Combos

I have mixed feelings about combo decks in Magic. Basically, combo decks reduce the entire game down to a single yes-or-no question: can you get the combo off? If you do, you win. If you don't, you lose. (I know not everyone would define "combo deck" in this way, but this is the definition I'm going to use here.) But the real yes-or-no question is: are combo decks fun or not?

First, the pros. Part of the joy of Magic is finding unique interactions between cards. This often results in combos that are powerful enough to be worth building a deck around. The possibility of winning the game by playing just a few cards in a certain sequence is exciting, and it motivates deckbuilders (especially Johnny types) to look for new and interesting combos. Finding a good combo, and building a deck that will make it work, is certainly fun. They also require creativity and astuteness, so they act as a good mental exercise as well. But actually playing with combo decks can be a different story.

For most Johnnies (and I list myself among them), I would guess that the joy of actually playing combo decks is in showing them to your friends. When the opponent is oblivious, and you're secretly racing against the clock, trying to pretend that everything is perfectly normal as you scramble to assemble your combo, and you try to act calm and casual despite the mad thumping in your chest, and you draw the final piece of your combo and glance at it as disinterestedly as possible even though your heart has just leaped through the roof of your mouth...that's fun. When you have three of your four combo pieces in play, and the fourth in your hand, and your opponent is studying them with furrowed brow, and you're giggling to yourself because you know you're about to win and she has no idea whatsoever because she can't foresee your brilliant and carefully planned combo, and you slam down the final piece and leap up and dance around the table hooting like a maniac...that's fun. When your opponent looks at your combo pieces, each in turn, figuring out what could possibly make you cavort about like a madman, and it finally dawns on her, and she leans back and lets out a low whistle, eyes wide and brow raised, and rakes her fingers through her hair, and you knock over lamps this way and that in your crazed victory dance, shattering ancient Grecian relics willy-nilly, whirling like a cyclone through your living room...that's fun.

So basically, for a Johnny, the fun is in revealing your combo. If you then go to play a rematch, you'll probably be much less interested, if not outright bored. The fun was all in the surprise, and in demonstrating your brilliance. Once you've done it, the game is truly nothing more than a yes-or-no question. There are no secrets to keep, no traps to spring, no magnificent schemes to unveil. They've seen it, and now the cat's out of the bag, and the deck is nothing more than a conversation piece until you find your next victim. And this is the first vice of combo decks.

They're not replayable. Once you spring the combo, most of the fun is gone. The opponent might have more fun in a rematch trying to think of ways to stop your combo, but all you're doing is waiting. And waiting is no fun at all.

I should make a quick note at this point. I know that not all combo decks are all-or-nothing. Many have failsafes, or several different combos, or a number of alternate win conditions. But the true heart of a combo deck is the combo, and that's all I'm really concerned about. If you have three different combos in a deck, it may be fun to play it more than once per opponent, but it's still limiting. And if a deck has a ton of failsafes - enough that it doesn't really need the combo to win - then it's not strictly a combo deck by my definition. So there.

Moving on...the unreplayability of combo decks is one thing, but it's a problem that mostly affects the player of the combo deck. But what about the opponent? There are some decks, like Brendan's Mycosynth Lattice/Shattering Spree deck, which can lock down many casual decks, completely neutralizing them (at least, the ones I build). This type of combo deck is bad for the opponent because it is not an instant win, but as soon as you're locked down, you know there's nothing you can do, and you just have to wait and get killed. When this happens to me, I usually get angry, because waiting to die is no fun for anyone, but if I just scoop whenever I see a lockdown deck, it's no fun for the deckbuilder either, because they don't get to show off their cleverness. So combos can be dangerous - they might be fun to make and think about, but actually playing them could end in disaster.

But not all combo decks aim at neutralizing the opponent and then winning at leisure. Many focus on winning as soon as the final piece of the combo has been revealed: a certain sequence of spells and abilities is set off which leads to the opponent being eliminated. But this too can reduce the opponent's fun. If my opponent wins the game completely out of the blue with some obscure combo, it makes me question why I was even playing in the first place. What's the point in thinking so hard about which creature to play when his combo renders my decision meaningless? Now, this may just be my own immaturity, and this argument could apply to other types of deck as well, but I find it more often with combo decks, and it's at least something to think about.

And finally, combo decks often need ways to ensure the combo works, and often this means holding the opponent at arm's length while you prepare. This frequently takes the form of hand destruction, counters, and other control strategies that can be frustrating to casual players.

So, are combo decks fun? Obviously there's no right or wrong answer to this, since it depends a lot on the context. Combo decks might be effective in tournaments where winning is more important than fun, but in the casual arena, which is my primary area of concern, combo decks can create resentment and irritation - at least, they often have for me. I don't think casual players should avoid combo decks altogether, though. They're very fun the first time around, especially if they're highly narcissistic (as in, they're only interested in themselves - they focus on their own goals and spells, and do little to disrupt the opponent's). But they should generally not be played repeatedly, especially if they exert a great deal of control over other players. At least for myself, being controlled absolutely ruins the game, and I do not wish it on others.

