<p style="text-align: right;"><em><span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Village Cannibals" href="#" target="_blank">Village Cannibals</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> | Art by <a href="http://budcookstudio.com/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Bud Cook</a></em></p>
<p>Hello and welcome to <em>How To Be New</em>, a series for people for whom Bracket 4 is cEDH and Bracket 3 is "one of these jerks is definitely going to make a hundred Treasure tokens, but if I pray and get my draws right, maybe something will happen." (Spoiler alert: It won't).</p>
<hr />
<div class="edhrecp__cards"><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Flubs, the Fool"></div><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Tifa Lockhart"></div><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Cannibalize"></div></div>
<p>The topic for today's article came about very naturally, as I found myself for the first time having to <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Cannibalize" href="#" target="_blank">Cannibalize</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> one of my decks. "Cannibalize," in this case means "to take a large swath of cards out of a completed deck as to render it unusable in service of a new deck that you're currently building."</p>
<p>I honestly thought it would be a pretty straightforward process. At this point, I've been getting better at cutting from decks I'm building and making tweaks to decks between Commander Nights. I've even been putting in 38 lands as a default! It really feels like I've grown tremendously from where I was at the beginning of my Commander journey just one short year ago.</p>
<p>So this should be easy, right? I've been avoiding playing my <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Flubs, the Fool" href="#" target="_blank">Flubs, the Fool</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> deck for some time, as I've found it to be entirely too durdley (durdley decks are self-involved, prone to long turns with rigorous piloting demands that don't affect any other player's board state, and often extremely boring to play against).</p>
<p>And as I've already landed the <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Omniscience" href="#" target="_blank">Omniscience</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> and exile combo that allowed me to play my whole deck in a single turn and win with <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Laboratory Maniac" href="#" target="_blank">Laboratory Maniac</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span>, there simply wasn't much more I could do with it.</p>
<div class="edhrecp__cards"><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Omniscience"></div><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Laboratory Maniac"></div></div>
<p>Moreover, ever since I got her in a pack at a <em>Final Fantasy</em> prerelease event, I've been dying to build a <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Tifa Lockhart" href="#" target="_blank">Tifa Lockhart</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> deck. She instantly reminded me of one of my favorite cards, <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Devilish Valet" href="#" target="_blank">Devilish Valet</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span>, because when I see an effect that doubles a creature's power until end of turn, the part of my brain that developed a physical dependency on <a href="https://www.playbalatro.com/" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><em>Balatro</em></a> lights up like the Vegas Strip.</p>
<p>And needing to put multiple lands into play to drive that mult past <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Jumbo Cactuar" href="#" target="_blank">Jumbo Cactuar</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> seemed like just the sort of janky challenge I love to take on (which, by the way, it's high time for the cowards at Wizards of the Coast to finally release a card whose stats require the use of scientific notation. Let's crank this game to "e11" and see what it can really do).</p>
<p>As I finally sat down to build her and checked the <a href="https://edhrec.com/commanders/tifa-lockhart" target="_blank" rel="noopener">EDHREC recommendations</a>, I saw a lot of cards I recognized from my Flubs deck. And from that moment, the process towards cannibalization was inexorably set in motion. But it really took some twists and turns that I didn't see coming. Let me quickly document the steps for you, so you'll be prepared when the time comes for you to do the same.</p>
<h2>Step 1: Deny That You Need to Cannibalize Your Deck At All</h2>
<div class="edhrecp__cards"><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Azusa, Lost but Seeking"></div><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Loot, Exuberant Explorer"></div><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Wayward Swordtooth"></div></div>
<p><em>"Ok, for sure, <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Azusa, Lost but Seeking" href="#" target="_blank">Azusa, Lost but Seeking</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> and <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Loot, Exuberant Explorer" href="#" target="_blank">Loot, Exuberant Explorer</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> and <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Wayward Swordtooth" href="#" target="_blank">Wayward Swordtooth</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> are cool and all, and they'll let me play four lands on my turn, plus any I can scrounge together from other ramp spells. And that would give Tifa 16 power minimum, which is a great start. But there's probably another way I can make it work, right?"</em></p>
