If you’re new to Wilds of Eldraine, blue is commonly regarded as the worst of the five individual colors. While I also agree in a general sense, it’s important not to write off the color entirely. As my late grandmother would say, “When life gives you islands, don’t drop them in the sand.”
I never understood that, and I still don’t.
Let’s look at some individual cards and archetypes.
Commons and Uncommons
These are among the best blue commons and uncommons. I would be happy to first-pick one of these cards in a weaker pack. Archive Dragon is often overlooked, especially in Pack 1. It can be the much-needed finisher blue needs, and is incredibly difficult to deal with.
These are some of the top commons that any blue deck is happy to include.
This next tier down consists of the solid playables. In certain decks, these could be bumped up a tier, but this is more of a general sense of how much I like the cards.
I call this the “worse than you’d expect” tier. Most of them look promising to the untrained eye, but in practice all have proven lackluster. There are spots for each of these cards where they can shine, so don’t write them off entirely!
These are the cards I actively try to avoid, and there are plenty of them.
Izzet
Izzet is by far the best archetype for blue, on par with some other top-tier decks, and not just because it gets an Otter Wizard in Frolicking Familiar. The access to red’s removal spells and offensive creatures pairs perfectly with blue.
It’s important to keep in mind whether your deck is aggressive or defensive, as the builds can differ drastically. Defensive decks will use more countermagic and brick-wall creatures, like Living Lectern or Unruly Catapult. Aggressive builds will try to be much more proactive, establishing threats as the first priority.
The following trophy decks show these two sides of Izzet.
Creatures (11)
- 2 Johann, Apprentice Sorcerer
- 1 Talion's Messenger
- 1 Charming Scoundrel
- 3 Unruly Catapult
- 1 Sleep-Cursed Faerie
- 1 Barrow Naughty
- 2 Vantress Transmuter
Lands (17)
Spells (12)
Creatures (15)
- 1 Gingerbrute
- 1 Ratcatcher Trainee
- 1 Embereth Veteran
- 2 Johann, Apprentice Sorcerer
- 1 Mocking Sprite
- 1 Rotisserie Elemental
- 1 Picklock Prankster
- 2 Aquatic Alchemist
- 1 Imodane's Recruiter
- 1 Minecart Daredevil
- 1 Obyra's Attendants
- 2 Vantress Transmuter
Lands (17)
Spells (8)
Dimir
Dimir is a classic control deck, using counterspells, removal, and discard spells. The main weakness for the archetype is getting run over when on the draw. It’s extremely important to have some early interaction or blockers; Aquatic Alchemist, Living Lectern, Mintstrosity, and Candy Grapple fit the role. Barrow Naughty is incredibly powerful in the deck, as it will stop early attackers and pad your life total in the mid-game.
Azorius
If you pretend Azorius doesn’t have a theme, the deck operates much better. Using Johann’s Stopgap and Stockpiling Celebrant can create some great value engines when paired with cards like The Princess Takes Flight. I wouldn’t really recommend the color pair in general, unless you have some rares that pull you there.
Simic
Hopefully this can help you navigate some future blue drafts, and I encourage you to get your feet wet with some blue decks (so I can keep drafting the other colors)!
Lose and Learn, Learn and Win!