(Approach of the Second SunApproach of the Second Sun| Art by Howard Lyon)

Win Conditions Aren't Equal

People show up to Commander to play intense games of Magic. Counterspelling counterspells to ensure commanders can set up engines. Intense rushes to deal damage before an opponent draws their perfect card. Four-way political discussions where everyone bargains for just one more turn.

But what if instead of perfectly constructing a deck to achieve victory, you just… Won?

There are plenty of alternate win conditions, or alt win cons, to damage and decking. As you would expect, not all of them are created equally. But that doesn’t mean they don’t have a home in Commander.

Afterall, think of the value.

All valuable in their own way.

The Value

In a Standard game, you have to deal twenty damage to a single opponent, or have them deck out a sixty-card deck. But in Commander, both the life pools and deck sizes are inflated.

But the cost of alt win cons stays the same.

They might not be efficient. Or advisable. They might simply be ineffectual when you have three individuals who can counter, remove, and respond to what you play.

But it would be so funny if it worked, wouldn’t it?

Here’s The Deal

There’s a visceral reaction folks have when they see an alt win con being played. At least in my experience, a player is more likely to take aggressive action against someone about to play an alt win con than someone who will win by traditional means.

Whether via commander damage or poison counters or milling, these “mundane” paths to victory often leave wiggle-room to still try your hand at negotiations.

But no one will listen to a word you’re saying under the Approach of the Second SunApproach of the Second Sun. Despite the fact they’ll listen to someone fielding Atraxa, Praetors' VoiceAtraxa, Praetors' Voice while they have nine poison counters!

So how do you get around this?

Just a few Swords of Damocles some folks don't mind discussing under.

Misdirect Them

Whatever your engine for winning the game is, set aside just a few cards to give the impression you’re shooting for a traditional victory. It doesn’t have to be anything crazy, don’t add needless heft to your deck.

Could be as simple as having some HydrasHydras to scale with Doubling SeasonDoubling Season. Urza, Chief ArtificerUrza, Chief Artificer being kept dirt cheap with a powerful army due to Encroaching MycosynthEncroaching Mycosynth.

Staple combos that are effective across two or three cards regardless of the subject-matter of your deck. Not necessarily two-card “win the game” combos like Niv-Mizzet, ParunNiv-Mizzet, Parun with CuriosityCuriosity. Just effective closed-loop combos that keep you relevant.

Not only does this lead to your opponents suspecting nothing (the fools!), but it allows you to participate in the game normally. A problem with alt win con decks in casual Commander is that there’s not much to do until you are in a position to end the game.

Just a few cards to keep yourself an active participant alleviates that.

Be Disrespectful

Alternatively, you could focus on denying victory to your opponents. Whether through Herald of Eternal DawnHerald of Eternal Dawn or Platinum AngelPlatinum Angel, you have multiple preventative measures to ensure your opponents can’t steamroll past you.

None of these directly assist your chances of winning the game, but they do buy you time to achieve your own goals.

Of course, if you were to be truly diabolical you would grab a card that forces you to lose such as Archfiend of the DrossArchfiend of the Dross. Use any of the following cards to boot your Archfiend to an opponent once its usefulness (and oil) runs out.

Actually Winning

Below are just a few cards that allow you to win the game. Some are more viable than others, and certainly some require more support than others. It’s really up to you and your playstyle which ones you gravitate towards.

Just make sure to play it smart. One counter or removal spell or even any of the above-mentioned “win prevention cards” will ruin these strategies if you’re not careful.

Approach of the Second SunApproach of the Second Sun

I can’t speak to if this is the most famous alt win con, but it certainly feels as though it’s had its time to shine since its release in 2017.

This alt win con really is quite simple, in that once you play the first casting of it, your goal is to not die. If any of your opponents have any milling capabilities, that’s something to be careful for, but generally that shouldn’t be a major issue.

Further, watch out for red’s propensity to exile the top card of opponents' decks with cards like Etali, Primal ConquerorEtali, Primal Conqueror. If they time it right, your second casting is exiled. So make sure you have access to counters, card draw, or a means of doing more than just waiting seven turns.

Also, a fun fact about this card is that the first casting doesn’t have to resolve for the second casting to win you the game. So if the first casting is countered and the second isn’t, you still win the game! Just make sure that second casting doesn’t get countered as well.

BiovisionaryBiovisionary

In a single-card format, having a creature requiring multiple copies of it seems ridiculous. And, frankly, it kind of is!

Which is exactly why no one will see it coming. Because tokens count towards this alt win con and it’s in your end step, all you need is a great deal of mana and a decent amount of cards in-hand. Fortunately for you, those are two things Simic excels at.

Croaking CounterpartCroaking Counterpart gives you two castings in a single card, if you can afford it. Phyrexian MetamorphPhyrexian Metamorph allows you to pay with your life for part of it, which is a fantastic boon. Three Steps AheadThree Steps Ahead has the flexibility to act as a counter or card draw on top of advancing your alt win con.

Barren GloryBarren Glory

This might be the most out-there of all these options. Afterall, how do you get to such a low point and still survive?

If you can get a board clear, you’re fine. Alternatively, do the math on how much damage your opponents can deal, Commander or otherwise. If you won’t lose as a result of that or something like poison counters, it doesn’t matter that you can’t defend yourself.

Don’t run the deck with too many permanents other than creatures, and all them to die before you play your alt win con. Then cast ArmageddonArmageddon or a similar means of removing your lands from play.

If your opponents’ boards are clear or if the math checks out, you’ll win next turn assuming you can trash your hand. If you have cheap instants and sorceries, that will allow you to burn through your hand in your final turn. Self-discard is even better.

Just make sure no opponent has a means of destroying an enchantment on the board when you cast ArmageddonArmageddon. Otherwise, even with a single mana from their next-turn land drop, they’ll just remove your alt win con and you’re stuck behind the curve.

Various Counter-Building Cards

All variations of “keep this card in play to eventually win the game.”

You build counters on them, sometimes with ways for opponents to remove counters. Other times, they're just hoping not to be removed before their clock can reach its endpoint.

As with most things counter-related, Doubling SeasonDoubling Season is your friend and Proliferate is your new favorite mechanic. Look to All Will Be One and March of the Machine for plenty of cards to bump up your counter production.

And, of course, be on the lookout for removal. These are generally cards that take some time to mature, meaning there's plenty of time for them to be removed.

Particularly given that you're now the person seen as most likely to win, even if your alt win con isn't viable.

A Fair Warning

Just be aware that at any higher level of play, so much as the assumption you have an alt win con will put a target on your back.

It doesn’t matter if someone has Solphim, Mayhem DominusSolphim, Mayhem Dominus and has been chipping away the pod’s life all game. Nor does it matter if someone went full Voltron and their Heliod, Sun-CrownedHeliod, Sun-Crowned is a 20/20 with Flying, Trample, and Infect. Though I’d love to see someone pull that off!

The mere existence of an alt win con will have the entire table rally against you. Expect no more negotiating and for past deals to be reneged. Every creature on the table to be pointed at you.

So either win fast or enjoy the chaos you’re causing on the way down.

Alternatively, play a game where no one is allowed to win via life loss, decking out, or poison counters. An Alt Win Contest, if you will.

Sikora

Sikora's a writer, game developer, and game master for TTRPGs with a love of storytelling. Generic as that might be for someone writing articles about Magic: the Gathering, they make sure to put their passion behind their words and can talk ad nauseum. Truly, letting them write articles was a mistake.