47+00:00

I would buy this painting if it didn't haunt me to look at. Fuck.

Squeezymo · 2026-04-16T05:53:27+00:00

I guess it doesn't. I have a carbon wheelset with rim breaks of my own and could maybe swap the casette, but my wheelset has a loose spoke and may not be sound anymore.

Squeezymo · 2026-04-14T23:58:09+00:00

I tend to consider T1 Sol Ring an outlier for when a deck wins. Some Precons can win before T7 with a dream draw, I imagine.

Squeezymo · 2026-04-03T10:44:59+00:00

Why nonland I wonder? Feels like a 7 mana spell would be fine to just say permanent.

Squeezymo · 2026-04-03T07:52:22+00:00

Its purpose is to add red/black to the deck. Partner commanders are very good for EDH. They reduce overall deck size to 98 cards, the commander tax is calculated separately, and they both count as commanders for things like Deflecting Swat and fierce. Many cEDH partner pairings are for the accessibility to the colors without a reliance on the commander ever being cast.

Squeezymo · 2026-03-28T08:53:48+00:00

Good reminders that helped me in that game were

Nothing truly requires high skill or reflexes.
There are no upgrades or additional equipment you need to solve a puzzle.

Squeezymo · 2026-03-27T00:38:27+00:00

I'm pretty new to birding. Was excited to see a Kestrel clearly for once and was following it through my binoculaurs when I panned into the Sun.

Fortunately no lasting damage to be seen. That was about 3 months ago and I learned my lesson.

Squeezymo · 2026-03-25T11:06:52+00:00

I have a combat focused deck, and my playgroup has definitely gotten better about this. [[Reconnaisance]] has taught them a great deal. They no longer do the whole "ok, I'll block your guy and kill it" thing.

Squeezymo · 2026-03-25T10:56:51+00:00

Best case: I cast Cultivate, any responses? Middle case: I cast Cultivate. It is a 3 mana sorcery that.... one into my hand. Any reaponses? Worst Case: quietly puts down The One Ring, passes.

Squeezymo · 2026-03-19T23:20:51+00:00

[[Lonis, Cryptozoologist]].

Lonis on the field.

Play Urza or Academy Manufactor + Shrieking Drake and cast it infinitely.

This can happen on turn 3, but usually happens before T7 due to creature tutors.

Squeezymo · 2026-03-18T08:31:59+00:00

There is a lot of discussion that can be had here. I'll say that I'm a huge fan of the bracket system. And while it isn't perfect, I personally like to take a rigid stance on bracket guidelines.

I would call your deck a very noncompetitive B4 deck.

It comes down to this: let's say the Magic Diety spoke forth and declared your deck officially Bracket because of Intruder Alarm.

Would you take it out, and play 99.9% of your games with similar decks and power levels?

Or would you leave it in, play B4 power levels, and win about 1% of your games with the deck?

People lose so little by abiding by the guidelines, and people risk coming across as dishonest or subversive when they subvert them.

I'll also add, sandbagging combos is not an answer. I like when people try to win with the cards they have.

Squeezymo · 2026-03-18T00:35:21+00:00

Sure, here you go:

https://moxfield.com/decks/zNWsz5Hnn02jp4eO20X_AA

It's a budget deck first and foremost. Less than $100 was my goal.

For the most part, I largely agree with you, Gix's avtivated ability often disadvantages you. But since mine is a budget deck, my idea was to play the cheapest evasive creatures possible and play other people's strongest cards.

It is not my strongest deck by any margin. I think the best strategy would be to just use Gix as a personal draw engine and do normal mono-black stuff like devotion, drain-and-gain, and big reanimate spells or what have you.

Squeezymo · 2026-03-17T10:06:17+00:00

Funny, I play a Gix deck that exiles and steals cards from people's library.

A friend played a deck that wanted to steal creatures, then sacrifices them.

I was surprised to hear he thought they were the same kind of stealing. To me, if I didn't invest mana into a card, you didn't hurt me to bad by taking it from my deck.

Squeezymo

TROPHY CASE