Do you have any EDH / Commander related confessions? Have you ever cheated in the game, maybe by accident? Do you always keep Sol Ring in your hand on T1 so you don't get targeted? Do you hate full art cards?

What are some commanders that you would build in a heartbeat if they worked just slightly differently?

I've always lamented that Toshiro Umezawa's ability didn’t also apply to sorceries. Spellslinger isn't really a theme that's associated with mono-B, so Toshiro's effect is rather unique and interesting.

But then you look at Black's selection of instants, and outside of spells that just kill things, the selection is dire. There’s some card draw, a handful of niche/limited reanimator pieces, the odd ritual here and there, and an assortment of other odds and ends. There just isn't enough quality or volume to build a theme around anything other than just killing things.

The only way to incorporate actual wincons that are related to the theme of the deck that I can think of would be grinding everyone down with Blood Artist effects and heavy board control, and if you want to win with Blood Artist, why not just run Aristocrats instead?

If it were instants and sorceries, Toshiro would be able to do a lot more interesting things that otherwise couldn't be easily accomplished in mono-B. Breaking timing restrictions on sorceries might've been kinda problematic back in the original Kamigawa block, but these days there are enough commanders that can do that, to the point where it's probably not that big of a deal.

Any other commanders you wish worked just slightly differently?

So I'm brewing up a [Anje Falkenrath] Madness deck. And I noticed the dual synergies with Vampires and Zombies a la [Stensia Masquerade] and [Dying to Serve]. Thus since it's causual and not cedh I though why not make it semi-tribal?

But I quickly ran into the problem with trying to do two tribes at once. I either run one tribe with a tack on, or I water both down too much. As such I come to you seeking wisdom. Any tips for makin a dual tribal deck work? Or is it a case of kill your darlings? Bonus points for card suggestion! Budget is a concern, but one or two semi-expensicve cards could be included.

I'm trying to build a fun, casual Reanimator deck using Kess, Dissident Mage, but I'm having a little trouble: Moxfield Decklist

Basically the deck is pretty inconsistent and susceptible and also not very interactive. Meaning I might be lucky and reanimate a big threat turn 3-4, but it's a single threat that can be easily dealt with. And because it is a big threat, it usually is the immediate focus. While others build their board, I filter cards until I can reanimate another big threat, leaving my board pretty empty. This could be compensated with interactions, but because the deck needs enough big threats, filter/loot cards and reanimate spells, there is little space.

I run a couple of tutors to help with the consistency, but they are kind of inappropriate for the power level of the deck. So sometimes I replace them with less good draws/threats/reanimates.

I feel like my only course is to play even more impactful threats, which are expensive to get, but also increase the power level inconsistency, while making me the target, because there could be something very bad incoming at any time.

So, is there a way to keep this a casual deck, but also make it more consistent and interactive? Maybe focusing a little more on spellslinging?

Edit: In the end I came to turns with the fact that a reanimator strategy alone does not work in a 4-player game (except maybe with much stronger targets). So I build the deck a little more into the spellslinger direction, cut the Demonic Tutor and accepted that it will be a power level 6 like my other decks.

White: Heliod https://manabox.app/decks/CFRv24kLT5Sk1WVix77sOA
Blue: Azami https://manabox.app/decks/bDQeB2UiSeex6Kl5fle0Yw
Black: Endrek Sar https://manabox.app/decks/OOXYqDmRT_2P9sR62YGUcw
Red: Krenko https://manabox.app/decks/1aKHtUfTT_u9F4Lm5-2Nzg
Green: Azusa https://manabox.app/decks/kav95jqtQsiABwNQsI61Jw

So I put together a Star Format Commander set. I have yet to play test so I am not sure how balanced everything is currently. I tried to make the decks on theme to their basic color identity, but that made balancing a little hard. The decks were made with only cards I already owned, so if some obvious things are missing that is why. Also I know there a few illegal cards for Commander in some decks, but wanted a fun factor and since this is a cube-ish type thing meant to only be played togehter I figured it was fine. It was a blast to put together and hopefully will be fun to play. Let me know what you guys think.

Bonus red deck in case it's just too hard for krenko to kill 2 opponents. Hidetsugu: https://manabox.app/decks/68Hkf2kJQr-X-RuyGakPZw

I'm looking for decks that if I explain them people genuinely are curious and confused. Currently people in my playgroup love my 90 Forest deck. It actually beat a CEDH deck.

I started playing Legacy years ago. So I love dumb ideas like 1 land Belcher and such. What are your suggestions?

I've been looking for inspirations on ways to use cards that feels like it's working outside those cards' expected parameters/use-cases. Things that feel like they hit strategies that WotC might not have thought about when printing the cards.

For instance, one of the most popular expressions of this is the open secret that Tivit, Seller of Secrets actually functions better as an artifact-combo commander than as a voting commander - every ETB or combat hit makes 5 artifacts, guaranteed, which makes Time Sieve combos easy.

Or, in terms of decks I've brewed/been brewing, Zevlor Elturel Exile as a poison-proliferate deck. Doesn't work great, but the idea is to try and spike the board with multiplied proliferate triggers, so I can tick people up by 3 poison per "single target spell plus proliferate as an upside" spell. Turns out that people just focus you and your commander out of the game pretty much immediately if you try that, but I digress.

Or, using Mutate as a mechanic not to try and actually proc on-mutate effects, but just to strip "legendary" off cards that are balanced around it as a mechanic, like Kiki-Jiki. Mutate him into a nonlegendary, and you can infinitely multiply him during your prior opponent's end step, and overrun the board during your turn.

It's effects like these that I really enjoy exploring, the cases that make people stop and say, "Wait, it works like that?" or, "Wait, you did all that just to do this?" It scoops a lot into the art form that is jank deckbuilding, and I'm curious to know what little corners of the MTG design-space you all have found funny little interactions in.

So I am here for suggestions about completing my mono colored commander decks. I currently have: White- ? Blue- Azami wizards Black- Chainer graveyard shenanigans Red- Hedetsugu double damage (or Krenko goblins) Green- ?

Looking for your suggestions for White and Green mono colored commanders and why you like them. If it is on theme for color identity that is a plus. I think the end goal is to have them be playable in a star format(be the first to kill your 2 enemy colors). Dont worry about the power of the commander/deck as I will do the balancing on my end.Thanks!