Are Red's Nonbasic Lands the Worst? A Scientific Analysis

<h6 style="text-align: right;"><span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Wheel of Fortune" href="#" target="_blank">Wheel of Fortune</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span>| art by <a href="https://gatherer.wizards.com/search?artistName=eq~Daniel_Gelon">Daniel Gelon</a></h6>
<p>We've all had to mulligan. It's the nature of randomness of any game even with four of a kind. My question, as it has always been, is are we strict enough about mulligans in Commander, or perhaps too strict, or perhaps it hasn't been well defined or enforced either way.</p>
<div class="edhrecp__cards"><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Black Vise"></div></div>
<h2>The History of the Mulligan in MTG</h2>
<p>Before we can talk about Commander, a format that only rose to popularity enough to be a recognized format in 2013, we have to talk about <em>Magic</em> in August of 1993.</p>
<p>I found out today that the original game of <em>Magic</em> had no mulligan rules. Its game designers were worried about the very thing that is the crux of most mulligan arguments: They believed it rewarded poor deck building.</p>
<h3>The 1st Mulligan in <em>Magic</em></h3>
<p>However, mulligans were instated literally less than a year later, in 1994. Players likely proved that the system was as-then currently too strict to reward even good deckbuilding.</p>
<p>At least, that's my theory. This mulligan consisted of a player revealing their opening hand, showing no spells or no lands, and drafting a fresh hand. You could only do this once per game. This didn't last by itself very long.</p>
<div class="edhrecp__cards"><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Wheel of Fortune"></div></div>
<h3>The Paris Mulligan</h3>
<p>In 1997, the Paris Mulligan rose to popularity. It was suggested as an alternative by Matt Hydra, a Pro Tour player. Mulligans would happen after starting player was determined, but before any other actions.</p>
<p>If dissatisfied with their hand, a player could put their hand back in the deck and draw one less than the the starting hand, all without revealing their hand.</p>
<p>For each mulligan, the player would draw one less card, until they were satisfied or were left with no cards in hand.</p>
<div class="edhrecp__cards"><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Gauntlet of Might"></div></div>
<h3>Vancouver Mulligan</h3>
<p>Surprisingly, when I first played a prerelease in 2016 for <em>Kaladesh</em>, they were still using The Paris Mulligan at the local LGS I was at.</p>
<p>This is interesting, because the Vancouver Mulligan went into syndicated ruling effect in 2015. This consisted of the same rules as the Paris Mulligan, but the person with fewer than the starting hand could Scry 1.</p>
<div class="edhrecp__cards"><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Mana Vault"></div></div>
<h3>The London Mulligan</h3>
<p>The London Mulligan (the system we have in place now) was established in <em>Core Set 2020</em> . The rule is: If a player is dissatisfied with their hand after starting player is decided, they may shuffle their hand back in, draw up to seven cards, and put back one card at the bottom of their library in any order for each additional mulligan. No scrying is allowed.</p>
<div class="edhrecp__cards"><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Nevinyrral&#039;s Disk"></div></div>
<h2>Commander Mulligan</h2>
<p>It's actually news to me that the official rules for mulligans for Commander were as they were. I've always heard that Commander has a "free" mulligan. Meaning if you don't like your first hand, you may draw another 7 with no penalty or additional rulings.</p>
<p>Well, there is no official ruling saying this is true. There are a lot of informal rules, but officially Commander follows competitive format rulings on mulligans.</p>
<p>It's important to note however, most players follow the free mulligan rule more casually. The Commander Rule Committee (CRC) advises that even in 1v1 Commander, the free mulligan be used.</p>
<p>The CRC goes one step further and says to set aside hands instead of shuffling them into the deck to save time on shuffling.</p>
<div class="edhrecp__cards"><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Savannah Lions"></div></div>
<h3>Additional Commander Mulligan Types</h3>
<p>There is also the Partial Paris Mulligan, which allows players to set aside any amount of cards from their hand and draw that many minus one for each mulligan. Once the hand is selected, the set side cards are shuffled in.</p>
<div class="edhrecp__cards"><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Sol Ring"></div></div>
<h2>The Sides and Their Merits</h2>
<p>Now that we have a good understanding of where mulligans come from, we have some frame of reference. There isn't a ton online about the reasoning behind some of the updates to mulligans throughout the years, but we can take some educated guesses.</p>
<div class="edhrecp__cards"><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Howling Mine"></div></div>
<h3>Strict Mulligan Rulings</h3>
<p>Definition: Following the rules of competitive pay. No free mulligans or only one.</p>
<p>This is at the core of competitive play. We want to know when we play competitively, we minimize as much randomness as we can.</p>
<p>We tune our decks to ensure that it plays as consistently as possible. With a strict mulligan rule, it allows some insight into the strengths and weaknesses of a deck.</p>
<div class="edhrecp__cards"><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="The Ur-Dragon"></div></div>
<p>An example may be: If in your <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="The Ur-Dragon" href="#" target="_blank">The Ur-Dragon</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> deck you have to mulligan a lot because most of the permanents in your hand are too costly mana-value wise, it might be a indication that your deck needs more early game options.</p>
