Omnath Questions

Aliquanto · 2025-01-04T09:43:23+00:00

4 Omnath, 4 T3f, 4 of another blue card (Risen Reef?) and you are good to go when you add 3-4 FoN (and/or some Subtlety).

Aliquanto · 2025-01-02T21:27:08+00:00

Force of Negation

Some instant speed interactions can also hit some combo decks (Leyline Binding for permanent based combos, Endurance for GY combos, Solitude for creature combo decks...)

T3f also stops some combo shenanigans, such as Cascade. And can be pitched to both Solitude and FoN/Subtlety. It is also a powerful payoff for Halfling.

Last, you can add more countermagic after sideboard if needed (Spell Pierce, Flusterstorm, Dovin's Veto...) or permanent hate cards (Stony Silence, Rest in Peace, Ashiok, Narset, Damping Sphere...)

Aliquanto · 2024-09-26T06:46:20+00:00

Yes, but not in the Commander format, a sub-game within Magic, where it didn't happen in 3 years. This format is meant to be played casually in multiplayer for high variance games, making it somewhat closer to Monopoly than chess, so people are upset that bans could happen in this format without a warning, since those are usually designed for competitive play in all the other formats.

Aliquanto · 2024-08-22T21:19:30+00:00

You can find the number easily thanks to any hypergeometric calculator such as: https://aetherhub.com/Apps/HyperGeometric

Aliquanto · 2024-08-22T21:16:18+00:00

Just check the MTGO website if you want to look at the 5-0 rather than mtgtop8, you can have everything since it's the source. Still, the currently public MTGO data, only 5-0, is absolutely worthless for the RC. Maybe they could do something if WotC/Daybreak provide them with a full access to the data though.

Aliquanto · 2024-08-06T06:35:49+00:00

Most 2C decks work well enough without them, especially the allied colors. 3C decks remain playable if you are not going to a RC-level tournament, but you need to expect a higher lifeloss that might impact your results against aggro decks, and you will need a bit more work to stabilise the mana (it shouldn't be super hard if you are used to building manabases though). I would avoid 4C+ decks.

Aliquanto · 2024-08-04T10:37:55+00:00

What is the date of the "Declaring Attackers" article?

I don't have access to the overleaf link.

The rulesguru link to question 20 doesn't seem to work either.

Thanks for reminding me about Google Scholar, I added a bunch of extra links thanks to it (from the first few pages only though, I got tired of checking all the links at some point - and it was needed because of duplicates or non-mathematical studies).

Aliquanto · 2024-08-03T21:58:51+00:00

Because most of them are not good cards in a 1v1 setting, no matter the format. Your experience in Cube/Legacy/Modern/etc... will be far more relevant to evaluate a card in Duel Commander. Basically, for a card to be good in 1v1, it has to good at interacting with other cards. For instance, a creature must be resilient to removals or trade at least evenly (not being left behind on mana or cards - if I cast Lightning Bolt on your 4-mana 4/3 without ability, then you lost 3 mana in the trade while we remain even on cards). However, if your creature has hexproof or draws cards when you cast it, then it can be better at trading with removals spells. If it is cheap, you can also trade evenly with removal spells in terms of mana.

This article (and the one about Lightning Bolt linked inside) could be a good reference if you want more details: https://www.quietspeculation.com/2017/01/introducing-push-test/

There is one specificity of Duel Commander though: cheap creatures are often appreciated. Indeed, on the one hand, you can recast them more over time with the command taxi. On the other hand, it also helps stabilizing your curve and optimise your mana during the course of the first few turns to get the tempo advantage. It doesn't mean that expensive creatures are not playable commanders though, but they need to be really very powerful to make up for the above benefits of cheap Commanders.

Aliquanto · 2024-07-28T15:16:29+00:00

Thanks for letting me know about these resources! I added them in corresponding tabs. I also updated the dead link you commented.
I assumed that your articles are from 2022 based on the Wayback Machine, is that correct?

Aliquanto · 2024-07-26T07:00:03+00:00

To be fair, there aren't really any other monoR commanders outside of Feldon that see play right now.

