<a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Whelming Wave" href="#" target="_blank">Whelming Wave</a> | Art by <a href="https://scryfall.com/search?q=a%3A%E2%80%9CSlawomir+Maniak%E2%80%9D&amp;unique=art" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Slawomir Maniak</a>
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 amithebolas@gmail.com 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?
<img loading="lazy" decoding="async" class="aligncenter wp-image-25893" src="https://commandersherald.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/12/bolcast_logo430x430-300x300.png" alt="" width="249" height="249" />
<a href="https://www.youtube.com/@AmITheBolcast" target="_blank" rel="noopener">THIS PODCAST!</a>
I'm Mike Carrozza and this is what I look like when I pretend to throw the ball for my dog but put it behind my back instead.
<div class="edhrecp__cards"><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Mysterio, Master of Illusion"></div></div>
No, it's over there, go check. Ahahaha I got you!
This week, removal is important.
(Post edited for brevity, clarity, and then some.)
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<h2>SUBMISSION</h2>
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Good morning,
I read your articles as part of my morning-work ritual, and often find myself thinking about the points you make throughout the day and beyond. I played in a miserable game this weekend and it shined a light on what I feel has been a growing problem in Magic in general these last few years…
I love Magic and have been an active player since New Pyrexia. I tend to play synergized decks but do not like using game-changers, two-card combos, or extra turns. I tune my decks for Bracket 2.5 play in the “upgraded precon” department.
I was at the shop on a Sunday afternoon. I joined a pod of three. I asked them about power level and they said they play at “upgraded precon” level, so I broke out my <a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Arixmethes, Slumbering Isle" href="#" target="_blank">Arixmethes, Slumbering Isle</a>, “sea monster” typal deck and settled in for a game. Player 1 was playing <a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Brudiclad, Telchor Engineer" href="#" target="_blank">Brudiclad, Telchor Engineer</a> and talking a huge game. Player 2 was playing a legendary matters <a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Ratadrabik of Urborg" href="#" target="_blank">Ratadrabik of Urborg</a> and Player 3 was playing Demon typal.
The game gets off to a blistering start, with the Brudiclad player and I playing an early <a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Sol Ring" href="#" target="_blank">Sol Ring</a>. Brudiclad continues to talk a big game and implies that he is going to do something crazy. He does the thing where he says “go-to-combat-declare-attackers-swing-with-these-three-guys-trigger-these-abilities-draw-five-cards” in one breath. 
I immediately say “whoa, slow down, I have responses!” to which he replies “Are you serious? I’ve already gone through my combat” 
“I <a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Krosan Grip" href="#" target="_blank">Krosan Grip</a> your Brudiclad in your Main phase…" to which he replies, the literal words: 
“F@#k you for real, are you serious? I already drew my cards, now I have to put these back? F@#k you, dude. I guess I pass…”
I’m floored by this interaction. Both friends seem to brush off the comment and continue to play non-interactively. It comes to me, I play a blue wrath and swing at Brudiclad guy. He starts spouting off again saying it's so unfair I hit him for 25 damage, blah blah blah.
So now, I’m in the situation where these two new players see me killing their “Goliath” of a player. However, rather than help me to kill Goliath, who threatens to rebuild his combo and win every turn, they suddenly start looking to interact with me and my board. They begin to ask Brudiclad what they should do to help him not lose. Mind you, Brudiclad has already tried to combo off and win. I say something along the lines of “He’s winning! I’m trying to keep him from killing all of us!” To which the new players say “We know his deck, you’re the unknown. We need to kill you first because we don’t know what you’re capable of.” I reply “My deck is eight-drop Krakens and blue wraths! You’ve seen it happen like twice now!”
I hard target Brudiclad and kill him. Through a <a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Wheel of Fortune" href="#" target="_blank">Wheel of Fortune</a> and a <a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Mana Drain" href="#" target="_blank">Mana Drain</a>, mind you. This is some "upgraded precon"... 
We’ve all experienced at least part of the above interaction before, to any long-standing Magic player, the existence of players like this do not come as a surprise.
Brudiclad storms off. The game grinds on as I desperately try to end it. I play defensively - sorcery speed removal, a fatty or two, effectively stopping both of the remaining players' momentum. I slowly win through their gummy board states. Both claim “they aren’t drawing correctly to be able to counter me” while not also simply swinging at me with their on-board flying creatures, oddly. 
Brudiclad returns to the table and starts loudly talking about how this game is still going on and I’m playing a “purposefully stax-heavy deck which only tries to slow the game down and not win.” At this point, I’m so exhausted by the entire experience I scoop and leave.
In modern day, I see so many types of players - from new enthusiasts who are eager to play their new Chocobo typal deck to old-heads who throw down a <a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Kaalia of the Vast" href="#" target="_blank">Kaalia of the Vast</a>. I always pack decks full of relevant interaction and fair on-theme wincons which win the game slowly and fairly while allowing for other players to “do the thing.” 
I’d say 80% of games I play in involve two players building up for like five turns, me wrathing in one form or another, them being floored that wraths exist. Then, for the rest of the game, I am hard targeted even though the third player, who is very obviously the “non-interactive combo player just waiting for their window to go off” will win the second I drop my interaction shields because no one else is holding anything up or has used it all on petty "revenge" against me.
