Surprising no-one, my nerdy proclivities include the odd game of Magic: The Gathering. Indulge me for a moment.
I have picked up several TCGs over the years. Oddly, my movement from Yu-Gi-Oh! to Pokémon and eventually to MTG directly corresponded with years 1-3 of my University degree, which is a strange fact that I have only just realized.
For me, no other game has held my attention like Magic. I have invested more money into those slivers (get it?) of cardboard than I care to admit and I have corrupted close friends into following suit.
Does the game have it’s problems? Yes. Do i support every decision WOTC makes? No. But I am not getting into that today. At the end of the day, it’s a game I enjoy. And yes, I am primarily a commander player.
Today, I want to talk about deckbuilding. I am by no means a good deck builder. I have gotten better over the years, but it doesn’t come to me as intuitively as others. I still use the old deckbuilding guide video from Tolarian Community College (here) as a rough template for most of my decks, all hail The Professor.
The thing about deckbuilding that I love, is that it provides me a way to channel an ADHD hyperfocus until the focus naturally disperses. Sometimes when I can’t focus on the things I should be doing, I find a commander I like the look of or that fits a strategy I have in mind, build an extremely rough outline of a deck I’d love to build in real life, then with an immense sense of satisfaction I return to the real world and responsibilities. I have 32 unfinished deck ideas in my Mana box app.
So here are three deck ideas that I currently have on my mind.
- Brion Stoutarm
If you asked me what my favourite colour is in magic, I would usually answer “Green”. But for some reason I always find myself coming back to Boros (red & white) like an old friend. This card is my most recent obsession, I love the idea of a fling-themed deck featuring lots of “This card’s power is equal to X” cards to really get the damage up.
2. Mahadi, Emporium Master
I really like this card. Treasure tokens have undoubtedly become a staple in modern magic, so combining that with a “everybody sacrifices a creature” strategy and then going for the kill with something like Mirkwood bats, this sparks joy.
3. Etrata, The Silencer
I have a real soft spot for alternative win conditions. One of the first 60 card decks I ever built was a door to nothingness deck (It was not good). An unblockable assassin that hides itself in the deck after it hits, I love that. Throw in some clone effects and some tutors, you got yourself a nasty little deck.
End phase.