why is Commander so popular?
Commander (EDH) forum
Posted on Feb. 27, 2016, 6:38 p.m. by lomby
most time I see on TO a deck that could interest me, I open it, just to find that its commander.
It doesnt bugger me, but Im curious. why is so popular? any hint?
gnarlicide says... #3
I guess it is a format for non-spike people that want to play with bad cards.
I made a commander deck, but only to further prove a point that I am a dick. Non-budget Nekusar is really fucked up at a table.
February 27, 2016 6:42 p.m.
It's the most custom format out there. You have 100 cards to work with, one of each, and so the decks end up as being extraordinarily unique as a result. Additionally, the format's huge card list appeals to the most Spikey Spikes, the most Johnny Johnnies and the most Timmay Timmys, with everything in between.
In essence, it's the everyman of Magic. Everyone knows it and enjoys it to differing extents. Also, this community is heavily slanted towards EDH to begin with.
February 27, 2016 6:42 p.m. Edited.
Commander is popular because there're many different play styles that work, many levels you can play at, and you can use all the crazy spells that are useless elsewhere. For example, Deadeye Navigator is far too expensive to use in pretty much any normal format, but in EDH he's nearly ban-worthy and an all star. EDH is also popular because it's a great format to play with many people at once. In Standard, having a 4 player FFA is OK, but not amazing and most people don't' build decks for that. Because of EDH's larger spells, it's perfect for that.
February 27, 2016 6:43 p.m.
It's for those who don't have a playset of an awesome card........only one. (Singleton joke)
February 27, 2016 6:51 p.m.
UpperDeckerTaco says... #7
I find it fun as a casual environment. Also for the fun. You don't have to be 100% competitive all the time, where is the fun in just competing all the time. You will go nuts. So it's nice to just take the time out to chill at a table with friends, all utilizing different decks and different strategies. An edh deck might be harder to build from scrap compared to a 60 card (with 15 additional for the sideboard) deck because you DON'T have 4 of everything so you need to find a way to make your deck have the most synergy possible by utilizing multiple cards. And you do get to play broken cards. And it won't cost you an arm and a leg to build an edh deck. Just progress it over time and finish it out that way. You'll save money, have fun, and your cards will still hold value over time.
February 27, 2016 6:58 p.m.
Im sorry, Im lost here, but what is a "spikey spike"?
Thanks for the comments
February 27, 2016 7:06 p.m.
golgarigirl says... #9
My friends and I enjoy a few aspects of Commander quite a lot:
1.) You kind of get a whole new feel for a personality seeing what they do in commander. Fun to look at one friend building Hanna, Ship's Navigator and go 'oh, you would...' and look at the one next to him and go 'you wouldn't touch that commander with a 10-foot pole'. Does it say anything about me that my current favorite decks are Barrin, Master Wizard and Alesha, Who Smiles at Death?
2.) 100-card singleton has forced us to discover and play many cards we didn't know existed. Prior to commander, I had no reason to know Smoke existed...it's not really even close to viable in any format it's legal in. Plus it predates all our time playing the game. Now I know it's a thing.
3.) Or you get an appreciation for cards that you may not have seriously thought about in current metagames, such as my good buddy Omnath, Locus of Rage. You can look at him and see he's solid...scary in limited...but he's not good enough for Standard or Modern. But you run him in commander...oooooh boy. I've nuked the entire table for 70+ damage per person the turn he hits the table. It feels absolutely dirty. And there's no way anything even close to that could happen with that card anywhere else.
4.) I would say there's a political element, but my friends and I don't really play politically, admittedly. We're probably missing out on a whole facet of the game, but it rarely goes beyond a 1-turn alliance to make sure so-and-so's X is dead.
5.) Yes, the SINGLETON aspect of the format helps. Because there is nothing like wanting to play with that shiny new stuff you got out of the new set, only to find no one has spare Standard Staple to trade, and to buy them, well, the idea of coughing up $100 to round out my playset is just not going to happen.
