<p style="text-align: right;"><em>[Don Miner, Virginia Beach 2025. Photos by Nick Wolf]</em></p>
<p>Do you remember the first time you stumbled across EDHREC on your <em>Magic</em> deckbuilding adventures? Ever wondered where it came from, and where it's going? Don Miner, founder of EDHREC, was interviewed at length at MagicCon Vegas 2025, about the creation of and continued development on EDHREC, as well as his <a href="https://www.mediavine.com/events/">upcoming speaking engagement at Mediavine Con 2025</a>. Let's dive in.</p>
<p><em>(This interview has been edited for length and clarity)</em></p>
<h3>Stepping into the Sun</h3>
<p><span style="font-weight: 400;">LAS VEGAS - Don Miner founded and helped build EDHREC, one of the most powerful digital tools for </span><i><span style="font-weight: 400;">Magic: The Gathering’s </span></i><span style="font-weight: 400;">most popular format of Commander, but at heart, he’s still just a guy messing with code and looking to do right by the community he helped build.</span></p>
<p><span style="font-weight: 400;">“I think we've had the luxury of hiding behind the websites for a long time,” Miner said, referring to EDHREC and its sibling deckbuilding platform, Archidekt. “But we're part of the community, and we've been downstairs (at MagicCon Vegas) playing games. It’s time people understood a little more about who we are and what we’re trying to do.”</span></p>
<p><span style="font-weight: 400;">That’s why he’s telling his story during a break in Commander games on Saturday of the weekend of Magic Con Las Vegas 2025. And that story isn’t linear, but a winding arc of startups, side projects and serendipity. </span></p>
<p><span style="font-weight: 400;">Born in 1985 and raised in Maryland, he discovered in himself a passion for computer science in high school that he’s carried through to adulthood, guided by supportive parents and teachers. “It was easy. It was natural to me,” he said. "I guess I never liked doing things I wasn’t good at."</span></p>
<h3>Starting the REC Engine</h3>
<p><span style="font-weight: 400;">After undergrad at the University of Maryland Baltimore County (UMBC), he entered the workforce in 2005 as a software engineer, a career path he didn’t need a lot of time to discover was the wrong path. “And I was like, ‘I hate this,’” he said. </span></p>
<p><span style="font-weight: 400;">He was told at the time that returning to grad school is the educational equivalent of “hitting the snooze button.” So he hit the snooze button, and kept hitting it until he earned a PhD in computer science. His dissertation focused on multi-agent systems, predicting how large groups of semi-intelligent agents behave in the context of things like pandemics, traffic simulations, and digital ecosystems. </span></p>
<p><span style="font-weight: 400;">But sometime in the midst of a government job doing big data work with Hadoop, a lucrative stint in tech sales, and the eventual launch and sale of his own consulting firm, Miner pivoted again. EDHREC, which began as a Reddit bot, became his full-time gig, in a way that was part kismet, part determination, with a fair helping of simply needing to get his wheels going again after selling his firm.</span></p>
<p><span style="font-weight: 400;">“At some point I got excited about business stuff,” he said. “I know it's weird to a lot of people, but there’s just a lot of theory and other interesting things about business. So, I started reading research papers about business.”</span></p>
<h3>The Magic of Data</h3>
<div id="attachment_167438" style="width: 842px" class="wp-caption alignnone"><a href="https://edhrecstatic.com/articles/wp-content/uploads/2025/10/DonSonMCVegas2025-scaled.jpg"><img loading="lazy" decoding="async" aria-describedby="caption-attachment-167438" class=" wp-image-167438" src="https://edhrecstatic.com/articles/wp-content/uploads/2025/10/DonSonMCVegas2025-scaled.jpg" alt="Don Miner Commander MagicCon Vegas 2025" width="832" height="491" srcset="https://edhrecstatic.com/articles/wp-content/uploads/2025/10/DonSonMCVegas2025-scaled.jpg 2560w, https://edhrecstatic.com/articles/wp-content/uploads/2025/10/DonSonMCVegas2025-300x177.jpg 300w, https://edhrecstatic.com/articles/wp-content/uploads/2025/10/DonSonMCVegas2025-1024x604.jpg 1024w, https://edhrecstatic.com/articles/wp-content/uploads/2025/10/DonSonMCVegas2025-768x453.jpg 768w, https://edhrecstatic.com/articles/wp-content/uploads/2025/10/DonSonMCVegas2025-1536x906.jpg 1536w, https://edhrecstatic.com/articles/wp-content/uploads/2025/10/DonSonMCVegas2025-2048x1208.jpg 2048w" sizes="auto, (max-width: 832px) 100vw, 832px" /></a><p id="caption-attachment-167438" class="wp-caption-text"><span style="font-size: 8pt;"><strong>Don Miner gets in a game of Commander with his son at MagicCon Vegas 2025.</strong></span></p></div>
<p><span style="font-weight: 400;">That business sense turned a passion project into something sustainable. By 2022, he merged EDHREC with <a href="https://archidekt.com/">Archidekt</a> under the <a href="https://spacecowmedia.com/">Space Cow Media</a> banner — a tongue-in-cheek name born out of a joke about cooking steak on re-entry from space. At the time, Miner said they didn’t think anybody would ever see that name. “So it really doesn't matter what it is, because we were still gonna interact with people as EDHREC and Archidekt, right? It's kind of like the parent company.”</span></p>