So my question is the following:
How does an enfranchised player who likes playing good old fashioned fair Magic play around the rage man-babies, the innocent bystanders “this is my new Cat deck,” to the “no I didn’t build this <a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Edgar Markov" href="#" target="_blank">Edgar Markov</a> deck like you normally see” angle shooting win-farmers?
I just want to play fair, interactive Magic with regular people, but it seems like there exists a massive population of Magic players that just make meme decks, only want to stomp their opponents, or completely fall apart if they don't get to play solitaire and see that victory screen...
Thank you for your time. &lt;3
Sea Captain
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<div class="edhrecp__cards"><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Brudiclad, Telchor Engineer"></div></div>
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<h2>VERDICT</h2>
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 amithebolas@gmail.com and I'll get to it here. I really appreciate you making me part of your morning every week.
It's clear to all readers here that this submission is dripping with biases. I understand your frustrations and do think this serves as a springboard to discuss that creeping feeling you've brought up.
Beginning with the most obvious thing, essentially a throwaway at this point, but that Brudiclad player zooming through phases is just not how the game is played. You're clearly in the right and rolling things back makes sense. It's not your fault you got more information! There are interaction points throughout the turn, not to mention the Brudiclad combat trigger itself.
His reaction to this, coupled with the fact that his two pals didn't say anything or vocally agree with you, tells me that I probably would have had a difficult time with this player as well.
And while we're focusing on the Brudiclad player's attitude, coming back to the table to loudly declare your sea monster typal deck a stax deck because the game is slowed down is rude. Sea monsters don't always have evasion and you described the board as gummed up. It's going to take a while. That's why there are so many "blue wraths" (likely of the <a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Whelming Wave" href="#" target="_blank">Whelming Wave</a> variety) which allow you to clear the way to close the game out.
I have also noticed the trend away from removal. I have never really been a big removal player myself, but I know better than to build a deck without at least a wrath and flexible targeted removal pieces. That said, as a player who loves to build the machine with multiple pieces doesn't mind leaning into the glass cannon nature of decks, I often find myself prioritizing the "cool" stuff over the vegetables like removal and stuff.
It's not a great habit, but it helps that I have a baseline I am disciplined enough to not go under.
That said, it's also something I have to recognize in the deck if I decide not to include the necessary interactive pieces; I must accept the possibility that my strategy will continue to be disrupted and I might not get to do the thing. C'est la vie. Water off a duck's back. More games coming.
When it comes to Magic, it's as much about finding your people as it is about deckbuilding. Luckily, as a writer for one of the most popular Commander sites out there and a (though I am loathe to use the term) content creator in the space, I'm fortunate enough to get to play a ton of Magic with some of the most enfranchised and understanding players whenever I'm out and about.
Before this though, as the chatty guy I am, I've been having the Rule Zero talk for a long, long time, and it has helped me find exactly where I've been happiest. Communicating ahead of time will save you some headaches and heartache.
I understand that the complaints you have are rooted in the deckbuilding stage which is not really where you intervene, but it's definitely fair to find your people and grow as a playgroup which will then allow everybody to catch up to each other's playstyles.
I think you've outlined what you like about Magic. It's specific, but not niche. Playing at an LGS means that you'll end up meeting all sorts of players, as evidenced by your "Cat deck" and "not-that-<a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Edgar Markov" href="#" target="_blank">Edgar Markov</a> deck" players.
Especially in this environment, it's important to take note of the folks you've enjoyed playing with. Was it because they were challenging, or a good time, or both? Most importantly, I need more players to express their appreciation for the players they enjoy playing against. Be vocal and tell people you like that you like them enough to prioritize them when you see them at the LGSs. Maybe someday, that'll be someone you can text and coordinate with to meet at the LGS or even get the beginnings of a playgroup that meets up regularly.
I will caution you from using terminology like "good, fair Magic." I don't play cEDH, but I'd be wrong to not consider it "good" or "fair" or "Magic." What you want needs to be more articulated to get what you want exactly. You want interactive Magic where games are balanced and are decided by the "right" play. Many players want that too, but there's no science to this.
Try as they may, WotC isn't going to be able to make things perfect with the Bracket system, but they've given us a great framework to begin the discussion. The chat doesn't begin and end with "I play Bracket 2."
I believe in your ability to find what you want out of the game. The Brudiclad guy didn't ask me if he was the Bolas, so I don't have a verdict for him. You're not the Bolas, but you were a fish in the wrong pond. You can find it. I know it.
<div class="edhrecp__cards"><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Kederekt Leviathan"></div></div>
<h3>More Bolas:</h3>
<blockquote class="wp-embedded-content" data-secret="357gcvMLzL"><a href="https://edhrec.com/articles/am-i-the-bolas-promise-of-retaliation/">Am I The Bolas? - Promise of Retaliation</a></blockquote>
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<blockquote class="wp-embedded-content" data-secret="KYHufVa7o7"><a href="https://edhrec.com/articles/am-i-the-bolas-reputation/">Am I The Bolas? - Reputation</a></blockquote>
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<blockquote class="wp-embedded-content" data-secret="wijmJxuC9J"><a href="https://edhrec.com/articles/am-i-the-bolas-deal-or-no-deal/">Am I The Bolas? - Deal or No Deal?</a></blockquote>
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Am I The Bolas? - Trending Away From Removal

<a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Ghalta, Primal Hunger|fdn|335" href="#" target="_blank">Ghalta, Primal Hunger</a> | Art by <a href="https://www.artstation.com/justingerardillustration" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Justin Gerard</a>
I've always been baffled by this conversation of whether a player should run more removal or not.
