Introduction
Today, we will draft with: Modern Horizons.
I simulate the 8 first pick of a draft and asked 4 Hareruya Pros Players what they would pick.
Here are the 4 gentlemen who accepted to participate in this experience:
For more details, please visit here: Hareruya Pros.
It will be interesting to see if they will do the same choices or not.
Pick 1
Pascal Vieren
Modern Horizons is a lot about synergy, but 《Endling》 is just a very powerful card that can win games on its own, so that would be my pick.
Lee Shi Tian
《Endling》, 《Changeling Outcast》 and 《Saddled Rimestag》 are other options in this pack. I choose to ship both black cards to prevent a crush of signal and pick removal over premium 2 drops.
Gregory Orange
I think it is pretty close between 《Endling》 and 《Saddled Rimestag》. 《Saddled Rimestag》 is basically a 2 mana 4/4 and a Snow permanent but 《Endling》 is a tough rare to beat.
Goncalo Pinto
《Endling》 is not only a bomb but it also the color of both my favorite archetypes in UB Ninjas and BR Sacrifice. 《Saddled Rimestag》 is also very good and 《Pyrophobia》 and 《Mother Bear》 are the best commons in Red and Green respectively, but none of them comes close to 《Endling》‘s power level.
Pick 2
Pascal Vieren
Even though 《Conifer Wurm》 can be pretty impressive in a dedicated Snow deck, I’d take 《Gluttonous Slug》 here. Having a good curve is very important in this format and the 《Gluttonous Slug》 has been impressive.
Lee Shi Tian
As a rare is missing, there is no huge signal sent. Another pack with 2 good black cards in terms of 《Gluttonous Slug》 and 《Ninja of the New Moon》. I will ship them all the way and never look at the black card again.
This left us between 《Rhox Veteran》 and 《Conifer Wurm》. Both cards are great on the curve. The problem of 《Conifer Wurm》 is that Snow does not match with red well. We could go UG Snow splashing red or just Boros Aggro. I prefer easier way to draft and pick 《Rhox Veteran》.
Gregory Orange
You don’t need that many Snow permanents for the 《Conifer Wurm》 to get out of hand.
Goncalo Pinto
《Conifer Wurm》 is the best card in the pack, but not that much better than the 《Gluttonous Slug》 that worth picking another color right now. 《Gluttonous Slug》 grows up to a 3/6 without almost any effort. It provides UB Ninjas a very much needed premium 2 drop, which the archetype sometimes lacks.
Pick 3
Pascal Vieren
《Thundering Djinn》, 《Wall of Blossoms》 and 《Savage Swipe》 are all excellent cards. I think 《Savage Swipe》 allows Green decks to keep up the tempo and would play as many as I can get my hands on. My pick here is 《Savage Swipe》.
Lee Shi Tian
The power level of 《Thundering Djinn》 is simply too high. Picking it up Pack 1, Pick 3 is a easy signal to follow.
Gregory Orange
《Savage Swipe》 is a very nice fight spell. 《Thundering Djinn》 is probably slightly better but it doesn’t fit well with the first couple picks at all.
Goncalo Pinto
Even though it kinda means that we are throwing away our first 2 picks, the power level of 《Thundering Djinn》 is worth. UR draw 2 has been impressing me a lot lately and besides that there is not really anything else that works great with our first 2 picks, other than a very mediocre war live witch.
Pick 4
Pascal Vieren
There are a lot of good cards here. I think 《Springbloom Druid》 allows me to be open for whatever colors I’d end up in. Everything but White seems possible at this point.
Lee Shi Tian
《Magmatic Sinkhole》 is also a good card but 《Igneous Elemental》 is a simple two for one in most situation. WR might not be able to cast it for 4 mana but it is still a great card. We could pick up Cycling land higher as it enables 《Igneous Elemental》 and the draw 2 themes of UR.
Gregory Orange
The bear pairs nicely with the 《Savage Swipe》. 《Springbloom Druid》 is a nice green card as well and I wouldn’t hate taking that either.
Goncalo Pinto
This pick is really difficult. I can see a case for both the red card as they work well either in BR with our first 2 picks and in UR with 《Thundering Djinn》. 《Carrion Feeder》 is probably the best if you want to commit already to BR sacrifice. With that said, I think 《Lesser Masticore》 is a very good card, that we will end up always playing.
Pick 5
Pascal Vieren
I would take 《Krosan Tusker》 here. I should be noted that no Snow lands were taken so far. A multicolored Snow deck seems like a possibility.
Lee Shi Tian
《Spinehorn Minotaur》 is a good card for UR but as I said in Pick 4, we could use 《Lonely Sandbar》 well and it also enables us picks up more 《Igneous Elemental》 afterward without worrying about overloading at high drops.
Gregory Orange
I can’t pass up on the value of 《Krosan Tusker》.
Goncalo Pinto
The second 《Carrion Feeder》 means that BR is probably open, and now I think is the time to move in. I wouldn’t blame you if you pick 《Spinehorn Minotaur》 here and move to UR, but I like BR better.
Pick 6
Pascal Vieren
I’d take 《Mother Bear》 here, it’s just a nice two-drop, which will basically always be in your deck.
Lee Shi Tian
Solid 4 drop and a good one-shot spell to close game in the late game.
Gregory Orange
This time there isn’t much here to compete with the bear. It’s barely even a choice really.
Goncalo Pinto
With the jump to BR, this is an easy pick. Nothing else really does anything for us except maybe 《Warteye Witch》, that we can certainly pick up later.
Pick 7
Pascal Vieren
Even though I’m not the biggest fan of the card, I’d take 《Winding Way》 here. The self mill theme is a bit slow for my taste, but maybe we can get there.
Lee Shi Tian
A fine card to push damage and defending opponent flying creatures. We already picked up 《Goblin War Party》 which is a good fodder to it.
Gregory Orange
《Winding Way》 isn’t bad assuming you have a lot of creatures in your deck. If you name land you could even put some 《Mother Bear》 in the graveyard which would be pretty nice.
Goncalo Pinto
Another easy pick, with nothing else in our colors.
Pick 8
Pascal Vieren
《Ravenous Giant》 is a big under costed body. The other two red cards are playable as well, so it’s time to move into red. Black doesn’t seem very open, so it might be time to move on.
Lee Shi Tian
《Juzám Djinn》 is still a 《Juzám Djinn》. It closes game well.
Gregory Orange
I don’t really want more 《Winding Way》 this early since I generally don’t want to play that many anyway. I think 《Ravenous Giant》 is a bit better than 《First-Sphere Gargantua》 but I’d still really like to play the 《Endling》 if possible and the 《First-Sphere Gargantua》 is not bad.
Goncalo Pinto
《Ravenous Giant》 is not very synergetic with our deck and kinda awkward on the (R)(R) with 《Endling》. It is still a respectful tread when dropped on turn 4, but I think 《Lava Dart》 will work better with what we are trying to do and will be a bit easier on our mana.
Conclusion
Modern Horizons is a limited format with a lot of synergies. Picks are difficult to evaluate when its about archetypes direction and not pure power level. This is why our pros made so many different choices during this draft.
