Changes to pack order in booster draft

[Thom Richardson]

http://www.wizards.com/Magic/Magazine/Article.aspx?x=mtg/daily/feat...

From Mirrodin Besiged onwards the pack order for drafting is going to start with the most recent set. Olde draft formats will stay in their historic order.

For example, if you run an event with 2 boosters of Scars of Mirrodin and 1 booster of Mirrodin Besieged, players will open the packs in the order Mirrodin Besieged / Scars of Mirrodin / Scars of Mirrodin. When the set codenamed "Action" is released, the draft order will be "Action" / Mirrodin Besieged / Scars of Mirrodin.


I really like this change.  It is going to make the small sets a lot more releavnt.

[Dan Barrett]

*thumbs up* here

[Paul Hodgson]

same here, turns block design on it's head somewhat though

[James Mills]

Why is this even remotely relevant? I've never heard anyone say 'Oh I wish we could draft the packs in the reverse order'. Pointless.

[Martin Dingler]

James Mills said:

Why is this even remotely relevant? I've never heard anyone say 'Oh I wish we could draft the packs in the reverse order'. Pointless.

I said this many times when drafting Lorwyn-Morningtide. That format would have made so much more sense with these changes, would have led to some awesome class-based draft decks that were pretty much impossible to pull off as was.

[James Mills]

I can appreciate that this may have been a benifit with a couple of sets but it wasn't an issue with any of the others. I just don't think this is an issue at the moment.

Wizards need to concentrate on things that are an issue and just just change something for the sake of it.


Martin Dingler said:

James Mills said:

Why is this even remotely relevant? I've never heard anyone say 'Oh I wish we could draft the packs in the reverse order'. Pointless.

I said this many times when drafting Lorwyn-Morningtide. That format would have made so much more sense with these changes, would have led to some awesome class-based draft decks that were pretty much impossible to pull off as was.

[Charlie Grover]

Mills, it doesnt change much and doesnt cost them anything to change; it just makes new set drafting marginally more interesting, so I dont think anyone is too bothered.

[James Mills]

Well that's my point - it's just an irrelevant change.

With all the problems surrounding Magic at the moment I really don't see any need for this.


That Ginger One said:

Mills, it doesnt change much and doesnt cost them anything to change; it just makes new set drafting marginally more interesting, so I dont think anyone is too bothered.

[Gary Lynch]

I think it's good as it forces people to make changes and learn again. Normally when a small set comes out it makes no difference, you draft the first 2 packs as normal then in the new set just take cards in colour pretty much without thinking.

If the change makes things more interesting and doesn't cost us any more it's a good change.

What are all the problems with magic at the moment then? The only one I can see is the rediculously high cost of mythics and that's partly the fault of players.

James Mills said:

Well that's my point - it's just an irrelevant change. With all the problems surrounding Magic at the moment I really don't see any need for this.


That Ginger One said:

Mills, it doesnt change much and doesnt cost them anything to change; it just makes new set drafting marginally more interesting, so I dont think anyone is too bothered.

[James Mills]

There are lots of things but the price is the main thing. It should never have to cost this much for a standard deck as it does now.


Gary Lynch said:

I think it's good as it forces people to make changes and learn again. Normally when a small set comes out it makes no difference, you draft the first 2 packs as normal then in the new set just take cards in colour pretty much without thinking.

If the change makes things more interesting and doesn't cost us any more it's a good change.

What are all the problems with magic at the moment then? The only one I can see is the rediculously high cost of mythics and that's partly the fault of players.

James Mills said:

Well that's my point - it's just an irrelevant change. With all the problems surrounding Magic at the moment I really don't see any need for this.


That Ginger One said:

Mills, it doesnt change much and doesnt cost them anything to change; it just makes new set drafting marginally more interesting, so I dont think anyone is too bothered.

[Gary Lynch]

If people would have some disapline and just not buy the expensive cards then dealers would have to sell them for less or just have a bunch of stock sitting there.
Wizards don't control the secondary Market. Also there are decks that can be built without using any of the really expensive cards.

People could just use budget versions of decks without the really expensive cards. Sure you wouldn't do as well, but the guy who spent £300 more on his deck only gets a few packs more prizes. Are a few packs really worth the expense? Obviously this is different for ptq's but that's where card sharing comes in. As there are no longer any decks that are the best you can pool cards and build 2 different competative decks.

James Mills said:

There are lots of things but the price is the main thing. It should never have to cost this much for a standard deck as it does now.

