An Amonkhet draft

Binkabi drafts triple Amonkhet

The draft itself.

The first match


The second match

The third match



Some general tips on the format: http://mtgolibrary.blogspot.se/2017/04/how-to-draft-amonkhet.html

Drafting Magic 2013

Magic 2013 was the draft format I got started with on youtube. I have liked it the best of all the core sets.

Its the flashback draft format happening right now on Magic Online. Try it out. You might enjoy it.





A couple of tips

1. It is a very midrange format. It is hard to be super aggro but it does work from time to time.
2. Exalted is real. This is one of the reasons for tip #3.
3. White is the best color.
4. When you go black and it is open - go heavy black! The shade works.
5. Red comes with good burn and mediocre creatures.
6. Friendly color combinations work best.
7. You need strong uncommons to do well with blue. However, the uncommons are very strong.
8. One toughness creatures die easily. If they don't, they are very good.  Consider sideboarding them out against Red.
9. Creatures with enter the battlefield effects are awesome.
10. Green is a stronger color than usual.

Eternal Masters draft archetypes

These are the archetypes that are built into the structure of Eternal Masters (much like draft archetypes were built into Modern Masters 2015). Of course there will be more possible decks but a good bet is to go for one of these at the outset of the format.

GW: Auras.
GR: Fast aggro
GU: Threshold
GB; Elves
WB: Morbid tokens
WU: Flyers
WR: Aggro tokens
UR: Spells matter, preferably those with flashback
UB: Reanimator control
RB: Midrange reanimator
5-color: Shrines

What will you be looking for in your first EMA draft?

Modern Masters 2015 Draft Archetypes

Modern Masters 2015 has been fully revealed. The draft archetypes are somewhat surprising.

The ten draft archetypes in Modern Masters 2015:

RW Equipment
WU Artifacts (yes, the same archetype as in the first Modern Masters)
UB Profilerate/Wither
BR Aggro/Bloodthirst
RG 5C ramp (into Eldrazi hopefully)
GW Tokens
WB Spirits
UR Elementals
BG Sacrifice
UG Graft

Initial impressions of the Dragons of Tarkir Draft format

So the first MTGO Dragons of Tarkir drafts are in the books. What did we learn from them?

• The format seems slow.
• You can probably get away with a light splash of a third color (though two color decks is the norm) BUT remember that good color fixing is now a thing of the past.
• 18 lands are good as you always have stuff to do with excess mana (pay Megamorph costs, for example)
• You have to be able to deal with huge flyers as they are everywhere.
• Blue black seems to be the strongest color combination. Card drawing exploit creatures are the bread and butter of this deck.
• Red white could be the next best color combination.
• Avoid Green if you can as Green is very weak in FRF
• Removal is better than in KTK-KTK-FRF draft.
• Black is possibly the best color
• Pacifism is as strong as ever. 

It is still extremely early in the format so all of these things can easily change or be wrong.

Here is my very first draft


And here is my buddy Binkabi's very first draft


We will be publishing more DTK limited videos on youtube.com/magicgatheringstrat

You should check out the pick order published on this very blog: http://mtgolibrary.blogspot.se/2015/03/how-to-draft-dragons-of-tarkir.html

Limited Lessons

In this episode we start a new video series focusing on the ins and outs of Limited Play.

The first two lessons will be The Value of a Card and How to Play around a Card.


The Value of  a Card



How to Play around a Card


Coming subjects
Signals
Drafting & deckbuilding
Mulligans
Quadrant Theory

If you like this series, please let us know and there might be even more episodes.

Drafting M15: White Commons

In this series I will try to review all the cards of M15, starting with the commons.

The Green commons: http://mtgolibrary.blogspot.se/2014/08/drafting-m15-green-commons.html
The Black commons: http://mtgolibrary.blogspot.se/2014/08/drafting-m15-black-commons.html
The Red commons: http://mtgolibrary.blogspot.se/2014/08/drafting-m15-red-commons.html

Now its time for the White commons.

Here they are, in order of perceived power for Draft.

Triplicate Spirits: If you have played any M15 limited, you know that this is a format defining card. Once again a white token making card breaks a limited format, just like Battle Screech in VMA. Just the fact that this card makes Negate maindeckable in M15 limited should make you take notice of it. This is the best common in the format by far.

Raise the Alarm: Its main use is to enable Triplicate Spirits. Still, two bodies for two mana is a great deal in this Convoke format. Draft this highly.

