Windborn Musings – Top 30 Reasons Why You Should Go to A Commander Launch Party.

I know that the Launch Parties aren’t until next weekend, but I’ve got other plans for next week’s article so here are the top 30 Reasons Why You Should Go to a Commander Launch Party:

30. Support your local game store. 

Game stores are failing everywhere.  With an economy that has been in rough shape for a while now, people are cutting back where they can, and unfortunately, games and fun hobbies tend to be one of the first things that get cut.  On top of this, online gaming takes a big percentage of the funds people have for games, hurting the local shops more and more.  Online stores aren’t helping the matter either.  With almost no overhead, online stores tend to be able to offer the same product for less.

What your local store does offer is a place to play.  There isn’t much point in buying cards if there is no one to play with.  Keep your local gaming store alive.  Show up, have fun playing Commander, and maybe buy a few other cards to individualize your deck.

29.  Sol Ring

Seedborn Muse has told you that this is not an auto-include in every deck.  He wasn’t kidding.  This is in practically every single Commander deck I’ve seen, and it shouldn’t be.  It is however a great card that should be in most of your decks.  There will be one in whichever deck you get at the Launch Party.  And the new art is just so much better than the old art.  Enjoy it and keep it handy for the next Commander deck that you build that requires it.

28.  Freaking Caw-Blade!

This is the only tournament where you won’t be facing Caw-Blade!  Take the 1-of limit, Squadron Hawk and choke on it!  Ahh, no Caw-Blade, just Cacodemon.

27.  Promo cards

Who doesn’t love a freaking promo card?  Commander decks each come with three oversized cards!  These cards are going to be very handy.  Watch for the first oversized 3D Commander card.

26. Game of Thrones isn’t on until Sunday.

I love this show.  If you haven’t started watching, HBO has them all queued up and ready to go.  Actually, read the books; they are even better.  Just wait until after the Commander Launch Party.  Don’t worry, it will keep.

25.  Manipulation.

There is a good chance that part of what you love about Commander are the machinations  and behind the scene dealings.  You are the diplomat in your group and love the idea of being the subtle manipulator.  Now is your chance.  I mean really, the name of one of the decks is “Political Puppets.”  There is something here for you!

24.  The chance to play Commander with new people

For those of you playing in a regular group, this is a chance to play with new people!  I know I am always on the lookout for more players as it gets more and more difficult to bring everyone together for a weekly game.  The Launch Party is a chance to meet other players and possibly add some new blood to your group.  Besides, your regular crowd is getting stale.  Imagine what weird and funky cards these other new players are using!

For those of you without a regular group, this is your big chance to get to know other players in your area.  Maybe you will start your own group or find another group in the area that enjoys a vibrant weekly game.  And you’ll miss out on this opportunity if you stay at home.

23.  Be a sponsor!

For just 70 cents a day for 42.8428571 days, you too can sponsor a Commander deck.  You’ll get game-changing plays from your deck, and photographs letting you know how they’re doing.

22.  Dragons

The wedge dragons are joined by Mana-Charged Dragon, and Death by Dragons.  There will be enough flying flaming lizards to make anyone happy.

“You had me at ‘Wedge dragons.’”

21.  Cool Prizes

Any decent Tournament Organizer will offer some kind of prize support to the winner and more prizes to random people.  The key to Commander events is to keep prize support flat.  This means that there will be a prize for the winner, but most of the prizes go out to everyone or are given out at random.  The focus is on the fun, not who wins the games.  Flat prize support discourages players from doing anything to win, and encourages everyone to try to crazy play and have a good time.  The best TO’s (like me!) will have random door prizes, and prizes for cool plays and good sportsmanship.  Even the weakest player should have a good time and a chance to win!

20. Freaking Caw-Blade!

That deck really pisses me off!

19.  Leave me alone!

Do you prefer your games to involve minimal interaction while you set up for a big finish?  Commander decks have something for you!  Crescendo of War, Soul Snare, and Riddlekeeper are just a few of the cards that encourage your opponents to attack elsewhere.  Although you should stay away from my table.  I’ll be watching for you…

18.  Chance to say, “In my day, it was called EDH and we actually used Elder Dragon Legends as our generals!”

I remember when Memnarch was banned and no one cared how many poison counters it took to kill you…

17.  Chance to play Commander with old friends

I know that many of you are just too busy with life and the responsibilities that come with it to play as regularly as you used to.  This is your chance to get to see all the guys you used to see all the time.  This is a great opportunity to get your friends together for some multiplayer fun!

