<h6 style="text-align: right;">(<span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Approach of the Second Sun" href="#" target="_blank">Approach of the Second Sun</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span>| Art by <a href="https://www.howardlyon.com/">Howard Lyon</a>)</h6>
<h1>Win Conditions Aren't Equal</h1>
<p>People show up to Commander to play intense games of <em>Magic</em>. Counterspelling counterspells to ensure commanders can set up engines. Intense rushes to deal damage before an opponent draws their perfect card. Four-way political discussions where everyone bargains for just <em>one</em> more turn.</p>
<p>But what if instead of perfectly constructing a deck to achieve victory, you just… <strong>Won?</strong></p>
<p>There are plenty of alternate win conditions, or alt win cons, to damage and decking. As you would expect, not all of them are created equally. But that doesn’t mean they don’t have a home in Commander.</p>
<p>Afterall, think of the value.</p>
<div class="edhrecp__cards"><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="The One Ring"></div><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Llanowar Elves"></div></div>
<p><em>All valuable in their own way.</em></p>
<h3>The Value</h3>
<p>In a Standard game, you have to deal twenty damage to a single opponent, or have them deck out a sixty-card deck. But in Commander, both the life pools and deck sizes are inflated.</p>
<p>But the cost of alt win cons stays the same.</p>
<p>They might not be efficient. Or advisable. They might simply be ineffectual when you have three individuals who can counter, remove, and respond to what you play.</p>
<p>But it would be so funny if it worked, wouldn’t it?</p>
<p>&nbsp;</p>
<h2>Here’s The Deal</h2>
<p>There’s a visceral reaction folks have when they see an alt win con being played. At least in my experience, a player is more likely to take aggressive action against someone about to play an alt win con than someone who will win by traditional means.</p>
<p>Whether via commander damage or poison counters or milling, these “mundane” paths to victory often leave wiggle-room to still try your hand at negotiations.</p>
<p>But no one will listen to a word you’re saying under the <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Approach of the Second Sun" href="#" target="_blank">Approach of the Second Sun</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span>. Despite the fact they’ll listen to someone fielding <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Atraxa, Praetors&#039; Voice" href="#" target="_blank">Atraxa, Praetors&#039; Voice</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> while they have nine poison counters!</p>
<p>So how do you get around this?</p>
<p>&nbsp;</p>
<div class="edhrecp__cards"><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Sheoldred, the Apocalypse"></div><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Rhystic Study"></div><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Smothering Tithe"></div></div>
<p><em>Just a few Swords of Damocles some folks don't mind discussing under.</em></p>
<p>&nbsp;</p>
<h3>Misdirect Them</h3>
<p>Whatever your engine for winning the game is, set aside just a few cards to give the impression you’re shooting for a traditional victory. It doesn’t have to be anything crazy, don’t add needless heft to your deck.</p>
<p>Could be as simple as having some <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Heroes&#039; Bane" href="#" target="_blank">Hydras</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> to scale with <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Doubling Season" href="#" target="_blank">Doubling Season</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span>. <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Urza, Chief Artificer" href="#" target="_blank">Urza, Chief Artificer</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> being kept dirt cheap with a powerful army due to <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Encroaching Mycosynth" href="#" target="_blank">Encroaching Mycosynth</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span>.</p>
<p>Staple combos that are effective across two or three cards regardless of the subject-matter of your deck. Not necessarily two-card “win the game” combos like <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Niv-Mizzet, Parun" href="#" target="_blank">Niv-Mizzet, Parun</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> with <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Curiosity" href="#" target="_blank">Curiosity</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span>. Just effective closed-loop combos that keep you relevant.</p>
<p><div class="edhrecp__cards"><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Mossborn Hydra"></div><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Bristly Bill, Spine Sower"></div><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Fabled Passage"></div></div><br />
