Harmless OfferingHarmless Offering| Art by Howard Lyon
Interaction in a game of Commander is difficult...
There are three opponents, with their own boards, and own sets and sequences of interaction. You might be tapping out for an Insurrection or Craterhoof BehemothCraterhoof Behemoth, but someone might have a FogFog or Obscuring HazeObscuring Haze.
We live in fear of someone having the answer, but sometimes we have the game, all interaction in hand to protect our win, but we still don't try to take the win. Some of the reasoning as to why can be broken up into: improper threat assessment and emotional burden.
Threat Assessment in MTG
Magic: The Gathering is a complicated game with tons of mechanics and points of interaction. Don't get me started with the stack and reverse priority order resolution.
This game is especially complex. Commander makes the game even more complicated with additional players and a more complex stack as they add interaction.
We are going to misplay. We are going to misread a card, forget a trigger, sequence poorly. Maybe we play a Lotus CobraLotus Cobra after out land for turn and miss an extra mana. These aren't the kind of misplays I'm talking about.
Working Against the Rest of the Table
I want to first talk about the kind of misplay where you correctly understand the board state and make a call that hinges on an accurate assessment of player intentions, or capabilities, and you get it wrong.
I'll set the scene. I'm playing against a Prossh, Skyraider of KherProssh, Skyraider of Kher, 10 Kobolds, and they have a Mirkwood BatsMirkwood Bats and a Mahadi, Emporium MasterMahadi, Emporium Master. I've got an Olivia, Crimson BrideOlivia, Crimson Bride in hand and a Sheoldred, Whispering OneSheoldred, Whispering One in grave. I also have an Eowyn, Fearless KnightEowyn, Fearless Knight in hand and a 10/10 Carmen, Cruel SkymarcherCarmen, Cruel Skymarcher. I'm at 13 life.
Do I remove the Mahadi or the Bats with the Eowyn and swing in for the damage, ending that player but leaving me open to the other opponent, or do reanimate the Sheoldred, strengthen my board, and hope the Prossh player doesn't have removal? Sometimes the incorrect assessment is not anticipating or banking on removal.
Don't play with your food. If you can eliminate a threat, you should bite down hard on it. I played this game and the Prossh player Assassin's TrophyAssassin's Trophy'd my Carmen so I didn't remove the Bats or the Mahadi and was dead to the sacrifices.
Arrogance in Interactions
Here is another situation we might get ourselves into. Imagine you're playing against a Ghalta, Primal HungerGhalta, Primal Hunger, which I do a lot. Imagine they play a Llanowar ElvesLlanowar Elves one turn, then a Llanowar TribeLlanowar Tribe, then a Tribute to the World TreeTribute to the World Tree then a Guardian Project the next.
You have a Generous GiftGenerous Gift; Dihada, Binder of WillsDihada, Binder of Wills; and open mana. The other player has a Hashaton, Scarab's FistHashaton, Scarab's Fist with three open mana. Everything the Ghalta player has is just mana and value with a creature entering. Nothing seems scary yet. Even if they play a creature right now I'm not the biggest threat.
You know you should deal with that Tribute to the World TreeTribute to the World Tree but you're hoping the Hashaton is a bigger threat and you can hedge your bets that the damage is going that way, and the Hashaton player might remove it themselves.
This is a huge gamble. Removal is important and limited, but this feels like a big gamble. The Ghalta player could play their commander this turn and that's 12 trample damage.
It's tough, but we can't let a threat like that lie, we can't toy around with present danger. Turns out the Hashaton player had nothing and the Ghalta came from me next turn.
I know threading the needle with when it absolutely essential moment to use removal, and that's a whole other article, but if you can remove a big value engine and stop snowballing effects you should instead of banking on others to handle it for you.
Also never assume opponents won't see you as a thread just because you aren't doing anything now. Possibility matter too.