6.) A lot of these cards would be sitting in my trade binders otherwise, likely collecting dust. It's a whole lot more fun to have a reason and a solid format in which to beat face with them!
February 27, 2016 7:18 p.m.
Gidgetimer says... #10
HE was just saying it appeals to the extremes of every psychographic profile. The most competitive players can build a super tuned commander deck that is extremely consistent and very competitive. The guys that like the big stupid do nothing spells can ramp into them and have fun casting them. The guys that love weird/complex combos can pull them off.
Commander appeals to many people because it is what your play group makes out of it. It also does not rotate and rarely has bannings. I have been playing commander for 3 years and have only seen two cards banned. The other thing is that bannings don't scrap entire decks usually. It requires a very small investment to get started as well.
February 27, 2016 7:20 p.m.
lomby: A Spike is someone that prioritizes winning, usually tuning their decks to be as efficient as possible. Since you can play with Vintage-level mana and insanely consistent combos using your commander, EDH can be an insanely spike-y format. Same with Johnny, who loves weird interactions and combos, and Timmy, who just likes cool, flashy cards.
February 27, 2016 7:24 p.m.
Commander is the single best fucking format in the entire game. Why? Ok, lemme just Gush a little.
- Because of the insanely large card pool of this format, it's far easier to build competitive decks on budget in Commander than any other one.
- Multiplayer formats that function well are few and far between. Magic has a strong social component to it that often gets overlooked. Want to have fun with all your friends? Commander's the way to go!
- Since Commander is an eternal format, any investment you make into it is relatively safe and you'll never have to spend time making another deck unless you so chose.
- However, most importantly, it's because the format is what you make of it. It encompasses everything from budget builds played by casuals to thousand-dollar nightmares built by hardcore aficionados. You're a Timmy player? GREAT! Let's unleash a horde of beasts onto the field. How about a Johnny? The format is a 99-card wonderland. Any concoction you want to brew up is there for your taking. You're only limited by your own creativity! Spike? Oh boy! Commander's got insane complexity. The fine-tuning you're able to do to decks, the plans you have to create to navigate you're way to victory, the insanely complex board states it creates for you to analyze, they're all there for you to wrap your head around. Playing the game for flavor? Nowhere else can you tickle your inner Vorthos more than in Commander. Maybe you love Innistrad flavor. Build a deck around Olivia Voldaren. Beautiful in life, even more so in death - Olivia invites you to one of her fabled balls. The stage is set for an unforgettable night.
February 27, 2016 7:27 p.m. Edited.
EndStepTop says... #13
Subbing since I'm disliking edh and a rapid rate.
February 27, 2016 7:32 p.m.
It is a format for social interaction. The power level varies based on how you build. Some decks can consistently win by turn 4 if not stopped.
It's a format I find fun. Depending on the playgroup, it lets you use combination of cards, that are not viable in normal formats.
Some say it's for people who don't have 4 of key cards or for people who can't afford other formats. While there are some truths that this can be a format where budget decks can win. I find it can be a format of playing politics, or of trying not to be noticed till it's too late.
I personally own 4 of most shocks, and the ktk fetches. And as seeing I have 18 decks, I can play whatever suits my mood.
February 27, 2016 7:44 p.m.
fluffybunnypants says... #16
1) Hypocrisy. The mentality of people is mostly as follows: I love winning my way, but when you do it, it's not fun anymore.
2) The casual versus social format argument.
3) The fact that there is a consensus best deck in the format and people still complain when they get beat by it.
4) The format drives up the prices of otherwise worthless cards and then EDH players themselves complain about it.
5) I don't like durdling.
6) Multiplayer takes too damn long to finish a game and people get pissed at you for not running a shitty deck when you end it quickly.
7) Duel Commander is just a strictly worse Legacy/Vintage singleton halfbreed of a format that should be put to death to end its suffering and suffering of those who play it.
9) House rules.
10) Neck beards.
11) Politics.
February 27, 2016 7:55 p.m. Edited.
EndStepTop says... #17
fluffybunnypants took the words out of my mouth. I love the format by design, the playerbase is horrendous.