<p>This will likely be your first inclination. Cannibalizing a perfectly functional deck feels like not only a lot of work, but a lot of work that's undoing good work that you've previously done!</p>
<p>If you're like me, at this point you've probably brewed some decks that did NOT work out. Heck, I've even played some precon decks that didn't quite come together. This deck works! It wins! Sure, it isn't fun to play or to play against. And yes, I do desperately need some of its foundational cards for this new deck that I'm excited about. But surely I can have my cake and eat it too, right?</p>
<p>After surveying my collection, I found it relatively bare on great land ramp cards. So, with a sigh, I embarked on the #1 solution to any problem in <em>Magic</em>: buying more cards.</p>
<h2>Step 2: Get Mad at the Prices For Duplicate Singles on the Secondary Market</h2>
<div class="edhrecp__cards"><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Icetill Explorer"></div><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Daily Bugle Building"></div></div>
<p><em>"Wait, what if I just bought extra singles to keep both decks intact. Okay, huh, Azusa by herself is like $14. Woof. That's rough. Well, the others aren't terrible, but I definitely want this new <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Icetill Explorer" href="#" target="_blank">Icetill Explorer</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> from Edge of Eternities and that's another $17? Somebody needs to tell Prof that actually the singles market is fully out of control."</em></p>
<p>If you're alive right now, chances are you've noticed that your budget is much tighter than it used to be. With a new set every month and a half, it's getting tougher and tougher to keep up with the economic demands of being a <em>Magic</em> player.</p>
<p>Eespecially if you love <em>Avatar: The Last Airbender</em> (<a href="https://edhrec.com/articles/reprints-we-want-to-see-in-the-upcoming-avatar-magic-set" target="_blank" rel="noopener">and I do</a>), you might be reluctant to spend too much on cards right now. When you add into that equation the fact that you'd be spending money on cards that you already own, it can easily become too much to bear.</p>
<p>When I was finished browsing for replacement pieces, as well as a few new support cards I hoped to add to this deck, I was approaching a total that legitimately gave me the thought to maybe just buy one of those busted <a href="https://edhrec.com/precon/the-ruinous-powers" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><em>Warhammer 40,000</em> precons</a> instead. Fortunately, cooler heads prevailed, and I was sent back to my Flubs deck to see exactly what I thought I could spare.</p>
<h2>Step 3: Try to Make Compromises That Would Keep Both Decks Alive at the Low Cost of Your Spare Time and Sanity</h2>
<div class="edhrecp__cards"><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Cruel Bargain"></div><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Path of the Schemer"></div></div>
<p><em>"Okay, maybe I could just make a list of the duplicate cards between the two decks and transfer it between deck boxes to the one that currently has those cards so that I could easily switch them back and forth. Or maybe mark those cards with some sticker or something inside the sleeve. Ooooh. Maybe I just keep those cards in a third, separate deck box, and shuffle them into whichever deck needs them! Roman, you're a genius."</em></p>
<p>At this point you'll be willing to justify some pretty heinous ideas to yourself. The sunk cost fallacy has taken hold of you with both hands, and it's nowhere near letting go. You'll concoct scheme after scheme, each less practical than the last, in service of this deck that you really don't like playing.</p>
<p>Why is that, by the way? Why is this deck so important to me? Well, it doesn't actually matter now, because I'm gathering some extra empty sleeves to leave in my Flubs deck box to remind me to replace those cards before I play. Oh, I can even write on the back of each sleeve which card is supposed to go in there! That'll only be a meticulous sorting and re-sleeving of 30 cards between each game.</p>
<p>Huh. Okay. When I put it like that it sounds like a lot.</p>
<p>What am I even doing?</p>
<h2>Step 4: Sadly Contemplate the Repercussions of Dismantling This Deck</h2>
<div class="edhrecp__cards"><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="The Thirteenth Doctor"></div><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Bigger on the Inside"></div><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Return the Past"></div></div>
<p><em>"I'm really gonna miss Flubs."</em></p>
<p>I took a look at my <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Flubs, the Fool" href="#" target="_blank">Flubs, the Fool</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span>. I could remember exactly how I got him. As I was just starting out, one of my best friends, who happens to work at my FLGS, sifted through a pile of giveaway cards and extricated this friendly looking frog from the bunch. "Here, do you know Flubs?" he asked, handing me the card. "I think he's very much your vibe."</p>