<p>You might also discover that in testing with your <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Bristly Bill, Spine Sower" href="#" target="_blank">Bristly Bill, Spine Sower</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> landfall deck you're not seeing anything but lands. It may be that you don't have enough draw in your deck, or that you might be running a touch too many lands. Mulligans can help show you this.</p>
<div class="edhrecp__cards"><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Bristly Bill, Spine Sower"></div></div>
<p>If you find in your <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Coram, the Undertaker" href="#" target="_blank">Coram, the Undertaker</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> deck you're not managing to get Coram out fast enough, you might not be running enough ramp. That could be why you haven't been seeing them consistently in your opening hands.</p>
<p>Additionally, it's important as a skill to see whether a hand is worth keeping. Don't push your luck. It's a skill of its own knowing what's keepable in your deck based on how you've built it. Strict mulligan rule help hone this skill.</p>
<div class="edhrecp__cards"><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Coram, the Undertaker"></div></div>
<p>All in all, stricter mulligan rules clarify how efficient you can be as a deck builder, and that is something worth exploring.</p>
<h3>Loose Mulligan Rules</h3>
<p>Definition: basically an amount of mulligans based on vibes.</p>
<p>This is at the core of casual play. We want to know when we play casually that we minimize how "unfun" a game can be for other payers.</p>
<p>Specifically, we want to allow any amount of chances for a player to have a fulfilling game of Commander. With a loose mulligan rule, it allows us to maximize the amount of fun the whole tables has on average.</p>
<div class="edhrecp__cards"><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Mystic Remora"></div></div>
<p>We've all been in a bad rut where a well-tuned mana base or an efficient deck just has an attitude with you and won't draw well and won't shuffle well. I've once shuffled my deck and saw the same 4 cards in each opening hand.</p>
<p>In a deck that runs 60 singleton, plus some number of unique non-basic lands cards, it's likely that the odds be against you in getting a consistent hand.</p>
<p>We know that <em>Magic </em>sets sometimes print functionally redundant cards, like running <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Swords to Plowshares" href="#" target="_blank">Swords to Plowshares</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> and <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Path to Exile" href="#" target="_blank">Path to Exile</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span>, <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> and <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>. Running cards that function essentially the same is the key to optimization in a deck, but sometimes the randomness is truly just the randomness.</p>
<div class="edhrecp__cards"><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Pongify"></div></div>
<p>It's tough looking at a player who is going to have to sit through a one hour game and tell them they have to play with two cards in hand versus another player who is keeping a solid seven.</p>
<p>Additionally, even if a player deck is unoptimized, is it worth making them play through hours of gameplay to prove that to them?</p>
<p>Most people end up mulligan-ing around three times with loose mulligans rules, and while this can be annoying, social pressure usually encourages them to explain what elements of their decks they're running with.</p>
<p>People will ask after the third mulligan: How many lands and mana rocks are you running? What is the curve of your deck? How many creatures are you running?</p>
<div class="edhrecp__cards"><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Three Visits"></div></div>
<p>All in all, casual mulligans allow for more consistently fun games for everyone.</p>
<h2>Synthesizing the Mulligan</h2>
<p>In writing this article, I've dug up a lot of research about mulligans and it's changed my understanding. I don't think it changes my personal stance, but it clarifies some things for me.</p>
<p>I think Loose Mulligans are better as long as there is a bit of social pressure. I'm not letting someone craft their perfect hand, but I want them to have a playable seven.</p>
<p>My main reasoning here starts with the fact that Commander is a traditionally casual format. The free mulligan that has made its way into the format emphasizes the typical casualness of the game.</p>
<p>We want everyone to have fun more than we want people to build a perfectly optimized deck. If I want that kind of restriction, I would play CEDH.</p>
<div class="edhrecp__cards"><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Tymna the Weaver"></div></div>
<p>I'm not saying we shouldn't build competitively in the casual format. We all do. This is why <a href="https://edhrec.com/articles/wotc-introduces-new-bracket-system-for-edh">the Bracket System</a> is so important. It's just what our priorities should be.</p>
<p>Secondly, in my experience, what makes me decks more efficient isn't just what I see in a mulligan or two.</p>
<p>I learn far more about my decks when it loses to a deck that is just that more efficient, even when my deck performs as intended.</p>
<p>If my deck needs more card draw, better ramp, or lower mana value spells, I can still play may deck at peak and understand those problems.</p>
<div class="edhrecp__cards"><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Darksteel Forge"></div></div>
