Another Story Circle

Posted in Top Decks on March 27, 2014

By Adam Styborski

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Stybs has played Magic the world over, writing and drafting as part of the event coverage team and slinging Commander everywhere his decks will fit.

Many games of Magic are mundane. Creating stories is an exception.

Story Circle | Art by Alan Pollack

Unlike formats like Standard and Draft, where three games are meant to be played in under an hour, Commander is a multiplayer format known for games that go longer. While the complicated nature of the format slows things a step, it's also a function of playing with more than one opponent: there are now two, three, or more other turns to wait through until yours is up again.

But the format was designed with multiplayer in mind.

Legendary creatures. Big spells. Wacky cards and effects. The focus of Commander is creating stories, trying to ensure every game plays out in a way that's fun, engaging, and surprising. The different experience Commander provides is one of the reasons so many of us enjoy the format so much.

The other week, I asked you for your best stories, the moments and experiences that stand above all the games of Commander you've played. As usual, you didn't disappoint.

Of Legends and Lore

Stories come in all styles, and why a story will stand out to one player may not make it resonate with another. With the flavorful nature of game, it's no wonder flavor hits make sense, as Alex shared:

My best Commander deck story comes from my Prossh, Skyraider of Kher deck. It has plenty of good stories behind it. Sometimes, it's a ramp deck that powers into big creatures; other times, it's a Rock deck that grinds out opponents with value. But one game held a particularly serendipitous moment that I consider its defining play.

Over time, the deck has become something of a Jund superfriends fiasco, and so Xenagos, the Reveler found his way in. In some manner I can't recall (and this was before the deck had Doubling Season), he survived to six loyalty counters—enough to use his ultimate ability. In that vulgar display of power, Xenagos ascended, revealing Xenagos, God of Revels. I won that game off the back of narrative serendipity.

Xenagos, the Reveler
Xenagos, God of Revels

With savage regards,
Alex

Alex's Prossh
Decklist Stats Sample Hand
Planeswalker (9)
1 Domri Rade 1 Sarkhan Vol 1 Garruk Wildspeaker 1 Xenagos, the Reveler 1 Garruk, Primal Hunter 1 Vraska the Unseen 1 Liliana Vess 1 Sorin Markov 1 Garruk, Caller of Beasts
Creature (33)
1 Orcish Lumberjack 1 Inner-Flame Acolyte 1 Deathrite Shaman 1 Viscera Seer 1 Blood Artist 1 Jade Mage 1 Scavenging Ooze 1 Sakura-Tribe Elder 1 Shriekmaw 1 Champion of Lambholt 1 Eternal Witness 1 Courser of Kruphix 1 Vithian Renegades 1 Borderland Ranger 1 Yavimaya Elder 1 Farhaven Elf 1 Mwonvuli Beast Tracker 1 Spitebellows 1 Purphoros, God of the Forge 1 Disciple of Bolas 1 Creakwood Liege 1 Anger 1 Ogre Battledriver 1 Xenagos, God of Revels 1 Acidic Slime 1 Genesis 1 Wrecking Ogre 1 Skullmulcher 1 Bloodgift Demon 1 Deathbringer Thoctar 1 Harvester of Souls 1 Dragon Broodmother 1 Butcher of Malakir
Sorcery (7)
1 Vandalblast 1 Blasphemous Act 1 Dreadbore 1 Maelstrom Pulse 1 Sever the Bloodline 1 Damnation 1 Increasing Ambition
Instant (2)
1 Rakdos Charm 1 Beast Within
Artifact (3)
1 Sol Ring 1 Wayfarer's Bauble 1 Whip of Erebos
Enchantment (9)
1 Necrogenesis 1 Goblin Bombardment 1 Awakening Zone 1 Food Chain 1 Fires of Yavimaya 1 Parallel Lives 1 Grave Pact 1 Doubling Season 1 Dragon Appeasement
Land (36)
6 Forest 5 Mountain 4 Swamp 1 Command Tower 1 Opal Palace 1 Grim Backwoods 1 Golgari Guildgate 1 Gruul Guildgate 1 Temple of Malice 1 Woodland Cemetery 1 Overgrown Tomb 1 Khalni Garden 1 Rootbound Crag 1 Fire-Lit Thicket 1 Terramorphic Expanse 1 Blood Crypt 1 Kazandu Refuge 1 Savage Lands 1 Kher Keep 1 Raging Ravine 1 Bojuka Bog 1 Evolving Wilds 1 Blackcleave Cliffs 1 Lavaclaw Reaches
99 Cards
Deal Another Hand

Sometimes, though, it's anti-flavor that takes the cake, as Matthew shared:

Commander is actually why I got back into Magic! I was living in Washington and flying to California to see my girlfriend frequently, and one day she introduced me to Commander when she and her friends regaled me with tales of having Commander "tea parties" involving Olivia Voldaren, Teysa, and Yeva.