<em>This is a personal favorite to get explosive growth.</em></p>
<p>&nbsp;</p>
<p>Not only does this lead to your opponents suspecting nothing (the fools!), but it allows you to participate in the game normally. A problem with alt win con decks in casual Commander is that there’s not much to <em>do</em> until you are in a position to end the game.</p>
<p>Just a few cards to keep yourself an active participant alleviates that.</p>
<p>&nbsp;</p>
<h3>Be Disrespectful</h3>
<p>Alternatively, you could focus on denying victory to your opponents. Whether through <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Herald of Eternal Dawn" href="#" target="_blank">Herald of Eternal Dawn</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> or <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Platinum Angel" href="#" target="_blank">Platinum Angel</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span>, you have multiple preventative measures to ensure your opponents can’t steamroll past you.</p>
<p>None of these directly assist your chances of winning the game, but they do buy you time to achieve your own goals.</p>
<p><div class="edhrecp__cards"><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Everybody Lives!"></div><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="The Book of Exalted Deeds"></div><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Cloudsteel Kirin"></div></div><br />
<em>With this and its lifegain, white stalls games longer than blue.</em></p>
<p>&nbsp;</p>
<p>Of course, if you were to be truly diabolical you would grab a card that forces you to lose such as <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Archfiend of the Dross" href="#" target="_blank">Archfiend of the Dross</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span>. Use any of the following cards to boot your Archfiend to an opponent once its usefulness (and oil) runs out.</p>
<p><div class="edhrecp__cards"><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Fateful Handoff"></div><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Coveted Falcon"></div><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Custody Battle"></div></div><br />
<em>Because Black’s removal is so useful, splashing into it isn’t even that bad!</em></p>
<p>&nbsp;</p>
<h2>Actually Winning</h2>
<p>Below are just a few cards that allow you to win the game. Some are more viable than others, and certainly some require more support than others. It’s really up to you and your playstyle which ones you gravitate towards.</p>
<p>Just make sure to play it smart. One counter or removal spell or even any of the above-mentioned “win prevention cards” will ruin these strategies if you’re not careful.</p>
<p>&nbsp;</p>
<h3><span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Approach of the Second Sun" href="#" target="_blank">Approach of the Second Sun</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span></h3>
<div class="edhrecp__cards"><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Approach of the Second Sun"></div></div>
<p>I can’t speak to if this is the most famous alt win con, but it certainly feels as though it’s had its time to shine since its release in 2017.</p>
<p>This alt win con really is quite simple, in that once you play the first casting of it, your goal is to not die. If any of your opponents have any milling capabilities, that’s something to be careful for, but generally that shouldn’t be a major issue.</p>
<p>Further, watch out for red’s propensity to exile the top card of opponents' decks with cards like <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Etali, Primal Conqueror" href="#" target="_blank">Etali, Primal Conqueror</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span>. If they time it right, your second casting is exiled. So make sure you have access to counters, card draw, or a means of doing more than just waiting seven turns.</p>
<p>Also, a fun fact about this card is that the first casting doesn’t have to resolve for the second casting to win you the game. So if the first casting is countered and the second isn’t, you still win the game! Just make sure that second casting doesn’t get countered as well.</p>
<p>&nbsp;</p>
<h3><span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Biovisionary" href="#" target="_blank">Biovisionary</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span></h3>
<div class="edhrecp__cards"><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Biovisionary"></div></div>
<p>In a single-card format, having a creature requiring multiple copies of it seems ridiculous. And, frankly, it kind of is!</p>
<p>Which is exactly why no one will see it coming. Because tokens count towards this alt win con and it’s in your end step, all you need is a great deal of mana and a decent amount of cards in-hand. Fortunately for you, those are two things Simic excels at.</p>
