I have about twenty drafts under my belt at this point and have been
enjoying Guilds of Ravnica Draft quite a bit. Currently, I have
Izzet as the best guild, followed by Dimir and Boros, with Selesnya and
Golgari far behind. Here’s the problem with green: it’s not just that the
commons are lackluster in comparison to the commons in other colors, but
the aggressive decks can go under green while the blue decks can go over
the top. Right now, I think it’s important to discern if there’s a specific
way to go about drafting green that lines up well in the format. Because
otherwise, Guilds of Ravnica Limited is not looking particularly
balanced.
So, keep in mind going into this draft that I have an aversion from green.
I will draft it if it’s very open but would prefer not to.
Pack 1, Pick 1
The Pack:
The Pick:
Tajic, Legion’s Edge is a pretty absurd Magic card. A 3/2 haste body is
exactly what you want from a creature with mentor, and the other abilities
are gravy. First strike is no joke, and the card just swings the race so
far in your favor that I’m happy to first pick it even over a premium
removal spell like Justice Strike.
The only other options in this pack are Circuitous Route and Watcher in the
Mist. The Explosive Vegetation variant is powerful, but as I’ve mentioned,
green decks just don’t get there as often. And while Watcher in the Mist is
one of the best commons, I just don’t think it compares to Tajic.
Pack 1, Pick 2
The Picks So Far:
The Pack:
The Pick:
This pack really doesn’t have all that much for Boros. Aggressive decks
aren’t all that interested in sweepers like Deafening Clarion, and I really
don’t want to second pick a card like Take Heart of Maniacal Rage. However,
Deafening Clarion has a bit more relevance with our first pick.
“Prevent all noncombat damage that would be dealt to other creatures you
control.”
So, if Tajic is on the battlefield, Deafening Clarion is pretty much Plague
Wind. That’s some awesome potential upside in an already solid rare. I
think this is enough reason to take the card even though it’s not optimized
in an aggressive deck.
I do want to mention that I think Dimir Guildgate is a consideration. It’s
likely the best Guildgate and normally out of a bad pack in relation to
your first pick, you should consider giving up your original lane. However,
I think Tajic is too good to do that and would take Deafening Clarion.
Pack 1, Pick 3
The Picks So Far:
The Pack:
The Pick:
While I would prefer an aggressive deck given this start, Deafening Clarion
does help facilitate slower decks that utilize cards like Circuitous Route
and Murmuring Mystic. In fact, I think Murmuring Mystic is the best
uncommon in the set to start off your draft.
This begs the question between zeroing in on Boros aggro or opening up the
door for a more controlling Jeskai variant. Note that this Jeskai deck will
certainly still play Tajic as long as the mana is good enough, but this
won’t always be the case.
Personally, I think the upside on Mystic is too high and seeing it pick
three is actually a reasonable signal given that there’s a common missing
from the pack.
Pack 1, Pick 4
The Picks So Far:
The Pack:
The Pick:
So which road to go down: Izzet/Jeskai Spells or Boros Aggro? At this point
in the draft, this isn’t a decision I want to make yet, which is why I’m
going to take Ornery Goblin.
Guild Summit is a potentially powerful build-around, but I don’t think it’s
enough of an incentive to deviate from taking cards I know I’ll play. The
same goes for cards like Unexplained Disappearance, which are good in the
Izzet deck, but so is Ornery Goblin. It’s a solid little beater and it’s
fine on defense.
This draft ended up working out as a very solid Boros deck. I haven’t
played the games yet, but here’s a picture of the deck I’m planning on
playing as well as potential sideboard considerations. Additionally, if you
would like to view the entire draft, you can do so
here.
