THE EDH MULTIVERSE

A multiverse format

Commander, or EDH, is a malleable Magic The Gathering format that is played in many different ways. By focusing on the social aspect of the game it has opened up new avenues to enjoy Magic. Unlike conventional formats, which are mainly played at their competitive edge, EDH facilitates games at all levels of play: from cEDH to every possible kind of casual Commander. This diversity is great in that there's something in EDH for everyone. And everyone should be able to find an EDH game they will enjoy. Regardless of budget, skill or time.

At the same time this open-ended nature of the format has led to many different preferences and ideologies among the EDH player base. So different that sometimes it can seem as if the person across the table is playing an entirely different format. In that sense EDH has become somewhat of a format multiverse in which several diverging interpretations exist at the same time. And not all of them are going to be compatible with each other. Aligning expectations during a pre-game talk is advised to increase the odds of an enjoyable time, especially when playing with strangers, but that can be easier said than done for many.

"The EDH Multiverse" guides aim to help players in this process in a way that is both social and flexible. Where other guides, such as WOTC’s Bracket System, nudge deck builders into a small number of game presets, the EDH Multiverse allows you to more easily craft a ballpark that is tailored to the way you like to build and play. And where most other systems require the whole group to have a common understanding of their material, the guides below can already help you have more effective pre-game talks even if you’re the only one at the table who’s familiar with them. By focusing the conversation not on numbers, labels or deck ingredients, but on the one thing every player is naturally familiar with: the gameplay experience.

To clearly frame your EDH game you really only need to discuss two things: “How far do we want to go to win?” & “How far can we go to stop others from winning?”

Trying to win and trying to prevent others from winning are two fundamental drivers in the game. In EDH, the extent to which these two drivers are pursued will lead to different experiences that different players prefer. "The EDH Multiverse" guides use those drivers to describe how expectations about EDH can differ in terms of gameplay. The chart paints a picture of the EDH landscape and gives pointers on how you can navigate its many interpretations. Like assessing for what type(s) of EDH your deck(s) might be suitable, what you can do to increase the format coverage of your deck suite, how you can express what kind(s) of EDH you prefer using language anyone can understand, what questions you can ask and answer to gauge expectations, and what you can do to get into the same ballpark.

How to apply this guide during a pre-game talk

You can use the questions of the two axes to gauge and establish the preferred gameplay experience of the group. Discuss how far we want to go to win (by asking "What game speed are we aiming for?", or "What's the earliest turn where we all don't mind the game ending?") and how far we can go to keep others from winning (by asking "How much resistance can we handle?", or "Is there any level of interaction, be it low or high, that we want to avoid?"). Often that exchange should allow everyone to pick their most appropriate deck for the table and start the game. If more information is needed to find a ballpark the group can settle on, you can continue the conversation by cherry-picking from the twelve other questions to ask or answer. And when you find yourself in a situation where the group is not on the same page, you can use one of the six strategies included to resolve it. Note that all of this can be done without having to share the guide itself.

Four things to know when using these guides

Don't talk numbers; talk about the preferred gameplay experience instead

While it can be valuable to understand how the power of your deck compares to others, just sharing numbers during a pre-game talk is rarely enough to align expectations. It can even further obscure differences in expectations when your fellow players attribute a different meaning to them than you do. Instead, you can choose to ignore the numbers and focus on the desired gameplay experience: how far do we want to go to win and how far can we go to keep others from winning? Discuss and decide what kind of game we want to have first and then select the decks that best match that experience. These guides can support in that conversation, but are not a replacement.

A common understanding of the guides is not required for them to work

Although still possible, it's not required to show these guides to your fellow players. Instead you can use them to get on the same page with your playgroup without referring to them. They can help you get an overview of the EDH landscape, diversify your deck suite, express where your different decks fall using language anyone can understand, gauge the preferred gameplay experience of the others at the table, and know what options you have to resolve mismatches in expectation. That can be all you need to get into the same ballpark most of the time.

The four ballparks included are examples; use the guides to define your own way(s) to play

The boxes marking "~cEDH", "~High Power Casual EDH", "~Casual EDH" and "~Grindy Casual EDH" are meant as a starting point and not as the correct definitions of these ballparks. Users are encouraged to define their own preferred format interpretations by drawing their own lines.

All EDH interpretations are considered viable

The guides are built from the principle that there is no correct or incorrect way to play Commander. Only a more or less appropriate way given the expectations of all the players at the table.