<p style="text-align: right;"><em><span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Emeritus of Truce" href="#" target="_blank">Emeritus of Truce</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> | Art by <a href="https://scryfall.com/search?q=a%3A%E2%80%9CAleksi+Briclot%E2%80%9D&amp;unique=art">Aleksi Briclot</a></em></p>
<hr />
<p>Hello, and welcome to <em>Am I the Bolas</em>?<strong> This week, what's the deal with threat assessment?!</strong></p>
<p>This column is for all of you out there who have ever played some <em>Magic </em>and wondered if you were the bad guy. I'm here to take in your story with all of its nuances so I can bring some clarity to all those asking, "Am I the Bolas?"</p>
<p>I'm ready to hear you out and offer advice. All you have to do is email amithebolas@gmail.com with your story, a pseudonym you want to use, and of course, only include details you don't mind in the column! You might see your story below one day. You might even hear it on the podcast. Which podcast?</p>
<p><img loading="lazy" decoding="async" class="aligncenter wp-image-25893" src="https://commandersherald.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/12/bolcast_logo430x430-300x300.png" alt="" width="249" height="249" /></p>
<p><a href="https://www.youtube.com/@AmITheBolcast" target="_blank" rel="noopener">THIS PODCAST!</a> Do us a favor a subscribe to us. We've got some fun stuff in the works and it would mean a lot to Michael, Morgan, and I if you did! Become a Bolcut and get into the Bolcast!</p>
<p>I'm Mike Carrozza, and it's finally starting to look nice out there, again!</p>
<div class="edhrecp__cards"><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Transcendent Archaic"></div></div>
<p><i>What I look like when I get to hang at a park!</i></p>
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<h2>SUBMISSION</h2>
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<p><em>Hey Mike,</em></p>
<p><em>Longtime reader, first time submitter. I know you've had a few submissions on kingmaking recently, but I might have a new twist to throw at you: does it still count as kingmaking if the archenemy still dominated the game in the end?</em></p>
<p><em>I was playing an online game with randos the other day, and the Rule 0 conversation could be summed up as "Higher end <a href="https://edhrec.com/guides/edhrec-guide-to-commander-brackets">Bracket 3</a>". The pod ran as follows: I was running an <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Anhelo, the Painter" href="#" target="_blank">Anhelo, the Painter</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> control list up against a green stompy deck, <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Kibo, Uktabi Prince" href="#" target="_blank">Kibo, Uktabi Prince</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span>, and a standard <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Nekusar, the Mindrazer" href="#" target="_blank">Nekusar, the Mindrazer</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span>. I'm generally a political player at heart, and I personally believe that table talk is a key part of EDH and free-for-all games in general. So early on, I'm calling out Nekusar as the threat, but the green player has a control player in his sights, and I end up having to spend the majority of my removal on him. Nekusar resolves <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Teferi&#039;s Puzzle Box" href="#" target="_blank">Teferi&#039;s Puzzle Box</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> with <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Counterspell" href="#" target="_blank">Counterspell</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> and <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Force of Will" href="#" target="_blank">Force of Will</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> in hand, and the game swiftly ends from there. Sure, we said high Bracket 3, it's like turn ten-ish, so we move on to game two. In the between-game yapping, I throw a "told you so" at the stompy player, and Nekusar seems salty that I was "targeting him". My response of "yeah, you're playing Nekusar" didn't seem to sit well with him, but we move into game two anyway.</em></p>
<p><em><div class="edhrecp__cards"><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Nekusar, the Mindrazer"></div><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Teferi&#039;s Puzzle Box"></div><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Game Over"></div></div></em></p>
<p><em>I switch over to <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Chainer, Nightmare Adept" href="#" target="_blank">Chainer, Nightmare Adept</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> running mostly the new Villains from the Spider-Man set, Kibo and stompy reshuffle, and Nekusar swaps to a <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Ureni of the Unwritten" href="#" target="_blank">Ureni of the Unwritten</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> list. Virtual facepalms all around. Turn one, Kibo lands a <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Ragavan, Nimble Pilferer" href="#" target="_blank">Ragavan, Nimble Pilferer</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> and starts swinging around. I'm the first target, and I inform him that my deck is most likely not the best target unless he likes self-discard. He also hits my fourth land, and I end up mana-screwed. Turn three, Ragavan hits Ureni and snipes <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Miirym, Sentinel Wyrm" href="#" target="_blank">Miirym, Sentinel Wyrm</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> off the top. Around now, I also land a <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Key to the City" href="#" target="_blank">Key to the City</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span>. I work out a deal with Kibo that I make Ragavan unblockable so that he can hit Ureni, who at this point is online and has some scary Dragons (<span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Terror of the Peaks" href="#" target="_blank">Terror of the Peaks</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span>, <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Old Gnawbone" href="#" target="_blank">Old Gnawbone</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span>, etc.). </em></p>
