I Quit Commander to Play Magic I Actually Enjoy

Sep 30, 2026 · 27m

I have 17 Commander decks. And I'm taking them all apart. This isn't a video about hating Commander. I've had plenty of good experiences playing EDH, and if Commander is the way you enjoy Magic, you should absolutely keep playing it. But I've realized that I don't actually enjoy playing Commander very much anymore. So I'm breaking down why. I talk about how I first discovered Highlander, how I got back into Commander after returning to Magic in 2012, building my first artifact decks, playing Commander during the pandemic, and how my relationship with the format changed over time. The bigger issue is that I've realized what I actually enjoy about Magic: community-created formats, 60-card decks, deckbuilding, and playing with cards that I love. That's led me toward formats like Premodern, Classic Legacy, Peak Legacy, and my own Peak Modern battle box — formats where I can build decks, lock in a card pool, and play the game without constantly worrying about the next round of updates. I also show off the battle boxes I've been building, including: Classic Legacy Premodern Peak Modern Affinity Gifts Jund Lantern Control Birthing Pod Scapeshift Storm Splinter Twin Tron Blue-Eyed Red And…

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