Any Given Sunday:  The TGA Commander/EDH League

The National Football League has concluded its business.  Weekends are no longer filled with touchdowns, empty pizza boxes, and chants for the home team.  The Green Bay Packers landed a title after 10 years and we turn our eyes to the next season of importance.    Basketball season?  No.  Baseball season? Nope.  Welcome back to Elder Dragon Highlander (Commander) season!

The Sunday EDH/Commander league is up and running at the Game Academy!  Management has allocated an additional store space in the same complex to grow and develop Sunday Magic: the Gathering tournaments.  Last week we had a dozen players that sleeved up their 100 card highlander decks in hopes of tournament glory and unlocked achievements.

Three Ways to Win

Players are eligible to win in any number of ways.  The multi-player tournaments only cost $3 and all of the entry fees are given back to the players via store credit!  There are winners each week and no tricky rules that have to guide your deck construction.  Rather, players can win one of three ways.  One third of the prize money goes to the player who wins the most “head hunter” points.  Head hunter points are collected by killing off your fellow commanders during game play.  Generally, you earn a single head hunter point per player that you knock out of your pod.  If you are the last player standing, then you land an additional point.  After two rounds of 3-5 player pods, the player with the most knock-outs will land a portion of the prize pool.

Don’t like going for the kills?  If you are a pacifist of sorts or just like to play decks that create fun, extraordinary game states and generate tons of shenanigans, then there is still a place for you in the league!  At the conclusion of each pod, players anonymously vote for the player that demonstrated the highest level of valor and sportsmanship.  Did you hold off on killing a weakened opponent, offer the table a chance to draw some extra cards, or just help everyone conquer a great threat?  If so, you might earn yourself some sportsmanship points.  The secret ballots are tallied and revealed at the conclusion of the tournament to secure the best sportsman one-third of the prize pool.

That takes care of 2/3 of the store credit treasure chest.  However, there is a third way to earn fantastic prizes while having a ton of multiplayer fun.  After the week’s headhunter and sportsmanship trophies have been decided, one random player who has not won the aforementioned prizes is eligible to land the last portion of the prize pool.  Everyone has a chance to win.  If you are just starting out, giving a new deck its trial run, or just not able to capitalize on head hunting or sportsmanship there is still a chance to walk away a winner.

Hopefully, the triple threat prize structure will encourage a couple of things.  Commander is all about fun and relaxation.  We want to sport pimped out decks, show off our creative designs and play with cards that have long been forgotten by Standard tournament goers.  The multiplayer tournaments aim to be casual and to foster an atmosphere of enjoyment.  We don’t want combo players or hardcore grinders trying to win a high stakes tournament.  Those players are free to join, but might not make a living off of their winnings.  We want great sportsmanship and the development of a community.  Players show up early to get in some extra games, to trade cards, work on achievements for the league, or help newer players construct their first decks.  The prize structure represents what we want for the league:  all types of winners.

Unlocking Achievements

What is that?  Achievements!?!?  The Game Academy is running a promotion for the 12 week span of the league.  You can unlock achievements by completing certain tasks inside and outside of league play.  Highlights include some of the following:

-Free entry into the first Commander tournament you attend

-Pack prizes and free cards if you choose to purchase your Commander cards and equipment through The Game Academy

-Candy eating contests, attendance rewards, and deck building challenges

One achievement rewards players for making 10 of the 12 league play days, while others guarantee free drinks or bags of cookies to enjoy during your gaming experience.  Achievements are for everyone.  You don’t have to be a part of the league to unlock the “Buffet” achievement or land free packs along with your regularly scheduled purchases.  However, folks that complete all of the achievements can earn the grand prize and biggest payoff of all:

-First player to unlock the achievements gets a box of the most recent set (yep 36 packs!)

-The second player lands a half box

-The third and fourth player also land a fair amount of packs for their work

I am hoping to win some of that pack, but there are a ton of achievements and it will take dedication and some serious effort to land a spot in the top 4.  I guess technically, there are four ways to win.  Aside from the weekly store credit, players will have a chance to battle throughout the season both in and out of the tournament for pack prizes, t-shirts, and other rewards.

Check in with any staff member if you want to claim your achievement sheet.  Each player is eligible to get one sheet per life time.  No copies will be accepted and no second sheets will be handed out.  The prizes are too lucrative to allow repeats of key achievements.  Thanks for being responsible for your achievement sheets in advance!

Week 1 Results

The Sliver Queen (piloted by Molly) landed the sportsmanship award.  Molly did not collect any headhunter points but played in against 7 other players throughout Sunday’s tournament.  At one point, she was wiped out by the poisonous Skithrix, and fell another round to a large black attack force lead by Titans!

Vorosh ruled the skies (piloted by Jeremy).  The most headhunter points went to the blue, green, black deck that aimed to annihilate other commanders solely through general damage.

Colin was not able to attend the entire tournament.  The tournament starts at 2pm and rounds last for a minimum of 2 hours.  Colin made his way to The Game Academy around 3, played some standard with a friend, and jumped into the tournament before the second round started.  Although he was an improbable hero, he walked away the winner of the random portion of the event.  It seems like players who just want to jump in for the second half of the tournament can still win prizes!

Next Week

We are looking to expand the ranks of the league.  Magic players are provided with their own store and space to play the multiplayer tournament.  We had a dozen players show up for the first week, but are hoping for even more this weekend.  Players that work on achievements might like to know that their first week’s entry into the tournament is free!  Come join us for some fun.  Even if your deck is in the early stages of development, we can help you out.  The atmosphere is casual and we will make sure you have a nice time.  A couple of folks will be arriving around noon to help players build decks, trade for the extra Commander staples that they are seeking, and generally work on some achievements.  It is rumored that Matt will try to unlock the buffet achievement and that should provide enough entertainment to make it worth a trip. See you guys at 2pm this Sunday.

How should I prepare for a Commander/EDH tournament?

Here is a quick bonus guide to help folks get ready for league participation:

-READ the rules for deck construction, banned cards, and hints/tips for deck construction at http://mtgcommander.net/rules.php

-Buy or round up 100 sleeves

-Grab two spin down dice that can track a combined 40 life (and some tokens and other dice)

-Select a general in colors that you love

-Make or research a list of the 99 legal cards that fit your general’s colors

-Locate those cards (try to play at least 30ish land and some mana acceleration)

-Talk to the TGA staff about getting your only copy of the ACHIEVEMENTS sheet

-Play some games with your new deck before you try it at the tournament (see if it works)

-Think about putting in some cards that might help win games through either head hunting or sportsmanship

-Show up a little early on Sunday

If you follow some of the general rules, then the rest will fall in line at your first tournament.  There are players in the league that have played for 15 years and players who played for 2 days.  We have some outstanding female players and players from many different generations.  The tournament will last about 4-5 hours and you can leave or jump in as you like.  We will see you guys around the tournament tables and might just catch you flipping through those foil binders in search of hidden gems!  Thanks for reading.

The Game Academy will be hosting a 2K tournament on Saturday, August 14th, 2010

Where:

Embassy Suites Tampa Downtown Convention Center

513 S. Florida Avenue

Tampa, Fl 33602

For Map+Directions CLICK HERE

Entry Fee:

$25

Prize Structure:

Top 8 players will advance to play for additional prizes.

1st-$800

2nd-$400

3rd-4th-$200

5th-8th-$100

Tournament Details:

Advanced Format Deck Required

Begin registration @ 8 AM

Late registration @ 9:45 AM (if you register after this time, you will be charged a $30 entry fee)

Tournament begins @ 10:00 AM

Parking and Dining:

On-site valet parking is available for our players for the low price of $6 (normally $12)

There is a Starbucks as well as Trolleys American Café; available for lunch,

Our film crew will be recording duels for our YouTube channel and conducting deck interviews all day long!

This event is UNSANCTIONED

Side Events will run throughout the day!

For video coverage on our  last 2K event, CLICK HERE

Photos of the tournament site:

Where: Comfort Inn in Tampa, FL; For Map+Directions CLICK HERE

Entry Fee: $30

Prize Structure:

Payout all the way down to Top 16!

Top 8 players will advance to play for additional prizes.

Tournament Details:

Advanced Format Deck Required

Begin registration @ 8 AM

Late registration @ 9:45 AM (if you register after this time, you will be charged a $35 entry fee)

Tournament begins @ 10:00 AM

Other side events will be run throughout the day

Our film crew will be recording duels for our YouTube channel and conducting deck interviews all day long!

