<p style="text-align: right;"><em><span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Curse of Opulence" href="#" target="_blank">Curse of Opulence</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> | art by <a href="https://www.kieranyanner.com/">Kieran Yanner</a></em></p>
<p>My fiancé, Stephen, collects a lot of things. His biggest collection is Power Rangers. He has the original Thunder Megazord and it's battered—but surprisingly not <em>that</em> battered—green box.</p>
<p>I helped him carry a five-story, black shelf up the stairs so he could have a shelf dedicated to displaying not only the unboxed figures, but their boxes.</p>
<p>While writing this article article I asked him which of his Power Rangers figures were original versus Legacy—a rereleasing of old Power Rangers figurines strictly for collecting. The way his eyes lit up, that small grin across his face.</p>
<p>I became a little obsessed with that smile, that desire to collect. See, I don't really collect anything. I keep my <em>Magic</em> cards in a sleeve, yes, but I have no intention of selling them.</p>
<p>I only buy them for functionality. I don't pick the fancy arts 99% of the time. Sometimes I run full art lands, but mainly for the uniformity. I've recently moved to basic lands that all look the same. It's cheaper.</p>
<div class="edhrecp__cards"><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Mechtitan Core"></div></div>
<p>I don't get foils unless I need the card and it's the only printing available. I don't like the way the light reflects off them into my eyes.</p>
<p>The art is hidden under the opulence, the flecks of silver and gold. It shines differently from its plain, flat, non-foil sisters. I want to understand a desire for this. I want to want to try to collect.</p>
<h2>What is a Collection?</h2>
<p>I told Stephen I didn't understand collections. I'd tried collecting coins and foreign money when I was a kid. I'd tried buying a few magic cards for their art, but ultimately, I didn't get any sort of thrill.</p>
<p>I've always been practical, only owning things I needed. I moved across the US multiple times with only the things I could pack into my car.</p>
<p>Stephen raised his eyebrow to my concept of a collection. He argued even two or three things could be a collection. I rejected this immediately, laughing, but then I became sort of interested.</p>
<div class="edhrecp__cards"><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Cat Collector"></div></div>
<p>I had a hard time finding an article that talks about "a collection" in a strict sense. Yes Merriam-Webster gave me <em>something</em>:</p>
<p><em>"something collected especially : an accumulation of objects gathered for study, comparison, or exhibition or as a hobby"</em></p>
<p>Could three cards in my hoard of practicality make me a collector? <a href="https://www.mollymendoza.com/">Molly Mendoza</a>'s <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Myrel, Shield of Argive" href="#" target="_blank">Myrel, Shield of Argive</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> from a <em>Secret Lair</em>, <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Dollmaker&#039;s Shop//Porcelain Gallery" href="#" target="_blank">Dollmaker&#039;s Shop//Porcelain Gallery</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> by <a href="https://cachorubione.com/">Cacho Rubione</a> from <em>Duskmourn: House of Horror</em>, and <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Titania, Protector of Argoth" href="#" target="_blank">Titania, Protector of Argoth</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> from <em>Modern Horizons 2</em> by <a href="https://iriscompiet.art/">Iris Compiet</a> are enough to make me a collector?</p>
<p>It didn't feel right. There was a rite of passage, and itching obsession that I found prevailed the community of collectors.</p>
<div class="edhrecp__cards"><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Myrel, Shield of Argive|slc|13"></div><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Dollmaker&#039;s Shop//Porcelain Gallery|dsk|335"></div><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Titania, Protector of Argoth|mh2|319"></div></div>
<p>I looked up a few collections and stumbled across <a href="https://www.atlasobscura.com/places/klown-doll-museum">this</a>: "Plainview, Nebraska’s Klown Doll Museum is exactly what its name promises. Inside, nearly 8,000 clown dolls line shelves, fill display cases, and peer out from every corner.</p>
<p>Some are cheerful and brightly painted, while others lean toward the eerie, with frozen expressions that seem to follow you as you move through the space." This is what I figured was a collection. Or more relatably, a shelf full of Megazords and Tigerzords.</p>
<p>I tried looking up the legal definition. I was sure lawyers had ironed out if you can write it off for insurance purposes. I got trapped in the hole of "collections law" which is about taking money from people when they don't pay their debts.</p>
