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Rules

Rules in this thread are simple.

1: All captains and Crew members are to be respected. Period (Me too although I am not a Crew member)
2: you SHOULD use the Deck list outline when posting the deck. It makes it easier. Failure to do so, will make it hard for us to HELP you.
3: Do not make assumptions of what he SHOULD have picked. It is hard to keep track of that and sometimes the card advised is just not there in the pick.
4: Be OPEN MINDED! PLEASE!!!!!!!
5: The Tip section is where I put general tips for the Set/Block. it changes over time. Do not hold them as god. But use them to improve your play or use them as guidance
6: More WILL be added if needed

Current Drafting set

1 Pack of Scars of Mirrodin 2 packs of Mirrodin besieged
Based on Uncommons and Commons, seeing as specific rares ARE hard to come by. All tips come from a general discussion with various judges, players, and perhaps this guild




Artifacts This set is strange, Abnormal if I must say. However, here will be general tips. There is absolutly no real mana fixers besides Myrs. So in order to keep your options opened, Pick Artifacts early on unless you see a very strong card in a colour. Keep in mind, most players will be doing this and main decking artifacts and splashing, yes splashing two colours for the spells.

Their is also no shame in doing that too, because every colour has "metal craft" in it. Keep in mind you need 3 artifacts for it to work. Although not needed, the card will benefit the MOST with a larger number of artifacts.

Infect If you choose to use an infect creature, you MUST choose all infect cards you can, there is NO way to remove poison counters. If you have only 1 infect card, don't plan on killing your opponent with poison counters. Pick everyone of those venomouse cards. also keep in mind to grab cards with "Proliferate" it will help you, of course try not to use those spells until the last 3 poison counters, because then they can not respond with blocking. Plauge stinger will be a pick you want. Dont worry about them hitting you with creatures ether, because if they are tapping their creatures, then it opens them up for Poison counters, 10 is easier to reach than 20. "untamed might" is key to have.....

Removal: each colours now have an even amount of removal. black does have "go for the throat" but that is an uncommon and its for non-artafacts, I would choose the common removal spells over this card in drafts. "Into the core" = the s**t for Red removal in this set

Healthy hands Now that there was a HUGE load of removal and tempo removal, investing into the board is ill advised. it will be smart to keep a healthy hand more than ever now

Myr Myrs are good for mana fixing, and are needed. They give you mana boosts to play your heavy costing spells faster. If you do happen to open a Myr Battle Sphere, YOu want to be heavy in Myrs and Draw spells just to get it out. Also keep in mind about removal spells

TriGons These are going to be key. Sure they only can be used 3 times (unless you get more counters on it) but really it is simple to get theses dorks out. They are good for late game where you will have the extra mana to do things with. "don't waste mana" as i always say!

PLaneswalkers I know these are rare, but it must be talked about. these walkers are exceptionally good in this set for drafting, when you run into them get ride of them ASAP. try to going red because of the Dmg spells might pay off if you be really cautiose about walkers. These walkers are by far better in comparason the the other cards in this set.

Choose a side In this set, Pherexian and Mirrians are gonna be key. a lot of the cards are gonna be better with their allied side just because all infect cards are pherexian, and metalcraft is Mirrians big part.

Colours to be in Blue got a HUGE overhaul in card pool. "Turn the tide," "Quicksilver geyser," and "steel overhaul" are very very Freaking good, all three are commons as well.

Black: Pherexian rager: the s**t card in drafts before and now it's back with new artwork. sure you lose 1 life, but a 2/2 body for three and you dont loose card advantage? Morbid plunder is also good, 2 guys backs?!?! for only 2? late game will make this guy a real winner

Equipments Living weapon abbility makes some equipments good, in a sense it is just a Creature that turns into an equipment when death occurs, or if you unequip the equipment to make something better.

General Drafting Tips

1: Draft Aggressively. This does not mean "be mean to your opponents" In the beginning the first card IS the deciding factor of your deck. You may pick some colours and might need to change because you did NOT draft Aggressively(or the people at your side do not understand). Drafting Aggressive is pretty Simple. After you pick your first card, look at The next Bomb spell in that pack (this works best if that bomb is not in your first colour). Move the strongest card to the front of the pack, then all the cards that share it's colours right behind it Put the all colour you are going into right behind that colour. Slam it down on your left side looking at your opponent until he feels wierded out. When your opponent looks at the pack (if he is experienced enough) he will see that the first card is strangely the BEST card in that pack. thus seeing the strange clump of cards that are your colors right behind it. thus signaling that you will pass him the colours of what you want him to go into and informing him that you would like what colours during the second pack. This creates better decks for the both of you. This is considered cheating if you talk and tell them verbally however using this method and not talking it is not. Experienced players in drafting tornements already know this method so well that they do not need to slam the first pack of cards down. They do indeed do it.

