I love drafting. Seven years ago, I wouldn’t even imagine I’d say that. With my minimum wage then (or your small allowance from your high school days), booster drafts were a luxury. Players would rather trade or buy cards for their constructed decks and play countless games with them. Maybe that is why the Pinoy player is good with standard constructed. Only a few fortunate ones are good with draft.

My first draft was in Regionals 2002 when I went 3-3, but I would not crack a pack for drafting until 13 months later. From 2002 to early 2007, I have a measly total of 4 drafts. In my first Nationals in 2007, I didn’t have a clue and messed up my draft. I was just happy to be there. The following year I started to take booster draft seriously as I needed the points to qualify for Nationals 2008, attending tournaments the last few weeks prior; not to join the main event, but the side drafts. Even then, I considered myself a constructed player by heart, with below average skills in booster draft. There were no venues for practice. Rare are shops that organize booster drafts. And even if you find one, it’s too far away.

Then I got exiled!  The past 12 months – 66 booster drafts. And counting.

Enough about me, let’s get to drafting. Take a load of this:

This is a copy of the one I have posted in my bedroom and my office cubicle. It’s a guide that I sometimes follow in drafting Zendikar commons. For example, I will gladly first-pick Hideous End, Burst Lighting or Windrider Eel if there are no better uncommons or rare. And I will never even consider Trapfinder’s Trick (blech!). This is no way the best pick order. It is based on what many people think how they should draft Zendikar, but take note that there are other skills in drafting that is more important: like sending and reading signals, whether they are color- or archetype-related.

When you are a beginner, you can definitely use this. A visual reminder before you leave home can go a long way. (NOTE though that you are not allowed to look at notes during a draft.) You will find that you give yourself a better chance to win, than not knowing this at all. You will know which cards to pick early on, and which cards to ignore. Spreading Seas may seem like land-D and draw when first seen, but it does nothing but waste your turn 2 or your 2 mana. Later on through practice, you can follow your own pick order. I, for one, by default would now pick Steppe Lynx over Ondu Cleric, but would pick the latter more if I’m drafting Allies (e.g. Kazandu Blademaster, Oran Rief-Survivalist, Umara Raptor). I would also like to see Surrakar Marauder in the early game instead of Blood Seeker. I also try to stay away from Scythe Tiger and not pick it at all, even preferring to hate draft in the late picks than pick it then. In the 3^rd pack drafting red, I will pick Goblin Shortcutter a little higher if I am lacking 2-drops.

Earlier, I mentioned signalling. In the past, I was guilty of messing up a draft by passing good cards that good drafters would most likely pick. For example, if you are new to drafting and are amazed by fatties, you may pick Vastwood Gorger over Harrow. Now the person to your left would see the Harrow and will think that you are signalling to him that you want him to go “Green!”  Except you’re not! The bad thing that will happen to him is that you will continue to pick green cards and cut him off (but maybe pass him some more Khalni Heart Expedition because you did not know they are useful). The even worse thing is that in the 2^nd pack when that passing reverses, he will most likely pick green cards to accompany his Harrow and cut you off in the process. The end result is two players sharing the same color and diluting the quality of cards between them. Next comes the losses. With this guide at least, you will know that that Harrow is a higher chased-upon card than the Vastwood Gorger.

If you doubt this, you can have a mock draft with your friends at home. Buy a box from Neutral Grounds and split them among yourselves. Since your event is non-sanctioned, you can choose to give a copy of this to your playmates. You will find that more players will have better decks. I actually tried that in the past – I gave a guide to Lorwyn draft pick order to officemates, and found that they were more satisfied with their decks than in our former casual drafts. I also sent out an Excel file way back in Ravnica block that contained a script that simulated the scenario of the 2^nd pick, something that Mr. Porter mentioned in these forums helped him practice a little prior his Grand Prix win.

Even with these guides, I still have a long way to improving my skills with drafting, but I at least am confident I can mix it up with good drafters without them whispering behind my back how I messed up their draft. Nyehehehe!

And I offer this to the Pinoy player. Excelsior!