"Somehow ended up with almost 15K" Somehow? You make the best EDH theory content on the entire site, that's how; there is nobody who can even try to come close at the moment. Also KITTY KITTY KITTY we need more kitty
Awesome kitty! Your even keeled delivery and no fluff style of content that broaches important topics and examines the finer elements of the game is both refreshing and highly intellectual. The level at which you regard the game elevates a mere card game to an artform, which resonates with a significant portion of the player base. I'm very pleased to see you getting the recognition you deserve. I wish you the best, and I can see nothing but great success if you continue!
I absolutely LOVE your content. As someone who played magic super casually when I was very young (as in, didn't know or use the rules), and have gotten into MTG again as a young adult, your content and videos are absolutely inspiring. You're funny, have well thought out ideas, and explain yourself very well. Keep up the amazing work!
Hey, just letting you know that your Manabase video has overall helped my deck building significantly, and I now cite your channel as a number one source for casual dekcbuilding and gameplay inprovments! Love your content!
Oh I totally feel you with Farewell, not a broken card per se but a very lazy one that just powercreeps board wipes to hell My petty ban (although honestly I think this is fair) is Tooth and Nail, it's just "oh the green player has 9 mana now so they win the game :)" it's in some ways even worst than Thoracle combo since it's a one card combo- i've literally never seen a Tooth and Nail resolve that didn't immediately win that player the game, everyone groans when it goes off, it never feels satisfying.
The best explanation I’ve heard for why farewell isn’t fun is because it’s a “nuclear bomb” destroying everything and taking a long time before anything can come back to where it was.
all too often someone drops a farewell to not die, they're not dropping it to win. It can easily add an hour to the game by resetting everything without giving it's controller a real advantage to take advantage of afterwards
I kinda like it for that though. We had an absolute bastard of a commander game where it was 5 person ffa. Counting it up by the end like 15 board wipes were dropped loke that, the game lasted six or so hours too. Was fun
Ashiok was the first planeswalker I ever had as a kid. I remember spending the christmas and birthday money I had saved and opening one of those fat backs and getting Ashiok. I’m not sure I’d seen a planeswalker before. I didn’t have any decks to put it into for a decade, but I’m happy it was able to end up in my Muldrotha deck recently! Good memories.
Hey, thanks for the great content you create! My playgroup have been talking a little about generic deck archeypes Aggro/Midrange/Control/Combo and how they translate into EDh. What are some of the identifying traits for the deck? how do they combine/look for different decks - such as id classify most elfball decks as Aggro/Combo... anyhow I think you would be a great person to do a video on this and what you think some of the characteristics look like.
It's a tricky classification because midrange is a wide category that most decks that don't explicitly fit into control, aggro, or combo end up in. I'd also describe aggro, control, and combo as "mindsets" above all else, in the sense that aggro looks for instability and low life totals, whereas control looks to achieve a state of stability, and combo is specifically about setting up and executing its specific gameplan before the game goes on too long. My wincons video is probably the one where I talk the most about these.
Congratulations on 15k! Following the advice of your wincons video, I retooled my Henzie “Toolbox” Torre commander deck and have won twice with it on my first day at MagicCon Chicago.
The banlist for EDH isn’t meant for gauging what’s too strong for cEDH. The only cEDH-specific ban is Flash and the RC said that was an exception to not expect to see again.
I’ve been following your channel for some time now and I’d like to say, I love your deep dive and precon deck analysis! Also, with how your videos looked, I thought this was another MTG Noah who provides comedy MTG , but I was wrong. Anyhow! Did you know that SaffronOlive gave you a shout out for your cool analysis? Congrats on 15k subs! More to come, brother!
Hello! I've been watched one video from you then promptly downloaded your entire library. Really great stuff. Personally I'd love a guide on how you playtest and what methods you'd recommend to someone building decks for the first time
Found your channel a few months ago and have recommended you to nearly every player in my group. Your content is very well thought out, but your ability to communicate these concepts is tremendous!
You have a great perspective and my Melvin mind loves it! And it helps me make better decisions with deck building and keeping power even for my play group 👍
Love the content! I started around OG zendikar and have played in some decently competitive environments on a couple of teams and have found your videos a cool and fresh take on what was becoming a kind of stale game for me. Going through and reworking all of my commander decks with some of your thoughts and others' research you've shared has been a really fun experience that's made me want to play the game and deckbuild again!
