What to do about Shahrazad in EDH/Commander?
Commander (EDH) forum
Posted on July 7, 2014, 1:57 p.m. by nobu_the_bard
So someone in my Commander playgroup has Shahrazad in one of his decks. His reasoning was something like, he paid a lot of money for it but found out afterwards he can't play it in Legacy, so now he runs in a EDH/Commander game. I'd have objected to this (not my problem you didn't check) but it seems I'm in the minority here.
I haven't seen him play it in a game I've participated in but have seen it in other people's games with him. The other players didn't object when he played it, apparently, and some weren't even aware it was technically banned. I would have objected for numerous reasons (for example: dragging the game out, even unintentionally, since any number of players may have tricks like Diluvian Primordial + Increasing Vengeance they're willing to use if they're losing).
The same guy has used Middle Ages Magic cards in the past. If you're not familiar with those, they're a "counterfeit" Magic set - you can look at the set list here. He specifically had a Pyrian Spring- it's basically Sylvan Library as a land. I objected to him playing it in a Azusa, Lost but Seeking deck but the rest of the group actually defended it, saying I'd made jokes about using those cards in the past. Well I'd made jokes but never actually with the intent to play them!
The same guy has some "legit" decks that don't include banned cards or non-cards, but they're very high in power level compared to mine and many others and contain many expensive cards (or proxies of expensive cards in any case) - I have rarely beaten him. I'm worried people will think my objections are because I'm not winning if I try to bring concerns about this guy to the group more openly, and most folks are disinclined to exclude anyone too hard (as a "rival group" with a much more elitist slant across town is known to do). Several other folks have mentioned not being happy with him but don't seem to want to say anything.
Part of the reason folks seem okay with playing against him and his shenanigans is these games where he does this happen late in the evening, after most players have been there for at least an hour, which is around when I arrive to participate (I work about 30-60 minutes away depending on traffic). I'd opt out of playing against the guy but the people I like playing will often pile into one huge 8-player game in the evening and my alternative is playing the kids. I don't mind playing the kids, I mind less than the other adults actually, but they're just not as challenging opponents.
Anyone have any suggestions for dealing with this? Until this bother this group was pretty good, I didn't mind losing to the Spikes all of the time because it at least forced me to better my game (despite my whining a bit, heh). But they actually played with Magic cards.
Sorry that turned into such a rant!
smash10101 says... #3
No, don't put a Black Lotus in your deck, put a proxy Black Lotus in your deck. (Or some other card that's actually broken, like Tinker or Emrakul, the Aeons Torn .)
July 7, 2014 2:32 p.m.
nobu_the_bard says... #5
Hahaha... that'd be funny, shame them by playing an utterly shameless deck?
"I hope you guys don't mind, I'll be playing a deck made entirely out of proxy cards on the banned list and unofficial expansions."
July 7, 2014 2:39 p.m.
omnipotato says... #6
That's basically what they're letting Shaharazad guy do, so I think you'd get away with it lol
July 7, 2014 2:41 p.m.
Meddling Mage or Nevermore or Voidstone Gargoyle or Null Chamber all work. Maybe make some really degenerate White/Blue control deck.
July 7, 2014 2:45 p.m.
you just have shitty friends... but yeah if they are willing to accept something like that just make something crazy like they just suggested and either win every time or get them to reconsider what they accept in the play group by beating it out of them.
July 7, 2014 2:54 p.m.
nobu_the_bard says... #10
They're all nice folks, mostly working adults who get out of work early (teachers, retail, etc) who come by in the afternoons. Most of them don't want any stress and are chill in the extreme, all stuff I can get behind generally. My problem seems to be they are being so mellow they just let whatever happen, or else there's some other aspect here flying over my head (I'm not too socially skilled, not good at facebook, etc).
July 7, 2014 3:05 p.m.
If the playgroup allows it, your only options are to either accept it or find another group, unfortunately.
Or you could always embrace the ideal. Like others have said, build around a banned general (Braids, Cabal Minion , Rofellos, Llanowar Emissary , Kokusho, the Evening Star , etc) and show people why it's important for cards to be banned.
Another option is to build a deck around abusing Shahrazad when it's cast by including as many "copy target spell" abilities as you can, like Twincast and Reverberate .
July 7, 2014 3:15 p.m.
PreZchoICE1 says... #12
play a game with guy and if he plays shahzarad just grab it and rip it in half?
July 7, 2014 3:41 p.m.
nobu_the_bard says... #13
Actually meecht that #2 option sounds like a plan. That would be a deck I could actually play in circumstances other than just against the jerk, using legal cards. I've tried to build that kind of deck before but was coming at it wrong, I'll think about how to do correctly.
If I see any of the illegal cards and everyone allows it, I can just grind the card into the ground such that everyone becomes impossibly sick of it. If they object to my doing it legally, I can just concede and move on I suppose.
It's inevitable that someone will lead that monster in eventually, once the gates are open. I might as well do it myself.
July 7, 2014 3:45 p.m.
nobu_the_bard says... #14
Argh no it's a Foglio I couldn't! And just because it's banned today and incredibly frustrating and probably will remain that way forever doesn't mean someday it won't have a place in the world. Just not here, not today.
July 7, 2014 3:47 p.m.
PreZchoICE1 says... #15
make him a proxy then and tell him to use it instead of the real card just in case you feel the need to rip into it midgame. Good call on it being a Foglio yeah definitely dont rip the original just make him a proxy and rip that. Id probably convince him by ripping the first proxy to show him what will happen if he doesnt either remove it or proxy it.
Could be an intimidating demonstration, might get you some shop cred
July 7, 2014 4:04 p.m.
Just play Power Play and proxy in Chaos Orb and Falling Star and when you use them rip the proxies into 1000 pieces and throw them it the air (hopefully into a fan or AC vent so they go EVERYWHERE!!!
July 8, 2014 12:59 a.m.
FancyTuesday says... #17
If someone is playing a banned card just counter with something wildly unfair. Run Kokusho, the Evening Star as your general with Recurring Nightmare and a dozen tutors and just go to town, throw in Griselbrand for good measure. Or build a Birthing Pod deck with Rofellos, Llanowar Emissary as your general and run Sylvan Primordial , Protean Hulk and Primeval Titan in there. He might cast Shahrazad, but the sub-game will be over quickly and the real game will probably end shortly after that.
July 9, 2014 12:16 a.m.
smash10101 says... #18
I actually like the Twincast deck idea to play against Shahrazad . You can at a look at (or copy) my melek list if you want.
And yeah. Don't rip it up. Shahrazad is a somewhat pricey card and it's also a Foligo and you should never do that.
July 9, 2014 2:46 a.m.
Rhadamanthus says... #19
I like your "comedy option" idea the best: the deck made of nothing but proxies of banned, silver-bordered, and non-official cards.
July 9, 2014 9:36 a.m.
youareanassmaggot says... #20
I didn't see this suggestion: Play with the kids, and help them become better Magic players. Make serious suggestions for their decks, and if you see that any have a growing talent for the game, maybe help them out a bit with a card or two.
July 24, 2014 2:26 p.m.
Y'all need to take care of that otha group cross town son fore they get the same idea. There ain't mor room than there is! and y'all is pussyin around talkin bout shad rajah and som bullsit
Can provide a couple sociates from north the border for a BL and a fetch land or two.... Holla back
omnipotato says... #2
You're in the minority for objecting to a card that's on the banned list? Might as well run Braids, Cabal Minion as your commander and put Black Lotus in your deck.
July 7, 2014 2:16 p.m.