Monday MtG: Commander Box

No decklist today, for good or ill.  Just my approach to playing Commander, and more importantly, building decks for it.

I've been playing Magic the Gathering since Revised was released (thank you, Terry!).  So over the decades, I acquired tens of thousands of cards, spending thousands of dollars on them and accessories (chiefly sleeves, but also playmats and a fancy deckbox or two).

Upon discovering the Commander format (formerly called EDH or Elder Dragon Highlander), I was in heaven, because here was a Magic format intended to be played in groups instead of straight up duels and at least somewhat discouraging of people running the same cards again and again.  Embracing the format, I never looked back.

Still, with all the cards I owned, I went down a rabbit-hole of deckbuilding (and sleeving).  At one point, I had over two dozen active Commander decks, as well as a half-dozen partial decks at any time.  Given that certain cards are, if not necessary, downright handy and strongly recommended, I found myself buying specific cards in bulk (Sol Ring and ? among others).  This got expensive fast.

Fast forward several years, and I found myself playing less and less, to the tune of once per quarter, maybe.  All those cards - all that money - in my closet, doing nothing.  So I embarked on a grand plan, to pare down what I had and build a Commander Box.  Lots and lots of singles allowing me to keep 6-8 decent decks active at a time, with forced variety between them, due to having few doubles (or triples or sextets) of cards.  True highlander format.

For the most part, it worked.  My collection now fits on one shelf, versus four.  It was slow-going getting there, but fun.  I wasn't part of the initial PucaTrade (caveat emptor) traders, but in early enough that I ended up with all sorts of goodies for little more than my own cards. Goodies I would never see at the local shop.  Plus, it was fun mailing things out and getting my own mail - even when it arrived poorly packaged ($50 worth of cards in a plain white envelope? Really?).

Still, that wasn't the fastest method.  Selling the bulk of the collection to Tyler was.  As part of the standing Saturday game, I encounter my old cards, and will be regaled at how much more they are now worth (but only if I ask - Tyler is polite like that).  Magic singles are a business unto themselves, and one I am happy to away from.

On occasion, the urge for new cards takes me, but since that day, I am rather proud of my not buying up cards left and right.

tl;dr - a box (or several binders) of singles is better for me and my Commander playing than a vast collection of multiples.  So if you see a decklist not running specific cards you're certain I have, you now know why - those cards are in another deck.