The two things you want to do is draw cards and play lands. Simic just does both exceptionally and often on the same card.

@RudestKaiser

16 күн бұрын

UG is engineered to be the best at doing what everyone needs to do!!

@PapiGordo5360

16 күн бұрын

It also means the opportunity cost is super low, so the decks consistency is extremely high. An Aura commander would need to have a lot of auras in the deck. A deck like Tatyova needs to have lands. These are not equal in opportunity cost.

Each color other than blue seems to have an express “win condition” that it pushes the player towards (white tokens and anthems, red burn and small creatures, green big dumb stompy) but blue has this “corrupting” effect that takes the supporting aspect of the other colors (white taxes, green ramp) and cranks them up to 11. Then you either don’t need a win condition or you just need such a small one that the deck just ends up spinning its wheels so long that it turns into. Add red and you get the impulse draw and spell volume to make a storm deck. Add white and you get the removal and taxes for control.

@RudestKaiser

16 күн бұрын

The corrupting power of knowledge is real asf. One essence of blue is striving for perfection, so bringing out the wildest aspects of other colors feels right for them.

@FootOfDOOM

16 күн бұрын

@@RudestKaiser yes and the “perfect” combos don’t use a win condition as you can see in modern with the cuts to thassa’s oracle in nadu decks just more spinning spinning spinning

@TheUltimateRey

15 күн бұрын

@@FootOfDOOM I think a common win condition for blue would be mill or having someone including yourself drawing their deck to make your opponents lose or turning that into a replacement win the game effect

I like blue and green together but adding red is just *chefs kiss*

@RudestKaiser

15 күн бұрын

Chef's Kiss is quite the card. A Threaten for spells is really something, but who are we to judge someone's card choice?

@TheUltimateRey

15 күн бұрын

@@RudestKaiser I would run it in something like Naya… if I had one 🥲

It’s funny how the simic cards that aren’t just value engines tend to be the ones that are actually associated with the simic combine on Ravnica. On Ravnica, Simic cards normally have a focus on +1/+1 counters, rather than just accumulating card draw and ramp (like, they still have access to both, because simic’s component colors are blue and green, but that’s not their focus).

@RudestKaiser

7 күн бұрын

Ravnica got it right, its every other plane is just doing the best they can to stay relevant...

To be fair volo doesnt double ALL your creatures it only doubles ones you havent played a type of yet. Yes, you can just run craterhoof and zendikar but there is so much more possibility then that. Especially with all the universes beyond products, there are so many wacky individual creature types that exist, and i think a volo deck can be built in a cool kids way: you just have to put the effort in. Volo was the card that literally got me into magic, and i think hes an awesome deck building challenge.

@Justanerd-qj2hd

16 күн бұрын

I think more of the problem is that you *have* to put effort in to not just put in the staples again but have them be slightly different. He's a cool as hell commander, but the fact that consecrated sphinx is clearly the best sphinx card, creatorhoof behemoth is clearly the best beast card, avenger of zendikar is at least more than likely the best elemental in simic is what kinda pulls it down. I love Volo, but I wish that part of everything was a bit different

@RudestKaiser

16 күн бұрын

We don't disagree. Luckily every deck can be built with heart, even with the most degenerate of commanders. Our distinction is not to claim the good cards aren't good nor that only mouth breathers gravitate toward popular legends, but instead to express that just being the best isn't as important as expression and is even less important in colors where the commander is just icing on the value cake. We hope you keep your volo deck until you get sick of it, and damn anyone else'a take on it. You're still welcome at the cool kid's table!!

I love Volo and he was my first commander deck, but I think the "challenge" of playing different creature types isn't really a challenge at all. Just play the two best elves, merfolks, beasts, sphinxes, dragons, etc and go to town. The challenge inherent to tribal decks is playing sub optimal cards that punch up when supported by their tribe. With Volo you can basically play the best creature from each tribe, and his ability will make a "tribe of two" from that one creature. Not to mention the potential of playing copy creatures. I've seen a merfolk tribal Volo deck that went nuts with copy creatures which usually have an illusion or shapeshifter type on cast.

