Today, we will draft with Ixalan cards!
I simulate the 8 first pick of a draft and asked to 4 Hareruya Pros Players what they would pick.
Here are the 4 gentlemen who accepted to participate in this experience:
You can see their profiles, more in details, here: Hareruya Pros
It will be interesting to see if they will do the same choices or not.
PICK 1
Martin Muller
It’s properly the best common in the set. The only cards competing in this pack are multi-coloured and there for not worth taking over The Hammerskull.
Oliver Polak-Rottmann
I think that the 《Territorial Hammerskull》 is pretty uncontested here, as the second best card is 《Sky Terror》 and I don’t want to commit to two colors that early.
Marcio Carvalho
This is the best common by far in the set if u open it u probably picking it because there is only 2 uncomuns and a handful of rares.
Shuhei Nakamura:
It’s is best common creature in Ixalan. 《Sky Terror》 is close to Hammerskull, but I wouldn’t like to have a 2 colors card as first pick first pack.
Player’s choice:
PICK 2
Martin Muller
It’s the best card in the pack not by much but I’m surely taking it here as it goes with our first pick.
My pick order here is:
1) 《Glorifier of Dusk》2) 《Emperor's Vanguard》3) 《Inspiring Cleric》 4) 《Pirate's Cutlass》
Oliver Polak-Rottmann
That is a tough on as the Rare and all the Uncommons are great cards with 《Raging Swordtooth》 probably being the strongest. I go with 《Emperor's Vanguard》 here as it fits in every archetype and is strong on its own. I think it’s very close between Vanguard and 《Glorifier of Dusk》.
My pick order here is:
1) 《Emperor's Vanguard》2) 《Pirate's Cutlass》3) 《Inspiring Cleric》4) 《Glorifier of Dusk》
Marcio Carvalho
Our first pick was white so I would like to keep picking that color. 《Glorifier of Dusk》isn’t that impressive to be honest and if you end white-red u would prefer a good 3 drop as they are difficult to get in Ixalan.
My pick order here is:
1) 《Inspiring Cleric》 2) 《Pirate's Cutlass》 3) 《Glorifier of Dusk》4)《Emperor's Vanguard》
Shuhei Nakamura:
《Pirate's Cutlass》 is good for White-Black, White-Blue and White-Red. Even in White-Green, I am ok to play it .
My pick order here is:
1) 《Pirate's Cutlass》 2) 《Inspiring Cleric》 3) 《Glorifier of Dusk》《Emperor's Vanguard》4)
PICK 3
Martin Muller
This pack is fairly week outside the 《Snapping Sailback》. Can’t really see talking anything else.
Oliver Polak-Rottmann
It is a dinosaur, it has flash and the next best card in the pack is 《Pounce》, which is very replaceable.
Marcio Carvalho
Now you can choose between 《Pounce》, 《Snapping Sailback》 and 《Fathom Fleet Firebrand》. I have a preference for white/red aggressive strategies so I go with the red one and by the way w/g is normally a trap.
Shuhei Nakamura
It is an interesting pack. I think Green is open. Between all the green cards in this pack, 《Wildgrowth Walker》 has more EV. Also, we have a chance to get 《Ixalli's Diviner》 at 9th pick.
PICK 4
Martin Muller
It’s a pretty good top end card and green is looking somewhat open.
Oliver Polak-Rottmann
By now I think that white is drafted on our right and therefore I look at the other colors closer. We have a lot of decent cards in the pack, nothing super exciting though. 《Unfriendly Fire》, 《Skulduggery》, 《New Horizons》, 《Jade Guardian》, 《Raptor Hatchling》 and 《Thundering Spineback》. The big Dinosaur is going to be my pick here but I think all the other cards are reasonable picks as well.
Marcio Carvalho
Not much to see. 《Raptor Hatchling》 is ok, 《Thundering Spineback》is a good finisher but I go with 《Unfriendly Fire》here. It kills creature and can finish the game if needed.
Shuhei Nakamura
Ok this a clear signal that show Green is an open color. I pick 《Thundering Spineback》 and I am going to focus on a Green Control deck.
PICK 5
Martin Muller
Pretty meh pick from a pretty meh pack. Just take the best card.
Oliver Polak-Rottmann
No green or white cards in this pack so we have to look elsewhere. While 《Perilous Voyage》 and 《Shipwreck Looter》 are decent cards I will go with 《Fathom Fleet Firebrand》 as I prefer GR over GU unless it is a dedicated Merfolk Deck.
Marcio Carvalho
Another 2 drop.
Shuhei Nakamura:
There is no White or Green card in the pack. 《Fathom Fleet Firebrand》 is probably the best card, but I already took 2 green control cards and I would not like to play half beat down, half control deck.PICK 6
Martin Muller
《Grazing Whiptail》 is a pretty good card in a slow dinosaur deck and a decent signal that green is at least not getting cut seeing it sixed.
Oliver Polak-Rottmann
Another late 《Jade Guardian》 and a 《River Heralds' Boon》 so there is a decent chance that Merfolk is open. At this point I think we let too much float already and would settle 《Raptor Hatchling》 here. 《Grazing Whiptail》 would be fine to cut green but I think with RG we are in a decent spot in this draft.
Marcio Carvalho
《Sure Strike》 is one of the best tricks in the set pretty happy to see it here and our curve seems excellent in the first pack
Shuhei Nakamura:
Easy pick, this is the best Green common card.
PICK 7
Martin Muller
One mana tricks are pretty good and 《Sheltering Light》 is one of the better even if your deck is slow.
Oliver Polak-Rottmann
Nothing we are looking for, so we take the “best” card out of this pack.
Marcio Carvalho
I normally play one of this in my W/R decks because our creatures have high power and less thoughness.
Shuhei Nakamura:
It is a playable combat trick.
PICK 8
Martin Muller
《Frenzied Raptor》 is a perfectly fine card and probably the most likely card we end up playing after those 7 picks .
Oliver Polak-Rottmann
《Frenzied Raptor》 is the pick but 《Run Aground》 is a great card too. I am not too unhappy with this pickup and it seems like RG dinosaurs is where we will end up.
Marcio Carvalho
Here we pick 《Frenzied Raptor》 to try to synergize with potential cards that needs dinosaurs in the future.
Shuhei Nakamura
Best card for the deck in case I am going on a Green Blue deck.
The 8 Picks together
Martin Muller
Oliver Polak-Rottmann
Marcio Carvalho
Shuhei Nakamura
Conclusion
The most important and difficult choice was the second pick where these 4 men took 4 different cards. At this moment, the direction of the draft was different and it explain the differences during the following picks. I am pretty sure they would love to debate together about this second pick. This show how Ixalan drafts are very interesting.
Here is Twitter opinion:
P1\P1 Territorial Hammerskull. P2 ? (Pack in comment)
— jeremy dezani (@JDezani) 2017年10月19日
I hope you like the article and learn about Ixalan draft.
Thank you for reading,
Jeremy Dezani
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