Agree with you on Farewell on that it pushes out other cards (e.g. final judgment). They should have had it cost 8. Also agree with Dockside, I've seen it go off, but I've also seen it make 4 treasures. It's very hit or miss in casual. Anyway, great content, you have yourself a new subscriber
Would be nice (maybe) if the EDH banlist was trying to regulate both power for cEDH and fun for casual, but it's realistically just the latter. There's only ever been one ban for the sake of cEDH, that being Flash. And after that, the RC essentially told the competitive community "you get this, now don't ask for anything else". Which ultimately is kind of fun that cEDH is a broken format, but still. Things don't get banned for being good when we turn the commander dial up to 11.
So I as a person whose friend got the precon that dockside was in who traded for it because I thought it looked cool realized two months later that "Hey, that's a $100 card" Maybe I should sell it Or maybe it says something that it was in my lowest power EDH deck ever
I don't think cedh wants cards banned for them based on powerlevel alone. Flash is the exception that proves the rule, it was banned because is made the game less fun for cedh players more so than it being to powerful. Dockside and thoraccle are the most powerful things in cedh but unlike flash they don't make the game less fun for cedh players. Ironically you ban cards in either """format""" for the same reason
Dunno if this is the place for this but I'd like your thoughts on how a midrange deck would be built for a higher power, since usually your examples (Glissa) are intended for battlecruiser/slower games
You either make it faster, or pact some more hate into it (make the opponents slower, basically). Playing a high-quality commander like Yuriko helps a lot. My Glissa deck could also probably be tuned to perform in high power casual by improving the ramp/manabase, adding tutors, and adding explosive wincons like Torment of Hailfire, though whether or not that still counts as midrange depends on how you define the term.
Another question! Where did your OG video about african studies go? At least I think that was the theme - it was removed before I got the chance watch it. : ((
SO, it's demonstrably *not* the case that EDH's banned list is trying address what's not fun in casual due to the rule set of EDH specifically and what's too powerful for cEDH specifically in equal measure. That was never a goal of the banned list and the RC isn't trying to balance those two things at all. Rather, the reality is that outlining cards that are unfun and/or game warping *and* that players show no interest or ability to self police away from is the superordinate goal of the EDH banned list; any thought given to considerations for what cards need to be banned because they are too strong for cEDH to be a 'balanced' meta or *real* competitive format/game setting, is at most a secondary priority and usually an after thought for the RC and CAG, if it is considered at all. If it were a serious goal of the banned list, rather than a sometimes afterthought, the banned list would be *significantly longer* and resemble banned lists from formats like Duel/French EDH, and Legacy/Vintage. I think the narrative that those two goals are given equal priority/primacy is a wishful fulfillment fantasy created within, spread from, and repeated ad nausem almost entirely by the cEDH community. It's *their*, and *only their* goal/desire/PoV that their priorities for their willfully upside down approach to casual play generally and EDH specifically to be treated as at least equal, if not the primary or only goal for the RC and/or the CAG as a whole. Perhaps they repeat this fantasy in the hope that speaking the idea into existence and repeating it, that they can make it true through the Illusory Truth effect where people interalize and treat as true any false or incorrect statements if they hear them enough times. But it's only ever been just that; a story repeated frequently my cEDH players in some secret hope they can make it real by saying it enough. You can see that just by reading the well thought out and carefully written rules and format philosophy portions of EDH's official website that lay out the ideas, values an goals of the format and its stewards. You can also look to the many, many, many, **many** statements of intent by RC and/or CAG members that all saying roughly that: cEDH isn't the priorty for the banned list or the rules, and never will be; it's a consideration 'sometimes', but will rarely if *ever* be the reason for changes to bans or rules, and *never* at the direct expense of those engage with the format as envisioned and intended. That's because the RC has always been crystal clear that "these are the goals and intended use of this format, you can play however you want but the format will be crafted with upholding its founding philosphy at the center, not based on the demands of a minority of players want to powergame an easy mode broken format and mislabel themselves as 'competitive players'". Expecting differently is cEDH players getting their feelings hurt over the RC not living up to a standard or expectation cEDH players set for them but the RC never agreed to or promised and actively tell people was, is and never will be a thing. Even CAG members who enjoy cEDH play are sober and honest about the fact that even when cEDH is part of the conversation for the