Drafting Dominaria with Pros #3

Jeremy Dezani

Today, we will draft with the new set: Dominaria!

I simulated the first 8 pick of a draft, and asked to 4 Hareruya Pros what they would pick in each situation.

Here are the 4 gentlemen who kindly accepted to participate in this experience:

For more details, please visit here: Hareruya Pros

It will definitely be interesting to see if they choose the same cards or not.

PICK 1

Two-Headed GiantJhoira's FamiliarRona, Disciple of GixSentinel of the Pearl TridentAdamant Will BefuddleBlink of an EyeCloudreader SphinxEviscerateHealing Grace Krosan DruidRadiating LightningRat ColonySkirk ProspectorPlains

Javier Dominguez

Pick
Eviscerate

Unconditional removal is a very desirable way to start a draft and I think it’s just the best card in the pack.

Yoshihiko Ikawa

Pick
Eviscerate

We will have to chose from these four: 《Two-Headed Giant》, a 4 mana creature that shows its strength in mono red aggro, 《Rona, Disciple of Gix》 a card that can be an advantage generator, or an efficient flyer, 《Cloudreader Sphinx》. It is very hard to choose one of them. In this pack, not many cards are here for black, we can send a signal that someone is on black and decrease the number of players who would go for black, and its’s also a great removal, so we should pick 《Eviscerate》.

Thiago Saporito

Pick
Eviscerate

A solid removal spell, I don’t like 《Two-Headed Giant》that much.

Petr Sochurek

Pick
Two-Headed Giant

I don’t really think this pick is very close, the giant is a very powerful creature which is great in any red deck and all the other cards in the pack are just mediocre. (I don’t even like 《Eviscerate》 that much.)

Players’ choice:

EviscerateEviscerateEviscerateTwo-Headed Giant

PICK 2

Josu Vess, Lich KnightDanitha Capashen, ParagonMemorial to UnitymtgDub Ghitu ChroniclerVodalian ArcanistRadiating LightningEviscerateMesa Unicorn Baloth GorgerThallid OmnivoreBenalish Honor GuardAdventurous ImpulseForest

Javier Dominguez

Pick
Josu Vess, Lich Knight

《Josu Vess, Lich Knight》 is very solid, and here I think I like it more than the 2nd copy of 《Eviscerate》. Expensive spells don’t really get better in multiples and 《Josu Vess, Lich Knight》 is a great card on its own, even though it’s very unlikely to be played with kicker.

Yoshihiko Ikawa

Pick
Josu Vess, Lich Knight

A great rare we have here to pick. Playing this with 4 mana is good, using its kicker is also great. Picking this on our 2nd pick is awesome . We can see that our right-hand side player has picked an uncommon which I assume an 《Icy Manipulator》.

Thiago Saporito

Pick
Josu Vess, Lich Knight

Good body, and also if the game goes really late you just win the game kicking it. It’s close to the second 《Eviscerate》 but I do like 《Josu Vess, Lich Knight》 here.

Petr Sochurek

Pick
Josu Vess, Lich Knight

Once again, not really a very close pick to me – the rare is just a busted card with no comparison in the booster – I would take a mental note after this pick, that I have passed a lot of black cards while also taking a black card. It might be helpful to prioritize black cards in close picks in future packs to try get the person we are passing to out of black.

Players’ choice:

Josu Vess, Lich KnightJosu Vess, Lich KnightJosu Vess, Lich KnightJosu Vess, Lich Knight

PICK 3

Evra, Halcyon WitnessHowling GolemThorn ElementalmtgVodalian Arcanist DivestSaproling MigrationVicious OfferingGhitu JourneymagePowerstone Shard ChargeRampaging CyclopsGhitu ChroniclermtgSwamp

Javier Dominguez

Pick
Vicious Offering

I like 《Vicious Offering》 a lot and since we already have 2 black cards I like it over 《Evra, Halcyon Witness》.

Yoshihiko Ikawa

Pick
Vicious Offering

A great spot removal so we should pick《Vicious Offering》. I like the way this draft is going.

