Everyone says Black/White is the most deadly color combination in the current draft format. It's built-in lifegain abilities and 4-toughness creatures simply give it the edge in many situations, and are always hard to work around during combat.
Does that make it the best draft strategy? Should one always try to head towards Black/White if possible?
The answer is most often "No". While you may often find yourself first-picking one of the following cards, both of them are at common level, so chances are more than two players at the table will try to go into this top tier pairing for the exact same reason. This stigma inherently lowers the value of the pairing for the savvy player. This public service announcement will help you make responsible second-and-third picks in your next draft.
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| "I immediately regret this decision." |
Say you First Pick Isolation Zone.
Second pick, you have the choice of a Havoc Sower or a Seed Guardian. Take the Seed Guardian.
Third pick. Vampire Envoy or Nissa's judgement? Opt for removal.
Whatever you are sending to your left, you will see less of in pack two. You can only cut one color hard enough to get any back in pack two, yet if you cut hard white, chances are you can get lots of green cards in pack two along with your white payoffs. Big green cards in Battle for Zendikar often go around the table, so finding an Oran-Reif Hydra or even a Plated Crusher is a reliable proposition.
Portal #2 - Oblivion Strike
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| "I said, 'NO COLDPLAY'!" |
Trying to work your way into white is going to be harder than working your way into black. If you end up with one or two top picks in black, it could be better to look to pick up some Flayer Drones early and stake a claim in Black/Red (a.k.a. Grixis). You can be set up for an aggro build whether you find devoid or non-devoid cards in later picks. If you see Zada's Commandos, scoop them up, as it is the card most likely to convince someone of a red signal. This pairing has great cards in pack three, with Grip of Desolation, Touch of the Void, and Complete Disregard for removal. Hopefully you have plenty of 2 and 3 drops, but if not, you can probably find a Culling Drone or two late.
THE RESCUE TEAM
These are the cards that will lead you onto a better path, having first-picked either Oblivion Strike or Isolation Zone. Each of these cards will send strong signals to the left of you, so picking them will ensure your second pack will be more bountiful. Besides Saddleback Lagac, you are likely to see these cards pick 2-4, but less likely beyond that.
Don't fall in to the Black/White Lifegain trap!
Be aware of your alternatives!
Draft Responsibly!
This message brought to you by INSTANT SPEED MTG!
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