<p>I eventually found on <a href="https://www.allstate.com/collectibles-insurance">Allstate website</a> that, "Eligible collectors with qualifying items worth at least $15,000 can own a policy, and there is no value maximum." I didn't like this definition either.</p>
<p>Stephen's Power Rangers' collection might be worth maybe 3K according to him. That seems like a gulf in expectations.</p>
<p>It feels like lawyers had simply decided whether something was worth their time to take to court, not what something was actually considered.</p>
<div class="edhrecp__cards"><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Brazen Collector"></div></div>
<h2>The Urge of Collection</h2>
<p>Alexander Mitchell wrote an article titled, "<a href="https://alexander-mitchell.medium.com/the-psychology-of-collecting-why-some-people-love-to-collect-ceb7a778db77">The Psychology of Collecting: Why Some People Love to Collect</a>." He said some of the reasons were the thrill of the hunt, nostalgia, sentimental value, completionism, community, a desire to display, investment, escapism, identity, and even a desire for control.</p>
<p>Maybe I was wrong. Maybe my three cards <em>could</em> be a collection. It seems small, but the reason I had them matched Stephen's reasons—matched some of Mitchell's reasons.</p>
<p>I felt an emotional connection to these arts. I liked the colors, the expression of line work. I liked <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Wedding Ring" href="#" target="_blank">Wedding Ring</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> by <a href="https://www.targeteart.com/">J.P. Targete</a>—talking about it at length in <a href="https://www.coolstuffinc.com/a/cashinds-seo-03022026-teenage-mutant-ninja-turtles-food-chain-and-magics-aesthetic">my article about <em>Magic</em> art</a>, but I don't own that version.</p>
<p>Maybe I should allow myself. Maybe it's stubbornness, trauma that keeps me from holding something in my hands just to admire its beauty.</p>
<div class="edhrecp__cards"><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Collector Ouphe"></div></div>
<p>On Allstate's website, in a particularly small font, it mentioned that while policies for insuring collections are available for a wide range of collections, "Items with non-market value and items for everyday use do not qualify for collectibles insurance."</p>
<p>Do we collect because they're valuable?</p>
<h2>The Price of Opulence</h2>
<p>Matt Bassil wrote an article called "<a href="https://www.wargamer.com/magic-the-gathering/most-expensive-magic-cards">The 16 rarest and most expensive MTG cards in the world</a>." The list was as follows:</p>
<ul>
<li>Pristine <em>Alpha</em> <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Black Lotus" href="#" target="_blank">Black Lotus</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> - $3 million</li>
<li>The 1/1 One Ring - $2 million</li>
<li><span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Black Lotus" href="#" target="_blank">Black Lotus</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> Autographed Alpha - $800,000</li>
<li><span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Mox Opal" href="#" target="_blank">Mox Opal</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> - $108,000</li>
<li><span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Lord of the Pit" href="#" target="_blank">Lord of the Pit</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> <em>Alpha</em> - $105,000</li>
<li><span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Timetwister" href="#" target="_blank">Timetwister</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> <em>Alpha</em> - $84,000</li>
<li><span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Splendid Genesis" href="#" target="_blank">Splendid Genesis</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> - $72,000</li>
<li><span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Vesuvan Doppelganger" href="#" target="_blank">Vesuvan Doppelganger</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> - $63,000</li>
<li><span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Ancestral Recall" href="#" target="_blank">Ancestral Recall</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> <em>Alpha</em> - $36,000</li>
<li><span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Phoenix Heart" href="#" target="_blank">Phoenix Heart</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> - $27,500</li>
<li><span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Time Walk" href="#" target="_blank">Time Walk</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> Gamma - $26,400</li>
<li><span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Euroakus" href="#" target="_blank">Euroakus</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> - $25,200</li>