Thiago Saporito

Pick
Evra, Halcyon Witness

I think this card is not a super bomb but just fine, but I do think it’s the best card in the pack.

Petr Sochurek

Pick
Howling Golem

This pick will probably surprise a lot of people, but I actually think that 《Howling Golem》 is great – in a historic deck all you need is to play historic spells every turn and triggered abilities of your cheap payoff cards. This Golem is also a cheap historic card that, and allow you to draw more – the effect usually benefits you more than your opponent. Even in a slower deck, you still get to choose if you want to let both players draw a card, and you play the drawn card first anyway.

I would not take 《Evra, Halcyon Witness》 here, because I don’t think it’s that great – it’s basically just over glorified 6 mana 4/4 (yeah, I know it’s actually way better, so I would take it if the 2/3 isn’t in the booster, but you get the point), but I assume it’s a signal that white is open, because other people should still think that it’s a great card, so I would consider switching to white in the future boosters.

Players’ choice:

Vicious OfferingVicious OfferingEvra, Halcyon WitnessHowling Golem

PICK 4

mtgTiana, Ship's CaretakerThorn ElementalZhalfirin VoidPardic Wanderer Skittering SurveyorPrimordial WurmPierce the SkyKrosan DruidBaloth Gorger Keldon WarcallerBlessed LightmtgmtgIsland

Javier Dominguez

Pick
Blessed Light

《Blessed Light》 isn’t the perfect card to go with the cards we already drafted, but I think the power level gap between it and 《Baloth Gorger》 is just too wide.

Yoshihiko Ikawa

Pick
Skittering Surveyor

Hard choice with《Blessed Light》 and 《Baloth Gorger》, but we should pick《Skittering Surveyor》. Picking this will givu us to a lot more possibilities .

Thiago Saporito

Pick
Blessed Light

Again, I think this is the best card in the pack, so I just take it.

Petr Sochurek

Pick
Blessed Light

There is a little consideration of 《Tiana, Ship's Caretaker》, but not to mention, we don’t even know if we go for red. The card is probably worse than 《Blessed Light》 anyway.

Players’ choice:

Blessed LightSkittering SurveyorBlessed LightBlessed Light

PICK 5

mtgKwende, Pride of FemerefDamping SpheremtgTragic Poet Relic RunnerArbor ArmamentCabal EvangelPierce the SkyRun Amok Bloodstone GoblinChargemtgmtgForest

Javier Dominguez

Pick
Kwende, Pride of Femeref

Picking 《Kwende, Pride of Femeref》 puts us into a corner where the manacurve is at high as our early picks have a high mana cost, but I think it is still the best card to grab here.

Yoshihiko Ikawa

Pick
Kwende, Pride of Femeref

Nothing interesting here so we just pick the card that has the highest card power, so 《Kwende, Pride of Femeref》.

Thiago Saporito

Pick
Kwende, Pride of Femeref

4 mana “4 power” creature with a bonus, I think this card is ok, also nothing special in the pack.

Petr Sochurek

Pick
Kwende, Pride of Femeref

Our curve is starting to be a little high, but Kwende is by far the best card in the booster, so an easy pick for me.

Players’ choice:

Kwende, Pride of FemerefKwende, Pride of FemerefKwende, Pride of FemerefKwende, Pride of Femeref

PICK 6

mtgChainer's TormentAmaranthine WallmtgThallid Omnivore Arcane FlightSerra DiscipleSkirk ProspectorPrimordial WurmBenalish Honor Guard DubmtgmtgmtgMountain

Javier Dominguez

Pick
Benalish Honor Guard

Our power level at this point of the draft is quite hight but our mana curve is not that good, so here I like to take the 2-drop.

Yoshihiko Ikawa

Pick
Thallid Omnivore

We are sure to play black, and 《Thallid Omnivore》is a very good 4 drop which can make lots of synergies . We can also prevent others from making BG fungus decks.