Now that I've talked about combo decks in general, I'll mention some in specific. I myself have made many a combo deck, and played them against friends, but I usually only play them once (or until I actually get to show them the combo - many times they don't work, and I just die before I can activate it). I am more impressed by engine-based decks (which Brendan is quite skilled at - see my previous articles), and I would much rather be able to make effective engines than effective combos. But I do enjoy a good combo, if only for the fun of proving I can design it.

So here I'll mention some combos that I've come up with recently, because I think they're cool. NOTE: If you play Magic with me, and you like surprises, don't read the rest of this post.

Panoptic Mirror + Undying Flames, with support from Paradox Haze, Sigil Tracer, and Mischievous Quanar
This is a somewhat expensive and awkward combo, but a fun and amusing one. Imprint Undying Flames onto the Panoptic Mirror, hopefully while you have some or all of the support spells in play (let's suppose you have one Paradox Haze). Then, at the beginning of your next turn's first upkeep, the Mirror triggers, copying Undying Flames. You perform its effect, and you have one Epic copy of Undying Flames. During your second upkeep, the Mirror triggers again, making a second Epic copy, and your first Epic spell triggers, making a non-Epic copy. You'll get to use the ability three times in one turn, which can often be quite deadly to the opponent, especially since many of the deck's spells are expensive. Then on your next turn, you'll get three Flames during your first upkeep (one Epic one from the Mirror and two non-Epic from the previous Epic copies), and four during your second upkeep. This will keep adding up, generating more and more iterations of the spell each upkeep, until your opponent is roasted to a delicious golden brown. (Even without Paradox Haze, the flames will still accumulate, albeit more slowly.) Finally, Braids, Conjurer Adept can help you accelerate your victory even faster by getting around the Epic restriction.

Spellweaver Helix + Mystic Speculation + Time Stretch/Searing Flesh, with support from Merfolk Looter/Bonded Fetch
This one was inspired by an article I read on the Wizards website a while ago. It suggested imprinting a cheap sorcery and an expensive sorcery onto Spellweaver Helix, which seems fairly obvious now, but using Mystic Speculation (one of my favorite cards) as the cheap sorcery seemed to me the perfect use of it. Mystic Speculation also helps you find the combo pieces quickly, which makes it even more useful. The basic idea, if you haven't already guessed, is to get Mystic Speculation into your graveyard (easy: just play it), and either Time Stretch or Searing Flesh into your graveyard (using Merfolk Looter/Bonded Fetch), and then play the Helix, imprinting them both onto it. Then, once you have another Mystic Speculation (ideally you'll already have a second one before playing the Helix), you either have a repeatable 3-mana 7-damage burn, or infinite turns, either of which will quickly result in your victory. Hilarious.

Hell's Caretaker + Intruder Alarm + Merrow Witsniper/Infectious Host
This one I'm especially proud of because I thought it up All By Myself. Get Intruder Alarm, Hell's Caretaker, and at least one other creature into play, and Merrow Witsniper or Infectious Host in your graveyard. During your next upkeep, use the Caretaker to sacrifice the other creature, returning one of the dead guys to play. This causes Intruder Alarm to untap the Caretaker. Repeat until the opponent is dead or has no library. The fact that you want guys in your graveyard is also useful, since it allows you to chump block with your first few guys.

Jhoira of the Ghitu + Dragonstorm, with support from Jhoira's Timebug, Clockspinning, Paradox Haze, and a bunch of dragons
Usually, you can play Jhoira on turn 3, and suspend two things on turn 4. If you can suspend two Dragonstorms, then you are totally awesome. The goal is to get Dragonstorm to unsuspend at the same time as one or more other spells, so you can stack them in order to build up a storm count. Paradox Haze helps you get things into play faster, and the Timebug and Clockspinning can do so as well, but can also align other spells with Dragonstorm for storm count. It takes a few turns to get going, but is rather consistent, and dragons are sweet.

Kobolds of Kher Keep + Cloudstone Curio + Cinder Pyromancer/Grapeshot
This is a variation of one of my Grinning Ignus decks, but infinite. Play the Curio. Then either get the Pyromancer in play or the Grapeshot in your hand, plus two Kobolds in your hand (one can be in play, but it's more surprising if they're both in your hand). Play a Kobold, play another Kobold and bounce the first Kobold, and repeat as needed. Poof.

Mycosynth Lattice + March of the Machines + Hurkyl's Recall
I am uncertain about this deck because it is the pinnacle of douchemastery. If you play Mycosynth Lattice and March of the Machines, all lands are 0/0 artifact creatures and die immediately. (The deck has some Lumithread Fields to save your own lands.) Then, if your cast Hurkyl's Recall on your opponent, any permanents he has left over will get bounced. Any land he plays will die instantly, so unless he has enough Simian Spirit Guides to finish you off, he's probably not going to be able to do much. I would never want to play against this deck myself, so it's unlikely that I'll play it against my friends, except just to show it off.

So, those are a bunch of combo decks I've made recently. I think they're cool. The End.