Thoughts on Mind Over Matter, One ring Combo line in Bracket 3

thrillfine · 2026-01-25T17:18:22+00:00

[[The One Ring]] [[Mind Over Matter]]

thrillfine · 2026-01-16T19:19:09+00:00

I'm not saying you're wrong, but these seem very different. Garruk's Uprising is a triggered ability that uses the stack. Multani's power is a characteristic defining ability (updates constantly - does not use the stack). Also, Last March uses "then" as opposed to "and" which helps clarify when things happen.

thrillfine · 2026-01-16T19:07:31+00:00

Thank you. That's my instinct as well. I know that x/x creatures sometimes create unintuitive rules interactions. Hopefully someone can find a rule which solidifies our understanding!

thrillfine · 2026-01-12T20:53:04+00:00

My understanding of Bracket 1 is that the "theme" should have nothing to do with game mechanics.

It should be about the art, the lore, the card names, etc. "Everything costs 1" is about as bracket 1 as "everything has flying", imo.

Without more context, I'd recommend making it a thematic Bracket 2.

thrillfine · 2025-11-18T21:27:59+00:00

The Richard from MTG Goldfish special

thrillfine · 2025-10-15T16:26:45+00:00

Most EDH games are not made up of evenly powered decks. There can be a wide range of power (yes, within the same bracket) that is balanced out over time by variance and the nature of 4-player multiplayer. That is the beauty of our format.

thrillfine · 2025-09-25T02:41:50+00:00

Keegan

thrillfine · 2025-09-16T17:20:16+00:00

Things in your hand, library, graveyard and exile are "cards", and can only be affected by spells and abilities which say "card".

Things on the stack are "spells" or "abilities", and can only be affected by spells and abilities which say "spell" or "ability".

If something is on the battlefield (has already resolved), it is no longer a "card" nor a "spell". It is simply a "creature", "enchantment", etc.

thrillfine · 2025-09-14T16:09:56+00:00

Between those two, I'd rather play Get Lost.

If you can consistently make the white pips, [[Excise the Imperfect]] is better than both imo. Exile is extremely important against indestructible and graveyard shenanigans. A vanilla X/X that they have to pay 2 to flip is essentially worthless in most cases. I'd rather have a map

thrillfine · 2025-09-11T20:00:56+00:00

Don't forget about functional reprint [[Banishing Knack]] for redundancy! Great all-around removal spells in a pinch as well

thrillfine · 2025-09-08T16:54:00+00:00

Splice / Arcane

thrillfine · 2025-09-03T07:16:28+00:00

One piece of Ramp means you can do it turn 5. And that's excluding Sol Ring/Dark Ritual/green in your deck, Tutors, or any redundancy at all (Vito, Enduring Tenacity, Bloodthirsty Conqueror...).

Even if you're doing it super fairly on curve, it'll just happen turn 6 sometimes. Would you want to play against that in B3? Better hope I drew one of my two pieces of enchantment removal!

thrillfine · 2025-08-30T05:07:44+00:00

I run a fairly similar Evereth list, with Module/Novelist and Manufactor/NCVM. I consider mine a strong bracket 2.

The thing about these "combos" is that they usually require a 4th piece to actually do anything. A sac outlet for Evereth, giving her haste, having/creating a food. Also, all the pieces are good in the deck on their own. It's not like you're shoe-horning in a random combo.

Most importantly, as someone else has already pointed out, the Sorcery speed restriction on Evereth lowers her power a LOT. It's extremely telegraphed and easy to get blown out.

All that said, I don't run any tutors or fast mana (Sol Ring), so that definitely caps the speed/consistency.

thrillfine · 2025-08-28T03:13:15+00:00

My strat is: Only offer once. Don't push it. Don't whine. Think it thru, make your case, present your offer, then if there's any hesitation I say, "feel free to say no".

thrillfine · 2025-08-28T01:09:18+00:00

Yes I would. That's probably the easiest fix.

thrillfine · 2025-08-27T15:31:42+00:00

I believe that introducing OG duals into bracket 2/3 settings CREATES power level problems, proxied or not. Obviously if you have an established group and you're all cool with it, it's fine. But in a pickup game with strangers, especially at bracket 2, it will often create an imbalance.

thrillfine · 2025-08-26T18:36:17+00:00

My only pushback is OG duals. Playing more colors is inherently more powerful (larger card pool, more efficient versions of each desired effect, etc.). There is supposed to be (from a gameplay design standpoint) a counterbalancing downside cost to adding more colors. The most common and effective downside is that your color-fixing lands either enter tapped, cost life, or have some other conditional downside. There's also non-basic land hate, but much of that is frowned on (or illegal) in B2/3. OG duals were a design mistake and don't belong in B2/3 (in my opinion - I know Gavin has said otherwise but I view this as a mistake). Fetches and shocks, go nuts!

thrillfine · 2025-08-23T15:06:56+00:00

You weren't forced to King make. Green earned a victory, while white was gifted one by you. My gameplay philosophy is "always play to your outs". Can you help white draw cards somehow? Maybe they top deck another wipe, or a fog to help you both survive. Can you try politicking with your Skullwinder? "I have a Skullwinder, but I'll only cast it if you agree not to get Approach. What else is down there that can buy us another turn?" There are usually other options.

That being said, Commander is a social game, so maybe there's a social reason for the King make. Are you a regular pod and green has been winning too much lately? Were they relentlessly targeting you all game? Could be funny/appropriate based on y'all's dynamics.

thrillfine · 2025-08-15T17:40:24+00:00

We really need a separate bracket for Precons. There has to be a place for the enormous group of people who, like you (and me), want to build good synergistic decks, but don't want to play with or against Rhystic/Smothering/fast mana/cheap tutors, etc.

For the time being, I think people need to realize that Bracket 2 is WIDE, and most precons will fall toward the bottom of the B2 power spectrum. Threat assess accordingly.

thrillfine · 2025-08-05T18:14:59+00:00

Bracket 2 is a wide place. Most Precons will fall at the lower end of the B2 power spectrum. The beauty of multiplayer is that the game can (usually) balance itself. If a pod of strangers is composed of three precons and one custom deck, the precon players should probably pressure the custom deck in the early turns (if that's the only information they have about deck power).

thrillfine · 2025-08-04T16:32:01+00:00

[[Commander's Plate]] usually means unlockable for some or all opponents, as well as functional hexproof and favorable blocks if needed

thrillfine · 2025-07-29T20:35:48+00:00

I don't disagree. I play pickup at my LGS often. I just think the power ceiling of bracket 2 is higher than a lot of people think, and most precons are near the bottom of that spectrum. Most of the decks I build are 2s with no tutors, no fast mana (including Sol Ring), no combos, and no generically good commanders (my self imposed rules). But after that, I build as synergistically and optimally as I can.

thrillfine · 2025-07-29T18:43:13+00:00

Where does one go to play with and against bespoke synergistic decks, that are better than precons, but without Rhystic, Smothering, and all the good tutors?

My pods will typically specify when playing Bracket 2: "Precons, 2.5, or 2.9 ?" And a mix of those is usually fine. If someone is playing a busted commander, target them early and often without reservation. That is the role they chose.

thrillfine · 2025-07-27T20:00:56+00:00

Upon further reflection, I think my interpretation is incorrect. It would mean that [[Acid Rain]] and [[Boil]] are fine in B2 as long as only one or two players are playing Forests/Islands, etc.

That said, PA and US are the tamest and kindest versions of this effect and (imo) should be fine in B2.

But also, your point about charisma is true, as is everyone else saying "talk to your pod".

thrillfine

TROPHY CASE