<p>In my experience, I've just had to play against other tuned decks to understand my weaknesses. Iron sharpens iron. I often notice my lack of draw when another deck does it better and so on.</p>
<p>Lastly, I didn't realize how gradually mulligans have rewarded players more over time. Even in competitive formats, the strictness of the mulligan couldn't cancel out the randomness of the game. But perhaps that's a little naive of me. Let me know, I'm <a href="https://bsky.app/profile/strixhavendropout.bsky.social">@strixhavendropout on Blue Sky</a>.</p>


Should We Be Strict About Mulligans in Commander?

Commander Philosophy - Is Sephiroth the Next Game Changer?

Commander Philosophy - When Does Tutoring Go Too Far?

Commander Philosophy - The Difference Between Synergy and Exploiting

<h6 style="text-align: right;"><span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Vampiric Tutor" href="#" target="_blank">Vampiric Tutor</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span>| art by <a href="https://raymondswanland.com/">Raymond Swanland</a></h6>
<h6></h6>
<h2 style="text-align: left;">Game Changing Cards</h2>
<h6 style="text-align: right;"><a href="https://edhrecstatic.com/articles/wp-content/uploads/2025/04/This_one.png"><img loading="lazy" decoding="async" class="aligncenter size-full wp-image-149401" src="https://edhrecstatic.com/articles/wp-content/uploads/2025/04/This_one.png" alt="" width="1580" height="784" srcset="https://edhrecstatic.com/articles/wp-content/uploads/2025/04/This_one.png 1580w, https://edhrecstatic.com/articles/wp-content/uploads/2025/04/This_one-300x149.png 300w, https://edhrecstatic.com/articles/wp-content/uploads/2025/04/This_one-1024x508.png 1024w, https://edhrecstatic.com/articles/wp-content/uploads/2025/04/This_one-768x381.png 768w, https://edhrecstatic.com/articles/wp-content/uploads/2025/04/This_one-1536x762.png 1536w" sizes="auto, (max-width: 1580px) 100vw, 1580px" /></a></h6>
<p><a href="https://magic.wizards.com/en/news/announcements/introducing-commander-brackets-beta">Officially</a>, they are defined by Gavin Verhey as "allowing players to run away with resources, shift games in ways that many players dislike, block people from play, efficiently search for their strongest cards, or have commanders that tend to take away from more casual games."</p>
<p>Players can self-regulate and find what works best for them when searching for a game that best suits them through this open-ended definition, but how can the average player determine what is game-changing on their own?</p>
<p>Two-Card Infinite Combos, Extra Turns, Mass Land Denial, and Tutors (for things other than lands... there's plenty to discuss about this later) are considered their own categories for a few reasons, with the most prominent being that the Game Changers List is meant to be easily accessible to new players and not a chore to complete when deckbuilding.</p>
<p>Instead of listing hundreds if not thousands of cards that are considered too warping, these subcategories are left open-ended with the same intent of allowing players to self-regulate.</p>
<p>But this abundance of interpretation challenges what it takes for something to undoubtedly be labeled a Game Changer and thus be limited to Brackets 3-5.</p>
<p>There is no question that the current 61 Game Changers are worthy of their status, but why not more? Verhey has been clear that the original 40 were identified out of convenience and that <a href="https://magic.wizards.com/en/news/announcements/commander-brackets-beta-update-april-22-2025">the most recent additions</a> reflect what the community believes to be Game Changers, but these 61 set the tone for what is to be expected of a Game Changer.</p>
<p>What these cards share in common that sets them apart from the rest of the game is the heart of this problem, as the ability to identify this mysterious variable would help players understand why their Bracket 2 deck probably should not run <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Glacial Chasm" href="#" target="_blank">Glacial Chasm</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span>.</p>
<div class="edhrecp__cards"><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Gonti&#039;s Aether Heart"></div></div>
<h2>If You Hear Hooves, Think Horses, Not Zebras</h2>
<div class="edhrecp__cards"><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Emrakul, the Aeons Torn"></div><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Griselbrand"></div></div>
<p>The easiest way to understand what distinguishes Game Changers from the majority of <em>Magic</em> cards is to first understand the distinction between Game Changers and cards on the <a href="https://magic.wizards.com/en/banned-restricted-list">Commander Ban List</a>. Cards like <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Griselbrand" href="#" target="_blank">Griselbrand</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> and <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Emrakul, the Aeons Torn" href="#" target="_blank">Emrakul, the Aeons Torn</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> are banned due to at least one of the following: their raw power or their potential to be exploited.</p>
<p><span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Emrakul, the Aeons Torn" href="#" target="_blank">Emrakul</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> is the <em>only</em> legendary creature in existence that grants an immediate (and uncounterable) extra turn in the command zone, with next closest option being <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Medomai the Ageless" href="#" target="_blank">Medomai the Ageless</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span>... not quite a far comparison.</p>
