Having a plan Starts even before you sit down to a game
It happens when you’re building your deck
Decks should have a plan and ultimately, aside from everyone having fun while playing, this plan should end in winning.
Games vary wildly, be ready to adapt your plan, or drop it all together
Sometimes the board gets clogged up, and you need to wait on a Board Wipe before you commit anymore resource
Sometimes an opponent casts Wheel of Fortune, or Windfall, and now you have to come up with a new plan, cause your old plan is in the graveyard
Sometimes you may have to rely on resources outside your deck, like Politics
Be ready for your plan to change at a moment’s notice
Super Friends
Poison counters
+1/+1 Counters
Some Commanders facilitate having a plan more than others. Example, Atraxa, Praetors’ Voice
Some Commanders are harder: Example Ertai the Corrupted, Tatyova, Benthic Druid
Zack - I have lots of ideas for decks and I’ll see cool commanders that have sweet synergies that allow me to do cool things like generate infinite mana, draw a bunch of cards, or do other things like that, but I always have a problem finishing games.
If you remember from two episodes ago, a slot ryan and I didn’t overlap in was wincons. This is because I like to specifically spell out what cards I plan to use to win, whether it be a combo or an eldrazi.
Ryan - This is how I win :)
Most games I kind of spin my wheels and do things, but I rarely win.
Plan for your win-cons
Example: Ryan has an Aryel, Knight of Windgrace deck, and cannot win outside of the combat step. Glacial Chasm/Constant Mists are nearly impossible for that deck to beat
Maybe add some cards like Skull Storm or Approach of the Second Sun, or Torment of Hailfire
Maybe play a card like Meteor Golem (Thanks to Matt Jorgenson @MetalMatReturns)
Maybe a Laboratory Maniac or Jace, Wielder of Mysteries
Maybe Rite of Replication or Echo Storm
Emry, Lurker of the Loch gets completely shutdown by Rest in Peace
Maybe even have a backup plan or two.
Attacking with fat creatures. Oftentimes this is accentuated with a little bit of the ole Craterhoof Behemoth, or Overrun, or Triumph of the Horde
Mirrodin besieged
Darksteel Reactor
Revel in Riches
Mortal Combat
Alternate condition win cons
Sharuum, Phyrexian Metamorph, Bitter Ordeal
Exquisite Blood and Sanguine Bond
Comboing out the table
Milling Out someone, or Large amounts of mana and a Stroke of Genius
Exsanguinate
Torment of Hailfire
Expropriate
Past in Flames
Mizzik’s Mastery
Big Mana/Spells
So what are some common Win Cons?
You’ll find games easier to navigate when you have a plan. It’s also a good idea to build in some backup plans, and maybe even some cards to counterspell or protect your primary plan. So plan on tuning into us next week for more Commander Content
Summary
Main Topic - Having a Plan
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