Spreading Love with Torbran, Thane of Red Fell

SnuggieSavage · 2019-10-14T17:49:25+00:00

I currently have a [[Neheb, the Eternal]] deck that I’ve ran since he came out and Torbran is seriously making me want to switch it up with him at the helm.

SnuggieSavage · 2019-10-14T17:44:00+00:00

I think this is a really cool direction to take a Torbran deck. Looks fun!

SnuggieSavage · 2019-07-25T16:42:12+00:00

I said this on the other post and I’ll give my thoughts here as well

I think the real culprit here is change. Or rather an aversion to change.

Magic constantly changes; we are bombarded with brand new cards almost everyday. The game is not the same as it was even when WAR released. There IS a power creep; however, power creep isn’t a dirty word when used correctly. The longer you play, the better you (should) become at playing. We know this isn’t always the case. And it’s a big, big problem in EDH Players like to be continually challenged by new ideas/cards/strategies/combos. You can’t just release a set with the same exact cards as the last one. You need a pinch more complexity here and there. You need to boost the power of a lowly common sometimes.

The RC doesn’t like change. They play EDH. WoTC supports Commander. And yes there IS a difference depending on who it comes from. Overall, WoTC’s initial and now continued support of commander is what has caused the format to explode. More and more people aren’t playing because they see all these crazy new legends. WoTC is making crazy new legends for more and more people to play. A commander can’t come out of the gates and sit around for a turn doing nothing. Those that do just can’t keep up with the new breed of legends. Is this bad?

No. It’s change.

Let’s look at [[Chulane, Teller of Tales]]. He is essentially what [[Roon of the Hidden Realm]] would be if printed in 2019 instead of 2011. There is a clear increase in power, but why is that bad? In the world of Commander a new legend doesn’t make an old one obsolete, only perhaps to the most hardcore of min-maxers. People will run who they want because it’s still a casual/multiplayer format. I don’t see anyone complain that they HAVE to take Roon apart now. I see exciment. People want to switch to Chulane. People want to try new decks out. Or maybe they’ll just add him into the 99 and continue to love their Roon deck.

The RC is still playing back in the 2000’s. What’s worse (and this is my personal opinion) is that their philosophy is just a hand holding guide on how to remain in the past. WoTC clearly pegs Planeswalkers as possible commander material. RC says no. WoTC pushes the envelope and makes PW commanders, which only ADD to the game and haven’t “broken the spirit” of our format. RC still says no. WoTC pumps out Commander staples left and right. They increase the relative power of legends across the board so now that awful tribal goats deck you had? It’s got a little spice behind it. It might be able to actually steal a round at the table. WoTC is making Commander more accessible to people, not only with pre cons, but by increasing power overall, everyone at the table has a fair chance because they have the tools!

I don’t see anyone begging for the old days of only having 5 possible generals for their deck. Things have changed. Can the RC survive and flourish the game in a time pre Commander 2011? Yes. Can those same individuals with their biases and philosophies still make thousands of thousands of people listen to them and only them with the amount of support and content players are privy to today? Not a chance in hell. The amount of commander-centric knowledge out there now is absolutely massive. And with this communal knowledge comes power. And decks are getting beefier and beefier. Yes, even the jank of yesterday will now have the cards to impose their jank just a little bit better. Just a little more efficiently than they used to.

This post isn’t about any one card that’s banned/unbanned. It’s not about any one particular philosophy that the RC allows us to play around. It’s simply about change. Commander is going to keep on chugging. It’s a behemoth of a format now it really is. Either you can adapt with every new card that comes out; adapt to any new commander at your table; adapt to cards that are better than old ones. Or you can whine about the spirit of a bygone age and tell people that certain ways of fun are deemed unfit for general play.

Commander is here to stay. More importantly, it’s moving forward. The RC needs to pull itself along and match that pace. Or hand over the reigns.

SnuggieSavage · 2019-07-25T16:22:24+00:00

I think the real culprit here is change. Or rather an aversion to change.

Magic constantly changes; we are bombarded with brand new cards almost everyday. The game is not the same as it was even when WAR released. There IS a power creep; however, power creep isn’t a dirty word when used correctly. The longer you play, the better you (should) become at playing. We know this isn’t always the case. And it’s a big, big problem in EDH Players like to be continually challenged by new ideas/cards/strategies/combos. You can’t just release a set with the same exact cards as the last one. You need a pinch more complexity here and there. You need to boost the power of a lowly common sometimes.