RC and CAG, it's never and equal priority and never will be. It's *always* been made crystal clear that the RC's stance is that by trying to use a hammer as a screwdriver and complaining about all the bent screws, cEDH players are *choosing* to create unessecary problems for themselves and demanding the hammer manufacture change the design of the hammer to include a screwdriver head or better yet stop making hammers and make screwdrivers... when they could just use the hammer to drive nails and use the screwdrivers already available to them if they want to use screws. I think the great irony, or perhasp even secret truth that most cEDH players deny to everyone, even themselves, is that the majority of them don't *really* want a balanced competitive format and would hate a version of cEDH created by a banned listed that prioritize stripping away cards that are too powerful to allow in EDH if the goal with a balanced and healthy meta...otherwise they'd already have traded in cEDH for Duel/French EDH, Canadian Highlander, or any of the higher powered competitive formats like Vintage/Legacy, or split off and created their own format of cEDH with a banned list and ruleset crafted with their stateed goals in mind (they constantly say it's impossible, as if French hasn't existed for years and years). The truth that only a few cEDH players seem able to admit is that they don't really want a power balanced EDH. That high level play determined more by 1v1 playskill at the game of Magic would be boring and/or intimidating, but that they still want to claim the prestige and adjectives and implied elevated game skill of veteran 1v1 players. That, truly, they love cEDH *because* it exists within an easy mode, 'it's broken and we're not even going to try to stop you' permissive rule-set and banned list that they can easily abuse while still pointing out they are playing within rules to legitimize the wanton mindless powergaming in ways they can't do in 60 card format less casual. That, ultimately, they only want to get rid of cards that shatter the illusion of cEDH as real competitive play setting populated by an enclave of definitionally high skill play by higher skill players because of a conflation of deck power level with complexity, competitiveness, and game skill. They *do* want and need for any particular card or combo that so dominately warps their metas in ways that are just a little too hard to interact with that it's always better to just answer it with the same combo in response rather than interaction. Outside of that however, they only want the *illusion* of cEDH as a competitive, power-balanced format; the *illusion* of skill floor requirements higher than anything not cEDH; the *illusion* of a healthy and diverse meta with real balance between arch types and mostly just an obviously dominant 'best' deck shell with dozens of variations on it. They want the 'eat your cake and have it too' goldilocks zone of being able to wear the mantle/title of 'competitive player' and all the implied better than average playskill that comes with it without ever having to earn it with success at sactioned play events in 1v1 competitive formats. They want to be taken seriously as high skill players just by playing casual with high powered decks in a broken format; they want a high score in bowling they achieved with lane bumpers up to be taken as seriously as someone bowling with open gutters. I promise you anyone engaging in that level of self-aggrandizing and pretension doesn't want to actually bowl with the bumpers down, they just want to convince everyone it's the same thing.
It depends on the format, but I think Farewell being a 6 mana board wipe is a pretty steep downside. The formats I'm playing these days are Historic, Historic Brawl, Timeless, and Commander with friends (so mostly on MTGA). In Historic and Timeless, it feels like 6 is way too much for a board wipe. Most decks will have you killed long before then unless you bought time with another cheaper board wipe first. The insane power creep of the game has made decks faster and faster to the point that 5 mana and even 4 mana board wipes feel like they struggle. I feel like we'd need to start seeing more 3 mana board wipes with less steep downsides to be able to keep up with the insane speed of threats these days. In Historic Brawl and Commander it's a fair option, but still a bit high costed. The payoff for being an expensive board wipe is being (in my opinion) the best board wipe ever printed once it actually resolves, given that it's aoe exile (a rare commodity) with the ability to target just the permanent types you want. I will agree though that I think it's unfortunate that it encroaches a bit on the likes of Merciless Eviction. But let's be honest, if you're playing a card like Merciless Eviction, you're probably also playing Farewell anyway.
It absolutely is a steep downside, and the card definitely isn't imbalanced when placed alongside cards like Toxic Deluge and Blasphemous Act, which are less flexible but also generally significantly less costly. My beef with it is that 6 mana isn't that costly in casual commander, and the lack of any downside beyond means that for players who are okay paying 6 mana for a board wipe, there's no reason to put critical thought into whether to run a board wipe that exiles vs a board wipe that's flexible vs a board wipe that is selective, since Farewell does all of those things to some extent.
