EDH is a casual format that allows you to always be able to cast one creature. This creature in effect is the center theme to your deck. This said zombie deck that you played, who was the general? Did you ever cast him? Activate his ability?

The "POINT" of EDH is something simple. Play with a bunch of cards that are too high in casting cost for standard and enjoy playing an old school style kitchen table game with friends.

I'm not sure there is much to get. It's like cube drafting, by adding more of the same card to your pool it dilutes the entertainment of drawing an unusual spell.

i like edh because i can use all the old cards together in one deck. i like that its different every time. i like the cool situations that come up with such powerful cards in 4 player multiplayer. there are so many crazy plays that would never come up in another format.

i built a blue/red chaos deck thats hilarious

I don't remember the name, but it had an effect to bring all my black creatures from my graveyard to my hand (I think? or was it to play? to play sounds broken...)

I never cast it because most of my zombies never died. I was the second player out (it was a 5 player game) and I got taken out with a really big flyer who was beefed up to like 11/11 or something, then some red spell was cast to give it double strike and two combat phases. I had no flyers and no way to kill it so it managed to murder me in one hit.

I don't know, I just didn't think the format was very fun personally. I mean, I'm not going to be getting back into magic either way, but if I did I think peasant would be the way I would go.

EDIT: Google tells me m general was Balthor the Defiled. And the red spell that murdered me was Savage Beating with entwine.

I always preferred saying it's a Vintage deckbuilding rules (no more than 4 of any one card, keep to the vintage restricted list), but otherwise letting folks go nuts. We never really had a problem with that, although my groups have always been pretty casual and preferred 3+ free for all to duels.

If I could find a place to play near where I live, I'd be happy. I miss the game.

Hmmm...sounds like you were given an unfinished deck. Balthor decks are pretty wicked, the whole point is to sacrifice your creatures while destroying your opponent's (via Grave Pact, targeted removal, or sweepers), then remove creature cards from their graveyards, and then rez your army.

It was a straight black deck, you should have had plenty of removal to get rid of that single creature unless it had shroud or a hand full of counters. I honestly blame the deck builder for your poor experience. Although Balthor is a strong Commander and a lot of people gun for him so the deck doesn't get the Rez step up.

I would say try it two more times, each time with a different general if your play group has extra decks/willing to swap for a game. You mentioned you enjoy your Rack deck, so I'm guessing you like the discard aspect of the black color pie. Balthor is not that general, I would lead you too:



OR

i also think constructing and acquiring the deck yourself is half the fun. especially if you're trying to work with a theme or additional restrictions

Completely agree, I had a horrible time at the Commander Launch party. The precon's were such crap. Horrible mana bases and the filler cards were just abysmal.

Now that I've turned three of them into my own deck with the same theme I love them.

Yeah, the 11/11 was some thing that got a +1/+1 every time anyone cast a spell? I'm not sure if that was its own ability or what, I can't really follow anything since I don't know any of the cards printed after Darksteel, and asking to stop and read every card in a 5 player game would just bog the game down so much I didn't bother. I figured since all 4 of the other players knew the cards no one was going to be cheating. I do recall it being a changeling though. Possibly Red?

I don't know if my deck was unfinished or if I just wasn't playing it right. I do recall most of the cards I drew being creatures, so it was a very beatface deck.

I like the look of Nath, moreso than Crosis in any case. Crosis seems to have the downfall that I actually have to hit people with him.

And the problems with building my own deck are thus: I don't know any cards past Darksteel, I don't own any cards anymore I gave all mine away when I quit, I don't actually want to spend money unless I know I'm going to be playing a lot.

ah yea i have that in my dragon deck

Easiest way is to buy one of the precon's, they are 29.95 market price. Not sure if you can find one at that any longer, with your play style I would suggest the "Devour for Power" precon commander. Gives you a 100 card deck, three legendary creatures that can be used as your general, and a good base for a deck.

The best thing about commander is you only need to get one of the card. So instead of having to spend/trade for four cards worth five dollars, you only need to trade for five instead of twenty.