<p><span style="font-weight: 400;">For Miner, community is everything, and he doesn’t shy away from the criticisms EDHREC has received over the years about "homogenizing the Commander format," but he counters that it’s all about access. “I mean, I think we are (homogenizing), I just don't think it's a bad thing,” he said. “I think people will be creative when they want to be. You shouldn't force everybody to have to be creative. You shouldn't be mad at somebody for playing a precon. That's some gatekeeping shit.”</span></p>
<p><span style="font-weight: 400;">That mindset is core to most of what Miner seeks to accomplish in </span><i><span style="font-weight: 400;">Magic, </span></i><span style="font-weight: 400;">to create and foster tools that make the game easier to enter and more fun to explore. “I think EDH decks are a big form of expression,” he says. “I think we’re helping people express themselves and get inspired by scanning around on EDHREC, and I think that’s pretty cool. That's what I like hearing.”</span></p>
<p><span style="font-weight: 400;">That passion for the game is generational now, passed down to his kids. “They're a huge influence on me in terms of EDHREC,” he said. “I actually draw a lot of inspiration from them. I've managed to get them all into </span><i><span style="font-weight: 400;">Magic</span></i><span style="font-weight: 400;"> at this point so I get to see what they care about when they're using digital tools.” And it's not at all what he expected, he admits. </span></p>
<p><span style="font-weight: 400;">“It's like a new perspective. Pretty much the only digital tool my oldest kid does is Scryfall. He types in ‘T:Dinosaur,’ and that's literally the only thing he uses, right?” he joked. “I was like, ‘dude, you know, we have a Dinosaur page on EDHREC,’ and he's like ‘it's not the same.’ Talking to them and seeing what they're going through, I think it's been fun.” </span></p>
<h3>Commander and Community</h3>
<div id="attachment_167435" style="width: 974px" class="wp-caption alignnone"><a href="https://edhrecstatic.com/articles/wp-content/uploads/2025/10/EDHRECastMG_Atlanta_2025_16-scaled.jpg"><img loading="lazy" decoding="async" aria-describedby="caption-attachment-167435" class=" wp-image-167435" src="https://edhrecstatic.com/articles/wp-content/uploads/2025/10/EDHRECastMG_Atlanta_2025_16-scaled.jpg" alt="Don Miner EDHRECast Meet and Greet Atlanta 2025" width="964" height="720" srcset="https://edhrecstatic.com/articles/wp-content/uploads/2025/10/EDHRECastMG_Atlanta_2025_16-scaled.jpg 2560w, https://edhrecstatic.com/articles/wp-content/uploads/2025/10/EDHRECastMG_Atlanta_2025_16-300x224.jpg 300w, https://edhrecstatic.com/articles/wp-content/uploads/2025/10/EDHRECastMG_Atlanta_2025_16-1024x765.jpg 1024w, https://edhrecstatic.com/articles/wp-content/uploads/2025/10/EDHRECastMG_Atlanta_2025_16-768x574.jpg 768w, https://edhrecstatic.com/articles/wp-content/uploads/2025/10/EDHRECastMG_Atlanta_2025_16-1536x1147.jpg 1536w, https://edhrecstatic.com/articles/wp-content/uploads/2025/10/EDHRECastMG_Atlanta_2025_16-2048x1530.jpg 2048w" sizes="auto, (max-width: 964px) 100vw, 964px" /></a><p id="caption-attachment-167435" class="wp-caption-text"><strong><span style="font-size: 8pt;">Don Miner enjoying a Meet &amp; Greet with the EDHRECast.</span></strong></p></div>
<p><span style="font-weight: 400;">The deeper message of his story, though, is about ownership. Not in a tangible way, necessarily, but of culture. He’s quick to highlight content creators like Wedge of <a href="https://www.youtube.com/@TheManaSource">The Mana Source</a>, The Professor of <a href="https://www.youtube.com/@TolarianCommunityCollege">Tolarian Community College</a>, and Jimmy and Josh of the <a href="https://www.youtube.com/@commandcast">Command Zone</a>, all of whom helped amplify EDHREC early on in its development. “They asked for nothing in return,” he said. “They just saw me as a dude trying to do something.”</span></p>
<p><span style="font-weight: 400;">Now, he’s been paying that ownership of the culture of </span><i><span style="font-weight: 400;">Magic </span></i><span style="font-weight: 400;">forward, as Miner’s role has expanded to include mentorship, thus passing the ladder down instead of pulling it up. “I think it keeps me honest. Like, I think as soon as I feel like I need to start protecting my territory inside of </span><i><span style="font-weight: 400;">Magic</span></i><span style="font-weight: 400;">, that's when things falls apart,” he said. “At the end of the day we all might compete, like for example Moxfield and Archidekt compete. But I honestly wish the Moxfield guys all the best. I know that sounds kind of corny, but whenever I'm in the position to help them out, I will.”</span></p>
<p><span style="font-weight: 400;">One example of cross-collaboration he shared involved pernicious spammers attacking all sites in the </span><i><span style="font-weight: 400;">Magic </span></i><span style="font-weight: 400;">space. “We have this group DM where we just all were trying to figure out how to solve the scammer issue,” he said. “I think that's been a really cool thing, helping people push their things forward. If we're in the position to help, we love that.”</span></p>