I'm not baffled because I think the answer is easy, but quite the opposite. The answer isn't obvious, yet anyone who tells you to run more removal, irritatingly, might think so.
<h2>Considering Commander</h2>
First of all, I'm speaking about Commander. I'm not privy to the inner technical meta of other formats. Every different format has it's own meta. Additionally, for each competitive format there's a formulated meta that dictates these choices a lot better than Commander. Most people aren't playing the same six or so decks with similar configurations in Commander, making the decision a little more concrete in competitive formats.
Commander - cEDH aside - isn't a competitive format, so naturally the meta is somewhat nonexistent.
<div class="edhrecp__cards"><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Spike, Tournament Grinder"></div></div>
Second of all, Commander is a singleton format that has 60+ unique cards and 40, give or take five, lands. The perfect configuration of any deck isn't obvious. Being able to have four-ofs and a deck with 35+ playable cards and 25, give or take two, lands, changes things.
You get consistency. You don't have to worry about not drawing removal. It will naturally come up more often. You can also run the perfect removal over and over. You don't have to be creative about four different types of removal that work just efficiently.
Third, play pattern and intention of the player play a role in the answer of more removal or not. Certain strategies aren't comfortable or natural for certain players. Lines might pass them by.
Also, like I've said over and over in my articles, like <a href="https://edhrec.com/articles/is-winning-the-most-important-thing-in-commander" target="_blank" rel="noopener">here</a>, players are motivated by different things in a game of Commander. As a casual format, the goal isn't always winning the most efficiently. They might be motivated about building a fun deck that "does the thing." Maybe they aren't concerned with stopping other players' game plans.
<h2>Winning</h2>
I make those points just to outline this: Motivation might be different from player to player, and some of these factors we have to consider in this next section.
Some of you are thinking, "But I want to win. If I want to win, I just need to run more removal." And again, it's not that simple. If running more removal isn't the answer, then what is? What is the alternative?
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Have you tried being the threat instead? I know this is loaded; there's a million things I could mean here. I'm suggesting that player removal might be better. Winning the game before someone could stop you might be a equally valid and potentially - depending on the commander - a more valid strategy.
Let's think about this for a second. Some colors in Magic are good or bad at removal. Instead of playing bad removal, you can resort to out-valuing and pressuring players out of the game. I'll give you an example.
<h3>Power Matters</h3>
My partner runs a very oppressive, and consistent, Bracket 4 <a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Ghalta, Primal Hunger" href="#" target="_blank">Ghalta, Primal Hunger</a> deck. It loves to draw a ton of cards in green with things like <a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Garruk&#039;s Uprising" href="#" target="_blank">Garruk&#039;s Uprising</a>, <a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Guardian Project" href="#" target="_blank">Guardian Project</a>, <a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Tribute to the World Tree" href="#" target="_blank">Tribute to the World Tree</a>, and <a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Elemental Bond" href="#" target="_blank">Elemental Bond</a>. He runs creatures that have a high power-to-mana ratio, to guarantee all of those cards trigger.
Why is he drawing all these cards? So he can cast <a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Ghalta, Primal Hunger" href="#" target="_blank">Ghalta, Primal Hunger</a> for two green pips and then play <a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Last March of the Ents" href="#" target="_blank">Last March of the Ents</a>. He wants to put all these creatures in play for cheap.
<div class="edhrecp__cards"><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Kogla, the Titan Ape"></div></div>
He's running three pieces of removal, which in the grand scheme is nothing. He runs <a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Kogla, the Titan Ape" href="#" target="_blank">Kogla, the Titan Ape</a> for creature removal, <a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Beast Within" href="#" target="_blank">Beast Within</a> for versatile removal, and <a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Cankerbloom" href="#" target="_blank">Cankerbloom</a> because it removes enchantment and artifact and has more power in its stats than a <a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Reclamation Sage" href="#" target="_blank">Reclamation Sage</a>.
Ghalta very rarely needs to run removal. She's usually on her way to killing a player by turn six. Ghalta pushes through most removal by being resilient. My partner ramps a ton as well, as green is known to do. If someone board wipes him, he simply draws more cards and starts again, dropping a <a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Ghalta, Stampede Tyrant" href="#" target="_blank">Ghalta, Stampede Tyrant</a>.
Removal not only doesn't work on him, it barely does much more than slow him down. He doesn't use removal himself because in his color identity there isn't very much, and there's another more viable strategy: He outvalues. Becoming the threat consistently until he wins is the goal. And trust me, it works against my control-ly and stax-y <a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Zimone, Mystery Unraveler" href="#" target="_blank">Zimone, Mystery Unraveler</a> deck.
There are many decks, with many combination of cards, that would be better off being the threat than using removal. So, is it really that easy to say run more removal? Aren't we trying to play any fun deck we want. If we've eliminated decks we could play because of their removal ability then we're teetering on cEDH.
Meta and competitiveness isn't the spirit of casual Commander, from what I've seen from the community.