<li><span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Fraternal Exaltation" href="#" target="_blank">Fraternal Exaltation</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> - $23,750</li>
<li><span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Mox Emerald" href="#" target="_blank">Mox Emerald</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> <em>Alpha</em> - $18,000</li>
<li><span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Underground Sea" href="#" target="_blank">Underground Sea</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> <em>Alpha</em> - $17,500</li>
<li><span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Mox Sapphire" href="#" target="_blank">Mox Sapphire</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> <em>Unlimited</em>- $16,800</li>
</ul>
<div class="edhrecp__cards"><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Phoenix Heart"></div></div>
<p>In the tenth place, <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Phoenix Heart" href="#" target="_blank">Phoenix Heart</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span>, is what the average cost of a brand new 2027 model car is. My current car is estimated as being worth less than 2K. I thought about this for a while.</p>
<p>The difference between The 1/1 One Ring and the <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Black Lotus" href="#" target="_blank">Black Lotus</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> Autographed <em>Alpha</em> is 1.2 million dollars. If I added up every dollar I've ever earned in my whole life without taxes, it would have been less than the <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Black Lotus" href="#" target="_blank">Black Lotus</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> Autographed <em>Alpha</em>.</p>
<p>I think back to the $3,000 Stephen spent to have his collection and something feels wrong with equating these things with numbers. Stephen and I once drove for two hours one way to pick up Legacy Edition Black and Gold Dragonzord. I love long drive with him.</p>
<p>We'd laugh and sing and pick up food. It was an adventure. He would tell me about how when he was a kid he'd play with the original Power Rangers, that they were gone now, lost to the inevitability of getting older, lost to the lack of attention and love of a child.</p>
<p>The cost of his collection didn't matter, I think. It could be an investment yes, but when he reverently holds them in his hands it's not because he wants to lose them again.</p>
<h2><span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Gonti, Lord of Luxury" href="#" target="_blank">Gonti, Lord of Luxury</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span></h2>
<div class="edhrecp__cards"><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Gonti, Lord of Luxury"></div></div>
<p>The thing that never puzzled me about collection was condition. Stephen stared at his original Thunder Megazord, running his fingers over the smooth surfaces, talking about its condition. Immaculate. I was the same with my cards. I wanted to keep them immaculate.</p>
<p>The first ever <a href="https://www.youtube.com/@RhysticStudies">Rhystic Studies</a> video I ever watched was, "<a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=efpPygoqb9M">Dear Gonti, Love Sophie</a>." It was a discussion on the emphasis we put on the idea of damage to our <em>Magic</em> cards, how we treat things we adore. I was moved by this idea.</p>
<p>What becomes of a deck that we protect? What is its function anymore? Sam (Rhystic Studies) says pristine cards, "ha[ve] no memory or sentiment."</p>
<p>When I think about the creases of smile lines on my face, the wrinkles on my brow, I feel like they tell others about how I love to laugh, like to think.</p>
<p>I want to know what cards do, in the bends and the tears with their use. Is this what a collection should be, a display of experience and time?</p>
<div class="edhrecp__cards"><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Collector&#039;s Case"></div></div>
<p>I have two cards framed on the wall of my apartment. One is an oversized <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Kynaios and Tiro of Meletis" href="#" target="_blank">Kynaios and Tiro of Meletis</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> from the Stalwart Unity precon from 2016.</p>
<p>It was my first precon and for 10 years I've kept that oversized card in somewhat pristine condition. I feel a connection to it, but I hadn't thought to put it up on display. Stephen had, finding it lingering in a binder somewhere. So, I put it up and forgot to look at it often.</p>