<p><em>I get to keep my artifact, which is basically at this point my only game action and card draw was my only hope of doing ANYTHING, and Kibo gets free Ragavan swings. Ureni does NOT like this, and the salt levels are HIGH. He swiftly removes my Key via "player removal", then takes his time wrapping up the game. Afterwards, he goes off on me, claiming that I was kingmaking despite his comfy life total (over 25), board state, and win. I end up adding Kibo and Stompy and log off. I run that by a few friends as a funny story, but they tell me that I should have just kept my head down and taken the L once the Dragon player was positioned for the win and I didn't have any responses.</em></p>
<p><em><strong>So am I the Bolas for vocal threat assessment and working with another player against the archenemy, or is discretion not always the better part of valor?</strong></em></p>
<p><em>Thanks,</em></p>
<p><em>Robirt Candillstiq</em></p>
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<div class="edhrecp__cards"><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Key to the City"></div></div>
</div>
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<h2>VERDICT</h2>
<p>Thank you for writing and asking me to weigh in on your story. As I mention every week, if folks don't write to me, there's no column, so if you, the reader, want to send me a story, whether it's your own or one from Reddit or a friend's, please send it to amithebolas@gmail.com and I'll get to it here.</p>
<p>This one bothers me.</p>
<p>I cannot stand when a player doesn't own up to being the threat at the table. I understand if, in game, minimizing yourself is part of your gameplay and strategy. Fine, sure, whatever. But if you're doing the "I'm just a widdle guy" act after the game is done, maybe take a moment and recognize that you're more capable of inspiring alarm bells for your opponents than you think. <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Nekusar, the Mindrazer" href="#" target="_blank">Nekusar, the Mindrazer</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> isn't the boogieman he once was, but what a friggin' card! We have lots of tools and many more commanders to choose from, but that doesn't dull Nekusar's shine. Get your protection pieces on him, stave off the wipes, and you've got a nightmare for your opponents for simply doing what the game needs you to: drawing cards.</p>
<p>To the Nekusar player: You played <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Teferi&#039;s Puzzle Box" href="#" target="_blank">Puzzle Box</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> with <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Counterspell" href="#" target="_blank">Counterspell</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> backup in a Nekusar deck. You know that hitting someone for their hand size at the beginning of each of their turns is pretty big game, right? You built the deck. Own up to the cool things you're getting up to. They're cool! They're also strong! That will make you a threat!</p>
<p>In the second game, Rob, mana-screwed, tried to maintain some agency and relevance in the game. Keeping one opponent off your back by offering an in on the threat at the table is a solid way to do that. If you're mana-screwed, all you can do is buy yourself time or accept the fate of being a non-factor in the game until it's too late. What a bummer. The fact that the Ragavan was also picking things off Ureni's top deck means that Rob is still getting to assist in weakening the biggest threat at the table.</p>
<p>Would this have been a game to scoop in? Possibly. Was this a game where you could have been off to the sidelines just waiting to die? Yes. That all kind of bums me out! You want to try to do something, especially when someone is a threat and there's still hope that a fourth land will get you something (like maybe your four-mana commander, <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Chainer, Nightmare Adept" href="#" target="_blank">Chainer, Nightmare Adept</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span>).</p>
<p>Let's also take note of these two creatures here:</p>
<div class="edhrecp__cards"><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Old Gnawbone"></div><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Terror of the Peaks"></div></div>
<p>I'm sorry, but if you're upset of being perceived as a threat and you have <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Terror of the Peaks" href="#" target="_blank">Terror of the Peaks</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> and freaking <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Old Gnawbone" href="#" target="_blank">Old Gnawbone</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> in play, you're going to have to get over some stuff real quick. I have no time nor patience for anybody that has <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Terror of the Peaks" href="#" target="_blank">Dragon Rocket Launcher</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> and <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Old Gnawbone" href="#" target="_blank">Money-Printing McGee</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> on board and takes it hard when they're informed they're the threat. What a revelation! Must be hard for you to finally see clearly!</p>
<p>I'm sorry I'm so surly about this, but I just don't care to be diplomatic about it. This is one of my biggest pet peeves in the game. Let's be honest with each other. You can agree you're the threat while also expressing that you're not enjoying how your experience of being the threat is going. You can still point out things that are indeed problematic to the rest of the board, but you'll need to make deals and maybe minimize yourself. Otherwise, widdle guy, you're da thweat!</p>
