We barely even keep track of life totals. We aren't cheating, we make sure we someone doesn't forget anything. It's usually fine. We don't have any Voltron commanders but can usually say "well I've swung through 3 times so you're at 12 cdmg..." or something along those lines. It is a casual format (usually), and just have fun. Most Voltron isn't down to off by 1, but more "My Rafiq swings in for 28 doublestrike?" "Oh, scoop?"
I think fun games can be just having interaction. Have strong creatures and strong removal. You won't race to a win, so everyone gets a chance to play. So maybe avoid creatures that are easily combo-y, or build them in a way that makes them no combo.
I like Grenzo, Dungeon Warden, just but all your fun r/b creatures in there and you never know how each game will go! Fun for the whole family. Alternatively, the most fun I have is building around a commander. It can be a much weaker strategy, but it is fun. My Grenzo has gone through walls, Sherie hidden commander, and Rakdos good stuff and they're all fun.
It is also worth mentioning that not only do I think it's more fun to not play the same game every time, but your opponents will too. So drop tutors.
If you play larger games, then avoid control and tutor heavy decks just so gameplay is faster.
This1UU
Instant (U)
Change the target of target instant or sorcery that can target you or a permanent you control but doesn't to you or a permanet you control.
// That1RR
Instant (U)
Change the target of target spell that does target you or a permanent you control.
IIW: Instants and Sorceries with keywords (e.g. lifelink)
As someone who ran one in every G/U deck I had, we are better off without Prophet. You drop her and then win the next turn in a combo deck, get way to much fuel in stax and prison decks, and I'm sure other situations are broken too. Run Vedalken Orrery and Seedborn Muse to recreate the card.
If you land, bird, then khalni, land, then land, cultivate, you can pop this bad boy on turn 3. In a dedicated land/ramp deck, this fits right in and is easily abusable.
Also worth mentioning, Muldrotha can abuse this.
DISCLAIMER: I would not consider myself competitive. I don't have any demonic tutors or mana drains, my land bases are lucky to have shocks.
My playgroup is my immediate best friends and we have been having an arms race for almost 8 years of combo decks. Who can get wackier, who can get faster, etc. Almost every deck I own has combos as a way to not only add a sense of eventuality but also because that's how we play. It's also hard to just not run cards that combo when synergistic strategies are so good. My ghave deck wants ashnod's altar, it also wants doubling season, should I take one out because the 3 combo? I have a sunspeaker deck with an artifact package (darksteel plate, lightning greaves, sword of the animist, etc.) and therefor tutors (Godo, stoneforge mystic, etc.) Helm of the Host is a good card, a fun card, and also a combo with Godo. Together they can make red white viable for cheaper, but are also good on their own and would probably both end up in the deck regardless of if I intended for the combo.
I have no idea how many times my friends and I go, 'Hmmmm, lets just have some fun with powerful and valueful cards this time! OOPS! nim deathmantle goes infinite withSOMANYTHINGS!"
But that's okay! We love combo, and are aware of our power levels and explosive wins. We agree that combos are fun for us. We each like counting mana, doing the math, going "What do I tutor for right now that will let me win?" Sometimes we miss grindy large board games with Sheoldred, whispering one and Vigor, and we can always play that way when we miss it.
At this point, we are adults and can afford several decks, so we have our meta of combo-y fun, but also decks for others time when we have larger groups of people over and no one wants to shuffle, take 5 30-minute turns just to lose we one of us tutors for peregrine drake. It is frustrating when my friend turn 2's a flashhulk sequence, but other than that I like the balance.
Create a precedent of "I always expect you to go through the whole combo." Even if you don't have anything, ask them to go through it. They'll never know if you have an answer or not. Now, this may force them to be a less greedy player by ALWAYS going for a counter to your answer, but they should probably be doing that anyway.
Also, I think your current strategy is fitting: you don't want to give the game away. Plenty of combo decks can have a 1% chance of not winning or the player can realize they needed 1 more mana, or 1 card that is their hand needs to be in the library or something--so it is quite reasonable. But I would say my way is less aggressive; "I don't I think you're a bad player, I just have this rule that I watch people go through their combo."
First thing to realize is that a computer can't actually be random. And another thing to realize is that humans are bad at telling if something is random. Think of it this way: there is only one amount of lands to draw that is perfect, but the majority of ways to have a randomized deck will result in slightly too much, or slightly too little, lands. And a perfectly random deck order can and should result in nut and horrible hands/draws at times.
Now your example is an extreme case, but it is probably more likely that you don't usually get screwed that badly. In our minds, being a land or two short may make us scream "MANA SCREWED" when in reality, we were only slightly unlucky. This goes the other way as well, "I drew three lands in a row? I THOUGHT THIS DECK WAS RANDOMIZED!" It can be frustrating when these things happen, but sometimes it is helpful to step back and calm down. Nobody likes being unable to play magic in a game of magic, but the essence of randomness means that these things will happen. Maybe add 1 more land, you may be surprised at how that stats of your deck change.
There is also the, unlikely, possible situation where you get 1 land in the first 15-20 cards every game. Although unlikely, this happening is still perfectly possible. You could just be getting unlucky. It may not be the randomizers fault.
