MTG Salvation

I'd take the Cryptic and hope for the Eternal Witness to wheel. Then, I'd hope to open an Aether Vial

I plan to dream big in this draft format.

Real life I would pick Cryptic Command because I want it for constructed. Or I could sell it. Either way, I wouldn't be picking it for the draft itself. Then I'd just hope I get passed some really good blue, but I'd abandon it pretty easily.

For just doing a good draft, I'd go with Lightning Helix and that's what I voted for. But I see the merits of Cloudgoat Ranger.

Cloudgoat Ranger is bonkers. Next best card is probably Rift Bolt (lowest color commitment, and the 3 life in practice isn't hugely relevant). After Bolt and Helix you'd think Imperiosaur and Witness in some order. Command never factors into it unless you're drafting for money (huge color commitment and pretty underwhelming most of the time; the best use I typically see is as a bad Sleep that bounces a troublesome artifact/enchantment).

pick command obv, force faeries from there. hopefully wheel spellstutter or dreamspoiler witches. eternal witness and cloudgoat ranger are also strong, but cryptic command is too unfair. helix is good but forces you into two colors a little too early.

I would slam Cryptic Command, it's not even remotely close. There are good cards in the pack, and then there's Cryptic Command. The other blue cards are not even on the same level, even compared with the non-blue cards in the pack.

Quote from Fluxje

Which part of me saying, that for this set it is silly not to keep monetary values in mind, wasnt clear?

My reasoning still stands either way.

The reason why this works on ignoring financial value is to prevent everyone from going most expensive card please every time one shows up.

I mean if you are drafting Modern Masters in a top 8 of a GP, and you slam the 20 dollar card over much more solid cards and start doing a dance around the table its pretty ridiculous. Yes, in most casual drafts financial value of the card matters but the point of this thread is drafting to win not to make money.

Especially since you are not going to receive a copy of the card you pick here in the mail. While at some casual little 8 man draft where the top prize is like 20ish bucks store credit I would slam the cryptic command without thinking. In the top 8 of a major event its not even in my thought process, In that case I am trying to build the best deck possible.

Am I the only one that would not first pick helix over rift bolt?
Two colors is real iffy first pick first pack, especially when there is a splashable option that is nearly as good.

Cloudgoat, then rift bolt for me.

Quote from Kijin

I would slam Cryptic Command, it's not even remotely close. There are good cards in the pack, and then there's Cryptic Command. The other blue cards are not even on the same level, even compared with the non-blue cards in the pack.

Pretty ridiculous attitude to have, especially considering how much you're overvaluing Cryptic Command in limited. It's very difficult to cast, even for a 2 color deck, and it's not even so much better than Cloudgoat Ranger that it's "not even remotely close".