I am running a Commander tournament.  My son loves the chance to do something a little different with his group of friends.  A Commander tournament with prizes and new cards is just what he and his friends are looking for as a way to shake up their Saturday.  While you may not have time for regular weekly get-togethers, how about a single afternoon at the game shop with your old Magic friends?

16.  Angels. 

There is an entire deck where angels are part of the theme!  Archangel of Strife, Basandra and Tariel fill the sky with feathered wings and cleavage.  Tariel even empties the graveyards!

15.  Glory! 

Should you win your game, you’ll likely be carried by the other players as they chant your name.  Kind of like Rudy, but you are far more powerful and no one watching is likely to tear up at the end. [unless you make them cry. GBM]

14. Diversity.

The Commander decks are not one-trick ponies; they have several different things going on.  Just because your general is lost, you are not left playing without a chance of winning.  Your tactics change and you simply refocus on new goals.

13.  It is an excuse to put off mowing the lawn.

While any excuse will do for me to put off yard work, this is an actual honest to God, real excuse!  Tap a forest or trim the hedge is no contest for me.

12.  Magic got a little dull for you and just wasn’t as much fun lately. 

This format is designed to be fun.  It is everything that you love about Magic.  This has the balancing aspect of a sealed deck tournament but with more interaction.  Everyone is on the same playing field so guys like me and our bottomless supply of cards that just crush you can’t rely on better cards to beat you.  If Magic has lost its luster, now is the time to jump back in.  These Commander waters are fine.

11. Join Forces.

The Join Forces ability promises to bring some huge swings to the games.  Whether it is Alliance of Arms, Minds Aglow, or Mana-Charged Dragon, taking down the primary threat at the table just became a little easier.

Mana-Charged Dragon by Mike Bierek

10. Smash face!

Your deck has a 6/6 flying Dragon legend in it!  Flying!  Dragon!  Legend!  What are you doing just sitting there?  Go smash face!

9.  Do something!

If you prefer cards that demand action now, Commander decks have something for you!  Hydra Omnivore, Collective Voyage and Avatar of Slaughter rush the game into the end phase much faster than before.  There is no reason to wait, the action is right there in front of you.

8.  Hot women play Commander. 

At least that was what I was told.  Haven’t you heard that women enjoy the camaraderie and fun of Magic more so than the pressure to win the tournament.  Commander was made for them!  I’m certain they will be there, but I guess you’ll just have to go to find out for sure.

7.  No broken Commanders decks.

Assuming your TO only lets you play with the preconstructed decks, the games should be fantastic!  You know Wizards of the Coast tested these decks against each other and this should be a pretty fair mix.  This will be one of the only places where you know you’ll be getting some crazy fun games.  Too many times playing against unknown players means that you are stuck playing against Zur or some other un-fun deck piloted by someone who only enjoys winning if you are suffering horribly.  The only suffering you’ll face at the Commander Launch Party is when someone stomps you with a monstrous Dread Cacodemon after you had just hit them with a massively pumped Vish Kal, Blood Arbiter.

6.  Command Tower

Do you have a multicolored general?  Do you ever intend to build a multicolored EDH deck?  This card, unlike Sol Ring, is an auto-include.  You need a very good reason to not include this card.  I’ll have a lot more to say about this card in the future, but for right now, you would be insane to miss the chance to pick this card up for your Commander decks.

5.  Your chance to use Dread Cacodemon!

You read our preview article right?  You know this guy is just amazing!  Wouldn’t you love to see the looks on your opponents’ faces when you wipe out all of their creatures?  How can you want to play anything else?

4.  Freaking Caw-Blade!

Ahh, no Caw-Blade, just Cacodemon.

3. You can only get the cards in the Commander decks.

Fifty-one of these cards are only available in the Commander decks!  Where else are you going to get them?  You could buy them online, but they won’t ship until the release date.  You could go to Target or Walmart, but do they really need more of your money?  The better choice is for you to go to your local game store.  Not only will you get the cards, but you’ll get some games in with them as well!  You will also have your best chance collecting particular cards at the Launch Party.  Many stores are selling out, so pick one up at your Launch Party.  Even if you don’t get the deck you particularly wanted, buy it and start trading for the cards you really want!  Players with multiple EDH decks are going to be looking to get Sol Rings and Command Towers, while players with fewer decks will want some of the amazing new bombs in the decks.  There is a good chance that you can trade for the more impressive legends, or vice versa!

2.  I heard the gold cards are made of actual gold, but only for the Launch Parties!

1. Why do you need reasons to play Magic all day?! Go to your Commander Launch Party!

Bruce Richard
@manaburned
bnrichard<AT>hotmail.com