Hello and welcome back. We have the Spider Man set on the horizon, but until then we have a lull (or at least what passes for a lull these days) between sets. Woo!
In today’s article, I wanted to address how you can always* have fun playing in the format of Commander especially when you don’t win the game you’re playing. While it does kinda stink to lose, you’re bound to do so at an average of 3/4ths of the time with a few different variables being assumed roughly equal.
So, maybe while winning is fun and you’ve conquered the situation your opponents have presented to you in a game of Commander, the idea of this article will be how to have fun losing those same games.
DECK CONSTRUCTION AND EXPRESSION
It is the basis of just about everything in Commander besides yourself. It is the limit, it is the push to efficiency, it is the expression of your playstyle. The deck you build is not only something you bring along to interact with other decks, it’s also how you can interact with your opponents and how you can present part of and interact with yourself.
While the commander at the front of the deck is often a signpost for what the deck wants to do most of the time, how you might express that strategy behind it with card selection and use can make your experience and the experience of your opponents entertaining and interactive.
A good personal example I have is my Feather the Redeemed deck. Most people who don’t know the deck comment on the commander or have a sound of some annoyed or disappointed kind leave their mouths when I sit down with it. Despite the years since Feather being printed (2019 original printing), she still can elicit an immediate response by what people think the deck does.
However, the assumed hard-to-interact-with-Tron deck that Feather was initially known for back in the day isn’t what my deck does. Yes, it can win through commander damage if I have the cards, but Feather is used more as a catalyst for simply being able to cast instants or sorceries repeatedly every turn, using those spells to trigger effects like burning for damage, card draw and token production to help close the game.
Having a deck do something different than normal might be a way to interact with your opponents that may make a more memorable experience for all involved. Specifically however you have to enjoy your own deck design first and foremost.
YOUR DECK DOES THE THING
Another aspect to enjoy about your own deck and the play experience is that your deck does what you designed it to do. This isn’t something that is always guaranteed because luck is still a factor, but overall and over time you should have a deck that is consistent in what you want to do.
Now, that doesn't necessarily mean it’s an overly tuned deck. If you want to do things that are more random and chaotic maybe like playing cards such as The Great Aurora or Scrambleverse, as extreme examples, over the normal definition of efficiency and that’s what you want it to do, then your deck does the thing.
No matter what you have in mind for a strategy, making sure your deck can execute it is definitely something to work toward and enjoy, whether you win or lose games. That could include building a Rube Goldberg machine of many parts to combo off, going to the overwhelming combat damage win, or forcing opponents to make bad choices with Prisoner’s Dilemma.
You also have to plan to be interacted with as well. You aren’t promised your deck gets to do the thing, so prepare to try to do it repeatedly, recover to do it again and/or protect what you’re doing.
PET CARDS
Making sure your deck does the thing is important, but don’t forget about cards you enjoy playing on their own. Continuing with the expression of deck building, having something unexpected or quirky is always a way to help you enjoy playing your own deck as well as making it memorable and probably enjoyable for opponents.
Some people like running surprise counter magic that people don’t expect, like Mana Tithe or Withering Boon. Some might run cards not often seen in commander otherwise and might be hard to use but specific to a deck like Evershrike or Endless Wurm. While some cards are strictly better, there is often still room for you to run something funky that still helps the deck strategy. Express yourself!
Of course, if the expression you want is a lean and clean machine to pummel your opponents down, that is also completely viable as well.
A MENTAL SHUFFLE
Soothsaying - Pat Morrissey
Your deck is something within your control to sculpt towards a purpose of strategy and enjoyment. However, another thing you can prepare is your mind. This is especially important if you’re going to a Magic Fest or Convention, a new game store or a new playgroup in general. The odds of something going a bit sideways increase as far as deck mismatches in power or speed go.
Being in a mindset to accept the losses when they happen or just random other things or moments in a game helps so much with enjoyment of playing Commander with others, no matter who they are or how your deck performs.
Of course, if something makes you uncomfortable, draw the line there. There isn’t any reason to accept harassing or disgracing behavior. It’s more about dealing with blowouts and lopsided games, or perhaps you just couldn’t draw what you needed despite the deck being fine. Luck of the draw can sometimes hamper an otherwise promising game. Accepting that happens and being prepared for it helps with the experience immensely.
ENJOYING THE SHOW
Light up the Stage - Dmitry Burmak
Another source of enjoyment are your opponents and their decks. An opponent doing something cool or using a card you haven’t seen before in a cool interaction can also be enjoyable. While this is something not entirely under your control, looking out for cool stuff while playing the game can give you ideas for later and help you remember that deck and the player in the future.
This is a double-edged thing though. The way casual Commander is, sometimes you have to give deference to the table and players there. This is much easier with people you already know well. They will more likely tell you kindly what is “acceptable” and “not acceptable”. While cEDH can largely ignore any part of this, casual Commander leans on it a bit.
Strangers are harder to gauge but often at a LGS we sit down with them to play Commander. This can be just as entertaining. I find this is especially true if two of the players have prior interactions with each other. Often this elevates their threat level to each other because they know what’s coming from the decks they present. Working alongside or against these little interactions can bring a puzzle to solve if you’re into that sort of thing. Or, just watch them spend removal and other resources on trying to overcome each other.
PLAY PREPARED
Preprare - Zack Stella
Not specifically about Commander or Magic, being prepared for a long session of anything is something to consider. By this I mean bring snacks or eat before or after, drinks to sip on, and not going to play sleepy. I’ve noticed in myself and others that if players are tired or hungry it can lead to some rough patches during a game.
This is all more true if you’re going to sit for hours for a few games and have to sit through yet another board wipe. Prepared for weather if needed as well. Being comfortable and less irritated before you play is going to allow for a more enjoyable experience for yourself, win or lose.
ESOTERIC AND EXOTERIC
At the end of the day, playing Commander is supposed to be about enjoyment, with winning being a secondary or lesser objective. That isn’t to say that you shouldn’t try to win. Everybody wants to win. What Commander does is give the room and opportunity for more. Conversation, sharing, trading, being impressed and impressing in return, cracking jokes or discussing serious topics if you want, supporting your friends and strangers. What makes Commander enjoyable for me at least is its ability to bring people together to do all that. It gives a slight buffer and support to all of it, because it is so easy to do. You’re already there.
Winning the game isn’t the primary thing, but we can all leave winning.
Until next time, enjoy.