2: More cards means you will Win. not exactly, but cards that give you card advantage is good. For example let us take the great wall of Omens. By playing wall of Omens you are effectively playing a good blocker as well as not really loosing a card because it draws you one when it enters the battlefield. Your opponent MUST choose to play a bigger creature killing the wall, waste a removal spell on it, or play more creatures than you. If they waste the removal spell then you are up 2 cards then normal


3: Uncommons and Commons are what win you games This is partially true, There are BOMB cards that just win for you. but, normally the uncommons do it. Look at those first, they might be better than the stupid rare in the pack. Look at Terror. common that is great removal

4: Bombs are Bombs by getting a bomb, your opponent MUST answer that card. Baneslayer angel is a good one

5:Hate Pick if you need to by hate picking you ensure yourself that you will run into less of that Card. For example. you are not in white, but there is a wrath of god, you take it not because you can splash it it but because you KNOW that card will be a problem for your deck. Taking it will ensure you that there is a lower chance of running into it

6: two colours are great, but splash if you can 2 strong colours are great, if you can't splash DONT only splash if you have 1 or 2 colour fixers.

7: Magic number 40 keep your deck thin, sometimes 41 is good if you have a lot of card draw spells, but 40 is the norm, try to never put more. it makes your deck more consistent. The norm for drafting lands is 18 MOST of the time. this rule does change depending on what set if being drafted.

8: Enchant creatures make good 2 for ones, dont use them Try not to use enchantments unless they are very very good (Umbra's from Rise of the eldrazi are an exeption), removal enchantments like pacifism is fine. if you do use one and they terror it, you just lost 2 cards while they lost only 1. of course there are always exceptions.

9:pick smart If you already have enough creatures try to pick removal, and vise versa


10: Clones make consist antsy and that's good Yeah pick cards that are the same so you will know what you are more likely to get. say 3 or 4 good commons that are the same card? most people would kill to have 4 lighting bolts in their drafted red deck

11. Take advantage of your sideboard don't be scared to side in cards and take some out. You wouldnt want a celestial purge against a white deck right?

Here I will be cracking packs on occasion do show what the best card to pick. This does not take into consideration about what your past picks are however, i will let you know what is good. For the most part I will be ignoring the rares.

Current Pack: AR

Demonic rising: rare, good card to play 5/5 demon, nuff said.
Eaten by spiders: sideboard... card only???, can deal with the many flyers in AR. I have maindecked this and it was an allstar cleared up the cluttered board, most people will have a flying in their deck seeing as BUW are stronger then the rest, most of the body bombs are flyers too.
rush of Blood: poop, stay away
Builders blessing: yay.... they rebuilt castle
dreadwaters: mill is pretty good in drafts, and it is open most of the time. since the pack is pretty much poop, if the rising wasn't here i probubly would pick it and just go all in for mill. pray that we get the soulbound mill
battle hymm: nope, it requires board investment and only helps you win MORE. you would be better off with a body
scalding devil: this card is actually pretty relevent in this game. it gives red enough reach, and is probubly a safer pick then dreadwaters.
Demolish: sideboard
righteous blow: not too good late, but it is good for early kills. What i see is the board always clogging up, so this is sometimes relevent.
alchemist apprentence:
ghiest trappers: REALLY REALLY good, if you have the deck with for it, reach is very good. mono green soulbound decks are viable here, but i've only had 2 in mine at most
grave exchange: pretty good 2 for one. i still dont see it being too good, the tiems i have casted it they just sac a irrelevent 1/1 and i get back my 4/4 flyer or something. you would prob be better off with the WW3 rise from the grave
midnight duelist: sideboard worthy, but really strong vsing any vamps.
dangerous wager: leave this card alone


Pack 2
Gallows at willow hill: i wouldnt first pick this seeing as the gryff is here,
into the void: pretty much a timewalk here, super good in blue. but picking
vaneshment: another way to timewalk. you know what they draw and its makes them recast their spell. i would pick this over into the viod
thunderouse wrath: good in the agro red/white draft. this is also first pickable. picking this would be a good sign to the person on your left to stay OUT of red seeing as the rest of red is poop
outwit: poop
soberwald vigilante : curve feed
angels mercy: poop
nightshade peddler: really good with red, so many ways to ping, that deathtouch is relevent
scalding devil: too many things better then this. so stay away from this
scroll of grisselbrand: ehhh kinda poop. i would much rather draw a card
gryff vangaude: 1rst pick this.
death wind: one of the few removal spells, so it is good to pick this one. you will be casting it as 5 though, and it is the only card that kills avacyn.
spectral gategauds: this card is good with the 5/5 treefolk, i have used it just because of lack of creatures. but i would only use it if i have no angels to put in my deck
cursebreak:nope

reserved:10

Rule 1: Always draft Snapping Creeper

wait wut? .... 8 banslayers? out of 24 packs (3 packs each)??? am I understanding this right?