Speaker 1: And that's why Commander is the solution to, and also the cause of, all of Magic the Gathering's problems. Oh, hello. Problem players? Not at my Commander table. Or are there? What do you do when this real-world problem rears its ugly head at your next game night? Come with me. Let's have a real talk about some real issues. There are many kinds of problem players that can disrupt an unsuspecting game night. To name a few, you have your Salt Lords, a player who finds any bad luck or disruption to their board state to be a personal affront on their character and an assault on their evening. You also have your EDH Pros, who seem to operate under the assumption that every game of Commander they play is quite literally the Pro Tour. And you have your Strategy Experts, who just don't want to play their own deck, but also tell everyone else how they should be playing theirs. Each problem player variant carries with them their own host of attitudes, behaviors, and uncomfortable atmospheres, but time after time, they all lead to the same thing. Everyone has a bad time playing a game that would otherwise have been a lot of fun. Now, before we go any further, I want to be clear that when categorizing these difficult Commander players, I'm speaking very broadly. I'm describing archetypes. In real life, these players are, of course, more complex than these simple monikers imply. Everyone contains multitudes, and someone may inhabit the role of Salt Lord for one Commander game and be entirely friendly the next. For better or for worse, difficult Commander players are a part of the game. It is therefore important to know how to recognize a problem player's presence at your table, what you can do if you encounter one, and, crucially, what you can do if you think you might be one yourself. By far the most common variety of problem player is the Salt Lord. Known colloquially as the sore loser, or even more colloquially as the jerk, these pesky menaces to game night tend to appear when things just aren't going their way. Most games of Commander are fun, low-stakes environments where players play and interact with one another under the common presumption that, at the end of the day, hey, it's just a game. Magic is very complex, with many foundational tenets that make it appealing to players both new and experienced. Two of these central tenets are interaction and variance. Even the best-laid plans can be foiled either by opponent interaction or just by random chance. If these two components of magic didn't exist, however, it wouldn't be the most popular trading card game of all time. The Salt Lord, however, seems to have a different perspective on these two core components. Based on this player's behavior, bad luck is a fundamental flaw in the game, and any attempt to prevent them from killing you is both unfun and unfair. These players often harbor a distaste for countermagic and board wipes, yet also don't like it when their opponents get too far ahead. To these players, losing means either their opponent was incredibly lucky or, worse, brought a deck way too powerful. Another key trait of this salty shade of problem player is the vacuum that their negative attitude can have on the energy of a room. Simply put, if a Salt Lord is having a bad time playing magic, everyone is going to have a bad time playing magic. So what should you do if you find yourself at a table with a player who's over-salted? Well, you can always do the simplest thing, nothing at all. Sometimes ignoring a little salt here and there is the easiest way to combat this variety of unpleasantness. After all, fire needs tinder, and sore losers need an audience. Keep in mind that this strategy, while often effective at avoiding a difficult conversation, can lead you straight into that positive energy vacuum that Salt Lords have at their disposal. Of course, not all salt can be effectively ignored. If this problem player has directed their salt at a specific other player at the commander table, then ignoring their behavior is no longer an effective strategy. If you recognize this happening at your table, it's time to say something. Remind your sodium-drenched adversary that the stakes really aren't that high. It's just a game, after all. A game of commander. Perhaps you can point out that things are still going well for them, or suggest that maybe things will go better in the next game, assuming you are still interested in playing another game with them after their reign of salt. Alternatively, you can attempt to lighten the mood with a quip or funny story of a time you had a game piece of yours rudely removed by an opposing player who didn't want to die to it. Remember, just because the other player has decided to have a bad time doesn't mean you have to resign yourself to a bad time as well. If the whole rest of the table is smiling and joking around, the problem player will find themselves faced with a decision to make. Either they can let go of their anger and have fun with all of you, or they can remove themselves from the situation. Either option is their right, but what's important is that you haven't let a little salt ruin your evening. Now, you might be watching this and thinking to yourself, was I a salt lord at my last commander night? Probably, but don't beat yourself up about it. Everyone gets frustrated playing Magic the Gathering sometimes. That said, if you often find yourself struggling to remember that commander is just a game, then you could likely benefit from some self-reflection. You shouldn't keep putting yourself in situations where you end up having a bad time. Ask yourself, is the entire concept of variance or interaction something that you just don't like? If so, maybe Magic the Gathering isn't the game for you because it's a game of variance and interaction. Or maybe you've just had a particularly frustrating string of bad luck the past few times you've played. If that's the case, perhaps it's worth putting down your deck for a while and doing something else with your free time until the common wrinkles and bumps of a Magic game don't sting as much. Again, it's a game. You should be having fun. If you're not, it's okay to do something else. You should be having fun. Next, while there's nothing wrong with trying to win a game of commander, after all, somebody does have to emerge victorious, there is often a problem with this type of player, the pro commander player. Also known as the EDH professional, these players can be recognized by their distinctive behavior when playing a game of commander. Constantly angle shooting to maximize their chances of winning, EDH pros have no interest in camaraderie with their fellow table mates. They're cutthroat, watching the board like a hawk for suspected cheating, missed triggers, and any other slip-up that they can catch. It doesn't matter to them if anyone else is having fun, and in fact, they will often eliminate a player from the game early if it's technically the most tactical choice to make, even if it means that player will have to sit around waiting for the game to be over. If you encounter an EDH pro at your commander night, there are a few survival techniques you can practice to ensure it's not you whose commander game reaches an early end, and more importantly, that the joy of your game night isn't lost to the throes of competition. If you feel comfortable doing so, the first step in situations like this is direct communication. Talk to your friends. The other player may not even notice that