By Phil, AKA BeltFedWeapon
Political power grows out the barrel of a gun.
– Mao Tse Tung
When I play Mono-Black in EDH, it is almost invariably a control strategy – MBC (mono-black control). As such, I take the political leanings of Chairman Mao to heart when helming the deck. I’ve said it in this series before – Mono-Black decks should take what I have coined the ‘boots on neck’ style of politics; once you make your move you use absolute brute force to subdue your opponents. The politics is less about dividing and conquering or hanging back until you can take the lead, but rather fueling out threat after threat until your opponents cannot answer them anymore and the game spirals out of control for them. This typically means ramping and taking your lumps early, but then stabilizing with a board wipe or some other control piece and growing a position of dominance from there based upon what your deck and commander does. One of Black’s main strengths is ramp, so it almost always entails getting ahead on mana to power out your board presence. You never take your boot off of your opponent’s neck once you put it there.
Hello everyone and welcome to CommanderCast Episode 312! This week, the celebration of Magic reaching 25 years of age continues with Mark and Adam going over some of the cards they enjoy from Mirage reaching to Exodus.
So pull up your rocking chairs and click the IB!!!
[Strategy]: “No Uncertain Terms” – Archetypal Control
July 27, 2016
By Eric, AKA Grandpa Growth
Welcome back to another “No Uncertain Terms,” or N.U.T. (the scientific term for a language pedant). It’s been quite some time since I did an entry in this series, so here’s a refresher: This series is meant to be a reference to help players communicate more effectively with each other. Each article will introduce and explain a commonly used piece of Magic slang and attempt to pare it down to its fundamental definition.
Previously, I discussed the definition of Aggro and what it means to be an Aggro deck. Today, I’m going to pick up where I left off and discuss the archetype of Control decks using that same model.
Strategy: “In General” – Multiplayer Archetypes
February 24, 2016
By Eric, AKA Grandpa Growth
Matchups are incredibly important in 1-v-1 Commander. The nature of specific decklists, and even minute changes in card selection, can dramatically change the texture of a Commander matchup. A lack of familiarity with the finer points can lead to preventable losses. In the world of casual multiplayer, Commander matchups receive much less attention, but are still just as important in determining the outcome of a game.
Up! Your! Deck! 2 – Check yourself, before you wreck yourself…
September 24, 2013
“I don’t get it!” whined Bones as he stared at the board in frustration.
“What? How to play the game? I thought you knew the rules,” said Scotty with a wry grin.
“Shut up,” Bones growled before adding, “I know this Grimgrin, Corpse-Born deck is good. I have seen it do well. But every time I try to play it, it falls apart.”
“Well, maybe you just suck at playing control,” Scotty shrugged at him.
“How can you suck at playing control? It’s just removal and counter spells!” Bones said with frustration.
“Is it?” Scotty asked him, shrugging his shoulders again.
Bones just gave the board another frustrated look before sighing loudly.
Boldly going where no Frankenstein rip-off has gone before…
Generally Speaking 31 – Mono White Control Part II: Odric
October 16, 2012
By Imshan AKA Sinis
When Magic 2013 came out, I wasn’t terribly excited, except for a few cards. If the reported draft attendance at my local game store was any indication, no one else was excited either. The only cards that caught my eye were Void Stalker, Omniscience, Ranger’s Path, and Odric, Master Tactician. When I saw Odric, I knew he had real potential; in one run-on sentence, Odric gave players with a handful of creatures real options in combat.
Last week, I ran through a typical Mono White Control list with Akroma, Angel of Wrath at the helm. The list – which admittedly has its holes, as one commenter pointed out – is of a very traditional variety. Last week’s deck tries to gain a leg up through Wrath of God effects and ‘rules’ cards, which prevent opponents from taking certain actions until it can play Akroma and dish out the punishment. This week, Odric, Master Tactician will take the helm in an aggressive control build. This deck will certainly not be like Akroma’s. Read the rest of this entry »