An entrance to the game via trial by fire may work for some but it does burn them all. There’s a time and a place for a high powered deck, but do remember that for most people this is a casual format, and maybe that’s a good thing. This is where people tend to start playing and it’s a good time overall. The decks tend to be mildly synergistic (we will hear more of this word later on). The commanders are decent to excellent, and the mana base is a step above bulk basics and common duals.
This Week in Magic: Friday, December 20
You might think it would be easy to match power levels, and in a closed meta or playgroup where most of your games are with the same people, it tends to work out over time. You learn which decks to watch out for, which decks are glass cannons, which ones win out of nowhere, and so on. Some people really like to be able to assign numbers to their decks so that they can tell other players the precise power level of the deck they’re going to play. When playing with new groups, it’s important to communicate about deck power levels to ensure a good fit. This dialogue helps avoid mismatches and enhances the gaming experience for everyone involved. Aetherize gets upgraded to cyclonic rift, Terramorphic Expanse to Fabled Passage, Tap lands to Shock Lands.
You see fewer tap lands at this stage, and if you do it’ll be something like scry lands that give you an additional benefit or lifegain dual lands if they tie in with the deck’s strategy. The rarity of a card and its distribution across different sets play a crucial role in determining its power level. Cards with a higher rarity, such as mythic rare or rare, tend to possess stronger abilities and mechanics compared to common or uncommon cards.
What is a good mana curve for a Commander deck?
Discussing MTG power levels and win conditions helps set the tone for the game and avoids misunderstandings. They give EDH decks a level of consistency that more casual players would say is not in the spirit of the format. Their main function in higher power levels are to attain game-winning combo pieces. The cheaper the tutor, the more likely it is that the player will be able to use the card they tutored for during the same turn. Because of this, this variable has the greatest weight of any of the other variables in grading power level.
This strategy rose in popularity after reaching the Top 4 of the recent 349-player Standard Showcase Challenge. Now, three of the players at Arena Championship 7 will aim to cast one-mana 5/5s. Gruul Aggro, on the other hand, thrives on the relentless pressure of aggressive creatures and burn spells to push damage through. The higher the Average CMC of a deck, the slower and clunkier it becomes.
This can include discussions about power level, deck restrictions, and the use of specific cards or strategies. Rule 0 allows players to customize their play experience and ensure mtg card everyone is on the same page. There is no definitive answer to this question as the power level of Commander decks can vary and is subjective.
Tier vs. Power Level
As a result, when I tend to have a Rule Zero conversation with a pod of players, I use the “is this better than a precon? If it is well above a prebuilt Commander power level, the following question gauges how the deck would stand up at a cEDH table. That said, even among prebuilt decks, there is a wide range of power level differences. Rule Zero in MTG refers to the pregame discussion about deck power levels and expectations. While not necessary in competitive play, it’s crucial in casual settings to ensure everyone has fun.
Examples of notable Power Level 7 cards include “Black Lotus” from the Alpha set, “Jace, the Mind Sculptor” from Worldwake, and “Uro, Titan of Nature’s Wrath” from Theros Beyond Death. These cards showcase the diversity and potency of Power Level 7 cards across different sets and formats. The set distribution also impacts the prevalence of Power Level 7 cards.
When you start trying to differentiate between a 7 and an 8, and then you start seeing players adding half points to their power levels, you are making promises you can’t keep. Part of the problem is that implied promise you make when you tell your tablemate what power level your deck is. Less experienced players may take it to heart and get annoyed if they feel like you were lying to them.
These decks prioritize perfectly crafted mana curves so you aren’t wasting any time or cards. You’ll usually either have a card to play or a means of responding to your opponents as soon as you take your first turn. A level 2 deck is slightly more cohesive than a level 1 deck but still lacks a strong winning strategy. It’s more likely to depend on a few very specific cards for some janky Commander interactions without really having a consistent way of finding them. These could also be decks that have too many ideas put into them instead of just one clear strategy with ways to make it consistent. While Power Level 7 cards offer immense power, they must be balanced with considerations of synergy and consistency within the deck.
Game groups that want to ban tutor effects are often the result of a Level 8 deck entering the ring. Power levels 7 and 8 are considered the most powerful decks that are still meant for casual rather than competitive play. These decks run maybe one or two miscellaneous pet cards just for fun, but mostly they’re pretty well-tuned for what they want to do. They’re slightly less efficient than the highest tier decks either because of budgetary restrictions or because their game plan takes a little longer to win. A power level 7 Commander deck is considered to be a deck that is designed for casual play.
These decks have no room for a card that doesn’t help them win or even a less efficient version of one. These decks tend to be very expensive because they require perfectly tuned mana bases and the most efficient card for any given effect. Due to this confusion, there have been efforts from within the Magic community to try and make a more formalized way to identify different power levels. This way it’s easier for players to appropriately gauge how well their deck stacks up in a group of new players. While the method isn’t perfect, it’s better than simply trying to guess a deck’s power level with no real process behind it. The idea of power levels in Commander is a point of contention for some Magic players.