Hakbal of the Surging SoulHakbal of the Surging Soul | Art by Tyler Walpole

There have been a lot of conversations about the Bracket System and Rule Zero conversations again since the recent update. But something that we aren't talking about nearly enough in conversations like this is how to pick a Commander play pod.

Rule Zero conversations are important in any situation, but often times it helps start conversations and set expectations with randos (random players). Sometimes you're faced with being unable to meet up with your usual play pod and have to improvise.

But this article isn't about randos. This is about how to cultivate a healthy, recurring play pod.

Understanding Yourself

Before you can even think about what kind of people you'll include in your group or ground rules you'll implement for your play group, you have to first understand yourself. What makes you salt out? What type of Magic player are you? How do you like to win? How do you like to lose? These questions give you a realistic starting point about the kind of experience with Commander you want.

Thinking about if you're the kind of person who hates FarewellFarewell or ArmageddonArmageddon, no matter what the circumstances are, will be important things to consider. You may want to set expectations about how you'll react to those kinds of plays or request to outright restrict it.

You'll also want to know if you're a Spike, a Johnny, a Tammy, a Melanie, or a Vorthos. Spikes might want to play with other Spikes. At least, it would be more fair to those around you to meet Spike energy with other Spikes. Johnnys might be comfortable with Tammys. Vorthoses might be happier against a Melanie.

These aren't hard and fast rules, but it's important to factor in the motivations you have for playing. Compatibility here matters. Knowing what kind of player you are will help here.

Knowing that an infinite combo is a sort of way you hate losing might be something you want to know about yourself too. If you want to win with Craterhoof BehemothCraterhoof Behemoth or Pathbreaker IbexPathbreaker Ibex, that's also important to know. This is how you'll pitch yourself to others. They'll have as much of a right to be picky about who they play with as you do, so you'll need to know how to pitch your decks and play patterns.

Once you can understand yourself, you can explain your preferences.

Rule Zero Conversations

A lot of people think that rule zero conversations are just to discuss which Game Changers they're running and that's it. It's not. It's about explaining anything that will affect how the game will be played and experienced. There are so many things you'll need to discuss. This seems tedious, but ultimately the only way to find a good match with others is with a reasonable amount of effort put into these conversations.

This is important when cultivating a strong play pod for yourself.

You might want to talk about your experience level of the game. If this is your first time playing Commander and your deck is a slightly upgraded precon, that might mean something different for a player who's been playing since Arabian Nights running a Hakbal of the Surging SoulHakbal of the Surging Soul's upgraded precon. There's nothing to be ashamed about being new. It doesn't mean you can't join tables that are more experienced or strong, but it's important to talk about.

You might do better playing in higher power tables or higher experienced games. A lot of youngest siblings learn faster on the backs of their older sibling's experiences. This is the same. Some players aren't interested in teaching, but simply playing. Sometimes you might want to match experience levels so you don't feel overwhelmed too. This is a good thing to discuss or set expectations around.

Post-Game Conversations

Another thing about Rule Zero conversations is that it's both a pre and post conversation. If someone says their deck is a Bracket 3, but everyone at the table disagrees, that's something you should bring up in the post-game. I've told others if you find you're often arguing about the power of your deck, whatever Bracket you have it in is wrong. That's just how that works.

If you're arguing it's a 3 but you're always losing even in low power pods, perhaps it's actually a 2. Consistently stomping the hell out of decks that are 3s might mean you're punching above your weight class and actually a 4.

This is also a good time to discuss salt. Yes, we should discuss it. If you got upset about how someone behaved or performed in a game (It's totally healthy to be upset) but you should be constructive with how you go about it. Be upset, yes - it's only natural - but make sure you're telling people why and how you feel. Don't lash out, describe what bothered you and why.

I think a lot of people put up with things they don't like because they're afraid to show salt, but it's normal to salt out (I talk about this a lot in another one of my articles). It's important to explain your experience and give people time to correct it, so you can decide if that group is right for you.

Feedback

It's so important in a healthy play pod for everyone to be open to feedback. If I say your deck is too strong for the Bracket we're playing in, you need to be able to receive that feedback. You should be looking for this ability in the people you play with. If no one is taking into consideration the feelings and thoughts of others, then how can they demonstrate adaptability enough to change their behavior?

We should be giving feedback and giving others the opportunity to change behavior before jumping to conclusions that they're not worth keeping in the group. They should be given time to absorb the feedback and take steps to try to be better. (I feel like I'm putting on my counselor's hat for this article.)

Adaptability and Compromise

I spoke a little bit about adaptability as well. Players should understand that Commander is a game with tons of variables. People have tons of variables too. There is no way we can find the perfect four people who get along the best. We have to be realistic. Some of us are going to have to adapt. There will be compromise. How much, is the question.

If you find that most of your decks salt out your play group, then maybe that's not the group for you. You shouldn't have to shelve all your decks. But if you run ArmageddonArmageddon in all your white decks without a way to win after you cast it, and no one is about it, it might be a card you could easily remove from your deck.

Pick your battles wisely.

It's also important to understand and accept that everyone is different and those differences aren't right or wrong. They're just different. How someone copes with bad feelings and how someone handles winning is going to be different. We are also variable as people. We should be understanding of that.

Setting expectations about how you like or dislike certain things is key. Don't shame people for their differences unless it is harmful.

If someone is throwing chairs when they lose, that's harmful. Getting a little mouthy is harmless. I stress, a little here. Cussing someone out is different. We should be vocal about what we can handle from each other, including how everyone copes.

I can say I don't like any salt when someone loses, and set that expectation for what I want, and others can decide if that's something they are capable of or want. I can also compromise and say I don't like instant-speed scooping as a way to salt out. Compromise, but both statements are valid.

Inclusivity

This whole article is about curating your experience in play pods, and though it might seem like what I'm asking is for you to exclude all the things you don't like, I'm really not. I'm saying conversations need to be had. Expectations should be made. It's better if you're inclusive. We learn to work through certain things we don't like by small exposure. I know I used to hate losing to infinite combos. I set an expectation about multiple pieces and only late game combos, and now I'm comfortable with early-game, two-card combos.

I'm not saying people have to do what I've done, but allowing yourself exposure is important.

We should let all kinds of players and play patterns into our groups, and stress test them. We should see how something works before we determine they are automatically out. Giving players time to adapt to expectations and get comfortable is the goal. I can't stress enough that adaptability, compromise, and talking things through is the ultimate solution to curating strong play pods. Hold people accountable to these three things and it'll be hard to have a play group you don't enjoy playing with.

But that's just my opinion. Tell me yours! I'm @strixhavendropout on Bluesky.