<p><span style="font-weight: 400;">In the “regular” business world, said Miner, it wasn't like that. It was all competition, no collaboration. “At the end of the day, it's cool that literally all of us can really only care about the game, and it is the best thing for all of us to do, right?” he said. “It's not just we're good people. Literally caring about the game is the best business.”</span></p>
<h3>The Landscape of Tools</h3>
<p><span style="font-weight: 400;">It’s been a successful model for Miner, and by extension EDHREC and now Space Cow Media, and he’s been allowing it to guide his decision-making to this day with <a href="https://www.cardsphere.com/">the recent acquisition of trading platform Cardsphere.</a></span></p>
<p><span style="font-weight: 400;"> “It was something where, when they announced that they were going under, honestly, my first thought was, ‘I should have been helping them more, you know, so that this wouldn't have come to this,’” he said. </span></p>
<p><span style="font-weight: 400;">Miner said the primary reason Space Cow Media acquired Cardsphere was because he simply felt like Cardsphere “needed to exist” in the landscape of tools for </span><i><span style="font-weight: 400;">Magic </span></i><span style="font-weight: 400;">players. </span></p>
<p><span style="font-weight: 400;">“When I saw all the users pissed about it going away, I was like, ‘I don't care about the economics. We'll figure that out,’” he said. “The fact is these guys have a niche that some people require, and this thing needs to exist. It's important for a community-driven place to have a way for people to sell their cards to other individuals. So that's why we picked it up. That's been something we've been working on a lot lately, and we're really happy with it. We're getting to the point now where we're trying to share the good news about Cardsphere.”</span></p>
<p><span style="font-weight: 400;">It’s just another example of Miner’s mentality; allowing passion for </span><i><span style="font-weight: 400;">Magic </span></i><span style="font-weight: 400;">and its world of players to guide business decisions, instead of the other way around. </span></p>
<p><span style="font-weight: 400;">“If it's good for the community, and we have the means to do it, that's what we would like to do.”</span></p>
<h3>Spreading the Word</h3>
<p><a href="https://edhrecstatic.com/articles/wp-content/uploads/2025/10/Don-Miner.png"><img loading="lazy" decoding="async" class="alignnone wp-image-167434" src="https://edhrecstatic.com/articles/wp-content/uploads/2025/10/Don-Miner.png" alt="Don Miner MVCon graphics" width="589" height="736" srcset="https://edhrecstatic.com/articles/wp-content/uploads/2025/10/Don-Miner.png 1080w, https://edhrecstatic.com/articles/wp-content/uploads/2025/10/Don-Miner-240x300.png 240w, https://edhrecstatic.com/articles/wp-content/uploads/2025/10/Don-Miner-819x1024.png 819w, https://edhrecstatic.com/articles/wp-content/uploads/2025/10/Don-Miner-768x960.png 768w" sizes="auto, (max-width: 589px) 100vw, 589px" /></a></p>
<p>Miner's headed to Boston to attend an upcoming <a href="https://mvcon.mediavine.com/2025/8197627">Mediavine Conference 2025</a> in early November. MVCon is designed to bring together business leaders and creators to trade knowledge, spark new ideas, and strengthen inter-business connections. The CEO of Space Cow Media will be sharing his insight regarding scaling business ventures on the MVCon stage as a featured speaker.</p>
<p>As always, Miner and the rest of the Space Cow Media team is working to refine its slate of products, and one of the best ways to do that is through user input. EDHREC began as a simple idea to make Commander more accessible and welcoming. Two decades later, it's still growing through collaboration and community.</p>
<p>And anyone who's tooled around on EDHREC, shared a list on Archidekt, or traded a card on Cardsphere is part of that story. Miner and SCM love hearing those experiences; explore, experiment, and share what inspires you, below or across social media.</p>
<p>Follow Don Miner and <a href="https://spacecowmedia.com/">Space Cow Media</a> for updates on EDHREC, Archidekt, and Cardsphere, and keep an eye out for Miner’s talk at Mediavine Conference 2025 to see how data, collaboration, and community can keep pushing <em>Magic</em> forward.</p>


EDHREC Founder Don Miner to Speak At MV Con 2025

Shooting For The Stars With The Command Zone

<h6 style="text-align: right;">(<span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Stop That" href="#" target="_blank">Stop That</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> | Art by <a href="https://ansonmaddocks.com/">Anson Maddocks</a>)</h6>
<h1>We usually like to read articles about how to best win a game of <em><strong>Magic: The Gathering</strong></em>,</h1>
<p>strategies on how to better your approach to the game. I'm not interested in that today. I want to talk about the approach we take, when we lose. When we concede a game, how do we go about it? This is, funnily, not a big deal in competitive 1v1 formats like Standard, but in Commander, it's a big deal.</p>
<p>Conceding a game when someone declares you as a target for a high value spell could potentially lead to irreparable damage to the board state for the other players.</p>
<p>In Commander, we all know that as a multiplayer format, the game doesn't necessarily end when you concede. In games like Standard, concession is encouraged to keep the games snappy and worthwhile.</p>