<p>I remember the first time reading his effects. I remember the excitement and bewilderment I felt at the swirling mix of words on this card. My mind was immediately awash with possibilities as I gratefully, carefully, tucked him away into a deck box.</p>
<p>Now I'm sifting through the rest of the cards in this deck. There's so much <em>Doctor Who</em> in here. That's right, it's from the <a href="https://edhrec.com/precon/paradox-power" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><em>Paradox Power</em> precon</a>. I remember opening it on Christmas morning. I remember the excitement I felt as I described to my brother my plans for using these cards to rocket my Flubs deck to the moon.</p>
<div class="edhrecp__cards"><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Flaming Tyrannosaurus"></div><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Jenny Flint"></div><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="River Song"></div></div>
<p>I can remember how excited and supportive he was, using every single ounce of his passing knowledge of both <em>Doctor Who</em> and <em>Magic: The Gathering</em> to engage with me and follow along. I remembered the bewildered acquiescence of my parents who had bought it for me. Though I'm sure they were not thrilled at having spent real money on a bunch of cards for their 32 year-old son, they were genuinely pleased to see me so happy.</p>
<p>If I took this deck apart, wouldn't I be letting them all down? They gave me these things as acts of love. Isn't dismantling it a betrayal of that love? And of the love and care I put into constructing it?</p>
<p>The outsized wave of emotions made me acutely aware of the fact that it was well past 2 a.m. at this point. So I left those piles of cards sitting on my desk (if there isn't at least 200 <em>Magic</em> cards sitting on my desk at any point, assume I've been robbed) and I went to sleep.</p>
<h2>Step 5: Accept Cannibalization as a Necessary Part of the Cycle of Life</h2>
<div class="edhrecp__cards"><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Pattern of Rebirth"></div><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Verdant Rebirth"></div></div>
<p><em>"Yeah, it's time to say goodbye."</em></p>
<p>When I came back the next day, the whole thing happened without much fanfare. I rifled through that Flubs deck, taking out probably 25 ramp cards that would go perfect in my Tifa deck. I moved them from one deck box to another. And then I somberly, almost ceremoniously, tucked Flubs into a white cardboard box marked "Commanders."</p>
<p>Then I surveyed the whole of my Tifa deck, which, <em>whoops</em>, was at 110 cards. <em>Hmm, which of these can I cut? A couple of these removal spells could probably go. Oooh. Maybe I should add a bit of +1/+1 counter support to power her up from turn to turn, with the added benefit of a little extra card draw.</em> And just like that my lizard brain had shifted back into the pleasures of deck construction. And all was good again.</p>
<p>Looking back, it almost seems ridiculous the amount of emotion I'd poured into this collection of 100 cards. But this is an emotional hobby. If <em>Magic</em> no longer makes you feel anything, then maybe it's time to take a break.</p>
<p>What I'd underestimated is the pleasure of having Flubs tucked away in that box, ready to spring into action when the time comes. Maybe he'll arise to lead a coalition of Earth, Fire, and Water Nation to glorious victory when those <em>Avatar</em> cards come out next month. Heck, looking at him, he's practically a Ninja Turtle. Maybe he'll fit right in with the boys when they hit the streets next year.</p>
<p>Whatever the future holds for my Flubs, I know two things:</p>
<ol>
<li>It will be wonderfully dumb.</li>
<li>He absolutely won't see it coming.</li>
</ol>
<p>Read More:</p>
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How To Be New and Cannibalize a Deck for the First Time

<p style="text-align: right;"><em><span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Monastery Mentor|mom|28" href="#" target="_blank">Monastery Mentor</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> | Art by <a href="https://www.artstation.com/tots" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Brian Valeza</a></em></p>
<p>Welcome to <em>How To Be New</em>, a series for players who can read the card three times and still need it explained to them.</p>
<p>This week, I'm doing a little twist on the format. This article isn't about things newer players can do to help themselves exist in Commander spaces. Instead, it's about things veteran players can do to ensure that the newer players at your table feel welcome.</p>
<hr />
<p>It may seem obvious, but it feels warranted to say that being a new player at a Commander table is an extremely harrowing experience.</p>
<p>Truly and honestly, I remember my first night going to an open mic to do stand-up comedy, and I can tell you that I was way more nervous sitting down at a table to play my first game of Commander. At least at the open mic, I could watch some people do poorly before I got my chance to go up and tell my jokes.</p>
<p>When you sit down at your first Commander table, you're sitting down with three people who certainly know more than you do, who definitely have decks that are more powerful and/or more cohesive than yours, and who even likely know the general composition of their opponents' decks and how to play around them.</p>
<p>Furthermore, you're locked in for maybe an hour playing this deck that you're trying to hold together, like sand pouring through your fingers, while at least at the open mic I knew that no matter what happened, I'd be off the stage in five minutes.</p>
