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 to 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.

One by one Pick

PICK 1

Thiago Saporito:

I’m really disappointed with 《Ruin Raider》 so I wouldn’t pick here, there are 2 picks that I like here: 《Firecannon Blast》 and 《Adanto Vanguard》 (which proved to be better than it looks) but I still preferring to prioritize removal spells at the beginning of the draft, so I would pick 《Firecannon Blast》.

Grzegorz Kowalski:

《Ruin Raider》. Solid rare. I want to be aggressive in this format and focus on good mana curve and tricks, Raider fits very well here.

Marc Tobiasch:

The best card is 《Ruin Raider》. Not the best body, but getting card advantage the turn you play it as well as likely every turn after that it lives is nothing to scoff at. Having too many 5- and 6-drops makes it somewhat risky, but I would want to avoid those anyway.

Kenta Harane:

《Ruin Raider》. It’s a powerful rare and can be a fatal card to win the game. Defiantly deserves a spot at the first pick. This card shines often when it is in an aggressive deck, but if it’s a first pick, it is easier to plan what kind of strategy you want so this card is very welcome.

PICK 2

Thiago Saporito:

Okay, so nothing red in this pack and there is a very powerful blue rare, 《Entrancing Melody》 two for one effects are really good in limited, honestly, I’m surprised that’s the second pick here, I know it’s kind of expensive but still very powerful.

Grzegorz Kowalski:

《Entrancing Melody》. Just a bomb. I’m really surprised someone could pick a common over it.

Marc Tobiasch:

Someone took a common over 《Entrancing Melody》 which makes me think there was a foil in the pack since Mind Control is just busted. Taking it for sure.

Kenta Harane:

《Entrancing Melody》. Unbelievable that this card is able to be picked at the second pick. Even if it was the first pick, there is no complain and love to pick this rare. If I can build towards a U/B pirate deck, it will go along with the 《Ruin Raider》 that I picked and that would be awesome.

PICK 3

Thiago Saporito:

Easy, since I have picked one blue and one red card, I would pick the 《Marauding Looter》 that could be a signal that those colors are open.

Grzegorz Kowalski:

《Skymarch Bloodletter》. It’s between this and 《Marauding Looter》. Both are OK-ish in aggressive decks, but we didn’t see any good red card in three packs and I don’t think drafting red will be possible, so I prefer to stick with my rare first pick.

Marc Tobiasch:

This is where it gets more interesting. The best card is 《Marauding Looter》 and we already have a blue card that we got passed. 《Favorable Winds》 can be a good build around that, when you have it early enough can get you the payoff you need. I would take the 《Marauding Looter》 though since it warps the rest of the picks less and if we turn out U/R it is just great.

Kenta Harane:

《Marauding Looter》. It is a multi-color but this card is one head above the rest and if able to use, the value is pretty high. If I use the 1st and 2nd pick and go towards the U/B pirate, this architype has the treasure which splashing a different color and using this will be easier than others.

PICK 4

Thiago Saporito:

Nothing that impressive here, I would pick the 《Pirate's Cutlass》 and try to build a U/R aggressive pirate deck.

Grzegorz Kowalski:

《Pirate's Cutlass》 . best card in the pack, also works well with what our deck wants to do. After that my goal is to pick some 2 drops, preferably pirates.

Marc Tobiasch:

No real black cards, and the red cards are pretty weak. The Cutlass is a decent pirate payoff however and there are some decent blue cards. The other color that has playables is green, but I like the lower curve on color cards if the pick is close so I’ll take the 《Shipwreck Looter》.

Kenta Harane:

《Pirate's Cutlass》. When we are looking towards building a U/B pirate deck, this can be the best pick. Picking this now would be best reason to jump on the pirate architype, and to pick other pirates in the future.

PICK 5

Thiago Saporito:

Nothing blue or red that I would be happy by playing in this pack, all three cards that I would pick in this colors are very unimpressive (《Opt》, 《Sure Strike》, 《Nest Robber》) and I think that is a very late 《Vanquish the Weak》 , so that would be my pick here, even that’s not either blue or red.

Grzegorz Kowalski:

《Vanquish the Weak》 . solid removal, again best card in the pack.

Marc Tobiasch:

The best card by a decent margin is 《Vanquish the Weak》 in my opinion. 3 mana instant speed removal is very strong and something I would view as a signal pick 5.

Kenta Harane:

《Vanquish the Weak》. Picking a removal at this time proves that the deck is in a good position and will build towards U/B pirates.

PICK 6

Thiago Saporito:

Another bad pack for red here and there is some blue fillers, I would take the 《Dire Fleet Hoarder》 since I already have the equipment to make him a little better.

Grzegorz Kowalski:

《Dire Fleet Hoarder》 . Kind of filler, but it’s a 2-drop pirate, works well with Cutlass.

Marc Tobiasch:

Here is a second 《Favorable Winds》 making me somewhat regret the second pick, especially since red doesn’t seem to be open. Pretty easy 《Dire Fleet Hoarder》 for us, looking to go into U/B pirates.

Kenta Harane:

《Dire Fleet Hoarder》. Since I have decided building towards U/B Pirates, it is time to pick cards you need in my deck. For pirate’s decks, 2mana creatures are very important. Too many is understandable but the opposite is not acceptable. Based on picking 《Ruin Raider》, a creature that can attack in the 2 mana slot is very important.

PICK 7

Thiago Saporito:

Wow!! And there is the reward for taking some black cards, a 7th pick 《Walk the Plank》 , a premium black uncommon, easy pick here!

Grzegorz Kowalski:

《Walk the Plank》 . premium removal, it shouldn’t be possible to see it so late in pack one.

Marc Tobiasch:

Slamming 《Walk the Plank》 . I don’t know how this card got to 7th pick but I’m not complaining. 2 mana hard removal is extremely good and the non-merfolk clause doesn’t come up a lot.

Kenta Harane:

《Deadeye Quartermaster》. It is a difficult choice against 《Walk the Plank》 but since we have the 《Pirate's Cutlass》, I pick the deadeye. If we pick the may call 2nd cutlass now, picks in the near future will be very smooth to decide. Since the color U/B removals can be replaced by bounce back spells, I picked cutlass, a card that does not have a replacement. Also in the first 2 packs we have seen 《Desperate Castaways》 so if it comes around, we want some artifacts to count.

PICK 8

Thiago Saporito:

Nothing special, my two options would be 《Depths of Desire》 and the second 《Dire Fleet Hoarder》 , since I have the pirate equipment my pick here would be the Pirate.

Grzegorz Kowalski:

《Dire Fleet Hoarder》 curve filler, nothing else for us.

Marc Tobiasch:

And another 《Dire Fleet Hoarder》 for the curve. Having 3 good 2drops after 8 picks lets you be a little more flexible later on. There is still a 《Depths of Desire》 in the pack giving us an idea that blue could be open as well so U/B is looking good. We are hard locked into black at this point, hopefully U/B but we can ditch blue if we need to. Very good start to the draft overall.

Kenta Harane:

《Dire Fleet Hoarder》. As said before, in a pirate deck, 2 mana creatures are high priority picks. Getting the 2nd cutlass makes us much easier to pick the low mana creatures. We now have more cards that makes treasure, so we are able to use the 《Marauding Looter》 much easier.

The 8 Picks together

Thiago Saporito

Grzegorz Kowalski

Marc Tobiasch

Kenta Harane

I hope you like the article and learn about Ixalan limited.

Thank you for reading,

Jeremy Dezani