Pillar of Light: You deal with the small threats with your horde of white creatures. You deal with the big threats with this. Don't forget that Kinsbaille Skirmisher can help you get rid of those creatures with 3 Toughness. Do not be afraid to sideboard this out if you don't see at least one target in the first duel.

Sanctified Charge: It is so obvious but yet so powerful that your opponent really can't do much when you cast it. It will punish him severely if you play at least 15 creatures or creature creating cards.

Kinsbaille Skirmisher:  Just a bear with a solid upside. Helps with Convoke. Helps defend. Helps Pillar of Light. Overall quite hard working.

Oreskos Swiftclaw: He dies to everything but he will often take someone with him to the grave and, in those rare cases when your opponent stumbles, will punish an opponent early some of the time.

Razorfoot Griffin: Not the best flyer of all time, but this is a card that will be played and will do work. Put to shame by the blue flyers.

Midnight Guard: A solid body that untaps when you need him the most for Convoke costs or blocking. Very solid.

Sungrace Pegasus:  The Pegasus has impressed me. There are many ways in this format to make him extremely useful and can often trade for a x/1 creature if nothing else.

Heliod's Pilgrim: This guy goes in his deck and not in others. If you have three of him, a Spectra Ward and four more enchantments to target, you are set to win the draft. If not, be careful and think twice before maindecking him.

Oppressive Rays: Does a lot less than you think it will do. Most playable in a very aggressive deck.

Selfless Cathar: Useful 1-drops that are not dead draws in the late game are very good for the Convoke deck.

Marked by Honor: This risk of getting 2-for-1ed is huge and you really don't want to play this but it will serve quite adequatly as your Heliod's Pilgrim target 2-4 if you have to do that.

Ephemeral Shields: Often the creature you save with this is not better than the creature you would have played instead of it. Do not play unless you are starving for playables.

Solemn Offering: An excellent sideboard card.

Soulmender: Annoying and convoke enabler. Maybe a 23rd card, hopefully not in your main deck.

Divine Favor: If your opponents removal is all red and damage based, this actually becomes quite good. If he has any other color in his deck- which he probably has - you do not want to play this card. You could make a case for it in a heavy Pilgrim/Broodkeeper deck, but you really should be looking for something - anything - else.

Tireless Mercenaries: Horribly overcosted.

Meditation Puzzle: Never play cards that just gain you life unless you get 20+ life. This is not worth a card and will not help you get back in the game. Remember that when you draw this, your opponent draws yet another threat and develops his board while you accomplish very little. Never play except against a deck with three or more Lava Axes.

Here is an interesting vote about card ratings in M15 that I found useful: https://docs.google.com/spreadsheets/d/1_ZdBVXiHLW55FUfFJsYBPgHnuUeXqgTii_PML9Px8VM/pubhtml#

Next time: Blue Commons!

Drafting M15: Red Commons

In this series I will try to review all the cards of M15, starting with the commons.

The Green commons: http://mtgolibrary.blogspot.se/2014/08/drafting-m15-green-commons.html
The Black commons: http://mtgolibrary.blogspot.se/2014/08/drafting-m15-black-commons.html

Now its time for the Red commons.

Here they are, in order of perceived power for Draft.

Lightning Strike: It turns out that paying 1 mana extra for Lightning Bolt is still awesome.

Borderland Marauder: He does not work well on the defensive but if you are on the defensive with a red deck, you are doing things wrong. Beat down! Hard and quick. I have found that he works excellent with in a Blue Red aggressive deck, but the truth is that he just works excellent in any aggressive deck. He is just way ahead of the curve. Draft him early.

Inferno Fist: I think this card is quite far behind the two above it, but it is still excellent removal and works great with creatures with evasion. Be careful when you play it! It might be worth waiting a turn not to get 2-for-1:ed. Play it only when you are sure it will stick and you have a spare red mana to fire it off (even if it is to the face in the worst case).

Generator Servant: Having a 2/1 for 2 is not really bad and the upside is there with this little guy. If you can get out a five drop on turn 3, you are way ahead. The value of Generator Servant goes up with the amount of bombs and semi-bombs you have. With four or more good targets I would maindeck all the Generator Servants I could get my hands on.

Krenko's Enforcer: Two evasive damage for three mana is usually good enough and this guy keeps suprising me with his utility. Beware those Bronze Sables!

