What's a card you thought you would play and then didn't?
Commander (EDH) forum
Posted on April 8, 2022, 11:49 a.m. by DrukenReaps
Bit of a silly topic today, title says it all though. One of mine I ran across when I was going back over notes for my Marisil deck. Netherborn Altar was something I saw spoiled and I thought it'd be rather funny to play and specifically in Mairsil might even be kinda strong in the right circumstance. I still haven't even picked one up. No particular reason not to, I just kinda forgot about it I guess.
So What's something any of you thought would be interesting in one way or another to toy with and then never did? Is there a reason why?
MagicWizard1993 says... #4
I never realized that before. Great find! Here is something to add to your collection.
April 8, 2022 2:40 p.m.
VensersJournalist says... #6
Once upon a time, I had a Kami of the Crescent Moon deck that utilized Psychosis Crawler as a win condition.
I thought that also having Jin-Gitaxias, Core Augur would help ensure my victory but I usually never got enough mana or felt comfortable enough casting it, so I ended up selling the card and ultimately scrapping the deck.
April 8, 2022 3:15 p.m.
I've tried to build an Archelos, Lagoon Mystic commander deck a few times and have always lost interest for some reason. I've had this problem with Lord Windgrace, too. :\
April 8, 2022 3:58 p.m.
DrukenReaps says... #8
KBK7101 oh, I had a mild interest in making a vehicles deck with him. Mostly just a gimmick thing where the vehicles give me an easy way to tap him I guess. Never built it but the idea seemed funny.
April 8, 2022 4:03 p.m.
Grubbernaut says... #9
Alchemist's Retrieval. I just couldn't justify the slot, at a certain point.
April 8, 2022 7:13 p.m.
I used to use Coat of Arms in an elfball deck along with other anthem effects and I quickly, thoroughly, realized that I don't ever want to attack with many creatures and have to sit there for five minutes just to figure out how pumped they all are.
April 8, 2022 9:07 p.m.
TypicalTimmy says... #12
I actively avoid Craterhoof Behemoth and Cyclonic Rift for because I personally derive no joy from them. They are both overused and over saturated, very reliant on massive swings and typically have feel bad plays afterwards. I'm not a fan of "I paid 7 mana so I win the game."
While it is true that these cards in a vacuum will seldom win the game, it is equally true that they are used directly for that purpose. Yes all cards are used with the intent to win you the game, but for me, I don't know. These feel... cheap. Too cheap. Too extreme.
When I cast a spell, and I win the game, and I feel terrible for having won, to me it isn't worth playing that card in the future. I dislike watching hearts sink and feelings hurt and souls crushed because I cast one spell and had it resolve.
April 9, 2022 5:38 p.m.
^I know that pain. I have that same feeling with commanders like Korvold, Fae-Cursed King and Yarok, the Desecrated. They're just too... easy. Their decks seem to run on autopilot.
April 9, 2022 5:58 p.m.
DrukenReaps says... #14
KBK7101 eh, it's all about how you build them. I had this deck Desecrated Tokens for awhile and honestly at a table of casual decks it won some and lost most. It wasn't like it was arch enemy "everyone kill that player now" either. Just fun times with good friends. Kozzy is the one I have to be careful about when and how often I play lol.
April 9, 2022 6:52 p.m.
True enough. To be fair, I've kinda taken the same approach to my Urza deck. While being pretty powerful sometimes... It tends to sputter and fizzle out an equal amount of times. Lol
April 9, 2022 7:21 p.m.
griffstick says... #16
I had taking alot of thought about this and I've finally cone to a conclusion.
Saskia the Unyielding is the one for me. I love attacking with creatures. And she just says deal combat damage... I've always wanted to build her but never did.
April 9, 2022 7:23 p.m.
FormOverFunction says... #17
I picked up a bunch of jellyfish, like Avizoa, for my The Briny Deep deck and then ditched them because flying jellyfish don’t fit the gut-reaction idea folks generally have for what lurks in the briny depths. I hope they give up on that eventually. Very much not a fan.
April 9, 2022 10:13 p.m.
TypicalTimmy says... #18
I liked that comment halfway through and now I feel sad
Idk I quite like how jellyfish (and some whales) fly. It's fantasy so it's all in good fun
April 9, 2022 10:36 p.m.
I mean, if anything flying jellyfish only me the briny depths more terrifying. Trying to frantically swim to the surface only to look up and see the tentacles coming down... That right there will make shirtless stowaway Jace go back to robes and dry land : )
April 10, 2022 7:42 a.m.
But I guess I'd also throw almost all commander staples into this category of, yeah I thought for sure I'd play them. Sol Ring just didn't fit in my elfball deck, Swords to Plowshares didn't fit in my white deck, and I ended up taking all ramp out of my aggro deck after some testing. I'm no expert in EDH (or much for that matter!) but I do think that "auto-includes" can be great a lot of the time, but can also be tunneling your vision some of the time.
April 10, 2022 7:47 a.m.
FormOverFunction says... #21
All very good points - Sorry for coming across as sour at the end there. It’s just that the wacky/fantastical/weirdness gets less so when there are way more non-basic jellyfish than there are basics. Three out of the thirteen are regular jellyfish with fun and interesting (albeit sometimes underwhelming) abilities. The other ten are very fantastical (one of them is a computer..?) which is fine, just not what I need for my own decks. I’m a fan of looking at how the mundane fit into the trials and tribulations of a planeswalker. I’m not nearly as interested in what Jace is whispering to Ajani as I am in whose Farmstead they’re walking past at the time.
April 10, 2022 10:38 a.m.
golgarigirl says... #22
My prerelease foil Esper Sentinel. I don't put staples just anywhere...they have to really truly fit! I don't have a white-based artifact deck yet. I think my stab at Tameshi, Reality Architect might be getting it, though! I felt similarly about Mystic Remora and Rhystic Study, and Tuvasa the Sunlit has enough card draw, so Tameshi might get those as well. Though I am excited to build him somewhat Bomberman (I love turning constructed archetypes into EDH decks)!
My white weenie Anthem tribal is really appealing for that Sentinel as well, though >_<
Ashdust says... #2
I wanted to build a whole deck around, Tivash, Gloom Summoner but I slowly just lost interest. I was sifting through gain life spells in mono-black, but in all honesty, black life gain is nothing special. If you're going to do black lifegain, just use Vito, Thorn of the Dusk Rose. So yeah, was super excited for Tivash, but my hype fled rapidly after I realized how mediocre he was.
April 8, 2022 11:56 a.m.