In the universe of Magic: The Gathering (MTG), Commander, also known as Elder Dragon Highlander (EDH), is one of the most prominent formats. The popularity of this multi-player card game format, which utilises a deck of exactly 100 cards and a legendary creature card designated as the deck’s commander, has grown substantially over the years. The unique deck-building restrictions and the social aspect of the format have contributed to its popularity. To assist players in creating their decks, a tool called EDHREC was developed, and it has become an indispensable resource for many.
What is EDHREC?
EDHREC is a website and database that aggregates decklists from across the internet to provide recommendations for the Commander format of Magic: The Gathering. By examining thousands of decklists, EDHREC generates data on which cards are most commonly used with specific commanders, thereby providing invaluable insights to players looking to build new decks or optimize their current ones.
How Does EDHREC Work?
EDHREC works by scraping decklists from various sources, including but not limited to sites like TappedOut, Deckstats, AetherHub, Archidekt, deckstats.net, Moxfield, MTGGoldfish and Archidekt. It then uses this data to analyze the frequency of specific card and commander pairings. The website presents this information in an easy-to-understand format, allowing players to see popular cards for their chosen commander, as well as commonly used synergies and themes.
The platform’s algorithm ranks cards based on their frequency of appearance in decks with the same commander. By doing so, EDHREC offers a quantitative approach to deck-building, helping players to understand the ‘meta’ and make informed decisions when constructing their decks.
Features of EDHREC
EDHREC offers a multitude of features to assist players in their deck-building endeavors. Here are some of the key ones:
Commander Pages: Each legendary creature that can serve as a commander has its own page on EDHREC. This page includes the most commonly used cards with that commander, sample decklists, and user-submitted decks. It also shows the average deck for that commander, which is a theoretical decklist that includes the most common cards for that commander.
Theme Pages: EDHREC also provides pages for various themes, or strategies, such as +1/+1 counters, sacrifice, or tribal decks. These pages show the most popular commanders for the theme, the most commonly used cards, and sample decklists.
Advanced Filters: Users can filter results based on a variety of factors, including set, color identity, card type, and more. This feature allows for more specific and tailored searches.
Articles and Podcasts: EDHREC isn’t just a database; it’s also a content hub. The site regularly publishes articles and podcast episodes discussing various aspects of the EDH format, offering insights into deck-building, gameplay strategies, and card analyses.
EDHREC’s Impact on the Magic: The Gathering Community
EDHREC has had a significant impact on the MTG community. It has not only facilitated the process of deck-building for new and experienced players alike, but also fostered an analytical approach to understanding the meta of the Commander format. By providing easy access to data on popular strategies and card choices, EDHREC has helped shape the Commander landscape.
However, it’s important to remember that while EDHREC is a great tool, it doesn’t replace creativity and personal touch in deck-building. The Commander format is known for its flexibility and encouragement of player expression. EDHREC provides data-based recommendations, but the final deck should reflect the individual player’s playstyle and preferences.
Final Words
EDHREC is, in conclusion, an indispensable resource for Magic: The Gathering players interested in the Commander format. Its extensive data analysis, user-friendly interface, and abundance of content make it an indispensable resource for deck-building devotees. While it is essential to use EDHREC as a starting point and not as a definitive answer for deck creation, its insights can help players comprehend popular strategies, card synergies, and commander selections.
Ultimately, EDHREC’s impact on the Magic: The Gathering community has been immense, contributing to a richer and more informed Commander experience for players of all skill levels. By combining the data-driven recommendations from EDHREC with personal creativity and playstyle preferences, players can continue to explore the vast and exciting world of Commander and create truly unique and memorable decks.