Scrapyard Mongrel: The Mongrel looks so good in theory but you will find that you often can't get enough artifacts to utilize his full potential. Much better than the Ensoul Artifact plan in the artifact deck though.

Crowd's Favor: Being able to combat trick for zero mana is always respectable. Impossible to play around.

Goblin Roughrider: Just a solid beater than I personally pick above Crowd's Favor. Often replaces the Borderland Marauders you did not get.

Rummaging Goblin: Exactly what you need to beat those control decks. Beware using him against an aggressive opponent. If your opponent is faster than you are, this might just be the guy to sideboard out and replace him with anything that can block early.

Blastfire Bolt: It is so clunky but you probably have to maindeck one and maybe two of this very expensive removal. Don't expect to 2-for-1 anyone with this.

Torch Fiend: We already know that 2 power for 2 mana is a great deal and Torch Fiend's ability to deal with Juggernauts and other dangerous artifacts makes me want to maindeck at least one and have a few more in my sideboard.

Thundering Giant:  This is just so unexciting. You should be able to do something better for five mana with your other color. I cringe when I have to maindeck the Giant.

Miner's Bane:  Very similar to the Giant. He hits much harder though and trample is relevant. But six mana is a ton in this format and your opponents will have better sixdrops than you if you are forced to maindeck Miner's Bane.

Forge Devil: Can be utterly useless but if you have convoke plans, I would maindeck this little guy. There are plenty of decks where you want to sideboard him in.

Hammerhand: Deceptive card that does very little for the value of a card. Almost only good when you are winning. Avoid cards like this.

Wall of Fire: Why are you playing such a defensive card in the most aggressive color in the format. You are doing something wrong.

Foundry Street Denizen:  Quite useless but might be the 23rd card in a convoke heavy deck to get those Triplicate Spirits or Siege Wurms into play.

Lava Axe: Only good when you know that you are the beatdown against a much more controlling deck. Great at closing out games in that case but otherwise often a dead draw that will cost you the game.

Clear a Path: I am glad to see that they still print skill testers to give the good drafters a chance to win some drafts.

Here is an interesting vote about card ratings in M15 that I found useful: https://docs.google.com/spreadsheets/d/1_ZdBVXiHLW55FUfFJsYBPgHnuUeXqgTii_PML9Px8VM/pubhtml#

Next time: White!

Drafting M15: Black Commons

In this series I will try to review all the cards of M15, starting with the commons.

The Green commons: http://mtgolibrary.blogspot.se/2014/08/drafting-m15-green-commons.html

Now its time for the Black commons.

Here they are, in order of perceived power for Draft.

Flesh to Dust: This is what the world has come to. Five mana! I guess Murder was overpowered. Now we have both the double black casting cost and then three more mana on top of that. Still, you will need those. The big question is how many you can play in a deck and still be competetive? Four perhaps? Unconditional removal rules the world and this is, by far, the best black common. Being able to kill Ancient Silverback is very relevant.

Accursed Spirit: This is often the way you win. This card and Krenko's Enforcer are the reason why Bronze Sable is a perfectly maindeckable card. Most decks don't have an answer. Sit back, Flesh to Dust their threats and enjoy winning with the Spirit. This format is faster than M14 but Accursed Spirit is still a workhorse.

Sign in Blood: Against some of the ultrafast decks, this can feel bad, but it is often a huge advantage to resolve Sign in Blood. This card is a reason to play Urborg and a reason never to maindeck colorless lands with minor effects.

Covenant of Blood:  This removal spell is surprisingly useful. More playable if you combine black with white for the token making. Still, I always want to see one or two Covenant of Blood at the top of my curve.

Typhoid Rats: If you are playing an aggressive build (such as Rakdos) you should rate this lower. But if you are defensive, trying to win with your Accursed Spirits or blue flyers, this will protect the ground very efficiently.

Carrion Crow: The drawback has been suprisingly relevant in my games. This may deserve a higher rating as it is still a 2/2 flyer for three mana.

Rotfeaster Maggot: This is a card for the Green-Black Dredge deck, where it will work extremely well. Will be very decisive against aggressive decks. If you have a Gravedigger, this can get really out of hand, not to mention a Roaring Primadox.

Child of Night: Very efficient at stopping the early beatings. Would be better if there wasn't so much hate against 1-toughness creatures in the format.