<p>I don't think Rob is the Bolas for offering a way in on an opponent who is big and scary while you're mana-screwed. If Rob had more mana, don't you think some Rakdos removal would be coming for Gnawbone and Terror? In this way, with <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Key to the City" href="#" target="_blank">Key to the City</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span>, Rob gets to be a team player against archenemy.</p>
<p>Not the Bolas.</p>
<p>Nekusar/Ureni, start copping to being the threat and either lean in or back off. You'll enjoy the games more when you realize where your happy balance is.</p>
<div class="edhrecp__cards"><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Carnage, Crimson Chaos"></div></div>


Am I the Bolas? - Survival Makes the Deals and Takes the Wheel

<p style="text-align: right;"><em><span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Withercrown" href="#" target="_blank">Withercrown</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> | Art by <a href="https://scryfall.com/search?q=a%3A%E2%80%9CMiranda+Meeks%E2%80%9D&amp;unique=art" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Miranda Meeks</a></em></p>
<hr />
<p>Hello, and welcome to <em>Am I the Bolas</em>?<strong> This week, a new player just wants to play <em>something</em>!</strong></p>
<p>This column is for all of you out there who have ever played some <em>Magic </em>and wondered if you were the bad guy. I'm here to take in your story with all of its nuances so I can bring some clarity to all those asking, "Am I the Bolas?"</p>
<p>I'm ready to hear you out and offer advice. All you have to do is email amithebolas@gmail.com with your story, a pseudonym you want to use, and of course, only include details you don't mind in the column! You might see your story below one day. You might even hear it on the podcast. Which podcast?</p>
<p><img loading="lazy" decoding="async" class="aligncenter wp-image-25893" src="https://commandersherald.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/12/bolcast_logo430x430-300x300.png" alt="" width="249" height="249" /></p>
<p><a href="https://www.youtube.com/@AmITheBolcast" target="_blank" rel="noopener">THIS PODCAST!</a></p>
<p>I'm Mike Carrozza and I'm in Japan right now!</p>
<div class="edhrecp__cards"><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Kami of the Crescent Moon"></div></div>
<p><i>I met this guy at an onsen, he was friendly and generous!</i></p>
<p>(Post edited for brevity, clarity, and then some.)</p>
<hr />
<h2>SUBMISSION</h2>
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<p><em>Hi Mike,</em></p>
<p><em>Big fan of the column and second time writing in.</em></p>
<p><em>I’ll get right into it. We have a relatively new player in our pod. He’s a good guy, very friendly, but being so new his turns take a loooong time. Even in the early turns with only one or two mana to spare, he somehow seems to agonize about which spells to play, which should tell you how long later turns can take. </em></p>
<p><em>A lot of us in the pod didn't start playing until a few years ago. Our rookie days aren’t that far in the past so I do try to make space for that, but it can be frustrating. On top of that, he has a tendency to make panicked decisions when he realizes how long he’s taking that often end up with king making.</em></p>
<p><em>For example, a few weeks ago we were playing a riveting game. I was playing <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Hazel of the Rootbloom" href="#" target="_blank">Hazel of the Rootbloom</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span>, the new guy was playing <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Cloud, Midgar Mercenary" href="#" target="_blank">Cloud, Midgar Mercenary</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span>, the guy opposite me was playing <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Szarel, Genesis Shepherd" href="#" target="_blank">Szarel, Genesis Shepherd</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span>, and the other guy was playing <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Raggadragga, Goreguts Boss" href="#" target="_blank">Raggadragga, Goreguts Boss</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span>. Raggadragga and Cloud struggled in the game from a lack of resources and going aggro a little too early. Szarel had really popped off and, during the final turn of the game, they were about to overwhelm us with a bunch of pumped creatures.</em></p>
<div class="edhrecp__cards"><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Hazel of the Rootbloom"></div><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Szarel, Genesis Shepherd"></div></div>
<p><em>I had quietly amassed a large amount of token artifacts and creatures, but had kept a low profile. That said, Szarel could tell I was a threat, so he swung a few smaller creatures to take out the other two players, but sent a large host of creatures my way. With trample, I was going to die to combat damage. But I had anticipated this and used Hazel's ability to tap my tokens to play <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Arachnogenesis" href="#" target="_blank">Arachnogenesis</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span>. </em></p>
<p><em>By sparing the other two and having Szarel with their shields down on my next turn, I would have all I needed with my new Spider tokens to swing the game in my direction. But wouldn’t you know it, making an impulsive and panicked play, the kingmaker countered my <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Arachnogenesis" href="#" target="_blank">Arachnogenesis</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> with a <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Mana Tithe" href="#" target="_blank">Mana Tithe</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span>. I try to point out to him that countering me effectively kills him, but he just wanted to counter the spell and play a new game. I’m frustrated, but okay, he’s unfamiliar with kingmaking so I cool off and we get back to another game.</em></p>
<div class="edhrecp__cards"><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Arachnogenesis"></div><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Mana Tithe"></div></div>