Pity and Underestimating the Other Players
I know it seems like this should be in the emotional burden section, but the problem with this particular situation is that player will underestimate those they pity. Someone playing Titania, Protector of ArgothTitania, Protector of Argoth, missing a few land drops shouldn't be underestimated.
It is a lands deck, I will catch up. I will make blockers. Get damage in on them ahead of time. Don't let them build up to becoming a threat. We might think a few missed land drops will make them not a threat for a while, but we can be so wrong.
In a similar vein, don't underestimate a Voltron deck like Aurelia, the WarleaderAurelia, the Warleader, after a board wipe. Unless it's a FarewellFarewell, hitting artifacts and enchantments, graveyards, and creatures, they will rebuild and incredibly fast. Don't think little of those who are a little bit behind.
Depending on the deck, rebuilding and recovery might be easy. Improper assessment of when a player is behind and not a threat shouldn't be based on blanket statements, it should be an assessment of their deck.
Emotional Burden
Sometimes we are compelled to not remove a threat or win a game because of the social pressures present in a game of Commander. We've all been in a situation where a win feels stinky or uncomfortable, and we lean into that feeling so much that we sandbag or throw. Feels bad to win that way sometimes, but are we helping as much as we think?
Winners and Losers
We all have someone in our playgroup who wins more than anyone else. It's not usually just because their decks are much stronger, but that they're an exceptional pilot of decks in general. They can threat assess well, manage triggers, and sequence very well. They aren't usually playing Bracket 5 at a Bracket 4 table.
There is sometimes a burden to being that winner. Sometimes you've won every game in a session of Commander on Saturday and you want to let your opponent's Reins of PowerReins of Power resolve.
I don't know how others feel, but wins like this feel unearned. Finding out my opponent had interaction, but didn't play it, means that in actual fact, I didn't win. It also is a little condescending to let someone else win. Winning is something I would like to earn and it isn't the gift you think it is.
Players want to win on their own merit most of the time and finding out that you actually didn't feels bad. If the goal is to get rid of that bad feeling of constantly losing to the same player, sandbagging doesn't help.
Prolonged Enjoyment
A deck can sometimes outperform your expectations. It can do the thing faster and more efficiently than before. You're having so much fun piloting, even when you're way ahead, and you don't want the fun to end.
You're taking a fifteen minute turn with Urabrask // The Great WorkUrabrask // The Great Work, and you see the win in sight but you don't take it. You want other players to get a chance to go off, you want the game to continue.
Once again, players like to win on their own merits. Finding out that you took a 15 minute turn, could win, and didn't win might even upset other players. They might want to shift to higher power level in a game two, but can't because you sandbagged your own power level.
Maybe they had interaction and could stop you, but you didn't give them the opportunity by not even playing the card. That's the tricky thing with, "I could have won." You never know what other players are holding up.
Excessive
Lastly, decks can be annoying to get the win with, a complicated Food ChainFood Chain stack or something. Maybe you don't want to go through the trouble.
Or maybe you can win, but you'd have to remove someone's Kaalia of the VastKaalia of the Vast for the sixth time. Or maybe you could win, but you'd have to kill the player who has been mana screwed all game. Maybe it will feel bad to win this way.
I like to think that everyone playing Commander likes this game enough that the prospect of losing doesn't make the game unfun. We all grapple with loss when we play.
It's okay to face a loss to a complicated win or a uncomfortable piece of removal before your win. Some of us relish the opportunity to see a complex interaction. We like to learn the lines of an interaction so we can be prepared for it next time.
Finding the Middle
Ultimately, the point of this article is to let you know that when you have an opportunity to eliminate a threat effectively, you should probably take it. It's what's best for the feelings and ultimate conclusion to your games. I know it might feel bad sometimes, and the reading player's intentions are hard, but we have to attempt it if we want to remain competitive and learn new things.
Either way, talk about it with your pod; see how they feel about all these kinds of situations and get a pulse on what works for you all. If you want to argue with me about this I'm @Strixhavendropout on Blue Sky. Catch me there!
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