Adapting to a New & Changing Meta
Commander (EDH) forum
Posted on Aug. 13, 2016, 6:24 p.m. by ducttapedeckbox
Two weeks ago my LGS started holding EDH events. The first event was super casual with games devoid of quick combo kills. Last night was entirely different, getting blown out by a mostly-complete Narset, Enlightened Master deck in one match. The other decks range from Tier 4 to Tier 2, according to this list, though I expect that to climb.
I should also note that the prize support (in the form of $2 of store credit) is based on the individual players you take out in each round, not the last one standing at the table. For example, if Player 1 takes out Players 2 and 3 but then loses to Player 4, both Players 1 and 4 would each have two $2 store credit tokens. This makes voltron-style decks more viable than in other forms of prize support.
Unfortunately I left my EDH deck at school, so I had to piece together something from an Oloro, Ageless Ascetic pre-con for the three weeks that I was able to play. It isn't great. Next time that I'm home, I'll have my mostly-complete Nekusar, the Mindrazer deck.
Seeing the disparity between the high- and low-end decks, I'd like to either tweak Nekusar to a higher level by adding the ability to "side" into Glistening Oil / a Niv-Mizzet, the Firemind combo kill, or build a new deck in the Tier 1-3 range that can be adjusted based on the turnout (the event is casual so I can change around my deck between rounds).
What would you do?
ducttapedeckbox says... #3
@ DERPLINGSUPREME, that's really scary. Those are two of the three or four decks I was going consider making if I made something new...
August 13, 2016 6:34 p.m. Edited.
Shane.Allen says... #4
I would say for you, you want to have a lot of fun, make a Nekusar, the Mindrazer Griever deck. It'll be something basically punishing people for playing Magic ie. draw a card - take a pain, play a creature - take a pain, tap a land - take a pain, attack - take a pain, you get the point. I played against one day, it was very aggravating.
August 13, 2016 7 p.m.
ducttapedeckbox says... #5
Thanks Shane.Allen! That's basically my deck right now, except solely revolving around drawing/wheeling. I've found that other forms of punishment (Polluted Bonds, Manabarbs, Kaervek the Merciless, etc.) dilute the deck.
Adding Glistening Oil just makes me only need 10 draws with Nekusar out versus 40 or so. More combos and potency will let me pull out more wins.
August 13, 2016 7:11 p.m.
A proper Narset deck is a terrifying thing, and is now my second reason for always mainboarding Second Sight. The first being it's pure gold with a board-wipe on the stack.
Against such a powerful meta, yeah, you should absolutely focus on building power. I refuse to believe anyone will complain about you siding power OUT of your deck. Reading your story--and the spoiler for Kaya--gives me an amusing idea for a voltron hate-blink deck. Unfortunately, that sounds like it would get blown out in an unfun way.
August 13, 2016 7:13 p.m.
Shane.Allen says... #7
You are most kindly welcomed ducttapedeckbox, I love Griever decks, they are really fun, and I love super-competitive metas. Only decks I hate playing against (I don't mind playing them) are Teferi, Mage of Zhalfir, Azami, Lady of Scrolls and Omnath, Locus of Mana.
August 13, 2016 7:32 p.m.
ducttapedeckbox says... #10
The thing, Egann, is that there was only one player who had no issue playing at a much higher level than anyone else. That very well may change as the events run, but for now it was just that one player who isn't even a regular. I just want to be prepared to adjust my deck - playing against casuals with a competitive deck is not fun to me.
It's totally different when you are at the helm of an irritating deck, Shane.Allen.
Raging_Squiggle - Second Sight is probably right. Reordering the top of a Narset player's library can null theirs trigger for a turn.
August 13, 2016 7:58 p.m.
ducttapedeckbox says... #11
It does only prevent them from getting one card though... So eh..
August 13, 2016 8:02 p.m.
Shane.Allen says... #12
ducttapedeckbox When I play at my LGS one of the main things I try to do with Commander/EDH is get people who like the format and have decks but maybe not decks but aren't powered up to get them powered up to a more competitive level, that way the competition is at a higher level and you have more of a challenge each and every night.
August 13, 2016 8:21 p.m.
Stax. I had the same problem, my mono B stax discard made all the combo players (irregulars that only showed up for the store credit) stop showing up. Than I went back to fun decks
August 13, 2016 8:22 p.m. Edited.
Stax may not be your answer, my point is that I made a deck for the sole purpose of defeating those decks and making their lives hell. Find their weakness, build a deck to it. And play it whenever they show up.
August 13, 2016 8:26 p.m.
Shane.Allen says... #15
I have noticed a kid in my playgroup has started to put cards in his decks that solely are focused at beating a card or cards in my decks alone. While this may give him some joy (he still hasn't won). I find this idea pointless, as to my philosophy, it's build the best deck YOU can to beat everyone and everything. If you pigeonhole yourself your deck will never play to its fullest.
August 13, 2016 8:34 p.m.
Shane.Allen true, true. But I went 3-0 every Thursday night for 2 months until all of those moneychasin pubstompers stopped showing up
August 13, 2016 8:48 p.m.
Karns_Pyromancer says... #17
If you go Nekusar, Corrupted Conscience is terrifying. You can combo with it or steal something obscene & swing.
August 16, 2016 11:39 a.m.
Shane.Allen says... #18
mentor6 nice that's a good record, you need to keep killing them.
Karns_Pyromancer that's a nice duo of cards :)
August 16, 2016 11:44 a.m.
Karns_Pyromancer says... #19
If you want to simply beat competitive players, pillowfort/Stax may be the best option. Cards like Sadistic Sacrament, Mana Maze, Mist of Stagnation, Winter Orb, Teferi's Puzzle Box + Necropotence, Ad Nauseam, Impending Disaster, Contamination/Infernal Darkness, Blood Moon, &c. &c. are all hell to play against.
August 16, 2016 11:56 a.m.
Shane.Allen says... #20
Yes they are Karns_Pyromancer as well as Humility and Stasis decks, beating these cards now that's what is fun about being a competitive player :)
DERPLINGSUPREME says... #2
what would I do? either play Gitrog combo or teferi stax.
what should you do? Play satisfying games with Nekusar and when you get bored break out a combo and end it.
August 13, 2016 6:27 p.m.