PlayEDH Mindcrank — Umar
Welcome to the first episode of PlayEDH Mindcrank! In this exciting new interview format, we’ll be talking to folks from the online Commander community and asking them a series of questions that are chosen at random. Our victims—I mean guests—will spin the wheel and they’ll have to answer whatever comes up! I’m Chief, and I’ll be your host!
Author’s note: For legal reasons, we decided not to call this series Wheel of Fortune. It turns out that Mindcrank is a decent stand-in. That said, I do want to make one thing clear: nobody was harmed during the making of this content. It’s all done with special effects, I promise! We used a bot to spin a wheel, but we made sure to whip up some nice graphics for the article. I hope that you enjoy!
Chief: Okay, let’s meet our first ever guest on PlayEDH Mindcrank! Umar, you really didn’t know what you were getting yourself into, huh? You still have a lot to be excited about. Why don’t you tell everyone a little bit about yourself?
Umar: I'm a 25-year-old from Malaysia and have been playing Magic since late 2015. I got roped into it during an anime convention where they had a large space dedicated to introducing folks to the game. My buddy and I had nothing better to do and we thought we'd kill some time by learning how to play ‘that game that we've seen referenced in shows sometimes’. Worst financial decision ever.
Chief: Tell me about it. I don’t even wanna think about how much money I’ve spent on this game over the years. Oh well. No regrets. So what brought you into EDH?
Umar: A few months after I started playing Magic, I found out about EDH and started with the mono-red Daretti, Scrap Savant precon. The idea of being able to express myself by making a deck out of so many cards from Magic's rich history was instantly appealing and it's been my main format ever since. I have to confess that we started out by playing in 6-man precon pods with the rest of my friend group. I wouldn't recommend it. The Meren of Clan Nel Toth player kept winning.
Chief: That does sound pretty wild. Meren is a pretty scary commander even out of the box. How did you wind up on PlayEDH?
Umar: I joined PlayEDH late into 2020, and I really liked the environment that the staff cultivated right away. As a result, I spent a lot of time discussing decks and card selections for Low and Mid Power as those were the power levels that I was naturally comfortable with.
Chief: I’m quite fond of those power levels as well, although I only started playing Low Power in 2022. When did you join the PlayEDH staff and what is your role on the team?
Umar: I got the opportunity to become a member of staff in the middle of 2022. Right now, I help to handle Modmail and the deck check queues. I also moderate the public chat channels, but that doesn't come up often. If any of you readers ever get PlayEDH Modmail messages at odd hours of the day, that's likely me because I live all the way in Malaysia with a timezone of UTC+8.
Chief: Well, I’m thankful to have you on the team. We have folks from all over the world on board, which is helpful to make sure there’s usually someone around at all hours of the day. Okay, are you ready to meet your doom—I mean start the game?
Umar: Oh yes. I’m very excited to get started!
Part I, Starting Out
Available questions on the wheel:
A. What was the first commander that you built?
B. When did you start playing Magic?
C. What's the most recent Commander deck that you built?
D. Where do you prefer to play Magic?
Chief: Question C. That’s a good one. What’s the most recent Commander deck that you’ve built?
Umar: That would be a Kamahl, Heart of Krosa and Tymna the Weaver tokens deck for Low Power on PlayEDH. I've yet to actually play it on the server, as I'm in the middle of tinkering it and adding cards from the most recent sets.
Chief: That looks like a very fun deck. What inspired you to build this deck?
Umar: I built it purely because I was subscribed to Johannes Voss' Patreon where he would ship out tokens every month. After roughly 2 years worth of packages, I had collected a sizable collection that I wasn't actually using and I figured that I needed to change that. It's really just an excuse for me to show off his tokens over webcam, especially the sparkly ones!
Chief: That’s as good of a reason as any. Were there any cards that you were excited to add to this deck that you haven’t found a home for in the past?
Umar: Yes, definitely! I was most active in Standard during the Shadows over Innistrad block, so I have fond memories of the aesthetic and mechanics from those two sets. Being able to stick an Emrakul's Evangel into this deck was a great personal win for me. His effect resonates well with the deck while not being too strong. It has great flavor too!
Chief: Yeah, I don’t see that card too often. I’ve always liked it. You made it through the first question unscathed, so I’ll have to try harder next time…
Part II, Format Philosophy
Available questions on the wheel:
A. What do you enjoy most about the Commander format?
B. Can you describe your ideal Commander game?
C. What is your favorite color identity to play in Commander?
D. What's a deck you eventually stopped playing?
Chief: Question C. Very well. What’s your favorite color identity to play in Commander?