February 27, 2016 7:57 p.m.
UpperDeckerTaco, I enjoy commander so much that i went competitive in all of my EDH decks. Mostly because i play online and Mol decks are cheaper compared to real life decks. Moat is a good example, this cards is ridiculously cheap online (just 4 tickets) but it costs nearly $300 in real life. I'm able to build the strongest strategy with a 100 tix deck.
The problem is... i tend to buy those cards in real life after i tested them online for a thousand games. And i tend to go futher and buy foil cards after i built a regular card deck. I got 2 Gaea's Cradle one of them is foil for example. I like to pimp my decks.
You can call that retard, but i love this format. I Hate to play standart or other constructed formats cause everyone out there plays the same starcity net decks.
I enjoy EDH the very moment i start to pick the cards to build around my own strategy. It amazes me. There is no deck similar to another. The same commander can have different builds and strategies. The game never ends in the same way twice.
In other words, this format is as custom as it could be.
Lastly, i like the social feeling of EDH. There are no prizes involved. There is only a bunch of people sharing a conversation while playing Magic, competitivey or not. Social is not the same as casual nor it is different from competitive. Social is Social.
February 27, 2016 7:59 p.m.
What i meant is that a competitive EDH deck probably does cost an arm and a Leg.
February 27, 2016 8:01 p.m.
golgarigirl i feel the same way about Rhys the Redeemed. He is impossible to be played in any other format. He is a slow mana sponge that may shine if properly built in EDH.
February 27, 2016 8:06 p.m.
UpperDeckerTaco says... #21
Wildsong not true, most mono red edh builds have busted combos and great synergy for cheap and they are still competitive. The most expensive thing about an edh deck is the land base, so you could somewhat find budget versions to fit the script and lower the cost.
fluffybunnypants Looks like your main issue is with your playgroup, find a better group to play with and you'll have a better time. You have to find a playgroup that fits your playstyle. I play in a playgroup where every single person tries to do busted things in our deck, but we only combo out, or do the extremely busted things in tournaments. So basically, we utilize the 70% rule when playing casually to make the games more interactive and fun. Also, we sometimes incorporate CHAOS rules into our games just to spice it up. EDH is what you make it. Exactly what TheDevicer had stated previously.
February 27, 2016 8:11 p.m.
EndStepTop says... #22
UpperDeckerTaco none of his complaints were about a playgroup, but the community of EDH as a whole. People use the format as an excuse to be sore losers and act like children and it's demoralizing.
February 27, 2016 8:21 p.m.
1) Hypocrisy. The mentality of people is mostly as follows: I love winning my way, but when you do it, it's not fun anymore.
2) The casual versus social format argument.
3) The fact that there is a consensus best deck in the format and people still complain when they get beat by it.
6) Multiplayer takes too damn long to finish a game and people get pissed at you for not running a shitty deck when you end it quickly.
9) House rules.
10) Neck beards.
These are all issues with the people you're playing with, not the format itself. If I play Modern against disagreeable people, I'm probably not going to have a good time. The same is true for EDH. When my group gets together, we're able to play around 5 or 6 games in ~8 hours. That's not terrible considering we eat and socialize during that time.
4) The format drives up the prices of otherwise worthless cards and then EDH players themselves complain about it.
I fail to see how this is a bad thing. Take something like Consecrated Sphinx. It sees very little play outside of EDH. Sure, the sphinx is expensive, but who does this price hurt? I guess some people who would like to play casual kitchen table magic, but it's most commander players. Besides, complaints about magic cards being too expensive is something that's become ubiquitous in every format. This isn't a problem with EDH.
5) I don't like durdling.
It's quite easy to single out players who've set up winning positions and are prepared for the long game. These decks receive enough hate that it's usually enough to make a few people turn their heads in that direction. It's impossible to take on an entire board full of players. The subject of focus usually dies quickly and the game resumes. It's also possible to make decks that can function under pressure. Besides, control is a deck archetype that you'll run into anywhere you'll go.