You need more cat bathing in the background of your videos. I think it will be critical to breaking through 20K subscribers.
i agree
"Somehow ended up with almost 15K"
Somehow? You make the best EDH theory content on the entire site, that's how; there is nobody who can even try to come close at the moment.
Also KITTY KITTY KITTY we need more kitty
Trinket Mage is a heavy competitor
Having Mark Rosewater personally hand you a magic deck is a pretty cool mtg origin story haha
That man knew exactly what he was doing
Nintendo strategies
Awesome kitty! Your even keeled delivery and no fluff style of content that broaches important topics and examines the finer elements of the game is both refreshing and highly intellectual. The level at which you regard the game elevates a mere card game to an artform, which resonates with a significant portion of the player base. I'm very pleased to see you getting the recognition you deserve. I wish you the best, and I can see nothing but great success if you continue!
I absolutely LOVE your content. As someone who played magic super casually when I was very young (as in, didn't know or use the rules), and have gotten into MTG again as a young adult, your content and videos are absolutely inspiring. You're funny, have well thought out ideas, and explain yourself very well. Keep up the amazing work!
Hey, just letting you know that your Manabase video has overall helped my deck building significantly, and I now cite your channel as a number one source for casual dekcbuilding and gameplay inprovments! Love your content!
Oh I totally feel you with Farewell, not a broken card per se but a very lazy one that just powercreeps board wipes to hell
My petty ban (although honestly I think this is fair) is Tooth and Nail, it's just "oh the green player has 9 mana now so they win the game :)" it's in some ways even worst than Thoracle combo since it's a one card combo- i've literally never seen a Tooth and Nail resolve that didn't immediately win that player the game, everyone groans when it goes off, it never feels satisfying.
You've got something special dude, keep doing what you're doing, as long you're still having fun with it
I’m happy you made it to 10k I hope the channel keeps growing so we can you more of the snail
You've got a couple of dorks of northwest Oklahoma who discuss your vids every week. It's great fun.
You are one of the most detailed and best deckbuilders on YT
The best explanation I’ve heard for why farewell isn’t fun is because it’s a “nuclear bomb” destroying everything and taking a long time before anything can come back to where it was.
all too often someone drops a farewell to not die, they're not dropping it to win. It can easily add an hour to the game by resetting everything without giving it's controller a real advantage to take advantage of afterwards
I kinda like it for that though. We had an absolute bastard of a commander game where it was 5 person ffa. Counting it up by the end like 15 board wipes were dropped loke that, the game lasted six or so hours too. Was fun
I look forward to unsubscribing when you inevitably hit 5 million subscribers!
On a more serious note, so glad to have found the channel!
Ashiok was the first planeswalker I ever had as a kid. I remember spending the christmas and birthday money I had saved and opening one of those fat backs and getting Ashiok. I’m not sure I’d seen a planeswalker before. I didn’t have any decks to put it into for a decade, but I’m happy it was able to end up in my Muldrotha deck recently! Good memories.
Hey, thanks for the great content you create! My playgroup have been talking a little about generic deck archeypes Aggro/Midrange/Control/Combo and how they translate into EDh. What are some of the identifying traits for the deck? how do they combine/look for different decks - such as id classify most elfball decks as Aggro/Combo... anyhow I think you would be a great person to do a video on this and what you think some of the characteristics look like.
It's a tricky classification because midrange is a wide category that most decks that don't explicitly fit into control, aggro, or combo end up in. I'd also describe aggro, control, and combo as "mindsets" above all else, in the sense that aggro looks for instability and low life totals, whereas control looks to achieve a state of stability, and combo is specifically about setting up and executing its specific gameplan before the game goes on too long. My wincons video is probably the one where I talk the most about these.
Congratulations on 15k! Following the advice of your wincons video, I retooled my Henzie “Toolbox” Torre commander deck and have won twice with it on my first day at MagicCon Chicago.
You're really great at this man, keep going on with the cool content - its really helping me get into EDH
The banlist for EDH isn’t meant for gauging what’s too strong for cEDH. The only cEDH-specific ban is Flash and the RC said that was an exception to not expect to see again.
That's an insane origin story.
