Several weeks into a format is the typical time when preferences truly begin to settle in. While I still believe that draft is an art form, and that there is no right or wrong way to approach any given set, there are most certainly colors (or color pairs) that tend to pull ahead in terms of power.
To extrapolate further, here are some questions you can ask about any given set:
- Is it common knowledge what the most powerful colors are?
- Are the most powerful colors or archetypes under- or overdrafted?
- Do certain colors have amazing first picks that people will always take?
- How flexible are the early picks in each color?
These are the types of questions that define your drafting style, and most inherently answer these questions themselves. There is no singular right answer, but these preferences are what make your approach unique in any given set.
I’d like to share the approach that I’ve developed for The Brothers’ War, similarly to my Dominaria United article on the same topic.
Flexible Early Picks
Bombs aside, some of my favorite early picks are the most flexible cards, like Scrapwork Mutt or Scrapwork Cohort. They are solid inclusions in any deck, and easy enough to unearth if you keep them in mind during the draft. If you are clueless to what direction you are looking to go in your first couple picks, cards like Chromatic Star or Evolving Wilds may also serve as a placeholder to get you to the next pick.
But when the question arises, and you need to make a decision on which color to start taking cards for, how do you choose?
Black and Red? Too Crowded
One problem in this set is how highly other players are taking the common removal pieces. This means that if your neighbor to the right opened an Overwhelming Remorse or an Excavation Explosion, they are likely to cut you off of those colors. While those cards are solid first picks, and there’s no reason not to love thy neighbor, it also makes black and red the most contested colors during Pack 1. Recognizing this pattern has given me a bias against red or black starts. Note: If you are seeing great black or red cards by Picks 4-7, it is likely a good signal you should move in.
The Counterbalance: White and Green
The solution? Raise your pick order on white and green cards. White is my personal favorite, as all white decks are not only viable, but in the top tier of color pairs. Green pairs well with most colors, and it also enables splashing via Citanul Stalwart. While there’s nothing wrong with blue, it remains inflexible in its strategies, and shallow in its power level, leaving the Selesnya cards much more desirable starting points.
Know When to Fold ‘Em
While I don’t think The Brothers’ War will punish you too badly if you pick a lane Pack 1, Pick 1, it’s still important to know when to abandon ship if your table votes said color(s) off the island. White and green provide the most flexible cards, and are also less contested in Pack 1 than red or black. I hope some of these insights give you an edge in your next draft! Until next time, Lose and Learn, Learn and Win!
