Drafting Core Set 2019 with Pros #2

Jeremy Dezani

Today, we will draft with the new set: Core Set 2019

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:

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

Palladia-Mors, the RuinerGravediggerNightmare's ThirstSiftLava Axe Child of NightOreskos SwiftclawKnight of the TuskDivinationAnticipate Pegasus CourserInfectious HorrorElectrifyTolarian ScholarForsaken Sanctuary

Grzegorz Kowalski

Pick
Palladia-Mors, the Ruiner

As usual, I’m doing this before playing any draft, so my pick might be simply wrong. From this pack I would take 《Palladia-Mors, the Ruiner》. Core sets historically were about big creatures, bombs, and removal. This is a clear bomb, that’s also hard to kill. I think it’s good to take a greedy first pick and remember that you don’t to have to commit early. You always can abandon first pick.

Javier Dominguez

Pick
Palladia-Mors, the Ruiner

This card seems slightly too good to pass it here. It really depends on how fast the format ends being, but the hexproof here makes sure we get enough value even if they happen to have an answer, so I like it even though it’s 3 colors.

Kenji Tsumura

Pick
Palladia-Mors, the Ruiner

Picking a 3 color card in your first pick will be taking a risk, but if it is a powerhouse like this, I will love to pick it. At this period of time, green seems to be the unpopular color, so having a deck based on a green with multi colors is where we aim.

Oliver Polak-Rottmann

Pick
Electrify

While I can’t judge how strong a bomb like 《Palladia-Mors》 is, I know for sure that removal is always great in Core sets and therefore I would pick 《Electrify》. Arguments for 《Gravedigger》 could be made but I take the removal in an unknown environment.

Players’ Choice:

Palladia-Mors, the RuinerPalladia-Mors, the RuinerPalladia-Mors, the RuinerElectrify

PICK 2

mtgDeparted DeckhandAjani's PridemateThudField Creeper Angel of the DawnSalvager of SecretsGearsmith GuardianStrangling SporesTrumpet Blast Daggerback BasiliskCentaur CourserWalking CorpseLoxodon Line BreakerForest

Grzegorz Kowalski

Pick
Angel of the Dawn

Evasion and relevant ability.

Javier Dominguez

Pick
Angel of the Dawn

《Angel of the Dawn》 looks like the best card in the pack to me and it shares a color with our Dragon.

Kenji Tsumura

Pick
Angel of the Dawn

If you look at the cards in scores, 《Departed Deckhand》 is better, though thinking of what we picked in our first pack, we pick this.

Oliver Polak-Rottmann

Pick
Angel of the Dawn

While 《Thud》 is a one mana removal I think it’s pretty bad due to the fact it is a Sorcery. So, the pick comes down to 《Strangling Spores》 and 《Angel of the Dawn》. A 3/3 flier with a great ability is more interesting to me than the removal here.

Players’ Choice:

Angel of the DawnAngel of the DawnAngel of the DawnAngel of the Dawn

PICK 3

mtgAjani's PridemateShield MareDragon EggHostile Minotaur Mighty LeapTotally LostMacabre WaltzOnakke OgreInfernal Scarring Aven Wind MageSkeleton ArcherCancelmtgHighland Lake

Grzegorz Kowalski

Pick
Ajani's Pridemate

Filling the curve, also has an upside, if we pick some lifegain later.

Javier Dominguez

Pick
Ajani's Pridemate

All the cards seem to have roughly the same power level so I like to stay on color . 《Ajani's Pridemate》 can also become very big if paired with some lifegain.

Kenji Tsumura

Pick
Shield Mare

If we have picked《Ajani's Pridemate》 in the last pack. I regret it very much. Hard choice between 《Dragon Egg》 but at least, we can shift to cut red and green to go with white + blue + black, making me pick white.

Oliver Polak-Rottmann

Pick
Aven Wind Mage

This pick is a tough one, as there is no strong card available to us. 《Macabre Waltz》, 《Hostile Minotaur》, 《Aven Wind Mage》 and 《Ajani's Pridemate》 are decent but not strong by any means. I would take the 《Aven Wind Mage》 and try to stay open.

Players’ Choice:

Ajani's PridemateAjani's PridemateShield MareAven Wind Mage

PICK 4

mtgEnigma DrakemtgmtgAven Wind Mage Infectious HorrorRevitalizeCavalry DrillmasterKnight of the TuskHavoc Devils Infernal ScarringAct of TreasonWall of VinesTitanic GrowthMountain

Grzegorz Kowalski

Pick
Havoc Devils

Good enough for 4cmc in core set. We might go into aggressive boros, and don’t even play the first pick.

Javier Dominguez

Pick
Cavalry Drillmaster

I like staying on color and drafting curve here, and this Knight looks like a very solid card .

Kenji Tsumura

Pick
Cavalry Drillmaster

In this meta, I feel 1 toughness creatures can die very easily and very low value. Though we do not have any other interesting card, so we pick this to send the message we are on white.

Oliver Polak-Rottmann

Pick
Aven Wind Mage

Picking up the second 《Aven Wind Mage》 without much else in the pack is fine and now we hope to draft some spells.

Players’ Choice:

Havoc DevilsCavalry DrillmasterCavalry DrillmasterAven Wind Mage

PICK 5

mtgAerial EngineerSiegebreaker GiantRupture SpireSkeleton Archer Tolarian ScholarGhostformTake VengeanceRevitalizeFrilled Sea Serpent Child of NightmtgmtgmtgWoodland Stream

Grzegorz Kowalski

Pick
Take Vengeance

Removals should be super important and hard to get in core set. Even though this one isn’t really good, I’m happy to pick it.

