Chaos in EDH - Who do I Play?
Commander (EDH) forum
Posted on Jan. 27, 2016, 9:04 a.m. by That_Guy_You_Know
I've been playing EDH for a while, but I've been playing competitive Edric, Spymaster of Trest. I want to have fun and not be the target at the table for once. I want to just build a deck that I'll have fun with, without painting a target on my head. Please suggest builds that can be made for <$100 and thanks for the help.
If you're after a casual deck that doesn't draw hate, I would strongly steer clear of chaos.
While the first game might be good for a laugh, chaos decks usually draw the game out. And while people think they can be cute at first, if people are operating on a tighter time schedule than you but still want to have a game, or aren't in the mood for a "zany, who knows what will happen" game, you will find yourself getting focused because your deck is slowing the game down. That and generally people want to play their own decks.
You also run into the issue of coming across players who will flat out refuse to play against your deck or immediately concede once they find out what the deck does, simply because chaos magic is not their cup of tea. As you can probably tell, I am one of those people who really does not care for chaos magic as I generally do not care to spend 3+ hours on a game.
If you want to have a fun casual deck, I would recommend picking a different theme. Then if you're still hell-bent on building a chaos deck, you have a fallback option.
January 27, 2016 9:25 a.m.
lemmingllama says... #5
I would recommend Zedruu the Greathearted. I have my own build, Some Goats Want to Watch the World Burn, that can easily be done for less than $100 by removing the more expensive cards that aren't integral to the deck and swapping in some budget replacements. If you do want some help with your deck or how to budget my version, feel free to contact me.
January 27, 2016 9:48 a.m.
canterlotguardian says... #6
I have my own version of Zedruu as well (back from before I converted to Melekism). Let's Play Pokemon- Wonder Trading
January 27, 2016 9:49 a.m.
Yeah, try to avoid Chaos. At first, it's funny. Then, it becomes annoying. Finally, people begin treating it like you're playing Stax as the goals are both the same.
If you're 100% convinced on Chaos, Zedruu the Greathearted is probably your best bet, although Ruhan of the Fomori is the most flavorful.
January 27, 2016 10:21 a.m.
You need UR for chaos to work properly, or at least U or R.
Zedruu the Greathearted is if you wanna do Jeskai.
Jeleva, Nephalia's Scourge for Grixis
Maelstrom Wanderer or Intet, the Dreamer for Temur
Jhoira of the Ghitu, Arjun, the Shifting Flame or Melek, Izzet Paragon for Izzet
Braids, Conjurer Adept orJalira, Master Polymorphist for mono blue
Feldon of the Third Path, Kazuul, Tyrant of the Cliffs or Skyfire Kirin for mono red
These are your funniest options in those colors. Plus it really gives you some interesting chaotic effects.
Also, since most people don't consider chaos effects while playing, it makes the cards cheap and the decks easy to build.
And finally, if you're using any deck, don't forget the Leveler + Timesifter and if your using Jeskai don't forget Pariah + Stuffy Doll
January 27, 2016 10:26 a.m.
Karns_Pyromancer says... #9
I would choose Arjun, the Shifting Flame over Melek, Izzet Paragon. The reason is you can always run a Grapeshot or Brain Freeze and use Arjun to storm off.
January 27, 2016 10:29 a.m.
There's a fine line when playing Chaos.
Playing chaos for the sake of creating chaos is stupid, unfun, and nobody will want to play against it. The deck should use chaos as a way to disrupt your opponents from winning while you draw power from it in order to win.
Personally, I prefer Norin the Wary because he is completely innocuous to people unfamiliar with him. My Norin deck is I'm Going On An Adventure!, and could probably be built without the really expensive stuff.
January 27, 2016 10:31 a.m.
wasianpower says... #11
A good, diplomatic commander is Selvala, Explorer Returned. I've been playing her for a while and it's a lot of fun. Nobody really wants to kill you because you're drawing everybody cards, and she's great for powering out huge things fast.
January 27, 2016 10:54 a.m.
canterlotguardian says... #13
why Phelddagrif? he's completely removed from red, which is the color in which a majority of the chaos cards are. that seems rather counter-intuitive.
January 27, 2016 1:37 p.m.
That same issue comes up with Selvala, Explorer Returned. She's a great commander, not top tier but great to play, but literally misses most chaos effects due to her colors
canterlotguardian says... #2
I prefer Melek, Izzet Paragon for a chaos theme because you can really cause some chaos copying a Scrambleverse or Warp World off top-deck. Most people (read: everyone but me) swear by Zedruu the Greathearted though.
January 27, 2016 9:07 a.m.