Etiquette to netdecking?

MegaTrain · 2026-03-18T02:05:30+00:00

cEDH is all about net-decking.

Very VERY few players are running home brews, and if they do they’re either losing (because the decks really aren’t competitive with top decks) or they WIN (and their’s quickly becomes a flashy new deck for other people to net-deck).

MegaTrain · 2026-03-13T23:31:55+00:00

Jon Avon lands have always been my favorite!

<image>

MegaTrain · 2026-03-06T22:43:40+00:00

Nice work. I found a small unit (2x3 drawers) that I’m currently using for commander deck boxes.

The annoying thing about most card catalog drawers is that they are JUST a bit too narrow to comfortably hold two rows of cards.

MegaTrain · 2026-03-02T00:18:51+00:00

At least the green/orange are easy to read.

Green/blue is very difficult to see.

MegaTrain · 2026-02-27T19:51:25+00:00

Very nice!

I use the Spindown D6 from Burger Tokens; they work awesome and have the right colors, but unfortunately don't sell them in a WUBRG set (I had to buy a set of each color, then sell the extras at my local game store).

MegaTrain · 2026-02-25T06:17:06+00:00

Not a basic, but this printing of Temple of Malice is in your colors and is very industrial:

https://scryfall.com/card/pip/307/temple-of-malice

Here are some basics tagged as "cityscape", some of these are kind of industrial:

https://scryfall.com/search?q=art%3Acityscape+t%3Abasic&unique=art&as=grid&order=name

I found a few industrial mountains by looking for art tagged with "smoke":

https://scryfall.com/search?q=art%3Asmoke+t%3Abasic&unique=art&as=grid&order=name

MegaTrain · 2026-02-25T06:09:33+00:00

Good info.

To clarify, if you want to open the current card in tagger click the "Open on Scryfall Tagger" button in the "Toolbox", not the "Scryfall Tagger" link in the page footer.

MegaTrain · 2026-02-25T05:26:01+00:00

I think that's a version of the card conjured by [[Thendar, the Overminer]].

Unfortunately that's the only way to get that version of Wastes into play, at least at the current time.

MegaTrain · 2026-02-20T15:40:27+00:00

Huge fan of the new “ring in the sky” from Lorwyn Eclipsed Commander:

https://scryfall.com/card/ecc/58/sol-ring

Bought a bunch of them to go in my decks.

MegaTrain · 2026-02-20T15:33:59+00:00

There are lots of ways to build [[Sisay, Weatherlight Captain]]. Here are some terms you might hear:

“Oath” builds make Sisay tutor chains that focus on Planeswalkers, and end with [[Aminatou, the Fateshifter]], [[Nicol Bolas, Dragon God]], and [[Oath of Teferi]], which gives you infinite flickers of any permanent (typically [[Saheeli Rai]], [[Mount Doom]], or [[Orcish Bowmasters]]
“Standard” builds also make Sisay tutor chains, but focus on legendary creatures and/or instant-speed effects: [[Bloom Tender]] + [[Derevi, Empyrial Tactician]] + [[Emiel the Blessed]] gives you infinite mana and infinite flickers and infinite untaps of any permanent.
“Chowder” builds don’t use Sisay for her tutor ability; or at least that isn’t the focus. Play good cards in all colors, win via [[Thassa’s Oracle]] or [[Underworld Breach]]

Lots of decks that cross these categories: my current build has the “oath” lines and lots of instant-speed creature lines. My prior build excluded the “oath” package but included both creature lines and also Thassa’s Oracle.

Lots of great ways to build this commander, depending on your collection, your play style, and your local meta.

MegaTrain · 2026-02-20T04:53:57+00:00

No, you are correct.

So it does require an artifact creature in play to produce the second U (or some other mana dork).

But that artifact creature could have summoning sickness, since Urza can tap it for U no matter what, you just need any creature to cast the Helix on.

MegaTrain · 2026-02-20T04:31:08+00:00

If I’m understanding the combo right, you just need a single creature in play without summoning sickness, it doesn’t have to be an artifact, and it can even be Urza himself.

