Chasing The Meta

We exist in an age of endless information. In the gaming sphere, information is constantly being pushed regarding meta builds. Through constant trial and error processes, players discover and share what are considered to be the best strategies for whatever game they're passionate about. The majority of the player base hasn't done the extensive testing but is granted access to that information. In Magic: the Gathering, this often concerns deckbuilding strategies and themes that are shown to elevate above the rest. With access to this information, why play anything else?

If you were to research the top commanders in Cedh you will likely find deck lists for these commanders that look to abuse their abilities in some way. For example, the Etali deck won't be filled with dinosaur creatures and thematic cards to make you feel like a primeval sorcerer. Instead, you'll find an overload of redundancy in making copies of your commander. The legend rule will cause you to sacrifice the copies, but that's not why you're doing it. The ability on Etali will still trigger and you will endlessly cast spells from the top of your opponents decks. For many, this is all the fun they will need and seeing the misery in their opponents eyes as they cast their best spells will be the sweetest nectar. I'm not here to shame anyone for building this kind of deck and I can certainly see the fun and power to be wielded here. I'm merely offering a path away from the meta.

I truly believe that the real endearment with the commander format comes from the social aspect of it. Getting together with a few friends and interacting. I've had some of the best times of my life playing this format. The laughing, roasting, reacting, and chaos that can result from a single game of commander is a beautiful thing. I've been down in the dumps, losses piling up on a given night, but then something happens. My game actions aren't carrying the same weight that they did a few hours earlier. My permanents are beginning to stick around longer, and my spells aren't getting countered. I've achieved table wide sympathy from my failures. A window begins to open where I am not perceived as a threat, even if for a moment. This moment is sometimes all you will need to push through for a victory and feel all the joy. The opposite is true for the player who seems to keep winning. An unspoken pact starts to form between the other players, recognizing the real threat at the table. This player will likely be the target of counter spells, targeted removal, heavy creature attacks, and general hate. Alliances will begin to form and the game turns into archenemy. It's like a natural form of checks and balances and it gives weaker decks a chance to succeed against all odds.

What I really want to say is, build decks that are fun and thematic for you. Lean in on whatever strategy brings you the most fun in a game of magic. Make a deck around a commander that you like purely because the art speaks to you. If copy/pasting deck lists from the internet is what you're into, keep doing it. I'm not telling you how to play magic, I just want to convey that it isn't how you have to play. The Etali player will soak in some tears playing everyone else's cards for free... for awhile. A revolution will soon arise and stop allowing that player to do anything at all. The meta deck was fun, until it's exposed and don't expect the play group to forget what it did to them.