<p><span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Croaking Counterpart" href="#" target="_blank">Croaking Counterpart</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> gives you two castings in a single card, if you can afford it. <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Phyrexian Metamorph" href="#" target="_blank">Phyrexian Metamorph</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> allows you to pay with your life for part of it, which is a fantastic boon. <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Three Steps Ahead" href="#" target="_blank">Three Steps Ahead</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> has the flexibility to act as a counter or card draw on top of advancing your alt win con.</p>
<p><div class="edhrecp__cards"><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Phantasmal Image"></div><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Flesh Duplicate"></div><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Cephalid Facetaker"></div></div><br />
<em>Cheap copies’ downsides don’t matter if you win the turn you cast them!</em></p>
<p>&nbsp;</p>
<h3><span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Barren Glory" href="#" target="_blank">Barren Glory</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span></h3>
<div class="edhrecp__cards"><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Barren Glory"></div></div>
<p>This might be the most out-there of all these options. Afterall, how do you get to such a low point and still survive?</p>
<p>If you can get a board clear, you’re fine. Alternatively, do the math on how much damage your opponents can deal, Commander or otherwise. If you won’t lose as a result of that or something like poison counters, it doesn’t matter that you can’t defend yourself.</p>
<p>Don’t run the deck with too many permanents other than creatures, and all them to die before you play your alt win con. Then cast <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Armageddon" href="#" target="_blank">Armageddon</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> or a similar means of removing your lands from play.</p>
<p>If your opponents’ boards are clear or if the math checks out, you’ll win next turn assuming you can trash your hand. If you have cheap instants and sorceries, that will allow you to burn through your hand in your final turn. Self-discard is even better.</p>
<p>Just make sure no opponent has a means of destroying an enchantment on the board when you cast <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Armageddon" href="#" target="_blank">Armageddon</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span>. Otherwise, even with a single mana from their next-turn land drop, they’ll just remove your alt win con and you’re stuck behind the curve.</p>
<p>&nbsp;</p>
<h3>Various Counter-Building Cards</h3>
<div class="edhrecp__cards"><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Azor&#039;s Elocutors"></div><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Chance Encounter"></div><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Darksteel Reactor"></div></div>
<p><em>All variations of “keep this card in play to eventually win the game.”</em></p>
<p>&nbsp;</p>
<p>You build counters on them, sometimes with ways for opponents to remove counters. Other times, they're just hoping not to be removed before their clock can reach its endpoint.</p>
<p>As with most things counter-related, <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Doubling Season" href="#" target="_blank">Doubling Season</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> is your friend and Proliferate is your new favorite mechanic. Look to All Will Be One and March of the Machine for plenty of cards to bump up your counter production.</p>
<p><div class="edhrecp__cards"><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Ezuri, Stalker of Spheres"></div><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Tekuthal, Inquiry Dominus"></div><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Vraska, Betrayal&#039;s Sting"></div></div><br />
<em>Phyrexians are your friends when proliferation is your goal.</em></p>
<p>&nbsp;</p>
<p>And, of course, be on the lookout for removal. These are generally cards that take some time to mature, meaning there's plenty of time for them to be removed.</p>
<p>Particularly given that you're now the person seen as most likely to win, even if your alt win con isn't viable.</p>
<p>&nbsp;</p>
<h2>A Fair Warning</h2>
<p>Just be aware that at any higher level of play, so much as the assumption you have an alt win con will put a target on your back.</p>