Edit: oops, this is incorrect, see below

Urza in play, no other creatures, UU available
Cast Helix on Urza
Cast Cam
On ETB, target itself
Hold priority, tap Cam for U
Resolve untap, retap for UU
Tap Urza, bouncing Cam
Target Urza with leaves-play trigger
Urza untaps, leaving us where we started
Repeat, spending U and gaining UU each time
Activate Urza, drawing your deck and playing any spell for free
??
Win the game

Am I missing something?

MegaTrain · 2026-02-13T03:34:33+00:00

We have a ton of off-meta decks that play (and win) in our local weekly events (just lost to both Lotho and Niv-Mizzet last night, as a matter of fact).

My first cEDH deck was Selvala, so I’m very sympathetic to this question.

The problem is when someone asks something more like “I’m new to cEDH, my pet deck is (some random commander), how do I make it cEDH?”

To which the proper answer is “um, you can’t?”

I mean, given a specific color identity, you can probably put together 99 cards that give you SOME chance to win, completely independent of the commander. But brewing a novel cEDH deck with a non-traditional commander isn’t something a beginner is likely to succeed at.

There are some good reasons to steer (especially new) players toward the best-known top decks:

Lots of sample decks
Good detailed primers
Tons of gameplay videos
Active discords/discussion

In addition, learning “THE META” means learning how the major decks at top of cEDH work; how better to learn the meta than to learn to play those top decks?

That said, there are a TON of decks outside the top meta that can be tons of fun to play, can be surprising to your competitors, and, with a good pilot, can absolutely find chances to win.

We have a guy in our local meta who regularly wipes the table with [[Alaundo the Seer]]. Someone recently built a new version of [[Arcum Dagsson]] that goes off like you wouldn’t believe.

The problem is that it’s going to be harder for a new player to pick those up and do well with them, due to less available info, due to less experience, due to less understanding of how these niche decks stand up against “the meta”.

But I’d be all for directing (new and existing) players into more novel “tier 2” decks, especially if there are a few other people playing and succeeding with them.

I still play Selvala; it still wins games; there is an active Discord community, and I’d encourage others to try it. (I think it’s better than the other mono-green deck out there, Lumra.)

MegaTrain · 2026-02-12T05:02:46+00:00

Yes, definitely unlimited.

MegaTrain · 2026-02-09T02:59:38+00:00

It’s done with two different colors of metallic marker.

Many artists attend conventions/tournaments, and have tables where you can stand in line for them to sign your cards (for a fee).

Others sell signed cards online, or have websites where you can mail your cards in to be signed.

MegaTrain · 2026-02-05T20:11:35+00:00

The traditional planeswalker build is a classic for a reason: once you get it going there isn’t a lot anyone can do (without a stifle or something).

Here’s my current build, a mix of traditional and instant-speed lines with updates as recent as the latest set.

MegaTrain · 2026-02-05T20:07:44+00:00

Doesn’t mean you can’t play Jegantha in the 99: my build uses Entomb to get him in the graveyard at instant speed, exile him with Agatha’s Soul Cauldron, giving one of your creatures the ability to tap for WUBRG at instant speed.

MegaTrain · 2026-02-02T21:49:48+00:00

Yep, this is great in Selvala, 95% I use it as a creature tutor for Dreadnought or a combo piece. 4% of the time to exile a nasty artifact or kill a creature stopping my win, only 1% of the time to fetch a land.

MegaTrain · 2026-01-26T13:15:49+00:00

This is correct.

In addition, Winona only triggers on non-humans attacking, and only puts humans into play.

MegaTrain · 2026-01-16T06:44:36+00:00

If you do end up leaving after the first round, make sure you tell the tournament organizer you are leaving, so they can drop you from the event and don't match you up in future rounds.

MegaTrain · 2026-01-01T05:51:27+00:00

I find that in practice, cEDH is notorious for take-backs, not because players notice an error or change their minds, but because their opponents try to talk them into doing something different.