<div class="edhrecp__cards"><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Inevitable Defeat"></div></div>
<p>When a player sees they've lost, they concede, in Competitive 1v1 formats. I want to talk about the the potential perspectives and feelings surrounding the topic of concession in Commander.</p>
<h2>"Da Rules"</h2>
<p>Before we get into how we feel, <a href="https://magic.wizards.com/en/rules">it's important to discuss the official, Wizards of the Coast's, ruling on the topic</a>. Trust me, pro instant speed scoopers in Commander are quick to bring up the comprehensible ruling on the topic. Rule 104.3a reads: "A player can concede the game at any time.</p>
<div class="edhrecp__cards"><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Lose Hope"></div></div>
<p>A player who concedes leaves the game immediately. That player loses the game." So, according to Wizards of the Coast, scooping happens instantaneously. Before we discuss the morals of this, we have to discuss what happens when a player leaves the game.</p>
<p>According to rule 800.4a: "When a player leaves the game, all objects (see rule 109) owned by that player leave the game and any effects which give that player control of any objects or players end. Then, if that player controlled any objects on the stack not represented by cards, those objects cease to exist.</p>
<p>Then, if there are any objects still controlled by that player, those objects are exiled. This is not a state-based action. It happens as soon as the player leaves the game. If the player who left the game had priority at the time they left, priority passes to the next player in turn order who’s still in the game."</p>
<div class="edhrecp__cards"><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Lose Focus"></div></div>
<p>So, when someone concedes, everything about their board state, instantaneously changes. This is important to consider. Reading through some of 800.4: If combat damage would be assigned to that player, that damage isn’t assigned; If an object requires that player to pay a cost or choose whether to pay a cost, that cost is not paid; and mostly importantly according to 109.1.</p>
<p>An object is an ability on the stack, a card, a copy of a card, a token, a spell, a permanent, or an emblem so all objects owned by that player leave the game and any effects which give that player control of any objects or players end. Now that we're acquainted with the rules, now for the blood.</p>
<h2>Timing</h2>
<p>The biggest aspect of the etiquette of conceding focuses solely on the speed in which you concede. The colloquial term for this is instant speed scooping and sorcery speed scooping. Instant speed scooping allows a player to remove themselves from a game at any time, as written by WOTC.</p>
<div class="edhrecp__cards"><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Impeccable Timing"></div></div>
<p>It allows a player to leave a game which, from what I see online about this topic, is usually a miserable to continue playing. And they can do that on their own terms.</p>
<p>If they're sitting through a miserable Stax game, with no win in sight or an indeterminate infinite combo that the opponent insists on demonstrating, they can do that whenever they need to.</p>
<p>It also allows for the salty scoop as well, the spiteful one that might affect the games state or not, but simply when you no longer want to be apart of the game. We've all been there.</p>
<div class="edhrecp__cards"><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Lose Calm"></div></div>
<p>The alternative is the sorcery speed scoop, which is also known as scooping on your turn. The idea is to let everyone have a chance to do what they need before you scoop.</p>
<p>This one is a little finicky because players will also just like to ask permission to scoop at instant speed in lieu of sorcery speed and consider them equal. "Can I scoop if you don't need me in the game for your turn."</p>
<p>Sorcery speed scooping allows triggers to happen as they need to before removing themselves from the game. It allows player dependent effects to continue until all players have had a chance the utilize this. An <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Insurrection" href="#" target="_blank">Insurrection</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> could be ruined by a instant speed scoop by the wrong player.</p>
<p>It disrupts the game state by scooping at instant speed, so sorcery speed scooping attempts to mitigate that. Asking permission also mitigates that.</p>
<p>It wouldn't be an opinion piece if I didn't include my 2 cents. I think for the most part, sorcery speed scooping is the way. We want to win because of our genius of the game.</p>
<p>We don't want to spite another player's win while losing ourselves. We're not trying to king-make, so scooping at instant speed seems spiteful to the person who is trying to win. However, for some reasons I'll get into in a second, scooping at instant speed should be an option as well.</p>
<h2>Doing the Thing</h2>
<p>Another contentious point about concessions is the feeling and reasoning behind the act. I know that's vague, but follow me. Sometimes a game of Commander is down to two players, putting their heart and soul into the end of the game. One player manages to play two components to an infinite combo.</p>