Olivia Voldaren
Teysa, Orzhov Scion

The conversation led me to build a deck based on my favorite tribe: Kithkin! Here it is below:

Matthew's Karametra
Decklist Stats Sample Hand
Creature (41)
1 Amrou Seekers 1 Ballynock Cohort 1 Ballynock Trapper 1 Ballyrush Banneret 1 Brigid, Hero of Kinsbaile 1 Burrenton Bombardier 1 Burrenton Shield-Bearers 1 Cenn's Heir 1 Cenn's Tactician 1 Champion of Lambholt 1 Changeling Titan 1 Cloudgoat Ranger 1 Elder of Laurels 1 Gaddock Teeg 1 Galepowder Mage 1 Goldmeadow Dodger 1 Goldmeadow Harrier 1 Goldmeadow Lookout 1 Guardian of Cloverdell 1 Kinsbaile Borderguard 1 Kinsbaile Skirmisher 1 Kithkin Daggerdare 1 Kithkin Harbinger 1 Kithkin Mourncaller 1 Kithkin Rabble 1 Kithkin Shielddare 1 Kithkin Spellduster 1 Kithkin Zephyrnaut 1 Knight of Meadowgrain 1 Mirror Entity 1 Mistmeadow Skulk 1 Mosquito Guard 1 Order of the Golden Cricket 1 Order of Whiteclay 1 Patrol Signaler 1 Plover Knights 1 Preeminent Captain 1 Resplendent Mentor 1 Springjack Shepherd 1 Thoughtweft Trio 1 Wizened Cenn
Sorcery (2)
1 Cenn's Enlistment 1 Harmonize
Instant (6)
1 Artisan's Sorrow 1 Bathe in Light 1 Evolution Charm 1 Natural End 1 Steeling Stance 1 Sundering Growth
Artifact (6)
1 Behemoth Sledge 1 Crown of Convergence 1 Door of Destinies 1 Druidic Satchel 1 Seer's Sundial 1 Tower of Fortunes
Enchantment (8)
1 Canopy Cover 1 Curse of Predation 1 Dense Canopy 1 Growing Ranks 1 Intangible Virtue 1 Marshal's Anthem 1 Militia's Pride 1 Parallel Lives
Land (34)
9 Forest 1 Gavony Township 1 Graypelt Refuge 1 Grove of the Guardian 1 Homeward Path 14 Plains 1 Rogue's Passage 1 Rustic Clachan 1 Secluded Steppe 1 Selesnya Sanctuary 1 Slippery Karst 1 Springjack Pasture 1 Temple of Plenty
Tribal instant (2)
1 Crib Swap 1 Surge of Thoughtweft
99 Cards
Deal Another Hand

It's gone through some revisions since its inception, and it's not a super powerful deck, but I like its flavor—a few human heroes aiding the kithkin in defense of their town. And in general, that's how it goes. I sit quietly while everyone else assembles their massive armies, and then we meet with their army and my thirty or so Kithkin tokens.

However, my most memorable bout wound up being the most ludicrous. We were trading blows here and there, and a few of my friends at the table had decided that they'd simply wreck all the Kithkin that came into play. But they were leaving my enchantments alone, and I had a few Kithkin that escaped notice. So I played Springjack Shepherd with seven chroma and Parallel Lives in play. The shepherd was killed chump-blocking after that, but the fourteen Goat tokens became my last, best hope to stall.

...until I played Marshaling Anthem and I brought that stupid Shepherd back again.

That was the day that the Kithkin stayed home, but their Goats marshaled to war and won the day.

Ever since then, I make a huge deal every time I summon even a single Goat token. "WATCH OUT GUYS, I'VE GOT A GOAT!" And in general, people tend to react appropriately afraid.

Goats are serious business.

—Matthew

It's not just flavor wins that steal the spotlight. How decks play out can factor into making average stories turn out great, as Dan explained with a deck designed to not kill:

I play a Jhoira of the Ghitu deck that everyone both loves and despises because of my love for Scrambleverse, Warp World, and other crazy effects, along with a lot of card drawing and letting players play spells. The deck really has no win condition (the closest I think is Sphinx of Uthuun), yet I almost killed someone on turn 6.

I was playing a five-man game with my local playgroup, and the beginning wasn't very exciting. I then cast Wild Evocation to let everyone play some spells. The guy next to me, Rob, who plays a very serious and good deck, gave a small groan. On his turn I found out why: he Wild Evocationed into Enter the Infinite. He proceeded to draw his deck as we all freaked out because he could die soon! This wasn't supposed to happen! Luckily, he had an Elixir of Immortality to save himself, but I still can't believe killing someone with this decklist!

