Best Draft Picks, Mirrodin to Rise of the Eldrazi

[Thomas David Baker]

We're building a cube composed of the best draft picks (common and uncommon only) from Mirrodin thru Rise of the Eldrazi.  That's 22 sets not including core sets.  We'll take an average of 15 from each set plus leave some extra slots for fixing (Shards trilands, Rav bouncelands, maybe Signets, Vivids, Refuges, Armillary Sphere, Rupture Spire).

To avoid over-representing little sets like Worldwake and Conflux we will do 20 cards from the big sets and 10 from the small sets. 

The idea is that you open your first booster and think, "wow, these are all first picks".

We'll have to force ourselves to include 50-75% creatures as first picks tend to be removal.

We'll aim for about 50% creatures which is the ratio most sets have in common/uncommon.

I will probably print a version of the cube and bring it to Portsmouth tomorrow with commons and sleeves, if I have time.  But still post your opinion if it's after that ... this is a work in progress!

I'm going to actually make the cube and bring it to the Games Club this week.

Post below what you think should make the cut for one or more sets!  Especially the older ones where I don't have a clue!

The Sets:

Rise of the Eldrazi

Worldwake

Zendikar

Alara Reborn

Conflux

Shards of Alara

Eventide

Shadowmoor

Morningtide

Lorwyn

Future Sight

Planar Chaos

Time Spiral

Dissension

Guildpact

Ravnica: City of Guilds

Saviors of Kamigawa

Betrayers of Kamigawa

Champions of Kamigawa

Fifth Dawn

Darksteel

Mirrodin

[Thomas David Baker]

Favoring creatures over spells and removing fixing from Charlie's RAV list gives me: Belltower Sphinx, Boros Guildmage, Carven Caryatid, Compulsive Research, Drooling Groodion, Faith's Fetters, Galvanic Arc, Greater Mossdog, Keening Banshee, Lightning Helix, Moldervine Cloak, Moroii, Oathsworn Giant, Putrefy, Ribbons of Night, Selesnya Guildmage, Shambling Shell, Trophy Hunter, Vedalken Dismisser, Watchwolf

And not: Bathe in Light, Civic Wayfinder, Cleansing Beam, Devouring Light, Disembowel, Gather Courage, Last Gasp, Mark of Eviction, Overwhelm, Pollenbright Wings, Seeds of Strength.

Although it makes me sad not to include Pollenbright Wings. And including Belltower Sphinx makes me want to go back and add in Hedron Crab and Drowner of Secrets or some other mill cards.

What do you think?

[Thomas David Baker]

Planar Chaos: Ana Battlemage, Blood Knight, Dead / Gone, Deadwood Treefolk, Keldon Marauders, Necrotic Sliver, Shade of Trokair, Shivan Meteor, Stonecloaker, Sulfur Elemental.

Narrowly missing Sunlance and Enslave.

[Charlie Grover]

Mark of Eviction NEEDS to be in here, it leads to really cool scenarios, cut ribbons I guess. And Wayfinder should be in too, probs over sphinx, although i guess colour balance matters, maybe cut trophy hunger. PC needs enslave, cut marauders, its really quite average in limited. As does calciderm, harmonize, pyrohemia, shaper parasite. My list (from experience) would be:

Calciderm, Shaper Parasite, Necrotic Sliver, Deadwood treefolk, Shade of trokair, Harmoinze, Pyrohemia, Dead gone, Enslave, and the last card is probably stonecloaker, but blood knight is ok too, depends which colour needs filling I guess.

Thomas David Baker said:

Favoring creatures over spells and removing fixing from Charlie's RAV list gives me: Belltower Sphinx, Boros Guildmage, Carven Caryatid, Compulsive Research, Drooling Groodion, Faith's Fetters, Galvanic Arc, Greater Mossdog, Keening Banshee, Lightning Helix, Moldervine Cloak, Moroii, Oathsworn Giant, Putrefy, Ribbons of Night, Selesnya Guildmage, Shambling Shell, Trophy Hunter, Vedalken Dismisser, Watchwolf
And not: Bathe in Light, Civic Wayfinder, Cleansing Beam, Devouring Light, Disembowel, Gather Courage, Last Gasp, Mark of Eviction, Overwhelm, Pollenbright Wings, Seeds of Strength.
Although it makes me sad not to include Pollenbright Wings. And including Belltower Sphinx makes me want to go back and add in Hedron Crab and Drowner of Secrets or some other mill cards.

What do you think?

[Charlie Grover]

Domestication (its kinda a guy) and Pelakka wurm. Its also worth noting that low creature formats are usually very fun and skill intensive.

