My go-to is also 4 packs of 11 cards. But lately, I've been testing 6 packs of 15 cards, pick one, burn one (It's called Burn/Glimpse Draft, there's actually a thread about it if you never heard about it). I think that I'm starting to prefer this method over 4x11. Still need to test a lot more though, got 3 drafts in so far and the decks seem very powerful and refined.
It uses your whole cube (360 cards) and simulating a 8 man draft. It allows people to go for the archetype they want to play and not worry about their cards not included in the pool. Example, say a player wants to play tokens and they have Intangible Virtue in their first pack. If you play 4x11, taking Intangible Virtue is a huge risk because you don't know if Spectral/Lingering/Battle Screech are among the 176 card pool you took to make the booster packs. While by using 360 cards Burn draft, you KNOW for a fact the token generators are in the pool, just have to hope that nobody picks it or burns it (just like in a 8 player, 360 cube draft).
You should definitely try it if you have the time. But glad to have found someone who plays a lot of 4 man cube draft. Also glad that we're on the same page about 4x11!
Love what you're doing with the Power Rankings! I have a question. I do 4 man cube draft a lot and I was wondering how many packs and cards per pack do you usually draft with 4 players? Thanks!
I agree with focusing into playing control game in the beginning. I sided out Delvers for more hate, so basically becoming a Grixis Control deck. Is siding out Delver a good thing? I never want to play Delver/Serum T1 if I have Snare/Ceromonious.
2-0 Jeskai Nahiri, 0-2 GW Sigarda, 0-2 Affinity. No Fatal Push for me
Any tip for the Affinity matchup? How to play the first couple of turns? What to board out/in? I'm really terrible against Affinity. I feel like it's a bad matchup everytime!
Me and my buddy realized that we have a lot of modern Burn staples laying around in our trade binder, so we decided to make a Burn with the cards we have.
Basically, we have everything except for 3 Goblin Guide, 1 Atarka's Command, 1 Boros Charm, 2 Lightning Helix and a couple of fetch/fast lands. Since we have a big collection, we will try to get the missing cards by trade.
Here's our current decklist without the missing cards. The big card that we're missing is clearly Goblin Guide. I believe after acquiring those 3 missing GG, the deck will be at least playable for FNMs even with the other missing cards.
So I was wondering if the decklist looks "optimal" with the cards that we currently have. Also, should I try out Vexing Devil?
I know how the community feels about "budget" list, but it would be greatly appreciated if someone could give me some feedback, so that the deck can at be played at a FNM. Our goal is to obviously end up acquiring all the missing cards by trade and have the optimal Tier 1 Burn deck. Thank you.
Here's the list. (Yes, missing some cards in the sideboard)
How's the Eldrazi Tron matchup? I don't play Burn. I have most of the cards at home, thought I'd build the deck (if Eldrazi Tron matchup is good) since there is a lot of E-Tron here at my LGS. Thanks.
Your list is very similar to mine except the Remands, Shadow of Doubt and Deprive. I'm trying Thoughtseize at that slot instead.
Since we play fairly the same list, and having some success with it, I think it's pretty safe to say that four Young Pyromancers is something that people should try.
I don't like Remand. With all the cheap spells running around this meta, I don't it's good. Else, the list is sweet and I'm glad that someone else is liking four YPs.
Awesome to hear your success with the full set of Pyro btw deathstroke. How has the burn matchup been working with that though? There's a lot of burn where I'm at and for me I like have huge beater to stonewall their guides and such... plus it doesn't die to searing blaze
The new Burn list is harder than the old burn where they played Wild Nacatl, because Boros Burn has more spells than Naya Burn. Usually, Burn is a matchup that I just accept that it's a bad one. I usually rely on my counterspells and hope for the best. Luckily for me, there is not a ton of Burn, where I play.
I went to play at FNM tonight, my decklist is the same.
RESULT : 2-1-0
ROUND 1: Bant Amulet brew // 2-0. Thoughtseize was awesome here. My opponent told me that if it wasn't for Thoughtseize both games, he would've a better chance to beat me.
