Anything that can blanket deal with most threats that cost one or even two mana are power outliers. Cards like path to exile, unholy heat, fatal push, dismember are so good because you can go in any deck. These inexpensive removal spells allow you to push your own game plan while also being able to counter or remove your opponent's.
The best way to think about this is to imagine a scale or a pendulum that reflects what's happening within a game of magic. When are deploying threats like creatures or planeswalkers and still being able to interact with your opponent you're more than likely winning that game. If you find yourself unable to progress your gameplan, while also unable to interact with your opponent's, than you're kind of cooked. You can feel this swing in the game on a key turn where you draw a land when you needed a spell, or a 4-5 drop when you had to hit your 3rd land. The game is likely not over, but feels as though it is.
Imagine this scenario: Your opponent plays a two drop with one mana available - they pass to you - you try to play a 3 or 4 drop that they counter or remove it for one mana....
You are so far behind because they one for one'd you, while also developing their board. You now have to commit your own resources to get you back to parity, while also hoping that their ability to untap on their turn doesn't mean more threats or counter your attempts to interact with their threats.
That's why mana efficient removal is so powerful. It is so important to really any strategy. I feel like people don't necessarily view it in the same way because I've been in many drafts where spells like the ones I mentioned earlier get passed very late. That really shouldn't happen unless the pack just had waaayy too many similarly powerful cards. It's rare, but it does happen occasionally. You should prioritize these very highly.
Let's Discuss Mana Curve
Mana curve describes the varying mana costs of the cards in your deck. If you look at your cards and lay them out in casting cost order, they should resemble a bell curve. Some inexpensive spells, followed by a density of spells that cost 2-3 mana, and less as we go higher up the "curve".
Now, let's look back at the cube cobra list for the cube you're going to be drafting:
Let's say red and white each have 2-3 one mana creatures, 4-5 two mana creatures and 6 three mana cards and so on. A smaller amount of 1 and 2 drop creatures typically means that it is a slower format. You may have a little bit more time put together different synergies or gameplans that wouldn't be as viable if there were 7-10 creatures in each color in the 1-2 mana range. You may also have a little bit more time to find your mana sources, get your colors to play more impactful plays later in the game. In that type of an environment there's more room to explore different archetypes and strategies.
However, having a good aggressive deck in a cube makes for a healthy draft format. If players are allowed to play mid range soup without the pressure of aggro, then decks tend to look very similar. It can lead to longer games and more mental tax on you and your fellow drafters. Sometimes that's fun, but it's also something to consider. Often times people draft on a week night, maybe after work and they don't have an unlimited amount of mental energy. So its good enable a drafter to have a good simple aggressive deck. They can pressure and punish players for being greedy and end games quickly.
I will also give a side note on this: Combo can also serve a purpose of aggro sometimes. Combo's that end games quickly, also put "pressure" on opponents to play to the board and attack if they're fearing the game will end if they don't. It's a matter of what the cube curator wants to support and how the play group feels about these type of strategies.
For fellow players, folks that maybe have drafted the cube several times; Be open about being newer to drafting or cube and see if you can ask them a couple of questions. What are your favorite decks to draft in this cube? What do find fun to play here? It may be daunting to approach people you just met, but the cube community is a very welcoming space. Playgroups are always looking for more players to fill out their draft pods, and so they should be more than happy to share tips so you find success and keep coming back to drafts. You'd be surprised, but sometimes will flat out tell you they are going to draft a certain deck. "I'm going to draft aggro tonight" or "Look out for so and so, they always draft control" or, "so and so is a really good control player" or "I love to try to make reanimator work."
Hopefully I get to meet you at a cube event and we can play some Magic soon. Good Luck!
No comments:
Post a Comment