their behavior is a little more intense than everyone else's. Asking them to tone it down just a bit could solve this problem all on its own. If they're being aggressive with another player about missed triggers and other forms of angle shooting, be assertive in backing that player up. If the player passes the turn and then realizes they forgot to make their land drop, that's not a big deal at all. Heck, you can even tell the problem player that even in competitive rules enforcement level tournaments, you're allowed to say, pass the turn, oh wait, I forgot to play a land, and then still make that land drop. Another route you can take if you'd prefer to avoid confrontation, or if the problem the pro is causing is more minor, is to simply lead by example. You, and ideally your fellow table mates, show the pro what kind of environment you typically prefer to foster in commander. Show them it's more fun to chill out by just engaging in friendly conversation with everyone, or talking through your potential lines of play, or being sure to spread out damage during your attacks, even if you could wipe one of your opponents out entirely by focusing on them. On the other hand, if you're worried that you might be the EDH pro of your LGS or playgroup, and you're interested in exploring other ways to approach the game of commander, ask yourself, what is it you hope to gain out of a game of EDH? Does your life really improve that significantly if you pull off yet another victory thanks to your tight play and maybe too tight table manners? What would it be like to approach the game from a basis of both fun and winning, rather than just from a basis of winning? There is so much fun to be found in commander, from getting to play with cards that just don't cut it in 1v1 formats, to exploring synergies and strategies that are made more dynamic by the multiplayer nature of the game. Think about some of the coolest things that you can do in Magic that aren't competitive enough to build a 60-card constructed deck around, and consider making a commander deck that's focused on doing that cool thing. When you play your next commander game, take a look at the body language and tone and voice of other players. Do they seem to be enjoying your company and appreciating what you and your deck are bringing to the game? If they don't seem enthusiastic, maybe try and relax and lighten up a little bit. Games are supposed to be fun. Ah, but similar to the EDH pro is another type of problem player, the expert. The expert isn't necessarily as focused on winning at any cost as the pro, but they do carry with them a similar air of Magic superiority, where they get their sense of purpose in demonstrating that they know more about the game than anyone else at the table. They'll be thrilled to tell you that you should have made a different play on your turn, or suggest a potential line to you that you may have already considered and dismissed. They think they know how to play not just their own deck, but also everyone else's, and they won't hesitate to let you know it. If the goal of the pro is to one-up you on the battlefield, the goal of the expert is to one-up you in the arena of ideas, often accompanied by a condescending tone or a reference to an obscure piece of game trivia. If you feel you are on the receiving end of the expert's backseat driving, please feel empowered to stick up for yourself. They may be underestimating your ability, but don't you go underestimating your own. Sure, sometimes they maybe will suggest a line that you hadn't thought of, and when that happens, there's no shame in taking that line of play instead. But if your line is better, or you just don't want to put up with their constant chatter about what you should have done, you have every right to ask them to just focus on their own game. Be polite about it, of course, but it is fair for you to say, hey, I just kind of want to make my own plays here, make my own mistakes, and that's okay. Now, if the suggestions the expert is offering you are more harmless, or you aren't in the mood for a confrontation, another route you could take is asking the player why they feel that their line is a better line. If they're going to try to help, they should be able to articulate what exactly their suggested line is trying to accomplish. It's even possible that they're right, and you can use that as an opportunity to learn something, but it's also okay to just say to them, hey, I appreciate the advice, but I'm also just trying to have fun with my deck. I'll ask you if I need any help, okay? If someone else at the table is getting the worst of the expert's suggestions, the right thing to do is to intervene and support your friend as best you can. You can tell the expert, hey, I think they've got it. Or the slightly more aggressive, hey friend, I think they know how to pilot their own deck. You can also push back against the expert's overstepping by complimenting the other player on the plays they've chosen to make. Something as simple as a confidence boost can make a difference to a player who's had to deal with the expert in their ear all night. Plus, it undermines the authority that the expert is trying to position themselves as. One thing that I recommend avoiding, if at all possible, is getting into an argument over game theory with an expert. Not that there are serious consequences if you do. The conversation is just likely to be insufferable. And once backed into a corner, the expert is unlikely to ever change their mind, no matter how much more correct you are than them. If you think that you might be one of these experts, well then, friend, you gotta just let go of your need to be the smartest one in the room. Maybe you feel like you're genuinely trying to help them get better. But please, please internalize this lesson until you're asked for help and advice. The vast majority of the time, if people want advice on how to play Magic, they will ask for it. How would you feel if someone was looking over your shoulder while you played and critiquing you in real time? It probably would get really annoying really fast, wouldn't it? Now, if you've noticed a player has made the same mistake over and over again and you feel you absolutely must say something, at that point, you must ask them politely if they're interested in hearing some feedback on their play. They'll likely be more than happy to hear your thoughts now that you've asked first. But if they say no, you absolutely must respect that. You aren't their coach. You're just someone playing Magic the Gathering with them. These are just a few of the kinds of players that are difficult to play Commander with. But problem players come in all shapes and sizes. Most of the time, they don't mean to cause problems. They just haven't fully grasped that the best games of Commander are as collaborative as they are competitive. Yes, there will only be one player still standing when the dust of battle settles. But there are still four people in the room together, and it's on every one of those players to make sure that the rest of the players are having a good time too, regardless of who's winning. At the end of the day, the key to solving the problems that come up between Commander players really isn't that complicated. Communication, kindness, gentleness. As long as you communicate with each other, stick up for each other, and remember why it is that you're all there, then your Commander Night will remain exactly what it should be. A rip-roaring good time.