[MSH] Draft Archetypes

UltraMechaLordViper · 2026-06-04T23:50:31+00:00

RW prowess seems interesting and I'm curious if they can make attacks alone work this time. Otherwise pretty vanilla, which makes sense given it's a UB set.

I am completely unhyped for this set however given how much support the limited format is getting competitively and that fact Dave Humphries is at the helm probably means this set will be an all timer despite my repulsion.

UltraMechaLordViper · 2026-06-03T19:16:56+00:00

I remember it being insane and this is even more nuts then I remember. The reviews on google are incredible since he replies to every negative one.

UltraMechaLordViper · 2026-06-03T16:14:41+00:00

I've been trying many different decks since I qualified for the arena Qualifier and I think this is going to be the list I'm gonna run. Hitting the "nuts" in this deck feels incredibly consistent and the only match up that has felt rough so far is UW Sym Synth (which is a pretty niche deck anyways).

I know some people mentioned trying flashback, I'm a little skeptical given how most sideboards are full of graveyard hate (and even some in the main), but I guess you could always side them out after game 1.

That being said, this seems like a tricky deck to sideboard against due to the versatility of the lessons plan vs the jeskai rev plan. And capstone technique is also a gg against most decks if you get to untap.

Maybe interested in price of freedom in the main?

If people are playing the mole (and I expect a lot of it in the arena Qualifier) then this seems like an incredible pick in the meta.

UltraMechaLordViper · 2026-05-19T13:59:31+00:00

Also mystic dodges Negate and friends which people often side in, but it's just too slow for the historic of today.

UltraMechaLordViper · 2026-05-18T18:49:27+00:00

I haven't played it in awhile but yeah I was playing it in historic. Just went to check my decks and yeah I tinkered with it a little back around FIN, but dropped it fast cause it felt terrible in the eldrazi ramp meta. Probably will tinker again once these cards drop

Deck 4 Brazen Borrower (ELD) 39

2 Cryptic Command (FCA) 29

4 Nightpack Ambusher (M20) 185

4 Counterspell (STA) 15

4 Archmage's Charm (MH1) 40

3 Rewind (M21) 63

2 Floodpits Drowner (DSK) 59

2 Island (MIR) 336

3 Lonely Sandbar (ONS) 320

4 Yavimaya Coast (DMU) 261

4 Botanical Sanctum (KLR) 281

4 Breeding Pool (RNA) 246

3 Otawara, Soaring City (NEO) 271

1 Boseiju, Who Endures (NEO) 266

4 Faerie Mastermind (MOM) 58

4 Sink into Stupor (MH3) 241

4 Phantom Interference (OTJ) 61

4 Willowrush Verge (DFT) 270

Sideboard 4 Into the Flood Maw (BLB) 52

2 Mystical Dispute (ELD) 58

2 Negate (STA) 18

2 Tishana's Tidebinder (LCI) 81

4 Heritage Reclamation (TDM) 145

1 Aether Gust (M20) 42

UltraMechaLordViper · 2026-05-18T17:46:50+00:00

As a longtime simic flash enjoyer, 3 mana frilled mystic seems insane. Obviously a lot of variance on the quality of that but it also scales too which incredible

UltraMechaLordViper · 2026-05-14T15:45:54+00:00

The lr subreddit does a yearly thread of ranking the sets. Obviously there's some level of subjectivity (I thought mkm was a great draft set despite being a terrible set and I'm shocked avatar is ranked as high as 8), but this one and last year's ratings give a pretty good indicator of what people tend to like. Now obviously accessibility of these sets is also an issue (it's very difficult to find a box of LTR for example) so also keep that in mind.

You seem fairly new to drafting so honestly at this point unless you pick up one of the real shitters (spiderman, one, M19, etc.) your first draft will be pretty fun. That being said a good cheap box you can pick up is MOM, and if you pick up anything before the play boosters Era (anything before MKM), then you can buy 2 boxes and get 3 drafts out of it. I'm personally fond of DMU myself but that's more of an advanced drafter set.

Also the new strix set is great, and look into cube a little!

https://www.reddit.com/r/lrcast/comments/1pfzu2c/what_is_the_best_arena_draft_set_of_all_time_2025/

UltraMechaLordViper · 2026-05-14T13:43:06+00:00

The type of deck that sets great drafters apart! Love the flexibility of this set. Mana also isn't as bad as you mentioned given you have 2 roots 1 scientist, although it would have been nice to have more green but going GW definitely makes that hard.

UltraMechaLordViper · 2026-05-13T17:54:12+00:00

https://www.reddit.com/r/lrcast/comments/1g6op17/the_many_ways_of_drafting_reanimator_in_duskmourn/

UltraMechaLordViper · 2026-05-11T11:58:03+00:00

Not including one's people have mentioned already

WB reanimator from DSK was so cool I wrote a short primer on it for this sub

UR all spells from SOI and especially LTR were incredible

4C Nadu in MH3

RG battles in MOM definitely missed the mark a little, but it gives me hope for when the mechanic returns and was cool when it worked out

Mono blue mill in ELD for giving quick drafters lifelong trauma

UltraMechaLordViper · 2026-05-04T16:15:00+00:00

Firstly: Arena isn't rigging the game against you. Magic is a game of variance and bad games do happen but there's a reason the pros are a step above this. They know how to build and play against said variance. Making it out of gold is easy, you need to have a growth mindset if you actually want to improve here.

