Forced Combat

"Forced Combat" is an archetype that seeks to force opponents to attack each other, either by forcing creatures to attack in general and being the least appealing target at the table, or more directly by 'Goading' those creatures so when they attack they have to attack another opponent if there are any.

"Forced Combat" decks normally contain the color Red

## **Popular Cards & Commanders**

**Examples of Forced Combat cards include:**

* Fumiko the Lowblood
* Disrupt Decorum
* Agitator Ant
* Vengeful Ancestor
* Goblin Spymaster
* Geode Rager
* Kazuul, Tyrant of the Cliffs

**Examples of Forced Combat commanders may include:**

* Thantis, the Warweaver
* Kardur, Doomscourge
* Karazikar, the Eye Tyrant
* Marisi, Breaker of the Coil

## **Strategy**

### **Forcing Attacks**

The primary ingredient in "Forced Combat" is making Combat Mandatory, not optional. Despite the relatively obvious nature of this, there are important dsitinctions to be made:

Cards that force combat will either:

* Effect **One Creature,** effect **Multiple Creatures** or effect **All Creatures One or More Players Control**
* and cause effected creatures to **Attack if Able**, or to be *Goaded* and therefore **Attack another player if possible** and then attack you only if there are no other acceptable players to attack.

It is important to note that creatures that can tap to pay abilities can prevent a creature from being able to (*and therefore needing to*) attack, and that opponent's Ghostly Prison style effects can prevent them *needing* to be attacked, and this can make you a valid target for a goaded creature.

### **Protecting Yourself**

It is important to remember that forcing combat, while it tends to effect your opponents more, is still an aggressive action that sometimes may be directed at you, and it is therefore important to prepare for that eventuality. There are however, multiple potential methods for doing so:

**Pillowfort**

The most direct method of dealing with combat is prevent it from occurring to you. There are a number of Pillowfort cards that are not symmetrical and therefore make it harder to attack you while leaving your opponents free to attack one another. These continue to provide a measure of protection, even when you have only one opponent, unlike Goad effects.

**Rattlesnake**

Sometimes you don't need to prevent attacks, just discourage them. *"Rattlesnake"* is a slang term for a card that announces a retaliatory threat loudly like the namesake animal. These effects can include:

* Cards that grant multiple creatures **Deathtouch** (*cards like Archetype of Finality, Mer-Ek Nightblade, Wren's Run Packmaster, Ophiomancer & Gorgon Flail*)
* Permanents that can **destroy creatures** (*cards like Seal of Doom, Soul Snare, No Mercy, Attrition & Hixus, Prison Warden*)
* Or **damage creatures** that are attacking (*cards like Brigid, Hero of Kinsbaile, Circle of Flame, Caltrops*)

**Aikido / Fog Effects**

Finally, if attacks are going to occur, you can Capitalize on them, turning your opponent's creatures against them with cards like Channel Harm, Inkshield, Batwing Brume, Arachnogenesis, Illusionist's Gambit, Master Warcraft & Mirror Match

Or failing that, at least prevent the combat damage with Fog Effects.

### **Capitalizing on Chaos**

**No Blockers**

One additional advantage of forcing your opponents to attack each other is that, with the rare exception of creatures with Vigilance, those creatures will be tapped when it comes time for another player (*yourself included*) to attack, which means a single Disrupt Decorum can have a large knock-on effect for several turns, or even snowball if you are able to get repeated Goadings from Geode Rager or Marisi, Breaker of the Coil

**Pumping Attackers**

Most decks want to limit their anthems and buffs to ones that effects only their own creatures. Since Forced Combat decks are seeking to use each of your opponents against each other, being able to buff ALL creatures is suddenly several times more useful. Cards that do this include:
Crescendo of War, Mightstone, Rabble-Rouser, Thunderstaff, Warmonger Hellkite, Thran Weaponry or Infinite Hourglass

Alternatively, granting Infect with cards like Glistening Oil, Phyresis or Tainted Strike can make an unassuming attack by yourself or an opponent suddenly lethal.

**Additional Creatures**
The commonly accepted downside to Group Hug is that giving your opponents resources lets them use their resources against you. If you are already forcing them to attack each other, then those additional creatures are to your advantage. There are plenty of Removal spells and permanents that can give your opponents additional creatures.

## **Common Deck Categories**

* Must Attack Cards / Goad Cards
* Pillowfort Effects / Fog Effects / Rattlesnake Cards
* Card Draw
* Aikido Cards
* Board Wipe Cards
* Win Conditions / Creature cards
* Ramp
* Removal

**10 cards** will probably give you **2 cards in a given game** from that category, and a good chance to **start with 1** in your opening hand. Critical categories for your deck may require a similar or larger number than this, depending on expected levels of Counterspells or Removal.
**5 cards** will probably give you **1 card per game** of that category. Cards you don't want to overload on but still want access to (*board wipes in a tokens deck for instance*) may want a similar figure to this... Going smaller than this number makes receiving a card of this category very unlikely without Tutors or some other Toolbox approach.

## **Strengths and Weaknesses**

### **Strengths**

Forcing opponents to attack whether they are prepared or not leaves them with an inability to choose what to attack with and when. Even opponents who are in a good position to attack can find their plans or the plans of fellow players badly disrupted when they are forced to attack, unable to leave blockers, and often killing their own and opponents' utility creatures and combo pieces.

In addition, while other archetypes like Control may become weaker in games with more opponents as they have more threats to evaluate and answer with the same amount of removal, "Forced Combat" on the othert hand arguably gets stronger as more opponents often just means more players attacking people other than you.

### **Weaknesses**

Not all decks are effected evenly. Opponents with creatureless decks or Pillowfort decks may be unaffected, or even make themselves immune

Also, If an opponent has overwhelming force and can attack you, your defenses may be insufficient if you become their primary target

### **Aikido**

The problem with forced combat is that if your opponent has creatures you can’t deal with that get directed at you… in which case why not turn that to your advantage?
Example Cards:Inkshield, Channel Harm, Batwing Brume, Deflecting Palm, Boros Fury Shield, Selfless Squire

### **Aristocrats**

Forced combat tends to cause a whole bunch of creatures to die… Why not get rewarded for that?
Example Cards:Ogre Slumlord, Overseer of the Damned

### **Pillowfort**

The problem with forced combat comes if your opponent has creatures you can’t deal with that get directed at you… With the right cards, that isn’t even an option!

### **Group Slug**

Forced combat normally causes your opponents to waste resources resources against one another or injure them… If all you care about is the last part, Group Slug can be more reliable, especially against opponents with no creatures or Pillowfort decks.

### **Reanimator**

Forced combat tends to cause a whole bunch of creatures to die… Why not bring them back to fight for you?
Example Cards:Tergrid, God of Fright, Grave Betrayal, Sepulchral Primordial, Coffin Queen

**References:**

* EDHREC Forced Combat theme
* Forced Combat tagged articles on EDHRec