commanders that make you the prime target
Commander (EDH) forum
Posted on Aug. 9, 2013, 10:51 p.m. by zachi
I posted this on another site, but i thought i would see what they thought was here. Persoanlly, when i see Kaalia of the Vast , Sen Triplets , Zur the Enchanter or Rafiq of the Many my hate tends to travel there mostly. But what generals do you tend to give the most hate to?
I tend to draw aggro with all of my decks, because they all reward Aggressive play. I have a Kresh, the Blood Braided deck that one time got Kresh to 99/99 (with trample, hexproof, double strike and regenerate) and now whenever I pick up the deck box to play i feel the hate. But I agree that Sen Triplets and Nin, the Pain Artist get boat loads of hate.
September 3, 2013 1:44 a.m.
My own personal opinion is that I find commanders of the Ceta Colors (R/U/G) to be a terrifying force to play against because they combo so well together with infinite mana loops into gigantic X burn spell damage or otherwise just gigantic creatures reaching the battlefield 2 or 3 turns earlier than originally anticipated (trust me I would know I run a Riku of Two Reflections commander deck with Animar, Soul of Elements as the side commander). Oh for those who want to see my Riku commander here it is: Riku Combo
September 5, 2013 9:21 a.m.
MagicalHacker says... #5
Epochalyptik, look at post 12 on the third page and you will understand what I mean when I say my friends want to ban what I play. XD
September 5, 2013 12:34 p.m.
canterlotguardian says... #6
my Teneb, the Harvester deck is generally hate-free, but when I bust out with my Jarad, Golgari Lich Lord deck... I'm almost always the first to die.
September 10, 2013 3:10 p.m.
canterlotguardian says... #7
Teneb: Winning Against Teneb? Nope.
Jarad: http://tappedout.net/mtg-decks/he-went-to-jarads-09-09-13-1/
September 10, 2013 3:16 p.m.
On my radar: Mikaeus, the Unhallowed , Niv-Mizzet, the Firemind , Azami, Lady of Scrolls , Kaalia of the Vast , and Animar, Soul of Elements ... The first three are infamous infinite combo deck generals, but the last two are on my radar just because they're really powerful generals in general.
As for generals I've run that get hate, Momir Vig, Simic Visionary ALWAYS gets blown up if I play him without back-up.
September 10, 2013 3:28 p.m.
Bobgalarneau says... #9
Everytime i see Grand Arbiter Augustin IV i target the guy first. I've had extremely bad experiences with tax decks and they usualy never finish the job, they only make games longer...
September 10, 2013 5:04 p.m.
i get hated off the table really quick with Azami, Lady of Scrolls . people see her and just think massive card draw. nothing hurts more than a turn 4 Azami and a turn 5 Mind Over Matter . it scars people. mono blue keeps you pretty hated any way with all the control, im normally the first one to go if i cant control the board.
September 18, 2013 3:40 a.m.
fluffybunnypants says... #11
Mayael the Anima makes me the primary target every time.
September 18, 2013 7:25 a.m.
I played against a Momir Vig, Simic Visionary deck yesterday. it's disgustingly consistent if you don't kill the jerk as soon as he hits the field.Him: "Play a green creature, search for Avenger of Zendikar "
Me: "Draw to find control draw to find control!"
Him: Play Avenger, search for Craterhoof Behemoth
Me: "Draaaaaawwww!!!"
Him: HOOOOOOOOF explosions and thunder
September 18, 2013 8:01 a.m.
I think Oloro, Ageless Ascetic could be added to this list just because you dont have to cast him. He just sits and you gain life. You're already playing esper so you have control. White/Black gets your extort. Straight white gets you more life gain with cards that benifit. Ajani Goldmane , Ajani's Pridemate . And then with black you have Phyrexian Arena and Bitterblossom and you would still be gaining life.
December 10, 2013 6:46 p.m.
I can't even believe nobody mentioned Jhoira of the Ghitu ...She is in....sane to play against.
December 10, 2013 8:31 p.m.
AnagonLordofSnakes says... #15
The guy in my playgroup with the Avacyn, Angel of Hope deck should be taken out after his 4th land drop. Too many bad Worldslayer memory's
December 10, 2013 8:37 p.m.
@liquidkid Someone did on page 3, but yes she is bitch
December 10, 2013 8:44 p.m.
i mean 1, but yeah. im trying to think if any from Commander 13 are up there. I mean the one from the bant deck basically throws out the commander rule with its pay 1UGW to cast it from command zone
December 10, 2013 8:48 p.m.
For me it's seeing my friend's Zur deck, or my friend's Zirilan of the Claw deck. Soooo many dragons...
December 10, 2013 8:54 p.m.
