I agree puddle. I like that you have to use more combat tricks for removal than straight up removal spells. All I'm saying is that the cards that are really good in this format like Arashin, Wingmate, Sarkhan, etc are really good because the cards that answer them are very few, and even then they are usually multi-colored/ highly drafted so people won't have many of them. Arashin really bombs out when he has 3+ turns on the board.
If you're in black, it's great. Sultai scavenger, dead drop, murderous cut, and to a degree shambling attendants all usually make it into a non mardu deck and this card finds them, then sets them up. Obviously you never want to play this on turn four. If you kept a hand that passed until turn 4 and then played bitter rev, you kept a seriously bad opening hand. I think it's very good in multiples in Sultai, at least one in Abzan/splashed 4th, and 0 in Mardu.
Without considering the clans, that's how I'd rate them. 6/6 Abzan guide still trades with some creatures in the format and even at common level. 5/6 Gudul doesn't trade with anything outside of Lamasu if I remember correctly.
Errr, yeah. When I said type I didn't mean like abzan counter type, I meant as in, you see Sentinels, you will be looking at white no matter as a main color or a splash. I agree Sentinels is a little too good but I don't think it's because of how good Arashin is, but how weak removal is in this format. Most of the good stuff seems to be coming from gold cards which really sucks for answering the bombs. Regardless, the original point was, should M/R crush U/C in power levels? Generally speaking, I believe so. It's something to get excited about while drafting, it creates interesting picks throughout the draft on whether you should splash etc. Also I'd rather have format defining cards be incredibly rare as opposed to very common. Arashin wouldn't be as crazy if Murderous cut was a common or if they had something like terror/doomblade.
I pass Hordling outburst because I'm temur. Now the guy 3 seats down who's forcing Mardu because he cracked butcher takes it not because he's trying to build an archetype, but because it's a red card. Yes, if he was temur he might take it because he's bad, but by me passing it as temur I could potentially be forcing someone else to make a good decision. In previous blocks I felt that some people lost before they even played their first match simply because they didn't draft well. Now I'm relying more on opponent making misplays during the game rather than before the game. Now, don't get me wrong, I'm not exactly sure if this is even a bad thing. I love KTK drafting due to the high variance and I know some people who used to not draft because they didn't feel comfortable drafting now find it easier to make a competent deck and therefore enjoy drafting.
Compared to previous draft blocks, KTK seems much more forgiving for a poor drafting process due to the splash lands and the overall quality of a wide variety of cards. You could be getting cut from a color you P1P1'd by a player two spots to your right and instead of reading it and switching out, you can just draft two other colors and then pick the color back up for a possible splash in pack 2 and easily run it by drafting your splash lands a little higher. P1P1 in most blocks would rarely be a 3 color gold card, but in KTK you can pick it and force it relatively easily it seems. Compounding to this is the fact that many of the cards in KTK are easily playable. After a finished draft, I usually find myself with about 9 extra cards I want to play, but have to cut to make it to 40. A friend of mine will purely pick the overall most powerful card every pick in pack 1, then after choosing which of those cards goes best together, uses pack 2/3 to create a deck supporting them. While not my cup of tea, he usually wins3 out of every 4 rounds with the strategy. Because of these things, I decided to look at the mythic through uncommon cards and see which ones would define a deck for me. Cards I'd be willing to take in the first few precious picks. Good cards are cards I'd P1P1. Mediocre cards are cards I probably wouldn't pick first, but would definitely put them in my deck if they already fit the colors. Terrible cards are cards I'd most likely never run.
I value 9/15 mythics as P1P1, 3 as situational, and 2 as terrible. 5/9 First pick mythics are mono colored and 2/3 situational mythics are mono colored
I value 17/45 rares as P1P1, 20 as situational, and 8 as terrible. 8/17 First pick rares are mono colored and 5/20 situational rares are mono colored.
I value 15/79 uncommons as P1P1 depending on the M/R. 12/15 First Pick uncommons are mono colored.
Generally speaking, there are more powerful gold cards than there are mono colored cards, as to be expected. This usually leads to one of two things happening. Either you open a bomb and force the color, or draft allied colors seeking a bomb that fits one of their two wedges. I generally have always steered towards the latter, but it seems like former is still easily possible as well. How do you approach your drafts? Do you feel differently about how I've rated any of the cards? Do you prefer to evaluate every hand individually and feel confident that you'll get enough cards to make a solid deck or do you still try to send and read subtle signals?The last time I drafted I ended up with a Temur deck that had End Hostilities, Abzan Falconer, Dazzling Ramparts, and Venerable Lamasu in it's SB. Was pretty confused during that draft.
I prefer the powerful blowout cards being M/R as it allows more skillful playing as opposed to just having a card you can't afford to play around/answer. With that being said, I feel about 20% of the M/R are trash level you'll never run, and then it's split pretty evenly 40/40 between cards that will force you into it's type(High Sentinels), or cards that you'd gladly pass if it's not already part of the plan you're doing (Avalanche Tusker).
I found myself drafting multiples and then usually never running more than one. I think the card is better if you run R/X, but if you go 3+ colors usually you're drafting higher power cards than Bring Low.
Personally, I don't think taking multi-color first pick is bad if the card warrants it. An evasive 5/4 with malleable traits is kind of how I define a bomb. If I take the cut, I am essentially leaving myself open to three wedges;
Mardu, which I probably just put someone immediately to my left in.
Sultai, which I have found underwhelming compared to going Temur/Abzan.
Abzan, which everyone seems to gladly try and force every pod.
Alternatively, black only seems to pair well with White/Black in dual colored and I just put someone into Mardu and usually Abzan/BW warrior is very popular. But anyways, this topic wasn't about Rares vs Uncommons. Back on topic.
