By HG, 11/09/20
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Kaldhem's Standard Metagame: the next steps
BG Infect Deck Tech: making Infect more lethal
Kaldheim Draft: The format's evolution
Deck Tech & Sideboard Guide - Standard Dimir Control
Zendikar Rising Draft guide, by Paulo Chiozzani - HG Team
Sideboard guide - Standard Esper Doom deck
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Emeria's Call // Emeria, Shattered Skyclave
,Ondu Inversion // Ondu Skyruins
,Agadeem's Awakening // Agadeem, the Undercrypt
eTurntimber Symbiosis // Turntimber, Serpentine Wood
.These are easy pick cards in case they come as the first rare or mythic on the first booster. Besides that, there are some cards that if you already chose a color, are worth to pick, because they don't only help you in specific moments but also can be used as a land in case you get mana screwed, something really common on MTG Arena by the way. Here they are:Kabira Takedown // Kabira Plateau
,Sejiri Shelter // Sejiri Glacier
,Jwari Disruption // Jwari Ruins
,Blackbloom Rogue // Blackbloom Bog
,Hagra Mauling // Hagra Broodpit
, great removal,Spikefield Hazard // Spikefield Cave
,Kazandu Mammoth // Kazandu Valley
,Khalni Ambush // Khalni Territory
, great combat trick,Tangled Florahedron // Tangled Vale
, great ramp. And before we go to the next mechanic, there is a topic that I would like to talk about, and I believe it's the most important one regarding a double face. Only consider removing a basic land in case you have 3 or more double faces in your deck, because they can help through the game, but may mess up your mana curve a lot if used wrongly. The right way is: on each two same color double face you can remove a basic land. And my golden advice is: don't pick more than 4 double faces.Journey to Oblivion
, one of the best White removals. It is an enchantment that exiles any non land permanent until it leaves the battlefield. It costs 5 manas, 4 colorless and 1 white, but is had the Party ability, that reduces its cost in 1 for each creature in your party. So, you cmay pay only 1 mana to remove any permanent. The strongest combinations of this mechanics are respectively: Boros (Red and White), Dimir Bblack and Blue), Orzhov (White and Black), and Rakdos (Black and Red). On picking, the most important is the creatures choice. They are the ones that will win the game, so, choose carefully, and in case of doubt, go with the party synergy and you won't have any regrets.Felidar Retreat
, for me, the greatest card with this machanic and an absurd bomb on limited; -Prowling Felidar
; -Ruin Crab
, the card to be beaten on limited that has no flaws. All jokes aside, the famous crab is an excellent card on draft, because besides being a 0/3 with the cost of only a mana, it can hold those 1/1 creatures in the beginning of the game. It can enter the battlefield on turn 1 and quickly ruin the opponent's deck with its Mill ability.Ad
Akoum Hellhound
; -Moraug, Fury of Akoum
, another bomb in the format -Canopy Baloth
; -Lotus Cobra
is a really good ramp card, but usually on Draft isn't what we are looking for because we almost always end up with too many lands. -Scute Swarm
great card for Draft, but when it enters the battlefield it always has a target on its back. In case you can take it until the 6th land enters the battlefield, GG, congratulations.Bubble Snare
,Cunning Geysermage
,Tazeem Roilmage
,Blood Beckoning
,Bloodchief's Thirst
,Ghastly Gloomhunter
,Skyclave Shade
,Gnarlid Colony
andInscription of Abundance
.- Evasion
Always when possible, cards with fly, deathtouch, trample and hexproof. Those are excellent tricks.- Mana curve
Really important. You always have to do something on each turn, and in order to do that you have to pay attention on your choices. Always give importance to cards with all costs, so you will always have something to do.- Picks
On Draft you will have 3 boosters to choose your cards from. A tip that will help you a lot is not focusing on two colors right on the first booster. The ideal scenario is choosing the best cards on the first 6 picks, no matter their colors.- Card number
By standard, there are 40 cards on Draft, when usually there are 17 lands and 23 cards that vary between creatures and other spells. Always go with the pattern of 17 to 19 creatures and 4 to 6 other spells, because this way it's less likely for you to mana screw. I hope I was helpful. I know Draft may seem hard for some players sometimes, but with those few tips, you will improve a lot your win rate. I hope you like it and see you next time.