<h3>Removal Matters</h3>
I say this, but I started this article saying that the answer to this question isn't simple. Being the problem isn't necessarily possible for decks that are less aggro. Combo decks and midrange decks might not be able to remove a player before disruption happens.
I have an oppressive, consistent, Bracket 4 <a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Tivit, Seller of Secrets" href="#" target="_blank">Tivit, Seller of Secrets</a> deck. It's a Blink deck that loves to draw a ton of cards in Esper with things like Tivit himself, <a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Mulldrifter" href="#" target="_blank">Mulldrifter</a>, or <a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Thought Monitor" href="#" target="_blank">Thought Monitor</a>. I run cards that blink Tivit, like <a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Ephemerate" href="#" target="_blank">Ephemerate</a>, allowing for more draw and more mana in the form of Clues and Treasures.
I draw all these cards to gain removal in the form of counterspells like <a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="An Offer You Can&#039;t Refuse" href="#" target="_blank">An Offer You Can&#039;t Refuse</a> and <a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Permission Denied" href="#" target="_blank">Permission Denied</a>, and board wipes like <a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Toxic Deluge" href="#" target="_blank">Toxic Deluge</a> or <a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="The Eternal Wanderer" href="#" target="_blank">The Eternal Wanderer</a>.
<div class="edhrecp__cards"><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Ephemerate"></div></div>
I can't reasonably win early. I need Tivit. Turn five is the earliest I can cast him and get value enough to blink him again. It's slow going, so removal is essential. Low cost board wipes like <a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Toxic Deluge" href="#" target="_blank">Toxic Deluge</a> are huge. <a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Venser, Shaper Savant" href="#" target="_blank">Venser, Shaper Savant</a>-ing a <a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Last March of the Ents" href="#" target="_blank">Last March of the Ents</a> might be what saves me from losing the game.
Removal in the form of counter magic is huge here in prolonging the game long enough for me to get value. Tivit has ward which makes removing him once he's out a huge blowout for most players. He tends to stick around, through removal.
Once I've stopped other players from winning long enough to play Tivit and get infinite value with blinks, then I can go about eliminating players. There are many decks, with many combination of cards, that would do better to use removal than be the threat. So isn't it just easy to keep saying "Be the threat"?
<h2>So Which Is It?</h2>
I've been ruminating on this. Ultimately, decks like my partner's Ghalta aren't that common, where very little removal is needed consistently. Even then, my partner's deck runs some removal. So some removal is good. Sometimes you need a way to be resilient and remove pieces that out-value you.
I don't think that's hard to say here, but the "more" in the phrase, "run more removal" is the tricky part.
<div class="edhrecp__cards"><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Last March of the Ents"></div></div>
I hate to say it, the answer is always that you need to check with your pod. Should you be running more removal? Depends on how miserable you want the games to be. If everyone plays a board wipe in a game of Commander, the games would last forever and would be unfun. Targeted removal might not eliminate enough pieces to be relevant, but timing it carefully might stop a combo or midrange player from accelerating to where they're the threat.
Some players might hate to have three of their pieces removed in a game. Maybe there's a middle ground here with the play group on each of these points.
If you don't care if your pod has a fun experience - the question is if it's the most efficient strategy - I'm still not sure. I don't know if removal is the best answer for any deck, but it might be relevant to some degree in most decks. More is the tough bit. Maybe you need more pieces that accelerate your game plan than removal, making you more of a threat.
Maybe the answer is instead of more removal we should tell players to focus more on their game plan happening.
<div class="edhrecp__cards"><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Permission Denied"></div></div>
At the very least, if we focus on our game plan, we get closer to winning. Removal just stops others, and maybe not for long. Focusing on winning might lead you to winning more often.
I thought of this a lot after reading Kristen's article titled "<a href="https://blog.cardkingdom.com/commander-games-feel-fast-these-days-and-heres-why/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Commander Games Feel Fast These Days… And Here’s Why</a>." I feel like players are moving in this direction because it's more fun. Games are more enjoyable when everyone gets to do something crazy, which is hard with constant removal.
I'd love someone to post a statistic on how often a player with more removal in their deck wins against decks that don't run them, or, on the other hand, how many Aggro decks can win against three decks that have tons of removal.
As usual, I don't have a concrete answer here, but I don't want people flippantly telling you to run more removal when you lose. It's not always the answer. Maybe I'm wrong. Let me know: I'm <a href="https://bsky.app/profile/strixhavendropout.bsky.social" target="_blank" rel="noopener">@Strixhavendropout on Blue Sky</a>.
<h3>Read More:</h3>
<blockquote class="wp-embedded-content" data-secret="Oq43x6D9ts"><a href="https://edhrec.com/articles/different-approaches-to-building-a-commander-deck/">Different Approaches To Building a Commander Deck</a></blockquote>
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<blockquote class="wp-embedded-content" data-secret="eIo1Q4EOM8"><a href="https://edhrec.com/articles/powerful-magic-cards-we-take-for-granted-in-commander/">Powerful Magic Cards We Take for Granted in Commander</a></blockquote>
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<blockquote class="wp-embedded-content" data-secret="gez9V3NwuG"><a href="https://edhrec.com/articles/is-my-deck-strong-or-just-oppressive/">Is My Deck Strong or Just Oppressive?</a></blockquote>
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Should You Run More Removal in Commander?