This event is UNSANCTIONED

Side Events will run throughout the day!

For video coverage on our 2K event, CLICK HERE

*Editor’s Note* – The Game Academy hosts an EDH league every Sunday; tournament signups begin @ 2 PM and tournament entry is $7. All entry will be given back to top finishers in store credit to use towards anything in the store. Jeremy is always in attendance to play EDH in our league, offer deck advice, and record matches for his popular YouTube channel. If you don’t have an EDH deck, don’t worry, we normally have a few extras if you want to play. See you here!
Elder Dragon Highlander:  Collector’s Edition Part II

This week we will pick up where last week left us.  We embarked on the journey into Magic the Gathering.  Some follow the path for competitive purposes, others will to amass a giant collection.  Many players seek fun and most of us are in for a little of each.  We perused a list of the top EDH cards for each color.  If you did not get a chance to catch the list, I have decided to copy it here one more time.

When I first started playing EDH, I found deck lists mind boggling.  Hundred card singleton lists are very difficult to comprehend without some framing or explanation about card choices and synergies.  Some folks try to assemble a good stuff type list that just plays a bunch of powerful cards, but this is nearly almost always a sure-fire way to end up with a suboptimal list.  Synergies and card interactions put EDH decks over-the-proverbial-top.  Therefore, you need to identify the most amazing cards that fit together to accomplish your given game plan.

With that disclaimer, it still seems relevant to create lists that collect the most powerful cards.  I love these lists and having discussions about the best cards in a color.  These discussions can help players consider cards they might have missed or may allow a deck builder to double up on effects that fit a deck’s theme or enhance the function.

Back in the day (you know the one), when I started playing EDH.  If followed deck construction advice from community forum members like Zerg (may he rest in peace) and others on various EDH forums.  I would follow Sheldon Menery’s columns and updates on the banned list, and would scour the internets for a reasonable explanation of popular deck lists.  Here are some interesting words of advice from Zerg in his forum post concerning some of the most important card to include in your EDH decks.  His descriptions are brief, but you get the general idea.

“Colorless

• Sensei’s Divining Top – anywhere. Period. Unless your playgroup is excessively annoyed by it.
• Lightning Greaves – for any deck that plans on attacking or has creatures that need to stay alive.
• Journeyer’s Kite – supplies you with lands forever, or until blown up. Mandatory in any nongreen deck.
• Gauntlet of Power and Extraplanar Lens – any monocolored deck. These cards are stupidgood.
• Nevinyrral’s Disk and Oblivion Stone – essential effect in any EDH deck and only available on two cards outside of white.
• Mind’s Eye – one of the best card draw engines in multiplayer, and available to any color.
• Solemn Simulacrum – Just really, really good.
• Sol Ring – Best artifact mana accel in the game.
• Thawing Glaciers – fills the same role as kite, every other turn.
• Maze of Ith – Surprisingly few creatures can get around it, it’s hard to remove (being a land) and fits in every deck.
• Strip Mine – utility nonbasics come with a lot of drawbacks, such as not being not fetchable by most land search cards, not benefitting from gauntlet/lens/etc, and usually not producing colored mana. However, some utility is just too strong to ignore. Same applies to every other land that made a cut to be on this list.

Black

• Yawgmoth’s Will – best card in Magic.
• Necropotence – best card draw spell in EDH.
• Cabal Coffers – Gauntlet of Power #3 in monoblack.
• Volrath’s Stronghold – Many decks would spend an actual card slot on this effect. Stronghold doesn’t even cost you a slot.
• Demonic Tutor &Co. – obvious card is obvious.
• Myojin of Night’s Reach – everyone’s hand goes “bye”. 9000 style points if whoever played it doesn’t activate the ability immediately, passes priority, and you sudden death it.
• Transmute cards – Yes, any card that merely searches for Yawgwin is good enough to make the “best of the best” list.
• Reanimation – one of the key strengths of black. Reanimation is often cheaper, more flexible, and more powerful than that creature you were thinking of adding to your deck.

Blue

• Control Magic &Co. – just like reanimation, it saves you mana, but also serves as removal, albeit usually less flexible than reanimation
• Countermagic –  often underrated in multiplayer because you “can’t counter everything”. The key is to use it to protect your other cards, not try to remove every threat.
• Magus of the Future / Future Sight – absurdity is directly proportional to the amount of mana you have, multiplied by the number of shuffle effects and tripled with Divining Top in play. The only two cards that have the potential to be dumber than Yawgwin.
• Hinder –  the easiest way in the game to say “bye, general!”
• [s]Gifts Ungiven[/s] – combo deck wins (for best results combine with Yawgwin or Eternal Witness in hand).
• Academy Ruins – See Volrath’s Stronghold.

White

• Land Tax and Weathered Wayfarer – these can be as good as green’s land search, but it’s only two cards.
• Sweepers – being able to remove anything and everything at once is white’s main strength. Be sure to include some, this is the only color that has plenty of options. Final Judgment, Hallowed Burial, Austere Command, and Rout, are usually the best.
• Condemn – Right below Hinder.
• Return to Dust – It might be silly to include a random artifact removal spell in this list, but I’ve been owned by this card so many times.
• Mistveil Plains – Probably one of the most underrated cards in the game. Combined with a tutor, you have the ability to fetch anything back from your graveyard. Also searcheable with fetchlands and hoses reanimation targeting your graveyard.

Green

• Eternal Witness – green is the only color with “return any card” effects, which are incredibly strong. Witness is by far the most abuseable of these.
• Far Wanderings – I have no idea why this isn’t in every green deck. Fetching 3 lands for 3 mana is nuts. (Keep in mind that you have threshold for about 80% of the duration of the game).
• Mana Reflection – see Gauntlet of Power.
• Tooth and Nail and Chord of Calling – chances are you have some fat creatures in your deck that you’d like in play. These are the best ways to do that.

Red

• Wheel of Fortune – the only card in red that’s on par with blue and black card draw. It’s damn good, but sadly, it’s the only thing red has.
• Reiterate – redirection/copy effects are great in general, but reiterate is head and shoulders above the rest. Nothing like copying an opponent’s cruel ultimatum. Twice. And still keeping the reiterate. In fact, this card is pretty much the only reason I want to play red.
• Gauntlet of Might – monored red gets an extra gauntlet of power, if you can afford one.
• Insurrection – usually enough to kill one opponent in multiplayer.

Multicolored

• Mirari’s Wake – Mana reflection, but better.
• Cruel Ultimatum – Just reminding you this card exists. If you don’t know what it does, click the link and read it.
• Vindicate – Tie fighters.
• Maelstrom Pulse – Not quite tie fighters.
• Terminate / Mortify / Putrefy – no reason not to have these.
• Debtor’s Knell – You’ll find something ridiculous to do with this every time you play it.

Sunhome, Fortress of the Legion – double strike is potentially very powerful and having it on a land means it’s reusable, doesn’t cost you a card, and wastes no slots in the deck.”

These thoughts do not totally match up with my thinking about EDH deck construction.  Some of the cards I find to be underpowered, too specific, or generally outclassed (e.g. Cruel Ultimatum, Sunhome, Fortress of the Legion, and Journeyer’s Kite).  However, the advice runs fairly consistent and helped shape my early thinking.  Eventually, I made it a goal to form a collection of EDH staples and core cards that would serve as the foundation for my deck construction.  I made this decision some time ago along with the idea that I would snatch up foils of my favorite staples and copies of the dual lands and older cards.  Subsequently, the Legacy format has jumped off and my collection of staples has turned into a nice investment rewarding not only in terms of the playability and fantastic aid in deck construction but also financially.

I would like to share some of the hottest movers on the EDH scene and would emplore those wishing to build a similar style collection to act fast.  Every couple of months the cards seem to take a dramatic leap in cost/value.

Buy Now:  For Fun and Profit

Let’s start with some of the cards that are both going to bowl you over and that might be a little obvious.  They might be apparent, but some folks are still out there with holes in their collections.  These are among the first cards that I would obtain and should always be on the “needed” or “wanted” lists.  At times these cards trade like a second currency, but time has proven them to be a stable investment that offers little risk.  If you are ever done with these cards you can ship them for about what you paid or more.