Shadowcloak Vampire: This is often a necessary evil and the evasion can prove decisive. Still, there are plenty of good five-drops in this format and I often put the second Shadowcloak Vampire in the sideboard.

Witch's Familiar: Being a 2/3 means that you can block a lot of things and live in this format. This is a cornerstone of the defensive Black deck.

Crippling Blight: Another card that makes Child of Night worse. I often start this in the sideboard and bring it in against many of the decks in the format.

Zof Shade: Good late game card that often never gets online but just gets to block a Runeclaw Bear so that you can survive.

Necromancer's Assistant: I play these only for curve reasons or in the Green-Black deck. They constantly underperform but can block Juggernauts. Much better in a defensive deck but once you get Forge Devilled, you will regret maindecking this card.

Festergloom: Maindecking one Festergloom is said to be OK. Varies a lot with your secondary color and how many 1-toughness creatures you bring to the table. It deals with Triplicate Spirits, which helps it a lot.

Necrobite: Significantly worse than in Vultron-laden Theros block. I don't play these at all but I might be underrating the card. Its often my 27th card.

Unmake the Graves: I find this card very weak. I know decks can be built to profit from it and it is probably good against the control decks.

Mind Rot: Sideboard card. Bring in Mind Rot against the control decks and the bomb-laden decks you can not otherwise deal with.

Black Cat: Violently overrated by drafters. Better against bad players that refuse to lose their cards. Do not play these in 8-4 drafts.

Eternal Thirst: Auras are not good in draft. Auras that do not boost power and toughness are the worst. Stay away. Unless you have a very clear plan for this card and why it fits into your deck, do not play it.


Black is a deep color with many playable cards. The upside is not exciting, but you will often find more than enough playables so you can cut your Necrobites and be happy about it.

Here is an interesting vote about card ratings in M15 that I found useful: https://docs.google.com/spreadsheets/d/1_ZdBVXiHLW55FUfFJsYBPgHnuUeXqgTii_PML9Px8VM/pubhtml#

Next time: Red!

A Magic 2015 Draft

The Expected Value of M15 drafts are down the drain right now at -5.05 tickets. If you win 50% you are basically giving away 5.05 tickets to draft. That is a lot compared to most draft formats. However, the format is very fun and I decided - again - to play it.

The Draft



The Deck
After that exercise, I ended up with the following deck.

18 Mana
9 Mountains
6 Islands
2 Forests (just for Kird Chieftain)
1 Meteorite

5 Spells
1 Peel From Reality
1 Inferno Fist
1 Lightning Strike
1 Into the Void
1 Divination

17 Creatures
1 Welking Tern
1 Generator Servant
1 Goblin Kaboomist
1 Torch Fiend
1 Chasm Skulker
1 Frost Lynx
1 Goblin Roughrider
3 Krenko's Enforcer
2 Kird Chieftain
2 Juggernaut
1 Nimbus of the Isles
2 Will-Forged Golem

Relevant sideboard cards
Bronze Sable
Negate
Void Snare
2 Dissipate
1 Coral Barrier
1 Encrust
1 Statute of Denial

Round 1
My opponent was playing GB graveyard shennanigans. I would need to tempo him out before he got going as his lategame was a lot stronger than mine.



Round 2
This opponent was playing GW which meant that he had a very hard time interacting with my Enforcers and Chasm Skulker.


Round 3
So there I was, in the final. My opponent had gone for the Brood Keeper deck. Is that deck real? Well, we are about to find out


Overall, I am quite satisfied with my performance in this draft and I really want to play more of them. The total value of the cards I drafted was about 0,4 tix, so my loss was pretty bad, about 5,6 tickets. About average for the format then. Can't do too many of these if I want to stay infinite.

Bonus video: The Broodkeeper Experiment
 I try to go for the WR Broodkeeper deck here.


Bonus video: Bava 3-0s this draft with UB aggro.

Bonus video: My first M15 draft

Drafting M15: Green Commons

In this series I will try to review all the cards of M15, starting with the commons.

Here they are, in order of perceived power for Draft.

Netcaster Spider: This little guy just does it all. He is a huge improvement over Giant Spider. He blocks most things and stops blue decks dead in their tracks (until he is Frost Lynxed). He laughs in the face of Shadowborn Vampires.

Siege Wurm: A 5/5 that can relatively reliably come out on turn 5 is not to be sneezed at. The trample ability makes it so much extra useful.