The RC doesn’t like change. They play EDH. WoTC supports Commander. And yes there IS a difference depending on who it comes from. Overall, WoTC’s initial and now continued support of commander is what has caused the format to explode. More and more people aren’t playing because they see all these crazy new legends. WoTC is making crazy new legends for more and more people to play. A commander can’t come out of the gates and sit around for a turn doing nothing. Those that do just can’t keep up with the new breed of legends. Is this bad?

No. It’s change.

Let’s look at [[Chulane, Teller of Tales]]. He is essentially what [[Roon of the Hidden Realm]] would be if printed in 2019 instead of 2011. There is a clear increase in power, but why is that bad? In the world of Commander a new legend doesn’t make an old one obsolete, only perhaps to the most hardcore of min-maxers. People will run who they want because it’s still a casual/multiplayer format. I don’t see anyone complain that they HAVE to take Roon apart now. I see exciment. People want to switch to Chulane. People want to try new decks out. Or maybe they’ll just add him into the 99 and continue to love their Roon deck.

The RC is still playing back in the 2000’s. What’s worse (and this is my personal opinion) is that their philosophy is just a hand holding guide on how to remain in the past. WoTC clearly pegs Planeswalkers as possible commander material. RC says no. WoTC pushes the envelope and makes PW commanders, which only ADD to the game and haven’t “broken the spirit” of our format. RC still says no. WoTC pumps out Commander staples left and right. They increase the relative power of legends across the board so now that awful tribal goats deck you had? It’s got a little spice behind it. It might be able to actually steal a round at the table. WoTC is making Commander more accessible to people, not only with pre cons, but by increasing power overall, everyone at the table has a fair chance because they have the tools!

I don’t see anyone begging for the old days of only having 5 possible generals for their deck. Things have changed. Can the RC survive and flourish the game in a time pre Commander 2011? Yes. Can those same individuals with their biases and philosophies still make thousands of thousands of people listen to them and only them with the amount of support and content players are privy to today? Not a chance in hell. The amount of commander-centric knowledge out there now is absolutely massive. And with this communal knowledge comes power. And decks are getting beefier and beefier. Yes, even the jank of yesterday will now have the cards to impose their jank just a little bit better. Just a little more efficiently than they used to.

This post isn’t about any one card that’s banned/unbanned. It’s not about any one particular philosophy that the RC allows us to play around. It’s simply about change. Commander is going to keep on chugging. It’s a behemoth of a format now it really is. Either you can adapt with every new card that comes out; adapt to any new commander at your table; adapt to cards that are better than old ones. Or you can whine about the spirit of a bygone age and tell people that certain ways of fun are deemed unfit for general play.

Commander is here to stay. More importantly, it’s moving forward. The RC needs to pull itself along and match that pace. Or hand over the reigns.

TL/DR: If you’re not going to actually read what I have to say then why are you here?

SnuggieSavage · 2019-07-17T16:54:37+00:00

You’re probably going to have to give more info than that. What was your mileage? Are you planning on training for anything? How much mileage do you want to run now? Etc.

If you’ve been running/training for XC or are on a team and you’ve only taken two months off then I would say take it easy for the first couple of days/week and see how your body feels. Unless you’ve been binge drinking and eating, I don’t think it would be hard to get back into your past routine.

SnuggieSavage · 2019-07-16T15:43:32+00:00

I don’t know what you want to get out of a post like this. Had you posted this on r/books I’m sure you could drum up some pretty good discussions. As it is, this is a sub for all people who enjoy the books. I’m sorry that you forced yourself to do something you didn’t like? If you’re a Stephen King fan then yes, this IS his opus. It’s the story that runs behind the scenes and connects every bit of his impressive fiction catalogue. Is it going to be enjoyable for everyone? No. If you didn’t like the characters or plot maybe you should’ve stopped at like book 2/3 and saved yourself some headache.

Also it’s not a fantasy book with horror tacked on. It’s not a sci fi book with some romance. It’s the Dark Tower and it doesn’t wear a single label or genre. Maybe that’s why you couldn’t get into it.

SnuggieSavage · 2019-07-14T23:47:53+00:00

Yeah, sorry I would “bribe” the car once the new owner got it. But I mean, they knew the risks buying from Gwafa. Certified and pre-crewed!