@RudestKaiser

12 күн бұрын

We appreciate these commanders because they give as much as is put into them! This makes it clear who just wants to play good stuff and who wants to play sick decks like that merfolk one!!

Good video, looking forward to hearing about Selesnya😉

Dimir is the most broken 2-color combination because of two cards : Thassa's oracle Demonic Consultation

@RudestKaiser

15 күн бұрын

True, but would you agree that being the most mechanically sound and having the highest win rate are different?

I don't think I've ever seen or heard anyone say that White is the best color/second best color. Unless this just started in the past two years.

@RudestKaiser

17 күн бұрын

We are all too happy to be the first to say it

@Canadianvoice

16 күн бұрын

ABZAN has never let me down.​@@RudestKaiser

@RudestKaiser

16 күн бұрын

We know abzan is good but we also know they tend to be golgari decks with white splashed for removal. But we're all too happy to be proven wrong!!

@willowdelosrios4326

7 күн бұрын

@@RudestKaiser why would Golgari need to splash white for removal? They already have black, the color with the most removal spells. I feel like what white brings to Abzan in my experience is usually super cheap creatures and sacrifice fodder, plus a lot of buffs and anthems for your whole board. Well, that and siege rhino.

Simic: for when you want to blatantly cheat, without getting kicked out of the LGS.

@RudestKaiser

16 күн бұрын

That's a slogan many guilds would be proud to bear!!

i wish blue/green leaned more into things other then card draw/ramp, and more into copying creatures and activated abilites, topdeck/scry and counters (especially more unused mechanics like transferring counters/using them as a resource) I got into magic with ravnica, and simic graft, and later evolve have always been favorite mechanics of mine, but simics identity feels overshadowed by the goodstuff draw/ramp stuff. It also makes it awkward to build decks in simic colors, as theres so many cards that do that goodstuff glue, but imo are boring.

@RudestKaiser

16 күн бұрын

"UG leans so heavily into good stuff that it loses any identity" is such a genuine complaint. Simic isn't a top guild in our eyes for the same reason.

I have recently purchased a Xyris deck and a Zaxara deck. With those, I now have every single combination of Simic + a color in my deck list (the other being Lagrella), along with my two actual simic decks 😌 I love this color combination and the value will never end

@RudestKaiser

15 күн бұрын

We love players that obsess over colors. That level of dedication is how one becomes a master of an art!!

This was entertaining, thanks.

@RudestKaiser

16 күн бұрын

Glad you enjoyed it and we hope you look forward to the next few two color combos we cover!!

It's scary that Volo, which should be an incredibly scary card, is seen as kinda weak in the game of Simic. Duplicate creatures is nice, but more greed!

@RudestKaiser

16 күн бұрын

We think this is called "powercreep" but it isn't in any chronological order, so maybe it has a different name.

Monstrous Vortex.

Simic player knows my heart. Im all about those tokens and creature copies. Ive made pretty much all these commanders except Ivy and Kinnan.

I have an Arwen scary deck. Love it so much.

@RudestKaiser

16 күн бұрын

We bet it is even worse than scary, but love that you saw how strong it was too!!

Really good video! And great music, where is it from?

@RudestKaiser

16 күн бұрын

Thank you for the comment. Music is all from Trauma Center: New Blood.

While technically Temur because partners with, Madame Vastra is a refreshing different take on the Simic formula: force blocks, make tokens for card draw & life gain, and find a way to capitalize. Then her partner, Jenny Flint, turns those tokens into growth for Vastra so shes more likely to survive blockers, and growing by attacking alongside V so she can deliver the killing blow.

@RudestKaiser

5 күн бұрын

They are a very cool pair. We have a friend that built them after seeing Night of Sweets' Revenge!!