Gary Lynch said:

I think it's good as it forces people to make changes and learn again. Normally when a small set comes out it makes no difference, you draft the first 2 packs as normal then in the new set just take cards in colour pretty much without thinking.

If the change makes things more interesting and doesn't cost us any more it's a good change.

What are all the problems with magic at the moment then? The only one I can see is the rediculously high cost of mythics and that's partly the fault of players.

James Mills said:

Well that's my point - it's just an irrelevant change. With all the problems surrounding Magic at the moment I really don't see any need for this.


That Ginger One said:

Mills, it doesnt change much and doesnt cost them anything to change; it just makes new set drafting marginally more interesting, so I dont think anyone is too bothered.

[James Mills]

Wizards create the cards therefore they do control it - also wizards decided to introduce Mythic too and that makes the price of cards go up and the availability go down. Saying that wizards don't control this is a myopic way of looking at things.

Reguarding card selection - who wants to play shit versions of decks? No one, so you can't really blame the players.





Gary Lynch said:

If people would have some disapline and just not buy the expensive cards then dealers would have to sell them for less or just have a bunch of stock sitting there.
Wizards don't control the secondary Market. Also there are decks that can be built without using any of the really expensive cards.

People could just use budget versions of decks without the really expensive cards. Sure you wouldn't do as well, but the guy who spent £300 more on his deck only gets a few packs more prizes. Are a few packs really worth the expense? Obviously this is different for ptq's but that's where card sharing comes in. As there are no longer any decks that are the best you can pool cards and build 2 different competative decks.

James Mills said:

There are lots of things but the price is the main thing. It should never have to cost this much for a standard deck as it does now.

Gary Lynch said:

I think it's good as it forces people to make changes and learn again. Normally when a small set comes out it makes no difference, you draft the first 2 packs as normal then in the new set just take cards in colour pretty much without thinking.

If the change makes things more interesting and doesn't cost us any more it's a good change.

What are all the problems with magic at the moment then? The only one I can see is the rediculously high cost of mythics and that's partly the fault of players.

James Mills said:

Well that's my point - it's just an irrelevant change. With all the problems surrounding Magic at the moment I really don't see any need for this.


That Ginger One said:

Mills, it doesnt change much and doesnt cost them anything to change; it just makes new set drafting marginally more interesting, so I dont think anyone is too bothered.

[Gary Lynch]

Stop being lazy and using net decks if cost is a problem. Attack the meta from a different angle. No one says you have to play a shit deck just maybe a deck without jace.

How much do you think Kierans b/w allie. Deck cost? He won with that and I bet he had fun too. Doesn't sound shit to me.

Yes wizards made mythics and that means there more expensive but at the same time rares are cheaper. Look at the new duals. They should easy be £5+ but they are not cause mythics make the rares cost less.

If no one would pay £70 or whatever for a jace then it wouldn't cost £70. Supply and demand, if people won't pay the price then the price comes down.

James Mills said:

Nice double post :P Wizards create the cards therefore they do control it - also wizards decided to introduce Mythic too and that makes the price of cards go up and the availability go down. Saying that wizards don't control this is a myopic way of looking at things.

Reguarding card selection - who wants to play shit versions of decks? No one, so you can't really blame the players.





Gary Lynch said:

If people would have some disapline and just not buy the expensive cards then dealers would have to sell them for less or just have a bunch of stock sitting there.
Wizards don't control the secondary Market. Also there are decks that can be built without using any of the really expensive cards.

People could just use budget versions of decks without the really expensive cards. Sure you wouldn't do as well, but the guy who spent £300 more on his deck only gets a few packs more prizes. Are a few packs really worth the expense? Obviously this is different for ptq's but that's where card sharing comes in. As there are no longer any decks that are the best you can pool cards and build 2 different competative decks.

James Mills said:

There are lots of things but the price is the main thing. It should never have to cost this much for a standard deck as it does now.

Gary Lynch said:

I think it's good as it forces people to make changes and learn again. Normally when a small set comes out it makes no difference, you draft the first 2 packs as normal then in the new set just take cards in colour pretty much without thinking.

If the change makes things more interesting and doesn't cost us any more it's a good change.

What are all the problems with magic at the moment then? The only one I can see is the rediculously high cost of mythics and that's partly the fault of players.

James Mills said:

Well that's my point - it's just an irrelevant change. With all the problems surrounding Magic at the moment I really don't see any need for this.


That Ginger One said:

Mills, it doesnt change much and doesnt cost them anything to change; it just makes new set drafting marginally more interesting, so I dont think anyone is too bothered.