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Bugs: Recent Topics Paging, Uploading Images & Preview (11 Dec 2020)

Recent Topics paging, uploading images and preview bugs require a patch which has not yet been released.

× Talk about collectible card here.

Magic Commander Decks

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09 Dec 2013 07:26 #167106 by mads b.
In another thread the new commander decks for Magic came up. I like the idea of a bit longer game that lets you get your big dudes on the board so I'm considering buying a couple of decks to play with my wife. Now I also read somewhere that this format is not really that good for two players. And since that's probably the only way I'll get to use those decks I figured I'd ask before pulling the trigger on the cards.

So:
How is the commander decks with only two players.

And related, which decks should I go for? I'm looking at Power Hungry and Nature of the Beast, but mostly because they're on sale in a Danish online store.

Thanks!

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09 Dec 2013 08:23 #167107 by Bull Nakano
Commander (edh) is designed with multiplayer in mind, but it all comes down to deck construction. If you build your deck for heads up and your opponent does as well you'll have a good 2p game. I prefer it with 4, but 2 is the second best number. I haven't played with any of the precons so I can't comment but they've been very well received.

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09 Dec 2013 13:51 - 09 Dec 2013 13:53 #167137 by dragonstout
I am fanatical about Magic being a two-player game only. Despite that, even I agree that the Commander decks are really only for more than 2 players. They're great but FILLED with cards deliberately for multiplayer play. I mean, there's text on a bunch of these cards that doesn't even have a function unless it's multiplayer.

If you want some preconstructed decks for playing with just two players, go for either of the recent Duel Decks: "Sorin vs. Tibalt" or "Heroes vs. Monsters", which are also on sale everywhere. This kind of thing (husband vs. wife, parent vs. kid, repeated matches and closed, boardgame-style play) is exactly what the Duel Deck series was made for.

Now, I see that you also find them appealing because you like the idea of a longer game, the "battlecruiser Magic" style. I haven't played with Duel Decks: Heroes vs. Monsters, but the impression I get is that it's battlecruiser-y. The most battlecruiser-y sets of all time, BTW, are Rise of Eldrazi (easily) and also the latest, current set, Theros. I know that last part probably doesn't help you that much, but hey, just in case.
Last edit: 09 Dec 2013 13:53 by dragonstout.

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09 Dec 2013 14:15 #167144 by mads b.
Replied by mads b. on topic Re: Magic Commander Decks
spot on - I especially liked the idea of commander decks because the were preconstructed and because they seemed to play somewhat differently. So from what you and Bull say I think I should go for one of those duel decks instead.

Thank you!

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09 Dec 2013 19:17 #167172 by dragonstout
I dunno, listen to Bull Nakano too. I'm VERY much theory-crafting here, based on there being cards that do things like reverse the order of play and generally have much greater meaning in a multiplayer setting. But Bull sounds like he's actually PLAYED the Commander decks 2-player, which is *actual* experience talking.

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09 Dec 2013 19:23 #167173 by Bull Nakano
I'm not sure the precons are what you want for 2p, because they are designed with 4-5 players in mind. You'll end up paying 7 or 8 for a card that should cost you 4 or 5 because it has some multiplayer use. You could use them as starting points though if you were interested in deck construction. Building an edh deck from the ground up can be daunting if you don't have a collection and a knowledge of the game, modding precons would be much easier. Duel decks are generally a good choice because they tend to be pretty balanced against one another.

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09 Dec 2013 20:22 #167179 by dragonstout

Bull Nakano wrote: Duel decks are generally a good choice because they tend to be pretty balanced against one another.

Just wanted to reiterate that the Duel Decks are designed specifically to play against each other, unlike most other Magic decks ever in history: cards are put in the Heroes deck specifically because of interesting interactions with the Monsters deck, and cards are *not* put in the Sorin deck specifically in order to avoid one deck dominating the other, for example. With no other preconstructed decks is this true; the five Commander decks, for example, aren't specifically built to play against each other, but rather against general opponents (though they play great against each other). Last week those duel decks were on sale all over the place for crazy cheap, though I dunno about Denmark.

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