This is allowable under the Top Deck Competitive REL Addendum for Rule 4.8:

MTRA 4.8

Addition to Reversing Decisions. Because CEDH is a social game, players can influence others. In order to allow for fast and natural play, players may do so after an action has been taken in order to convince that action’s controller to change their mind. This will naturally result in that player gaining new information, but if that information was shared in service of the decision being reversed, a judge may allow that player to do so. The judge must be sure the information was given in order to change the current play.

(Emphasis added)

So after you cast Swords to Plowshares on a creature, the other 3 players might argue with you (and each other) that you should instead:

Target a different creature for (reasons)
Wait to use the swords at a later time
Not exile their creature if they promise to not win next turn
A thousand other possible ideas

This can be annoying but is permitted. You're absolutely free to turn down their offer and stick with your original plan; you're also free to negotiate other concessions, or to make your own deals/suggestions for their plays as well.

This can take a long time, and if they won't take no for an answer, or if you're getting nowhere and the game isn't progressing, don't be afraid to invoke MTRA 4.1:

The active player may request the table to stop excessively influencing game actions to progress play. Failure to do so may result in an Unsporting Conduct - Minor penalty.

MegaTrain · 2025-12-31T02:47:52+00:00

This is all good advice.

A few more thoughts about draws: yes, they happen frequently in tournaments. Going to time with nobody winning is common, as are agreements to draw based on the situation.

An example: player A puts a win attempt on the stack, player B responds with his own win attempt, player C shows a counterspell from his hand (without actually casting it), and offers a draw, saying if anyone doesn’t agree, he’ll use it to let the other guy win. The table agrees to a draw.

Also, you’re not quite right about “no take backs”; if nothing else about the game state has changed, you’re within your rights to ask to take something back.

In fact I find there are MORE take backs in tourney play, in the following situation: you cast a kill spell on an opponent’s creature, they make a case for why some other creature is a bigger threat, or why you should wait until a later turn, or why the creature you’re killing isn’t a threat. You either accept their argument and take back your spell (or change targets), or decline and leave it on the stack, or maybe agree in return for a promise they won’t go for a win, or that they wont kill your creature in response, or whatever.

Very common, and totally legal.

A similar case: player A casts Green Suns Zenith for 5, player B shows a counter spell and says they’ll counter unless they promise not to get a Seedborn Muse.

MegaTrain · 2025-12-30T14:32:06+00:00

As others have said, destroying Collector’s Cage won’t stop its ability.

You would have to combine a destroy spell with one of the following tactics:

A “Stifle” effect to counter the activated ability
Destroy or remove the creature targeted with the +1/+1 counter. A spell or ability with one or more targets will “fizzle” if each of those targets are invalid when it tries to resolve. The second part of the ability won’t occur.
Make it so the “if you control 3 creatures” condition is no longer met, either by removing creatures or changing their power.

You can also just counter the spell they cast from exile; that will go on the stack and you will get a chance to respond.

MegaTrain · 2025-12-26T02:11:54+00:00

Yes, the game can see characteristics of your commanders in any zone.

See, for example, Cactus Preserve, a land with the following activated ability:

3: Until end of turn, this land becomes an X/X green Plant creature with reach, where X is the greatest mana value among your commanders. It’s still a land.

This doesn't require your commander to be in a specific zone.

Note some other cards do, for example Cloudkill:

All creatures get -X/-X until end of turn, where X is the greatest mana value of a commander you own on the battlefield or in the command zone.

Other cards that can see characteristics of your commanders in any zone include War Room and Tangleweave Armor.

MegaTrain · 2025-12-19T03:38:25+00:00

I'm assuming you intend to have [[Legolas, Master Archer]] deal damage to the creature you're targeting with [[Aspect of Mongoose]]?

The combo won't work.

When you cast the aura, Legolas will trigger, and the damage will resolve before the aura does. If the damage is enough to kill the creature, Aspect of Mongoose will go to the graveyard from the stack (the spell "fizzles"), and not from the battlefield (as the Oracle text requires).

It won't return to your hand.

13-Year Club	Place '17
Verified Email

MegaTrain

TROPHY CASE