<p>The other player notices and has no interaction and concedes on the spot. The first player might feel some kind of way not being able to play out their combo at least once before their opponent concedes. They built their deck to do the thing and they want the opportunity to do that thing: demonstrate the loop, or finish out their turn to win without the loop.</p>
<p>This is the exact sentiment that brought me to writing this article (and posting about it on my socials to get ideas from the community).</p>
<p>My thoughts here, personally, are that you've already won in a 1v1 when I concede. Conceding is a legitimate win to the other player, and it should feel like that. I know it might not feel as good for some players, but it is still a win. Why should I have to walk through your combo to know that I've lost?</p>
<p>I know it will only take 3 seconds to demonstrate the loop, and to be really honest, I'm willing to see it if the first time you've ever done it, or you're not sure about the line in it and are testing, but if it's just to win the way you want, I'm out.</p>
<p>It seems like you're rubbing my face into a loss. This is why a lot of players insist on scooping at instant speed even when it's high key toxic: to protect against players that want to rub their faces into a loss or a player who wants to make the experience un-fun for the other player. But maybe that's the salt in me. I imagine you can feel the heavy levels of salt through the screen.</p>
<h2>What is the Right Etiquette?</h2>
<p>Hey, if left to me, it will always be a concession at sorcery speed unless the person you're playing with is trying to rub it in your face. Sympathy first, flexibility when needed. The interesting thing is that concession is admitting a loss, which is tough in and of itself. No one likes to lose, to say they have nothing left, but this article is more about how that action affects others.</p>
<div class="edhrecp__cards"><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Jaws of Defeat"></div></div>
<p>In Commander everything we do doesn't just affect our board states and our emotions but the board states and emotions of our opponents. What exactly is most important in a game of Commander: personal fun or the fun of the table? It's tough to say when those two things diverge in a game.</p>
<p>Either way, I know I took sides with this article, but take my thoughts as a suggestion. I know how unique everyone's experiences are and these aren't hard and fast rules. I see the ultimate merit to both sides of the argument, and because I've shared a lot of your sentiments.</p>
<p>We can't transpose a hard rule for every play group. We can't expect others to accept our personal expectations on a game, just like we can't get people to not lie about the power levels--sorry, <a href="https://edhrec.com/articles/wotc-introduces-new-bracket-system-for-edh">Bracket</a>--of their decks just to get a cheap win. However, we can advocate as much as we can and avoid players we don't enjoy.</p>
<div class="edhrecp__cards"><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Closing Statement"></div></div>
<p>I will always end an article with the same thing: talk to your pod. Talk about your reasons for wanting to scoop at instant or sorcery speed and discuss your feelings on it. It's not about what is right or wrong, it's about compromise to make the experience best for everyone.</p>
<p>Commander is an incredibly social game and requires social solutions. Maybe WOTC sees a need here, like they have with the <a href="https://edhrec.com/articles/bracketeering-eternal-might">Brackets</a>, to discuss a Commander specific rule on scooping. Perhaps they don't need to. I want to hear your thoughts! <a href="https://edhrec.com/articles/author/mike-carrozza">For more social aspects of Commander, check out Am I the Bolas</a>.</p>
<blockquote class="wp-embedded-content" data-secret="h8ccnd2pqe"><p><a href="https://edhrec.com/articles/am-i-the-bolas-enforcing-the-mulligan-rules/">Am I The Bolas? - Enforcing the Mulligan Rules</a></p></blockquote>
<p><iframe loading="lazy" class="wp-embedded-content" sandbox="allow-scripts" security="restricted" style="position: absolute; visibility: hidden;" title="&#8220;Am I The Bolas? - Enforcing the Mulligan Rules&#8221; &#8212; EDHREC" src="https://edhrec.com/articles/am-i-the-bolas-enforcing-the-mulligan-rules/embed/#?secret=PVCjHBzOqV#?secret=h8ccnd2pqe" data-secret="h8ccnd2pqe" width="500" height="282" frameborder="0" marginwidth="0" marginheight="0" scrolling="no"></iframe></p>


When Should You Concede in Commander?

<h6 style="text-align: right;">(<span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Exquisite Blood" href="#" target="_blank">Exquisite Blood</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> | Art by <a href="https://www.cynthia-sheppard.com/">Cynthia Sheppard</a>)</h6>
<h1>One card that sends me into a blood-rage is <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Exquisite Blood" href="#" target="_blank">Exquisite Blood</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span>.</h1>
<p>It's not because it's part of a two card combo. My combo rage is reserved for anything using <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Peregrine Drake" href="#" target="_blank">Peregrine Drake</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> or <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Food Chain" href="#" target="_blank">Food Chain</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span>.</p>