<p>The other card framed on my wall was my <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Prosper, Tome-Bound" href="#" target="_blank">Prosper, Tome-Bound</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span>. It has this crease on the bottom from me putting away cards too quickly, crushing him underneath. I never replaced it until my friend <a href="https://linktr.ee/Reversalwizrd">ReversalWizrd</a> bought me the Prosper Secret Lair.</p>
<p>I'd spoke so highly of this deck that he bought it for me when I couldn't get it myself. But, I didn't want to get rid of the original. I wanted to display its crease. It sits above my desk.</p>
<div class="edhrecp__cards"><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Collector&#039;s Vault"></div></div>
<p>Sam mentioned in his video that, "Keeping everything immaculate is a fools errand," but I'd go further. Keeping things immaculate is an adult's desire, it's a look into the future.</p>
<p>It's a way of keeping value for selling later instead of gripping onto the now. It's the prediction of separation, the expectation of loss. Children scrape up their toys, play with them, love them. They couldn't imagine the future, when they'd lose this joy.</p>
<p>I think about how much it might overjoy Stephen to hold his original toy, hold the one that he went to sleep with, opened on Christmas.</p>
<p>Sam said, "I've been reflecting on everything that I own. From my cameras to my books to my clothes and my guitars, all of my favorite things tend to be those that bear some sign of use," unsleeving his <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Ruric Thar, the Unbowed" href="#" target="_blank">Ruric Thar, the Unbowed</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> deck and riffle shuffling it.</p>
<div class="edhrecp__cards"><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Component Collector"></div></div>
<p>I'm not going to stop sleeving my decks, but I think I might stop and wonder about the history of a card that I buy with a ding or dent.</p>
<p>I'll think about DJ from Sam's video and how he "instead... uses his cards as they were intended to be used in an almost aggressive way."</p>
<p>Tell me about your collection. I'm <a href="https://linktr.ee/strixhavendropout">@strixhavendropout</a> on everything!</p>


The Desire For Opulence - What is a Collection?

<h6 style="text-align: right;"><span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Wheel of Fortune" href="#" target="_blank">Wheel of Fortune</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span>| art by <a href="https://gatherer.wizards.com/search?artistName=eq~Daniel_Gelon">Daniel Gelon</a></h6>
<p>We've all had to mulligan. It's the nature of randomness of any game even with four of a kind. My question, as it has always been, is are we strict enough about mulligans in Commander, or perhaps too strict, or perhaps it hasn't been well defined or enforced either way.</p>
<div class="edhrecp__cards"><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Black Vise"></div></div>
<h2>The History of the Mulligan in MTG</h2>
<p>Before we can talk about Commander, a format that only rose to popularity enough to be a recognized format in 2013, we have to talk about <em>Magic</em> in August of 1993.</p>
<p>I found out today that the original game of <em>Magic</em> had no mulligan rules. Its game designers were worried about the very thing that is the crux of most mulligan arguments: They believed it rewarded poor deck building.</p>
<h3>The 1st Mulligan in <em>Magic</em></h3>
<p>However, mulligans were instated literally less than a year later, in 1994. Players likely proved that the system was as-then currently too strict to reward even good deckbuilding.</p>
<p>At least, that's my theory. This mulligan consisted of a player revealing their opening hand, showing no spells or no lands, and drafting a fresh hand. You could only do this once per game. This didn't last by itself very long.</p>
<div class="edhrecp__cards"><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Wheel of Fortune"></div></div>
<h3>The Paris Mulligan</h3>
<p>In 1997, the Paris Mulligan rose to popularity. It was suggested as an alternative by Matt Hydra, a Pro Tour player. Mulligans would happen after starting player was determined, but before any other actions.</p>
<p>If dissatisfied with their hand, a player could put their hand back in the deck and draw one less than the the starting hand, all without revealing their hand.</p>
<p>For each mulligan, the player would draw one less card, until they were satisfied or were left with no cards in hand.</p>
<div class="edhrecp__cards"><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Gauntlet of Might"></div></div>
<h3>Vancouver Mulligan</h3>
<p>Surprisingly, when I first played a prerelease in 2016 for <em>Kaladesh</em>, they were still using The Paris Mulligan at the local LGS I was at.</p>
<p>This is interesting, because the Vancouver Mulligan went into syndicated ruling effect in 2015. This consisted of the same rules as the Paris Mulligan, but the person with fewer than the starting hand could Scry 1.</p>
