Threat Assessment in Commander

[Morganator 2.0]

• Cursed Totem - currently doesn't matter, since it just doesn't allow to re-equip the greaves

I think you misread the card. Cursed Totem says that activate abilities of creatures can't be activated. You're thinking of Null Rod.

[Judaspriester]

• Cursed Totem - currently doesn't matter, since it just doesn't allow to re-equip the greaves

I think you misread the card. Cursed Totem says that activate abilities of creatures can't be activated. You're thinking of Null Rod.

Yeah, I've mixed those two up. I'll edit the initial post.

[robort]

I probably would go for the lens. Limiting the sidisi player to one mana on his turn instead of 2.  By taking winter orb out opens up the sidisi player to possibly drop another snow covered swamp giving him 4 mana For his turn when I can limit him to 2 mana with a land drop by taking out the lens.

[Red_Wyrm]

Oops. I thought that cursed totem was a torpor orb. Not 100% on all the stax card names. So it doesn't prevent sidisi from exploiting, but that isn't really a problem because he can only untap 1 land. I can only untap 1 land, but I have two mana dudes and also my hand is empty except for my removal.

Oh but I can't tap my dudes for mnana, can I? because the cursed Totem. Destroy that because it hurts only me while the other pieces are hurting other players more than me.

[Morganator 2.0]

Congratulations to Judaspriester and Red_Wyrm. The answer is Cursed Totem. You both get a fake internet point.

Red_Wyrm hit the nail on the head.

Oh but I can't tap my dudes for mana, can I? Because the Cursed Totem. Destroy that because it hurts only me while the other pieces are hurting other players more than me.

Winter Orb is currently affecting everyone equally (And Sidisi a little bit more). This will change when Derevi comes out, but you still won't be hurt as much, so long as you have your mana dorks. But your mana dorks are nonfunctional so long as Cursed Totem is around. You might have noticed that each player has three lands (Sidisi had to exile one to Extraplanar Lens). This is still an early game, and having two mana dorks while hardly anyone else has ramp is a strong lead.

Extraplanar Lens might be trouble in the future, but so long as the Winter Orb is there, Sidisi's land based mana will be limited.

[Red_Wyrm]

Congratulations to Judaspriester and Red_Wyrm. The answer is Cursed Totem. You both get a fake internet point.

Red_Wyrm hit the nail on the head.

Oh but I can't tap my dudes for mana, can I? Because the Cursed Totem. Destroy that because it hurts only me while the other pieces are hurting other players more than me.

Winter Orb is currently affecting everyone equally (And Sidisi a little bit more). This will change when Derevi comes out, but you still won't be hurt as much, so long as you have your mana dorks. But your mana dorks are nonfunctional so long as Cursed Totem is around. You might have noticed that each player has three lands (Sidisi had to exile one to Extraplanar Lens). This is still an early game, and having two mana dorks while hardly anyone else has ramp is a strong lead.

Extraplanar Lens might be trouble in the future, but so long as the Winter Orb is there, Sidisi's land based mana will be limited.

Um. I believe I said Mnana. God morganator. There is literally a button that says insert quote, and you still messed it up, smg. (kidding)

[robort]

But your mana dorks are nonfunctional so long as Cursed Totem

That is why I said probably. I wasn't fully sure of the ruling with the mana dorks and cursed totem. I had a rule in my head from some part of this complex game that basically you are allowed to tap for mana no matter what.

LOL don't ask me to find the ruling or explain it, I just had it in my head and that is what made me guess wrong. But if I was playing the example game I would have asked the other players about the ruling so I would know exactly what my move would have been.

[Morganator 2.0]

Is the text on the cards not showing up well on your computers? Damn, that's my bad. I'll try to fix it for the next example I use.

As for the rulings, the card will say on it if mana abilities are included. A better example is Pithing Needle and Phyrexian Revoker. Pithing Needle does not stop mana abilities, but Phyrexian Revoker does.

[Red_Wyrm]

Is the text on the cards not showing up well on your computers? Damn, that's my bad. I'll try to fix it for the next example I use.

