I’d like to start by explaining my general strategy when drafting Scars of Mirrodin. I prefer drafting metalcraft decks that draw first. I’ve always been a huge proponent of playing first but metalcraft rewards you for having more cards on a specific turn. Having metalcraft on turn 4 when drawing first is certainly better than achieving your three artifacts on turn 5 when you’ve chosen to be on the play. I like having four to six mana Myr and playing fourteen to fifteen lands. I like having two mana sinks like Heavy Arbalest.
Of course my drafting strategy has some malleability. If I’m lucky enough to open Hand of the Praetors Putrefax or Tangle Angler then I’m probably going to try to force infect.
I’d like to share a draft I did recently. This was an 8-4 on Magic Online.
Pack 1 pick 1:
My Pick:
There are a few first-pick quality cards here but Galvanic Blast is the best of the bunch. I can safely assume that Slice in Twain Glimmerpoint Stag and Chrome Steed will be taken by the players to my left. I can probably table the Tower of Calamities or Accorder’s Shield; I like to use both of these cards as mana sinks in my metalcraft decks.
Pack 1 pick 2:
My Pick:
This pack is very powerful. There’s an uncommon missing so I can assume that the player on my right took Skinrender Scrapmelter or Volition Reins. I feel like most players would be happy to double up on Galvanic Blast here but I’m a big fan of Ezuri’s Brigade in this format. I value mana Myr very highly and I usually have four to six in my decks. Four-drops with very high power levels become stronger in this context. In my experience Ezuri’s Brigade can usually be played with ease on the third turn. The card is very hard to kill and becomes almost invincible once you’ve achieved metalcraft. I’ve had a number of losing decks in this format with excellent removal and terrible creatures. I prefer premium rare creatures over stock removal spells. Tabling Barrage Ogre isn’t outside of the realm of possible so I’ll look for cards like Perilous Myr and Necropede in the meantime.
Pack 1 pick 3:
My Pick:
There isn’t much to get excited about in this pack. I’m happy to pick up an Iron Myr this early; it solidifies my commitment to a specific archetype and ensures that my Galvanic Blast will make my final forty cards even if it’s just a splash.
Pack 1 pick 4:
My Pick:
Signaling is often irrelevant in the first few picks in this format. Players of all five colors have communal first picks from the available pool of artifacts. It’s wrong to assume that being passed a strong card of a specific color means that the color is open. That being said Turn to Slag is a welcome fourth pick but it could’ve easily come out of a pack like my second one. This is where the signaling starts in Scars: in the fourth through ninth picks of the draft. I’ve only passed one pack with relevant red cards in it thus far so I can probably prioritize red and get an especially nice pack 2.
Pack 1 pick 5:
My Pick:
This pack is all kinds of awful. I don’t love Infiltration Lens but it’s certainly playable. Flameborn Hellion is fine but it isn’t what I want to be doing with this deck.
Pack 1 pick 6:
My Pick:
Another Iron Myr is great to pick up in this spot. I’m on track to pick up the number I want. Nothing really comes close here.
Pack 1 pick 7:
My Pick:
Necrogen Scudder is going awfully late but another Myr gives me more options later down the road. I won’t need to pick up Myr over other relevant cards in the third pack if I pick this up here.
Pack 1 pick 8:
My Pick:
I thought about taking the land so I had the option of splashing a card like Arrest off my Gold Myr and Razorverge Thicket. I decided to make the safe play and take the Auriok Replica. This may have been a mistake but it certainly isn’t a big one.
Pack 1 pick 9:
My Pick:
I’m happy to take a Tower of Calamities here. I like having one or two mana sinks in this format. Heavy Arbalest usually fills that role but picking up a Tower is actually better if I’m not planning on playing blue with Solitons.
Pack 1 pick 10:
My Pick:
The Barrage Ogre tabled out of this very powerful pack. Seems like a great way to get more value out of my high Myr count in the late game.
Pack 1 pick 11:
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Pack 1 pick 12:
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Pack 1 pick 13:
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Pack 1 pick 14:
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Pack 1 pick 15:
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Pack 2 pick 1:
My Pick:
Darksteel Axe and Steel Hellkite are the only relevant cards here. Steel Hellkite is the obvious pick for obvious reasons.
Pack 2 pick 2:
My Pick:
I value Embersmith very highly. I feel like there’s enough one toughness in the format for a card like this to have first-pick potential. I rarely win games when my opponent plays an Embersmith that I don’t have an answer for.