<div class="edhrecp__cards"><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Mana Vault"></div></div>
<h3>The London Mulligan</h3>
<p>The London Mulligan (the system we have in place now) was established in <em>Core Set 2020</em> . The rule is: If a player is dissatisfied with their hand after starting player is decided, they may shuffle their hand back in, draw up to seven cards, and put back one card at the bottom of their library in any order for each additional mulligan. No scrying is allowed.</p>
<div class="edhrecp__cards"><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Nevinyrral&#039;s Disk"></div></div>
<h2>Commander Mulligan</h2>
<p>It's actually news to me that the official rules for mulligans for Commander were as they were. I've always heard that Commander has a "free" mulligan. Meaning if you don't like your first hand, you may draw another 7 with no penalty or additional rulings.</p>
<p>Well, there is no official ruling saying this is true. There are a lot of informal rules, but officially Commander follows competitive format rulings on mulligans.</p>
<p>It's important to note however, most players follow the free mulligan rule more casually. The Commander Rule Committee (CRC) advises that even in 1v1 Commander, the free mulligan be used.</p>
<p>The CRC goes one step further and says to set aside hands instead of shuffling them into the deck to save time on shuffling.</p>
<div class="edhrecp__cards"><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Savannah Lions"></div></div>
<h3>Additional Commander Mulligan Types</h3>
<p>There is also the Partial Paris Mulligan, which allows players to set aside any amount of cards from their hand and draw that many minus one for each mulligan. Once the hand is selected, the set side cards are shuffled in.</p>
<div class="edhrecp__cards"><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Sol Ring"></div></div>
<h2>The Sides and Their Merits</h2>
<p>Now that we have a good understanding of where mulligans come from, we have some frame of reference. There isn't a ton online about the reasoning behind some of the updates to mulligans throughout the years, but we can take some educated guesses.</p>
<div class="edhrecp__cards"><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Howling Mine"></div></div>
<h3>Strict Mulligan Rulings</h3>
<p>Definition: Following the rules of competitive pay. No free mulligans or only one.</p>
<p>This is at the core of competitive play. We want to know when we play competitively, we minimize as much randomness as we can.</p>
<p>We tune our decks to ensure that it plays as consistently as possible. With a strict mulligan rule, it allows some insight into the strengths and weaknesses of a deck.</p>
<div class="edhrecp__cards"><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="The Ur-Dragon"></div></div>
<p>An example may be: If in your <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="The Ur-Dragon" href="#" target="_blank">The Ur-Dragon</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> deck you have to mulligan a lot because most of the permanents in your hand are too costly mana-value wise, it might be a indication that your deck needs more early game options.</p>
<p>You might also discover that in testing with your <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Bristly Bill, Spine Sower" href="#" target="_blank">Bristly Bill, Spine Sower</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> landfall deck you're not seeing anything but lands. It may be that you don't have enough draw in your deck, or that you might be running a touch too many lands. Mulligans can help show you this.</p>
<div class="edhrecp__cards"><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Bristly Bill, Spine Sower"></div></div>
<p>If you find in your <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Coram, the Undertaker" href="#" target="_blank">Coram, the Undertaker</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> deck you're not managing to get Coram out fast enough, you might not be running enough ramp. That could be why you haven't been seeing them consistently in your opening hands.</p>
<p>Additionally, it's important as a skill to see whether a hand is worth keeping. Don't push your luck. It's a skill of its own knowing what's keepable in your deck based on how you've built it. Strict mulligan rule help hone this skill.</p>
<div class="edhrecp__cards"><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Coram, the Undertaker"></div></div>
<p>All in all, stricter mulligan rules clarify how efficient you can be as a deck builder, and that is something worth exploring.</p>
<h3>Loose Mulligan Rules</h3>
<p>Definition: basically an amount of mulligans based on vibes.</p>
<p>This is at the core of casual play. We want to know when we play casually that we minimize how "unfun" a game can be for other payers.</p>
