Okay, so choosing a Commander deck, right? Man, this tripped me up for ages. Let me tell you how my brain almost melted and what finally kind of worked. Buckle up, it’s messy.
The Utter Overwhelm Phase
First thing I did was, obviously, go online. Big mistake. Thousands of decks. THOUSANDS. I looked at tier lists, tournament winners, budget brews… my eyes glazed over. It was like trying to drink from a firehose. I just stared at card names feeling totally lost.
The “Shiny Thing!” Mistake
Frustrated, I picked a commander that looked cool on the artwork. Big dragon? Yeah, awesome! Bought a bunch of random red and green cards that seemed dragon-y. Took it to my buddy’s place feeling pumped. Epic failure. The deck did nothing. I drew lands or giant dragons I couldn’t cast. Turns out, dragons are expensive! Who knew? (Apparently everyone except me). Felt stupid.
The Copycat Phase (Didn’t Fit)
Alright, forget that. Next strategy: copy a winner. Found this super complex Combo Deck online that won some tournament. Downloaded the list, bought the singles (ouch, wallet), sleeved it up. Played a game. Total disaster. I had no idea what I was doing. Cards made no sense together to me. My friends groaned while I fumbled. That deck went straight back in the box. Lesson learned: just because a deck wins doesn’t mean you can pilot it.
Starting to Get a Clue (Maybe)
Fed up, I actually stopped looking at decks and started watching games. Paid attention to what I enjoyed. Saw someone playing a deck that just recurred creatures from the graveyard over and over. Looked annoying… but also kinda fun? Realized:
- I actually hated sitting there not doing much (like my dragon fiasco).
- I liked having options, doing stuff every turn, even small stuff.
- Super complex combos just stressed me out trying to remember them.
So, maybe I needed something resilient, something that interacted, something not too fiddly.
The “Lightbulb” Moment (Sort Of)
Talked to my buddy, the one who beat my dragon deck into the ground. Told him what I didn’t like and what I might like. He asks: “Do you wanna play big spells, lots of little dudes, steal stuff, make tokens, blow things up?” Honestly? “Blowing things up” sounded cathartic after my failures. Simple. Direct. He grinned.
He hands me a deck with [[Heartless Hidetsugu]] at the helm. Mono-red, burn spells, damage doublers… the whole point is just to set things on fire. Including yourself sometimes. Played a game. It was chaotic, fast, kinda stupid, but oh man it was satisfying. Finally, I was DOING something. It clicked. It wasn’t “optimal,” but it fit how I wanted to play at that moment.
What I Actually Learned (The Hard Way)
Forget all the “top tier” nonsense at first. Seriously. Ask yourself:
- What do I find fun? Winning isn’t the only answer.
- Do I like playing creatures, slinging spells, building combos?
- How complex do I want my turns? Simple beats? Or puzzle-solving?
- What kind of budget am I actually okay with?
Find a commander that lets you do THAT thing. Test with a borrowed deck if you can, or just proxy the damn thing before buying. Play a few games. Does it make you smile? Even when you lose? If yes, that’s your deck. Don’t make it harder than it has to be. Start with what feels good, screw the “meta.” You can always tweak or build another deck later. My Hidetsugu deck is still janky, but man, do I enjoy setting the table on fire.