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I fly into a rage when I see <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Exquisite Blood" href="#" target="_blank">Exquisite Blood</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> because it is a very political card. I love a little politics in my games, like a <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Tempt with Discovery" href="#" target="_blank">Tempt with Discovery</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span>, but the reason I can't handle the politics of <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Exquisite Blood" href="#" target="_blank">Exquisite Blood</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> is because most of my opponents don't recognize it's a political card.</p>
<p>Even if someone utters, "I'm not running the combo," it's a card that reads, "Whenever an opponent loses life, you gain that much life." That means when any of my opponents attack each other, a huge life advantage will be given to the <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Exquisite Blood" href="#" target="_blank">Exquisite Blood</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> player.</p>
<p>We all should know what that means. We have to to eliminate the <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Exquisite Blood" href="#" target="_blank">Exquisite Blood</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> or the player. This shift might not be noticed early enough, making that player gain too much life by their next turn.</p>
<p>If they are running <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Exquisite Blood" href="#" target="_blank">Exquisite Blood</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span>, they likely are running life as a resource cards, which could be very bad for us. Waiting for a <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Generous Gift" href="#" target="_blank">Generous Gift</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> or <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Beast Within" href="#" target="_blank">Beast Within</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> to remove the <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Exquisite Blood" href="#" target="_blank">Exquisite Blood</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> might be tough even though according to EDHREC <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Generous Gift" href="#" target="_blank">Generous Gift</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> is in 637,047 of decks and <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Beast Within" href="#" target="_blank">Beast Within</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> is in 975,995.</p>
<div class="edhrecp__cards"><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Generous Gift"></div><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Beast Within"></div></div>
<p>The easier, most relevant game action might actually be player removal. No player, no <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Exquisite Blood" href="#" target="_blank">Exquisite Blood</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span>, no player with the combined life of your opponents after you eliminate them.</p>
<h2>The Etiquette of Player Removal</h2>
<p>When is it socially acceptable to remove a player? Some things I've noted, talking with other players:</p>
<ul>
<li>How long a game of Commander is and how long the eliminated player will have to wait for the next game?</li>
<li>How it feels to be removed from a game before you're able to to do "the thing."</li>
<li>What is optimal for those on the back foot in a game versus the archenemy?</li>
<li>Isn't Commander supposed to be casual and fun?</li>
</ul>
<p>This is by far no the most exhaustive list. Let us know if you've personally encountered any others.</p>
<h3>Early Elimination</h3>
<div class="edhrecp__cards"><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Farewell"></div></div>
<p>We all know it feels bad to get mana screwed or mana flooded in a game of Commander and have to basically take zero to one game actions before passing the turn.</p>
<p>On average, a game of "healthy" Commander is between 1 hour to 2 hours. The only thing worst than zero to 1 game actions is getting removed from the game before a board wipe like <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Farewell" href="#" target="_blank">Farewell</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span>.</p>
<p>You play for maybe 40 minutes, you lose gloriously, and then have to play on your phone or spectate a game for another hour or so while players rebuild after a <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Farewell" href="#" target="_blank">Farewell</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span>.</p>
<p>Hey, I'm not arguing that it doesn't suck. It does, but this probably divides players into two categories: Win-at-any-cost players and Fun-at-any-cost players. Some players when left with the <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Exquisite Blood" href="#" target="_blank">Exquisite Blood</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> player's necessary removal will choose to remove them, while others won't for the overall enjoyment of the table.</p>