Thiago Saporito

Pick
Serra Disciple

I don’t like this guy very much, but in a “historic” deck I can see him being okay, and BW has a lot of legends, so I wouldn’t mind giving it a try, and it will goes well with 《Kwende, Pride of Femeref》 .

Petr Sochurek

Pick
Serra Disciple

We already have 《Kwende, Pride of Femeref》 to go with 《Serra Disciple》, and it is the best white 2 drop for any historic deck, so an easy pick for me.

Players’ choice:

Benalish Honor GuardThallid OmnivoreSerra DiscipleSerra Disciple

PICK 7

mtgSorcerer's WandmtgmtgAven Sentry OptSergeant-at-ArmsSeismic ShiftLlanowar ScoutBloodtallow Candle Voltaic ServantmtgmtgmtgForest

Javier Dominguez

Pick
Aven Sentry

I’ve liked flying a lot so far and that’s why I like 《Aven Sentry》 as the pick, even though the mana cost is not very convenient for us so far.

Yoshihiko Ikawa

Pick
Bloodtallow Candle

In order to secure the white relevant in our build, picking 《Aven Sentry》 or 《Sergeant-at-Arms》 is not a bad idea, but still we should wait for these and decide to pick 《Bloodtallow Candle》 since it is a removal.

Thiago Saporito

Pick
Aven Sentry

A good flying creature, possibly the best card in the pack.

Petr Sochurek

Pick
Sergeant-at-Arms

Sergeant a.k.a 《Cloudgoat Ranger》, is not that great in a historic aggro deck, but first of all we might easily end up in a more midrange like BW, plus we already have two 4 drops and there are a lot of them in the set, so I feel like we should just waste a pick by taking the 《Aven Sentry》. There is also a 《Bloodtallow Candle》 in the booster, but I think that you will easily get it later if you want it.

Players’ choice:

Aven SentryBloodtallow CandleAven SentrySergeant-at-Arms

PICK 8

mtgThe Flame of KeldmtgmtgInvoke the Divine Keldon OverseerRun AmokSerra DiscipleCorrosive OozePardic Wanderer mtgmtgmtgmtgSwamp

Javier Dominguez

Pick
Pardic Wanderer

Big guys play well unconditional removal , and I like having 《Pardic Wanderer》 assure us that we can end playing with a controlling deck where a big body is useful .

Yoshihiko Ikawa

Pick
Invoke the Divine

In Dominaria, lots of powerful enchantments and artifacts are listed, so having this makes us feel safe. The others are not appealing to us so let’s grab of this now.

Thiago Saporito

Pick
Serra Disciple

Well, the same card as the last one, but I will try to focus more on historic cards in the rest picks!

Petr Sochurek

Pick
Serra Disciple

Same as above.

Players’ choice:

Pardic WandererInvoke the DivineSerra DiscipleSerra Disciple

The 8 Picks Together

Javier Dominguez

EviscerateJosu Vess, Lich KnightVicious OfferingBlessed Light Kwende, Pride of FemerefBenalish Honor GuardAven SentryPardic Wanderer

Yoshihiko Ikawa

EviscerateJosu Vess, Lich KnightVicious OfferingSkittering Surveyor Kwende, Pride of FemerefThallid OmnivoreBloodtallow CandleInvoke the Divine

Thiago Saporito

EviscerateJosu Vess, Lich KnightEvra, Halcyon WitnessBlessed Light Kwende, Pride of FemerefSerra DiscipleAven SentrySerra Disciple

Petr Sochurek

Two-Headed GiantJosu Vess, Lich KnightHowling GolemBlessed Light Kwende, Pride of FemerefSerra DiscipleSergeant-at-ArmsSerra Disciple

Conclusion

Even though all of them almost agreed that white black is the way to go in this draft, they didn’t pick the same cards each time. The main reason is that they had the choices to go for a midrange version with good stuff or to pick historic cards to make 《Serra Disciple》 efficient. There are also some interesting evaluations of rares in this draft!

Thank you for reading,

Jeremy Dezani

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