The ultimatum....
Commander (EDH) forum
Posted on Feb. 25, 2015, 7:12 p.m. by Deckologist
So I brought my Sydri deck to my shop and pretty much played a full days worth of table flipping horrible disgusting magic that left everyone with a bad taste in their mouth. Everyone took a vote and basically said for me to get games in they would pick the colors of a new deck for me to play. If I didn't follow their pick and their rules I wouldn't be able to play. I like to play and they made the mistake of giving me 
so in thinking stax. Now I have a general idea of what I want to do but in not sure who should headline. Right now I'm running glissa with nath as per of the 99. With cards like Tangle Wire the orbs and smoke stacks I feel glissa is stronger but nath has the built in attrition and token maker. What are your thoughts?
use Glissa. nath is better when your trying to full work around his ability.
February 25, 2015 7:16 p.m.
however i will say that if they were unhappy with Sydri i dont know if choosing STAX is gonna fix anything lol. Honestly I would say it would be better for you to build something janky and beat them with THAT.
February 25, 2015 7:20 p.m.
cosmokai2000 says... #5
I'm going to try and say this the least offensive way possible. They obviously don't want to play the same game you do. It shouldn't come down to "play this deck or don't play." This is their way of telling you to tone it down. If you make a second deck that's as bad as the first, they're either going to make you change again or just not let you play. This is the playgroup's way of policing you
February 25, 2015 7:21 p.m.
ShamaLamaDingDong says... #6
WAIT! By table-flipping do you mean this:
Because I love this gif.
February 25, 2015 7:22 p.m.
cosmokai2000 hit it on the head.
That is why you should build Jank.
February 25, 2015 7:24 p.m.
VampireArmy says... #8
Play the edh version of lands if you can afford it.
February 25, 2015 7:36 p.m.
Deckologist says... #10
Epochalyptik I have made everyone read that article. Everyone agreed that no matter what came to the table we would all be civil about it. Funny how civility ends when the same guy wins every game....
February 25, 2015 7:55 p.m.
Epochalyptik says... #11
The way you described the situation in the original post doesn't exactly lead me to believe that you were abiding by the tenets I outlined in the article.
February 25, 2015 7:58 p.m.
It sounds like you just want to come back and do the exact thing over again...
February 25, 2015 8:02 p.m.
Yea, from reading your description of the Sydri list on your profile, you were playing land destruction. I would ask if it is fine if you can play the deck minus the ld, or whatever other thing caused them to rage. Most players don't mind a good deck if it doesn't stop them from playing.
February 25, 2015 8:07 p.m.
Yea I agree with that. typically players will understand if you can just talk to them about the specific problems. That isn't always the case though.
On another note, I'm really surprised I haven't read that article before, or atleast didn't remember it. Really solid read.
February 25, 2015 8:12 p.m.
EndStepTop says... #15
I think Nath is stronger for stax. But I'm Gona agree with everyone else, it sounds like theyre pissed and stax isnt often welcomed with open arms by a lot of people.
February 25, 2015 8:54 p.m.
What irritates me about the situation is that they said "Oh, hey, play this deck or we'll stop playing." No One, I repeat, absolutely no one should tell another person to build a certain deck, especially if it doesn't fit their style.
I hate stax and mass LD as much as the next person but at least they are valid strategies against some of the more dominant archetypes (such as Mass Ramp...cough Azusa cough). Infinite combos tend to fall into this category, and I have had combo'd off on turn 5 recently. I felt very guilty about it and I was forgiven by at least one other person*.
See, what I'm trying to say is this: You run what you want to run. No one should tell one another to build this or that deck, especially down to the details. Everyone has their own style and EDH, as a social format, gives players the room of what is right and what is wrong. Who is to say that Stax is utterly wrong and Battlecrusier Beats is the way to go? If I were you, I might consider dropping a few cards that caused the upset in the first place, even if it's a must in that build. EDH decks are also a reflection of who their owners are. If Sydri best reflects you, then others shouldn't stop you from using it. You just need to tune the deck a bit so it doesn't come off as overpowering.
*I admit here that this is the very first time I ever pulled it off. It is a deck with no tutors, so I could not search out the pieces. I just happened to draw into all of them very early on.
February 25, 2015 10:46 p.m.
Deckologist says... #17
Ok, so I played tonight. It was met with praise and joy. Apparently combo is what makes them angry, stax made them jump for joy. I don't get it. But hey, I get to win and not have people groan at me. They didn't even care when I had smoke stacks up to 5...
February 25, 2015 11:07 p.m.