7) Duel Commander is just a strictly worse Legacy/Vintage singleton halfbreed of a format that should be put to death to end its suffering and suffering of those who play it.
I don't enjoy 1v1 EDH either, but that variant is hardly as popular as the multiplayer format. Given the more popular of these variants was the one that sparked this thread, I think that's out of scope.
8) True-Name Nemesis
This isn't a problem with EDH. It's a problem with how Wizards handles card legality.
11) Politics.
I don't understand this complaint. Is it that tho social element of the format somehow rubs you the wrong way? Could you elaborate?
February 27, 2016 8:26 p.m.
UpperDeckerTaco says... #24
TheDevicer I don't think he/she likes the politics aspect because people take sides and single him/her out. Maybe he/she has been on the losing end of "politics" in a playgroup. Which might be a deeper issue. If you're in a group where certain people always team up to take you out first it's either A) time to find a new, diverse playgroup, B) strategize to wipe the floor with them, C) stop being such a push over and learn to haggle and make deals.
February 27, 2016 8:32 p.m.
CanadianShinobi says... #25
I'm pretty much on board with TheDevicer here. I picked up Commander when I left Modern and have yet to regret it. Modern become toxic and unappealing to me for a variety of reasons. Commander, to a large extent, does not possess the problems I have with Modern. Also, there's something immensely satisfying about casting cards that wouldn't see play elsewhere.
February 27, 2016 8:35 p.m.
Molesto-the-Egregious says... #26
I Enjoy the flavor of commander!
the idea of 60 card (or at least how it was explained to me) is that you are a planeswalker, and your deck contains the spells you "Know".
Where as commander is more, what you personally feel Nekusar, the Mindrazor or Thrun, the Last Troll would bring to a battle.
I find the single copy of a card appealing, because I DETEST 60 card decks that beat you with the same 4 cards, every single time, or lose because they couldn't get those same 4 cards in the right order, or whatever.
there will always be people who drop tons of money in every format, so I cant really say that its less competitive than Standard or any other 60 card format, but I often find most people that play commander are casual, and enjoy plugging in as many neat combos into a 100 card deck as possible.
there are ups and downs to every format, and not everyone will like every single one. some may even hate commander, or modern, or standard, but having another option/way to play certainly isn't going to hurt the community.
If you don't like commander, then don't play it. complaining about it isn't going to make it disappear.
and as far as card prices go, I actually enjoy that this format has boosted the price of some older cards. back when I played 60 card standard I often found myself regretting purchasing cards because after X amount of time, they became "worthless". Now, with Commander, a lot of older cards are seeing use, and circulation instead of collecting dust ina shoebox somewhere.
I Personally prefer Commander, but that has a lot to do with my friends and meta. I think magic is great, and I enjoy talking to players from all formats, about design, combos, colors, and the whole nine yards.
February 27, 2016 8:47 p.m.
@UpperDeckerTaco - If that is indeed the case, I'm 100% behind what you said.
February 27, 2016 9:02 p.m.
aeonstoremyliver says... #28
I'm fairly new to EDH and find it satisfying. Every game can be different and you're able to do some wonky stuff, like hard casting otherwise unplayable cards like In Garruk's Wake, Insurrection, and It That Betrays. I find that my two playgroups are rather competitive and political, which I find enjoyable.
I'm very much a Spike, but enjoy the randomness of EDH as well as the insane power level of the singleton card pool. The customization to one's deck is also appealing, as there's often not one 'right way' to build an EDH deck, even with the same Commander. Granted certain synergies exist that can't be ignored, but one player may play a tribal variant of Karrthus, Tyrant of Jund and another a 'goodstuff' attrition based deck. There are many options.
From experience, I've been turned off of draft due to negative experiences I've had at a certain LGS. In fact, I often avoid that shop due to the overall poor attitude of the staff and player base. I have found other shops and people to play with that don't suck.
That being said, I would suggest finding a playgroup that is friendly and fits your wants and needs as a player. If you like casual decks, then find a casual playgroup, and so forth. Don't let a bad experience ruin a good format.
February 27, 2016 9:32 p.m.
