How to Watch the Table Burn: A Guide to Chaos in Commander. By Kenny Castro
How to Be the Wild Card in Any Commander Match
Hello, everybody! This is Kenny, just stopping by to drop some gems on how to be the wild card—or the joker—of any Commander match. I’m going to highlight some key things I do when trying to connive my way into a win. Let’s go ahead and break it down step by step, so you can sit back and let everyone else handle each other at the table.
Communication is Key
From the moment you sit down, you need to establish dialogue. Talk—constantly. You want to ramble, chat, and throw out enough nonsense that your opponents just assume you’re someone who talks a lot. You don’t want to be known as the quiet player because the moment you open your mouth to mitigate a threat, everyone will start looking at you like you’re plotting something.
By setting yourself up as a chatterbox, you make it easier for people to see you as just another over-communicator, rather than someone with ulterior motives.
Do Not—And I Mean Do NOT—Pop Too Early
Going off too soon will instantly put a target on your back. You want to start the game as unassumingly as possible. Take the risk of holding back on big plays to see what the table is working with. Let the blue player waste a counterspell or two on someone else. Once you see resources being spent to deal with other threats, then you can start rolling into your endgame strategy—if you’ve been setting one up.
As crazy as it sounds, if I don’t have a spell I can cast—even with a land drop—I might just skip it. The table always focuses on the player ramping the hardest. If you look like you're falling behind, you’re no longer a priority target. Remember, this is chess, not checkers. It’s not about barking the loudest—it’s about having the biggest bite when it counts.
Gaslight! Gaslight!! Gaslight!!!
If someone is watching you too closely, it’s time to start gaslighting.
Remind them who’s really been swinging at them. Point out who has been making the table nervous. If they suspect you, make them feel like their concerns are completely unjustified.
“Look, I missed two land drops. I’m struggling over here.”
“I’m just sitting here with blockers because all these other people are doing nonsense. I’m just trying to protect myself.”
Make them feel bad for even considering you a threat. If they send a small attack your way, act like it’s a huge injustice. You have to control the table’s narrative. They may not know it yet, but you’re setting yourself up to win.
And When All Else Fails—Just Cause Chaos
If none of the above is working, it’s time to throw all strategy out the window.
Randomly board wipe.
Counter a spell for no reason.
Use Rogue’s Passage to make someone’s commander get through unblocked.
Because at the end of the day, my greatest strategy in Commander is this: if I can’t win, then neither can my biggest opp/best friend, Ty. So I implore you—be toxic. If you realize you’re not lasting more than a turn or two, take a look at your biggest enemy at the table and simply say:
"I’ll see you on the other side."
You can check Kenny out at:
Youtube: https://youtube.com/@thegamingcornertgc?si=dIbWejulbgf89ieP
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