Dual Lands

You don’t have to play with dual lands to be successful in EDH.  However, they are simply the best lands that you can play with if you are looking to fix colors and diversify your mana-base.  If you need to be in both Blue and Black, then you have some options.  The pimped out choice is Underground Sea.  The runner up is Watery Grave, and somewhere following are cards like Underground River, Sunken Ruins, and tap lands that generate the needed colors. Here is the hitch:  as of March 24, 2010 the most inexpensive Underground Sea on popular retail sites (in near mint condition) will cost about $85.  Twelve months ago, you could have landed them for around $60.  Some of the dual lands have nearly doubled in price.  The lands with “less popular” (read as non-blue) colors have shot up from around $25 to over $40.  In early March, Wizards of the Coast announced that they will never reprint the revised (original) dual lands.  Therefore, they are likely going to continue their rise in price.  Pick these up now.

3^rd Edition/Revised

Badlands                    $40

Bayou                         $50

Plateau                       $40

Savannah                   $40+

Scrubland                   $40

Taiga                           $50

Tropical Island          $60+

Tundra                       $70

Underground Sea      $90

Judge Foils/Promo Foils

The DCI and folks at Wizards of the Coast have had their eye on EDH for a long time.  The format expanded its popularity in the judge community and Aaron Forsythe, head of Magic’s research and development, explained in an interview conducted on Youtube (Elderdragonhighlandr Interview Series) that EDH has been on the mind of developers for some time now.  Evidence pops up when you see a hefty multi-colored legendary general or giant octopus like Lorthos.  Further evidence can be found in the printing of the Judge promo cards released as payment and thanks for judges working at sanctioned events.

If you look over some of the staples listed in the format, you can nearly cross reference some of the most popular cards with the Judge promo list.  Let’s browse a couple of selections:

Promo Versions

Sol Ring                      $50+

Maze of Ith                 $40

Yawgmoth’s Will       $20

Demonic Tutor          $40

Wheel of Fortune      Unreleased (coming soon)

Foil Fetch Lands        $30-60

Aside from these judge foils, there are any number of FNM foils and promotional foils that cover the staple cards in EDH.  Eternal Witness and Necropotence can each be found reasonably.  Basically, any of these foil, promotional staples are desirable for EDH collectors.

From the Vault:  EDH Staples

Another area that Wizards has shown love to the EDH community involves the limited release, From the Vault series.  The first set was dragons and offered foil versions of some of the game’s most desirable foil dragon generals.  My favorite is Nicol Bolas.  However, the second From the Vault release secured foil versions of cards that were either impossible or improbable to find in foil.  Examples include the now banned Gifts Ungiven and the oft used staples of Mystical Tutor and Sensi’s Divining Top.  If you can find these products they are surefire EDH winners.  I keep a set and open a set for play in my decks.  Make sure to check out the upcoming From the Vault: Artifacts.  There are going to be even more EDH staples in that set.

Foreign Black Border and Rare Foils

Some cards cannot be found in foil.  For those cards, many players chase the foreign black border versions or original Alpha/Beta cards.  My dream is to own a complete collection of foreign black border dual lands.  If you are chasing the dream, you will have to be vigilant.  Stores might take a wants list and could notify you if the chase cards come through the doors.  You might happen upon them on eBay, but they are hard to find.  Occasionally, there are EDH staples or great cards that were in very short print like Moat and Mana Drain from Legends and the ever-popular Force of Will.  Those cards are likely going to increase in price and should be eventual additions to your collections.

Finally, folks should take the time to note that some cards are barely found in foil.  Merchant Scroll is a great edition for an EDH deck, but the 8^th edition foil is the only foil printing.  The uncommon is worth about $1 but its foil version is worth $25.  This situation happens occasionally.  Some promo cards are rare (like Swords to Plowshares) or the foil just drives the price.  You might watch for deals on these cards or find them in a foil bin for a great price.

I hope this series has been helpful and informative.  Thanks to the forum posters and folks who chase all of these amazing cards.  The hunt is half of the fun.

*Editor’s Note* – The Game Academy hosts an EDH league every Sunday; tournament signups begin @ 2 PM and tournament entry is $7. All entry will be given back to top finishers in store credit to use towards anything in the store. Jeremy is always in attendance to play EDH in our league, offer deck advice, and record matches for his popular YouTube channel. If you don’t have an EDH deck, don’t worry, we normally have a few extras if you want to play. See you here!

Impact of the Eldrazi on Elder Dragon Highlander

I am writing this article on 3/31/2010. The first week of spoilers on www.magicthegathering.com have revealed some interesting new mechanics and particularly interesting new creatures. The Eldrazi monument promises a flood of playable creatures that are seemingly destined for play in the Elder Dragon Highlander format. At the onset of each set release, I typically scour the spoilers and preview articles in search of legendary creatures that might serve as the basis for a new deck idea. At this point, there do not appear to be any Eldrazi that seem fit to serve as general for an entire deck.

Don’t get me wrong. We are looking at some outstanding effects and really interesting monstrosities, but the drawback of being colorless is particularly limiting in EDH. Some folks build decks around legends like Karn, but they are very narrow. I like to keep my options open and tend to have spells that cost colored mana in my heart. However, the previews and spoilers have dropped enough information at this point that most EDH players are seriously awaiting the opportunity to splash some of these titans in current builds.

We will walk through some of the cards that have been leaked at this point. Many of the cards have been officially spoiled, while others have not. I am only going to discuss Eldrazi spells that have sufficient evidence backing up their existence. Therefore, we are sticking to officially spoiled cards or cards with visual proof (such as the prerelease foil/oversized Emrakul).

All is Dust

There are several interesting aspects to All is Dust. First and foremost is the card type. The card is a Tribal Sorcery and represents a board clearing color spell the likes that Magic players have never seen. This card has some advantages and disadvantages in EDH. The advantages are somewhat obvious. This Tribal Sorcery will wipe out all colored creatures, enchantments, planeswalkers, and the few colored artifacts that might see play. Boom. That is huge. The multiplayer format is pretty slow and paying 7 mana for a spell that is a likely 3+ (or more)-for-1 is very profitable. All is Dust also fills a sort of gap that different deck types needed: an answer to planeswalkers. This card should have 5-color decks shaking in their proverbial boots. I have seen decks that try to play every planeswalker hoping to capitalize on the fact that there will not be enough removal to deal with the threats. In many cases this is a safe assumption. However, All is Dust will serve as a good violation of that assumption.

The card is Mythic which will drive the price up a bit. It has good interactions with your own colorless Eldrazi spells. I imagine this card might make its way into a number of decks and could serve as a solid reset when you fall behind.

Artisan of Kazilek

This is one of the “little” Eldrazi. There seems to be an awesome X-for-1 theme running throughout the Eldrazi tribe. This theme tends to contribute to playability. However, the card advantage offered by the Eldrazi appear to be somewhat mitigated by casting cost. In the standard environment, this might make some of the cards nearly unplayable (assuming that there are not tons of reasonable and playable ways of offsetting the expensive casting costs).

In our slower format, the casting cost of creatures and expensive spells is not always such a big deal. Most players jump into the format because you can regularly be found casting 8, 9, 10 or more casting cost spells. We like our games to be epic and we like to throw our pricey legends into battle against other mythic giants. That is, simply, how we roll. It is entirely possible that this Eldrazi tribe was meant for us!

Artisan is an uncommon. He will be easily obtainable. Relative to his brethren, he is not so impressive. He packs Annihilator 2 (which might end up being a sort of annoying ability), and does grab back a creature from the grave. In a theme deck, this Eldrazi will only have a chance to return some of the less impressive creatures. All of the great tribesman have the Colossus/Progenitus clause: shuffle giant dude back into the deck so you can not attempt cheaty reanimation! Overall, this guy is okay but not that playable. He might find a niche, but I would hold out for more impressive Eldrazi.

Ulamog, the Infinite Gyre

Here is a clear example of a “more impressive Eldrazi.” He costs a 2 more colorless man than Artizan but you get a lot for that small increase in investment. He destroys a target planeswalker…er, permanent when he is cast. He grabs 2 more points of Annihilator and is indestructible. There are only a few ways to get rid of indestructible creatures in the game and they are mostly blue and white. Think about that for a minute. When this guy hits, he will be a total wrecking ball when he is cast and when he starts swinging and there is not a whole lot that folks are going to be able to do about it. His impact will be critical and I imagine he will find a place in many decks.