Ohthenoises says... #20
@zachi I use Derevi, Empyrial Tactician for my Artifact Voltron deck. Can't blow me out by denying me my commander. I Vant, my burd....
Also, I have found that Nekusar, the Mindrazer is strange. Half the table HATES him and half the table LOVES him. I think the more experienced players hate him because they can see what is coming and they have their own personal draw engines out, making him more detrimental. Newer players love him because they see free draws.
December 10, 2013 9:05 p.m.
@JWiley129 if you play him with Conjurer's Closet could you keep the card cause it has left the field or would you have to flicker it at the end of your turn
December 10, 2013 9:32 p.m.
zachi - yeah, he also runs shenanigans with Sundial of the Infinite to keep his dragons. Plus he has stuff like Warstorm Surge to get even more value.
December 10, 2013 9:49 p.m.
One of the guys in our playgroup had a mono-white voltron deck with Linvala, Keeper of Silence as the general. Most of our other generals and creatures relied on activated abilities, so she got hated into the general zone pretty frequently. Kaervek the Merciless is another unpopular general, I generally paint a target on my back when I cast him.
December 11, 2013 2:02 p.m.
Commanders that have made me a target (during the game I played them): Mikaeus, the Lunarch , Rubinia Soulsinger , Roon of the Hidden Realm , Talrand, Sky Summoner
Commanders that had made me a long-standing target and public enemy of the LGS for some of the long-timers there: Vorosh, the Hunter (infect) (Skittles is just in it.)
Commanders that have not made me a target (but have led to people leaving the table before a game was over or call me a jerk): Wort, the Raidmother , Jor Kadeen, the Prevailer
Commanders I have been treated like a jerk for targeting because they do the same shenanigans and win every time they come out but people seem to just accept them for some reason: Maelstrom Wanderer
, Riku of Two Reflections
, Captain Sisay
, Krenko, Mob Boss
Some commanders seem to hold some kind of awe over others, especially when played by certain people. I don't get it. I just blitz em. People don't seem to like it when I do. That's the best MTG archetype / strategy for dealing with certain control strategies. Why should people think they can just tell everyone that they can't play the strategies that beat their deck?
December 11, 2013 5:03 p.m.
MagicalHacker says... #25
I was reading the discussion on gatherer on Uril, the Miststalker , and I noticed quite a bit of people talking about how some MTGO players refuse to play against commander decks built around him.
Since it's similar to the question in the OP, what commanders have you guys seen that people refuse to play against?
December 11, 2013 10:32 p.m.
Ohthenoises says... #26
@mstancea Sigarda, Host of Herons . So much so.
December 11, 2013 10:37 p.m.
Ohthenoises says... #27
Though it should be noted that there's not really a "hated commander" at my shop. The reason for this is you would be lucky to KEEP a creature, EVER.
Lets put it this way, even my I Vant, my burd... runs 5 board wipes. This is LOW for my meta because most decks have 7-10 boardwipes, you see, they replace any targeted removal that they might have and replace it with a wipe. 99% of the time, after you play a creature it doesn't come back around to untap with it.
December 11, 2013 10:42 p.m.
Great! Another deck that people will hate! I have Uril, the Miststalker with totem armors for that boardwipe inevitability - although I wouldn't get enough of them, sounds like, to keep him out there and threatening!
I may have to add even more graveyard recovery and haste if it gets that bad in my meta. Right now it is close. There are more like around 3 boardwipes before someone wins and lots of targteted removal (including things that can pop artifacts and enchants).
I haven't chosen to run him yet because sacrifice - reanimator decks are so popular in my meta now that it would be an exercise in foolishness to choose that deck. I did build it with those things in mind but when multiple people in the pod are running it, it won't matter.
December 12, 2013 7:02 a.m.
I always get targeted playing Oloro, Ageless Ascetic because for some reason my friends don't like life gain. So I always get shut down by no life gain cards and then still targeted because I have more life. Might be because when I don't get shut down I win with him...
Planning on getting Kaalia of the Vast deck so I guess I will be a target with her as well but oh well.
December 12, 2013 7:59 a.m.
If they simply must target you then you might as well give them a good reason.
< looks at infect deck again >
December 12, 2013 5:40 p.m.
already have Open the Vaults (it gives me back auras as well as several other enchants in that deck) - but I'm wondering if I should put that in my Jor Kadeen, the Prevailer deck to give that one more resilliance and then go ahead and add both Retether and Replenish to Uril ... hmmm ... Replenish is pricey ...
Good calls, though! If the trend continues, then I certainly shall be looking into more of those kinds of cards!
December 12, 2013 7:47 p.m.
i run Krenko, Mob Boss and i feel like everyone saves their removal and counter spells specificaly for it. haha. definitely the most hated commander ever.
