Why do individuals hate Stone Rain?
Land destruction is…controversial in Commander. It’s usually thought to be unfun and doesn’t play nicely with others’ play experiences. In informal play, many gamers are usually enjoying to do a sure factor, or work together in a sure manner, both mechanically, strategically, or socially. Stone Rain is taken into account the antithesis of all of that, and for good causes. Individuals can’t solid their spells with out lands. Regardless of the place you go, you’ll be onerous pressed to rule zero your manner into enjoying heavy land destruction, and even should you do, you’re in all probability going to be enjoying a handicap match towards the opposite three individuals.
However how a lot land destruction is an excessive amount of land destruction?
This can be a bizarre one. I’m typically very important about how individuals conflate rule zeroing with onerous and quick guidelines, and a subject like this can be a good instance of that. I personally wouldn’t have a difficulty with land destruction, as a result of if something, it could be a very good perception into how I can higher configure my decks, or higher mulligan, and so on. In case your deck doesn’t perform since you misplaced two lands, then it in all probability means you are able to do one thing a bit higher alongside the method. Now, I perceive that some individuals aren’t making an attempt to assume that far, and that’s high-quality. If that’s the case, then the place precisely is the road? Are we actually going to maintain the land destruction participant from enjoying land destruction as a result of “we don’t prefer it”? How far will we lean the slope?
Is a flip two Sinkhole actually going to destroy everybody’s day? Are we conflating mentioned Sinkhole to Obliterate? This appears like wild comparability, however my foray into commander has yielded some fascinating experiences with the right way to method enjoying with gamers, and it’s typically grow to be irritating.
One of many many upsides of enjoying cEDH is that the format is the rule zero. You already know that entering into, the expectation is to win, nevertheless means the gamers concerned are able to. With this like minded mindset, you may construct your decks, method a desk, and socialize and politicize accordingly. It looks like a correct board sport being performed competitively, versus a social sport that you must pre-emptively stroll on eggshells for. Informal commander will at all times have a spot, and it’s extraordinarily essential for that format to exist. However, I feel it’s additionally essential to be important of how we method issues like rule zero, and the way it’s interpreted throughout communities chances are you’ll find yourself in.
So, what precisely will we do about this? How does the Stone Rain enjoyer truly get to play video games with out making individuals depressing? I don’t know the reply, however I feel that if you understand what you’re getting your self into, construct your deck accordingly? There are already not sufficient lands being performed in 90% of commander decks, and if getting your lands destroyed doesn’t spotlight that for you, then it’s finally on you.
But additionally…
If we’re actually going to beat that participant, then simply preserve land heavy palms? Land destruction has notoriously misplaced to palms with a whole lot of lands, and it’s why it hasn’t been too viable of a technique for years now. For those who’re the large inexperienced monsters particular person, you then may need to lean extra in the direction of your mana dorks and look into the lengthy sport. For those who’re the management participant, there’s no actual motive to work together early should you aren’t going to die, and should you’re the aggro participant, hitting the bottom operating and dealing with somebody to strain in tandem may work.
Possibly that is ambivalent and detached in the direction of the archetype, possibly it’s a bit too harsh on the informal commander gamers.
However possibly it’s value doing a bit extra on our finish to make issues pleasing for everybody, even when they’re enjoying a deck we will not be a fan of.
Anthony Lowry (they/he) is a seasoned TCG, MMORPG, and FPS veteran. They’re extensively educated on the intricacies of many aggressive shops, and are at all times searching for a brand new problem within the gaming sphere.