<div class="edhrecp__cards"><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Monastery Mentor"></div><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Harsh Mentor"></div><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Gorion, Wise Mentor"></div></div>
<p>And at the comedy club, they didn't make me immediately do my same jokes again for the same exact people who just heard them. But you, a new Commander player, likely only have this one deck to play in subsequent rounds, and the cards in it won't get any better between games.</p>
<p>Being brand new is really tough. And thankfully, a ton of the Commander players I've met went out of their way to make me feel welcomed when I was just starting out. It's one of the unspoken rules of this hobby: Be nice to the new player. That really does mean the world to the people it benefits.</p>
<p>Someone's first Commander experience is a beautiful, fragile thing, and the way people universally seek to protect it makes me have faith in the general good that exists within the <em>Magic</em> community (and are the memories I cling tightly to when I want to crash out after someone asks me "Cards in hand?" on turn two at a Prerelease).</p>
<p>So today I want to shout out a couple of the exemplary moves that I've seen veteran players make for me and for other new players. Hopefully you can adopt some of these when you find a new player at your table, because they truly are the reason I'm still here writing about this game.</p>
<h2>Move 1: Helping a Lost Player Find Their Home</h2>
<div class="edhrecp__cards"><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Frodo, Adventurous Hobbit"></div><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Sam, Loyal Attendant"></div><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Propaganda"></div></div>
<p>After I'd been to a couple of Commander nights, I was feeling pretty good about myself. I figured I was just one of the regular crew, and could really pick anywhere to sit. So I sat down with a group of players who all had gigantic boxes with them (a detail I should've considered more closely at the time) and we shuffled up and drew.</p>
<p>I don't remember a ton about the game we played. I do remember one player was using Frodo as his Commander (I can't remember exactly which iteration of Frodo, as all seem very strong, but I believe it was <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Frodo, Adventurous Hobbit" href="#" target="_blank">Frodo, Adventurous Hobbit</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> because I seem to remember <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Sam, Loyal Attendant" href="#" target="_blank">Sam, Loyal Attendant</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> playing an important role), and I thought that was fun, as I hadn't seen Frodo on a table yet.</p>
<p>I was considerably less amused four turns later when his side of the board was flooded with strong creatures and all I had out was <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Propaganda" href="#" target="_blank">Propaganda</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span>. I'd been able to get away with slower starts like this at the more casual tables I'd become used to, but I was seeing stars at how quickly this game ramped out of control for all three of my opponents.</p>
<p>Not having any blockers, I did become a target for one player in particular (which, look, I get it. But c'mon, sometimes you have to factor in someone's wide-eyed look of helplessness when you do your threat assessment). A couple of turns later, I was eliminated from the game entirely on accident, as a byproduct of a card that was clearly played mostly for the card draw it would provide.</p>
<p>And let me tell you, I've never felt so defeated in a game of <em>Magic</em> before or since. It was so clear that I was in a weight class much higher than I'd been training against.</p>
<p>The game ended fairly quickly afterwards, and as soon as it did, the Frodo player looked over to me. I can't summon the wording he used exactly, but he asked very kindly if I'd like to swap with one of his friends. I nodded, and he surveyed the game store for a moment before shouting to a person he knew who was between games and asking if he'd mind swapping pods. They said sure, came over, and I scooped my cards up and shuffled to the other table.</p>
<p>The Frodo player had, probably from his past experience with the players at this store, made the exact right call. This table played at a much lower power-level, and I had an absolute blast for the rest of the night.</p>
<p>I was extremely thankful for that player. At least at my game store, once people are in a pod, they're in that pod for the whole night. So if I had left this table, where it was extremely clear that I did not own a deck which could put a scratch into any of these other decks, I would've had nowhere to go.</p>
<p>He recognized my ordeal and solved it for me through familiarity with the scene, a confidence earned from a long time playing Commander, and relationships to the other players at the store - all things that, as a new player, I simply did not have and could not have used to get myself out of my situation.</p>
<p>I'll forever be grateful for that player, and when I see him, I remember how important he was for my continued presence in this hobby.</p>
<h2>Move 2: Playing a Commander With a Clear Play Pattern</h2>
