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Welcome back, players! Picking up where we left off, I wanted to touch a little more upon what cards to be on the lookout for as they’re passing around from left to right and right to left.
There was an acronym I only recently became familiar with, and in using it, the entire drafting experience has changed. That acronym is B.R.E.A.D.. Yes, I know it sounds tasty, but understanding what it means can bring your draft from chaotic to crushing.
The Acronym stands for five simple words. Bomb. Removal. Evasion. Aggro. Dud. Each one is chosen in order depending on what is available. For example:
Bomb: These are the cards that can outright win you games. A big creature that is low on the mana cost, a powerful spell that deals a lot of damage, or an effect that can turn a losing situation into a fighting chance. Bombs are easy to recognize but hard to attain as -everyone- at the table will be looking for them.
Removal: These are the spells and creatures that will clear your opponent’s board and pave the way for your own onslaught to push through. Look for cards that don’t have stipulations on them (called ‘unconditional removal’), or have conditions that are easily met. Try to avoid removal that is overly expensive, or that is sorcery speed, but if it’s all that’s available then scoop it up.
Evasion: These cards will be able to help you push damage through to help bring your opponent’s life points down. For Evasion, you want to look for keywords like ‘Flying’ or ‘Trample’ or ‘Menace’. Each of these words on cards can help you either overpower your opponent’s defences or flat out avoid them. Keep an extra eye out for Instant spells that grant these abilities as they can be cast before your opponent can block to give you an edge in battle.
Aggro: Aggro stands for creatures that are properly costed for their attributes and can help fill out your deck and give you targets for your Evasion spells. You want to look for creatures that have the stats that match their cost. For example, you may want to take the 2/2 Vigilance creature before the 3/1 because the 2/2 can play both offence and defence while the 3/1 is going to die from being looked at the wrong way.
Dud: These are the filler cards that you will be passed as each pack nears it’s end. They are usually alright to use as fillers, but they are not the cards you want to fill your deck with. Choose carefully, and choose wisely.
That’s all for this week! Next week, we’ll discuss how to read the table and how to make the best choices using that information. Thanks for reading!
--David--