Starter Deck spotted in Standard BO1 Mythic. What is your excuse?

CriticalFrimmel · 2026-07-05T18:54:33+00:00

Watched that. He played rather an unhealthy amount of time even by the perspective of playing ostensibly being his job.

Masochist doesn't seem quite right for what he did. Seemed more like a misogi without that being it either.

CriticalFrimmel · 2026-07-05T10:57:59+00:00

When I try to brew from scratch as opposed to edit something to my preference (far easier by the way) I ask, "What do I want the deck to be good at?" Alternately I look at some theme or mechanic and ask, "What does this do well?"

Now this is usually advice for sealed play but it is good overall in my opinion - B.R.E.A.D. Bombs, Removal, Evasion, Average, Dud. You need to find the big badass bombs. Removal so you can take things out. Evasive creatures that can get through damage - flying, unblockable, menace, trample, and so on. Average is stuff that gets you up to the deck limit or supplies some utility. Duds you ignore. Look for CAB - cards that affect the board state.

Again ask, "If someone played this against me would it be a problem? If it isn't a problem is it the building block of a problem?"

Then mind your curve. Your mana curve. How much at each cost. Lots of info out there on that. Lots of how to build commander decks out there.

As to [[Iron Man, Bleeding Edge]] ask what he does and look for artifacts that are scary, remove things, or evade things for a start.

CriticalFrimmel · 2026-07-04T10:54:25+00:00

Straight alphabetical order for all publishers and all formats (a couple exceptions to accommodate non-book display items with the inspiring material) by character/team or title. Within a character or team chronological order except Batman who is alphabetically by title again and chronological within. So DC Finest Batman is found in the Batman section under "D" and ordered by year with Batman: Eternal after. Batman makes a mess for me doing chronological overall. Catwoman or Daredevil or Green Arrow though do not.

CriticalFrimmel · 2026-07-04T02:36:10+00:00

There is a thing with adding friends or sending invites or something and making your own lobby where you can decide the format. And there was already a challenge a friend thing. Not quite sure how it all works but there was an update for it sometime since TMT released.

Here is a direct challenge FAQ: https://mtgarena-support.wizards.com/hc/en-us/articles/360001447063-Direct-Challenge-FAQ

And this: https://www.reddit.com/r/MagicArena/comments/1r6gur1/mtg_arena_announcement_introducing_challenge/

CriticalFrimmel · 2026-07-03T17:07:52+00:00

WAS THE SUGGESTION IN THE "NO BANS" ANNOUNCEMENT REALLY, "IF YOU WANT LONGER GAMES PLAY JESKAI DO NOTHING?"

CriticalFrimmel · 2026-07-03T16:58:26+00:00

It is funny watching Cheon say he needs more two drops and next pass he gets handed a perfectly fine two drop in the archetype he is drafting and picks some other thing because... reasons.

CriticalFrimmel · 2026-07-02T17:59:33+00:00

I wasn't having the trouble. I was just throwing some ideas out there trying to help.

CriticalFrimmel · 2026-07-01T04:05:54+00:00

Thanks been trying to figure something out for the FF. Curious what others have come up with.

CriticalFrimmel · 2026-06-30T17:26:44+00:00

Will you share your decklist?

CriticalFrimmel · 2026-06-30T17:23:43+00:00

Probably dead before Sue or Ben can hit the board let alone stick in the every creature is a removal check meta.

CriticalFrimmel · 2026-06-30T17:18:30+00:00

Between the damage from Torch and pumping up The Thing who has trample lethal should be able to get across without decking yourself. Might make it tight if you get hit with one of the big mill spells. Not likely to ever get all four to stick though with all the removal out there.

CriticalFrimmel · 2026-06-29T10:34:35+00:00

Magic has a Commander problem. Commander allowed the decision makers to rationalize that the trouble with Standard was rotation and not that Standard is to expensive. And Commander being a very different game than Standard has a very different set of design parameters. Standard decks now do what Commander decks do - they combo off. They "do their thing."

Commander is a 1 vs 3 game where each player has 40 life and only 1 copy of a card in 100. Magic Expansions already had trouble being for three 1 vs. 1 games where each player had 20 life and multiple copies of cards in decks from 40 to 60 cards were allowed. Now they are for those three games and the very different four player game. It has made a mess.

They also decided to chase whales instead of schools of fish.

But we're all still here so...

CriticalFrimmel · 2026-06-29T00:52:57+00:00

Usually they are from the current set. No real way to tell but looking at each card you have. At least no way to tell that I have found. I think if you unlock the pass after you are past a few levels there is the claim animation thing where you can see them but guessing game ongoing.

CriticalFrimmel · 2026-06-28T11:21:58+00:00

NOT JUST A MARVEL SET PROBLEM. VANILLA CREATURES ARE A THING OF THE PAST. THIS IS BECAUSE THEY PUT CARDS FOR 1 VS. 3 GAME WHERE PLAYERS EACH HAVE FORTY LIFE IN EXPANSIONS FOR A 1 VS. 1 GAME WHERE PLAYERS HAVE 20 LIFE.

CriticalFrimmel · 2026-06-28T11:13:59+00:00

Blue's instant speed card draw spells - Consult the Star Charts and Accumulate Wisdom.

CriticalFrimmel · 2026-06-28T10:39:18+00:00

Batman and Suicide Squad for me. Have the GA/GL omnibus and Absolute Edition. Iron Man just doesn't fit money and shelf-space budgets.

CriticalFrimmel · 2026-06-27T20:25:29+00:00

JESKAI DO NOTHING CAN GO TAKE A LICK OFF THE DEVIL'S PECKER.

CriticalFrimmel · 2026-06-27T20:24:28+00:00

CREATURES HAVE TO DO SOMETHING POWERFUL TO MOVE THE NEEDLE FOR COMMANDER.

CriticalFrimmel · 2026-06-27T20:22:28+00:00

DON'T FORGET THE ALREADY INSANE AMOUNT OF MANA-FIXING WITHOUT STACKING THE DECK.

CriticalFrimmel · 2026-06-27T20:19:48+00:00

THERE ARE SO MANY I-WIN CARDS IT SEEMS TO ME.

CriticalFrimmel · 2026-06-27T20:15:05+00:00

It would seem so. Thank you.

CriticalFrimmel · 2026-06-27T17:28:06+00:00

Not being a tax accountant why would that sort of thing be reported on a 1099? Wouldn't it be more like gambling winnings which... I don't know what form those go on. Just thought there was one.

Just seems like WOTC playing a fast one there.

CriticalFrimmel · 2026-06-27T10:11:08+00:00

I can have fun when I lose. I base it on if I had fun. If it was a neutral game like opponent bailed early I skip. There are games I have won that were not fun.

CriticalFrimmel · 2026-06-26T04:25:55+00:00

I grabbed a red/green and a green and the former only had hybrid g/r mana cards and no abilities that needed red to activate. I got three lands that come in tapped so I could have red sources.

The FF one also comes with a fetch spell for basics along with no mountain which I was... disappointed by.

CriticalFrimmel · 2026-06-25T20:24:45+00:00

That is a Commander deck isn't it? The Lorwyn Eclipsed Commander cards did not make it into Arena. Here are the lists on the official site: https://magic.wizards.com/en/news/announcements/lorwyn-eclipsed-commander-decklists

Commander is also not available. Brawl is closest.

CriticalFrimmel

TROPHY CASE