Elvish Mystic: So many things are wrong for the mana elf of this set which puts him down a notch or two. - x/1 creatures are having a hard time in a world of Forge Devils and Festerglooms. Every creature can tap for mana some of the time when convoke is a thing. This card also does very little when you draw it late game. Still, it can power out some explosive starts that just win you the game.

Charging Rhino: Just a very reliable creature that will do a lot of work once it hits the battlefield. Unexciting but stable.

Living Totem: There is a chance you have no target but if you have built a deck with a solid curve you shoudl be fine. Often, the extra point of power can be added to an evasive creature. Best in Blue Green.

Invasive Species: Casting him on turn three is often a very sad experience. There is a deck for him where he acts as a complement to Roaring Primadox. Often you have to cast Invasive Species later than turn three for maximum value. If you have to return a land to cast this guy turn three you are not enjoying yourself.

Hunt the Weak: This is what you get when you are green. That is a lot of cost added to a Prey Upon. Still, you have to take what you get, unless your other color is Red or Black.

Shaman of Spring: It feels so good to cast this guy. There are many reasons to pick him higher: Invasive Species, Roaring Primadox and if your deck has an expensive top end (which is probably not a good idea anyway). Better in Sealed Deck.

Titanic Growth: Two mana is not cheap for a combat trick. Giant Growth is much better. Still, it does what you want it to do most of the time. Then you draw it without a creature some of the time. It is best as a tempo play but given that you are green, you are probably not the deck with the best tempo. Most creatures are better. Gathering Courage is better.

Runeclaw Bear: Just a very reliable creature. There are a lot of irritating 2/3s in the format though.

Plummet: Excellent sideboard card. Maindecking one is OK as three colors have playable flyers and it is very likely that your opponent is playing at least one of those colors (especially as you are green).

Ranger's Guile: Best used as a sideboard card against a deck with a lot of removal. Wasting a card to get a temporary +1/+1 bonus is hard to get a card worth of value from. The fact that you can't use it on your opponent's creatures really hurt this card.

Undergrowth Scavenger: You will only see this card when he is really good and appears on turn 12 to win the game. You will not see every game your opponent has this card in hand when you run him over with Grizzly Bears. Play only if you have plenty of removal.

Satyr Wayfinder: The ability is very useful but the 1/1 body is unimpressive unless you can use it to power out Siege Wurms.

Carnivorous Moss-Beast: This format is faster than M14 was. If you are going to play six-drops you want them to be souls or at least Ancient Silverbacks. You do not want to put this flesh-eating plant in your deck.

Verdant Haven: You have to be three colors AND you have to need the acceleration for some powerful five or six drops for this card to be good and even then you should be looking for other cards. Goes well with In Garruk's Wake, but that is just something you play for fun.

Hunter's Ambush: Combat tricks are generally overrated and this is not a good one. After the first time you have managed to set up a situation where this actually was really good you are in danger of being result oriented and then overvalue the card. It is a fog with upside. Play a creature instead.

Naturalize: I have had fantasies about main decking this card but I don't think this is the format for it, despite the artifact sub-theme.

Vineweft: This card does not do a lot. Play the 19th land instead.


Overall, Green commons are not that impressive. If you are playing green, you are probably doing it because of some rares or uncommons you picked up in the draft.

Bonus video: My buddy Bava 3-0s this draft with UB Tempo

Here is an interesting vote about card ratings in M15 that I found useful: https://docs.google.com/spreadsheets/d/1_ZdBVXiHLW55FUfFJsYBPgHnuUeXqgTii_PML9Px8VM/pubhtml#

Next time: Black!

My initial Vintage Masters Limited experience

In Sweden we celebrate Midsummer in a very unique way. It is a holiday as big as christmas and we spend our time dancing around a gigantic phallos symbol pretending to be frogs (I am not making this up). That important holiday gave me precious little time to try out Vintage Masters but I decided to get a draft in before I left to spend a week with my in-laws celebrating Midsummer.

I was poorly prepared for the format, having only listened to the Limited Resources episode on Vintage Masters and browsed a couple of articles. All I heard was that Battle Screech was a hidden gem. So I was looking for Battle Screeches.

This was my draft. I went for a Swiss Draft as I wanted as much play for my money as possible (I always go for Swiss drafts).

My preference for Battle Screeches had placed me in a Mono White Weenie deck. Mono colored decks are rare in limited but when the color was given to me in this generous way, they are usually good.