I feel like everyone is excessively disproving of Ugin's nature in this. He wasn't cold or apathetic, he was smart. Bolas even says that Ugin was right (similarly to how the human twins fight over the right move over the impulsive move). They could've, maybe would've, died if they had rushed out. He saved himself and Bolas, isn't that empathetic? And at minutes old, is there really a sense of family, anyways? Despite their youth, Ugin didn't help Bolas slowly, but carefully, and that is a distinct difference.
In fact, Nicol Bolas seems to care more that "weak" creatures have the nerve to attack a dragon. Does Bolas really care about his sister? Or rather the implication that he too could be attacked and killed by something he deems less-than? Ugin shows more intelligence, strength of character, and compassion in this story than Bolas.
Reference of Bolas caring about himself being attacked not his sister: '"We can avenge her. These puny creatures cannot be allowed to attack us."'
Reference of Ugin being right, and looking out for his twin: 'Annoyed because Ugin is right[...]'
Hey, great article. I was recently talking to a friend about how I didn't know anything about Theros (other than I love their gods for EDH decks!). My only question: do you have more information or links about Gideon's "indestructible aura?" It isn't mentioned in his gamepedia page.
I like Grenzo, Dungeon Warden, just but all your fun r/b creatures in there and you never know how each game will go! Fun for the whole family. Alternatively, the most fun I have is building around a commander. It can be a much weaker strategy, but it is fun. My Grenzo has gone through walls, Sherie hidden commander, and Rakdos good stuff and they're all fun.
It is also worth mentioning that not only do I think it's more fun to not play the same game every time, but your opponents will too. So drop tutors.
If you play larger games, then avoid control and tutor heavy decks just so gameplay is faster.
This 1UU
Instant (U)
Change the target of target instant or sorcery that can target you or a permanent you control but doesn't to you or a permanet you control.
//
That 1RR
Instant (U)
Change the target of target spell that does target you or a permanent you control.
IIW: Instants and Sorceries with keywords (e.g. lifelink)
Also worth mentioning, Muldrotha can abuse this.
My playgroup is my immediate best friends and we have been having an arms race for almost 8 years of combo decks. Who can get wackier, who can get faster, etc. Almost every deck I own has combos as a way to not only add a sense of eventuality but also because that's how we play. It's also hard to just not run cards that combo when synergistic strategies are so good. My ghave deck wants ashnod's altar, it also wants doubling season, should I take one out because the 3 combo? I have a sunspeaker deck with an artifact package (darksteel plate, lightning greaves, sword of the animist, etc.) and therefor tutors (Godo, stoneforge mystic, etc.) Helm of the Host is a good card, a fun card, and also a combo with Godo. Together they can make red white viable for cheaper, but are also good on their own and would probably both end up in the deck regardless of if I intended for the combo.
I have no idea how many times my friends and I go, 'Hmmmm, lets just have some fun with powerful and valueful cards this time! OOPS! nim deathmantle goes infinite with SO MANY THINGS!"
But that's okay! We love combo, and are aware of our power levels and explosive wins. We agree that combos are fun for us. We each like counting mana, doing the math, going "What do I tutor for right now that will let me win?" Sometimes we miss grindy large board games with Sheoldred, whispering one and Vigor, and we can always play that way when we miss it.
At this point, we are adults and can afford several decks, so we have our meta of combo-y fun, but also decks for others time when we have larger groups of people over and no one wants to shuffle, take 5 30-minute turns just to lose we one of us tutors for peregrine drake. It is frustrating when my friend turn 2's a flash hulk sequence, but other than that I like the balance.
Also, I think your current strategy is fitting: you don't want to give the game away. Plenty of combo decks can have a 1% chance of not winning or the player can realize they needed 1 more mana, or 1 card that is their hand needs to be in the library or something--so it is quite reasonable. But I would say my way is less aggressive; "I don't I think you're a bad player, I just have this rule that I watch people go through their combo."
Now your example is an extreme case, but it is probably more likely that you don't usually get screwed that badly. In our minds, being a land or two short may make us scream "MANA SCREWED" when in reality, we were only slightly unlucky. This goes the other way as well, "I drew three lands in a row? I THOUGHT THIS DECK WAS RANDOMIZED!" It can be frustrating when these things happen, but sometimes it is helpful to step back and calm down. Nobody likes being unable to play magic in a game of magic, but the essence of randomness means that these things will happen. Maybe add 1 more land, you may be surprised at how that stats of your deck change.
There is also the, unlikely, possible situation where you get 1 land in the first 15-20 cards every game. Although unlikely, this happening is still perfectly possible. You could just be getting unlucky. It may not be the randomizers fault.
A pirate was spoiled! Set has a lot of fun and cool things going on, I think!
In fact, Nicol Bolas seems to care more that "weak" creatures have the nerve to attack a dragon. Does Bolas really care about his sister? Or rather the implication that he too could be attacked and killed by something he deems less-than? Ugin shows more intelligence, strength of character, and compassion in this story than Bolas.
Reference of Bolas caring about himself being attacked not his sister: '"We can avenge her. These puny creatures cannot be allowed to attack us."'
Reference of Ugin being right, and looking out for his twin: 'Annoyed because Ugin is right[...]'