Pack 2 pick 3:
My Pick:
Sylvok Replica is another card that goes later than it probably should. There isn’t much else worth taking here. Sylvok Replica helps my artifact count and works double duty as a removal spell or trick.
Pack 2 pick 4:
My Pick:
Heavy Arbalest is another nice mana sink. I like picking up the essentials to my preferred archetype before I start taking cards like Alpha Tyrranax which are professionally middle of the road.
Pack 2 pick 5:
My Pick:
There’s a late Shatter and Revoke Existence here. I have no issue taking the on-color instant-speed removal.
Pack 2 pick 6:
My Pick:
Another Iron Myr means my mana base only gets better. I’m already imagining dropping Ezuri’s Brigade into play on the third turn in every game.
Pack 2 pick 7:
My Pick:
I get to pick up a Molder Beast here. I’m a big fan of this card. It combos nicely with Sylvok Replica and creates a lot of awkward combat situations for your opponent. Colored creatures with three or more toughness usually need to be double-blocked in this format. Having instant-speed removal like Shatter and Galvanic Blast only makes this play more dangerous for your opponent. If you get to snipe an artifact creature during combat then Molder Beast can serve some serious beats.
Pack 2 pick 8:
My Pick:
Acid Web Spider is a high-quality uncommon that usually goes later than it should. Green is usually avoided by non-infect drafters that don’t want to fight over Slice in Twains. Picking up the Ezuri’s Brigade early was enough to make me the only non-infect green drafter for at least a few seats.
Pack 2 pick 9:
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Pack 2 pick 10:
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Pack 2 pick 11:
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Pack 2 pick 12:
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Pack 2 pick 13:
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Pack 2 pick 14:
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Pack 2 pick 15:
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Pack 3 pick 1:
My Pick:
It’s pretty close between Sylvok Replica and Perilous Myr. I decided to take Perilous Myr because it comboed nicely with my Barrage Ogre. The Replica combos well with Molder Beast but doming people for extra damage isn’t as nice as killing multiple guys.
Pack 3 pick 2:
My Pick:
I would’ve liked to get another Ezuri’s Brigade from this direction but I’m happy to pick up a second Galvanic Blast instead.
Pack 3 pick 3:
My Pick:
Another difficult pick. Rusted Relic is an excellent four-drop especially in this type of deck. Rusted Relic causes me a lot of problem though. I feel like it induces me to race before I should. I never want to block with it; an opponent can simply draw a Shatter effect and it loses its ability. I take the Perilous Myr because of personal preference. This pick may have been a mistake.
Pack 3 pick 4:
My Pick:
Another fourth-pick Turn to Slag from the same direction. Let’s hear it for consistency! I’m always happy to have Turn to Slags in my deck. It’s the only removal spell that successfully kills most of the format’s bombs. Quick aside: After Grand Prix Nashville I asked Steve Sadin for some advice in Scars Limited. I always felt like I had powerful decks that couldn’t close the deal. Steve responded with three words “hold your removal.”
Now of course we hold our removal. This isn’t suggesting that I would Galvanic Blast a mana Myr the moment it hit the table. Scars demands much more patience than most sets though. Really hold your removal; Even when you’re a little behind on the board. Your opponent is going to play something that wins the game by itself and you’re going to have an answer.
Pack 3 pick 5:
My Pick:
This is a tough one. I probably should’ve picked up the Barrage Ogre but my format leanings have trained me to take the Copper Myr in this spot. I probably should’ve picked up the Barrage Ogre but I’m not disappointed with another Myr.
Pack 3 pick 6:
My Pick:
I already have a lot of Myr and Galvanizer is a very nice card in my deck. It’s a lord for a huge portion of my guys and it combos nicely with my Heavy Arbalest.
Pack 3 pick 7:
My Pick:
Wall of Tanglecord is another nice card for this type of deck.
Pack 3 pick 8:
My Pick:
Leaden Myr is a welcome addition. It makes me regret not picking up the second Barrage Ogre.
Pack 3 pick 9:
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Pack 3 pick 10:
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Pack 3 pick 11:
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Pack 3 pick 12:
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Pack 3 pick 13:
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Pack 3 pick 15:
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Here’s the deck I played.