<p>It doesn’t matter if someone has <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Solphim, Mayhem Dominus" href="#" target="_blank">Solphim, Mayhem Dominus</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> and has been chipping away the pod’s life all game. Nor does it matter if someone went full Voltron and their <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Heliod, Sun-Crowned" href="#" target="_blank">Heliod, Sun-Crowned</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> is a 20/20 with Flying, Trample, and Infect. Though I’d love to see someone pull that off!</p>
<p>The mere existence of an alt win con will have the entire table rally against you. Expect no more negotiating and for past deals to be reneged. Every creature on the table to be pointed at you.</p>
<p>So either win fast or enjoy the chaos you’re causing on the way down.</p>
<p>Alternatively, play a game where no one is allowed to win via life loss, decking out, or poison counters. An Alt Win Contest, if you will.</p>


Have You Tried Simply "Winning?" A Guide to Alt Win Cons in Commander

<h6 style="text-align: right;">(<a href="https://scryfall.com/card/exo/129/survival-of-the-fittest">Survival of the Fittest</a> | <a href="https://scryfall.com/search?q=a%3A%E2%80%9CPete+Venters%E2%80%9D&amp;unique=art">Pete Venters</a>)</h6>
<p>A voice comes over an intercom: "Now boarding Group One." It's time to check your bag one last time before you board your plane. You see a fresh box of sleeves, a brand new deck box, and all 25 of your freshly-made Commander decks.</p>
<p>Have you ever played any of them? No, but that is what a Magic Con is for, right?</p>
<p>Plus, you must have all of these decks when taking a break between your seven events booked between Friday and Saturday. And how could you forget your front bag pocket with all of your triple sleeve and slabbed cards that you need to get signed by 15 artists there? All this leaves plenty of room for you to come home with that oversized card from the prize wall.</p>
<p><iframe loading="lazy" title="What (Not) to Bring to MagicCon | Magic: the Gathering | Commander" width="500" height="281" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/B6Eo_FhnT3E?feature=oembed" frameborder="0" allow="accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture; web-share" referrerpolicy="strict-origin-when-cross-origin" allowfullscreen></iframe></p>
<p>This might sound like a great idea, but I promise it will only make your weekend a <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Dismal Failure" href="#" target="_blank">Dismal Failure</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span>. I have been to a few Magic Cons and thought I would share some things I have learned to help you best "survive" a Magic Con.</p>
<p>My name is Nick, and you do not have to listen to all my tips and tricks, but hopefully, one of them will lead you on the road to <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Success!" href="#" target="_blank">Success!</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span></p>
<div class="edhrecp__cards"><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Success"></div></div>
<h2>Hatching Plans</h2>
<div class="edhrecp__cards"><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Hatching Plans"></div></div>
<p>The best advice I can give anyone outside of having fun is to put a plan together for your trip. You do not need to have a full detailed itinerary planning out every minute of your day down to what time you will draw a card, but in my opinion, you should come in with at least a basic outline of how you would like your day(s) to go, otherwise you'll get overwhelmed and overplan. You may have to rely on a <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Backup Plan" href="#" target="_blank">Backup Plan</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> or a <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Change of Plans" href="#" target="_blank">Change of Plans</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> and maybe even a <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Contingency Plan" href="#" target="_blank">Contingency Plan</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> by the time you get to the convention.</p>
<p>One of the best things I took advantage of for this year's Magic Con Chicago was to have an idea of what I wanted out of each day I was there.</p>
<p>I was confident in my plans, and even then, I still learned by the end that my <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Game Plan" href="#" target="_blank">Game Plan</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> was not foolproof. For an event like this, things must be done in advance, so even the most well-thought-out <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Long-Term Plans" href="#" target="_blank">Long-Term Plans</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> will not always result in success.</p>
<h2>Playable</h2>
<p>Magic Cons offers many options for many different types of people. Most people go to Magic Cons to do one thing above all else: sit down and play <em>Magic: The Gathering. </em>Heck yeah.</p>