Thomas David Baker said:

Having drafted Rise of the Eldrazi all of twice here's my top 18: Beastbreaker of Gala Ged, Brimstone Mage, Corpsehatch, Dawnglare Invoker, Enclave Cryptologist, Flame Slash, Forked Bolt, Halimar Wavewatch, Heat Ray, Joraga Treespeaker, Last Kiss, Narcolepsy, Nirkana Cuttthroat, Oust, Smite, Staggershock, Vendetta, Wall of Omens.

Need to add 2 creatures from: Domestication, Drake Umbra, Hyena Umbra, Induce Despair, Kabira Vindicator, Knight of Cliffhaven, Lavafume Invoker, Mammoth Umbra, Merfolk Skyscout, Ogre Cleaver, Pelakka Wurm, Repel the Darkness, Sea Gate Oracle, Ulamog's Crusher, Vent Sentinel, Wildheart Invoker, Zulaport Enforcer.

Probably Pelakka Wurm and Ulamog's Crusher?

[Thomas David Baker]

Haha, Pyrohemia is nuts! I didn't read it properly when scanning. Thanks for the PLC list, will use that.

RAV list +Mark of Eviction, -Ribbons of Night.
ROE list -Ulamog's Crusher, +Domestication.

I was worrying about creatures because in "normal" draft formats there are many more creatures than removal spells. And if you think about "first picks" it's often removal spells and that's partly because they are at a premium in those formats. But I'd much rather include interesting noncreature cards over "solid" creatures.

[Thomas David Baker]

REALLY dodgy pass at Time Spiral (needs heavy editing by someone who knows the format!): Aspect of Mongoose, Brine Elemental, Careful Consideration, Conflagrate, Crookclaw Transmuter, Dread Return, Errant Ephemeron, Firemaw Kavu, Knight of the Holy Nimbus, Looter il-Kor, Phthisis, Rift Bolt, Riftwing Cloudskate, Spiketail Drakeling, Spirit Loop, Strangling Soot, Sudden Death, Sulfurous Blast, Temporal Isolation, Tendrils of Corruption

Just missing out: Gustcloak Cavalier, Mogg War Marshal

[Charlie Grover]

Future sight list:
Arc Blade
foresee
gathan raiders
ichor slick
imperiosaur
infiltrator il kor
kavu primarch
knight of sursi
Nacatl war pride
spin into myth
sproutswarm
thornweald archer

Thats twelve, imo the cuts are archer and foresee (dependant on how much card draw already available) or knight of sursi, he is good but not that special..
Thomas David Baker said:

Need help whittling down this list for Future Sight to 10 cards: Arc Blade, Augur of Skulls, Aven Augur, Fatal Attraction, Gathan Raiders, Ghostfire, Imperiosaur, Judge Unworthy, Kavu Primarch, Knight of Sursi, Nacatl War-Pride, Ravaging Riftwurm, Riddle of Lightning, Spin Into Myth, Sporoloth Ancient, Sprout Swarm, Thornweald Archer

Ghostfire, Kavu Primarch, Knight of Sursi, Nacatl War-Pride, ... ???

[Thomas David Baker]

Did we intentionally miss Corrupt in Shadowmoor?

[Charlie Grover]

My take on timesprial (i loved this format, i wont try so hard for the other sets sadly :P)

Basalt Gargoyle
Brine elemental
Careful consideration
Castle Raptors
Crookclaw transmuter
Durkwood baloth
Errant ephemeron
Firemaw Kavu
Griffin Guide
Looter il-kor
Nightshade assassin
Riftwing Cloudskate
Spiketail Drakeling
Sporesower thallid
Strangling soot
sudden death
sulfourous blast
Temporal isolation
TROMP the domains
Weatherseed totem

Near misses: Fledgeling mawcor, gemhide sliver, celestial crusader, strength in numbers (we might need to put this in, tricks are looking few and far between), and Nantuko Shaman.
Thomas David Baker said:

REALLY dodgy pass at Time Spiral (needs heavy editing by someone who knows the format!): Aspect of Mongoose, Brine Elemental, Careful Consideration, Conflagrate, Crookclaw Transmuter, Dread Return, Errant Ephemeron, Firemaw Kavu, Knight of the Holy Nimbus, Looter il-Kor, Phthisis, Rift Bolt, Riftwing Cloudskate, Spiketail Drakeling, Spirit Loop, Strangling Soot, Sudden Death, Sulfurous Blast, Temporal Isolation, Tendrils of Corruption

Just missing out: Gustcloak Cavalier, Mogg War Marshal

[Charlie Grover]

Yes

Thomas David Baker said:

Did we intentionally miss Corrupt in Shadowmoor?

[Thomas David Baker]

Sweet, this is shaping up!

Who the fuck is going to do Mirrodin and Kamigawa blocks for us, though?!

[Thomas David Baker]

You are right about tricks. I've considered and rejected Earthbrawn, Might of Alara and a bunch of others. Vines of the Vastwood + Stength in Numbers? Or that one from ROE?