His drawbacks include the fact that he is 11 to cast, he is Mythic and will be a little pricey and aside from his dual types of expense, he is only a 10/10 who might not battle through the biggest of the Eldrazi. I cannot imagine too many of these guys being on the board at once, but the Eldrazi will force a sort of quickly degenerative game state the longer they are on the board. Conceptualize two or three of these guys spread across 3-4 players. As they attack, folks will be sacking off lands and maybe tokens to keep their Eldrazi in the game. One might meet a Path to Exile, but the other two will quickly wipe the board of possible answers and remaining permanent as they battle like those monsters in Nintendo’s Rampage! Pretty sick.

Skittering Invasion

Skittering Invasion is not that exciting for EDH. It is an Eldrazi Tribal Sorcery and will help accelerate bigger spells into play. However, it already seems like a pretty big spell at 7 and does not seem to do quite enough. This card might be the type of card that contributes to playability of the tribe in standard constructed, but does not appear to offer that much as a singleton copy in EDH. If you are building with the tribe, then it might be something to consider as it could feed into the overall synergy.

Ulamog’s Crusher

This guy is one of the “little” Eldrazi. Her (who knows right?) impact might be far less than some of the other giants. At a common slot, you are not really getting the typical x-for-1 nature like the rest of the tribe. I don’t see this guy getting many looks outside of the tribal theme decks. However, it may contribute in some way to pauper EDH decks. She is an 8/8 and makes a player sacrifice two permanents with each attack. I might not be pimping this one in my decks but I am sure it could find a place in variant formats.

Pathrazer of Ulamog

This guy rounds out the uncommon members of the tribe. For the investment of 3 more colorless mana you pick up an additional Annihilator point over the common Ulamog’s Crusher. The Pathrazer costs 11. If you have a choice, you might want to ignore these underlings and just play Ulamog! Ulamog is the same cost and seems to offer so much more. If you are seeking diversity or need this 9/9, you can pick up a sort of evasion with the “3 creature or more must block” ability. That might turn out to be pretty great. Suit this guy up with a Basilisk Collar or Loxodon Warhammer and he is likely going to cause some problems. I like the concept, but think that EDH players might want to chase some of the Mythic Eldrazi if they only have a spot open for 1 or 2 fatties.

Kozilek, Butcher of Truth

Speaking of fatties…Kozilek is one of the few Legendary Eldrazi that offers more power and toughness than the total investment of your colorless mana. For a casting cost of 10 you are enjoy a body that will shame Darksteel Colossus. Pretty sweet. I like the fact that this card is at least a 4-for-1. This is what you get when a Stroke of Genius, a Darksteel Colossus, and a Eldrazi have on offspring from their devil’s three-way! He packs the Annihilator 4, draws 4 and will be a Mythic that you will want to play in foil!. I imagine he was spoiled first for very good reason. This guy will find a perfect place in many EDH decks.

Emrakul, the Aoens Torn

So this guy has not been officially spoiled, but this picture confirms that this giant Eldrazi mythic will be unleashed from his dark prison with the next set’s release. It is rumored that this card will be the prerelease foil. That is a great thing for EDH players. We will get foil copies of the mythic for a reasonable price! This seems like a great gift from Wizard’s of the Coast to the EDH community. So far this guy is the biggest and baddest of them all. He offers a 15/15 frame with a built in Time Warp, Annihilator 6, flying, and protection from the colorless spells that would intend to end his reign. This card narrow’s an opponents ability to remove his threat in many ways. He is uncounterable and will only be vulnerable to Jace’s bounce ability, and universal board wiping. He does cost 15, but the investment seems to promise quite a high reward! I will definitely be playing around with this guy.

A Bonus Card and Other EDH Strategies Impacted by the Eldrazi

Realms Uncharted

I did not really want to get into preview cards outside of the Eldrazi tribe, but this one was just too amazing to pass up. It seems like one of the best prospects for EDH in a very long time. The picture is a tribute to one of the most amazing EDH cards of all time: Gifts Ungiven. This card seems well positioned to become a green staple in the form. It has all kinds of synergy with Life from the Loam and will offer players a chance to search out specific land cards. I like its interactions with Knight of the Reliquary, Crucible of Worlds, and generally strategies that wish to play lands. This card will be played in Rofellos through 5-color builds. I would pick this one up early. It might get a bit pricey due to applications in constructed, but it will be worth it.

Advancing Strategies

There are any number of older cards and strategies that might excel if the Eldrazi see a large amount of play in EDH. I could imagine playing red cards like Anger that offer haste to newly cast creatures being very strong. Instant Annihilator seems busted. Whether you are playing Into War’s Web or packing Lightning Greaves, it seems like giving these guys a quick attack strategy would be game breaking.

Blue cards that steal creatures just got better. I would always tend to Bribery the guy playing Emrakul. How about you? Mind Control and other card might also work. Swaying the loyalty of these giants might pay dividends.

The necessity and importance of non-targeted removal has always been huge in EDH; however, with the invasion of the Eldrazi, this will be paramount. As the Eldrazi make it into more and more decks, playgroups will have to adjust by increasing the amount of answers.

To conclude we will close with a strategy to use against the Eldrazi. As players attempt to equip Power Artifact on a monolith to prematurely power out these gods of war, EDH players should consider returning the monsters to the prisons from which they awoke. Cards that restrict attacking a given player or even attacking at all might be a significant way to suppress the new threat found in EDH. I am partial to cards like Meek Stone or Ensaring Bridge. I typically don’t love playing prison style cards, but I do not like being on the business end of Annihilator 6 either. It is clear that as the Eldrazi rise in popularity, the metagame will have to shift to account for their potential invasion.

*Editor’s Note* – The Game Academy hosts an EDH league every Sunday; tournament signups begin @ 2 PM and tournament entry is $7. All entry will be given back to top finishers in store credit to use towards anything in the store. Jeremy is always in attendance to play EDH in our league, offer deck advice, and record matches for his popular YouTube channel. If you don’t have an EDH deck, don’t worry, we normally have a few extras if you want to play. See you here!

Elder Dragon Highlander:  The Collector’s Edition

Legacy’s Allure

Collectable card games seduce players in any number of ways.  Magic: The Gathering, for example, acts as an enigmatic temptress.  She lures players into her satin sheets of inviting tournament play.  We first laid together when I entered my first Friday Night Magic tournament.  We danced and got drunk on competitive wine.  I was hooked after tasting the sweet flavor of victory and rolled the acidic aftertaste around my mouth for days after the conclusion of event.  I could taste her on my lips and smell her on my clothes.

My mind would wander.  Pure haze.  At work I would think of her.  The moments before I fell asleep.  In the hours in between.  The allure of competition is enough for some.  The deck builders slave away for a glimpse of her love.  Playgroups labor hour-upon-hour for her attention.  We bow before her and compete for some small part of the one we love.

If you become bored with your lover, she transforms.  The excitement is unending.  I can remember working long hours on the Standard format.  After months of courting and long nights of passion, just as my attention might have shifted away, she beckoned with a new gaze.  She garnered my lust drafting around an 8-player table, exploring the depths of extended, and most recently has tempted me with legacy.

Magic is my mistress.  We slip away in the evening while the world rages on.  She finds me in my spare moments as I brush my teeth or drive home from work.  I hear her whispering in my ear.  She is relentless; intoxicating.

All the Pretty Things

Many players are not chasing the Pro Tour dream and have no hopes of besting the field in a grand tournament.  Rather, they live for the enjoyment of the moment.  You can find them engaged in the business of passing time and loving the passing of time.  Casual players rally around gaming for the sake of game.  Magic is not the means to an end, but is the end in-and-of-itself.  The goal is not necessarily winning or finding fame and fortune, but simply having the chance to play.  An old friend used to say, “When you play EDH, you have already won.”

However, the seductress attempts to enslave these players in a different way.  I own roughly 50,000 small, cardboard cutouts.  They occupy the majority of the space in my game room and can be found littered around nearly every room of my house.  In the aftermath of a new set release, you might find me buried among unsorted and semi-arranged stacks of cards.  Empty boxes are strewn across my living room carpet like wounded soldiers.  There are small shreds of foil shrapnel that fail to contain the contents of my desire.