<a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Vivi Ornitier" href="#" target="_blank">Vivi Ornitier</a> | Art by <a href="https://toniinfante.com/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Toni Infante</a>
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 amithebolas@gmail.com 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?
<img loading="lazy" decoding="async" class="aligncenter wp-image-25893" src="https://commandersherald.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/12/bolcast_logo430x430-300x300.png" alt="" width="249" height="249" />
<a href="https://www.youtube.com/@AmITheBolcast" target="_blank" rel="noopener">THIS PODCAST!</a>
I'm Mike Carrozza, the guy you can play Commander with at <a href="https://facetofacegames.com/collections/category-shopify-tour-events-commandfest-ottawa-2025?srsltid=AfmBOop0201qzEYLjYt2PiKcTtVF_s-Ch8Zc5vEOr3n1WPPbuBeayAnh#SpecialGuests" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Face to Face's Command Fest in Ottawa</a> September 6th and 7th!
<div class="edhrecp__cards"><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Golbez, Crystal Collector"></div></div>
Come say hi! I just built this guy and I need to get reps in!
This week, I swear if you come for me, this becomes 1v1.
(Post edited for brevity, clarity, and then some.)
<hr />
<h2>SUBMISSION</h2>
<div dir="auto">
Hello Mike,
Something that happened in a recent FNM Commander game left me reeling, yet I still left the game unsure whether I was the one at fault. I was playing my casual <a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Kurbis, Harvest Celebrant" href="#" target="_blank">Kurbis, Harvest Celebrant</a> +1/+1 counters deck, and I was up against a <a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Damia, Sage of Stone" href="#" target="_blank">Damia, Sage of Stone</a>, <a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Infinite Guideline Station" href="#" target="_blank">Infinite Guideline Station</a>, and <a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Vivi Ornitier" href="#" target="_blank">Vivi Ornitier</a>. I was initially cautious about the Vivi deck since I knew it can easily go infinite out of nowhere, but luckily the Vivi player only had a few <a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Island" href="#" target="_blank">Island</a>s and a <a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Sol Ring" href="#" target="_blank">Sol Ring</a>. 
At this point it's around turn five and nobody has really done much yet, but the Vivi player now has eight cards in hand and starts looking at my creatures on board. I currently have a few small creatures but most notably a <a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Rishkar, Peema Renegade" href="#" target="_blank">Rishkar, Peema Renegade</a> that I'm heavily relying on for mana, and I warn the Vivi player that I will retaliate if they remove any of my creatures. It's also worth mentioning that I deliberately avoided attacking the Vivi player up to this point because they had missed land drops and currently had no access to red mana.
The Vivi player, undeterred, cast a <a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Reality Shift" href="#" target="_blank">Reality Shift</a> on my Rishkar, stating that they didn't want to discard down to hand size. I admit that the Rishkar was probably the best target at that moment, as the only other player with creatures was the Damia player's <a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Dark Confidant" href="#" target="_blank">Dark Confidant</a>, but I let the Vivi player know that I was going to start attacking them because of this. The Vivi player took my comment as a personal attack and automatically countered the <a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Case of the Trampled Garden" href="#" target="_blank">Case of the Trampled Garden</a> I tried to cast on my next turn, with their justification being that I was going to use it to buff the creatures that I was going to attack them with.
So at this point, the Vivi player has removed two of my important cards despite the fact that I haven't actually done anything to them other than threaten to retaliate, and I am incredibly upset by this. I cast my ironically-named <a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Over the Edge" href="#" target="_blank">Over the Edge</a> to destroy their <a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Sol Ring" href="#" target="_blank">Sol Ring</a> and proceed to attack them with all of my creatures for the next several turns, reminding them that they brought this on themselves. 
While we are both arguing over this, the <a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Infinite Guideline Station" href="#" target="_blank">Infinite Guideline Station</a> player quietly casts a <a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Mirari&#039;s Wake" href="#" target="_blank">Mirari&#039;s Wake</a>, something both of us could've easily removed if we hadn't spitefully wasted all of our interaction on each other. Neither of us ever found another land, and we lost a few turns later to Spacecraft shenanigans directly brought about by the <a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Mirari&#039;s Wake" href="#" target="_blank">Mirari&#039;s Wake</a>. The next game we play the exact same decks and the Vivi player wins on turn five with a groan-inducing <a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Quicksilver Elemental" href="#" target="_blank">Quicksilver Elemental</a>, yet they are still angry at me for my threats and retaliation during the last game.
That brings me to my current dilemma. Am I the Bolas for making threats and retaliating against unprovoked interaction? Should I have just sat there quietly and let it all slide? Or should I have just not mentioned any of my planned retaliation until after the fact?
Sincerely, 
Provoked Bear
</div>
<div dir="auto">
<div class="edhrecp__cards"><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Over the Edge"></div></div>
</div>
<div dir="auto"></div>
<hr />
<h2>VERDICT</h2>
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 amithebolas@gmail.com and I'll get to it here.
I don't think this is Bolas energy, especially since it was mutual. If I were the Guideline or Damia players, I'd be pretty stoked, actually. You're telling me a ticking time bomb is being kept in check by the stompy deck and the stompy deck's being controlled by the bomb? And I just get to hang out and put together my own little machine? I'll stay quiet and use this to my advantage!
