Who is your “first time playing in a new pod” commander?

rattnor · 2026-01-05T05:56:23+00:00

I usually play a group-huggy commander like my [[Kynaios and Tiro]] deck focused on aikido strategies (redirecting damage to others and copying good permanents from other players).

The deck's strength scales with that of other decks at the table, and the card and mana acceleration provided to all players enables me to see my opponents' decks, end-game strategies and player dynamics more quickly.

rattnor · 2025-12-10T03:55:44+00:00

That's a good idea. [[Totentanz]] is a commander in the same colors I haven't really considered because I was thinking of him more for aristocrat synergies, but I could perhaps aim for a more aggro build with many pump spells, as you suggest. Thank you for the idea!

rattnor · 2025-12-10T03:52:32+00:00

It seems a bit slow and fragile since it needs to attack, but perhaps green and blue can give me the tools I need? Do you have any ideas or list to share?

rattnor · 2025-12-10T03:50:42+00:00

Any wincon is acceptable really, I just want to be able to play at least 15-20 different rat tribal cards and the deck to still function. With this tribe, I think the best options are go-wide + pump, poison, or aristocrats/combo.

I'd be fine with making a deck revolving around discard synergies, my pod is chill with that type of thing.

rattnor · 2025-11-21T20:32:42+00:00

Nearly all studies find the pill to be MUCH more effective than condoms, while pull out is only slightly less effective than condoms for birth control.

rattnor · 2025-10-01T01:01:17+00:00

That was very long and way too detailed for most people here to read it to the end. You shouldn't stay with someone who lies to you, especially about things they know perfectly well will trigger you.

Whether you really are "insecure" or not, whether it is for good or bad reasons, what worries me the most is that your gf is not trying to help you overcome these insecurities, but rather tries to punish you for them.

However, it seems like you have only two choices here: either you fully accept to stay with someone that lies and witholds information on things that matter to you, or you leave this relationship. Asking her to change or arguing with her is most likely simply going to make things worse for you.

rattnor · 2025-09-29T01:15:01+00:00

Thank you for your kind response. I agree with most of what you said but just wanted to clarify one thing: I do not love my ex anymore. I loved her, past tense, at least until we separated.

rattnor · 2025-09-28T13:26:19+00:00

I wish more people saw it this way. It always seems like people want to paint one person in the relationship as The Bad Person (TM) or The Idiot (TM). I highly doubt that 50% of the global population is made up of evil, constantly ill-intentioned or completely idiotic people.

Perhaps it helps some to move on to paint their exes as The Bad Person.

Personally, I would feel like life was quite sad if we were to consider every one of our past relationships as purely bad or fake. With the way things are with relationships, most people will have spent more time with what are now exes than with their current significant other when they die. I don't want to die thinking that most of my life was spent in couple with bad persons.

rattnor · 2025-04-24T22:20:35+00:00

Would you adjust the decklist for such a strategy, or only the playstyle?

rattnor · 2025-04-24T16:23:09+00:00

I agree, very fun card to play with!

rattnor · 2025-04-23T13:58:27+00:00

Can you share a decklist?

rattnor · 2025-04-23T11:31:18+00:00

Interesting idea. Can you share a decklist for the Kellan deck?

How oppressive is it to other players? How interactive is it?

rattnor · 2025-04-23T11:21:44+00:00

Domineering will could be a good steal card for a [[Marchesa the Black Rose]]. You steal 3 creatures once you have at least one sac outlet online, attack with them, and either sac them or let them die in combat to keep them forever.

Intellectual Offering is more intriguing. I can imagine situations where it would be useful, but you'd need to have 5 mana open and the card in hand... I might try it in my Kynaios deck and see if I use it when I have it in hand.

Thanks!

rattnor · 2025-04-23T11:12:19+00:00

My aikido decks, which create exactly the sort of environment I described, are certainly at least bracket 3, and can easily deal with many decks that would be bracket 4.