That is by far and away the most bizarre thing I ever heard from an EDH playgroup.
I mean, I can see why they'd get mad over comboing out, but at the same time, it's just...bizarre.
February 25, 2015 11:10 p.m.
Deckologist says... #19
Welcome to my meta. Appreciate how I turned out so normal.
February 25, 2015 11:39 p.m.
vampirelazarus says... #20
Or... you can continue building highly tuned good decks until the meta adapts to beat you. That's what happened with my LGS, and now we're all gunning for the pro tour.
February 25, 2015 11:40 p.m.
unfortunately some people would rather force people to come down to their level rather than own up to there own poor play choices. They dont care about getting better they only care about playing the way they want to play
February 25, 2015 11:53 p.m.
Deckologist says... #22
It has to just be me. I'd like to think I'm a helpful guy at my shop I even run a weekly class that focuses on how to tune deck and play better. I have a buddy that runs imperial animal and just stomps out wins on turn 3-4 consistently and everyone sits there like ooohh. Ahhhhh. Yyaayyy. I'm all like, I had to tutor, counter, and ward off 6 different people ganging up on me to try and squeeze out a win and no one is impressed? Que are you not entertained image
February 25, 2015 11:57 p.m.
vampirelazarus says... #25
When you've been here long enough, you gather a collection of gifs.
February 26, 2015 1:49 a.m.
HeroInMyOwnMind says... #27
If you really are that much better than the people you are playing with, you should find a different play group. If it is just boasting, congratulations on your wins I suppose? Not sure what you were expecting.
If you really do have a better understanding of the format than the people you play with, I don't see why you would enjoy the games even if you win. Maybe if you handicapped your deck, building something less powerful, and had to win in ways that weren't so reliable, the entire group would have a better time. You can slowly increase the power level of the decks around your playgroup by introducing gradually stronger decks. Then you can play your "OP" deck in a group that is actually prepared for it.
February 26, 2015 12:31 p.m.
HeroInMyOwnMind says... #28
For the record, Nath of the Gilt-Leaf would be the better choice.
February 26, 2015 12:32 p.m.
Deckologist says... #29
HeroInMyOwnMind as stated in previous posts I offer classes onagic at my shop. I have tried the toned down approach. And when I say toned down I mean bare bones 40 basic lands and 60 creatures. The only reason I'm playing there is the shop owner is a buddy of mine and its the only hobby shop that sells and plays magic for an hour in any direction
February 26, 2015 1:24 p.m.
HeroInMyOwnMind says... #30
It still stands to reason that if you want to have a competitive game, and your playgroup really is that weak, that you could easily take direct steps to adjust the level of play. Show them the weaknesses of your deck, show them how to accomplish the goals of their deck in a more efficient way (to a point where you have trouble keeping up with the pace of their deck), play something similar but not quite as brutal as your current deck that forces them to react in real-game situations and they will learn what to expect and how to deal with it.
STAX is notorious for giving people a hard time, and is not fun to play against because it denies opponents the opportunity (especially in the case of weaker players) to utilize the strengths of their own decks. If you are trying to maintain your spot in a play group that has already complained about your level of play, your solution to the problem does little to accomplish that.
A third option I can suggest, and most people will disagree with it, just lose. Play your deck, get to a point where you could combo out, and just don't. Don't explain that you could of won. Don't mention that you had the ability to stop their combo, or prevent their win con. Just lose. Accept that you had the opportunity to win, keep it to yourself, and let the babies have their bottles.
February 26, 2015 3:39 p.m.
EndStepTop says... #31
HeroInMyOwnMind I personally do the third option if in this spot. Usually I'll make egregious misplays and let people do what ever.
February 26, 2015 3:47 p.m.
Deckologist says... #33
The best face option might have to be the only option lol. I've shown them how to beat my decks. Shop owner has beaten me and showed them how to beat my deck. I have done the intentional losing thing. They just get mad and tell me I win because they know I was gonna win. It's like I'm damned either way. But I still don't get it. They LOVE my stax deck. It's like I'm lost in some weird backwards ass meta where combo and super Aggro are looked down upon and control and stax is the greatest thing in the world.
February 26, 2015 4:34 p.m.
Show them Grand Arbiter Augustin IV or Sen Triplets and watch the world burn. :p
February 26, 2015 5:16 p.m.
Skullbriar, the Walking Grave with pure aggro and LD sub theme like mine Skullbriar, the Pimp-daddy counter King and let the haters hate ;-)
Arvail says... #2
They're whiny bitches and you know what you're doing full well. Get out of here...
February 25, 2015 7:15 p.m.