<p>I'm not sure which I personally prefer, but there has to be some kind of middle ground, right? The sneaky thing about <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Exquisite Blood" href="#" target="_blank">Exquisite Blood</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> is that every piece of damage you deal to another player become double duty, you'll have to deal that damage again to the <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Exquisite Blood" href="#" target="_blank">Exquisite Blood</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> player.</p>
<p>Any ounce of compassion you show, you'll pay back double.</p>
<h3>Before Archenemy Status</h3>
<p>It's doubly rough to remove a player when they become a threat before they become archenemy. I played a game where someone played an <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Exquisite Blood" href="#" target="_blank">Exquisite Blood</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> to just keep their life total up while attacking their their three or four creature cards. They'd mentioned they'd stopped playing <em>Magic</em> because of how hostile and mean players could be.</p>
<p>They talked about the subtle bullying in the game. This put me in a pickle because I needed to eliminate the <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Exquisite Blood" href="#" target="_blank">Exquisite Blood</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> and I'd used the only removal I had already (Pro-tip: don't use your removal as early as I used to, which is to say before turn five).</p>
<p>So I swung into them ruthlessly. They started to get a little salty, understandably, and my partner had to tell me to chill out. I sighed and agreed. It does feel like bullying to swing out everything I have on one player that isn't going to win next turn cycle. Unfortunately, other players felt the same.</p>
<p>We all swung at each other, putting the <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Exquisite Blood" href="#" target="_blank">Exquisite Blood</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> player from a manageable 9 life to 50. It's tough. How do I win over that kind of emotional pressure?</p>
<p>If you're wondering what I'd do, I'd remove the the player. If you don't want to get targeted in a game of Commander, don't play a card that puts a huge target on your back with huge obvious advantage.</p>
<p>This might seem harsh, but with no choice in a format with a winner, it might be the only option for a win. However, my mind and heart are at odds. Sometimes I will be compassionate, and let that player live, like in my example above.</p>
<p>I <em>ALWAYS</em> lose and regret it, but having a soft heart makes me a more fun player to have in a pod, I like to think. Ruthlessness is mercy upon ourselves.</p>
<h3>Timing of Removal</h3>
<div class="edhrecp__cards"><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Stella Lee, Wild Card"></div></div>
<p>It also comes down to something that I don't think we talk about enough, and that's timing/context. If someone is playing a <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Stella Lee, Wild Card" href="#" target="_blank">Stella Lee, Wild Card</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> deck and goes from a <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Ponder" href="#" target="_blank">Ponder</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span>, holding priority to a <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Mystical Tutor" href="#" target="_blank">Mystical Tutor</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span>, you have to remove Stella Lee on the stack.</p>
<p>The next card cast is going to be <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Twisted Fealty" href="#" target="_blank">Twisted Fealty</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> and that's going to be game. Threat Assessment tinglies should be telling you to remove or counter. It's weird though because imagine if this is the fourth time you've removed Stella Lee, imagine it's in the wake of the third board wipe.</p>
<p>What do we do? This is where the etiquette gets weird. We want the game to be over, but we still want to win. Do we remove the Stella Lee, do we counter the Tutor?</p>
<p>If you're asking what I'd do? If I can win, I'm going to try to stop Stella Lee, but if it's just removal for the sake of potentially digging into my deck for a win, then I'm not removing it. I'll shuffle up and play another, hopefully, less miserable game. Like so many players have echoed, Commander is meant to be fun.</p>
<p>It's not fun after tons of board wipes, extended gameplay, and a miserable crawl to win, at least for me. I don't know if casual is the right word for the game anymore even on Bracket 3-4, though.</p>
<p>There is a deep desire for competition even at those levels. Players fight for their wins, with optimal cards, threat assessment, politics, and interaction.</p>
<h2>Etiquette of Targeted Removal in Commander</h2>
<div class="edhrecp__cards"><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Kaalia of the Vast"></div></div>