<p>Specifically, we want to allow any amount of chances for a player to have a fulfilling game of Commander. With a loose mulligan rule, it allows us to maximize the amount of fun the whole tables has on average.</p>
<div class="edhrecp__cards"><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Mystic Remora"></div></div>
<p>We've all been in a bad rut where a well-tuned mana base or an efficient deck just has an attitude with you and won't draw well and won't shuffle well. I've once shuffled my deck and saw the same 4 cards in each opening hand.</p>
<p>In a deck that runs 60 singleton, plus some number of unique non-basic lands cards, it's likely that the odds be against you in getting a consistent hand.</p>
<p>We know that <em>Magic </em>sets sometimes print functionally redundant cards, like running <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Swords to Plowshares" href="#" target="_blank">Swords to Plowshares</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> and <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Path to Exile" href="#" target="_blank">Path to Exile</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span>, <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Beast Within" href="#" target="_blank">Beast Within</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> and <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Generous Gift" href="#" target="_blank">Generous Gift</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span>. Running cards that function essentially the same is the key to optimization in a deck, but sometimes the randomness is truly just the randomness.</p>
<div class="edhrecp__cards"><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Pongify"></div></div>
<p>It's tough looking at a player who is going to have to sit through a one hour game and tell them they have to play with two cards in hand versus another player who is keeping a solid seven.</p>
<p>Additionally, even if a player deck is unoptimized, is it worth making them play through hours of gameplay to prove that to them?</p>
<p>Most people end up mulligan-ing around three times with loose mulligans rules, and while this can be annoying, social pressure usually encourages them to explain what elements of their decks they're running with.</p>
<p>People will ask after the third mulligan: How many lands and mana rocks are you running? What is the curve of your deck? How many creatures are you running?</p>
<div class="edhrecp__cards"><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Three Visits"></div></div>
<p>All in all, casual mulligans allow for more consistently fun games for everyone.</p>
<h2>Synthesizing the Mulligan</h2>
<p>In writing this article, I've dug up a lot of research about mulligans and it's changed my understanding. I don't think it changes my personal stance, but it clarifies some things for me.</p>
<p>I think Loose Mulligans are better as long as there is a bit of social pressure. I'm not letting someone craft their perfect hand, but I want them to have a playable seven.</p>
<p>My main reasoning here starts with the fact that Commander is a traditionally casual format. The free mulligan that has made its way into the format emphasizes the typical casualness of the game.</p>
<p>We want everyone to have fun more than we want people to build a perfectly optimized deck. If I want that kind of restriction, I would play CEDH.</p>
<div class="edhrecp__cards"><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Tymna the Weaver"></div></div>
<p>I'm not saying we shouldn't build competitively in the casual format. We all do. This is why <a href="https://edhrec.com/articles/wotc-introduces-new-bracket-system-for-edh">the Bracket System</a> is so important. It's just what our priorities should be.</p>
<p>Secondly, in my experience, what makes me decks more efficient isn't just what I see in a mulligan or two.</p>
<p>I learn far more about my decks when it loses to a deck that is just that more efficient, even when my deck performs as intended.</p>
<p>If my deck needs more card draw, better ramp, or lower mana value spells, I can still play may deck at peak and understand those problems.</p>
<div class="edhrecp__cards"><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Darksteel Forge"></div></div>
<p>In my experience, I've just had to play against other tuned decks to understand my weaknesses. Iron sharpens iron. I often notice my lack of draw when another deck does it better and so on.</p>
<p>Lastly, I didn't realize how gradually mulligans have rewarded players more over time. Even in competitive formats, the strictness of the mulligan couldn't cancel out the randomness of the game. But perhaps that's a little naive of me. Let me know, I'm <a href="https://bsky.app/profile/strixhavendropout.bsky.social">@strixhavendropout on Blue Sky</a>.</p>


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