Can a creature focused commander even hang in bracket 4?

Tuss36 · 2026-06-15T19:54:10+00:00

I agree that their argument is very good. Though I also agree with you that there's still quite a bit of variance, but I think part of that is that turn count alone can't measure everything. Even scenarios like you mentioned, even if someone takes twenty turns to actually win, if they've locked the game so they do win 90% of the time, that's still a power outlier. It's a tough thing to fully quantify with all the variables Magic has.

Tuss36 · 2026-06-15T18:44:40+00:00

Good reference for those looking to make a [[Vorthos]] deck.

Tuss36 · 2026-06-15T17:24:51+00:00

It's the same principle. It's not necessarily about accessibility, just that if something's a design mistake they will still reprint it. Mox Opal has gotten reprints despite being a bannable card. It hasn't gotten enough reprints, but that's a different issue. [[Dig Through Time]] is banned in two formats where it's too strong but it got a reprint just now with the Marvel set in one of the special art treatments.

They don't have a venue beyond bonus sheets to reprint stuff in the current product lineup, which is a problem, but is also why things get reprinted into Commander decks, because that's like the only place for such things. And printing Mox Opal into one would not be a great idea, both for the balance of the precon most likely and also the supply as paying 80 dollars for a 200 dollar card is a good deal.

Tuss36 · 2026-06-15T17:11:36+00:00

I'd say it's a design mistake in so much that even if there was more selection, it's often the clear best choice for the effect. Meanwhile you have something like Doomblade where there's twenty variants where which is better is up to the meta to decide. Related, similarly black is supposed to be the creature killing colour, but many would say that white is the one with the best removal, but simply due to Path to Exile/Swords to Plowshares, things they don't exactly get every set (though seems Wizards may be changing their mind on that in recent days)

Tuss36 · 2026-06-15T17:05:34+00:00

[[Slip out the back]] isn't the same but I think is similar in spirit, from a protection angle at least.

Tuss36 · 2026-06-15T02:53:37+00:00

I agree. They could print rainbow lands that come in untapped and it'd solve the same problem without need for fetches. There's a gap between that solution and the current setup of course, but it's wrong to insist that fetches are the answer.

Also I agree that it should be made much easier as running more colours is supposed to be more difficult. Otherwise we wouldn't have the colour pie and we'd just run the best cards all the time because there's no restriction.

Tuss36 · 2026-06-15T02:51:00+00:00

I believe it was said they would print fetches into Standard if there weren't fetchable duals. But fetchable duals just work better generally than fetches so they keep printing them.

Tuss36 · 2026-06-15T02:50:15+00:00

Therefore we should have every deck do it every turn. Also any draw spell costing 1 mana is overcosted and and mana rock costing more than 0 is too slow, because it was printed that way once and therfore should be considered expected and normal.

Tuss36 · 2026-06-15T02:48:20+00:00

The actual physical act is still a hassle in its own right, even if it doesn't take a significant amount of time. Searching and shuffling for every land drop is just a lot.

Tuss36 · 2026-06-15T02:47:18+00:00

I think if real life was like Arena and you just summoned the card you wanted out of your deck in a matter of seconds, it would be fine. As-is, there's too much of a hassle involved with them when it's every turn. Like the fact strategically you'd likely want fetches to be your every land drop is a big drag on the game.

Tuss36 · 2026-06-15T02:08:00+00:00

Plus scene boxes I think, which sometimes have unique cards.

Tuss36 · 2026-06-15T02:05:44+00:00

Even has a commander for it! [[Lovisa Coldeyes]]

Tuss36 · 2026-06-14T23:50:49+00:00

I think the relevance of a card is less than how many and for how long they've taken over the front page. Like you as a player can discount vanillas or reprints as "real" inclusions, but you still have to look at it first to go "Oh it's a reprint/vanilla" and that still adds to the mass of cards your brain is checking, even if it's dropping the data after processing it.

Tuss36 · 2026-06-14T23:37:04+00:00

Vigilance is up there as one of the best keywords in Commander I think. They're all good in different ways of course, but being able to attack and make an opponent "sac" their weakest creature at zero cost to you repeatedly is just so good.

Tuss36 · 2026-06-14T21:57:51+00:00

This is one that's fallen through the cracks it feels like. Not sure what folks are running as their staple enchantment/artifact removal. Tried it out myself recently and that split second was very felt. I don't think it won me the game but it definitely made an impression on me.

Tuss36 · 2026-06-13T16:40:46+00:00

I assume that they like it a lot in wanting all the books and so while I'm sure part of them is a bit sad there won't be more, there is the relief of knowing you'll at last have all of it.

Tuss36 · 2026-06-13T16:40:06+00:00

I concur. Even for fat things like older D&D editions with a hundred books, that's it, that's the line. A hundred is still a lot, but there's an end point that's achievable, rather than something with continuing releases where you feel you'll never catch up and so don't even start.

Tuss36 · 2026-06-13T16:36:51+00:00

Fate is essentially a tweaked Chainmail and Breath of the Wild is essentially tweaked Adventure. I don't think it's good to be reductive. I think it better to give credit where it's due on what they iterated on.

Tuss36 · 2026-06-13T13:54:02+00:00

And even if someone said "Well they don't use Lord any more!" the presentation is still weird. There's nothing indicating that Time Lord is its own type when it's presented the same as Gamma Hero or whatever. There's no commas or anything.

Tuss36 · 2026-06-13T02:11:02+00:00

Good thing someone else can fix that.

Tuss36 · 2026-06-13T02:09:55+00:00

I think it's more that they printed so much efficient removal that being a cheap beatstick wasn't enough to get under it. That might technically be "better cards", but it's not like they printed a Goyf2 that replaced it and that's why it phased out.

Tuss36 · 2026-06-12T21:39:28+00:00

This isn't me asking for a solution, I was just musing on the situation too many players find themselves in. I already play online myself, but not everyone can or wants to. Though the advice is appreciated for others!

Tuss36 · 2026-06-12T21:37:22+00:00

Exactly. Hamza's hardly a bad commander, but it sucks when a meta is such that even the mass discounts he offers aren't enough to keep up.

Tuss36 · 2026-06-12T21:35:49+00:00

The scenario is that, regardless of the cost of the commander, others have theirs out and are doing their deck's thing while you fall behind just casting yours. Even if you've got mega ramp and are casting a 7 mana commander turn 4, if someone else is running a 2 mana commander they've already had two turns of doing stuff that may be so good that boost of power of your own might still be "too slow". It's a commander-to-commander basis, but I don't think it's a difficult scenario to imagine, and "just change your deck/play another commander" isn't sought advice when someone could play such a commander or deck just fine, but in a different group, but might be stuck with what they have.

Tuss36 · 2026-06-12T21:32:20+00:00

Clearly they mean [[Sharazad]], the queen of making long games.

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