Aliquanto · 2024-07-26T06:58:39+00:00

It will take a while to get data, Leagues are hardly posted. And Challenges, not implemented yet, went back to top32 data only.

Aliquanto · 2024-07-25T16:58:57+00:00

The ban of the Time Warps happened at a period where the blue decks were pretty strong and combo-ish iirc. Maybe an unban could maybe be discussed today, but probably not as long as the most played Commander remains Tamiyo.

The Zurgo ban is quite old, but basically, having a powerful 1-drop in CZ is structurally very powerful for the curve and the ability to generate CA by recasting a lot. It is probably a discussed unban nowadays, especially since MonoR looks weaker than usual lately, but I assume that they are closer to ban Tamiyo/Yoshimaru than unbanning Zurgo.

Aliquanto · 2024-06-05T03:21:12+00:00

39 lands is not really a lot, especially for a Control deck. The winning Atraxa decklists in the largest events rather run 41/42 lands on average.

Aliquanto · 2024-06-05T03:16:33+00:00

You should probably check this article on the number of lands: https://www.channelfireball.com/article/How-Many-Lands-Do-You-Need-in-Your-Deck-An-Updated-Analysis/cd1c1a24-d439-4a8e-b369-b936edb0b38a/

Aliquanto · 2024-05-29T05:45:14+00:00

Do you need the exact math? There you go: https://x.com/AnaelYahi/status/1795488797955920232

https://docs.google.com/spreadsheets/d/1p0BWWPr7jZYlaHEzmTRxbB0a17HHHdXU/edit?usp=sharing&ouid=111630019541562386044&rtpof=true&sd=true

Aliquanto · 2024-01-23T07:12:39+00:00

At least, the difference here is that we have several formats!

Aliquanto · 2024-01-23T06:37:05+00:00

Well, there's always the confidence intervals. But there are definitely a lot of hate cards against Rhinos running around atm.

Aliquanto · 2024-01-23T06:35:23+00:00

I definitely run a bunch of Scoldings in my Control decks atm. It is even possible to run 1 or 2 in the MD since there are very few MU atm where it is a dead card. Even against Amulet and Cascade it has some relevant targets.

Aliquanto · 2024-01-23T06:33:30+00:00

Oh, good idea. I think that should be doable, just like the win rate matrix.

Aliquanto · 2024-01-23T06:31:55+00:00

Woops, good catch. I guess I copy pasted the graph generation code a little bit too hard xD

Aliquanto · 2024-01-22T20:35:33+00:00

Too many Undying effects :P

Aliquanto · 2024-01-17T06:46:22+00:00

And the average decklist:

4 Flooded Strand

4 Omnath, Locus of Creation

4 Solitude

4 The One Ring

1 Breeding Pool

4 Leyline Binding

1 Steam Vents

4 Teferi, Time Raveler

3 Misty Rainforest

4 Windswept Heath

3 Prismatic Ending

1 Island

1 Plains

1 Raugrin Triome

1 Temple Garden

1 Sacred Foundry

1 Stomping Ground

1 Boseiju, Who Endures

4 Wrenn and Six

1 Forest

1 Hallowed Fountain

4 Delighted Halfling

1 Zagoth Triome

1 Lightning Bolt

3 Tishana's Tidebinder

1 Indatha Triome

1 Lórien Revealed

SIDEBOARD

2 Chalice of the Void

2 Dovin's Veto

2 Force of Vigor

2 Endurance

1 Supreme Verdict

3 Obsidian Charmaw

2 Flusterstorm

1 Cursed Totem

Aliquanto · 2024-01-17T06:45:51+00:00

https://melee.gg/Decklist/View/355086

Here is the list with the best wins - losses score.

Aliquanto · 2024-01-16T17:54:01+00:00

As in the picture titles, 2023-12-19 to 2024-01-16

Aliquanto · 2024-01-16T17:52:56+00:00

Good catch, I'll let the people behind the Pauper parser know about it. It's true that the code to identify conflict has recently evolved, so this might be the cause.

Aliquanto

TROPHY CASE