In each pack, you will find any number of forgettable common cards.  There are slightly more interesting and powerful uncommon cards and the frequent discovery of an unimpressive rare.  These are not the reasons that we devour box after delightful box.  We begin to shred the foil away from the pack.  It is no match for our strong hands and stands no chance against the occasional bite from our gamer teeth.  It was created simply to be destroyed.  The pulse quickens.  Primal lust floods the blood stream and time stops.  In slow motion, we slide every card aside as we hunt the end game.  There are those days when the 10-point buck raises its head above the mist in that open field.  We take aim.  The shot rings out.  A chase rare falls as our feet.  The occasional mythic is mounted on our wall.  We are gods.

Over time the form replaces function.  It is not simply enough that a card be playable.  It must be in mint condition.  Not only must it be crisp and flawless, but it must be shiny.  Not only must it be shiny, but it must be the very first printing, ancient, and nigh unattainable.  In the end, we are reduced to rabid hunters of all the pretty and rare things possible.  Our binders grow thick like trophy cases.  We display our collections like small museums.  The foil cards fit neatly in their tiny frames.  The oldest and rarest of the cards rest in the front of our binders for all to see as if observers wished to hasten their delivery, to quicken the visual consumption of their awe.

Yes.  It is true.  If the siren did not beckon you to the rocks with a variety of format, then she will surely capsize your ship with her seductive tunes of greed.  For those players that are not captured by her tournament wiles will surely fall to her looks and a desire for her most rare treasures.  Be you a pro tour player, Friday night Casanova, or collector with an unquenchable thirst.  She calls to you.

Giving in to Temptation:  An EDH Collector’s Guide

Here is a popular list of the Top 35 cards used in EDH sorted by color.  If you are looking to build and/or expand your Elder Dragon Highlander-specific collection, you might want to begin tracking down multiple copies of the cards from this list.

Building while Building a Collection

Collectors might run into a few snags along the way.  Some of the cards from this list can be a bit pricey and some begin to pop up in multiple decks.  I believe I own 15 copies of Force of Will and about 9 Sol Rings.  I am using most copies of the cards at any given time.  While you are building deck lists you will want to follow two “record keeping” tasks.  When you settle on a list of 99 cards that seems to suit your needs, take the time to jot down the list.  Then you are able to deconstruct that list, switch in and out cards, and reassemble the list as your collection grows and as you begin to build multiple decks.  When I started playing EDH, the deck building aspect of the game quickly equaled playing the format.  There are so many amazing cards, interesting combinations and wondrous deck ideas that I assembled deck, after deck, after deck, until I began to run short on staples.  When I went to borrow staples out of one deck, I would occasionally forget.  When it was time to revisit my original deck, I did not always remember the cards that I had stolen from the list.  These days I have taken to dropping a proxy or marker into the deck as a place holder.

A second strong recommendation for the collector and builder is to make an excel spreadsheet of your most valuable and most used cards.  How many copies of Vesuva do you have?  How many copies of Demonic Tutor?  How many copies of Coalition Relic?  There is certainly a point at which you might wish to stop shelling out cash for card that you already own.  If I have 4 Vesuva, then I am not really interested in purchasing another.  However, when you have 9-10 EDH decks built and share those decks with members of your family or among friends, then you might forget and make that unwise 5^th card purchase.  If you keep an inventory of your favorite cards, then you are sure to keep better track of your needs/wants and your complete playsets.

In our next article, we will cover some additional collectable aspects of the format including the top recommendations for purchases (investments), cards that will see a ton of play in the future, and we will take a walk through the most expensive and desirable EDH foil cards of all time.  Thanks for reading.  If you have questions, post them below.

See you guys at future Sunday play sessions, big events, and on YouTube at Elderdragonhighlandr.  Make sure to check out the sweet offerings the Game Academy offers at thegameacademyonline.com and eBay!

*Editor’s Note* – The Game Academy hosts an EDH league every Sunday; tournament signups begin @ 2 PM and tournament entry is $7. All entry will be given back to top finishers in store credit to use towards anything in the store. Jeremy is always in attendance to play EDH in our league, offer deck advice, and record matches for his popular YouTube channel. If you don’t have an EDH deck, don’t worry, we normally have a few extras if you want to play. See you here!

The Newest Archetype in Magic the Gathering

In last week’s article, we covered the concept of archetypes.  Archetypes were defined as a mental short cut that educate both our overall strategy during competition and a means to organize decision-making under that strategy.  We covered the major three archetypes in magic:  Beat down, Control, and Combo.

When a player decides to build a beat down deck, they look for the capacity to do damage early and often.  The creatures, burn, and other means of destruction packed into the deck have the single goal of obliterating the opponent.  Therefore, the card choices and game-time decisions generally tend to be very aggressive.  The archetype demands this aggression and allows the beat down player to build the deck and play the cards accordingly.

However, the last article noted that playing beat down in EDH can be a tough venture.  Multiplayer games suppress the effectiveness of the beat down strategy through politics and increased life totals.  In fact, it has been written that only Control and Combo are viable contenders as Darwinian survivors in the EDH format.  While this point it debatable, it is certainly a debate that deck architects should cover before purchasing cards and registering a deck for a tournament.

The Newest Archetype:  Group Hug

To understand the player base and nature of games during multiplayer EDH, one must understand some of the goals of the format.  Players like to win, players like to compete, but they might not do so at the exclusion of fun.  EDH players tend to be a particular kind of gamer.  Often times the players will be competitive, but will want to compete by playing according to some different rules.  EDH players seem to admire fantastic game states, mind altering swings in tempo, epic wins, historic fails and all the while sporting a fully blinged-out foil deck!

If folks wanted to be ultra competitive, then they would just play standard or extended.  If they just wanted to play with expensive cards, they would have signed on for legacy or vintage tournaments.  However, they want a little bit of it all.  EDH players seek a balance of the aforementioned characteristics of the game under the umbrella of FUN.  If it is not fun, then why do it?  After all, there are no pro tour admission tickets on the line, nobody is walking away with thousands of dollars in prize money, and often games are run outside of tournament settings.  I have never really picked up an extended Affinity deck and played a bunch of casual games on Sunday afternoon “just for fun.”  I have tested the deck to try to win a tournament or to understand the constructed metagame, but we all have better things we could do for fun.

Enter the Group Hug.  If you are an EDH newcomer or veteran to the format, you should spend some time getting to know the format’s newest archetype.  It comes in many different colors and card combinations, but can best be defined through the use of “helper cards” and fantastic, unselfish strategies to achieve balance in a game, make the game last and expand enjoyment, and ultimately create fantastic game states worthy of recounting over the coming months.

I have had some crazy multiplayer games when someone piloted the Group Hug archetype.  There were cards that had each player drawing 3 cards a turn, dumping our hands into play, and selectively gaining players life as they became the target of others around the table.  Just when you thought things couldn’t get any wilder, some new over-the-top card would have us all bursting with excitement and rolling on the floor laughing at the incredible and ridiculous situations that are possible in Magic.

Group Hug formed as an archetype for a couple of reasons.  The first, and foremost genesis for this deck type was a direct response to the occasional brokenness of the EDH format.  If you really wanted to build a deck that would consistently win on turns 3 or 4, it is possible.  It is not fun, but it is possible.  If you want to sit down with your hundred-card concoction and deny every other player the chance to enjoy a game of magic, you can use some pretty annoying cards and employ an annoying set of social skills to achieve that goal.  It is not fun, but possible.  In a format that seeks to maximize the available design space, increase access to the card pool, and deliver big on fun, there are also shadowy players that will abuse this freedom and crush the opportunity for enjoyment.

Douchebaggery

The Urban Dictionary has over 160 definitions for douche.  The variants of douche bag and douchebaggery knock that estimate easily over 250.  Let’s cover a few of the choice definitions:

Douchebaggery:

The greatest word of all time, simple yet pleasing in its onomatopoeic beauty. For one to commit douchebaggery, he/she is not limited to but may include some or perhaps all of the following behaviors:

- the wearing of flat-billed baseball caps backwards

- using an enormous amount of gel to spike the hair porcupine style

- wearing polo shirts or any other type of shirt with the collar popped, a disgusting gesture that should’ve died in the 1980s with parachute pants

- the sideways peace sign gesture

- overdone pursing of the lips

- too many visits to the tanning salon

- pointing at oneself, holding up beer cans, or making other obscenely immature gestures in solo or group photos

- following trends for the sake of fitting in

- adding “The” or the suffix “-ster” to one’s name, as in “The Rickster”

Essentially, “douchebaggery” is one of those things as easily understood by definition as it is by one’s demonstrations of it.