<p>This is insanely powerful on its own, and it does not require a player to expend much effort to exploit it. <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Emrakul, the Aeons Torn" href="#" target="_blank">Emrakul</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> could not reside in the 99 even as a Game Changer as its presence would ultimately define how a deck operates: a player running <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Emrakul, the Aeons Torn" href="#" target="_blank">Emrakul</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> resolves and immediately neuters, if not eliminates, their biggest threat and assumes the role of archenemy. Verhey states that it <em>may</em> be possible for <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Emrakul, the Aeons Torn" href="#" target="_blank">Emrakul</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> to be unbanned and made a Game Changer as the Brackets mature, but now is not the time to make such a decision.</p>
<p>Similarly, <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Griselbrand" href="#" target="_blank">Griselbrand</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> is insanely valuable in a format where your starting life total is double that of the 60-card formats this card was originally designed for. If spending dozens of life points for dozens of cards wasn't warping enough, a player seeking to artificially draw value from an effect like "Pay 7 life: Draw seven cards" only needs to play cards worthy of being drawn; again, not exactly a hard choice to make. The closest legal comparison to <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Griselbrand" href="#" target="_blank">Griselbrand</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> would be <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Necropotence" href="#" target="_blank">Necropotence</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span>, which is already a Game Changer, but the steps necessary for exploiting <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Griselbrand" href="#" target="_blank">Griselbrand</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> are far less demanding than the hoops required to jump through to break <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Necropotence" href="#" target="_blank">Necropotence</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span>.</p>
<p>For every effort a player makes at exploiting these cards, they are compounding the already "game changing" effects these cards possess on their own.</p>
<div class="edhrecp__cards"><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Intuition"></div></div>
<p>What's important to understand is the difference between a card's raw power and how readily exploitable it is. <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Emrakul, the Aeons Torn" href="#" target="_blank">Emrakul</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> does not require any additional help to be too much for Commander, but what about cards like <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Thassa&#039;s Oracle" href="#" target="_blank">Thassa&#039;s Oracle</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span>?</p>
<p>In a vacuum, the card is most valuable as a Merfolk or for its progress in building one's devotion in blue, since this is a vacuum without consideration for players that intend to win primarily through <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Thassa&#039;s Oracle" href="#" target="_blank">The Oracle&#039;s</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> triggered ability, but clearly the card reserves its Game Changing status due to <em>how</em> it is played.</p>
<p>The vast majority of the time, players that run "<span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Thassa&#039;s Oracle" href="#" target="_blank">Thoracle</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span>" do so to exploit its triggered ability upon entering the battlefield. So many players have done so that decks that run <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Thassa&#039;s Oracle" href="#" target="_blank">The Oracle</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> are mainly higher power lists. One only needs to see the <a href="https://edhrec.com/cards/thassas-oracle">top commanders</a> to understand that <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Thassa&#039;s Oracle" href="#" target="_blank">The Oracle&#039;s</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> meta is evidence enough for its spot as a Game Changer.</p>
<p><a href="https://edhrecstatic.com/articles/wp-content/uploads/2025/04/Screenshot-2025-04-04-192603.png"><img loading="lazy" decoding="async" class="aligncenter wp-image-147899" src="https://edhrecstatic.com/articles/wp-content/uploads/2025/04/Screenshot-2025-04-04-192603.png" alt="A list of Thassa's Oracle's top Commanders provided by EDHREC" width="1029" height="624" /></a></p>
<h2>The Changed, The Banned, And The Staples</h2>
<p>Okay, so the ban list consists of cards that are both too powerful on their own and/or too exploitative, or in other words too easily broken. The difference between these cards and Game Changers is that Game Changers, while strong, are labeled Game Changers with Commander's social setting in mind.</p>
<div class="edhrecp__cards"><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Jeweled Lotus"></div><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Dockside Extortionist"></div></div>
<div class="edhrecp__cards"><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Rhystic Study"></div><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Orcish Bowmasters"></div></div>
<p>Game Changers instead experience a "soft ban", so to speak. In an attempt to allow social games of Commander remain social, Game Changers and the four subcategories are "banned" from Brackets 1-2, with Bracket 3 only allowing 3 Game Changers as well as excluding Mass Land Denial and Extra Turns.</p>