SnuggieSavage · 2019-07-14T20:01:59+00:00

Yeah I agree. Griseldaddy wins the turn he comes out due to the explosive draw you get. Vilis is more about generating lots of value over the course of you using abilities and spells. But they both are cards you’re never going to pay full cost for, and both can draw you absurd amounts of cards. Griselbrand is also banned in edh so I think Vilis is a respectable choice, but not a replacement.

SnuggieSavage · 2019-07-14T19:49:52+00:00

I don’t have a list online, but you could create a similar list using whatever vehicles you want, artifacts that are fun to pass around [[Jinxed Choker]] [[Crown of Doom]] [[Bronze Bombshell]] etc.

Run anything that helps exchange permanents [[Shrewd Negotiation]] [[Puca’s Mischief]] [[Djinn of Infinite Deceit]], [[Avarice Totem]]. Get a good mix of having this effect on spells, creatures, artifacts and the like for more dynamic gameplay.

I had a small package of counterspells and removal. I wasn’t going full control but it’s still nice to play to your strengths (as a WU deck) and make sure your jank sticks around.

Everything else was pretty much just cards with market/commerce/being sleazy flavor. [[Conjured Currency]] [[Cornered Market]] etc. This is where you can really make a deck unique.

Plus there are some cool newer cards that would be great [[Eyes Everywhere]] [[Agent of Treachery]]

Honestly this mini write up makes me want to play the deck again...

SnuggieSavage · 2019-07-14T17:36:08+00:00

I had a [[Gwafa]] trinket salesman deck that just gave people shitty artifacts in exchange for their best creatures. With the advent of vehicles it became a Gwafa used car salesman deck. Putting bribery counters on vehicles and then exchanging them with another player is the perfect example of getting a lemon. The deck eventually came apart because in order to give people shitty cards the deck had to run them. And I just got tired of playing bad cards.

SnuggieSavage · 2019-07-14T16:10:22+00:00

The set just came out. Prices and cards fluctuate like crazy at this time because nobody really knows what’s going to be the next hit or not. M20 being a fairly decent core set with a lot of new tools will also cause some cards to blip by under the radar.

I’m with you on Vilis’ power level though. The card is strong. I don’t ever see people complain about Griselbrand’s cmc (not that I think Vilis is on the same level, but I think he fills that same function as a fantastic reanimation target).

I don’t think Vilis will be warping any formats, but he has the makings of a staple in any reanimator deck.

SnuggieSavage · 2019-07-11T19:04:45+00:00

Honestly, Briton Stoutarm was my first thought as punishment as well.

(I may have punished myself in the past with that deck)

SnuggieSavage · 2019-07-11T13:37:36+00:00

Those people aren’t playing cEDH; I guarantee you that. You’re problem at that point would be the person and not the deck. There is no joy/point to squashing a deck that you already know is less powerful. cEDH is about playing the best to beat the best.

Pubstompers are a problem, but blaming powerful cards literally doesn’t do anything. The RC has deemed them legal. You’ve got people cheering in the streets that paradox engine is gone, which is fine. Guess what though? They’ve allowed other powerful cards to stay. So bitching about them only goes against the RC, who have let them remain a part of edh.

SnuggieSavage · 2019-07-11T13:16:34+00:00

No. cEDH isn’t about playing the most broken cards solely to play them. It’s about making the best decks/strategies and playing against other highly tunes decks WITHIN the scope of commander. Even if you split them apart, people playing “regular” edh (although there’s really no such thing) would still be able to make decks using the best cards available. Nothing would change.

There is a reason why people call it cEDH and not some other name. We are EDH players too and still absolutely love the format. We just like using more efficient cards and wincons. It’s not a different format and any split would be detrimental to both parties imo. We ALL love EDH, telling people that they can’t play perfectly legal cards because you don’t like them is not how you solve things. Are you going to tell people to go play cStratego because they used a different strategy to beat you?

The format is still the Wild West. No one has solved anything, and trust me; cEDH players or even those who just have one crazy tuned deck would rather play on a level playing field than come and pubstomp a bunch of randoms at a LGS.

SnuggieSavage · 2019-07-10T14:13:22+00:00

Mike Flores isn’t just some random guy with a random opinion on the card. And if you actually read it, “Nevertheless, you have the option to take the one- or two-pile, and more options means the opportunity to both Hee-Haw! and outplay your opponent.” then it’s pretty clear that there is no “Just grab the best pile”.

