I realized yesterday that I've been playing Commander for almost a decade now. I've been fortunate enough to have played in several different places across the US and in Germany. I've made tons of lifelong friends, have built countless decks, and have experienced the highs of thrilling wins and the crushing lows of defeat.

Commander has made my life better, given me a social and creative outlet, and has challenged me in so many ways. I wanted to share with you all some of what I've learned:

1. Communication is Key:

So many people's issues with EDH can be solved with a simple conversation. You don't need to have a therapy session with people before each game, but it's important to be real about your expectations.

For better or worse, Commander first and foremost is a social game. If you don't communicate your expectations clearly, you will almost always be disappointed with your gaming experiences.

Good communication is a two-way street, though. Creating balanced gameplay is predicated on actively listening to others and trying to find common ground.

2. It's Bigger than Wins and Losses:

I really like to win as I'm sure most of you do too. Magic is hard, and piloting a deck of my own design to a hard fought win against stiff competition is an incredible feeling. However, being singularly focused on wins and losses makes you blind to other people's experiences at the table.

Compliment people's card choices, comment on a cool play they made during the game, tell them how neat you think their deck is, and above all else stay positive. Striving to take away something positive from each game you play means you never truly lose.

3. Don't be so Hard on Yourself:

You will lose a lot, it comes with being a Magic player. That deck idea you spent hours working on and goldfishing will inevitably fail. You will have bad days, you will misplay, and sometimes other people will behave in garbage ways that stifle your enjoyment.

Losses are opportunities for growth and reflection. Don't be afraid to set the hobby aside and take a break from it if it isn't functioning as a positive piece of your life. If you have the ability to, don't be afraid to try out new gamestores or to introduce yourself to new groups of players.

Commander should be fun. Even at the highest levels of cEDH gameplay, people come back for more because it's both challenging and enjoyable. If you aren't having fun, make a change.

4. Be Patient with Inexperienced Players and Yourself:

Magic: The Gathering is one of the most difficult games out there. Commander takes all the complexities of MTG and adds the complete chaos that is multi-player free for all gameplay to the mix. Naturally, a lot of people are going to struggle while figuring out Commander.

We were all new at one point, and even ten years into this hobby, I'm still constantly learning new things. Commander is growing like crazy and new players are joining in all the time. Please be kind to them and help them navigate through the complexities and chaos. Don't forget to be kind to yourself too.

5. Build What Makes You Happy:

There is no right or wrong way to be a creative deck brewer. Personally, I like to have a small handful of decks that I play for long periods of time and carefully tinker, bling out, and experiment with.

I have many friends who prefer to constantly brew new decks, though. They proxy cards and show up to game nights with bins filled with dozens of Commander decks. It's not my style, but I respect the hustle.

I know many other people who only play unaltered precons or copy and paste decks straight from EDHREC. I know plenty of people who hate casual Commander and exclusively play top flight cEDH decks.

Whatever your style is, don't be ashamed of it. Everyone's preferences, budgets, and play styles are different. Part of what makes Commander so unique is that's there's unlimited room for creativity. Don't be afraid to express yourself, there's room for everyone at the table.

Conclusion:

If you took the time to read all this nonsense I appreciate it. If you have helpful suggestions or nuggets of wisdom to share, please leave them in the comments 😁 bye for now!

Edit: Thank you kind stranger for the award