Umar: It's undeniably Temur. I'm primarily a Timmy player at heart so Gruul-adjacent archetypes have resonated well with me since I started playing this game. However, being able to control the game with counterspells and ye olde Cyclonic Rift was just irresistible to me. Combine those two school of thoughts and you end up with my favorite way to play.
Chief: I thought that might be the case. What’s your favorite Temur deck?
Umar: It has to be my Maelstrom Wanderer deck. It's really just big creatures turning sideways with a package of counterspells, ramp, and card draw. It can be very explosive.
Chief: I’ve played against this deck before. It’s quite scary when it gets going! Have there been times when you’ve felt constrained by this color identity?
Umar: Yes, Cyclonic Rift is good and all, but I find that Temur doesn't have the mass removal options that black and white provide. The earlier iterations of my Maelstrom Wanderer back deck back in 2018 ran Nevinyrral's Disk because I wasn't really aware of better board wipe options at the time. Therefore, I was pretty excited when Oversimplify was spoiled. It's not the best board wipe, but mass exile effects in Temur colours are pretty hard to come by.
Chief: I’m a long-time fan of Nevinyrral’s Disk and I still play it in some decks. Are there any cards in other colors that you wish that you could play in a Temur deck?
Umar: I do wish I could play Smothering Tithe in these colors. Purely because Smothering Tithe is such a silly card in non-competitive environments, especially when paired with wheel effects. Yes, I want Dockside Extortionist and Smothering Tithe together in this deck.
Chief: You could just make all of the treasure. I love it! Well, let’s move on and see what other surprises the wheel has in store for us.
Part III, Card Selection
Available questions on the wheel:
A. Are there any cards that you like a lot, but never find a slot for?
B. Which cards did you most recently add to one of your decks?
C. What are your pet cards in Commander?
D. Are there any cards that you’d like to see reprinted?
Chief: Ooooh. Question D. Are there any cards that you’d like to see reprinted?
Umar: I really think that The Great Henge could use a reprint. It just does so much at its discounted cost and should practically be in every green big beater deck. I was surprised to see it had crept up in price recently. I'm really showing off my Timmy tendencies with this, huh?
Chief: I actually predicted that it would be reprinted in Double Masters 2022. It just seemed like the perfect place for a reprint like that. I hope that it gets reprinted sometime soon, because the price is insane. What else are you thinking?
Umar: I also wouldn't mind seeing Ancient Tomb being reprinted. It's acceleration at the low cost of 2 damage. Admittedly, that does add up over the course of a game if you have no way to recoup the life loss. With enough reprints of this card, everybody can then burn their copies of Temple of the False God.
Chief: It sure would be nice. Ancient Tomb actually used to be an uncommon, even though it’s one of the best lands ever printed. Have you got one more?
Umar: I’d say Spellseeker is another card that could use a reprint. It has a lot of utility and it gets very silly when you can flicker or recur her repeatedly. Excluding the Judge card from 2020, the card has yet to be reprinted since it's initial release. I also have a fond personal memory with this card as I managed to crack one when I bought a box of Battlebond when it first came out. It's been included in almost every blue deck I built ever since.
Chief: We can only hope. I’m surprised that it hasn’t shown up again, given its popularity. Before we move on to the next wheel, what’s your least favorite color in Magic?
Umar: I like all of the colors, but it would have to be white.
Chief: You wound me, but I’ll survive. To the wheel!
Part IV, Quick Card Choices
Available questions on the wheel:
A. Cyclonic Rift or Rhystic Study?
B. Demonic Tutor or Opposition Agent?
C. Dockside Extortionist or Underworld Breach?
D. Triumph of the Hordes or Seedborn Muse?
Chief: C is a good one! You have one slot left in your deck. Assume all your basic requirements such as ramp, draw, interaction, and lands have been met. Dockside Extortionist or Underworld Breach?
Umar: It depends on the deck, but I would generally go for Dockside Extortionist because everybody loves more mana. It's a ritual where you can save the mana for later. I love this card because of how it polices itself. It is not as impactful in lower power tables that aren't running all the efficient mana rocks, but you can see the ridiculous swings that Dockside Extortionist can provide in competitive tables.
