Just like the original Mirrodin block, this one will probably teach you more about limited than any other set. Drafting a synergetic deck in this format is more important than in recent sets like M11 or Zendikar. Rise briefly touched on synergy, but you could still succeed without much of it. However, it's no surprise that ROE was one of the best received limited sets in years. I imagine Scars will be more of the same.
From what I've seen, it looks like you either want to be drafting Metalcraft or Infect. There are some hybrids in there that take advantage of Proliferate, but overall you want to be leaning toward one side or the other.
Metalcraft: You are probably not taking Myrs or Spellbombs high enough. There aren't enough quality artifacts in the set to be squandering your picks. These are the ones that will be always solid and turn on your metalcraft early.
In the old Mirrodin format, there were plenty of good artifacts, including artifact lands, which Scars sorely lacks. The good threats like Myr Enforcer and Somber Hoverguard were great first picks because cheap, good artifacts were a premium. Now, without artifact lands, it seems like you need to prioritize the artifacts.
Metalcraft can be an amazing thing if you activate it early, but if you can't find any artifacts, your metalcraft cards are embarrassing compared to what you could be facing down in this format.
Cards to watch for: Trigon Rage, Tumble Magnet, Myrs, Spellbombs, Metalcraft cards that become absurd
Infect: Drafting this type of deck is pretty straight forward. Prioritize cheap infect dudes with pump spells and ways to break through. Proliferate suddenly turns into a valuable clock.
Cards to watch for: Trigon of Rage, Tumble Magnet, Contagion Clasp, Infiltration Lens
Proliferate: Thrumming Bird and Contagion Clasp can start doing sick stuff really early. Typically, you're a metalcraft deck (or at least heavy artifact deck) where you proliferate to continually use Trigons or things like Lux Cannon. With Infect, Proliferate becomes a clock.
So, knowing all that, it becomes a game of trying to find what beats those decks, or at least something that you can draft none of those cards seem to be flowing.
Can't wait for the MTGO Scars release.
glad to hear that... some of the cards pissed me off at their rarities(namely bad 4/4 angel at mythic but crazy in limited sunblast at rare) so was worried it would be a bad format I would be returning to magic during.
ReplyDeleteFatguy
What would be the optimal/best color combinations for those archtypes though? So far, I saw Black for the Infect side and White for the Metalcraft side as main colors.
ReplyDelete@Casey: All I know is, Hoard-Smelter Dragon has three and a half answers at common, total. This assuming that Wing Puncture is half and Stoic Rebuttal is one.
ReplyDeletePretty sure it'll be more of a problem in Sealed than Draft, where you have more synergistic, thus more powerful AND faster decks... but man, you'd think after Drana they'd learn something.
@GT: What you've written here is either as I've experienced it, or (for the most part) goes beyond it but makes a lot of sense when I think about the format.
Only thing I'd've mentioned that didn't get at least a word in is the Necrogen Censer deck - Censers, Glint Hawks, Salvage Scouts and ways to sacrifice them. If nobody else is taking them, you can lap 'em and fight with the white decks over your other enablers. One or even two Censers is only 4-8 to the face, but once you get to three any old donk can do lethal. It's like Trigon of Rage, without the good parts.
Thanks for the info. Glad to see someone else thinks Trigon of Rage is a house.
ReplyDeleteSoren: I think you have to be in blue to use proliferate much. Thrummingbird is pretty awesome, along with Steady Progress.
Soren: GB for Infect for sure. Metalcraft could really be anything. UB seems like the best for proliferate.
ReplyDeleteThanks for the draft tips. It helped a lot.
ReplyDeleteI went heavy metalcraft with 14 artifacts in my first draft at FNM. I got top 4 out of about 30 players.
Dee
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