You are actually becoming my favourite Mtg content creator! Keep it up, your videos are really inspiring for a fairly new player :)
Congrats to 15k! Just found your channel the other day. Awesome stuff you got here! Have a sub and a comment to please the algorithm :) Also, CAT!
I’ve been following your channel for some time now and I’d like to say, I love your deep dive and precon deck analysis! Also, with how your videos looked, I thought this was another MTG Noah who provides comedy MTG , but I was wrong.
Anyhow! Did you know that SaffronOlive gave you a shout out for your cool analysis?
Congrats on 15k subs! More to come, brother!
Yeah I saw that! I appreciated the shout out
Hello! I've been watched one video from you then promptly downloaded your entire library. Really great stuff. Personally I'd love a guide on how you playtest and what methods you'd recommend to someone building decks for the first time
Found your channel a few months ago and have recommended you to nearly every player in my group. Your content is very well thought out, but your ability to communicate these concepts is tremendous!
This, tied with Cardmarket, my favourite magic channel
I just wanna let you know that you've quickly became my favorite MTG channel :)
You have a great perspective and my Melvin mind loves it! And it helps me make better decisions with deck building and keeping power even for my play group 👍
I love your videos! You've changed my thought process on building edh decks. Also you have a very nice soft voice, you'd be great for narrative work
I found your channel with your edhrec effect video. It was quite original and drew me in. Good luck continuing to grow as a creator!
Great vid! Keep up the good work!
Love your content! I hope your channel keeps growing, keep up the good work!
This was fun.
Congratulations on the growth of your channel.
Happy almost 15k subs! I love your content and the passion you have for your videos and the hobby ^-^
I'm glad you're being intentional about on-week vs off-week content, etc.
Really enjoyed the precon review- so the patreon reviews sound fun :)
Love the content! I started around OG zendikar and have played in some decently competitive environments on a couple of teams and have found your videos a cool and fresh take on what was becoming a kind of stale game for me. Going through and reworking all of my commander decks with some of your thoughts and others' research you've shared has been a really fun experience that's made me want to play the game and deckbuild again!
But would you free Lutri?
Agree with you on Farewell on that it pushes out other cards (e.g. final judgment). They should have had it cost 8.
Also agree with Dockside, I've seen it go off, but I've also seen it make 4 treasures. It's very hit or miss in casual.
Anyway, great content, you have yourself a new subscriber
Would be nice (maybe) if the EDH banlist was trying to regulate both power for cEDH and fun for casual, but it's realistically just the latter. There's only ever been one ban for the sake of cEDH, that being Flash. And after that, the RC essentially told the competitive community "you get this, now don't ask for anything else". Which ultimately is kind of fun that cEDH is a broken format, but still. Things don't get banned for being good when we turn the commander dial up to 11.
Glad I have found your channel. As new to MTG Playing with a precon deck. There is a lot of value in your videos. Thank you for making these videos.
I'm watching this video 4 months after it was published. You went from 15k to 40k subscribers in the meantime 🤯
So I as a person whose friend got the precon that dockside was in who traded for it because I thought it looked cool realized two months later that "Hey, that's a $100 card"
Maybe I should sell it
Or maybe it says something that it was in my lowest power EDH deck ever
Man I thought I was so original with my Mr Orfeo Ball Lightning Tribal Deck...
I don't think cedh wants cards banned for them based on powerlevel alone. Flash is the exception that proves the rule, it was banned because is made the game less fun for cedh players more so than it being to powerful.
Dockside and thoraccle are the most powerful things in cedh but unlike flash they don't make the game less fun for cedh players. Ironically you ban cards in either """format""" for the same reason
I have loved all your videos. Very well spoken and very good at communicating your thoughts!
You seem like Joey Schultz and Dana Roach merged into one human. That IS a compliment btw lol
I was wondering if you would talk about removal in edh, and the math behind multiple mode, 3 for 1's and single target stuff.
Wait you're telling me Snail guy has great magic opinions AND is hot??? :O
Your videos are super cool and I keep watching more
11:30 i remember playing against a tymna/jeska ball lightning deck at some point! i wonder if it was the same person
It is very cool when you discover that a content creator you like is not just cool but also handsome. 😋
Mark went to your school and handed down free decks. Omg that is so cool.