—Dan

Wild Evocation
Enter the Infinite

Dan's Jhoira
Decklist Stats Sample Hand
Planeswalker (2)
1 Chandra Ablaze 1 Jace Beleren
Creature (11)
1 Archaeomancer 1 Braids, Conjurer Adept 1 Conundrum Sphinx 1 Goblin Electromancer 1 Kami of the Crescent Moon 1 Mindclaw Shaman 1 Shocker 1 Soldier of Fortune 1 Solemn Simulacrum 1 Sphinx of Uthuun 1 Steel Wall
Sorcery (19)
1 Compulsive Research 1 Faithless Looting 1 Invoke the Firemind 1 Minds Aglow 1 Mystic Retrieval 1 Ponder 1 Preordain 1 Prosperity 1 Reforge the Soul 1 Scrambleverse 1 Skyscribing 1 Spelltwine 1 Stolen Goods 1 Temporal Cascade 1 Thieves' Auction 1 Time Reversal 1 Vandalblast 1 Warp World 1 Wild Guess
Instant (13)
1 Brainstorm 1 Cyclonic Rift 1 Increasing Vengeance 1 Izzet Charm 1 Misdirection 1 Mystical Tutor 1 Negate 1 Redirect 1 Reverberate 1 Smelt 1 Swerve 1 Think Twice 1 Wild Ricochet
Artifact (13)
1 Caged Sun 1 Crown of Empires 1 Darksteel Ingot 1 Elixir of Immortality 1 Howling Mine 1 Izzet Keyrune 1 Journeyer's Kite 1 Knowledge Pool 1 Scepter of Empires 1 Temple Bell 1 Thran Dynamo 1 Throne of Empires 1 Witchbane Orb
Enchantment (6)
1 Arcane Melee 1 Curse of Echoes 1 Eye of the Storm 1 Infinite Reflection 1 Possibility Storm 1 Wild Evocation
Land (35)
13 Island 11 Mountain 1 Desolate Lighthouse 1 Evolving Wilds 1 Ghost Quarter 1 Izzet Guildgate 1 Mikokoro, Center of the Sea 1 Reliquary Tower 1 Shimmering Grotto 1 Steam Vents 1 Sulfur Falls 1 Terramorphic Expanse 1 Valakut, the Molten Pinnacle
99 Cards
Deal Another Hand

A deck like Dan's is what I would consider the archetypical "story-maker" deck: It keeps players with full hands, plays effects that get things into play for everyone, then applies a little randomization to ensure even the best-laid plans are transformed into something spontaneous. This style of deck is at odds with the approach many of us bring to the format—"Here's my plan. Can you stop it?"—but how often is our core plan as interesting as a more scattershot situation?

Bobby's Nin, the Pain Artist deck has a plan to help someone else win, but even that can be shifted with the right situation:

My Nin deck has one goal: lose. Don't try to win, help someone else do it. Blast their guys for just less than lethal and draw them cards, counter the other players' scary spells.

The first game of the first night the deck existed I sat down to a five-player game and set to work. I decided who I was going to help, tried my best to hide this decision, and subtly drew him cards and countered things that were aimed his way. However, my inexperience with the deck and dumb luck got the best of me, the player got too scary, and a collation of players took him down. So there I was, with no idea what this deck was supposed to do, staring down three players. I stayed alive for as many turns as possible until it hit me. It got round to my turn and I asked someone "Cards in deck?" then turned Nin and my mana sideways at his library for thirty-five. The other two players realized what was going to happen and tried their best to stop it. But a grip full of counter spells let me keep twentying libraries away. I went from directionless to winner in four turns.

Nin, the Pain Artist

The first time I play the deck and it doesn't even do what it's supposed to do.

