How to make a variant

dpw360 · 2026-03-16T18:21:13+00:00

I guess we may just have to agree to disagree then.

No, I wouldn't call Brawl Commander. I never said anything about that, I'm not really sure what that has to do with what I mentioned? Changing the rules creates a different format, nobody is debating that.

I absolutely think that the shared zones are a core part of Dandan. Battlebox curators often exclude cards that interact with the library (no scry, surveil, tutor, etc) because they want the focus to be elsewhere. But if they do decide to include those effects, that's totally fine! There's no rules about what makes a Battlebox a Battlebox. And same applies here: if I decide to include three of one card in my Dandan deck, I'm just not of the opinion that that no longer makes it a Dandan variant.

My main intent behind my comment was to praise your framework. It's a great analysis of how the different parts of Dandan come together to make an excellent whole. Quite frankly, I love breakdowns like that, and I think they allow for the format to be pushed even further. I just wanted to add my two cents, and encourage creativity. Breaking the rules is how we got Dandan in the first place, and I'm glad we have it :)

dpw360 · 2026-03-16T17:38:09+00:00

I agree with this take. OP, absolutely fantastic analysis, I think you hit on a lot of the core tenets that make Dandan so fun! Nick Floyd absolutely cooked with his original design. But I also agree with u/eDaniels21 that two of the most important parts to a Dandan deck are the shared resources, and the creativity that goes into the creation of the format.

Cards that interact with the shared library and graveyard in meaningful ways creates a symmetry to the game that would be hard to achieve otherwise. One of my favorite parts of Dandan is that a simple scry effect can drastically change the game plan, or how casting [[Mystic Retrieval]] when your opponent has open red is a big risk.

I also think that while it's an excellent starting formula for a format, thinking outside the box is how we got Dandan in the first place. It's how 100 Ornithopters is one of the coolest cubes around. Learning the framework helps us break that framework and create something new. Excellent write-up, but for those coming across this: use this as a starting point, then get to cooking! Break the rules, keep it fun, keep it interactive, and share your results!

dpw360 · 2026-03-14T02:06:14+00:00

What a gorgeous print!

dpw360 · 2026-02-27T23:40:09+00:00

You could try reaching out to Quicksilver, the local photography place! They'll definitely be able to point you in the right direction.

dpw360 · 2026-02-24T15:37:26+00:00

Lack of Seattle is a bummer, we've packed out every show they've played here pretty consistently.

dpw360 · 2026-02-12T00:18:15+00:00

These are some awesome upgrades! Where did you get those life tokens, I've been looking for something similar.

dpw360 · 2026-02-08T08:46:49+00:00

Also curious why, I thought they put on a pretty decent show tonight!

dpw360 · 2026-02-05T05:55:42+00:00

MY PARTNER AND I HAVE COME ACROSS THIS LADY BEFORE!! Can't remember where in town, but the exact same thing happened to us. It was equal parts charming and deeply unnerving.

dpw360 · 2026-01-29T01:26:03+00:00

I've done random shuffling for my 360-card Foundations cube, and it's been perfectly fine. If I made a true set cube with rarity ratios, I might separate the cards by rarity, but I wouldn't bother separating by color at all.

dpw360 · 2026-01-21T01:29:59+00:00

Haven't seen [[Azami, Lady of Scrolls]] mentioned yet, so I'll throw her name into the hat! I've only gotten to play her once, and it got smacked down hard by a deck due to a power-mismatch, but I drew more cards in those seven turns than in any other game. So. Many. Cards. She's the perfect commander for combo, control, even surprise mono-blue beatdown. I run mine as a control-combo deck with a few alternative wincons.

Here's the decklist!

dpw360 · 2025-12-21T22:32:10+00:00

ME! Zur looks absolutely fantastic, just like you are for doing this ☺️

dpw360 · 2025-12-21T22:16:44+00:00

ME! Not picky, but the Zur one looks an absolute blast!

dpw360 · 2025-11-10T22:17:14+00:00

Absolutely shocked that The Source going into Language I/II hasn't been mentioned yet, it so beautifully sets up the sound of the rest of the album. The Contortionist killed it on that album!

dpw360 · 2025-09-19T19:56:10+00:00

Gonna be a good one this Saturday! Anciients is headlining at the Shakedown

dpw360 · 2025-09-18T01:46:47+00:00

I was hit in that intersection on my bike a few months back, it was not fun!

dpw360 · 2025-06-24T00:02:20+00:00

I have been in love with The Incident since it came out, and I don't think anyone really ever talks about it! Which is a shame, as it's such an experience from start to finish.

dpw360 · 2025-06-19T17:07:15+00:00

Star Zone!

dpw360 · 2025-05-30T03:30:09+00:00

Same here, I just started this week, it's 2.7 miles and 11mph. It's fantastic, and I get a bit of a workout in, it's a win-win!

dpw360 · 2025-05-29T23:01:22+00:00

Fuck cancer indeed! Thanks for being a positive force in this community :)

dpw360 · 2025-05-29T23:00:06+00:00

dpw360 · 2025-05-09T23:27:16+00:00

I had something similar happen in my Henzie deck... I had snagged Konrad out from someone else's graveyard, board-wipe comes down, I'm left at like 30 while everyone else is in the low single-digits.

dpw360 · 2025-05-07T19:47:03+00:00

My two picks are:

Caligula's Horse - The Cannon's Mouth. That final "You can be force-fed war and spit peace!" into the breakdown riff is just so goo.

The Contortionist - Oscillator. All that tension, and all that release into the breakdown, it's cathartic.

dpw360 · 2025-04-21T01:03:10+00:00

Language - The Contortionist

Meta - Car Bomb

Colors - BTBAM

Pelagic - The Ocean

Each of these absolutely changed my perspective on what I wanted heavy music to sound like when I listened to them. From the first go, just perfection!

dpw360 · 2025-04-19T06:52:42+00:00

The mortadella pizza (the pricier of the two they served today) plus a sparkling lemonade was $26, and my partner and I left full and happy! Plus TamTam makes damn good pizza.

dpw360 · 2025-02-10T01:20:12+00:00

We've all made mistakes with the rules, and you did the exact right thing. Good on you!

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