The Lord of PainThe Lord of Pain | Art by Greg Staples

Hello, and welcome to Am I the Bolas?

This column is for all of you out there who have ever played some Magic and wondered if you were the bad guy. I'm here to take in your story with all of its nuances so I can bring some clarity to all those asking, "Am I the Bolas?"

I'm ready to hear you out and offer advice. All you have to do is email [email protected] with your story, a pseudonym you want to use, and of course, only include details you don't mind in the column! You might see your story below one day. You might even hear it on the podcast. Which podcast?

THIS PODCAST!

I'm Mike Carrozza, and, oh my god, what the hell is that?

Is this another March of the Machine team-up card?

This week, does your reputation precede you?

(Post edited for brevity, clarity, and then some.)

SUBMISSION

VERDICT

Thank you for writing and asking me to weigh in on your story. As I mention every week, if folks don't write to me, there's no column, so if you, the reader, want to send me a story, whether it's your own or one from Reddit or a friend's, please send it to [email protected] and I'll get to it here.

I appreciate the kind words, TBMR. I'm really glad you've been enjoying the article series. It makes me very happy and I can't thank you enough.

This is such an interesting situation. And while it seems pretty narrow, it's a pretty natural part of any group of pals playing Magic for long enough. Any playgroup is going to have some folks cycle in and out. With this kind of change, the old guards showing the new kids the ropes and part of that is disclosing some deck reputations.

Ultimately, while the growth of the playgroup has changed and morphed to include two new players, your growth as a considerate deckbuilder has not quite been acknowledged. Is it not then worth pointing out to the Friends that the decks have been powered down compared to their memories of them? You're being considerate enough of their fun, I believe a conversation is in order to discuss how they're affecting yours.

I think your suggestion is great. Have a talk with your playgroup (like half the advice given in this series) and chat about how these moments of talking up your deck have been making you feel unfairly targeted by the group and making things a lot less fun.

I've been the boogieman once or twice in my playgroup, and when I've adjusted my playstyle and deckbuilding style, I did suffer through some pretty rough games. But most importantly, I talked to my friends and communicated that this isn't how I play anymore and that they can focus elsewhere. After a while, even my pal who didn't quite believe it stopped coming for me because I wasn't a threat as often.

There's an element of toughing it out that sucks, but it's like growing pains. I don't know how long or how often this has happened before you've written in or since, but I hope it was a short time for you. I understand this frustration and it makes sense. Even if they're right and your deck is strong, sometimes games don't break your way and your creature isn't the most worthy of a PathPath yet it eats one anyway because someone at the table went "Oh no, that deck?!" before the game.

I will note that, despite the Oloro deck not using tutors, having three "I win the game" buttons that are easiest to achieve when you've got "Eminence - Gain 2 life at your upkeep" in the command zone might still be reason enough for your opponents to have packed an anti-life gain card. To have tutored it up right away is pretty rough though, for sure.

Your previous strategies that you avoid now are some of the more frustrating to play against. If you're the guy countering every spell on any given night, I would probably had a bit of a rib at you myself. I probably wouldn't want to play against land destruction if I wasn't specifically in the mood to give it a go. I don't really like tutors but I especially dislike them when it's for a combo win. I understand where your playgroup is coming from! However, you've taken the time and made the effort to change this when they've expressed themselves.

If you listening and implementing the changes to accommodate them is possible, you can point to that when you ask them for this really simple thing you want from them.

Another thing to do - and I know this literally isn't your speed - would be to build a new deck and begin with a clean slate. Maybe aim for Bracket 2 in your deckbuilding but play like you're in Bracket 4. I recognize that this isn't the most helpful because it doesn't feed directly into what you're doing now and requires more work, but I feel like this might be the out you need.

Your opponents will still know your playstyle, but they won't be able to point to specific pieces in the deck without having played against it first. If they do, then that's an indication of something bigger. Maybe even swap a commander out for another in an existing deck with some other key changes. I think if there's a semblance of newness, they might not be able to keep jumping down your throat about it.

However, mainly, my advice is to have a chat with your pals, maybe even show them the deck lists as proof if they need to see it.

I don't think there are any Bolases here. I'm just glad you lot are having fun together and I hope it changes enough to make you happier.

Thanks again for writing in!

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