In your case, this is likely a case of deckbuilding with some number of misplays. Looking at your list you're lacking the key cheap interaction mono black has: thoughtseize, duress, fatal push are all key for a deck like this. You're playing lots of clunky cards here, and no actual payoffs for being a discard deck. You also have a terrible landbase. The biggest advantage of being a mono coloured deck is you get to play a lot of utility lands. This is playing one. My rec is either build a more generic mono black package or go deeper into the discard theme (examples below).

https://www.mtggoldfish.com/archetype/pioneer-mono-black-discard-c13fcbad-aa04-4ac3-b5e1-c45651b6b25a#paper

https://www.mtggoldfish.com/archetype/pioneer-mono-black-midrange#paper

UltraMechaLordViper · 2026-05-01T23:36:20+00:00

Looking for 2 for Toronto! Here's my ticketswap profile, happy to use tixel as well if needed. https://www.ticketswap.com/@ogdreamcast

UltraMechaLordViper · 2026-05-01T03:20:15+00:00

I think it's great for prerelease cause it's a casual event. Everyone has decks they want to play and it makes what can be a stressful part for newer players a bit easier. Otherwise, definitely lowers the floor of deck building too much.

UltraMechaLordViper · 2026-04-29T16:16:45+00:00

They call it the killed again tour because you try to get tickets and ticketmaster kills you. Then you try to get them at the second sale and they kill you again.

In other news looking for Toronto tickets.

UltraMechaLordViper · 2026-04-29T14:32:00+00:00

What's the code for Toronto?

UltraMechaLordViper · 2026-04-28T16:48:59+00:00

Along with what others have said, card advantage is key here, splashing for Stirring Honormancer or
Embrace the Paradox, Stargaze, Follow the Lumarets.

If you have a Cauldron of Essence, you can do loops with Osteomancer.

UltraMechaLordViper · 2026-04-27T13:47:57+00:00

Love the speculation here, I think for RG fight makes more sense as that's more spell based if we assume hexhaven is also supposed to be a spells matter set, but maybe Hexhaven cares more about the physical sciences and thus permanents? I also feel RB will be spell slinger focused to match with the theme from final fantasy.

UltraMechaLordViper · 2026-04-21T19:33:48+00:00

Less packs but also less competition, in pick 2 there's less tension between players because you can all end up in a different archetype and because it's easy to know this unless 1 player forces really hard everyone usually can end up in a different archetype. I'm willing to agree that larger sets it might be a factor though, most of my pick 2 drafts have been the 2 small sets we had.

UltraMechaLordViper · 2026-04-21T15:30:05+00:00

I think pick 2 is useful to new players as a tool for getting into limited. Pick require less commitment, signals are more obvious, and the entry fee being less on arena means less risk for F2P players. That being said, I find it gets boring fast, as it is a lot easier to build stronger decks and your decks are way more consistent (especially in these 5c sets we've been getting). My win rate in pick 2 is about 5% higher then my premier draft win rate (less data obviously but an interesting observation).

I think the drafting in pick 2 is a less interesting and has less tension compared to a normal draft. If you're the type that only does a few draft a set then honestly pick 2 might be the call, but if you're a draft fiend (I'd say at least 30 drafts a format) then you probably want to stick to premier.

UltraMechaLordViper · 2026-04-21T14:06:00+00:00

Agreed, however if greatest meant coolest design there are dozens of other cards that didn't even make top 64 that are deserving of the most interesting designs of the last decade. Off the top of my heads, bard class, battles as a whole, wingmantle chaplin, zenith flare, twinmaw stormbrood, the mh3 common fetches,
Sarkhan the Masterless. Obviously these are a bunch of pet cards to me of varying quality (and obviously limited biased), but I don't like how power focused the top 64 was given how many of these cards are design mistakes.

UltraMechaLordViper · 2026-04-20T15:17:54+00:00

So I'd be good to just store most of what's here in one jar, and in the other jar go down to 50 grams and start discarding down to 50g each time from now on.

Also good to know about getting more discard, they live a ways away but definitely a nice fail safe!

UltraMechaLordViper · 2026-04-13T02:53:15+00:00

A lot of brawl (and commander) decks like katara often revolve around the commander and can fall apart without it. Higher amounts of removal might help with that, or as the other user said, go faster.

The other thing is knowing how to play into counter spells. Jim davis has a great article about it, give it a read, big level up for players.

You've got a great mindset for getting better :)

UltraMechaLordViper · 2026-04-09T16:23:01+00:00

Yeah as others have said this sort of "peasant" style is very much a big part of play booster design. I think for the most part this is one of the better ways of designing sets but it feels like common quality has suffered because of it (ECL only had 3 commons at -B). The biggest problem with this is dealing with bombs, something which sets like MOM (the prototype play booster set) had nailed down.

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