The main purpose of this article is to review the most popular deck archetypes in Triple Zendikar booster drafts. It aims to provide a deep insight on what makes these decks tick and how to beat them. Hopefully you would enjoy reading this article as much as I enjoyed writing it.

Monowhite

This is an ok archetype. You would be able to consistently play cards like Kazandu Blademaster, Kor Aeronaut, Kor Outfitter. This is the deck where Armament Master is most effective since almost all white creature are kors even the obviously human devout lightcaster. Only consider this archetype if you have good equipment and finishers like Nimbus Wings and Windborne Charge. This is the archetype where you'd usually play Bold Defense because of lack of tricks. Don't pick brave the elements to highly if you're drafting this archetype since it will surely come around. The weakness of this archetype is the lack of abusive combos and bombs.

1st tier: Journey to Nowhere, Kor Skyfisher, Shepherd of the Lost, Windborne Charge, Kor Aeronaut,

2nd tier: Kor Sanctifiers, Kor Hookmaster, Adventuring gear, Kazandu Blademaster, steppe lynx

Honorable Mention: Armament Master, bold defense, brave the elements

White/Red Aggro

This is the skeleton for the standard deck Boros deck wins. It is an effective archetype due to the aggressive nature of two colors. Kor Hookmaster, Torch Slinger and Goblin Shortcutter remove blockers while generating tempo. Kor Skyfisher is most effective here due to synergies with steppe lynx, plated geopede and the ‘comes into battlefield’ creatures mentions above. Windborne charge also shines due to synergy with Zektar Shrine Expedition and Ruinous Minotaur. Just don't pick the Zektar Shrine Expeditions too early since it competes with your 2 casting cost creatures on turns 2 and 3. Bladetusk boar and flyers finish what's left of the opponent. Pick up some nimbus wings instead of Goblin War Paint.

1st tier: Burst Lightning, Journey to Nowhere, Kor Skyfisher, plated geopede, Kor Hookmaster, Bladetusk Boar

2nd tier: Windborne Charge, Torch Slinger, Adventuring gear,

Honorable mention: Ruinous Minotaur, Kor Skyfisher, Windborne charge

U/G/W allies

This is a popular archetype for building an allies deck since the cheapest +1/+1 allies are found in this three colors. Green and blue provide the fixing and white provides the removals. The main weakness of this archetype is running out of playable allies and color screw.

1st Tier: Journey to Nowhere, Harrow, Umara Raptor, Kazandu Blademaster, Oran Rief Survivalist

2nd Tier: Makindi shieldmate, Ondu Cleric

Honorable Mention: Rites of Replication(this counts as an honorary ally.)

Blue/White Skies

This is also a popular archetype. Defensive creatures like Kor Sanctifiers, Makindi shieldmate, and kraken hatchling gum up the ground while your flyers bring home the bacon. This is basically a racing deck so cards like Arrow Volley Trap and Whiplash Trap shine in this archetype. Nimbus Wings and Windborne Charge go down in value in this archetype since most of your creatures are flying. The main weakness of this Archetype is Oran-Rief Recluse. Explorer's Scope also shines here since most of your creatures are flying.

1st Tier: Journey to nowhere, flying creatures

2nd Tier: Kor Sanctifiers, Makindi shieldmate, and kraken hatchling

Honorary Mention: Explorer's scope

Blue/Green Landfall

This is one of my favorite archetypes. Takes advantage of harrow and landfall cards. Merfolk Seastalkers provide an outlet for all the extra mana and living tsunami enables you to abuse the landfall mechanic. Defensive cards are important in this archetype such as oran-rief recluse and kraken hatchling to ensure that you will survive the early onslaught of r/w and r/b decks and take over the game with your late game cards. Careful assessment of the balance between the late game cards and early game cards and mana curve is vital in this archetype. Quest of the gemblades is exciting in this archetype in combination with your walls to discourage your opponent from attacking. Paralyzing grasp goes up in value in this archetype since it is your only removal if you don't splash any other colors. Timbermaw Larva is also effective in this archetype but don't pick over creatures that are better in defending your life points. The weakness of this archetype is the lack of removals since your only removal is paralyzing grasp and Oran Rief Recluse+Soaring Seacliff

Tier 1: Harrow, Living Tsunami, Merfolk Seastalkers, Windrider Eel, Baloth Woodcrasher, Umara Raptor,  River Boa Grazing Gladehart, Greenweaver Druid, Turntimber Basilisk, Sky Ruin Drake, Territorial Baloth, Paralyzing Grasp, Nissa's Chosen, Kraken Hatchling, Mold shambler(picks here are interchangeable depending on your mana curve)

Tier 2: Oran Rief Recluse, Timbermaw Larva, Into the Roil,

Honorable Mention: Oran-Rief Survivalist, Welkin Tern (not picked to highly in this archetype since these are bad in defense. May be picked highly if you have successfully picked up some Explorer's Scope)

Ior Ruin Expedition, Khalni Heart Expedition (Don't pick these cards too highly since these cards usually come around. The order of the picks between these two cards are interchangeable since they perform the same role.)

Blue/Black Aggro

This archetype is similar to U/W only less defensive. Since most of your removals and creatures are offensive, defensive creatures take a hike in this archetype. This is also one of the decks that could utilize Guul Draz Vampire with their fast damage and evasive creatures. This deck also has soul stair expedition to recoup dead fliers. Similar to B/R, this deck is also weak to Seismic Shudder.