The best way to make a casual format is to make it a good competitive format
Dunno if this is the place for this but I'd like your thoughts on how a midrange deck would be built for a higher power, since usually your examples (Glissa) are intended for battlecruiser/slower games
You either make it faster, or pact some more hate into it (make the opponents slower, basically). Playing a high-quality commander like Yuriko helps a lot. My Glissa deck could also probably be tuned to perform in high power casual by improving the ramp/manabase, adding tutors, and adding explosive wincons like Torment of Hailfire, though whether or not that still counts as midrange depends on how you define the term.
I once played against anti-salamander tribal, and lost to it.
Another question! Where did your OG video about african studies go? At least I think that was the theme - it was removed before I got the chance watch it. : ((
I unlisted it because I felt it was out of place on my channel. Here's the link: ruclips.net/video/KaSBg0AsrYc/видео.html
I got in with Dragon Maze too and also just got back in last year! I remember my first rare was Trait Doctoring LMAO
Whew, that's a rough first rare. Mine was Tunnel Ignus, which is similarly... niche.
nice cat, we have the same name lol
Nico's namesake - is that a reference to the titular feline NPC merchant of the same name in Secret of Mana?
Nope, just a name I liked the sound of, though that'd be a fun reference. I'm not much of a gamer, unfortunately.
what. is her name? i need to know
I also have a ball lightning deck! It has Alena/Tymna as the partners instead of Jeska/Tymna. Its one of my pet decks.
I like your beard! Very cool!
Oh no, he's hot
Hell yeah man, been enjoying all your videos, you've really been inspiring me to make some of my own again. Anyway, keep up the great work!
You should go for it! I've enjoyed hearing your thoughts in my comments section
KITTY!!
Cat
Catto
Totally agree on fairwell
Rule 0 is the worst part of Commander
SO, it's demonstrably *not* the case that EDH's banned list is trying address what's not fun in casual due to the rule set of EDH specifically and what's too powerful for cEDH specifically in equal measure. That was never a goal of the banned list and the RC isn't trying to balance those two things at all. Rather, the reality is that outlining cards that are unfun and/or game warping *and* that players show no interest or ability to self police away from is the superordinate goal of the EDH banned list; any thought given to considerations for what cards need to be banned because they are too strong for cEDH to be a 'balanced' meta or *real* competitive format/game setting, is at most a secondary priority and usually an after thought for the RC and CAG, if it is considered at all. If it were a serious goal of the banned list, rather than a sometimes afterthought, the banned list would be *significantly longer* and resemble banned lists from formats like Duel/French EDH, and Legacy/Vintage.
I think the narrative that those two goals are given equal priority/primacy is a wishful fulfillment fantasy created within, spread from, and repeated ad nausem almost entirely by the cEDH community. It's *their*, and *only their* goal/desire/PoV that their priorities for their willfully upside down approach to casual play generally and EDH specifically to be treated as at least equal, if not the primary or only goal for the RC and/or the CAG as a whole. Perhaps they repeat this fantasy in the hope that speaking the idea into existence and repeating it, that they can make it true through the Illusory Truth effect where people interalize and treat as true any false or incorrect statements if they hear them enough times. But it's only ever been just that; a story repeated frequently my cEDH players in some secret hope they can make it real by saying it enough.
You can see that just by reading the well thought out and carefully written rules and format philosophy portions of EDH's official website that lay out the ideas, values an goals of the format and its stewards. You can also look to the many, many, many, **many** statements of intent by RC and/or CAG members that all saying roughly that: cEDH isn't the priorty for the banned list or the rules, and never will be; it's a consideration 'sometimes', but will rarely if *ever* be the reason for changes to bans or rules, and *never* at the direct expense of those engage with the format as envisioned and intended. That's because the RC has always been crystal clear that "these are the goals and intended use of this format, you can play however you want but the format will be crafted with upholding its founding philosphy at the center, not based on the demands of a minority of players want to powergame an easy mode broken format and mislabel themselves as 'competitive players'". Expecting differently is cEDH players getting their feelings hurt over the RC not living up to a standard or expectation cEDH players set for them but the RC never agreed to or promised and actively tell people was, is and never will be a thing. Even CAG members who enjoy cEDH play are sober and honest about the fact that even when cEDH is part of the conversation for the RC and CAG, it's never and equal priority and never will be. It's *always* been made crystal clear that the RC's stance is that by trying to use a hammer as a screwdriver and complaining about all the bent screws, cEDH players are *choosing* to create unessecary problems for themselves and demanding the hammer manufacture change the design of the hammer to include a screwdriver head or better yet stop making hammers and make screwdrivers... when they could just use the hammer to drive nails and use the screwdrivers already available to them if they want to use screws.