<p><em>The next time we meet, it happens again but not to me. I do remember chuckling and pointing out that he kingmade again and he sheepishly just says he saw a big spell popping off and wanted to counter it, not fully understanding what it would mean to the game. Again, we move on.</em></p>
<p><em>And then last week, we’re playing a game and my <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Valgavoth, Harrower of Souls" href="#" target="_blank">Valgavoth, Harrower of Souls</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> deck has been burning people gradually but now I’m ready to turn up the heat. I have a <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Zulaport Cutthroat" href="#" target="_blank">Zulaport Cutthroat</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> and a <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Blood Artist" href="#" target="_blank">Blood Artist</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> out so I cast a <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Blasphemous Act" href="#" target="_blank">Blasphemous Act</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> to make a huge dent in the life totals at the table. </em></p>
<p><em>I have a full grip of cards from Valgavoth and my opponents are all low on resources. The spell will take one of the better players out and severely drain the other. The kingmaker won’t get hit with any of the death triggers because they’ll die to my <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Mogis, God of Slaughter" href="#" target="_blank">Mogis, God of Slaughter</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> on their upkeep, no matter what. But he counters my spell with a <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Negate" href="#" target="_blank">Negate</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span>. I ask why, pointing out that he will be dead either way and this will prolong the game. He shrugs, my spell is countered, and he dies on his upkeep.</em></p>
<div class="edhrecp__cards"><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Blasphemous Act"></div><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Zulaport Cutthroat"></div></div>
<p><em>That was a lot so I’ll keep this brief: <strong>Am I the Bolas for this rookie kingmaking driving me up the wall? At what point is </strong></em><strong>he </strong><em><strong>the Bolas for constantly making his most impactful play a <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Counterspell" href="#" target="_blank">Counterspell</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> on his way out of the game for no other reason than he just wants to play a spell?</strong></em></p>
</div>
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<p><em>Thanks,</em></p>
<p><em>Jundly Sprunklesbry</em></p>
<p>(If you don't leave a pseudonym, I'll just give you one.)</p>
<div class="edhrecp__cards"><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Squee, Dubious Monarch"></div></div>
</div>
<hr />
<h2>VERDICT</h2>
<p>Thank you for writing and asking me to weigh in on your story. As I mention every week, if folks don't write to me, there's no column, so if you, the reader, want to send me a story, whether it's your own or one from Reddit or a friend's, please send it to amithebolas@gmail.com and I'll get to it here.</p>
<p>The first thing I'd like to address is the use of "kingmaking" in this submission. While I usually think of kingmaking as immediately giving the game away to another player, it's also correct to use it in this instance wherein a player whose odds at a victory are low does something to swing the game in someone else's favor, or at least tries to.</p>
<p>This is a pretty frustrating one. I understand where you're coming from. Unfortunately, this is essentially his lesson to learn. I don't think you're being unreasonable. While, I can appreciate that Rookie doesn't seem to do it as a grudge against you or something, it feels pretty unpredictable. In one of your examples, he wants the game to end sooner, but in the second example, he's prolonging it for everybody but him.</p>
<p>Is this something the playgroup has also expressed is an annoyance? If so, it's probably time for a chat with Rookie to discuss behaviors that aren't meshing with the group. As he is newer to the game, these faux pas might not flag to him as something to avoid, yet. Is he aware of how his plays make you feel about the game?</p>
<div class="edhrecp__cards"><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Warriors&#039; Lesson"></div></div>
<p>I recognize that, in the moment, you all discuss the plays that are being made and how they impact the game. If there's room for a chat about game expectations and how these moves create a negative play experience for you, it's worth having a direct conversation about it. Bringing up these two examples would also be smart as they highlight inconsistencies in the types of plays that result in the <em>same</em> thing: frustration.</p>
<p>I think this is more about discussing intention with Rookie and bringing attention to that.</p>
<p>The trouble here is this is a bit high-horsey - not to be confused with <em>Hi, Horsey!,</em> one of Bojack Horseman's lesser known sitcoms. This conversation topic feels like it can veer into lightly-condescending, so be mindful of this in your approach. I wish you luck with it, but I think all in all, it should go fine.</p>
<p>I'm leaning not the Bolas because it's giving me "he doesn't know any better" vibes. Nobody's at fault, really. It's somebody catching up to where the rest of you are and falling into the similar things I'm certain we've all done, without thinking, at one point or another.</p>
<p>Were the Rookie no longer a Rookie and intentionally throwing a spanner in the works even if it's not best for him, that'd be pretty spiteful and that's not the kind of player I'm interested in playing with. But it feels like there's a bit of a grace period here.</p>
<div class="edhrecp__cards"><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="When We Were Young"></div></div>


kingmaking

Am I the Bolas? - Survival Makes the Deals and Takes the Wheel

Am I the Bolas? - Rookie Kingmaker