This is the list I decided to play

16 Plains
1 Secluded Steppe
3 Battle Screech
2 Afterlife
1 Radiant's Judgement
2 Brilliant Halo
3 Deftblade Elite
1 Benevolent Bodyguard
2 Phantom Nomads
2 Soltari Emissary
2 Benalish Trapper
3 Gustcloak Harrier
1 Pianna
1 Mistmoon Griffin

There were a couple of nice combos in the deck, such as Deftblade Elite + Brilliant Halo and Phantom Nomad + Brilliant Halo. I felt slightly positive about the deck. Doing a 2-1 draft with a Tundra would be positive value, so that was my goal.

Match 1 vs some four-color pile of cards

Match 2 vs UG Big Monsters
I thought this guy was playing the dreaded UG Madness deck but there really wasn't much madness going on.




Match 3 vs GR Lightning Rift
Up to this point, Battle Screech was very good. Somehow, I found myself in the finals against this slick GR Lightning Rift deck. This guy could take out a full Battle Screech with just two cycling activations in duel one. Pretty impressive.

In the end, Battle Screech performed above expectation (even thought expectations were high). I will be looking for Battle Screeches in my next draft as well.

Bonus Draft with my buddy Sam

Bonus Sealed with my buddy Julien

Overall impression of the format
My initial impression is that the format is much like Modern Masters - totally awesome! I will be doing more drafts when I get back from my crazy countrymen.


Contact me
Facebook: facebook.com/magicgatheringstrat
Web: magicgatheringstrat.com
Blog: mtgolibrary.blogspot.com

My YouTube channels
Fan of History: My ancient history series
MagicGatheringStrat: My MTGO channel

My party with Bogbrew Witch

Long ago I made a promise to my YouTube subscribers that there would be 100 M14 videos on youtube.com/MagicGatheringStrat. At the time, I was playing a lot of M13 Draft and I was enjoying it so I figured it was a good idea.

Now it was time to deliver on that promise.

When grinding the M14 drafts and sealed, I got some experience with the format and before this tournament I was enjoying a 13-0 win streak - 13 straight wins playing M14 limited.

So I decided to draft the Bogbrew Witch deck in a Swiss draft. Could I get to 16-0 playing what many consider a joke deck?

This is the draft

This is the deck list I played.

10 Swamp
7 Mountains

3 Festering Newt
1 Bubbling Cauldron
1 Bogbrew Witch

1 Tenacious Dead
1 Gnawing Zombie
1 Lifebane Zombie
1 Ragathan Firecat
2 Undead Minotaur
1 Accursed Spirit
1 Marauding Malhorn
1 Pitchburn Devils

1 Shock
1 Doom Blade
3 Lithurgy of Blood
2 Mind Rot
1 Chandra's Outrage

Relevant sideboard cards

1 Bubbling Cauldron
1 Mind Rot
1 Wring Flesh
1 Rod of Ruin

And what a tasty brew she brewed! :)

You will have to watch the video to see how much damage one witch can do. Rumbling Baloths, Water Servants, Slivers ... they are all going into the cauldron!


I even got a Rage of The Week in the second match for my podcast Pauper to the People. It will appear in episode #153.

Mirage Block Flashback Drafts

Do you recognise this card? You should. It is the #1 expensive card on MTGO, but it will not remain in that position for long. Why? Because it is a promo, a very likely reprint in Vintage Masters and it is getting flashbackdrafted today.

That is right. Mirage Block Drafts! Happening on Magic Online today.

If you get a LED, sell it immediatly IMHO.

So how do you win the MI/VI/WL drafts? Well, I have some experience doing just that when they were drafted last time (October 2012). Here is what I learned:

• Everyone Thinks GR is the best archetype. It isn't. But be aware of this!
• Many games will go to time, so be sure to be quick on Magic Online!
• Blue is overpowered as was often the case with the old sets
• Do not play more than two colors.
• Blue-White flyers is a good deck
• Blue-Black control works wonders.
• Crypt Rats and Kaervek's Torch are really good cards, but you want to be Blue Black and not Blue Red if you can help it.
• Evasion wins games. It is not hard to clog the ground so the RG beasts can't get in.
• Do not draft RG unless it is severely underdrafted. It will most likely be overdrafted as everyone wants to get in on the Torch action.
• You have to know all the tricks you can do with a Quirion Ranger, even if you are not playing a green deck yourself.
• Blue tempo works extremely well thanks to Undo and Man-o-War.
• Breezekeeper, Azimaet Drake and Cloud Elemental win games.

