I ready in MaRo's article today that each two-color pair in KTK (well, in all sets) has a particular strategy. For example, he said that Secret Plans represents Blue/Green strategy is playing lots of morph cards.
"As I explained last week, design and development having been spending more time making sure each two-color combination has a draft strategy. In Khans of Tarkir, Erik spent extra time on the enemy-color pairings, as they play well with drafting wedges. Green-blue has an emphasis on morph. Because morph is bigger than the clans, it shows up in all five clans and in all five colors, but the stronger cards (for Limited) were concentrated in green and blue.
[card]Secret Plans[/cards] plays into another recent addition of design and development, the addition of a cycle of two-color uncommons that help reinforce those color combination's draft strategy. Green and blue are about morph, so their uncommon multicolor card encourages playing lots of morph creatures."
My question: What are the other two-color pair strategies?
Plus a large amount of warrior creatures in the colors, and even some in the two clans it slots into (Abzan and Mardu).
R/W seems to be pointing towards something aggressive, as with Highspire Mantis and Ride Down. Does seem to fit with the way Mardu (aggro rush) and Jeskai (aggressive tempo + prowess) want to play.
As well as a wipe that takes care of weenies but not it's high toughness guys - Death Frenzy. Obviously meant to play with both the B/G clans - Sultai wants to buy time to set up Delve, Abzan wants to buy time to get a stalled board and just start outlasting to victory.
I am not sure what U/R is, but there's something there.
The allied-color pairs are probably a little more straightforward than this because they're all just in one clan, but I can't figure it out. Maybe that's the way it's supposed to go? Seems like in draft I'd try to stick to an enemy-color pair early on so I'm open to two clans as the draft progresses, as compared to an allied-color pair since that just leads to one.
U/R is instant and sorcery based tempo. I'd say Winterflame is the best evidence of that.
U/R tempo is my favorite Limited archetype, and it's usually not playable, but that's the deck that wants a card like Winterflame the most. Also, one of U/R tempo decks' biggest problems is that they run out of cards quickly, and the fact that in addition to the blue cantrips, red and blue both have draw spells, and Bloodfire Mentor to help fix draws makes me think that's what they're going with.
I'm hoping that even without a dedicated Prowess deck it'll be playable this time around. It probably won't be, but I'm going to try to draft it anyway.
--
(I'm on on this site much anymore. If you want to get in touch it's probably best to email me: dom@heffalumps.org)
Forum Awards: Best Writer 2005, Best Limited Strategist 2005-2012
5CB PotM - June 2005, November 2005, February 2006, April 2008, May 2008, Feb 2009
MTGSalvation Articles: 1-20, plus guest appearance on MTGCast #86!
<Limited Clan>
Kheru Bloodsucker and Sultai Flayer both have the "toughness four or greater" thresholds with attached lifegain, which seems to encapsulate the BG archetype of "stall out with big butts and then win".
"As I explained last week, design and development having been spending more time making sure each two-color combination has a draft strategy. In Khans of Tarkir, Erik spent extra time on the enemy-color pairings, as they play well with drafting wedges. Green-blue has an emphasis on morph. Because morph is bigger than the clans, it shows up in all five clans and in all five colors, but the stronger cards (for Limited) were concentrated in green and blue.
[card]Secret Plans[/cards] plays into another recent addition of design and development, the addition of a cycle of two-color uncommons that help reinforce those color combination's draft strategy. Green and blue are about morph, so their uncommon multicolor card encourages playing lots of morph creatures."
My question: What are the other two-color pair strategies?
W/U:
W/B:
W/R:
W/G:
U/B:
U/R:
U/G: Morph
B/R:
B/G:
R/G:
R Norin the Wary: I've Got a Bad Feeling About This
UG Thrasios & Kydele: Knowledge is Power
RG Borborygmos Enraged: The Breaking of the World
BG The Gitrog Monster: All Glory to the Hypnotoad
WUR Zedruu the Greathearted: Endless Possibilities, One Outcome
WBG Karador, Ghost Chieftain: What's Dead May Never Die
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Chief of the Edge
Chief of the Scale
Raider's Spoils
Rush of Battle
Plus a large amount of warrior creatures in the colors, and even some in the two clans it slots into (Abzan and Mardu).
R/W seems to be pointing towards something aggressive, as with Highspire Mantis and Ride Down. Does seem to fit with the way Mardu (aggro rush) and Jeskai (aggressive tempo + prowess) want to play.
B/G looks like high-toughness, defensive creatures - just basing this off Kin-Tree Invocation but the color pair has access to some rather large butts:
Disowned Ancestor
Archer's Parapet
Sidisi's Pet
As well as a wipe that takes care of weenies but not it's high toughness guys - Death Frenzy. Obviously meant to play with both the B/G clans - Sultai wants to buy time to set up Delve, Abzan wants to buy time to get a stalled board and just start outlasting to victory.
I am not sure what U/R is, but there's something there.
The allied-color pairs are probably a little more straightforward than this because they're all just in one clan, but I can't figure it out. Maybe that's the way it's supposed to go? Seems like in draft I'd try to stick to an enemy-color pair early on so I'm open to two clans as the draft progresses, as compared to an allied-color pair since that just leads to one.
U/R tempo is my favorite Limited archetype, and it's usually not playable, but that's the deck that wants a card like Winterflame the most. Also, one of U/R tempo decks' biggest problems is that they run out of cards quickly, and the fact that in addition to the blue cantrips, red and blue both have draw spells, and Bloodfire Mentor to help fix draws makes me think that's what they're going with.
I'm hoping that even without a dedicated Prowess deck it'll be playable this time around. It probably won't be, but I'm going to try to draft it anyway.
The enemy colour pairs, as mostly covered above, work out something like:
W/B: Warrior tribal
W/R: Aggro/racing
U/R: Spells/tempo
U/G: Morph
B/G: Big creatures
(I'm on on this site much anymore. If you want to get in touch it's probably best to email me: dom@heffalumps.org)
Forum Awards: Best Writer 2005, Best Limited Strategist 2005-2012
5CB PotM - June 2005, November 2005, February 2006, April 2008, May 2008, Feb 2009
MTGSalvation Articles: 1-20, plus guest appearance on MTGCast #86!
<Limited Clan>
450 card Peasant cube thread. Draft it here.
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