ROUND 2: Eldrazi Tron // 0-2.
ROUND 3: Affinity // 2-1, lost G1.
All wins were because of Elemental tokens once again.
I played with Spectral Procession AND Lingering Souls. Some players think they should side out Lingering Souls when they side in RIP. I disagree, you keep Lingering Souls even if you play RIP.
I feel like if we are going the 4 YP route (just like Deathstroke did) we should look at Logic Knot and Deprive as possible counters. With 4 Thought Scour and only 2 Tasigur, running a number of Logic Knots should go without any problems. Deprive on the other hand basically becomes counterspell with a YP out as you can "pay" for it with a token and immediately get a new one of the cast trigger.
Deprive is a card I always wanted to try. May be worth the shot. Also, I just realized that my current list (if I remember correctly) is somewhat similar to your build, Jonny. It was unintentional and I think the main difference is you play different counterspells, but we both decided to go with 3-4 YP and 2 main Thoughtseize. Glad it works for both of us, at least for me so far with my limited testing.
Be aware that cutting Delve creatures generally makes the big mana matchups worse because the YP clock can't kill as reliably as a quick Tasigur.
I highly disagree on this. The main reason I play 4 YPs is because I want to beat the big mana matchups. Tasigur isn't always going to land on turn 2. I wanted to consistently have pressure on turn 2. I found that turn 2 YP + counterspells was far better than turn 2 Tasigur.
+2 Rest in Peace
+1 Blessed Alliance
+1 Celestial Purge
+2 Dismember
+1 Wrath of God
-3 Martyr of Sands
-4 Serra Ascendant
I have a 50% win rate against Jund; 9 wins, 9 loss. I play with Lingering Souls. All you need is Spirit Tokens + Honor of the Pure. Never have more than 3 creatures on board. Also keep Lingering Souls in even with Rest in Peace in.
It uses your whole cube (360 cards) and simulating a 8 man draft. It allows people to go for the archetype they want to play and not worry about their cards not included in the pool. Example, say a player wants to play tokens and they have Intangible Virtue in their first pack. If you play 4x11, taking Intangible Virtue is a huge risk because you don't know if Spectral/Lingering/Battle Screech are among the 176 card pool you took to make the booster packs. While by using 360 cards Burn draft, you KNOW for a fact the token generators are in the pool, just have to hope that nobody picks it or burns it (just like in a 8 player, 360 cube draft).
You should definitely try it if you have the time. But glad to have found someone who plays a lot of 4 man cube draft. Also glad that we're on the same page about 4x11!
2-0 Jeskai Nahiri, 0-2 GW Sigarda, 0-2 Affinity. No Fatal Push for me
Any tip for the Affinity matchup? How to play the first couple of turns? What to board out/in? I'm really terrible against Affinity. I feel like it's a bad matchup everytime!
YES !
Basically, we have everything except for 3 Goblin Guide, 1 Atarka's Command, 1 Boros Charm, 2 Lightning Helix and a couple of fetch/fast lands. Since we have a big collection, we will try to get the missing cards by trade.
Here's our current decklist without the missing cards. The big card that we're missing is clearly Goblin Guide. I believe after acquiring those 3 missing GG, the deck will be at least playable for FNMs even with the other missing cards.
So I was wondering if the decklist looks "optimal" with the cards that we currently have. Also, should I try out Vexing Devil?
I know how the community feels about "budget" list, but it would be greatly appreciated if someone could give me some feedback, so that the deck can at be played at a FNM. Our goal is to obviously end up acquiring all the missing cards by trade and have the optimal Tier 1 Burn deck. Thank you.