As for the rulings, the card will say on it if mana abilities are included. A better example is Pithing Needle and Phyrexian Revoker. Pithing Needle does not stop mana abilities, but Phyrexian Revoker does.

Everything showed up fine on my screen. Can I get a karma for my answer? Well I dont think it really matters. Not sure what it's used for, anyway.

But yeah no. It showed up perfectly fine on my screen for the example thingy. Not sure about others though, obviously. I'm no stalker. Thatd be weird, and illegal, I think.

[robort]

It isn't that it didn't show up. LOL now I will have to go look for what ruling I was thinking of when making my assessment. I am not justifying my answer because of this, just pointing out why I made my decision. I personally try to remember every possible rule and how it interacts with this game. So many interactions in this game and that makes me forget what exactly happens until of course it happens again.

[Judaspriester]

It isn't that it didn't show up. LOL now I will have to go look for what ruling I was thinking of when making my assessment. I am not justifying my answer because of this, just pointing out why I made my decision. I personally try to remember every possible rule and how it interacts with this game. So many interactions in this game and that makes me forget what exactly happens until of course it happens again.

I've seen way worse rule mistakes at my playgroup. At Ugin, the Spirit Dragon, the player that played it explained his -x as "mana cost x or more" (in stead of less), which made ugin a extreme powerhouse. As he noticed his error, he was thinking "okay, ugin is bad then". 

[Red_Wyrm]

It isn't that it didn't show up. LOL now I will have to go look for what ruling I was thinking of when making my assessment. I am not justifying my answer because of this, just pointing out why I made my decision. I personally try to remember every possible rule and how it interacts with this game. So many interactions in this game and that makes me forget what exactly happens until of course it happens again.

I've seen way worse rule mistakes at my playgroup. At Ugin, the Spirit Dragon, the player that played it explained his -x as "mana cost x or more" (in stead of less), which made ugin a extreme powerhouse. As he noticed his error, he was thinking "okay, ugin is bad then". 

Yeah Ugin is bad. I'll take it off his hands for 20 bucks. I'm doing hima favor. he'll never get a deal like this again. Relay the message for me please 

[Morganator 2.0]

Here's another weird thing I've learnt; where you sit at the table can have an effect on the game, especially when counterspell decks are involved. Let me give an example.

Let's say Baral, Chief of Compliance has a single Counterspell in his hand. It is Selvala, Heart of the Wild's turn, and she casts Staff of Domination (her game winning card). Baral uses the counterspell. Then it is Grenzo, Dungeon Warden's turn. He casts Doomsday, and wins the game, because there is not counterspell this time.

However, if the turn order was different, then the game would be different. If Grenzo went first, when he goes to cast Doomsday, it gets countered. But then Selvala can cast Staff of Domination, and she wins.

When in doubt, sit as far away from the counterspell player as possible. I'm going to see if I can get another test together tonight.

[Aetherium Slinky]

However, if the turn order was different, then the game would be different.

I don't think this is the correct assessment or it is if we take your premise as-is. However, there shouldn't really be a situation like this. All players should carry enough removal and counters so that the poor Baral player isn't carrying the entire table.


***

Regarding the example table; I don't think I can make a fair assessment if I don't know something about the hands (i.e. card counts of opponents and cards in my own hand). I would in fact wait if I don't have anything significant to cast. The board doesn't look like anyone is about to win next turn due to all the tax. Untapping a land seeing what happens could be good enough.

I don't know what the Sidisi player is up to but untap land + play land is 4 black mana, which is threatening. If I save the Nature's Claim it's possible that Sidisi's threats get countered by the Grand Arbiter player. Or Derevi. Neither of those two is close to dropping anything big so I wouldn't rush it.

Things change a lot if I have a land in hand or a 5-drop, in which case Totem's gotta go. 

[WWolfe]

However, if the turn order was different, then the game would be different.

I don't think this is the correct assessment or it is if we take your premise as-is. However, there shouldn't really be a situation like this. All players should carry enough removal and counters so that the poor Baral player isn't carrying the entire table.

Sad fact...a lot of players don't pack enough removal and counters so you will find yourself in the position- more times than you should- that you will be the only one with answers.