Chief: Yeah, I’d go as far as calling Dockside Extortionist the strongest red card in Commander. I was glad that it got a reprint, even though it still commands quite a high price. Are there any decks that you have where this card really shines?
Umar: I have a Korvold treasures deck in the works and this was pretty much the first card I included in the tentative list. Add me to the list of people who regret not buying the precon with it when it first came out.
Chief: I was lucky enough to pick up a copy of that deck, but I’ve actually traded my copy of the card since then because I’m only playing mono-white decks!
Part V, Flavor
Available questions on the wheel:
A. Do you have a favorite flavor text?
B. What is your favorite creature type?
C. If Magic characters were real, who would you like to hang out with?
D. What is your favorite plane?
Chief: Question B! What is your favorite creature type?
Umar: Phyrexian is my favorite, without a doubt. I grew up watching the Aliens franchise and fell into the rabbit hole of H.R. Giger's works and everything that was inspired by him. To see the concept of biomechanical body horror being represented in Magic was so cool to me.
Chief: What stands out to you the most about the Phyrexians?
Umar: From a visual standpoint, art depicting Phyrexians is usually very rough and grisly. This makes them so much more interesting to me than the conventional art you would see in other settings (Eldrazified creatures in Innistrad get a pass on this). You have no idea how excited I am to see more of this archetype being represented in the upcoming Standard sets.
Chief: Yeah, I’m really looking forward to the culmination of the current story arc so that I can see more Phyrexians too. I’ll be curious to see if they lean into Phyrexian tribal in the upcoming sets.
Umar: That would be very cool.
Chief: Okay, we’re nearly at the end. Do your worst, wheel!
Part VI, Quick Questions
Available questions on the wheel:
A. Do you prefer tutoring or topdecking?
B. Do you pay the 1?
C. In response, I…
D. If you don’t attack me this turn, I…
Chief: You got question A. Do you prefer tutoring or topdecking?
Umar: Tutoring for an answer or win-con just isn't as satisfying as topdecking one, so I'm going to have to go for the latter. Less tutoring also means I'm less likely to wear out my sleeves and I'm also not keeping my opponents waiting.
Chief: I can vibe with that. I like a mix of spicy topdecks and clutch tutors, but I definitely prefer not to make my opponents sit around while I’m searching my library again and again.
Umar: I always feel self-conscious when I end up searching for lands when I cascade into something like an Migration Path off a Maelstrom Wanderer cast. I can't just shortcut it and pass the turn because it's either the first hit off the Maelstrom Wanderer cascade or I have triggers and plays I need to resolve after the lands hit the battlefield.
Chief: Yeah, sometimes there’s just no way around needing to search your library. As long as you’re doing your best, I’m sure nobody minds waiting a moment for you to take care of business.
Umar: You’re right. I just don’t like making people wait!
Chief: That’s a noble sentiment. Okay, we’re down to the very last spin of the wheel!
Part VII, Closing Questions
Available questions on the wheel:
A. What are your favorite pastimes outside of Magic?
B. What’s your favorite piece of media and why?
C. Where in the entire world would you most like to visit?
D. What’s something about you that most people don’t know?
Chief: C! That’s very exciting. Where in the entire world would you most like to visit?
Umar: It has to be Iceland for me. That country is a geological anomaly. You've got volcanoes, glaciers, waterfalls, geysers, and the Northern Lights all in one island nation. I've always been more attracted to natural sights and sounds as tourist destinations, so Iceland really is the best place for me to visit. Drop me off there for 3 weeks with a fueled up car, and I'll likely have the time of my life.
Chief: That’s a good answer! Iceland does seem like an interesting place. Exxaxl mentioned to me that he’s done this before, so maybe you should hit him up if you want to talk about planning a trip to Iceland. Before we close this out, do you have any final words for our readers?
Umar: I believe you'll have a more enjoyable time playing EDH if you focus on being a fun opponent to play against and cultivating a relaxed environment for the entire table. Sure, you can play to win. But it becomes a problem when you play only to win. So take it easy and mellow out, even if an opponent destroys your lands and that another one keeps flickering his Rishadan Footpad.
Chief: Haha, I think that I might know who you’re talking about here. Thank you so much for joining us today!
This concludes the first episode of PlayEDH Mindcrank. We hope that you had a blast. Let us know what you think about this series on Twitter! You can look forward to more episodes of this series as soon as we find some new victims. If you’d like to check out more PlayEDH content, you can find more articles here or tune into the PlayEDH Radio 903.1 podcast here.
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