—Bobby

Bobby's Nin
Decklist Stats Sample Hand
Planeswalker (1)
1 Jace Beleren
Creature (5)
1 Archaeomancer 1 Burnished Hart 1 Creepy Doll 1 Jiwari, the Earth Aflame 1 Solemn Simulacrum
Sorcery (5)
1 Banefire 1 Blasphemous Act 1 Curse of the Swine 1 Mystic Retrieval 1 Vandalblast
Instant (32)
1 Ætherize 1 Arcane Denial 1 Blue Sun's Zenith 1 Chaos Warp 1 Comet Storm 1 Commandeer 1 Counterflux 1 Counterspell 1 Cryptic Command 1 Cyclonic Rift 1 Dissipate 1 Double Negative 1 Dream Fracture 1 Evacuation 1 Foil 1 Forbid 1 Force of Will 1 Hinder 1 Last Word 1 Mindbreak Trap 1 Negate 1 Opportunity 1 Pact of Negation 1 Rapid Hybridization 1 Reverberate 1 Shattering Pulse 1 Spell Crumple 1 Stroke of Genius 1 Swan Song 1 Time Stop 1 Twincast 1 Wipe Away
Artifact (13)
1 Darksteel Citadel 1 Chromatic Lantern 1 Dreamstone Hedron 1 Everflowing Chalice 1 Gilded Lotus 1 Izzet Cluestone 1 Izzet Signet 1 Journeyer's Kite 1 Mizzium Transreliquat 1 Pristine Talisman 1 Sol Ring 1 Temple Bell 1 Venser's Journal
Enchantment (5)
1 Leyline of Anticipation 1 Omniscience 1 Propaganda 1 Rhystic Study 1 Stranglehold
Land (37)
1 Command Tower 1 Desolate Lighthouse 1 Evolving Wilds 1 Exotic Orchard 13 Island 1 Izzet Boilerworks 1 Izzet Guildgate 1 Kher Keep 1 Mikokoro, Center of the Sea 9 Mountain 1 Reliquary Tower 1 Springjack Pasture 1 Steam Vents 1 Strip Mine 1 Sulfur Falls 1 Tectonic Edge 1 Temple of the False God
Tribal instant (1)
1 Faerie Trickery
99 Cards
Deal Another Hand

Some of the stories that we remember are those that are just for us, victories and come-from-behind moments that aren't a shared experience. Taylor's story is one I think all of us have had in some form or another:

My crazy story involves absurd lifegain. My favorite deck is Ghost Council of Orzhova, mainly for the lifegain. I was down to 3 life points. My opponent had Nekusar on the field, so using my Underworld Connections put me down to 1. But it was so worth the draw. It was Rhox Faithmender. With thirteen 2/2 Zombies (From Army of the Damned) ready to swing, I swung. My opponent set up blocks, apparently unaware of my Vault of the Archangel untapped with mana. After that combat phase, my opponent had a much smaller field and I had 53 life (1 + ((13 × 2) × 2)). A few turns later, a flashed back Army of the Damned and some other creatures and swung to gain more than 100 life with the Rhox Faithmender/Vault of the Archangel combo.

Rhox Faithmender
Vault of the Archangel

With the decklist here, I think you can see other ridiculous lifegain scenarios.

—Taylor

Taylor's Ghost Council
Decklist Stats Sample Hand
Planeswalker (1)
1 Sorin, Lord of Innistrad
Creature (25)
1 Angel of Serenity 1 Baleful Force 1 Bloodline Keeper 1 Butcher of Malakir 1 Children of Korlis 1 Divinity of Pride 1 Fiend Hunter 1 Intrepid Hero 1 Karmic Guide 1 Obzedat, Ghost Council 1 Orzhov Guildmage 1 Palisade Giant 1 Pontiff of Blight 1 Purity 1 Requiem Angel 1 Reveillark 1 Rhox Faithmender 1 Seizan, Perverter of Truth 1 Sepulchral Primordial 1 Sun Titan 1 Thraben Doomsayer 1 Tidehollow Sculler 1 Tithe Drinker 1 Twilight Drover 1 Vizkopa Confessor
Sorcery (15)
1 Ancient Craving 1 Archangel's Light 1 Army of the Damned 1 Black Sun's Zenith 1 Death Grasp 1 Debt to the Deathless 1 Decree of Pain 1 Increasing Ambition 1 Innocent Blood 1 Kirtar's Wrath 1 Lingering Souls 1 Obzedat's Aid 1 Phyrexian Rebirth 1 Sever the Bloodline 1 Unburial Rites
Instant (9)
1 Death Denied 1 Divine Deflection 1 Doom Blade 1 Faith's Reward 1 Ghostway 1 Go for the Throat 1 Sudden Spoiling 1 Unexpectedly Absent 1 Unmake
Artifact (5)
1 Ancient Den 1 Altar of Shadows 1 Orzhov Cluestone 1 Sword of Light and Shadow 1 Traveler's Amulet
Enchantment (9)
1 Blind Obedience 1 Cathars' Crusade 1 Darksteel Mutation 1 Exquisite Blood 1 Field of Souls 1 Oblivion Ring 1 Price of Knowledge 1 Recumbent Bliss 1 Underworld Connections
Land (35)
1 Command Tower 1 Ebon Stronghold 1 Godless Shrine 1 Inkmoth Nexus 1 Isolated Chapel 1 New Benalia 1 Orzhov Basilica 1 Orzhov Guildgate 12 Plains 1 Reliquary Tower 11 Swamp 1 Vault of the Archangel 1 Vivid Marsh 1 Windbrisk Heights
99 Cards
Deal Another Hand