<p>Those that wish to be more social can do so without having "feel-bads" against less social decks, and vice versa. This metric works well as a blanket, but it's still difficult to take a given card in a typical Commander night and distinguish between a really good synergy and a Game Changer.</p>
<p>Perhaps it is necessary to adopt a similar approach to the problem just as the Bracket system has attempted: what is the intent behind the card?</p>
<p>The Bracket system is a tool to be used in good faith, meaning that a player and their playstyle are to be categorized based on what they intend to experience. Want to play a Commander deck where all of the cards' arts contain horses? Bracket 1.</p>
<p>Want to push colorless artifacts to the limit? Bracket 4. Similarly, how is a player playing a given card? Is the Bracket 2 player's <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Mirkwood Bats" href="#" target="_blank">Mirkwood Bats</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> just pure value or a serious threat? Honestly, just how powerful can <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Arena" href="#" target="_blank">Arena</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> be in Bracket 5?</p>
<p>Examples like these highlight that a card's warping effects rely on both its inherent power alongside how it's being used. Sure, you could exploit <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Fasting" href="#" target="_blank">Fasting</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> as much as your heart desires, but... why would you? <em>How</em> could you? No matter how hard you try, it will absolutely never be as valuable as, say, <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Dryad Arbor" href="#" target="_blank">Dryad Arbor</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span>.</p>
<div class="edhrecp__cards"><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Grief"></div><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Anguished Unmaking"></div></div>
<p>Intent plays an important role in deciding whether a card or an effect is too warping. A player that intends to exploit <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Norin the Wary" href="#" target="_blank">Norin the Wary</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> and his frequent enters-/leaves-the-battlefield shenanigans can be found in Brackets 1-4, depending on how exploitative the player intends to play.</p>
<p>Is the player planning on winning the game by infinitely looping <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Norin the Wary" href="#" target="_blank">Norin</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> somehow? Probably a higher Bracket deck as <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Norin the Wary" href="#" target="_blank">Norin</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> is intended to be used as though it were a Game Changer. Is the player running a Warrior- and Coward-themed deck?</p>
<p>Probably a lower Bracket deck since <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Norin the Wary" href="#" target="_blank">Norin</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span>. A <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Norin the Wary" href="#" target="_blank">Norin</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> that is running a chaotic theme with cards like <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Scrambleverse" href="#" target="_blank">Scrambleverse</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> is not necessarily as warping as a <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Norin the Wary" href="#" target="_blank">Norin</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> that runs effects like <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Purphoros, God of the Forge" href="#" target="_blank">Purphoros, God of the Forge</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> and <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Fiery Emancipation" href="#" target="_blank">Fiery Emancipation</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span>.</p>
<h2>Follow The Yellow-Bracket Road</h2>
<div class="edhrecp__cards"><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Sol Ring"></div></div>
<p>Exploring the Bracket System and its Game Changers is an important journey many players should engage with. Players who take the time to look at cards in the moment and appreciate how much of an effect they had on a game's course may learn that it is crucial to determine how strong a card is naturally and the potential to exploit it beyond what it could achieve on its own, both when playing against threats and building their own.</p>
<p>A player that understands what makes a card a Game Changer will be better equipped in their threat assessment and their ability to more strategically play their bombs, not only making them more likely to win but allowing for a more enjoyable Commander experience for the whole table.</p>
<p>But there's so much more to learn than just that! Should more cards be unbanned next year? Are the four subcategories effective in providing a desired play space? Will <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> ever not be treated as the exception? This series will continue to dive into the nuances and minutiae that the new Bracket System presents, and in doing so explore the larger discussion surrounding Commander and how to be a better player both on and off the battlefield.</p>
<p>But what do you think? Found something important that was left out? Do you think that this approach fails in some way? Please, do tell! Commander is a social format after all, and its no fun practicing philosophy by yourself. Tune in next time to continue this deep dive in the Bracket system and more Commander Philosophy!</p>


Commander Philosophy - What Makes a Card a Game Changer?

