I'm abit new to this format
Commander (EDH) forum
Posted on July 27, 2014, 4:08 p.m. by jstruggers
So if you can't tell I'm new to commander, I don't really have any ideas on what to put into a deck, I'm thinking of either U/W control or R/W aggro. Can anyone help?
Whilst aggro is possible, its not recommended in commander due to the fact that with multiple opponents its a lot harder to end the game quickly.
July 27, 2014 4:23 p.m.
MindAblaze says... #4
Aggro in commander is more like midrange in normal magic. Ramp hard into 5s, 6s and 7s. Cheat out fatties that have utility beyond just being big. Add life totals that are twice as high as a normal 60 card game, and you'll see why it's easy for many aggro decks to run out of steam.
July 27, 2014 4:28 p.m.
I run a Krenko, Mob Boss deck but even goblins can run out of stream... I agree with others that say you want to ramp/cheat out fatties in edh most of the time. An easy commander IMHO is Mayael the Anima . It can play any fatty for 6 at opponents end step, which is very powerful. And you can use lots of hasty creatures as well, just to help with your aggro ideology. :)
July 27, 2014 4:42 p.m.
NoPantsParade says... #7
I agree with robrone9. A friend of mine started and still plays with a semi-budget Mayael the Anima deck that just ramps and usually has about 9+ mana by turn 5 or something. He then just plays and cheats out fatties and haste enablers. The deck started out pretty bad but a year later it is now a powerhouse. So it kind of gives that "aggro feeling" that you're looking for.
Another friend of mine got the premade Naya EDH deck and added some fatties, removal, and other Naya-stuff and it is a pretty solid deck for his first one. That being said, I think Mayael the Anima is a good starter commander. Pretty simple to build, gives an idea of EDH, and is generally easy to play.
July 27, 2014 6:07 p.m.
Gidgetimer says... #8
I like the premade commander decks for value and a good base, but be warned these decks aren't playable except in the most casual of playgroups. They each have 2 distinct strategies going on and you would do better to replace all of the cards supporting one strategy with general utility cards or more cards to support the strat you decide to go with.
As others have said, "aggro" doesn't really exist in commander. The better mid range decks take the role of aggro in most games. I like the suggestion for Iroas, God of Victory as a commander in an aggressive commander deck. I don't agree with the option to go Voltron though as that is a distinct play style from the aggro role.
July 27, 2014 7:18 p.m.
nobu_the_bard says... #9
I would like to note there are really two different Commander formats that play quite a bit differently, and also the crowd you'll be playing with can affect things immensely. Multiplayer Commander (generally with around 4 players) is very different from Duel or "French Rules" Commander (1v1). It is so different, Duel Commander has a different, more extensive banlist, completely different deck archetypes (to a degree) and it is more like playing a variant of Vintage than anything else.
Most people refer to the Multiplayer version when they talk about Commander but there are people that really enjoy the Duel version, so I thought I'd make sure you knew about it up front.
July 27, 2014 8:26 p.m.
FancyTuesday says... #10
As JWiley129 has mentioned Epochalyptik has written a tome on the subject already. I'd direct you to this article specifically for help here.
For your first deck I'd stay away from R/W. Boros (as that color combination is called) lacks a lot of things you really want in an EDH deck, namely card draw and mana ramp. That's not to say it's impossible to make a good deck out of it, it's just more difficult to make something that works with any consistency. Endurance is also important, so you want things like reanimation effects and activated abilities to play around with, these are all aspects Red is really weak in and White can't pick up the slack on its own.
What you want is something that's fun to play, and while you don't have to be winning every game all the time to have fun you do need to be doing things with some regularity. Mana ramp and drawing additional cards are key to your ability to be "doing things" turn after turn, game after game, and Green/Blue has some of your best options there. Green/Black is also pretty strong, and Black generally runs cheaper than Blue. You can go three color but just be warned that the cost of your mana base is going to increase exponentially with every color you add.
But the important thing is to find a Commander with a theme you'll enjoy playing/building around and going for it. Good luck and happy commanding!
July 27, 2014 10:18 p.m.
jstruggers says... #12
I've put this together, none of the colours above but I think its a good start A token for you, A token for Everyone! [HELP]
JWiley129 says... #2
Welcome to the wonderful world of Commander!
Your first stop might be to swing by Epochalyptik's page to read some of his articles on the format, they're very good!
I'll give you my 2-cents. U/W control is an archetype that exists in commander, using people like Grand Arbiter Augustin IV to make life really hard on your opponents. R/W aggro isn't REALLY a deck, but the closest you'll get is R/W voltron with someone like Iroas, God of Victory . But you shouldn't step into Commander thinking in terms of Standard deck archetypes. Commander has its own unique deck types that you should look into before settling on something. A good entry point is one of the premade Commander decks that WotC releases, and there are some mono-colored ones coming out in November, so you have that to look forward too!
July 27, 2014 4:19 p.m.