Here's the list. (Yes, missing some cards in the sideboard)
// 13 Creature
4 Wild Nacatl
4 Monastery Swiftspear
1 Goblin Guide
4 Eidolon of the Great Revel
// 20 Instant
4 Lightning Bolt
3 Boros Charm
3 Atarka's Command
4 Skullcrack
2 Lightning Helix
4 Searing Blaze
// 19 Land
4 Mountain
2 Stomping Ground
2 Sacred Foundry
4 Wooded Foothills
3 Bloodstained Mire
4 Windswept Heath
4 Lava Spike
4 Rift Bolt
2 Kor Firewalker
1 Grim Lavamancer
4 Destructive Revelry
2 Deflecting Palm
2 Path to Exile
Maybeboard/Toolbox
4 Vexing Devil
4 Hellspark Elemental
4 Spark Elemental
1 Searing Blood
RESULT : 3-0-0
ROUND 1: UG Infect // 2-0.
ROUND 2: Ad Nauseam // 2-1, lost G1.
ROUND 3: Abzan Midrange // 2-1, lost G1.
Deck is really great at my LGS. Although, I didn't see much YPs and Thoughtseize tonight, I'm happy that this list is working well for me.
// 14 Creature
4 Delver of Secrets
4 Snapcaster Mage
2 Tasigur, the Golden Fang
4 Young Pyromancer
// 19 Instant
2 Kolaghan's Command
4 Lightning Bolt
3 Mana Leak
3 Terminate
4 Thought Scour
2 Fatal Push
1 Murderous cut
2 Spell Snare
1 Blood Crypt
2 Bloodstained Mire
4 Polluted Delta
2 Steam Vents
2 Watery Grave
2 Flooded Strand
2 Spirebluff Canal
1 Mountain
2 Island
1 Swamp
// 8 Sorcery
4 Serum Visions
2 Thoughtseize
1 Izzet Staticaster
1 Dismember
1 Countersquall
1 Dispel
2 Negate
3 Ceremonious Rejection
2 Rakdos Charm
2 Anger of the Gods
2 Crumble to Dust
Since we play fairly the same list, and having some success with it, I think it's pretty safe to say that four Young Pyromancers is something that people should try.
I don't like Remand. With all the cheap spells running around this meta, I don't it's good. Else, the list is sweet and I'm glad that someone else is liking four YPs.
The new Burn list is harder than the old burn where they played Wild Nacatl, because Boros Burn has more spells than Naya Burn. Usually, Burn is a matchup that I just accept that it's a bad one. I usually rely on my counterspells and hope for the best. Luckily for me, there is not a ton of Burn, where I play.
I went to play at FNM tonight, my decklist is the same.
RESULT : 2-1-0
ROUND 1: Bant Amulet brew // 2-0. Thoughtseize was awesome here. My opponent told me that if it wasn't for Thoughtseize both games, he would've a better chance to beat me.
ROUND 2: Eldrazi Tron // 0-2.
ROUND 3: Affinity // 2-1, lost G1.
All wins were because of Elemental tokens once again.
I played with Spectral Procession AND Lingering Souls. Some players think they should side out Lingering Souls when they side in RIP. I disagree, you keep Lingering Souls even if you play RIP.
Deprive is a card I always wanted to try. May be worth the shot. Also, I just realized that my current list (if I remember correctly) is somewhat similar to your build, Jonny. It was unintentional and I think the main difference is you play different counterspells, but we both decided to go with 3-4 YP and 2 main Thoughtseize. Glad it works for both of us, at least for me so far with my limited testing.
I highly disagree on this. The main reason I play 4 YPs is because I want to beat the big mana matchups. Tasigur isn't always going to land on turn 2. I wanted to consistently have pressure on turn 2. I found that turn 2 YP + counterspells was far better than turn 2 Tasigur.
+2 Rest in Peace
+1 Blessed Alliance
+1 Celestial Purge
+2 Dismember
+1 Wrath of God
-3 Martyr of Sands
-4 Serra Ascendant
I have a 50% win rate against Jund; 9 wins, 9 loss. I play with Lingering Souls. All you need is Spirit Tokens + Honor of the Pure. Never have more than 3 creatures on board. Also keep Lingering Souls in even with Rest in Peace in.