Having a Successful Rule Zero Conversation

What is Rule Zero?

One of the greatest rules in Commander is far and away Rule Zero. The Rules Committee describes Rule Zero as a "longstanding tradition in many games. It is the philosophy that each group is best at deciding what is most fun for them, and are encouraged to change the rules within their group to make that happen." So, what does that mean and how does it affect your game?

Why Have a Rule Zero Conversation?

Casual Commander, at its heart, is a social game, one where the best part of the game is the fun had with people at your table. The Rule Zero conversation, or pre-game conversation, is one of the things that enables us to have fun when we play. In commander, there can only be one winner, in theory, which can lead to some salt if not handled in a manner that is conducive to the entire table. With the largest amount of Magic: The Gathering cards legal to play, it is nearly impossible to remember all the cards in play. That means that each game has the potential to provide you with an unexpected experience. Having a rule-zero conversation allows you to take out some of the unexpected. When you're prepared with information, it allows all the players to pick decks that are on the same power level and enable the game to be played by all players. You wouldn't start a game of Monopoly with one player starting with double resources as the rest of the players, and Commander isn't meant to be played this way either.

What questions should you ask?

There is a misconception that a rule zero conversation means that you have to share your entire deck list or give away all your deck's secrets. While I don't personally have any problems with sharing a decklist, it is understandable that giving away the entire deck can feel a little weird, especially for those of us who are not into the content creation game. The following questions will help your game go more smoothly and, with the heart of the cards, every deck will have a moment to shine.

Is there anything you absolutely don't want to play against?

Every player has something they don't want to see at the table, be it be infinite combos, a certain card, or play style. Personally, I'm not a huge fan of forced sacrifice decks. I tend to play creature-heavy decks, and not being able to keep any board state means I'm an observer in the game instead of a player.

What is the goal of your deck?

This is basically asking what the win con is. A lot of casual decks are going to win by combat, but this can be answered with more or less information. For example, my Chatterfang deck's goal is to create as many squirrels as humanly possible and then sacrifice them to gun down the board with life drain using Zulaport Cutthroat and Blood Artist. If that doesn't work then I'm going to play Craterhoof to attempt to win with giant trampling squirrels. My Kenrith deck's only available win was Happily Ever After, which I'm happy to state he achieved exactly once.

What turn do you usually present a threat and what turn do you typically win by if unimpeded?

Presenting a threat and winning is not always back-to-back. For example, my Jodah deck presents a threat at turn five when Jodah comes to the board and can win as early as turn six depending on how many cards I can cheat out the following turn and the abilities of the cards. I would say typically the deck doesn't win the game until turn eight. It's also important to state that Jodah being removed will hamstring my deck and it might take me a few turns to rebuild from being interrupted by my opponents.

What kind of interaction do you run, if any?

Some players, like me, prefer flavor to interaction. I want my deck to do its thing, and if it doesn't I'm not usually able to do much about the board state of any other player. Running interaction can also look different from player to player. Some players prefer to run a little bit of everything whereas others focus on removal or counterspells, but not both. Obviously, each color has different interaction packages that shine more than others.

Do you have any infinite combos?

This is the one thing that I think in casual commander needs to be represented every time. Some infinite combos require 5-7 pieces and don't win the game. They're pretty easy to stop. Other combos are instantaneous and can be difficult to stop. These types of combos are especially important to reveal to the other players. A game that ends abruptly can be especially disheartening if it wasn't expected at all. It's another matter entirely if you won because players didn't keep up interaction despite knowing that it was a possibility.

Do you have any banned cards in your list?

A lot of casual players like to build rule zero decks just for the fun of it. This may include powerful cards on the banned list or illegal cards such as unstable cards. There's a big difference between playing Emrakul and Princess Twilight Sparkle in a commander game. When choosing to break the "rules" it's important that the entire table agrees to partake in the shenanigans.

Do you have any questions for the table?

This is a chance for any other questions to be brought up. Just like commander, every person is different and they might have something they need to bring to the table to agree on before the game begins. For myself personally, my disability makes it hard for me to stay focused so I always make sure to ask the table for patience and extra reminders related to triggers on my and others' boardstates. I may ask for cards to be read aloud or given a minute to look them up so that I can understand what the card does.

What Not to Ask

One of the things I avoid in these conversations is "power level." For me, putting a number on a deck doesn't translate well to what I'm actually trying to bring to the table. If "power level" is something that you feel works for you, I highly suggest using the EDH Multiverse tool. This tool can not only help guide you in a pre-game talk, but it also helps to explain power level in a visual way that can help you identify what kind of game you can expect with your deck. You can find that tool here (https://www.edhmultiverse.com/).

Things to Note

Remember that sometimes our decks and games don't work out how we expect and that's ok too. Even with the best rule zero conversation, the game has to end, one way or another. Instead of focusing on what didn't go well, focus on what went right and what you would want to change for the next time. Not every game is going to leave us with the warm and fuzzies, especially when we lose. However, understanding the board state by having these pre-game discussions will lead to an overall better experience.

Let me know in the comments what you like to discuss in pre-game talks. Happy playing!