How many turns does EDH usually last?
Commander Deck Help forum
Posted on Sept. 15, 2017, 7:42 p.m. by Icbrgr
Currently working on an Tromokratis deck.... I'm familiar with "the 5-turn" clock of modern but am completely new to EDH... Wondering how long a game usually goes for to execute a woldslayer combo...through playtesting I'm averaging getting my combo between T10-T15...
Tromokratis: CRACKIN' Skulls!
Commander / EDH
SCORE: 1 | 2 COMMENTS | 79 VIEWS
KingMathoro says... #3
It honestly depends on the meta. Kind of like what the above said. I have been in those 3+ turn games and I have also been in way too many 10-30 turn games. Anything can happen in commander.
September 15, 2017 7:55 p.m.
miracleHat says... #4
Assuming that you are joining a new-player-friendly meta where you don't enter games with tazra/breya combo/oloro stax, games will usually last 10-15 turns. Note: more turns does not necessarily mean longer game. If all players all draw 5 lands for 5 straight turns, then those turns are going to be "draw, land, go" and pass by extremely quickly.
Disclaimer: since you are playing mono blue, with 10 counters and 7 bounce skills, you will be slowing down a lot of games that you enter (probably).
September 15, 2017 8:16 p.m.
Cool beans thanks guys... Just wanted to see if I was at least in the ball park... Not aiming to be competitive but at least want to be able to win from time to time :P
September 15, 2017 9:17 p.m.
killroy726 says... #6
To be fair though if your play group consists of more than 4 people games do tend to drag on time wise. Anywhere north of 6 you should consider breaking into pods.
September 15, 2017 9:43 p.m.
Gidgetimer says... #7
It is entirely dependent on your play group. Turn 2-3 is where blazing fast all-in combo decks live when gold fished. Turn 3-5 is where most highly tuned play groups will realistically end games unless a hard control deck has won (and even then most of the time people will scoop to an established lock because why waste time). I personally like my decks to goldfish wins around turn 5-7 and realistically take twice that long. There are some playgroups that will goldfish turn 10-15 wins, but I'd settle in for hour plus games with all but the fastest of players since we have established that most of the time "through disruption" takes twice as long as gold fishing and we are now talking about 20-30 turns for each player.
September 16, 2017 1:45 a.m.
Modern is turn 4 by the way, but depending on the competitiveness of the group it does vary as everyone has previously stated. The reason this is difficult to nail down is the inherit nature of what is supposed to be higher variance.
With that said, in my playgroup when everyone is on Competitive Mode, turn 3 Cyclonic Rifts, counter-wars, or a general larger fight over the board position, is usually what happens, earliest win be turn 4, but these ultra competitive games usually go to turn 8, on average I would say. When there is an ultra-competitive deck in a group of non-competition, turn 3-5 wins are all too common, and usually result in groans, the thing that no one ever seems to talk about are 4 player games and 1 of the people doesn't contribute, ever, so it breaks down faster and turn 3-5 wins happen more often, this situation usually is preceeded by "Hey I'm going to play a REAL group-hug deck" or a Nekusar player only plays wheel and mass draw spells without nekusar or discard-tax effects.
I've played super casual "this is not my good deck" games that have lasted 30 turns and a lot of it was just pass-go from people, and feels like just as long as the turn 5-8 wins.
September 16, 2017 7:17 a.m.
My immediate EDH playgroup consists of upwards of 16-20 people and growing for EDH, and about half of everyone also play other formats as well, or are starting to branch out.
September 16, 2017 7:19 a.m.
My meta has some wild disparities, both between players and between different decks with the same player. The people with turn 3 win decks generally play them only once per night, same for the Narset, Enlightened Master infinite turn deck and the one guy who plays poison. The "competitive" but not lightning fast combo decks and the better non-combo decks range from turn 5-10 wins, with each successive turn providing a greater chance of achieving their win con.
I aim for consistent goldfish wins in turn 7-9, I'd like for that to be 6-8 but my budget doesn't really allow for that. If it takes until turn 10-12 that deck is still playable but relies more on luck and politics to actually win than the speedier decks. Any deck over 12 turns basically has no hope unless I am up against the worst players &/or decks. There are exceptions, of course. Deck styles like control with hard locks that look to grind games out rather than knock someone out immediately would be one.
Arvail says... #2
Turn 3+ is when most competitive fast combo decks try to aim for. That's competitive though, and most groups will go past turn 10.
September 15, 2017 7:49 p.m.