Typical Commander Taboos, Pt. 1

Welcome Back Zoners! Johnny C. here with a new series about the aspects of commander that may exist in your playgroup. Game states, spell effects, or combos that just suck the life from the game. 

I'm talking about Land Destruction [LD (Not to be confused with UL)], Infinite Combo's [IC], Stax, Chaos and Locks. These are themes that have the capacity to ruin games for players.

First up is Land Destruction. Most of the time it occurs indirectly with a spell like ETB Champion Sylvan Primordial and one or more of your opponents do not have any other noncreature legal target but lands. Other times it's due to a multiple effect that includes sacrificing or destroying a land like Smallpox. 

Still these are not the exact level of destruction that causes problems.

It's Massive Land Removal.

Whether it's Every land, Just Non-Basic lands, or Just your Opponents' it's sure to put a damper on the game. Once more if you have no Plan B, after that, the game becomes about as fun as WWI Trench Warfare. The sad part about LD is that it's what Red brings most to the table but is so frowned upon that it makes it the weakest color in EDH by default.

So how can we utilize Land Destruction in a way that doesn't make everyone hate you? 

There is none, but there is a general that welcomes it, Kaalia of the Vast. Adding LD to her in a multiplayer setting gives her the edge that she needs to take the win, which if done right is usually turn 5-6, so once you've lost all your land you know the game will end soon so it's not so bad.

The key to this is knowing what decks run LD, so you can be more careful with your lands. Maybe invest in mana-rocks for their tempo plays. The simple fact is if this is used in synergy with the deck and that it's used correctly, players will adapt.

Our next topic is the Infinite Combo (aka, "The Cop Out"). These card combinations usually leave me feeling robbed because that's what it is, a robbery of victory. You could have landed the best boardstate your deck can offer, be at the precipice of victory, but then your opponent flashes in Curiosity on their Niv-Mizzet, the Firemind followed by a grin. Likewise watching the infinite Triskelion/Mikaeus combo, Exsanguinate, or practically anything with Palinchron any number of times makes your friends dislike your deck exponentially more.

So is there anyway that an infinite combo can be fun to lose to? Probably not, But warning your opponent of the possible infinite state should be a show of good sportsmanship. If for each time I lost to [INSERT COMBO HERE] had I known vaguely that said deck has a few, I'd have been less upset over the loss.  

The good news for these is that IC's mostly exist in the more competitive versions of EDH, where it's already assumed that these will show up, so for you casual players out there this is a minimal risk. 

The final point that I'd like to add is that these players don't feel or want to feel the spirit of the format. There is no challenge to put together Sanguine Bond and Exquisite Blood or Azami, Lady of Scrolls + Mind Over Matter + Laboratory Maniac for an instant win. 

The point of EDH is to have  is to have synergy and flexibility within your 99 card deck to get away from the fast paced world of modern, standard, or legacy where playing perfectly each turn matters. 

This concludes the first part of my two-parter. Next week I'll cover the Chaos, Stax, and Lock plays. Untill then, Destroy lands wisely and stay away from going infinite.

-JC