1st Tier: Vampire Nighthawk, Disfigure, Hideous End, Vampire Nighthawk, Welkin Tern, Umara Raptor, Windrider Eel, Surakar marauder

Blue/Red Aggro

This archetype actually lacks in synergies but it still works since the blue and red cards don't have restricted casting costs. Like U/B and B/R, it is a fast deck and eschews defensive creatures for more early beats. It has a weaker late game compared to B/R and U/B but makes up for it with an unstoppable chain of evasive creatures backed up by burn.

MonoBlack

This is a good deck. It utilizes the synergies of Crypt Ripper, Gatekeeper of Malakir, Vampire Hexmage and mind sludge with lots of swamps. This is also the only deck which could effectively utilize Feast of Blood. This is more effective than white because of the existence of big black bombs. The weakness of this deck is lack of defensive power since you're going to use 1/1 vampires and hagra crocodiles.

Tier 1: Vampire Nighthawk, Disfigure, Hideous End, Marsh Casualties

Tier 2: Surrakar Marauder

Honorable mention: Feast of Blood, Crypt Ripper, Gatekeeper of Malakir

Green/Black

This is one of those hidden archetypes where the synergies are not so obvious. This works because of the acceleration of green combined with the best kicker cards such as marsh casualties and Heartstabber Mosquito. This archetype also contains a good ally chain. The weakness of this is the balance of forest and swamps since the cards for this colors are either heavy green or heavy black. This deck is also slow.

Tier 1: Vampire Nighthawk, Marsh Casualties, disfigure, Hideous End, oran rief survivalist, heartstabber mosquito, Surrakar Maurader 

Tier 2: Nimana Sell-Sword, Mold Shambler, Giant Scorpion, Oran-rief Recluse,

Honorable Mention: Soul Stair (This archetype has a lot of comes into battlefield effects but don't pick 2 highly since one in the deck is usually enough)

Black/Red Aggro

This is the most successful archetype due to the high availability of playable black and red cards. I recall in one draft that I had where there were 3 B/R decks in the table and they still all ended up having powerful decks. These decks are also fast enough that they could consistently have the Guul Draz Vampire enabled to finish the games. The main weakness of this archetype is its reliance on 1 toughness creatures so Seismic Shudder is a sure sideboard against this deck. Grim discovery shines in this archetype due to its inherent synergy with Magma Rift and ruinous Minotaur.

Tier 1: Vampire Nighthawk, Burst Lightning, disfigure, Hideous End, Plated Geopede, Surakar Marauder, Bladetusk Boar

Honorable Mention: grim discovery

MonoRed

This is the most powerful of the monocolored archetypes due to valakut, spire barrage and Molten Ravager. This archetype is usually feasible due to the color depth of red. Since you'll be competing with other players for red cards, you'll usually play Goblin War Paint to push against defensive creatures like kraken hatchling and Makindi Shieldmate. Don't hesitate to play hedron Scrabbler as your 22nd card. Please also note that mark of mutiny could also be used on your own creatures to make them more powerful. The weakness of this deck is lack of card advantage.

1st tier: spire barrage, Burst Lightning, plated geopede, Bladetusk Boar, Molten Ravager,

Honorable mention: Goblin War Paint

Archetypes not discussed:

Red/Green

Red creatures are small and fast while Green Creatures are big and slow.

White/Green

Discussed with U/W/G allies.

White/Black

White commons have WW. Black commons have BB

MonoBlue:

No cards to take advantage of having a lot of islands.

MonoGreen

This is a deck that I have yet to see.

Fun Decks!!!             

These decks are fun to play but are rarely feasible due to their difficulty to build.

Mono White Life Gain

If you have picked up an eternity vessel and Felidar Sovereign, consider giving this deck a try. The game plan is to gain life, drop eternity vessel and grind down your opponent with a couple of noble vestige. if you still don't have enough life, bring it back with Narrow Escape repeat. Landbind Ritual is awesome in this archetype.

U/G landfall mill

Pick up hedron crabs and Archive Traps and a couple of harrow and you're good to go. Defensive creatures like oran-rief recluse and kraken hatchling ensure that you last enough turns to deck your opponent. Reckless scholar also helps with this strategy.

5-color allies

This is my favorite pet deck. In my opinion this is also the best deck since a good 5-color ally deck can handily defeat the best decks of any of the archetypes mentioned in this article. Unfortunately, this is also the deck that is most difficult to draft. I had drafted this deck multiple times successfully in early zendikar drafts. However, as players became aware of the power of allies, this is now really difficult to draft. Makindi shieldmate is an MVP in this archetype nothing can get through him and you could draft multiples of this gem. The gauge of a successful 5-color ally deck is the number of +1/+1 allies you have. Khalni Heart expedition is also good in this archetype since it can handily fix your mana even if played on turn 5. This is the only archetype where I would pick up fixers before Journey to nowhere, Burst Lightning, and disfigure. It also allows me to raredraft fetch lands competitively. Please take note that green is not required to be the main color in this archetype and can be relegated to a splash color if you have successfully drafted a number of non-basic lands.

1st Tier: +1/+1 allies(i.e. umara raptor, Kazandu Blademaster, Oran Rief Survivalist, Nimana Sell-Sword),  bombs

2nd tier: fixers(i.e. refuge lands, fetch lands,Explorer's map, Khalni cards, Frontier Guide)

3rd Tier: Removals, Stonework Puma, Makindi Shieldmate

4th Tier:  Ondu Cleric, Tuktuk Grunts, other allies

Honorary Mention: Kazuul Warlord, Rites of Replication, Sea Gate Loremaster, Murasa Pyromancer, Oracle of Mul Daya, Turntimber Ranger 

Thank you for reading my article and I hope you may all of you have fun replicating Kazuul Warlords for the drafts to come.