<div class="edhrecp__cards"><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Assemble the Players"></div></div>
<p>It doesn't matter if you're in the tank and sweating it out to try and win a last-chance qualifier or the Secret Lair Showdown. Maybe you're doing a full box Sealed or Two-Headed Giant with your best mate after a long travel day. Most people are there to sling spells, play a turn-one <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Sol Ring" href="#" target="_blank">Sol Ring</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span>, or expertly read all the signals in the triple <em>Homelands</em> draft running Sunday morning.</p>
<p><a href="https://edhrecstatic.com/articles/wp-content/uploads/2025/03/nicknaxdeck-scaled.jpg"><img decoding="async" loading="lazy" class="alignnone wp-image-146174" src="https://edhrecstatic.com/articles/wp-content/uploads/2025/03/nicknaxdeck-1024x768.jpg" alt="" width="700" height="525" srcset="https://edhrecstatic.com/articles/wp-content/uploads/2025/03/nicknaxdeck-1024x768.jpg 1024w, https://edhrecstatic.com/articles/wp-content/uploads/2025/03/nicknaxdeck-300x225.jpg 300w, https://edhrecstatic.com/articles/wp-content/uploads/2025/03/nicknaxdeck-768x576.jpg 768w, https://edhrecstatic.com/articles/wp-content/uploads/2025/03/nicknaxdeck-1536x1152.jpg 1536w, https://edhrecstatic.com/articles/wp-content/uploads/2025/03/nicknaxdeck-2048x1536.jpg 2048w" sizes="(max-width: 700px) 100vw, 700px" /></a></p>
<h6 style="text-align: center;">Good times at the Commander table</h6>
<p>This year, I knew that there were three particular things I wanted to play: Commander, Canadian Highlander, and Gavin's Mystery Event. I prioritized time each day to do these things and packed accordingly.</p>
<p>This leads me to my downer point for this topic: you <strong>cannot</strong> play everything you want. That might be decks, events, or even with specific individuals.</p>
<p>I won't tell you not to bring all 25 of your commander decks, but do yourself a favor and don't bring all 25 of your commander decks. You have a finite amount of time at these, so I urge people to take advantage and make their best personal impression of the card <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Time Stretch" href="#" target="_blank">Time Stretch</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span>.</p>
<h2>Paint Me Like One Of Your French Cards</h2>
<p>At this year's Magic Con Chicago, I hit what I will consider the artistic jackpot. I had a small list of cards I wanted to get signed, and if you have ever been to one of these, you know that sometimes that is daunting.</p>
<p>While I missed out on the incredible Tyler Jacobson, I got all the other cards and more signed by various artists and MTG personalities. I commend you if this is why you go to Magic Cons, and honestly, you might be the strongest among us at these events, outside of the cosplayers.</p>
<div class="edhrecp__cards"><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Abstract Iguanart"></div><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Artist&#039;s Talent"></div></div>
<p>Many people in the art sphere of the game have great tips and tricks and even complete Scryfall lists of all the artists going so that you do not have to dig through your deck boxes while standing in line looking for cards to get signed.</p>
<p>Just know the <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Artist&#039;s Talent" href="#" target="_blank">Artist&#039;s Talent</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> does not come cheap when considering the time it can take for some lines. If you are like me this year, even your <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Well-Laid Plans" href="#" target="_blank">Well-Laid Plans</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> can be hit by the ticking clock of another commitment.</p>
<h2>It's a Mystery</h2>
<div class="edhrecp__cards"><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Trail of Mystery"></div></div>
<p>I have told you a thing or two I would suggest not doing. I have also mentioned the downside to some of those choices, but there is one thing above all of these events that I have and will not recommend to everyone who attends.</p>
<p>That is the Gavin Verhey Mystery Event. For years, Gavin has put on a fantastic event with a cool and unique twist, all while tricking everyone into playing the largest paper brawl event of all time.</p>
<p>This year was no different. Sealed decks built from <em>Mystery Booster 2</em> and what I have been calling the "Gavin Pack." A pack of unique playtest cards that are everything from super funny to extremely broken to loving tributes to those who make the community great.</p>
<p>I never have as much fun as I do playing at this event, and it's something I will always sign up for. Highly recommended, but try to get your tickets fast as they <em>will</em> sell out, even long before the event.</p>
<h2>Mistakes Were Made</h2>
