Locations
Let's be real here: I'm in a very tricky spot. I like playing Commander, and I've made that point abundantly clear. I also like playing with "the good stuff" and specifically go after "superior" pimp versions of great cards (like the foil Green Sun's Zenith I just picked up).
What staples are, and why they are what they are, is something that's been hashed repeatedly. Ben McDole covered many of these (see a sample here) and, fortunately for you, I won't waste time by covering them again.
The most relevant facet to staples is that because these cards are desirable, the price for them will reflect this. Basic economic theory makes this fact obvious. However, getting into online Magic doesn't have to be about wading into investing in a storm of tickets.
While I've spoken of buying the best cards before, it may seem contradictory for me to pull a 180 and makes obvious changes to spend as little as reasonably possible on my Commander deck online. What's the point of playing with access to some of the most powerful cards without actually, you know, playing with them?
Sometimes, you just have to tighten the belt.
The God Book
I have a book full of Legacy and Commander staples. From Sol Ring and Null Rod to Force of Will and Treachery, nearly any powerful or unique card needed for a deep format is available in one spot. It's a binder that doesn't leave the sanctum of my cave, inconspicuously placed among identical binders full of bulk foils and assorted sets.
This is my "God Book" of Magic cards, and I don't have one online.
The idea of collection inertia—having more of something often leads, through various means, to having even more—isn't something that's discussed often. It's part of what fed the comic-book speculation craze in the ’90s, along with Pokémon and many other collectible item fads.
Having some is not enough.
Catching all there is of something is a powerful attractor. Those from all financial levels of life seem to have things they to buy into. I've seen the savviest of traders angling for a specific foil needed for a collection, and the dullest of blokes hammer incessantly about needing "just one card!" to have a complete set. It may take years to complete, such as the handful of ever-present Limited Edition Beta collectors, but it's always something on the horizon.
I'm one of those collector types.
What can I say? I like to have it all. Despite the fact that I'm not actually using the vast majority of my collection (even excluding bulk, semi-sorted commons and uncommons I don't need) I feel a compulsion-like draw to stock up on everything. Perhaps it's merely a reassuring measure of "I know I have something in here" that keeps me going.
And it might be why I've felt so lost looking at my mostly empty collection online.
While common and uncommon play sets are more than reasonable to acquire (Thank you, draft junkies!), and most bulk rares are just a few pennies or dimes to pick up, anything that's regularly playable starts to price itself out. Quickly.
If you missed it last week, take a quick peek at Sam Stoddard's (former and current writer extraordinaire) Legacy comparison between online and paper. Then recall the pricing I did for my Green Commander deck (helpfully included below):
Yes, that's 200 tickets. Using a little fudged mathematics, I'm going to suggest, with emphasis, that building the deck online is significantly cheaper than offline. And with my penchant for foils, that differential grows when you factor in my "pimped" versions of many cards.
Playing God
So without a binder of carefully collected cards from across the ages of Magic to create decks, when does it make sense to dive in and buy the bag? This question is actually a much more complicated question; when to buy into a format is when that format is unpopular, for one reason or another. Without demand, prices fall.
This summer, five Commander decks, each with multiple new cards, will be released. Commander is on track to hit its highest level of demand ever.
Well, damn it.
Since demand isn't going down in the foreseeable future (see: Constructed format rotation for PTQs) the question is easy to answer: now. If you want in, do it immediately.
And reaching for my wallet reminded me of why I started writing about MTGO: I didn't want to drop buckets of cash. I wanted to enjoy Magic while simultaneously recognizing that playing on a budget is a common limiting factor. As a longtime paper player, I have access to both my deep collection and network of contacts to get any card I really need. I am 90 percent sure I could borrow "power" if I absolutely needed it. (And my plan so far is to never need it. Winning!)
Online, I'm just another noob who cracked a pack instead of rolling it for tickets.
But there is a different question that's good to ask: What staples make the most sense to snap up now? This isn't an exercise in speculation, but a grounding question whose answer is really in identifying staples that make my current deck better and provide utility for any other Commander decks in the long run. There are two major factors to consider:
- Color basis for deck construction
- Cross-format staples
Since I'm a solid Green player, and every one of my regularly played paper Commander decks has Green in it, it's safe to keep looking at Green staples on the table. Often, the correct approach is to look at colorless cards—artifacts and lands—first. These cards, generally speaking, can go into any Commander deck.
As I'm not a true competitive type, and have no long-term plans to play competitively online, looking at any cards that map into other formats first isn't a requirement. What I mean is that if you have a choice to pick up either Sword of Feast and Famine or Sword of Fire and Ice, F&F is your pick if you're into potentially competing in Standard; F&I may be the better bet for Commander.
What does that mean for me? Let's take a second look at some of the staples that could, and perhaps should, make my Kamahl, Fist of Krosa deck.
Garruk Wildspeaker is a handy fellow, and I don't need to make much of an introduction. His mana-acceleration skills are adept in any Green-based deck, but overlooking the token production or Overrun-on-a-stick that's there as well would be a mistake.
I've seen him parked at 4.5 to 5 tickets in dealers, but most players will sell him at closer to 3.5 or 4. If he reappears in Magic 2012, I'd expect this to slip a little further. While as a staple I'd rate him at a solid 9.5, he's one that can wait for a core set reprint. Maybe.
While Jens doesn't seem to be on track for a reprint anytime soon (oh please, oh please, oh please . . .), Solemn Simulacrum's formidable face is a welcome sight in almost any deck. Mana-ramping? Drawing a card on death? Easily reanimated? Is there anything this guy can't do?
Parked solidly at 4 tickets, I'm not sure if a better deal is to be had by any players. Without any additional flow, his stickiness to the players who want him is strong, and well-deserved.
Another artifact, Lightning Greaves is the face of "I'm going to do awesome stuff so watch out!" cards everywhere. Shroud is a valuable keyword on most creatures, but it's Haste and a cost to equip of 
that takes the cake. Instant aggression is always handy in a world full of Wrath of God spells.
What makes Lightning Greaves such a great buy is that it's just 1 ticket or so online. Seems like an easy bet.
Making mana is usually a very good thing. Fueling token strategies is gravy on the chicken and waffles. Gauntlet of Power is exactly the right artifact for any monocolored Commander deck: Add power, mana, and a burst of "wow!"
The original equipment "that does it all!" is a very reasonable pick-up online. Thanks to the Rats Nest preconstructed deck, and its feature as a promo for some events last year, finding Jitte is just a matter of 3 tickets. Unlike its real-world counterpart, Umezawa's Jitte is very budget-friendly.
Crowd-Sourced Omnipotence
No, that isn't a card (although what a sweet card it would be!). What I want to know is what you think the most useful staples cards are and why. The price doesn't matter, though I'll gladly point out that most of the "Power 9" isn't available online, and what pieces that are aren't the most useful of cards for Commander.
Give me a reckoning of staples, and next week we'll see how some mean Green can be tuned to deliver a stronger message!