Cut is better. Cut will always be a good card regardless of archetype, fixing, or when you draw it. Cut can answer a bomb. Secret plans fits into a single archetype and requires, usually, a larger degree of fixing. From what i've seen lately, Fixing is going easily in picks 1-4. I'd rather draft a GU/x deck and pick secret plans up Pack 2/3 rather than forcing it on P1P1. Seems like a TON of people are trying to Ari Lax their way to victory nowadays.
Alright, I figured as much. I did watch some drafts on twitch so I knew sorta what cards were in the set. As I was drafting I'd look at the packs and then stop and look around the table wondering how some of those cards were making it to me. Guess I should just be happy with the easy store credit, but it makes me sad that there aren't better players. Oh well, thanks for your input guys. Still trying to figure this set out and it seems everyone has different opinions :).
A few friends from work got me interested in Magic again and I've always loved drafting so I figured I'd give it a shot. A friend explained the wedge format so I Drafted the above deck and went 4-0 without a single loss and took first place in a pool of 24. I pulled Mauler P1P1 and went Temur tempo. Pretty much every game I threw down morphs, chilled/bell/countered their turn 4-6 drops and then flipped and swung for the win. I feel like my deck was a little over the top though and was wondering if this quality of a deck is draftable at high-skill events or if my local card scene just isn't up to speed with the meta. Had a blast though and was surprised at how nice everyone was.
2. Abzan Guide
3. Snowhorn Rider
4. Efreet Weaponmaster
5. Ponyback Brigade
Without considering the clans, that's how I'd rate them. 6/6 Abzan guide still trades with some creatures in the format and even at common level. 5/6 Gudul doesn't trade with anything outside of Lamasu if I remember correctly.
Mythic Good
Mythic Mediocre
Mythic Terrible
Rare Good
Rare Mediocre
Rare Terrible
Uncommon Good
I value 9/15 mythics as P1P1, 3 as situational, and 2 as terrible. 5/9 First pick mythics are mono colored and 2/3 situational mythics are mono colored
I value 17/45 rares as P1P1, 20 as situational, and 8 as terrible. 8/17 First pick rares are mono colored and 5/20 situational rares are mono colored.
I value 15/79 uncommons as P1P1 depending on the M/R. 12/15 First Pick uncommons are mono colored.
Generally speaking, there are more powerful gold cards than there are mono colored cards, as to be expected. This usually leads to one of two things happening. Either you open a bomb and force the color, or draft allied colors seeking a bomb that fits one of their two wedges. I generally have always steered towards the latter, but it seems like former is still easily possible as well. How do you approach your drafts? Do you feel differently about how I've rated any of the cards? Do you prefer to evaluate every hand individually and feel confident that you'll get enough cards to make a solid deck or do you still try to send and read subtle signals?The last time I drafted I ended up with a Temur deck that had End Hostilities, Abzan Falconer, Dazzling Ramparts, and Venerable Lamasu in it's SB. Was pretty confused during that draft.
Personally, I don't think taking multi-color first pick is bad if the card warrants it. An evasive 5/4 with malleable traits is kind of how I define a bomb. If I take the cut, I am essentially leaving myself open to three wedges;
Mardu, which I probably just put someone immediately to my left in.
Sultai, which I have found underwhelming compared to going Temur/Abzan.
Abzan, which everyone seems to gladly try and force every pod.
Alternatively, black only seems to pair well with White/Black in dual colored and I just put someone into Mardu and usually Abzan/BW warrior is very popular. But anyways, this topic wasn't about Rares vs Uncommons. Back on topic.
Cut is better. Cut will always be a good card regardless of archetype, fixing, or when you draw it. Cut can answer a bomb. Secret plans fits into a single archetype and requires, usually, a larger degree of fixing. From what i've seen lately, Fixing is going easily in picks 1-4. I'd rather draft a GU/x deck and pick secret plans up Pack 2/3 rather than forcing it on P1P1. Seems like a TON of people are trying to Ari Lax their way to victory nowadays.
1 Embodiment of Spring
1 Heir of the Wilds
1 Sagu Mauler
1 Horde Ambusher
1 Jeskai Windscout
1 Sagu Archer
1 Glacial Stalker
1 Dragon's Eye Savants
1 Pine Walker
1 Snowhorn Rider
1 Mardu Warshrieker
1 Hooting Mandrills
1 Mistfire Weaver
1 Mardu Heart-piercer
1 Bear's Companion
1 Avalanche Tusker
1 Singing Bell Strike
Equipment
1 Ghostfire Blade
Spells
1 Awaken the Bear
1 Crippling Chill
2 Trap Essence
1 Waterwhirl
lands
2 Thornwood Falls
1 Swiftwater Cliffs
1 Rugged Highlands
6 Island
4 Forest
4 Mountain
1 Naturalize
2 Ainok Tracker
1 Barrage of Boulders
1 Canyon Lurkers
1 Summit Prowler
1 Shatter
1 Scaldkin
1 Whirlwind Adept
1 Jeskai Elder
1 Disdainful Stroke
A few friends from work got me interested in Magic again and I've always loved drafting so I figured I'd give it a shot. A friend explained the wedge format so I Drafted the above deck and went 4-0 without a single loss and took first place in a pool of 24. I pulled Mauler P1P1 and went Temur tempo. Pretty much every game I threw down morphs, chilled/bell/countered their turn 4-6 drops and then flipped and swung for the win. I feel like my deck was a little over the top though and was wondering if this quality of a deck is draftable at high-skill events or if my local card scene just isn't up to speed with the meta. Had a blast though and was surprised at how nice everyone was.