Douche bag:

Someone who has surpassed the levels of jerk and ass***e, however not yet reached f****r or motherf****r.

Or

A person with a sh***y personality that needs to “take themself the f*** down” or “go home and get their f*****g shine box.” A douche bag usually assumes the form of a hair-gelling pretty-boy but can also be described as an overzealous, pompous, or vexatious ass***e that most people wish were killed with a Mortal Kombat fatality.

Basically, nobody is looking to play multiplayer EDH against a Douche bag.  In online game, the term griefer refers to someone who does not cooperate with others and often finds enjoyment in irritating or annoying players.  These characteristics are taboo at the EDH tables.

Therefore, players began building decks that were the polar opposite of being a douche bag or griefer.  They began to calculate ways to be more cooperative, super political, and essentially a helper deck that serves as a catalyst for fun.  Here are a couple of lists that I have highlighted from the community.  Note:  The lists contain no real win conditions, but are packed with cards that heal, draw cards for everybody, and essentially create amazing game scenarios (like Hypergenesis, Eureka, or  Tempting Wurm).  The decks run very few counter spells, no prison style cards, and would never attempt to blow up lands.  If anything, they might be a tad underpowered and rely on politics and people needing the Group Hug benefit as a means for survival.  I have rarely seen a player running a Group Hug deck be the target of mass attacks or become singled out for another player’s hate cards.

Project Group Hug

General: Phelddagrif

Creatures-

Arbiter of Knollridge

Ghosts of the Innocent

Eternal Witness

Tempting Wurm

Magus of the Vineyard

Veteran Explorer

Noble Benefactor

Braids, Conjurer Adept

Iwamori of the Open Fist

Liege of the Hollows

Questing Phelddagrif

Hunted Wumpus

Peacekeeper

Indentured Djinn

Gwafa Hazid, Profiteer

Heartwood Storyteller

Wall of Shards

Kami of the Crescent Moon

Nullmage Advocate

Spurnmage Advocate

Soldevi Sentry

Spells-

Words of Wisdom

New Frontiers

Condemn

Pongify

Swords to Plowshares

Vision Skeins

Show and Tell

Selesnya Signet

Azorious Signet

Simic Signet

Temporary Truce

Saproling Cluster

Elephant Resurgence

Unifying Theory

Metamorphose

Howling Mine

Spectral Searchlight

Second Sunrise

Fecundity

Windfall

Truce

Dream Fracture

Rites of Flourishing

Samite Sanctuary

Hypergenesis

Horn of Greed

Upwelling

Wheel and Deal

All Suns’ Dawn

Horn of Plenty

Gate to the Aether

Cultural Exchange

Weird Harvest

Fold into Aether

Flux

Font of Mythos

Path to Exile

Divine Intervention

Eledamari’s Vineyard

Arcane Denial

Oath of Lieges

Land

Snow-Covered Island

Snow-Covered Forest

Vivid Grove

Vivid Creek

Mikokoro, Center of the Sea

Ghost Quarter

Selesnya Sanctuary

Vivid Meadow

Snow-Covered Plains

Forbidden Orchard

Simic Growth Chamber

Nimbus Maze

Adarkar Wastes

Azorious Chancery

Flood Plain

Coastal Tower

Calciform Pools

4x Plains

6x Island

9x Forest

Here are a few comments from one of the authors of this list (I believe that Dale Lovelace composed the following section):

How does it win?

It doesn’t, or at least it’s not supposed to. I can actually also almost see it milling someone out, but I wouldn’t count on that one. If this deck wins a game, though, I’ll probably end up dismantling it. That’s just not the point.

So, what does the deck want to do?

Help people out and be everyone’s friend. The suggestions that I want are for possible cards that help out other people.

For a deck that can’t win, you’re playing some powerful cards…

Sometimes, helping someone out means taking down a relevant general (Condemn), a relevant creature (Swords), countering a game ending spell, or doing something similar. In order to do that, though, you should give someone something in return. Swords and Condemn give life, Dream Fracture and Spellshift give the player in question another spell, etc. And Witness/Dawn lets me do all of my cool stuff all over again.

Another Deck List

You can see that each player used the archetype in a similar fashion.  There are some variants floating all over the web.  On our YouTube site, we have featured a couple of Group Hug style decks.  The first one we covered followed a tournament in an interview with local judge, Dale Lovelace.  He noted that he did not invent the idea, but these deck types are springing up all over the Internet.  Players love them and the folks that pilot the decks often serve as cornerstones of EDH in the local community.  It is like Christmas shopping with Santa Claus or having a bake sale with Little Debby.  Playing in a group that has a single or even multiple Group Hug decks can make the tournaments a blast and result in some great stories.

Another advantage of the Group Hug archetype (aside from fun and popularity) is the cost of making the build.  I noticed that many of the Game Academy prices on the cards used in this deck were cheap.  The entire deck will run players a lot less to build because the cards are not that “hot.”  Forced Fruition, Hive Mind, and Weird Harvest are not exactly flying off of the shelves.  They are all interesting cards, but give players a chance to win in an entirely different way by just playing the game for fun.

Thanks for reading.  Leave your comments and questions below and we will do our best to provide answers.  The EDH league on Sundays around 2 pm would love to have you.  Build up one of these group hug decks and I will pay your entry fee for the week!  Not only is it fun, but also it will be free the first time you give it a run.

*Editor’s Note* – The Game Academy hosts an EDH league every Sunday; tournament signups begin @ 2 PM and tournament entry is $7. All entry will be given back to top finishers in store credit to use towards anything in the store. Jeremy is always in attendance to play EDH in our league, offer deck advice, and record matches for his popular YouTube channel. If you don’t have an EDH deck, don’t worry, we normally have a few extras if you want to play. See you here!

“Understanding The EDH Metagame: Deck Construction and Archetypes”

Archetypes

Most gamers are familiar with the term archetypes. However, few have ever generalized the concept to everyday life. I might argue that archetypes can be found in all facets of nature. In particular, every instance of competition lends itself to the development of archetypes.

Archetypes are simply an overarching strategy under which a competitor or participant organizes subsequent decisions. Archetypes typically grow in popularity for Darwinian reasons. The most effective or efficient organization of strategies and associated decisions survive the test of time. People copy them and employ them in new settings hoping to capture and a piece of the proverbial pie like others who have found success using them in prior situations.

Rather than stay at this philosophical and largely theoretical level (read as trying not to bore you to death), we will pick some specific examples that demonstrate the generation and reliance on archetypes. Let’s talk about sex. I know…an EDH article that talks about sex? Pretty awesome!

When humans are seeking a mate, they tend to employ various strategies. Let’s explore a couple of strategies that folks have used throughout the course of history. Our first example finds us swinging large clubs, smacking down rival males, and dragging the lady folk away at the end of a fistful of primitive hair. It is so easy that even a caveman can do it.

Physical dominance and the employment of strength, speed, and bodily prowess has become an archetype used by dudes to land chicks for centuries. In High School, we had the “Jocks.” As we get a little older we find the gym rats, professional athletes and dudes that wear “wife beater t-shirts” and try to hold women hostage in their mom’s basements. The range is wide. Some folks run a couple of miles every day around their neighborhood while others go all-in on the body sculpting strategy in hopes of wrestling a desirable mate away from other potential candidates.

Have you ever been in a fight over a girl? Have you swung into action in hopes of defending a maiden’s honor? Do you wear tight fitting Ed Hardy shirts with sequins while flexing at your local drinking establishment? If so, you might just be employing the “physical dominance” approach to landing a date.

However, for each archetype, there is typically an alternate or eerily opposite approach for achieving the exact same end. As the dominant male is pushing boulders up the hill and whomping his women about the head and shoulders with pine logs, there has always been another faction storing up food for the winter, growing crops and pimping out the cave with all the newest, cosmopolitan animal skins. There is always some dude in history trying to assemble his harem in a lush gold palace or a Wall Street geek stockpiling Microsoft stock. Basically, this archetype aims to entice a mate through the shrewd accumulation of wealth and, many times, the allure of material goods.

Back in the day, there was always some geek trying to turn lead into gold, inventing electricity, or pioneering some new technology that would launch them from stone nerd to most eligible bachelor. These guys were studying math, polishing their glasses and adjusting their pocket protectors in order to achieve a future shrouded in hot young wives riding around in that year’s baddest, red sports car.