<h6 style="text-align: right;">(<span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Phyrexian Dragon Engine" href="#" target="_blank">Phyrexian Dragon Engine</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> | Art by <a href="https://www.rahnart.com/">Chris Rahn</a>)</h6>
<h1>Do You Have Fun Playing Commander?</h1>
<p>I know far too many people who play commander only to complain before, during, and after each match about how the game is "unplayable" due to whatever card shut down their infinite combo.</p>
<p>Everything about <em>Magic</em> is oriented towards hyper-optimization, from the commander you choose to the tutors you use to the engine you mulligan three times to set up.</p>
<p>And if you’re anything like the folks I’m playing against, you probably forfeit once you realize you didn’t draw the perfect starting hand. Which is unfortunate for everyone!</p>
<p>Some of the best and most exciting games of <em>Magic</em> come from those times when your plans fall apart. At that point, you have to rely on your backup strategies and your own skills as a player.</p>
<p>Call it casual, call it unoptimized, or just say it's noncompetitive. But it doesn't matter what name you call it. Building a deck around synergies as opposed to a specific engine leads to more flexible play.</p>
<p>And despite the fact that every card in your deck isn't a gear under your commander's engine, it lets you respond to your opponents' strategies much more effectively.</p>
<p>So let’s talk flexibility.</p>
<div class="edhrecp__cards"><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Isperia, Supreme Judge"></div><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Erebos, God of the Dead"></div><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Neheb, Dreadhorde Champion"></div></div>
<p><em>These effects are useful even if not your commander!</em></p>
<p>&nbsp;</p>
<h2>Robustness Is Not Flexibility</h2>
<p>The common wisdom in deck-building is to keep it lean. Cut out anything that isn’t essential. If you’ve got the room for it, build in redundancies.</p>
<p>This is your tutors and graveyard retrieval and all the nonsense that solely exists to ensure the game goes exactly how you want it to.</p>
<p>But that doesn’t make your deck more flexible, that just makes it more robust. Which, don’t get me wrong, is a wonderful trait for a deck to have!</p>
<p>But it doesn’t matter how many counters you put on <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> when he gets flickered or how many cards I draw when I exile all your copies of <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Sheoldred, the Apocalypse" href="#" target="_blank">Sheoldred, the Apocalypse</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span>.</p>
<p>Being able to turn-two your commander with the perfect opening hand is great in a vacuum, but being able to adapt to the strategies of your opponents is even better.</p>
<p>&nbsp;</p>
<h3>Get Weird With It!</h3>
<p>I’m a green player at heart, so if you catch me reading a card that says anything other than “+1/+1 counter” or “trample,” you know I’ve been replaced by a Shapeshifter.</p>
<p>But even green, whether Stompy or Landfall or Voltron, has options. You have good artifact and enchantment removal.</p>
<p>Cards that force fights or deal damage based on your power. And of course its mana production is second to none.</p>
<p>Your Stompy deck might be able to go toe-to-toe with a mono-red Aggro, but what about a Control deck? What did you include in your deck to deal with your commander getting hit with <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Counterspell" href="#" target="_blank">Counterspell</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> or <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Murder" href="#" target="_blank">Murder</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span>?</p>
<p>What if your opponent uses <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Render Inert" href="#" target="_blank">Render Inert</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> on <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Dark Depths" href="#" target="_blank">Dark Depths</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> to get a 20/20 by turn three, or you just don’t have the perfect card to respond at the perfect moment?</p>
<p>That’s why you should build in at least two contingencies that synergize with—but aren’t reliant on—your commander.</p>
<p>That way, you always have the option of tackling things from a different angle. Not to mention that's just far more interesting of a game to play!</p>
<div class="edhrecp__cards"><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Seshiro the Anointed"></div><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Dosan the Falling Leaf"></div><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Yasharn, Implacable Earth"></div></div>
<p><em>Green cards are more than "big power and mana."</em></p>
<p>&nbsp;</p>
<h2>Even Lifegain Has Options</h2>
<p>For the <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> example from earlier, it’s a staple in mono-white Lifegain decks. Oftentimes, these decks are built to be a tough nut to crack.</p>