<p><span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Kaalia of the Vast" href="#" target="_blank">Kaalia of the Vast</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span>. Yeah. 23,955 decks on EDHREC. 8th most popular commander right now. They all know, after reading the title of this section, the question I'm going to ask. How many times can I remove <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Kaalia of the Vast" href="#" target="_blank">Kaalia of the Vast</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> before I'm the mean one. Turn 4 <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Avacyn, Angel of Hope" href="#" target="_blank">Avacyn, Angel of Hope</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span>.</p>
<p>Turn 5 <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Master of Cruelties" href="#" target="_blank">Master of Cruelties</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span>? I know the trigger doesn't go off with Kaalia putting it into play, but oh how are you going to remove it with Avacyn on board? You can't counter it entering. I know I'm basically ranting at this point, but the point is right there. How many times is it socially acceptable to targeted remove Kaalia before I'm the bully?</p>
<p>I played a game against a Kaalia player a few years ago. She was up against my <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Arcades, The Strategist" href="#" target="_blank">Arcades, The Strategist</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> deck, which stood no chance. The other player was playing a <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Mizzix of the Izmagnus" href="#" target="_blank">Mizzix of the Izmagnus</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> Control deck. You best believe Kaalia was countered, bounced, and <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Pongify" href="#" target="_blank">Pongify</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span>-ed.</p>
<div class="edhrecp__cards"><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Pongify"></div></div>
<p>The Kaalia player got so upset that he picked up his cards and went home mid-game, ranting that everyone comes to this shop for a fun time, not a "whatever this was".</p>
<p>I can understand getting upset when your commander is removed a ton of times, but maybe that's the only solution to the commander or the deck?</p>
<h3>Amount of Targets</h3>
<div class="edhrecp__cards"><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Druid of Purification"></div><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Anikthea, Hand of Erebos"></div></div>
<p>Similarly, when you <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Druid of Purification" href="#" target="_blank">Druid of Purification</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span>, how many targets do you all, collectively, pick from one player? If I'm playing against an <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Anikthea, Hand of Erebos" href="#" target="_blank">Anikthea, Hand of Erebos</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> deck or <em>ANY</em> artifact synergy deck, should we be picking down one player into oblivion?</p>
<p>How many pieces of removal should we use on one player even if they are the archenemy. I don't mean in the technical sense to secure your win. I mean, ethically. If you have tons of interaction to protect your own board state, how much of it should go into dismantling one player's board? It's tough.</p>
<p>I want to say that it has to be whichever brings you closer to your win, while holding back. You shouldn't spend all your removal on one player and not win: spread it out.</p>
<p>Don't think another player is out for the count just because they aren't going off yet. That and the table feels a little better about it. It protects against <a href="https://edhrec.com/top/salt">saltiness</a>. I'd spread it out every time, except against Anikthea or Ironman-types, but that's just me.</p>
<h2>The Last Bit of Removal</h2>
<div class="edhrecp__cards"><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Seal of Removal"></div></div>
<p>So, I've been going on and on about how this might make others feel in a game of Commander. The ecosystem of a good friend group or pod of Commander comes down to the communal feeling of the group about these things.</p>
<p>These scenarios are conversations we should be having as we develop our play groups to see if we're a good fit for each other, or how we can better cater to our pods.</p>
<p>A compromise might be that Kaalia can only be removed a certain amount of times a game or she can only be played in high power tables that don't care about removing her (Gonna be honest, I don't know if either of those solutions solves the Kaalia problem, but I thought I'd give it a shot).</p>
<p>Either way, I'm not sure there is a one rule above all with this kind of thing, like cultural etiquette outside of card games, it depends on your playgroup to figure what's acceptable. <a href="https://edhrec.com/articles/am-i-the-bolas-enforcing-the-mulligan-rules">For more of that in depth, check out Mike Carrozza's Column Am I the Bolas?</a> And let me know what you think at <a href="https://bsky.app/profile/strixhavendropout.bsky.social">@strixhavendropout</a> on Bluesky, we'll see you next time when we chat about the etiquette of conceding the game!</p>


editorial

EDHREC Founder Don Miner to Speak At MV Con 2025

Shooting For The Stars With The Command Zone

When Should You Concede in Commander?

The Etiquette of Removal in Commander