Rule 0 Conversations
Having conversations
Being a responsible deck-builder doesn’t eliminate the need for having Rule 0 conversations, especially when playing outside your regular playgroup. Not everyone is as cool as you and has adopted this system, so it’s good to know how to “tease out” the power level of someone’s deck.
Some good questions to ask are:
- Are you playing tutors? If so, what are you typically tutoring for?
- Are you playing free spells? Which ones?
- How does your deck win? Combos? Combat damage?
- Are you playing fast mana?
- Are you playing extra turn spells?
Don’t be afraid to disclose your win conditions or the powerful cards in your deck to other people. Remember, tournament decklists in other formats are public, so don’t rely on the “element of surprise” to sneak out a win. The primary goal is to make sure decks are matched up fairly, then play to win the game.
Proxies
We are generally proponents of proxying cards, due to the sheer amount of deckbuilding we do, but we understand that not everyone is comfortable with this approach. Often, this results in budget becoming a tangential discussion in Rule 0 conversations.
While the most expensive cards aren’t always the most powerful (you can build very powerful decks on a budget), there is certainly a correlation.
Budget is always worth discussing if it’s something your playgroup (or even one person in your playgroup) is concerned with. We have found that discussions around budget are best utilized in conjunction with power level as constraints in the deckbuilding process, not as signposts for power level when you sit down to play.
If budget becomes a problem that is too difficult to solve in your playgroup, please consider proxying. It allows for unrestricted deckbuilding at your desired power level.
Salt
Some decks are naturally more frustrating to play against. Even if you find it fun, someone else may not.
If someone is salty about a deck in your playgroup, or you find a deck particularly “unfun” to play against, have a discussion about it. What makes it unfun? Does it belong at a higher power level?
Postgame discussions are just as important for coming to a consensus on play experience as pregame discussions.