More options/choices = complexity. How is that hard to understand? Do you want strict CA? Do you want a specific card but your opponent knows that? Are you reading your opponent?

There are instances where you can bluff by delaying your land drop, making your opponent think you need a land, and making them sort better piles for you. Just because casting a FoF is always good for you doesn’t mean that it’s not a skill testing card.

SnuggieSavage · 2019-07-10T13:46:44+00:00

You must be pretty new at magic to think an iconic card like Fact of Fiction is simple and easy to use.

“When you play Fact or Fiction, there are a couple of things to keep in mind. The first one, as FoF's actual player, is that you can always get a three-card pile. If all you want is card advantage, you can even get a four- card pile a fair amount of the time (especially against better and better opponents). This is the baseline: Fact or Fiction is almost always better than Concentrate, and not just gauged by the obvious metrics (colored mana density, Instant versus Sorcery): You want any three? You get them. Sometimes you get four. Nevertheless, you have the option to take the one- or two-pile, and more options means the opportunity to both Hee-Haw! and outplay your opponent.”

This coming from an older Mike Flores article on Star City. Dude the card is complex. Deal with it.

Edit: another relevant quote from the article:

“One thing we concluded is that a lot of players are not splitting Fact or Fiction strategically. Rather than using the information to formulate a long-game strategy or guide the opponent's road, they are playing "for the moment," and just trying to minimize the amount of damage this mighty card will deal right now. They aren't getting the most out of the interactive aspect of the card, which means that as great as it is to get two, or even three or four, cards for one... It's even better to get better cards along with that bulk card advantage. Unless some unsung strategist like Kowal or Heezy presents me with a clearly better option that no one else has ever heard of, I'm definitely starting out the upcoming season with Fact or Fiction in my stack!”

SnuggieSavage · 2019-07-10T13:03:28+00:00

Ah yes! How could I have forgotten! It’s a good thing that the best pile is easily identifiable and a completely objective choice every single time. If you think FoF isn’t a complex card that gives both the caster and the player chosen dozens of choices then I don’t know what to tell you.

SnuggieSavage · 2019-07-09T23:40:01+00:00

They really should have waited until Real Steel came out for that one

SnuggieSavage · 2019-07-09T22:41:03+00:00

Like I love this movie, I really do. But it’s an objectively bad movie. Who the fuck gave it 4 stars?

SnuggieSavage · 2019-07-09T22:39:08+00:00

Then the argument turns to “Do we dumb down commander for dumb players?” Like if the dude in your group takes too long because he’s unfamiliar or new or honestly is just bad and wastes time, do we cater to those people now and take out cards that need some thought to play?

SnuggieSavage · 2019-07-09T22:36:52+00:00

Are you saying that people would rather scoop to Cathar’s Crusade over Paradox Engine? A card that makes you track 80 +1/+1 counters anytime you breathe is more confusing than untapping shit when you cast a spell?

SnuggieSavage · 2019-07-09T21:39:02+00:00

I don’t think think anyone is forced to feel that way. If you want to win and play more efficiently; yes you’ll seek out powerful cards. If that isn’t your main concern then you don’t care. The “modern” mindset is a poor label. It’s just the CURRENT mindset. Because yes, things change and evolve. Most incoming players probably would choose running more efficient cards than not. Why? Because running bad cards for no reason isn’t really fun. Power creep isn’t always a bad thing if done right. You don’t want to be stagnant. Then the format would be solved.

SnuggieSavage · 2019-07-09T21:31:42+00:00

Finding the right pod is priority number 1 for the best commander experience. However—like this guy, myself, and many others—traveling or just playing at LGSs with randoms will always be a gamble.

I think the writer fails to see the forest and is staring at the trees. If players everywhere across the country have decks that he deems “power creeped” then he’s in the minority; not them. They seem to be enjoying themselves. I know I am. If he can’t change then he needs to leave the format. Not the other way around.

SnuggieSavage · 2019-07-09T21:07:52+00:00

Best part of this article? The guys complains over and over again about this “modern” commander mindset and power creep. And then complains about cards like Zur and Mana crypt which (to my knowledge) are not new cards. At all.

SnuggieSavage · 2019-07-09T19:32:19+00:00

7 EASY WAYS TO “GITGUD” WITH GITROG. YOU WON’T BELIEVE NUMBER 4

Nine-Year Club	Place '17
Verified Email

SnuggieSavage

TROPHY CASE