<div class="edhrecp__cards"><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Mistakes Were Made"></div></div>
<p><span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Mistakes Were Made" href="#" target="_blank">Mistakes Were Made</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span>. This is the secret of my Magic Con experience this year. I still made some errors in the tips I tried to follow and thought I had done everything correctly. The first mistake was packing my schedule too tightly from Saturday to Sunday.</p>
<p>I did not realize how a late night and lousy sleep on Saturday would lead to one of the most miserable experiences I have had while participating in a Commander Sealed event on Sunday.</p>
<p>It made me reconsider many life decisions during an event I was genuinely pumped to join in. I also made the classic blunder of waiting till the last day to try and use my little tickets at the prize wall and walked away empty-handed.</p>
<p>Secondly, I did not play as much Commander with friends or randoms as I wanted. I should've used my Sunday for this instead of deckbuilding and waiting for seat pairings to be announced.</p>
<p>Lastly, I did not get to enough panels. This was a new mistake, but it might be my second recommendation for people going. The live EDHRECast was a blast, and while I did not win my challenge against the stats, it was a great time.</p>
<p><a href="https://edhrecstatic.com/articles/wp-content/uploads/2025/03/livecastaudience-scaled.jpg"><img decoding="async" loading="lazy" class="alignnone wp-image-146173" src="https://edhrecstatic.com/articles/wp-content/uploads/2025/03/livecastaudience-1024x478.jpg" alt="" width="700" height="327" srcset="https://edhrecstatic.com/articles/wp-content/uploads/2025/03/livecastaudience-1024x478.jpg 1024w, https://edhrecstatic.com/articles/wp-content/uploads/2025/03/livecastaudience-300x140.jpg 300w, https://edhrecstatic.com/articles/wp-content/uploads/2025/03/livecastaudience-768x359.jpg 768w, https://edhrecstatic.com/articles/wp-content/uploads/2025/03/livecastaudience-1536x717.jpg 1536w, https://edhrecstatic.com/articles/wp-content/uploads/2025/03/livecastaudience-2048x956.jpg 2048w" sizes="(max-width: 700px) 100vw, 700px" /></a></p>
<h6 style="text-align: center;">The first Live EDHRECast challenged the hosts' knowledge of the stats! Photo credit: Nick Wolf</h6>
<p>Try to play as much as you can and want and get to all the artists, meetings, and greets, but don't make my mistake of missing out on the great panels people put on in the IRL meet space rather than online.</p>
<h2>Exceeding Expectations</h2>
<p>I won't bore anyone with "normal" travel suggestions. Everyone is already prepared with their food plans, and people often know where they will be for the always fun "Lobby Cons" in the various hotel lobby and bar areas after the convention hall closes for the night. And while this might be a fun little article about "surviving" Magic Cons, this year did not run super smooth for me by comparison.</p>
<p>Luckily, this led me to some <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Unexpected Results" href="#" target="_blank">Unexpected Results</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> as Magic Con Chicago was full of... <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Unexpected Potential" href="#" target="_blank">Unexpected Potential</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span>. I got to chill with friends, new and old; p<span style="box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px; padding: 0px;">lay games with creators like Rachel Weeks and notable artists like <a href="https://scryfall.com/search?q=a%3A%E2%80%9CJesper+Ejsing%E2%80%9D&amp;unique=art" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Jesper Ejsing</a> and <a href="https://scryfall.com/search?q=a%3A%E2%80%9CEvyn+Fong%E2%80%9D&amp;unique=art" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Evyn Fong.</a> </span></p>
<p>In my mind, the most important thing about going to one of these events is maximizing the defining statement of a Magic Con: It's not about the <em>Magic</em>; it's about <em>The Gathering</em>.</p>
<p>I hope to gather with you at a Magic Con soon, and if you can make one, I suggest you try your best to make it out. If you want to tell me how your Magic Con went or show me what cards you got signed, you can find me here or elsewhere on the internet as nicnax96.</p>
<p>Check out all the other great articles here, and as a treat, if you happen to be in the venn diagram of sports fans and <em>Magic: The Gathering</em> fans, stay tuned in during the start of March Madness...</p>
<div class="edhrecp__cards"><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Mandatory Friendship Shackles"></div></div>


how to

Have You Tried Simply "Winning?" A Guide to Alt Win Cons in Commander

Your Swiftfoot Boots-on-the-Ground Guide to Surviving Magic Con

EDH Rules: How to Play Commander