<div class="edhrecp__cards"><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="The Lord of Pain"></div><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Nelly Borca, Impulsive Accuser"></div><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Ms. Bumbleflower"></div></div>
<p>One of my first times out with my signature <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="The Jolly Balloon Man" href="#" target="_blank">The Jolly Balloon Man</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> deck, I found myself in a three-person pod. I was still getting that deck up on its feet at that point, but it was starting to come together.</p>
<p>However, in this game, another player was running a mono-white Angels deck. That deck ran like a dream, and even <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Nykthos, Shrine to Nyx" href="#" target="_blank">the lands</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> sometimes took me a couple of readthroughs to understand.</p>
<p>While I wasn't as clearly outmatched in this game as in the one I described earlier, it was clear to that player that I, Roman, was having trouble following along with some of the other mechanics and interactions at the table. So for our next round, he pulled out a new deck led by <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="The Lord of Pain" href="#" target="_blank">The Lord of Pain</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span>.</p>
<p>I can already hear your responses through my computer screen, and yes, The Lord of Pain is a mean commander and often leads a nasty deck. But do you know what else The Lord of Pain is? An extremely easy to understand card.</p>
<p>As soon as I read that text, I immediately understood not only what I could expect to see from this deck, but also the things I would need to do in order to play around its effects. It presented a fun challenge for me as a player at the table. It didn't combo off, it didn't activate some synergy to produce endless Treasure tokens, it just did exactly what it said it would do.</p>
<p>And I had a blast playing against it!</p>
<p>I felt so involved and engaged as a player in this game. At this point I'd seen combo decks and graveyard recursion decks and all sorts of things where I basically just had to wait out a player's turn and ask if I was dead yet at the end of it. It was so refreshing to have a clear effect to play around, and due to its triggering on each player's turn, even made me pay closer attention during the other player's turn.</p>
<p>I've done some board game design in my life, and one guiding principle in that space is that each player's turn should be interesting to all of the other players at the table. If you've designed a game where players will take out their phone and check out between their turns, then you've designed a bad game.</p>
<p>Durdly decks in Commander (decks that involve a lot of comboing triggers and effects during a player's turn that only affect their own board) are, in this way, bad game design. Of course, as a veteran player, they're more trivial to track and you'll see the hidden points of potential interaction within them. But for newer players, they fall very firmly into the realm of bad game design.</p>
<p>For this reason, I implore you to survey your own collection. Most players I know keep a precon in their bag to run with newer players. But please take a moment to consider your new player precon.</p>
<p>For example, I do have a copy of the <a href="https://edhrec.com/precon/temur-roar" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><em>Temur Roar</em> precon from <em>Tarkir: Dragonstorm</em></a> in my bag. That deck, in addition to being stronger than many of my constructed decks, is extremely durdly. I would never pull it out to play against a new player.</p>
<p>However, my slightly upgraded <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Nelly Borca, Impulsive Accuser" href="#" target="_blank">Nelly Borca, Impulsive Accuser</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> precon works great for newer players (especially once I removed <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Trouble in Pairs" href="#" target="_blank">Trouble in Pairs</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span>). It's pretty clear early on that I'm looking to attack on my turn and make other players have to attack each other on theirs, while offering free card draw as they do. It's usually fairly obvious what's going to happen on my turn, and it gives the other players in the pod things to look out for on their opponents' turns (after all, there's only two options for those goaded creatures to attack, and one of the two is them).</p>
<p>See what precon or precon-level deck you have that could do the same. Though she often gets built in ways that turn her into an intercontinental ballistic missile, <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Ms. Bumbleflower" href="#" target="_blank">Ms. Bumbleflower</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> is a great precon commander for providing a clear play pattern for newer players. <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Brion Stoutarm" href="#" target="_blank">Brion Stoutarm</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span>'s MO is almost made clear just in reading his name.</p>
<p>These are exactly the sort of Commanders that help a new player become comfortable with the ebbs and flows of a Commander game.</p>
<h3>Read More:</h3>
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helping new commander players

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