If you can’t employ the physical dominance route to getting a mate, then you might have to buy your way into “sexy.” There are certainly other archetypes. You have the comedian that aims to charm and seduce a mate through humor. We have the entertainer/musician that intends to take center stage in the eye of one or more young lasses, and occasionally you still run into the international playboy that seeks to employ every strategy at once.

Archetypes applied to EDH

In card games, we find a couple of strategies that have endured the test of time. These Darwinian survivors proved fit to succeed. We have beat down, control, and combo. Beat down decks tend to jump into the game with guns blazing. They look to compile a great deal of damage and deliver pain and destruction through severe beatings as they rush toward victory. Control decks look to sweep the leg, keep a player off-balance, and win the war of attrition as they march late into a game with counters and superior card advantage. Combo decks tend to park themselves somewhere in the midst and look to bring together incredible, undeniable synergies to close the game in a single, terrific finale.

White weenie and red deck wins are two variants of beat down decks. Blue is synonymous and typically serves as a cornerstone of great control decks. While combo decks like Time Sieve, Elves!, or the Valakut anchored Scapeshift combos exemplify the honed synergies and complex interactions that folks abuse to achieve alternate win conditions.

These three archetypes seem ever-present in the game of Magic. However, the viability of certain strategies tends to corrode when you alter enough variables in a game of Magic. For example, when life totals are doubled and the relative power of early drops are minimized; the rush archetype tends to struggle. One- and two-drop beaters become less effective as they face down an onslaught of giant elder dragons and some of the most epic removal spells ever played in standard. Board wipe is commonplace and the expected value of a 3/1 creature diminishes over the course of a game in which you are likely going to battle 6/6 fliers and 11/11 indestructible creatures with trample.

Elder Dragon Highlander also introduces a compounding variable beyond the altered, 40 starting life points. Many folks choose to play EDH in groups. Multiplayer games enjoy new complexities of politics, slower pacing, and the propensity to punish the player that jumps out in front with an early threat or overwhelming board presence. Therefore, the beat down player is susceptible to the group’s wrath and often end up on the wrong end of the beat stick.

Control decks flourish in the format. The player who has answers, generates the most card advantage, and dictates the happenings of the game through counters and removal is often the last person standing. The control player has a natural advantage in the slower, multiplayer format due to the sluggish start and oft-cumbersome requirements of complex mana costs. It might be hard to pay for a cruel ultimatum on turn 7 in standard, but the same task is child’s play on turn 20 of an EDH game. The mana is typically available and few folks blink at paying 7 or more mana for a single spell. The game tends to reward doing “big things.”

The variant format also proves a breeding ground for combo players. While some players aim to deal 21 points of general damage to each opposing player, and control players bide their time and counter the most harmful effects and disrupt the most troubling spells, the combo player sneaks into position and springs a trap. I have watched players watching other players. Like clockwork, the combo players begin to dig for pieces of their wicked puzzles. They seek. As time marches, they assemble the makings of their win condition and then wait for the blue players to tap the last of their mana. They wait out the counters and pray for a chance to pounce when the shields go down.

If you are new to the format, it may be worth considering the implications of the most effective archetypes. If you rush to build your red burn deck or assemble your 99-card army of mini-beaters, you may be disappointed during your first games. It happens more often than not that opponents easily neutralize the beat down threat, handicap the rush player, and leave them as a wounded spectator as the rest of the table rolls out 10-cost spells and build the loyalty counters on their planes walkers.

The best advice for the newly initiated to EDH is this: GO BIG OR GO HOME. Elder Dragon Highlander was formed to offer players a chance to have fun. Playing giant dragons and popping off a continuous stream of epic spells is a blast. You should join the movement. If you are looking for outstanding cards for your deck, bench those 2 and 3 drops in lieu of 6 and 7-mana creatures. Play giant legends and the very best creatures to ever grace the mid and later part of Magic games. In many cases, you only use cheap creatures for mana fixing, as slaves to a game plan, or to distract others while you prepare to unleash the true onslaught.

We will close this week with top 5 lists of the best EDH creatures for each color. Check out this assortment of great EDH cards and consider some of your favorites. In the forums, take some time to nominate great cards that I may have missed. Notice that I am purposely excluding weaker creatures like the rather small Tarmogoyf and standard beat sticks like Vampire Nighthawk. Those guys just don’t cut it in a world of Elder Dragons and 4-for-1 netting mythics. You have to expect more from your creatures. Note that many of the picks will net card advantage, serve dual roles (big body, card draw, cycling, removal, etc), and serve as a significant threat. EDH decks can be populated entirely by outstanding creatures that secure a 2-for-1 during game play. The best do a bit more. Check out these top performers:

White

Yosei, the Morning Star
Reveillark
Stonehewer Giant
Eternal Dragon
Akroma, Angel of Wrath

Honorable mention: Baneslayer Angel, Mirror Entity, Exalted Angel

Green

Woodfall Primus
Verdant Force
Genesis
Eternal Witness
Acidic Slime

Honorable mention: Sakura Tribe Elder, Multani, Maro-Sorcerer

Blue

Glen Elendra, Archmage
Draining Welk
Venser, Shaper Savant
Keiga, the Tide Star
Trinket Mage

Honorable mention: Teferi, Mage of Zhalfer, Vendillion Clique

Black

Avatar of Woe
Reiver Demon
Myojin of Night’s Reach
Puppeteer Clique
Ink Eyes, Servant of Oni

Honorable mention: Shriek Maw, Dread

Red

Kiki-Jiki, Mirror Breaker
Anger
Magus of the Moon
Imperial Recruiter
Bogarden Hellkite

Honorable mention: Flameblast Dragon, Other Red Dragons

Gold/Multi-Colored

Djinn Illuminatus
Angel of Despair
Simic Sky Swallower
Trygon Predator
Knight of the Reliquary

Honorable mention: tons of great gold cards, Divinity of Pride, Hellkite Overlord

Artifact Creatures

Darksteel Colossus
Solemn Simulacrum
Duplicant
Memnarch
Sundering Titan

Honorable mention: Sharuum

Overall, Elder Dragon Highlander players have a great deal of creative space when designing decks and creating creature line-ups. If you attempt to build a traditional style beat down deck, you might be very frustrated. The format calls for bigger creatures providing card advantage and amazing impact. Give some of these cards a try in your next build and come visit us on Sundays for EDH.

As a special note: Those interested in the upcoming EDH league will want to attend the EDH tournament on Sunday, March 7th at approximately 2pm. We will be embarking on our first major series with some unbelievable prize support. See you next week when we cover an archetype that might only exist in Elder Dragon Highlander: Group Hug. We will cover the politics and various builds of the catalyst or helper archetype and will highlight the strategy’s ins and outs.

Leave some comments in the section below about your Top 5 list for various colors. What did I miss? What did I nail? Can you assemble a better 5?

*Editor’s Note* – The Game Academy hosts an EDH league every Sunday; tournament signups begin @ 2 PM and tournament entry is $7. All entry will be given back to top finishers in store credit to use towards anything in the store. Jeremy is always in attendance to play EDH in our league, offer deck advice, and record matches for his popular YouTube channel. If you don’t have an EDH deck, don’t worry, we normally have a few extras if you want to play. See you here!

Valentine’s Day evokes mixed feelings for many folks. Some write it off as a greeting card holiday that has been bastardized by commercialism and profiteering while playing on the vulnerability and emotions of the masses. I simply feel this way about all holidays and avoid the trap by playing Elder Dragon Highlander. If you were lucky enough to be one of the select few that really stuck it to the proverbial man and had a chance to buck the sinister conspiracy that is Valentine’s Day, then this tournament report is for you. If you are steeped in puppy love, boxes of stale chocolates and that all familiar hollow feeling of loneliness then you should also continue reading. You might learn to man up!

The Game Academy hosted, what is sure to become, a new February tradition. On the 14th, both casual and competitive players traded in the delusional notions of endless love and hallmark cards for some real cards: Magic the Gathering cards! Instead of sending love notes, players had the chance to deliver a nearly endless smack down of highlander wrath and smoldering vengence as they marched toward the ultimate prize, a fresh box of the newly released Wordwake!

