Soon we’ll see how the pros draft Hour of Devastation! Until then, let’s jump right into one of our own.
Pack 1, Pick 2
The Picks So Far:
The Pack:
The Pick:
Mirage Mirror is very close to a bomb in Sealed, but not in Draft. It’s good against some decks, but way too clunky against others. You can always make it the best card on the battlefield, but two mana a turn is a pretty big tax, and mana efficiency is very important in Draft. Decks have tight curves, and it’s hard to find the two mana, let alone spend the time to spend three mana to do nothing. Every time I’ve put this in my deck (in Draft), I’ve been thoroughly disappointed. It’s still a solid card, but too inefficient to take this early.
Overcome has underperformed. While the aggressive decks certainly use the boost well in order to run over an opponent and take over a game, it’s not as crushing as its predecessor, so I’m not actually taking it here. The card is still good, and I do like having a copy in my green decks.
Ambuscade continues to impress me. The card has a ton of play to it, and if you finesse the game properly, it’ll get you a two-for-one more often than you would think. Instant-speed removal is always premium, and I’m happy to pick some up here.
Pack 1, Pick 6
The Picks So Far:
I’m pretty much a green deck, but I have two great blue uncommons in my pool here too. Hopefully I’m U/G, but it’s important not to be too narrow-minded. Hey, I could even throw away the green if it really dries up.
The Pack:
The Pick:
This pick is actually fairly easy, but I think many players wouldn’t have taken the correct card last week.
Sidewinder Naga is filler. A three-mana 4/2 with trample is good, but not amazing. That card on its own still wouldn’t crack green’s top two commons in this format. And a vanilla 3/2 for three is barely playable. Add in the fact that this format is flooded on three-drops, and I pretty much never take Sidewinder Naga until there’s nothing else for me.
On the other hand, Wall of Forgotten Pharaohs has impressed me. The 0/4 body blocks almost everything in the format, and while there are afflict creatures, that downside hasn’t been as relevant. What the Wall does is put you ahead in nearly any race. It pressures your opponent’s life total while also protecting yours. It also gives inevitability. The card just does a bunch of little things that add up to create a nice two-drop that I’m happy to take around this time of a draft. And given that all my decks want Deserts, it’s pretty easy to turn on as well!