The most important point of all is this: I hope this heat didn't ruin the vibe of the hang. Something like this can definitely put a strain on the social dynamics and I really hope you lot were able to keep things light enough to enjoy yourselves.
Vivi is a scary-as-hell legend to see in the command zone. That turn-five win off the <a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Quicksilver Elemental" href="#" target="_blank">Quicksilver Elemental</a> absolutely illustrates why. Them looking at your creatures to not have to discard to hand size is fair enough, but it's almost like they forgot they're playing a Vivi deck. You want all the heat off of you until you can pop off. That <a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Reality Shift" href="#" target="_blank">Reality Shift</a> didn't have to be something you discard and I'm sure there are a few cards in that hand that wouldn't be the worst to let fall to the graveyard.
Imagine a card in the Vivi player's hand having an extra line of text that reads "Discard this card: target Kurbis player cannot attack you for a turn." Not to mention, you could still play the <a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Reality Shift" href="#" target="_blank">Reality Shift</a> later if you discard that eight-drop that's not likely to hit the stack anytime soon. Open up the conversation! It's time for politics!
You went hardline with it. "I was not attacking you because you haven't been up to much, but if you hurt me, I will undo my kindness and good will toward you." Not a quote but that's the subtext, right? Vivi has the choice to declare war or to use this information to their advantage and they chose war. Rishkar is most definitely the correct target of all available targets on the board and letting you get out of hand might be tougher to deal with in the later game, but as you saw the next game, I'm not sure anybody else should be as feared as <a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Vivi Ornitier" href="#" target="_blank">Vivi Ornitier</a>.
I think you could have kept it quiet and just started attacking the Vivi player. It would have avoided the whole spot removal war you guys had going on. It could have ended there; you take your lumps and move forward. That said, I want to discuss threatening a player with certain actions in Magic.
If you're going to be making a threat, you have to be ready for what can come and also recognize that you still need to find ways to budget your gameplay to keep others in check as well as advancing your own plan. When you make a threat at the table, you're changing the difficulty setting of your own game. You're broadcasting your plans, and you're also informing all opponents what's most important to you in the moment.
If you're okay with this, you can do your thing, but keep in mind the following rules I hold for myself when making any threats in game:
<ol>
<li>Be fun and light. It's still a game, make sure that you get your message across but don't ruin anybody's night.</li>
<li>Convey specifically the events that will provoke your retaliation and set a limit for yourself on what this retaliation looks like.</li>
<li>Be ready to pivot if something else presents itself as a bigger problem.</li>
<li>Keep all of it to one game. No carrying things over.</li>
<li>Follow through. Diluting your word isn't going to help you overall. It's also a matter of making sure you take your own threats seriously. Consider the action you're threatening more carefully and therefore make fewer threats overall.</li>
</ol>
You follow these rules and you'll find yourself making fewer threats, but you'll have a better time with it when you actually do.
Here's an example for me. I have my <a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="The Ninth Doctor" href="#" target="_blank">The Ninth Doctor</a>/<a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Clara Oswald" href="#" target="_blank">Clara Oswald</a> Grixis Upkeeps deck that I really love. It's a slow deck that aims to survive a go-round the table and stack five-plus times worth of upkeep triggers from a board filled with crazy enchantments. Easily disruptable, but it's also a deck people like to see go off so I get left alone quite a bit.
It's also pretty all-in on the strategy. It needs a lot of grace to work. It's the only deck I run land destruction in and stax pieces like <a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Rising Waters" href="#" target="_blank">Rising Waters</a> - I really need to slow things down to survive.
One time, my friend Chris (hi, buddy, love you!) wanted to destroy my <a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Court of Vantress" href="#" target="_blank">Court of Vantress</a> which had not had a chance to turn into anything. There weren't many targets available to Court on the board anyway and I had had a pretty rough start. Chris thought the Court could go off pretty well if things just started to suddenly work out for me. I told him that if he destroyed the one non-commander, nonland permanent I had managed to stick into play that I would vow to wreck his board in retaliation.
He destroyed the Court and I said, "Alright, boys, no need to worry about me; I'm Chris' problem now." Then I made good on my promise when I played <a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Recantation" href="#" target="_blank">Recantation</a> later in the game and popped it to return most of his board to hand. However, Max (hi, buddy, love you!) had become quite the problem with his Angel deck and Chris and I were able to call a truce before I used <a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Recantation" href="#" target="_blank">Recantation</a>. I used my <a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Vile Requiem" href="#" target="_blank">Vile Requiem</a> to kill some Angels, making a deal with Chris that when Max is more subdued, I'd come back to him.
We had a laugh, made the deal, and I stuck to point five in my rules. We all then lost to Eric (hi, buddy, love you!) whose <a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Zirda, the Dawnwaker" href="#" target="_blank">Zirda, the Dawnwaker</a> deck was the real threat the whole time. We shuffled up and played another, Chris and I no longer enemies.
In the story, I'll admit I make a case for Chris killing the <a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Court of Vantress" href="#" target="_blank">Court of Vantress</a>. I eventually got to land a few things that controlled the table and stocked up some upkeep verse counters. Notice how the rules I gave myself allowed me to keep the vibe light and still have fun without feeling like I needed to be all-in on killing Chris. By specifying your threat, you allow yourself the grace needed to pivot and still be in control of your own game.