<p>Life triggers whenever a creature enters the battlefield, plenty of lifelink, and a few cheeky exiling cards to ensure you can’t effectively block them.</p>
<p>So how can you add to that?</p>
<p>You can use <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Giada, Font of Hope" href="#" target="_blank">Giada, Font of Hope</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> to create a platoon of Angels with flying, vigilance, and lifelink. This benefits from having Heliod on the field but is still useful without him!</p>
<p>You can use <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Elesh Norn, Mother of Machines" href="#" target="_blank">Elesh Norn, Mother of Machines</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> to build upon the enter the battlefield (ETB) effects to double Heliod’s effectiveness while simultaneously opening the door for more broad ETB effects.</p>
<p>You can even build your chaff with something like the <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Horn of Gondor" href="#" target="_blank">Horn of Gondor</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> which has no direct relevance to Heliod.</p>
<p>It covers a completely different niche that your deck was unable to address previously. And if you add all three, you can have a subset of your deck devoted to Angels and Humans with ETB effects that then can be buffed by Heliod! Completely independent of your main strategy if the strike team fails.</p>
<p>You haven’t removed anything core to your strategy or limited your commander. But now it doesn’t hurt you nearly as bad if your commander gets targeted or your life gain gets prevented.</p>
<p>For instance, what do you do if they <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Aether Snap" href="#" target="_blank">Aether Snap</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> after you fully invested in making your commander a 25/25? Or just block Heliod with 1/1 counters?</p>
<div class="edhrecp__cards"><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="The Gaffer"></div><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Rune-Tail, Kitsune Ascendant"></div><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Eight-and-a-Half-Tails"></div></div>
<p><em>Maximize your life-gain and keep your creatures safe!</em></p>
<p>&nbsp;</p>
<h3>That Doesn't Support My Commander!</h3>
<p>But that’s exactly the point. It lets you fall back on contingencies if your commander’s strategy isn’t working.</p>
<p>It’s easier to implement this style of deckbuilding into multi-color decks, since that doubles or even triples your options. Let’s stick with Heliod but jump over to <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Heliod, the Radiant Dawn" href="#" target="_blank">Heliod, the Radiant Dawn</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span>.</p>
<p>If you’re building a deck where you force your opponent to draw tons of cards so you can flash your cards for cheap, you might include cards like <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Errant and Giada" href="#" target="_blank">Errant and Giada</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> or <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Kwain, Itinerant Meddler" href="#" target="_blank">Kwain, Itinerant Meddler</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span>.</p>
<p>But that doesn’t preclude you from investing in something like <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Ephara, God of the Polis" href="#" target="_blank">Ephara, God of the Polis</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> or <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Oji, the Exquisite Blade" href="#" target="_blank">Oji, the Exquisite Blade</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span>.</p>
<p>Ephara’s an enchantment so she benefits from Heliod’s ETB. Oji is useful if you get out the Warped Eclipse and can spam multiple cards every turn.</p>
<p>But neither of them are directly reliant on the core strategy of playing cards on opponents’ turns, meaning that if you add a little bit of token creation with something like <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Darien, King of Kjeldor" href="#" target="_blank">Darien, King of Kjeldor</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> or even just a <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Leonin Warleader" href="#" target="_blank">Leonin Warleader</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span>, you can get additional benefits from Ephara every turn.</p>
<p>Blue has tons of ETB card draw and tapping on its creatures, so flickering those with Oji gives you additional space to play around in.</p>
<p>But these aren’t the sorts of cards that come to mind when you think of <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Heliod, the Radiant Dawn" href="#" target="_blank">Heliod, the Radiant Dawn</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span>. They aren’t something your opponents are going to plan around or even expect.</p>
<div class="edhrecp__cards"><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Fblthp, Lost on the Range"></div><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Brago, King Eternal"></div><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Gandalf, White Rider"></div></div>