@byronsmothers8064

5 күн бұрын

@@RudestKaiser deep clue sea was my starting point of the deck, pivot out the white and incorporate red while going 'fight club', and it goes silly. MKM in general was definitely the leg-up they needed.

I'd actually argue blue is the strongest but that's using the old facts of a basic island being the highest wr card played in legacy. Idk if it's the same nowadays

@RudestKaiser

4 күн бұрын

Between you and ourselves, neither do we. Magic is a very fast growing game!

Omo does this uniquely and I like it: On ETB Turn on all Urza lands and add more mana for Cloudpost? Sign me up! Also you can win with a cheated Maze's End as well

@RudestKaiser

16 күн бұрын

Winning with Maze's End in a 2 color deck was the dream Niv Mizzet died and was resurrected for. Praise be to the Guildpact!!

Dimir is the best color combination. I really dont think its a debate. Blue and black can interact at every and any point. Green is better in lower powered pods because green is supported by the social contract.

@RudestKaiser

5 күн бұрын

We'll take your word for it!!

@dudemanbrodog1961

5 күн бұрын

@@RudestKaiser I don't think it's just taking my word for it. For example. Blue black lands are almost always the most expensive, and that's because they are the most commonly powerful colors in formats. Black tutors, blue stack interaction. Both have great unconditional card draw and unconditional removal. As you go up power levels, things like green land ramp becomes less powerful because there is better ramp at those tiers. I do think the video hits a lot of good points about the simic value engine. I just disagreed with the, simic is the best color combination

I don't think Ivy is really on the same level as the other Simic value engine commanders you mentioned. You reelly have to work pretty hard to make her good. Don't get me wrong, I have an Ivy deck, and it's a lot of fun, but I always feel like I am having to work for my wins, unlike when I played a Tatyova landfall deck.

@RudestKaiser

15 күн бұрын

We don't disagree but like we mentioned, the commander of these decks doesn't matter. Ivy isn't so bad that she invalidates the value engine so we felt she was still important to showcase.

I wasn't under the interpretation that green is the strongest color in magic, at least in older formats.

@RudestKaiser

16 күн бұрын

All we know is that any time a green card in a cycle isn't centered around putting counters on something, it winds up being the best of the 5.

@Enja_Near

15 күн бұрын

​@@RudestKaiserCryptic Command would like to have a word with you.

@RudestKaiser

15 күн бұрын

We can do a whole video on cycles

It sucks cuz with power creep, wotc feel pressured to make more simic value engine commanders to keep up the pace, leaving alot of actually interesting commanders like Jyoti, Omo, or Gor Muldrak feeling second class.

@RudestKaiser

15 күн бұрын

It is really sad that Jyoti is so unpopular because they are one of the most interesting simic legends... But isn't it the fault of us, the players, for always wanting to play with only the best of the best?

0::10 I can tell the video is more jokey but the comp player in me hard disagrees with "green" being the best color in comp. It is arguably one of worse it plays fair magic compared to the stupid bullshit other colors do. Green and Blue is definitely one of the strongest tho.

@RudestKaiser

4 күн бұрын

The best thing about the game is that there is no best anything. Everything loses to something else. We're glad you can understand that.

Hilarious how green become the worst color by far in cedh

@RudestKaiser

16 күн бұрын

cEDH is a different beast entirely.

The best color is green? I don't know if I can take this channel seriously.

@RudestKaiser

15 күн бұрын

We would love to hear your take on the best color

The deck isn't Green Deck wins... all I'm saying.

@RudestKaiser

15 күн бұрын

Very true but why doesn't any other color feel the need to advertise that their deck will win?

@ServbotNumba40

14 күн бұрын

@RudestKaiser If they did advertise it, that would be false advertisement.

Azorius does everything simic does better, except ramp.

@Cybertech134

15 күн бұрын

Ramp is one of the most important things being talked about here, so that's not saying much.