December 15, 2013 5:26 p.m.
I get hatted on more when i use Zur the Enchanter when my friend plays Krenko, Mob Boss but yes he is annoying
December 15, 2013 6:16 p.m.
I feel like once you play with the same group more often, it doesn't matter as much what commander you bring to the table, it matters how you've played in the past. If you normally play decks that lock down the board and combo off to win in one turn, no matter what new deck you've brought to the game, you're going to get targeted first. I made the mistake of making one combo deck centered around Mycosynth Lattice , Karn, Silver Golem , and land destruction, and for a long time after that I was killed off very early in most games for fear I'd combo off. Although whenever I'm playing someone and they are using Animar, Soul of Elements or Riku of Two Reflections I always hold on to a counter for the Palinchron they're waiting to play.
December 15, 2013 8:42 p.m.
@ alpha825 While I think you are probably right in that people react to your history as a player rather than the deck you are running at any given time, I still think it is a good idea to have a variety of decks because that shapes your player history on the long term. There is a difference between "that guy who played an infect deck once" and "that guy who always plays that deck" - and very little to do with the deck you have in front of you.
I think that once you win without having the group fiat somehow, you get on some kind of a "trouble maker list" and are likely to be the one targeted. Some people, though, are permitted to win like this and won't get targeted after winning. I think it has to do more with a combination of wanting to trade for cards they have and/or appreciating them as a mentor or "elder player" of some kind.
Friendships and allegiances also seem to come into play with some group dynamics. Some cliques seem to adopt a conspiring attitude with each other and some tend towards rivalry against each other. I am more used to friendly rivalries with people but some people can't be rivals in a friendly way while others can. It is kind of terrible when I am in the same group with a friend of mine because we know each others' decks so well and go after each other a bit. I've noticed that other social cliques tend more towards full-on 2HG cooperation with each other!
In summary, the general you run seems to me to have only a marginal impact on becoming a target. I would never expect to be targeted for some of the things I run, but it happens nonetheless!
December 15, 2013 9:23 p.m.
Maelstrom Wanderer , Captain Sisay , Nekusar, the Mindrazer and I have found that with the recent increase in playing my Dosan the Falling Leaf deck that my local meta tends to direct the hate right to my face.
December 18, 2013 2:28 p.m.
Krenko,marrow-gnawer, that one angel that prevents you from playing spells of a certain color(cant remember her name), oloro, and obzedat,ghost council are all prime targets in my book. There is along list but in my opinion these are the easiest to abuse.....coming from a guy that has abused these for fun......krenko +coat of arms+fling just for fun!
December 18, 2013 4:42 p.m.
Ohthenoises says... #41
Iona, Shield of Emeria is who you are thinking of.
December 18, 2013 4:46 p.m.
I'm extremely surprised that no one has said 2 of my favourite general options, both of which garner the most hatred sadly too lol Memnarch and my fist ever EDH deck and still fav to play Merieke Ri Berit I will also say that Vorosh, the Hunter (only because it is BUG Infect) gets people upset as well.
December 19, 2013 12:36 a.m.
Findlesticks says... #44
How is this Karador deck built? I have one that's not nearly competitive enough and lose a disproportional amount of my games...
May 31, 2014 8:25 p.m.
Necropost! It's alive!!
Which is just as well because I had a few new thoughts on what I hate in generals. EDH is a difficult format to build in the sense that consistancy is hard to achieve. That's also part of what makes it fun, decks almost never run the same exact way twice. That's why I loathe generals like Arcum Dagsson and Momir Vig, Simic Visionary because they always play exactly the same. There's nothing fun about watching someone ramp, play Momir, play a creature and search Avenger of Zendikar , play Avenger and search Craterhoof Behemoth , then Behemoth and GG.
Also against my friends who play Kaalia, untapped blue mana REALLY scares them into playing passive. Not sure how well it'd work against other people though.
Oh, and while playing against an Arcum deck, I Phyrexian Metamorph 'd Arcum, sac'd him to himself to search Isochron Scepter (after borrowing his Arcum and legend ruling him) and threw Counterspell on it. Absolutely no regrets, I HATE Arcum.
May 31, 2014 9:01 p.m.
Vorinclex2497 says... #46
I see a lot of a hate towards Mikaeus, the Unhallowed at my local store
May 31, 2014 11:22 p.m.
ThisIsBullshit says... #47
I run Kaalia of the Vast and as soon as she hits the board it goes from a 4 person free for all into a 1v3...I think the longest she stayed on the board was two turns and that was WITH a Lightning Greaves
FaustHarbinger says... #1
@gheridarigaaz I mentioned Thraximundar .. trust me I know how much of a pain that card becomes...
September 2, 2013 7:27 p.m.