DoctorSpicy 3 years{"ops":[{"insert":"A lot of players have an aversion to paying a tax (including paying mana, discarding cards, or sacrificing permanents) when it's an option between paying that tax or giving an opponent some benefit (not getting attacked, drawing a card, etc.). This even includes \"opportunity cost\" versions of this pattern, where paying the tax includes opting to refuse getting free mana/lands or card draw, even if choosing to do so gives an opponent something too (in the list below, I refer to these as \"Tempt\" cards, indicated by an asterisk*). I think people don't want to lose \"tempo\" or momentum in Commander games when you have three opponents (something about having 3x the opponents makes people less willing to risk sacrificing their ability to build up their board).\nI've heard people say that the cause is anything from the psychological principle of loss aversion (where losses are felt more strongly than gains) to simply a matter of Commander attracting players who are greedy (which may tie into the idea that there are two types of Spike players, ones that care about winning even if they don't feel like they are and ones that care about feeling like they are going to win even if they rarely do, resulting from becoming the archenemy often).\nThe point is, I've seen this pattern of card come up frequently as being particularly powerful in Commander (and no, I don't think I'm anywhere close to the first person to say that). Here is a tentative list of cards that fall into this type of strategy:\n\nArchangel of Tithes"},{"attributes":{"list":"ordered"},"insert":"\n"},{"insert":"Archon of Absolution"},{"attributes":{"list":"ordered"},"insert":"\n"},{"insert":"Baird, Steward of Argive"},{"attributes":{"list":"ordered"},"insert":"\n"},{"insert":"Collective Restraint"},{"attributes":{"list":"ordered"},"insert":"\n"},{"insert":"Dread"},{"attributes":{"list":"ordered"},"insert":"\n"},{"insert":"Elephant Grass"},{"attributes":{"list":"ordered"},"insert":"\n"},{"insert":"Esper Sentinel"},{"attributes":{"list":"ordered"},"insert":"\n"},{"insert":"Expropriate"},{"attributes":{"list":"ordered"},"insert":"\n"},{"insert":"Ghostly Prison"},{"attributes":{"list":"ordered"},"insert":"\n"},{"insert":"Karmic Justice"},{"attributes":{"list":"ordered"},"insert":"\n"},{"insert":"Koskun Falls"},{"attributes":{"list":"ordered"},"insert":"\n"},{"insert":"Mystic Remora"},{"attributes":{"list":"ordered"},"insert":"\n"},{"insert":"No Mercy"},{"attributes":{"list":"ordered"},"insert":"\n"},{"insert":"Ophiomancer"},{"attributes":{"list":"ordered"},"insert":"\n"},{"insert":"Propaganda"},{"attributes":{"list":"ordered"},"insert":"\n"},{"insert":"Rhystic Study"},{"attributes":{"list":"ordered"},"insert":"\n"},{"insert":"Smothering Tithe"},{"attributes":{"list":"ordered"},"insert":"\n"},{"insert":"Sphere of Safety"},{"attributes":{"list":"ordered"},"insert":"\n"},{"insert":"Tempt with Discovery*"},{"attributes":{"list":"ordered"},"insert":"\n"},{"insert":"Tempting Contract*"},{"attributes":{"list":"ordered"},"insert":"\n"},{"insert":"Wandering Archaic"},{"attributes":{"list":"ordered"},"insert":"\n"},{"insert":"Windborn Muse"},{"attributes":{"list":"ordered"},"insert":"\n"},{"insert":"\n*These are the \"Tempt\" cards mentioned above regarding opportunity cast being factored into the idea of the tax.\n\nDiscussion:\n\nWhat do you do when an opponent plays one of these cards, and why?"},{"attributes":{"list":"bullet"},"insert":"\n"},{"insert":"Do you think these cards are strong to play? Why or why not?"},{"attributes":{"list":"bullet"},"insert":"\n"},{"insert":"Do you try to force these cards into your decks, or do you avoid playing them?"},{"attributes":{"list":"bullet"},"insert":"\n"},{"attributes":{"bold":true},"insert":"Do you know any cards that should be added to this list?"},{"attributes":{"list":"bullet"},"insert":"\n"},{"insert":"Any other thoughts about this pattern, these cards, or something else related to this post?"},{"attributes":{"list":"bullet"},"insert":"\n"},{"insert":"\n"}]}
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Hero-X 2 years{"ops":[{"insert":"The issue you raise in the beginning of your post is some wonky variation of the Prisoners Dilemma game theory conundrum (there's a lot if you start looking) -- no one wants to be the guy who falls behind, and everyone hopes the rest of the table will focus their aggressive defense on each other. It promotes a watchful risky peacefulness until someone pulls the trigger. \n"}]}
Edited 4/11/2022, 2:24:36 PM
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Game 2 years{"ops":[{"insert":"If an opponent plays these, I pay the tax if I have the resources available since I am rather fond of denying that satifsaction of card draw, and they have to usually answer what I play."},{"attributes":{"list":"bullet"},"insert":"\n"},{"insert":"Some of the cards are incredibly strong, but the problem with them is either too high in mana to use early, or the resources don't have a proper outlet to make use of them."},{"attributes":{"list":"bullet"},"insert":"\n"},{"insert":"I only add the cards to the deck if the slot fits mana curve "},{"attributes":{"bold":true},"insert":"and "},{"insert":"if they fit the theme. Usually something like archangel of tithes would be placed in a white stax deck with angel of jubilation. of course I'd rather use Norn's annex at that point."},{"attributes":{"list":"bullet"},"insert":"\n"},{"insert":"Cards like browbeat, or even cards like rule of law. After all, red is getting better with new resources, but cards that force everyone to play the same pace tend to hurt worse sometimes."},{"attributes":{"list":"bullet"},"insert":"\n"},{"insert":"Of course these are cards that possibly hold some of the highest salt score on that scale, but thats honestly it from what I see. Although I'd rather worry about ensnaring bridge over sphere of safety and attack based taxes since it stops me completely most of the time."},{"attributes":{"list":"bullet"},"insert":"\n"}]}
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