The Rules are Simple

There can be only one. Each Elder Dragon Highlander deck consists of 99 individual cards and a Legendary General. Aside from basic land, no two cards can share a name. Highlander decks are amazing fun to build and play. They force deck builders to generate lists using a wide variety of cards and offer the chance to explore strange and wonderful interactions. Playing Highlander is like visiting the world’s largest candy shop. There are hours and hours of enjoyment available and each trip offers a totally new experience. Because of the vast array of cards in each player’s deck, many games tend to unfold in brilliantly different ways. Like magical snowflakes, EDH games are rarely identical.

The EDH format is awesome. My wife and I host a channel on YouTube that outlines several ways to build a deck. We discuss the most popular (and most hated) strategies, and have some videos that walk new players through the rules. I would invite everyone reading to check out the format, build a 100-card creation, and meet up with us during our regular Sunday events. Currently we are considering two types of tournament play. Some folks have asked for a heads-up, 1 player versus 1 player style tournament. Each general battles and excels based on its own merits. Other players have clamored for multi-player games. On Valentine’s Day we tried a bit of each. The multi-player game was more casual, and the win-a-box tournament featured 1v1 action.

Generally Speaking

The event was advertised on both Facebook and right here on Thegameacademyonline.com. Players ventured from as far south as Manatee County and as far north as Hernando County. There was an entire box of the new set on the line and the winning general was promised the spoils of war. Some of the decks that showed up included Momir Vig in all of his green and blue glory, the Sliver Queen and her five-color sliver brood, Venser championing blue madness, Brion Stoutarm and a craft red/white mix, along with mono green, and other notable elder dragon legends.

The tournament offered a diverse mix of players and deck ideas. A few couples decided to spend their Valentine’s Day romantically kicking ass in an EDH tournament. It really pulls at the heart strings. There were side games of multiplayer before and after the event, and the Game Academy folks discounted some of the EDH singles for new players. We picked up a Cephalid Colliseum and I think another player landed a Beta Berserk.

After some discussion, the rules were set. It was going to be a virtual Valentine’s Day massacre of double elimination matches. I chose to run the following mono-green deck list:

General:
Rofellos, LLanowar Emissary

Creatures:
Ant Queen
Eternal Witness
Fierce Empath
Force of Nature
Forgotten Ancient
Genesis
Indrik Stomphowler
Jedit Ojanen of Efrava
Kamahl, Fist of Krosa
Kodama of the North Tree
Krosan Tusker
Masked Admirers
Molimo, Maro-Sorcerer
Panglacial Wurm
Patron of the Orochi
Primoridal Sage
Regal Force
Sakura-Tribe Elder
Seedborn Muse
Seedguide Ash
Silvos, Rogue Elemental
Solemn Simulacrum
Verdant Force
Viridian Shaman
Viridian Zealot
Woodfall Primus
Yavimaya Druid
Yavimaya Elder

Planeswalkers:
Garruk Wildspeaker

Sorceries:
Beacon of Creation
Collective Unconscious
Desert Twister
Far Wanderings
Harmonize
Hunting Wilds
Hurricane
Journey of Discovery
Kodama’s Reach
Primal Command
Overrun
Natural Order
Nature’s Lore
Rampant Growth
Reap and Sow
Regrowth
Restock
Rude Awakening
Tooth and Nail
Wurmcalling

Instants:
Chord of Calling
Harrow
Krosan Grip
Mystic Melting
Reclaim
Worldly Tutor

Enchantments:
Fecundity
Greater Good
Lurking Predators
Mana Reflection
Sylvan Library

Artifacts:
Extraplanar Lens
Gauntlet of Power
Lightning Greaves
Predator, Flagship
Staff of Domination
Sword of Fire and Ice
Umbral Mantle

Nonbasic Lands:
Wirewood Lodge

Basic Lands:
32 Forests

I like to run a different deck each tournament. It tends to keep my fellow players on their toes and offers me a chance to try out new strategies and creations. I learned a couple of things playing this list. Rofellos, while he might seem small and unassuming, is a total powerhouse. His ability to ramp up the mana count gives a player a chance to cast costly spells and introduce giant green hulks to the game far before their natural time. Dropping an 8-cost Verdant Force on turn 4 gives you 1 giant body, and if left unchecked, can provide amazing board advantage.

There are a couple of quick kill combos in the deck including some tricks with artifacts, but most of my games were won on the back of giant creatures and trample effects like Overrun. The deck dodged disaster and slipped through the tournament without taking a loss. I would encourage players to try out this type of ramp strategy, but possibly consider the “unfun” aspect of winning on turn 4 or 5 with Staff of Domination or Umbral Mantle. After this tournament, I might cut those cards from my list in exchange for the new mythic from Worldwake, Omnath Locus of Mana and Wolfbriar Elemental. Take a quick look over some of the highlights:

Round 1: Rofellos vs. Momir Vig

In a best of 1 EDH game, it is very important to land a good starting hand with plenty of mana. I ended up with 3 forests and the god hand in Regrowth, Umbral Mantle, Sakura Tribe Elder, and Overrun. The Lanowar Emissary hit the board on turn 2 and stuck. Momir Vig directed the disruption by placing the Krosan Grip on my 3rd turn Umbral Mantle. However, Regrowth made sure that the broken equipment made its way back to my hand. By turn 4, the Umbral Mantle was reattached to Rofellos. The synergy between Rofellos’s tap ability and the Umbral Mantle’s untap ability allowed the 2/1 Elf to swell up to a 50/49 attacker with enough spare mana to case the Overrun. The lucky draw and cool synergies allowed for a quick, deadly end to Momir Vig’s assault on the mono-green deck.

Rofellos 1-0 (no losses)

Round 3: Rofellos vs. Venser (monoblue w/ artifacts)

Josh was running Venser. Mono blue decks can be devastating in EDH because there are so many amazing draw effects, counterspells, and EDH houses like Bribery that steal some of your best creatures and use them to beat about your head and face. I have lost to the Venser deck on many occassions and know the long-game was not in my favor. Venser has a propensity to throw people into a mind-slaver lock or some other deadly blue death. At one point in the tournament, I notice that the Venser deck almost achieved the new Jace, the Mind Sculptor’s ultimate ability. That is a pretty sick way to die.

Fortunately for the mono-green goodness, Harmonize kept big creatures in my hand and I was able to work through an onslaught of counter magic. I literally lost 5 or 6 creatures to counter spells before I got a fatty to stick. If it had not been for the mana ramping of Rofellos and the persistent draw provided by Harmonize, graveyard recursion, and more Harmonize, then the game would have gone a different way. In the end, the green general was able to amass an army and overrun the blue defenses.

Rofellos X-0 (no losses)

Round 6

Throughout the tournament, Bill had been headhunting Legends and serving players their elimination losses. Early in the game, his 3-color Nicol Bolas creation dropped a game to the mighty Sliver Queen. However, he battled through red/white, blue/green, and mono-blue to end up as the only other player left standing. The tournament had been hard fought and rightfully claimed by both legendary generals.

While I was confident in the power of my little green elf, I also respected and revered the greatest of the elder dragons. Nicol Bolas and Rofellos reached a cease fire and lived to share the spoils of the box tournament. Bill and I each cracked half of the new World Wake box. I landed an Abyssal Persecutor and a litany of manlands, while Bill opened 3 mythics and a bunch of new playable rares. After the heads-up tournament, some new players had arrived and a few folks played multiplayer until the owners had to close the shutter for a little rest and relaxation.

The Future of EDH at The Game Academy

I have been a constant promoter of the EDH format for almost a year. Elderdragonhighlandr on YouTube features varied decks and information about Grand Prix events, weekly tournament coverage, and other interesting deck interviews from local players, developers and designers from Wizards of the Coast and deck builds and thoughts from Pro Tour players including Patrick Chapin, Cedric Phillips, and TGA’s own Josh Martinez.

The Game Academy will be the future home and sole destination for all of my EDH play. There are leagues that are forming on Sundays and the back stock of EDH staples is at an all time high. It is always amazing to be able to buy almost any card that you need right from the store at which you are playing. The Game Academy is the only store in Tampa that has the cards to support your EDH habit. We will play both tournaments and casual play on Sundays and will be organizing some epic EDH events in the future. Thanks to the Game Academy for this chance to play and write, I hope that we continue to grow this format and that everyone gives Elder Dragon Highlander a try. You will never look back.

Happy Valentine’s Day the EDH way – Jeremy Blair