Toxic Commander Habits That Ruin MTG Game Night

Commander is the most social of Magic formats, so MTG Commander etiquette is just as important as the strength of your deck. This means when the game is friendly, it’s about as fun as Magic can be, whereas bad habits can ruin your game night. Whether it’s saltiness, slow play, poor communication, or disrespecting other players’ cards, the worst Commander habits are the ones that make the game less fun for everyone.

How We Are Ranking Commander Habits

What are the worst habits in MTG Commander?

Not all bad habits are equal, so we need a ranking system to work out which are harmless-yet-annoying, those that can cause friction at the table, serious problems, and ones that may stop people being invited back. These MTG commander tips will make everyone have a better time at game nights.

Commander Habit Severity Scale

What is good Commander etiquette? Let’s first work out a severity scale before we delve into the most common issues:

Mildly Annoying Commander Habits

All people are different and some behaviours which may not even be noticed by some can mildly annoy others. This can extend all the way from deck building (e.g. players not playing enough lands and moaning about mana screw), to choosing unusual card aesthetics that make the game harder to follow, to making messy board states, or overexplaining plays (including inconsequential ones and those made by other players).

The thing is with these kinds of minor habits is that we all have them, most of the time without even knowing, and it can be really hard to know what may trigger other players. Just try to be self-aware of your own actions, make the game easy to follow for others, and if another player is doing these things, find subtle ways to address them (e.g. making a light joke about messy board states rather than calling them out directly).

Habits That Slow the Game Down

One of the downsides of Commander is that sometimes games can drag. This means bad habits that slow the game down are among the most egregious.

People playing slowly, repeatedly asking for take-backs, excessive searching of their decks, long-decision making, and decks with too many triggers (and the players slow resolution of them), all can make the game take far too long and make other players frustrated.

Complex Commander decks with lots of triggers are fine, but players need to be very familiar with the interactions and shortcuts to resolve them quickly. You need to keep focused, even when it’s not your turn, so you can plan ahead and execute your turn quickly to keep things moving.

Table Politics That Go Too Far

Some people love the politics of Commander, others loath it. They can be fun, helping to champion an underdog, or group together to collectively take down a runaway winner, or just to make some wild interaction happen, helping to bring balance and unique experiences. However, they can also go way too far, with constant deal-making and over-negotiating slowing things down and making players feel pressured into making certain actions. Things like questioning other players’ plays, even arguing over tiny decisions, or making every attack step a big debate can get exhausting and become a blocker to the actual game.

There’s nothing wrong with a bit of “politicing”, but these actions can become toxic when players feel intimidated, they dominate the table, and that the game can’t move forward.

Power Level Problems and Bad Rule 0 Conversations

Deck power level has always been difficult to define in Commander, so much so that Wizards has made moves to define a bracket system to help players find opponents of similar strength. There’s an old joke that every player says their deck is ‘a seven’ on the power scale, and how that means vastly different things to different players. And it really matters, if you’re playing a fun unicorn themed deck or one based around a Magic artist, while your opponent has plenty of two-card instant win combos, it might not feel like much of a match.

The most important factor here is the so-called ‘Rule 0’ conversation, where players clearly agree on power level, expectations, and the kind of game everyone at the table wants. Is it fun, or competitive, are the MTG decks optimised, or janky, etc.  

Deck Styles That Create Table Tension

The great thing about Magic: The Gathering is that you build your own deck, with whatever strategy and cards speak to you. However, it’s worth noting that some strategies are more popular than others, especially when it comes to casual Commander.

Players want to feel like they are ‘in the game’, and that their deck is able to function on some level, not a non-starter. Deck types like stax, which tend to deny players the ability to play (e.g locking down lands), or other resource denial like mass land destruction, or chaos decks that just mess up every plan a player has, all can remove agency and therefore fun.

There’s nothing inherently ‘wrong’ with decks like this, but context is really important. More ‘stax’ or ‘combo’ focused decks are usually better suited to more competitive Commander tables where everyone knows that’s part of the range, and is prepared for it. And once again we go back to the Rule 0 conversation, and being very transparent about what decks do and the kind of game players want.

The Big Social Deal-Breakers

Magic: The Gathering is a social game, and as such many of the same rules that apply to social interactions in general apply to a game of Magic too, especially when you may not know the other players very well and one bad interaction could mean they don’t want to play with you again.

Things like lying about game actions, breaking promises, hiding game information, constantly complaining, being excessively salty, or being distracted on your phone rather than focusing on the game, all will really annoy and upset your other players, and mean, quite frankly, they won’t play with you again. Commander is a social format that people invest a lot of time into, and they won’t waste it with players they don’t like or trust.  

Respect the Cards and the Table

Not only are Magic cards valuable, but people pour a lot of love into their decks, from specific variants, to custom alters and signed cards. That means you need to have good physical table etiquette to protect other people’s cards as well as your own.

Greasy hands from food, drinks at the table, touching other players’ cards without asking, unsleeving other people's cards, and creating messy play areas are strictly off limits, and may result in players getting up and walking away.

Generally players can help themselves with card sleeves, deck boxes, playmats, and keeping food and drink well away from the table, but you too have a responsibility to care for other players’ cards just as you would your own.  

The Final Ranking: Worst Commander Habits

How to Be the Player Everyone Wants Back

If you’re worried about your own Commander habits, the good news is that most issues can be averted before they even begin:

• Have a clear conversation about power level and game expectations before you start (Rule 0)
• Explain your deck and power level honestly, using benchmarks people understand (e.g. the bracket system, gamechanger cards, comparing to pre-cons)
• Pay attention during other turns to take your own turn faster
• Keep you board clean and tidy
• Ask before touching cards
• Keep food and drink away from play areas
• Win and lose gracefully
• Help new players where you can
  
  

Frequently Asked Questions

How do you handle a salty Commander player without making things worse?
Keep the tone calm, give the player space, and talk after the game rather than arguing mid-game.

Should a playgroup ban certain deck types?
Some groups do use house rules that you could consider, but it is better to agree expectations clearly than ban strategies without discussion

What should you do if one player always brings decks that are too strong?
A direct Rule 0 conversation is really important so everyone is on the same page. As part of that you can ask them to bring a lower-power deck, or matching power levels more clearly.

Is it rude to ask someone to use sleeves?
It depends on context, but sleeves are a reasonable suggestion when cards are valuable or frequently shuffled, especially when it affects the value of their cards and not yours.

How can a new Commander player avoid annoying the table?
Learn your deck to help speed things up, asking questions clearly, pay attention, communicating honestly, and don’t worry about playing perfectly.

Upgrade Your Commander Game Night with Magic Madhouse

The game is more fun when everyone is having a good time, which is why having better play experiences really matters. Build decks with Magic: The Gathering cards you’re comfortable with – starting with Commander decks if you need – protect your cards with sleeves, deck boxes, playmats, and consider other MTG accessories like dice to help make game nights smoother for everyone, all available right here at Magic Madhouse!