All told, this could have been "Removal happens. That's Magic, baby!" but that's not what people come to this column for. While yes, you have to be okay with your stuff getting removed, you can also use many different tools in your kit to advance your game and sometimes that means threatening an opponent with spot removal. This could either goad an opponent or deter them, but it's the kind of swing you can take that can sometimes make things more interesting or go exactly your way.
I do believe there should have been more threat assessment of the board rather than racking up points in the spot removal war happening, but sometimes our humanity takes over. Being met with a barrier or a hurdle can be frustrating and sometimes your reaction is a little more extreme than you'd like it.
Take stock of yourself in your games; get your hands on the reins and give yourself a pull when you're too heated. Ask yourself if the threat you're making is worth it to you. Nine times out of ten, it's more advantageous to let it go and move forward. Keep it to yourself and start attacking. But that one time out of ten, you'll be able to show your opponents that you're not one to mess with while still being one they love playing with.
No Bolases. Thank you for giving me an excuse to write about making retaliatory threats in Commander!
<div class="edhrecp__cards"><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Kurbis, Harvest Celebrant"></div></div>
<h3>More Bolas:</h3>
<blockquote class="wp-embedded-content" data-secret="ja0IE7fWDd"><a href="https://edhrec.com/articles/am-i-the-bolas-reputation/">Am I The Bolas? - Reputation</a></blockquote>
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<blockquote class="wp-embedded-content" data-secret="jqPqvhIJcJ"><a href="https://edhrec.com/articles/am-i-the-bolas-deal-or-no-deal/">Am I The Bolas? - Deal or No Deal?</a></blockquote>
<iframe loading="lazy" class="wp-embedded-content" sandbox="allow-scripts" security="restricted" style="position: absolute; visibility: hidden;" title="&#8220;Am I The Bolas? - Deal or No Deal?&#8221; &#8212; EDHREC" src="https://edhrec.com/articles/am-i-the-bolas-deal-or-no-deal/embed/#?secret=gtI5GIDbTs#?secret=jqPqvhIJcJ" data-secret="jqPqvhIJcJ" width="500" height="282" frameborder="0" marginwidth="0" marginheight="0" scrolling="no"></iframe>
<blockquote class="wp-embedded-content" data-secret="S9S2NshWSd"><a href="https://edhrec.com/articles/am-i-the-bolas-salty-for-your-losses/">Am I The Bolas? - Salty for Your Losses</a></blockquote>
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Am I The Bolas? - Promise of Retaliation

<a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Fiery Emancipation|wot|42" href="#" target="_blank">Fiery Emancipation</a> | Art by <a href="https://scryfall.com/search?q=a%3A%E2%80%9CHarry+Conway%E2%80%9D&amp;unique=art" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Harry Conway</a>
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 amithebolas@gmail.com 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?
<img loading="lazy" decoding="async" class="aligncenter wp-image-25893" src="https://commandersherald.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/12/bolcast_logo430x430-300x300.png" alt="" width="249" height="249" />
<a href="https://www.youtube.com/@AmITheBolcast" target="_blank" rel="noopener">THIS PODCAST!</a>
I'm Mike Carrozza - dear lord, what is that smell!?
<div class="edhrecp__cards"><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="The Cabbage Merchant"></div></div>
"Two for one special!"
This week, spell it out.
(Post edited for brevity, clarity, and then some.)
<hr />
<h2>SUBMISSION</h2>
<div dir="auto">
Hey Mike,
<div dir="auto">There was an incident at a Commander game last year, at my school’s Magic club, that has been nagging me, and once I heard about this column I decided you should hear it. I was playing <a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Roxanne, Starfall Savant" href="#" target="_blank">Roxanne, Starfall Savant</a>. The other people at the table were playing <a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Kaalia of the Vast" href="#" target="_blank">Kaalia of the Vast</a>, <a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Yidris, Maelstrom Wielder" href="#" target="_blank">Yidris, Maelstrom Wielder</a>, and <a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Kenrith, the Returned King" href="#" target="_blank">Kenrith, the Returned King</a>.</div>
<div dir="auto"></div>
<div dir="auto">Kaalia and Yidris were my friends, and Kenrith was the teacher supervisor. On turn two, I dropped <a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Generous Plunderer" href="#" target="_blank">Generous Plunderer</a>, a card that gives myself and target opponent a Treasure on my upkeep. When it got back around to me, I noticed that Kaalia was complaining about being stuck on white, so I gave them a Treasure. For every upkeep from then until turn seven, I gave Kaalia a Treasure. With my help, they were able to steamroll the rest of the table into single digits, without attacking me. They said they were not attacking me because of the Treasures. I will note I made no promises, did not make any deals, only kept feeding Kaalia the Treasures. They never did draw a white source. </div>
<div dir="auto"></div>
<div dir="auto">On turn seven, I gave them the last Treasure. With my ramping, I windmill slammed <a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Fiery Emancipation" href="#" target="_blank">Fiery Emancipation</a> and <a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Earthshaker Giant" href="#" target="_blank">Earthshaker Giant</a>, and went to combat. I had enough power to kill either Kaalia, or Kenrith and Yidris. I went for the jugular, one-shotting the Kaalia deck. I was quickly eliminated by the rest of the table, and the game ended soon after that. Now comes the problem. The Kaalia player started arguing with me about that combat. They thought because the Treasures kept coming their way, there was a deal going on. I insisted that no deal had been made and I was well within my right. After the game was over, Kaalia moved to another pod to watch their game and tell the other four players that I had broken our deal. We began to argue again. I ask you: was there an unofficial deal going on, or was I breaking an unwritten rule? Am I the Bolas?</div>
<div dir="auto"></div>
<div dir="auto">Sincerely,</div>
<div dir="auto">Green Ramp Enjoyer</div>
</div>
<div dir="auto">
<div class="edhrecp__cards"><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Earthshaker Giant"></div></div>
</div>
<hr />
<h2>VERDICT</h2>
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 amithebolas@gmail.com and I'll get to it here.