<p><em>Capitalize off of your card-draw and action economy.</em></p>
<p>&nbsp;</p>
<h2>Play The Players, Not The Game</h2>
<p>Commander is fundamentally a social game, where you’re playing the pod as much as you’re playing the cards themselves. The least mechanically-relevant—but arguably the most skill-based—aspect of flexibly building your decks is to keep your intentions hidden.</p>
<p>Your deck might be 70-80% exactly what the opponents are thinking it’ll be. Maybe your early game “proves them right.”</p>
<p>But then you play <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> in a <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Muxus, Goblin Grandee" href="#" target="_blank">Muxus, Goblin Grandee</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> deck and the whole table looks at you funny.</p>
<p>No one expected a Phyrexian Horror in a Goblin deck, so no one was focused on shutting down your <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Roiling Vortex" href="#" target="_blank">Roiling Vortex</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> or <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Dragonspark Reactor" href="#" target="_blank">Dragonspark Reactor</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> with 10 power counters on it. They focused on removing your tokens and minimizing the amount of Goblins you had.</p>
<p>Because you played them like fools.</p>
<div class="edhrecp__cards"><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Imodane, the Pyrohammer"></div><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Torbran, Thane of Red Fell"></div><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Purphoros, God of the Forge"></div></div>
<p><em>There are always more ways to deal damage.</em></p>
<h3>Keep Up The Pressure</h3>
<p>Now you deal double damage with <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Lightning Bolt" href="#" target="_blank">Lightning Bolt</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> and all the other damaging spells you have. Normally, they get used to clear the field for your Goblins. But now they can be pivoted into for direct damage if the situation calls for it.</p>
<p>All the while, you’re still churning out Goblins and using Muxus as a beatstick. Your horde of Goblins protects you from attacks while applying pressure.</p>
<p>Your opponents have to choose between dealing with the non-combat damage bolstered by Solphim or the direct damage from your Goblins.</p>
<p>And then you throw out <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Etali, Primal Storm" href="#" target="_blank">Etali, Primal Storm</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span>.</p>
<p>You’re keeping your opponents’ attention divided between multiple avenues of threats, but every Goblin you have triggers <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Raid Bombardment" href="#" target="_blank">Raid Bombardment</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span>.</p>
<p>Raid Bombardment doubles from Solphim. Solphim is a big creature alongside Muxus and Etali. Etali gets you more Goblins while burning cards from the opponents’ decks.</p>
<div class="edhrecp__cards"><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Etali, Primal Conqueror"></div><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Rionya, Fire Dancer"></div><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Krenko, Baron of Tin Street"></div></div>
<p><em>And there are always more creatures to spam!</em></p>
<p>&nbsp;</p>
<h3>Force Tough Decisions</h3>
<p>No choice the opponents make is the “right” choice, which means you’re winning the mental game. Then it’s a matter of skill in play as well as in card selection to ensure you win the match.</p>
<p>Maybe they exile Solphim and take out Etali, thinking that your Goblins aren't a big deal. So you whip out <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Krenko, Mob Boss" href="#" target="_blank">Krenko, Mob Boss</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> and Muxus is superpowered.</p>
<p>If they focus on the Goblins, you have a solid defender in Solphim and nonstop doubled damage from all the cards you get from Etali. Not to mention, you’ll always have more Goblins!</p>
<p>If you play flexibly and you aren’t afraid to pivot when your core strategy isn’t working, you will be in a much better position than the players struggling to get their engines to work.</p>
<p>Not to mention, flying by the seat of your pants while desperately cobbling together ad hoc solutions is some of the most fun you can have in magic.</p>
<p>Though, I am a green player, so maybe this “thinking” stuff is just too hard for me. I’ll get back to you on that in the next article.</p>
<div class="edhrecp__cards"><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Forest Bear"></div><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Colossification"></div><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Rosheen, Roaring Prophet"></div></div>
<p><i>Bear + Colossification = Roaring Profit</i></p>


philosophy