1 Acid Web Spider
1 Barrage Ogre
1 Copper Myr
1 Embersmith
1 Ezuri’s Brigade
1 Gold Myr
3 Iron Myr
1 Leaden Myr
1 Molder Beast
1 Myr Galvanizer
2 Perilous Myr
1 Steel Hellkite
1 Sylvok Replica
1 Wall of Tanglecord
1 Culling Dais
2 Galvanic Blast
1 Heavy Arbalest
1 Shatter
1 Tower of Calamities
2 Turn to Slag
I chose to play eight Forests because of the three Iron Myr. The deck would probably have been better if I picked up the Barrage Ogre in the third pack but I’m still quite happy with it.
Round 1:
Game 1:
I lost the roll and my opponent put me on the play. My opener had four lands Iron Myr Turn to Slag and Ezuri’s Brigade. My first draw step was a Perilous Myr and my second was a Myr Galvanizer. I cast my Ezuri’s Brigade on turn 3 and played Perilous Myr and Myr Galvanizer on turn 4. Three swings later my opponent was ready for game 2.
Game 2:
My opponent went down to five cards after putting me on the play. I had a Molder Beast on the table before my opponent had his third land. I had Shatter and Sylvok Replica and was able to beat with the beast before my opponent could stabilize.
Round 2:
Game 1:
I lost the roll and my opponent chose to play first. I kept an opener with Galvanic Blast two Perilous Myr Gold Myr Acid Web Spider Forest and Mountain. My opponent opened with a Vector Asp and passed the turn. I drew another Galvanic Blast played my Mountain and passed the turn. My opponent played a Plague Stinger and I blasted it on his end step. I drew a land cast my Myr and passed the turn. My opponent played a Cystbearer and passed back. I drew another land cast both Perilous Myr and passed the turn. My opponent cast a Bladed Pinions equipped his Cystbearer and bashed for two poison counters. I drew Ezuri’s Brigade cast Acid Web Spider killing the Bladed Pinions and passed the turn. My opponent simply passed back. I played the Ezuri’s Brigade and began beating on my opponent. He was dead in a few turns.
Game 2:
I mulliganed down to six and kept a four-lander with a Perilous Myr and Barrage Ogre. I kept drawing lands and mana Myr while my opponent assembled Strata Scythe with Tangle Angler. I took some beats and tried to find a Turn to Slag but it wasn’t meant to be.
Game 3:
I chose to play first and had a hand with four land two Perilous Myr and Barrage Ogre. I drew a Gold Myr on my first draw step and played both Perilous Myr on turn 3. My opponent didn’t have a Cystbearer or Tangle Angler and all his two-toughness creatures were probably clogged up in his hand. I drew Steel Hellkite after the Ogre had been active for two turns. My opponent conceded shortly thereafter.
Round 3:
Game 1:
I lost the roll again and my opponent chose to play. I kept a nice opener with Perilous Myr Galvanic Blast Sylvok Replica Ezuri’s Brigade and some lands. My opponent led with a Darksteel Axe and passed the turn. My opponent had an Embersmith for turn 2 but I cast Galvanic Blast to deal with it on his end step. I drew an Embersmith of my own and played it. My opponent played right into the Embersmith and cast Myrsmith. I cast Perilous Myr and killed the Myrsmith. My opponent failed to play a third land again and passed the turn. I failed to find my fourth land; I cast Sylvok Replica and bashed again. My opponent found his third land and cast a Vulshok Replica; I drew an Iron Myr cast it pinged the Vulshok Replica and bashed again before passing. My opponent passed with no play. I cast Ezuri’s Brigade and bashed. My opponent drew his card and conceded.
Game 2:
My opening hand was both Galvanic Blasts Copper Myr Sylvok Replica Steel Hellkite and two Mountains. My opponent led with a Spikeshot Elder. I drew another Myr played my land and passed. My opponent played a Darksteel Axe on turn 2 and passed the turn. I used my Galvanic Blast on his Spikeshot Elder. I drew yet another mana Myr cast Copper Myr and passed the turn. My opponent played Vulshok Replica again and passed the turn. I drew a land cast both mana Myr and passed the turn. My opponent cast an Auriok Replica and passed the turn. I cast Steel Hellkite and passed the turn. My opponent cast Arrest on the Steel Hellkite equipped his Auriok Replica with the Axe and bashed for some damage. I drew a land cast Sylvok Replica destroyed Arrest attacked with Steel Hellkite paid three to kill both his Replicas and passed the turn. My opponent played a Saberclaw Golem and passed. I attacked with Steel Hellkite pumped it once activated it for five and passed the turn. My opponent conceded.
I hope you enjoyed my draft and my reasoning behind specific picks. Be sure to hit the forums with all your criticism/praise.
-Jacob