Money cards to look for

Money rares: Lion's Eye Diamond, Cursed Totem, Phyrexian Dreadnaught, Vampiric Tutor, Mox Diamond, Null Rod, Firestorm, Doomsday, Natural Order, Undiscovered Paradise

Money Commons: Crypt Rats, Impulse, Fireblast, Quirion Ranger, Spinning Darkness

The New Player Limited tournaments are nerfed

For a long time, the 4-man New Player Sealed Deck and the 4-man New Played Drafts have been the limited tournaments with the best EV on Magic Online. If you were a decent player, you could go infinite on these fairly easily. Not anymore. Starting today, the cost of the 4-man tournaments have increased from 1 Event Ticket + 1 New Player Ticket to 1 Event Ticket + 2 New Player Tickets without a corresponding prize increase.

It was probably too good  anyway. For some reason we get a truly horrid -EV Scheduled Sealed Deck tournament you can play for 5 New Player Tickets as well.

They also fixed the long-running Pauper bugs with the cards Oubliette and Kaervek's Torch. Finally.

Here is the announcement: http://community.wizards.com/content/blog/4051771

As a sidenote, the 4-man tournaments are still the best EV limited tournaments on Magic Online.

A sample invasion block draft

Four days ago I wrote about the Invasion Block Flashback drafts happening this week: http://mtgolibrary.blogspot.se/2014/02/drafting-invasion-block.html

As this is one of my favorite draft formats, I quickly jumped into a queue, trying to put my own theories into practice:





This was my deck after the draft portion:

1 Kavu Runner
5 Mountain
1 Reckless Spite
1 Terminal Moraine
1 Tribal Flames
1 Zombie Boa
1 Skittish Kavu
1 Magma Burst
2 Reef Shaman
1 Sea Snidd
1 Quicksilver Dagger
8 Island
1 Bog Down
1 Exclude
1 Hunting Drake
1 Urborg Uprising
1 Tundra Kavu
1 Thunderscape Battlemage
1 Volcano Imp
1 Ancient Kavu
2 Living Airship
2 Arctic Merfolk
4 Swamp

Not the best Grixis deck I have seen. Not by a long shot. Still, there were some decent removal.

After luckboxing the first match, it was time for the second:

And here is the final round video:

Try the format while you can. It will be gone by Wednesday. It is a lot of fun.

Here are some other useful links for the format:

Watch this to see other drafters drafting IPA:
http://www.draftmagic.com/2012/06/22/ipa-invasionplaneshiftapocalypse-draft-1/
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ItbNlyqc7NY
http://www.mtgoacademy.com/lets-play-magic-online-invasion-block-draft-4/
http://www.twitch.tv/numotthenummy/b/322134802

Read this to get better at IPA draft:
http://mtgolibrary.blogspot.se/2014/02/drafting-invasion-block.html
http://www.hipstersofthecoast.com/2013/06/drawing-live-flashback-draft-invasion/

Drafting invasion block

Invasion - Planeshift - Apocalypse is a legendary draft format, maybe because it was one of the two initial formats offered on Magic Online.

This is multicolor draft at its best. This is what Dragon's Maze wanted to be.

Here I will share the strategies that has worked for me in the past and tell you a little about the format.

You want to be the Grixis deck
Try to go UBR every time. That's it. You have now mastered IPA block draft. I am not kidding.

Grixis is just the color combination you want to be. The removal in black and red are off the charts. This is a set from a different age. Creatures will die all the time. You, the Grixis King, will be the one who is killing them.



What if you can't go Grixis?
Try to be Rakdos (BR) or Dimir (BU). You will still have excellent removal. Izzet (UR) could work but is not as strong as the other two.

Some other things to consider

• Armadillo Cloak is a super strong card that you will have a hard time finding a deck for.
• Gruul (GR) works.
• UW Flyers is a deck in this format too, especially with splashed Armadillo Cloaks.
• Five color green is a real strategy. Go base green, get mana fixing and bombs.
• Three colors and 18 lands is a good idea in this format.

Good luck! The Flashback drafts begin today.

How to draft Dragon's Maze?