Javier Dominguez

Pick
Take Vengeance

I’m not a fan of this kind of effect , but two mana is cheap enough that it will make up the times where we can’t cast it.

Kenji Tsumura

Pick
Aerial Engineer

This might be the biggest choice that splits our path. Picking 《Take Vengeance》to take our second color or picking《Aerial Engineer》or《Skeleton Archer》and stay on our plan. Looking at our picks, we do not see good green and red picks, so《Aerial Engineer》is going to be our picks. If our right-side player players a white-black life gain deck, in our second pack, we can hope that blue will come around.

Oliver Polak-Rottmann

Pick
Aerial Engineer

This pick comes down to the three uncommons and without knowing the speed of the format I would take the 《Aerial Engineer》 as it fits our UW-Fliers archetype best.

Players’ Choice:

Take VengeanceTake VengeanceAerial EngineerAerial Engineer

PICK 6

mtgStitcher's SuppliermtgmtgFire Elemental SkyscannerWalking CorpseCatalyst ElementalGearsmith GuardianRevitalize AnticipateAviation PioneermtgmtgMountain

Grzegorz Kowalski

Pick
Fire Elemental

Nothing good here, this one is at least big

Javier Dominguez

Pick
Skyscanner

A flying body plus filtering a card is something we don’t mind having in either an aggressive white deck or in a W/X midrange deck with 《Palladia-Mors》.

Kenji Tsumura

Pick
Aviation Pioneer

《Gearsmith Guardian》is also a strong card, though we do not know if we are able to have enough blue creatures so we pick《Aviation Pioneer》.

Oliver Polak-Rottmann

Pick
Aviation Pioneer

《Aviation Pioneer》 is exactly what we are looking for so I am happy to pick it up, again pretty uncontested.

Players’ Choice:

Fire ElementalSkyscannerAviation PioneerAviation Pioneer

PICK 7

mtgRupture SpireMake a StandmtgGhostform Trumpet BlastWall of VinesRustwing FalconInfernal ScarringGallant Cavalry mtgmtgmtgmtgMeandering River

Grzegorz Kowalski

Pick
Gallant Cavalry

In Dominaria, this effect was decent. Since power level goes down, if think it should be also good here.

Javier Dominguez

Pick
Gallant Cavalry

Two 2/2s with vigilance for four mana is a good ratio and also going to be fine in either midrange or aggro.

Kenji Tsumura

Pick
Gallant Cavalry

Hard decision between a good combat trick《Make a Stand》 but I am a creature loving guy so I pick《Gallant Cavalry》.

Oliver Polak-Rottmann

Pick
Make a Stand

I consider 《Make a Stand》 a nice combat trick and as far as we already have benefits with the 《Aven Wind Mage》. I take it over the Land. 《Gallant Cavalry》 is also fine, but not exactly what we are looking for.

Players’ Choice:

Gallant CavalryGallant CavalryGallant CavalryMake a Stand

PICK 8

mtgmtgmtgmtgTrusty Packbeast Gearsmith ProdigyMind RotInvoke the DivineWall of VinesTolarian Scholar Greenwood SentinelmtgmtgmtgSwamp

Grzegorz Kowalski

Pick
Trusty Packbeast

Actually good card, if we get some good artifacts later.

Javier Dominguez

Pick
Trusty Packbeast

It’s likely going to be a filler , but I do like staying on white here.

Kenji Tsumura

Pick
Trusty Packbeast

If we can’t pick lots of artifacts, 《Gearsmith Prodigy》will be a useless pick, so we pick a safe and trusty card《Trusty Packbeast》. We hope the next time around, we can pick 《Skyscanner》,《Gearsmith Guardian》, or 《Explosive Apparatus》.

Oliver Polak-Rottmann

Pick
Invoke the Divine

I am not sure we will have enough artifacts to make 《Gearsmith Prodigy》 work I would just pick up 《Invoke the Divine》 for Sideboard options as all other cards seems very replaceable.

Players’ Choice:

Trusty PackbeastTrusty PackbeastTrusty PackbeastInvoke the Divine

The 8 Picks Together

Grzegorz Kowalski

Palladia-Mors, the RuinerAngel of the DawnAjani's PridemateHavoc Devils Take VengeanceFire ElementalGallant CavalryTrusty Packbeast

Javier Dominguez

Palladia-Mors, the RuinerAngel of the DawnAjani's PridemateCavalry Drillmaster Take VengeanceSkyscannerGallant CavalryTrusty Packbeast

Kenji Tsumura

Palladia-Mors, the RuinerAngel of the DawnShield MareCavalry Drillmaster Aerial EngineerAviation PioneerGallant CavalryTrusty Packbeast

Oliver Polak-Rottmann

ElectrifyAngel of the DawnAven Wind MageAven Wind Mage Aerial EngineerAviation PioneerMake a StandInvoke the Divine

Conclusion

If its pretty clear that white was the color to go in this draft, it is definitely not that easy to choose the second color. Picking a 3 colors card as a first pick is never free, it could influence your followed picks.

Keep in mind that a 3 color card is a bet, dont be too hook to it.

Thank you for reading,

Jeremy Dezani

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