I think the great irony, or perhasp even secret truth that most cEDH players deny to everyone, even themselves, is that the majority of them don't *really* want a balanced competitive format and would hate a version of cEDH created by a banned listed that prioritize stripping away cards that are too powerful to allow in EDH if the goal with a balanced and healthy meta...otherwise they'd already have traded in cEDH for Duel/French EDH, Canadian Highlander, or any of the higher powered competitive formats like Vintage/Legacy, or split off and created their own format of cEDH with a banned list and ruleset crafted with their stateed goals in mind (they constantly say it's impossible, as if French hasn't existed for years and years). The truth that only a few cEDH players seem able to admit is that they don't really want a power balanced EDH. That high level play determined more by 1v1 playskill at the game of Magic would be boring and/or intimidating, but that they still want to claim the prestige and adjectives and implied elevated game skill of veteran 1v1 players. That, truly, they love cEDH *because* it exists within an easy mode, 'it's broken and we're not even going to try to stop you' permissive rule-set and banned list that they can easily abuse while still pointing out they are playing within rules to legitimize the wanton mindless powergaming in ways they can't do in 60 card format less casual. That, ultimately, they only want to get rid of cards that shatter the illusion of cEDH as real competitive play setting populated by an enclave of definitionally high skill play by higher skill players because of a conflation of deck power level with complexity, competitiveness, and game skill. They *do* want and need for any particular card or combo that so dominately warps their metas in ways that are just a little too hard to interact with that it's always better to just answer it with the same combo in response rather than interaction. Outside of that however, they only want the *illusion* of cEDH as a competitive, power-balanced format; the *illusion* of skill floor requirements higher than anything not cEDH; the *illusion* of a healthy and diverse meta with real balance between arch types and mostly just an obviously dominant 'best' deck shell with dozens of variations on it. They want the 'eat your cake and have it too' goldilocks zone of being able to wear the mantle/title of 'competitive player' and all the implied better than average playskill that comes with it without ever having to earn it with success at sactioned play events in 1v1 competitive formats. They want to be taken seriously as high skill players just by playing casual with high powered decks in a broken format; they want a high score in bowling they achieved with lane bumpers up to be taken as seriously as someone bowling with open gutters. I promise you anyone engaging in that level of self-aggrandizing and pretension doesn't want to actually bowl with the bumpers down, they just want to convince everyone it's the same thing.
It depends on the format, but I think Farewell being a 6 mana board wipe is a pretty steep downside. The formats I'm playing these days are Historic, Historic Brawl, Timeless, and Commander with friends (so mostly on MTGA). In Historic and Timeless, it feels like 6 is way too much for a board wipe. Most decks will have you killed long before then unless you bought time with another cheaper board wipe first. The insane power creep of the game has made decks faster and faster to the point that 5 mana and even 4 mana board wipes feel like they struggle. I feel like we'd need to start seeing more 3 mana board wipes with less steep downsides to be able to keep up with the insane speed of threats these days. In Historic Brawl and Commander it's a fair option, but still a bit high costed. The payoff for being an expensive board wipe is being (in my opinion) the best board wipe ever printed once it actually resolves, given that it's aoe exile (a rare commodity) with the ability to target just the permanent types you want. I will agree though that I think it's unfortunate that it encroaches a bit on the likes of Merciless Eviction. But let's be honest, if you're playing a card like Merciless Eviction, you're probably also playing Farewell anyway.
It absolutely is a steep downside, and the card definitely isn't imbalanced when placed alongside cards like Toxic Deluge and Blasphemous Act, which are less flexible but also generally significantly less costly. My beef with it is that 6 mana isn't that costly in casual commander, and the lack of any downside beyond means that for players who are okay paying 6 mana for a board wipe, there's no reason to put critical thought into whether to run a board wipe that exiles vs a board wipe that's flexible vs a board wipe that is selective, since Farewell does all of those things to some extent.
Bans because it's unfun *glares at you in reflector mage in standard*
I like your dog