The Dragon's Maze set features 166 cards. Prerelease events are going to start May, 9. The new set brings new cards and new loves. With DGM there is no different. Basing on acronym B.R.E.A.D which is very useful way to grade cards in limited I have selected commons and uncommons worth drafting in Gatecrash. I ignored rares and mythic cards, because these cards are quite easy to evaluate and to point out the best possible pick. Every letter from this acronym symbolize one group of cards. Therefore, B is for Bombs, R is for Removal, E is for Evasion, A is for Aggro, D is for Dregs. Here we go:

• White: Sunspire Gatekeepers
• Blue: Runner's Bane, Opal Lake Gatekeeper
• Black: Fatal Fumes, Ubul Sar Gatekeepers
• Red: Punish the Enemy, Rubblebelt Maaka, Weapon Surge
• Green: Battering Krasis
• Multicolor: Morgue Burst, Tithe Drinker, Viashino Firstblade, Zhur-Taa Druid, Beetleform Mage, Alive/Well, Ascended Lawmage, Blast of Genius, Blaze Commando, Carnage Gladiator, Far/Away, Fluxcharger, Gruul War Chant, Haunter of Nightveil, Korozda Gorgon, Krasis Incubation, Putrefy, Rot Farm Skeleton, Scab-Clan Giant, Species Gorger, Spike Jester, Toil/Trouble, Turn/Burn, Unflinching Courage, Warleader's Helix, Warped Physique, Woodlot Crawler

Remember that DGM is drafted with RTR and GTC. Here you may find list of good commons and uncommons from these sets. RTR GTC

Good luck!

The Dragon's Maze

The Gatecrash prelease online didn't even start and WotC announced hot news about upcoming set - The Dragon's Maze. It is about no basic land in booster pack. What? Is it allegedly breaking news? Definitely, if I add that basic land slot will be replaced with either guildgates or dual lands. All ten guilds will be showing up in the Dragon's Maze. These nonbasic lands will be released with their Return to Ravnica or Gatecrash symbols. Additionally, The Dragon's Maze will feature first mythic land ever.

The Dragon's Maze will be drafted with Return to Ravnica and Gatecrash. It means that our chances of opening a dual land card are increasing. Every pack may bring us a dual card. As a result, the price of dual will be gradually lowering.

Tip: if you have Watery Grave, Stomping Ground, Breeding Pool, Sacred Foundry, Godless Shrine in stock get rid off it as soon as possible. Price of these cards will drastically plummet with Gatecrash prelease.

How to draft Gatecrash?

The Gatecrash set features 274 cards. Prerelease have already started. New set brings new cards and new loves. With GTC there is no different. Basing on acronym B.R.E.A.D which is very useful way to grade cards in limited  I have selected commons and uncommons worth drafting in Gatecrash. I ignored rares and mythic cards, because these cards are quite easy to evaluate and to point out the best possible pick. Every letter from this acronym symbolize one group of cards. Therefore, B is for Bombs, R is for Removal, E is for Evasion, A is for Aggro, D is for Dregs. Basing on B.R.E.A.D  Here we go:

• White: Daring Skyjek, Court Street Denizen, Boros Elite, Guardian of the Gateless, Knight of Obligaton, Urbis Protector

• Blue: Totally Lost, Hands of Binding, Leyline Phantom, Aetherize, Agoraphobia, Rapid Hybridization, Sapphire Drake, Simic Fluxmage

• Black: Grisly Spectacle, Death’s Approach, Devour Flesh, Corpse Blockade, Killing Glare, Smog Elemental, Undercity Informer

• Red: Mugging, Massive Raid, Madcap Skills, Act of Treason, Cinder Elemental, Firefist Striker, Homing Lightning

• Green: Slaughterhorn, Disciple of the Old Ways, Crocanura, Adaptive Snapjaw, Crowned Ceratok, Rust Scarab.

• Multi: Pit Fight, Wojek Halberiders, Kingpin's Net, Drakewing Krasis, Deathcult Rogue, Skynight Legionnaire, Zhur-Taa Swine, Bane Alley Broker, Boros Charm, Dimir Charm, Dinrova Horror, Elusive Krasis, Ghor-Clan Rampager, Ground Assault, Gruul Charm, Nimbus Swimmer, One Thousand Lashes, Orzhov Charm, Simic Charm, Skaarg Guildmage, Sunhome Guildmage, Truefire Paladin, Urban Evolution, Zameck Guildmage, Arrows of Justice,

• Artifacts: Prophetic Prism, Keyrunes

• Lands: Gate cards, Duals

Good luck!