3 Reasons Why Stack Interaction Should Exist in All Colors in Commander
64This week Nathan questions why stack interaction must be locked behind blue given that it is a critical tool to not lose games of higher power Commander. He further discusses card design theory and an analysis of the cEDH meta which reveals a whopping 78% of top8 decks contain blue in their color identity (data sourced from mtgtop8).
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00:00:00 Summary Opinion & Intro
00:00:27 3 Reasons to Print Nonblue Stack Interaction
00:01:22 Stack Interaction is a Critical Defense
00:02:52 Blue "Owning" Stack Interaction is Stale
00:04:54 Color Pie Restrictions Can Still Be Obeyed
00:07:52 Quick Recap
00:08:29 White Custom Card Design
00:09:06 Black Custom Card Design
00:09:45 Red Custom Card Design
00:10:30 Green Custom Card Design
00:11:07 Conclusion
In Commander, the interaction with the stack is often associated with blue's counterspells, but design theory for non-blue colors offers a rich and diverse approach to engaging the stack. Red, for example, uses spells like Red Elemental Blast or Fork, interacting by redirecting or copying spells, providing a chaotic yet strategic response. White leans on cards like Lapse of Certainty and Mana Tithe, offering soft counters that delay threats or tax opponents’ resources. Black can interact with spells via discard effects like Sadistic Sacrament to strip key combo pieces before they hit the stack, a form of preemptive control. Green, though the least likely to engage directly with the stack, still offers protection through cards like Veil of Summer, ensuring resilience against counterspells or disruption. These non-blue methods create dynamic layers of interaction that require timing, foresight, and resource management, expanding the possibilities for competitive play.
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