Alright, GRE, let's get into. Also, I'm just going to call you Greg because it looks so silly to just see GRE without the G at the end. I hope you don't mind.
This is one of those submissions where I can already see the comments under it going long and argumentative. Depending on the day, I'd call this angle shooting or totally valid. Today, I'm going with angle shooting. I looked for a definition of angle shooting and this one makes the most sense:
<div class="WaaZC">
<div class="rPeykc" data-hveid="CJ4BEAE" data-ved="2ahUKEwjIzerR04iPAxUkkIkEHa-CGEEQo_EKegUIngEQAQ">
Angle shooting is a poker term that "refers to using subtle, unethical, and often deceptive tactics to gain an unfair advantage over opponents, while technically not violating the explicit rules of the game. It's a form of bending the rules to mislead opponents and exploit their reactions." 
<div class="NPrrbc" data-cid="b942c624-f754-4d85-8a0e-a7b9ad340c5c" data-uuids="16775381595295955439,16775381595295956878">
<div class="BMebGe btku5b fCrZyc LwdV0e FR7ZSc qVhvac OJeuxf" tabindex="0" role="button" aria-label="View related links" data-hveid="CJkBEAE" data-ved="2ahUKEwjIzerR04iPAxUkkIkEHa-CGEEQ3fYKegUImQEQAQ">
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<div class="kHtcsd">(Shout out to PokerNews.com for the explanation.)</div>
</div>
</div>
</div>
</div>
</div>
I believe this situation qualifies particularly because of this line: "They said they were not attacking me because of the Treasures."
There's an explicit direction from the Kaalia player saying "GREG, I am only doing this because of the Treasures" and then you keep giving them Treasures which to many would seem like a tacit or implied agreement to the terms. If this wasn't the case, then a clarification would be in order. "That's great, but we never really made that deal," would be fine. Then the Kaalia player would be able to threaten you with violence and you would then be in a position to explicitly take the deal or suffer the consequences.
Either way, speaking up at that moment to clarify would have been welcome, I'm certain.
That said, it's true, there was no "real" deal. There was no handshake. There was no explicit agreement. I think the Kaalia player could have phrased their intention a little more clearly in a way that would invite an affirmative or negative response, definitely. However, if the rest of the table could ostensibly articulate to their friends in telling this story later that "GREG kept giving Kaalia Treasures, so Kaalia never attacked GREG," I think this deal/not-a-deal was understood.
In the spirit of Magic, especially in Commander, the idea of "lying by omission" is a grey area that people venture into a couple of times until they realize that lots of players don't tend to be repeat podmates after that. It's almost like the super complicated game that we play - which considers nearly all the cards printed in the last 30+ years and is usually played with two extra opponents, therefore adding a difficult-to-navigate social element to it - has carved out some bits of etiquette that remain technically unspoken. 
Acts of deception are generally pretty frowned upon. While not speaking up and letting the Kaalia player attack your opponents isn't really the problem, it's letting the Kaalia player believe that this arrangement was in place by not speaking up when they explicitly laid out their reasons for not attacking you that qualifies as a potential toe-dip into deception. Because you exploited this to go in for the kill on Kaalia while they had brought the rest of the table down to less than ten life, this is angle shooting.
I will say that, while I can appreciate a little bit of venting, going over to another table of friends to tell them you've done *gasp* the unthinkable wasn't entirely called for. I think the discussion should have remained between both of you and should serve as a lesson for both you and the Kaalia player.
Sidenote: If you're going to take out a player who had been an ally to you in the game, make sure you have a plan to handle the crackback of the other opponents who want their revenge!
Bolas.
<div class="edhrecp__cards"><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Kaalia of the Vast"></div></div>
<h3>More Bolas:</h3>
<blockquote class="wp-embedded-content" data-secret="icJELzu1Ao"><a href="https://edhrec.com/articles/am-i-the-bolas-salty-for-your-losses/">Am I The Bolas? - Salty for Your Losses</a></blockquote>
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<blockquote class="wp-embedded-content" data-secret="AksZjuC7Xb"><a href="https://edhrec.com/articles/am-i-the-bolas-rolling-for-combat/">Am I The Bolas? - Rolling for Combat</a></blockquote>
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commander etiquette

Am I The Bolas? - Trending Away From Removal

Should You Run More Removal in Commander?

Am I The Bolas? - Promise of Retaliation

Am I The Bolas? - Deal or No Deal?