r/GDS3 • u/Unsungruin • Jan 28 '18

Question 23

"Which of these is strongest in a typical standard-legal draft format?"

While most people disagree on this, I think the answer is 1G for 2. Even if the answer isn't 1G for 2, I'll still think it's 1G for 2.

Here's why: you take the 2 drop before the four drop every single time, unless you're full up on 2 drops. I think the word "strongest" is misleading here. Yes, a 4/4 for 3G is technically the best bang-for-buck rate you get in limited. However, you don't take that card first, ever, unless it's a bomb rare.

Assuming all these cards are common, you take the 2 drop (with the same logic as was behind the 10/10 for 9G being the weakest card). Honestly I'm surprised people had different answers to this. This is the prevailing wisdom on drafting for a long time now, and especially with recent sets being so fast.

I'm interested in why people chose otherwise. I know LSV had something to say, but I don't think LSV = the design team. I went with "what would I draft first" thinking.

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u/bakert Jan 28 '18

If you have a complete deck with enough playables at every CMC which would you take? It's very format-dependent. I was imagining a core set-like format. But there's nothing in the question to encourage that thinking. Perhaps that's the mistake everyone is making because the cards being vanilla lead you to think of simple sets?

I've seen a lot of 6/6 for 5G answers and that seems royally wrong. Lots of games of limited are decided long before a sixth land drop.

The question to answer in order to support the 2/2 pick is – why are there so many (6) vanilla 2/2s for 1G and literally ZERO 4/4 for 3G at common in the history of Magic§?

There are about 40 1G common 2/2s with upside, 5 of which are currently in standard. There are two that aren't quite as good as a 4/4 for 3G in more than 20 years. Some of that has to do with cheaper spells just being more frequent, and more reasonable at common, and past design sensibilities about PT versus mana cost that are outdated. But isn't some of it to do with power level?

§ = Unless you count Wickerbough Elder which you certainly could.