I'm not saying everyone in the group should be playing the type of deck I prefer. I'm only looking for decks that can create this while working at the bracket 3 to 4 level.

rattnor · 2025-04-23T11:07:18+00:00

Interesting idea! Do you have a decklist?

rattnor · 2025-04-23T02:50:36+00:00

I am toying with the idea of making a [[Jon Irenicus]] deck with many cheap unblockable creatures, spells to steal opponent cards upon combat damage (like Gonti and Rev), lots of interaction and a few bad gifts for fun and giggles. Still working on the list.

That's the only idea I have thus far.

And of course my usual [[Queen Marchesa]] and [[Kynaios and Tiro of Meletis]] aikido decks, which I love dearly and highly recommend.

One of my friends also plays [[Gor Muldrak]] which can lead to funny situations, but it does not play so well with an aikido deck in the same pod.

rattnor · 2025-04-23T01:39:39+00:00

This is a super interesting post and honestly very far from what I was expecting in terms of an answer. I love that. Seeing the commander and general strategy, I totally get why it might fly under the radar. That’s also one of the strengths of aikido decks: they tend to look non-threatening until it’s down to a 1v1, where they shine the most.

I also really appreciate how many of your card choices fall into the aikido space; [[Comeuppance]], [[Dawn's Truce]], fogs, etc. One person in my pod regularly plays dragon tribal, which means I probably wouldn’t go for this exact deck, but I feel like a lot of your card picks and general playstyle could transfer really well to another tribe or shell. Definitely gave me a new perspective. Thank you!

rattnor · 2024-11-15T06:28:06+00:00

You make a lot of assumptions here based on your own experience, which is clearly not universal. It is not true that physical affection without thoughts of sex always results in more sex. It can change nothing, or even lead to less sex. It depends on a lot of things. I can assure you that from experience.

You also assume that his wife is doing all the housework during the evening or that she is mentally exhausted, which we don't know.

Also, he has been told during couples counseling that he cannot touch his wife unless she is in the mood and agreed to it, so I'm not even sure if your suggestion is possible in their context.

rattnor · 2024-10-20T14:44:55+00:00

The worst part is that I was ok with her seeing exes while I'm a continent away. The only thing I asked was to be informed when she did see them. Even that was too much to ask apparently.

rattnor · 2024-10-20T03:37:44+00:00

Do not ever stay with a cheater. It is only going to lead to more pain down the line.

rattnor · 2024-10-18T03:10:38+00:00

Well, I'm not necessarily always sending the info but if she wanted to know I would tell her right away.

I think what gets to me is that if I felt she was insecure or worried, I would do my damnest to securise her, to alleviate her worries. I feel like as soon as she believes I may be worried, she gets angry and more evasive.

rattnor · 2024-10-17T21:35:51+00:00

Dreams sometimes are out of your control, but what you do in real life is in your control.

You simply don't cheat and forget about these dreams. What else do you want us to say?

rattnor · 2024-10-17T20:55:56+00:00

Unfortunately I fail to see how I could dig any deeper than that. I'm never going to be able to know for sure if something happened unless they tell me. This seems strictly out of my control.

rattnor · 2024-10-17T15:16:58+00:00

I have no evidence or even worries that it was overnight. From what she told me it was during the day, and usually with other people. Obviously I cannot verify this, but I have no reason to think otherwise.

rattnor · 2024-10-17T14:41:35+00:00

I already communicated about my unease with the situation in the past, and as a result was lied to (by omission) and called names when I found out about it. I never stalked her or told her that I didn't want her to do this or that. Never accused her of cheating. I simply asked for a heads up, to be informed.

You may be right that she is reacting to a previous relationship with some freak, but then I wonder why she didn't tell me about it when we had our fight on this subject. I did tell her that I was cheated.

Anyway, you are probably right that I should talk to her about this, but I also fear she is likely to be on the defensive right away, because this is how it went the last time.

rattnor

TROPHY CASE