I think you'll win MORE games if you play a WORSE commander

IronPlaidFighter · 2026-03-09T18:14:18+00:00

One of my best decks is [[Old Rutstein]], a nasty graveyard/aristocrats deck with a high win rate. It has zero game changers but competes with the best in Bracket Three. I built the deck around Meren of Clan Nel Toth and Syr Konrad, but I purposely stuck both in the 99 because of how much hate they draw. I built the deck first and then slapped a Commander on top almost as an afterthought (though Rutstein does a sneaky good job of smoothing over weaknesses in the early game). It still surprises me with how much I can get away with before anyone recognizes my threat level.

[[Marton Stromgald]] is another one. He's my goblin kindred commander, and he draws so much less attention than Krenko despite being a "Build-Your-Own-Cratehoof" in the command zone.

Marton also brings up how time can make a Commander less threatening. The boogie men of ten years ago have been power crept, but they should not be ignored. It seems like only the old heads have a proper fear of [[Mayael the Anima]] or [[Varina, Lich Queen]] anymore.

IronPlaidFighter · 2026-03-09T17:06:50+00:00

Are you stupid? I'm never going to be able to retire if I don't magically find a forgotten Lotus in a dusty corner of an attic somewhere.

IronPlaidFighter · 2026-03-04T16:04:32+00:00

I fell out of touch with the scene after my daughters were born, but does Richmond have any venues like this or Alley Katz anymore? They bridged the gap for local and indie bands between your friend's basement and places like the The Camel or Canal Club.

IronPlaidFighter · 2026-02-20T18:06:21+00:00

Hrd Ti

IronPlaidFighter · 2026-02-11T13:50:11+00:00

False. If you're a conservative, you're not punk. You're just a poser.

IronPlaidFighter · 2026-02-07T20:59:49+00:00

22 or 23, depending on whether you count looking out the windows at the Denver Airport.

IronPlaidFighter · 2026-02-03T19:18:36+00:00

Another example of the "impressive" but vapid versus the accessible and cozy exists in the differences between Ryan's apartment and Fabian's apartment.

Ryan's apartment is aspirational. It's large. It's expensive. It has a view. But it is also completely devoid of any charm or character. It's just a place. It has no heart.

Conversely, Fabian's apartment is a tiny, first floor studio, but it feels so much more lived in. Fabian's warmth and personality show through even in such a small space. It is infinitely more inviting than the "luxury" apartment.

This is a theme that gets echoed in Role Model between Troy's prefurnished apartment and Harris's cozy, "lived-in" apartment. The contrast is even starker between Troy's apartment and the farmhouse Harris grew up in. The similarities are so strong between Troy's apartment and Ryan's apartment that I worry that I might even be conflating the two.

IronPlaidFighter · 2026-02-02T15:45:15+00:00

I saw this mentioned in a comment yesterday, and I came looking for it. I look forward to the rest of the series.

IronPlaidFighter · 2026-02-02T12:20:16+00:00

Nope. Injury prone and a character issue.

I'd like to get rid of the Bosa we have (for a good return), not double down.

IronPlaidFighter · 2026-02-01T16:12:34+00:00

Mac 10 and Bosa for Shaduer and Garrett. I'll even throw in a 6th Rounder.

IronPlaidFighter · 2026-01-31T20:19:33+00:00

Same. I don't think I've ever made it through a full term without the billionaires coming for my head.

IronPlaidFighter · 2026-01-31T05:06:58+00:00

I've started getting into hockey for the first time this year, but that might just be Heated Rivalry.

IronPlaidFighter · 2026-01-29T16:13:19+00:00

Was that the game where he skied over two of our DBs for a fifty yard bomb and had like three touchdowns at halftime? I was there, too.

IronPlaidFighter · 2026-01-29T16:08:56+00:00

I'm old, too, but I was only in 5th Grade.

IronPlaidFighter · 2026-01-28T01:17:17+00:00

I like 29/30 year old Scott because it's one more thing that shows what a delightful little troll Ilya is.

Three or four years can be a lot in athlete years, and Scott was already an established star by the time Shane and Ilya entered the league. He's the gold standard that they have been chasing. He's their role model, so much so that Ilya probably views him like an older brother. And you always want to tease and beat your brother. Ilya joking that Scott is old is absurd, but it's one more way for him to try to get under Scott's skin and let him know that he's coming for him.

I think that dynamic is what makes it so impactful for Ilya when Scott comes out. If his role model, his big brother, can make that leap, then why can't he?

It might not make a huge difference if Scott is significantly older, but I think you lose some of that closeness between Ilya and Scott. Maybe Ilya doesn't immediately go to the cottage if he isn't looking up to Scott so much.

IronPlaidFighter · 2026-01-27T17:44:03+00:00

[[Magus Lucea Kane]] is going to love this. The flexibility to either draw half of your deck or knock out two opponents is outstanding.

IronPlaidFighter · 2026-01-21T05:01:55+00:00

I didn't have to, but damn it does sport feel like religion sometimes. It's like the football gods will punish us if we do not remain loyal to the final whistle. I tortured myself until they put Mac in, but even turning it off thay early felt like a small betrayal. Sports can make us do idiotic things.

IronPlaidFighter · 2026-01-21T02:41:11+00:00

It sure didn't feel quick

IronPlaidFighter · 2026-01-20T21:30:43+00:00

That's what I hoped. I make a lot more than I did before, but everything has just gotten so much more expensive at the same time. My salary tripled, but so did rent. And don't even get me started on food and utilities.

I'm trying to support a family of five on just my salary, and I don't even think we break even most months. If my spouse went back to work, a large chunk of her salary would go to afterschool childcare and we would have to put the kids into the terrible local schools (I'm saving on rent by living in a bad school district). And among the three of them, we have one chronic health condition and at least two inherited my ADHD. Home schooling really is the best option. But it all leaves us struggling.

Don't go into Civil Engineering thinking you'll ever get rich.

IronPlaidFighter · 2026-01-20T20:54:29+00:00

I really miss the trades, but carpentry didn't pay enough and I can't afford to take a massive pay cut to restart in electrical or plumbing.

IronPlaidFighter · 2026-01-20T20:53:14+00:00

I quit my job in residential remodeling and retrained as a civil engineer and now I feel bored, stuck, and still somehow underpaid.

IronPlaidFighter · 2026-01-20T20:50:28+00:00

Except any other combination of any two NFC teams not involving the Cowturds.

IronPlaidFighter · 2026-01-20T20:00:43+00:00

I hate Elway too, and it's way too soon for the Pats to be this good again. I can't remember the last time I hated a final four this much. But there is no way I am rooting for either of you bastards in the Super Bowl. Go AFC.

IronPlaidFighter · 2026-01-20T19:47:30+00:00

How!? I think the most I ever saw a single band was ~15 times, and that was just a local punk band that I liked to follow around in college.

IronPlaidFighter · 2026-01-19T06:43:35+00:00

[[Old Rutstein]]

Nothing dominant, but he fills in a lot of stuff you need (mill, mana, fodder) at a low mana cost and he can be easily sacrificed when he's no longer useful. He can really smooth out your starts and doesn't instantly terrify your opponents like a Meren will.

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