VampireArmy says... #29
An old shop owner i knew once described it as the format old legacy players go to die.
February 27, 2016 9:49 p.m.
FAMOUSWATERMELON says... #30
I mean, I sort of hate it because I only play online, and there is no "playgroup". So I either get crushed or crush someone else. And playing politics is impossible. But in paper with an actual group, it seems like a fun concept. There should be a T/O playgroup or something for online though.
February 27, 2016 10:27 p.m.
Honestly, reading all the fun commander stories people had made me want to start playing EDH, and now I have an awesome deck! (Jarad Commands the Dead)
February 27, 2016 10:34 p.m.
I like FAMOUSWATERMELON's idea. I'd totally join a Tappedout EDH Playgroup on Untap.
February 27, 2016 10:47 p.m.
Me too,
If only yeaGo could add groups to the site's chat feature....
February 27, 2016 10:56 p.m.
VampireArmy says... #34
Chiefbell did start a facebook page for people to connect on and schedule games. not many people have been doing that lately but they could.
February 27, 2016 11:02 p.m.
A commander deck is like a good inside joke: it means something to the people who understand it, but it isn't funny (or I guess "powerful") to the people outside the joke. When the guy in my playgroup starts swinging around Hot Soup and gets insta-focused, it makes no sense, but it does make memories.
February 27, 2016 11:05 p.m.
It's a casual format that can be enjoyed by a diverse set of players and the possibilities are only restricted by your creativity (and your wallet). The games are also all typically different (but still consistent). I have a casual Treefolk deck to play with newbies at the LGS, a couple semi-competitive decks to play with the experienced table, and a single combo deck to play with the rich/proxy crowd. All of the decks are fun to play and have a variety of interesting interactions and memorable plays. I've played with a couple of sour players, and those games were a far cry from fun, but that's not the fault of the format but the sore losers at my game store. It is also great for socializing.
February 28, 2016 12:23 a.m.
FAMOUSWATERMELON and Nayrash i back this idea.
I play online more than real life and i miss this playgroup concept. Getting crushed or crush someone would be "fine" if people knows each other.
It is rare to find a game where someone starts a conversation.
February 28, 2016 1:46 a.m.
I don't remember where i read this sentence that resumes Magic Online:
"Playing online magic is a great way to play magic. Playing real life magic is a great way to socialize."
February 28, 2016 1:52 a.m.
PepsiAddicted says... #39
Edh is kinda like singleton vintage with multiplayer rules. Whats not to like....
February 28, 2016 3:05 a.m.
I love the social aspect of Commander. I hate sitting at a table for FNM and not even being able to joke with the person across from me.
I hate that people take Planeswalker Points too seriously. Unless you are in the top 1% of Magic players, they aren't doing you any good.
There are cool people that play every format around me but I notice that Standard attracts a lot of the worst.
Around me there are almost no Legacy or Vintage players if there are any. I have yet to meet one. I travel in about a 50 mile radius around my house to play Magic at multiple stores.
Modern players I know tend to be pretty cool but they all play Commander as well.
The only players I really know that don't play Commander are the serious Standard players. I am thankful for this as that is where the worst players are as well, from a social standpoint.
I play Commander because it's social. I get to play a lot of stuff that I enjoy. I like the Tribal decks all matching a theme. I like the top Competitive decks. I love watching my creations play out properly. The Singleton nature, almost unlimited legal card list.
In short, I'm more social than other formats allow for. I like the length of games. I just really love Commander and there are very few people I know that play Magic that don't play Commander.
February 28, 2016 3:56 p.m.
Megalomania says... #41
I like flavor and diversity. Other formats lack these. I value creativity and have long been disappointed with the other formats wherein players need to resort to netdecking to play competitively. I understand that everyone wants to win but I never felt as satisfied with winning using a deck I copied from the net than I have using one I built on my own.
IMO, draft and EDH are the best formats around. I have yet to try playing cube though.
fluffybunnypants says... #2
Subscribing to see answers because I actually dislike Commander.
February 27, 2016 6:40 p.m.