DTK Drafts: Picking Rares

Hi! I am Indra, a new MTG player from Indonesia. I played a lot of TCGs, mainly Yu-Gi-Oh, but moved on to Hearthstone and eventually Magic because I couldn't cope anymore with the competitive scene as I have graduated and have to focus most of my time on my career. 

Although not having everyday to play, I still love TCGs tho. Instead of strangling myself insane mindwork in Competitive/Constructed formats, I pick more casual form of playing in limited environment, thats why I love Hearthstone's arena and Magic draft / sealed so much the time I started it, there are not a ton of cards or rogue strategies to worry about in smaller pool of limited. Okay, lets get to the article!

This gif will be my charm

"To Pick, or Not to Pick?"

Today's article is hopefully a simple, but helpful one, and aimed more towards casual player like me. As a casual and also budget player, I seek to gain the most profit from my drafts. Oh, also I don't think of playing constructed at all so I intend to sell all valuable cards I got from my draft, so keep that in mind because that's the point of this article. I also intend this to be a series of some kind, as I'd like to share how to choose good card for your drafts.


So the profit, that could come from two source:

1. Picking the rares
2. I won most of my games, netting myself 4 free boosters or at least 2

Winning most games is what we all always seek to improve at, so I'd like to focus more on the 1st factor: Picking the rares. In draft, chances are, you will provided with exactly three rare cards, because most of people would take their rares. And of course you should too, because they generally are most powerful cards on the set. This logic is perfectly applied in the first pack, however as you open the 2nd and 3rd pack, things start to get tricky!

Although you can count on rares being powerful enough to get your pick there are two things I mainly kept in mind: Its playability and its price on the market. "Could I play this in my draft deck, or at least splash it?" if yes, I'd pick it as rare cards are of another level of power, regardless of its price. If not, I'd check the price and if it doesn't worth at least $3 I'd prefer on picking good uncommons or commons that will help my deck instead. 

Rares that get promo treatment generally are ok to left alone if they contribute nothing or are of different color from your deck (you should check wotc's advertisement of promo cards, generally on their website or Gatherer). So instead of picking irrelevant rare, you get better card for your deck, and the rare would be an amazing signal for the player next to you, improving the chance to be passed good card in your color (If you are not familiar with the concept of signals, do try to read about them, they'll improve your draft experience and cards you'd got!). Alright then! the only left thing to do is to know what card can be picked for its value alone. Hope the list below will help you to not blind-pick any rare you see and make a better deck instead! (I refer on starcitygames.com for card values). DO NOTE that the list checks the cards from its relative market value instead of its playing power.

Mythic Rares:
Whatever your color currently is, it is always a good idea to just pick these, everyone will do pretty much do the same because mythics are very rare (uh). In general all mythics yield very good price with average of $7-10. The amazingly valuable mythics are (I always sort a list from the first having most value relative to what we are talking about):

1. Narset Transcendent
2. Deathmist Raptor
3. Sarkhan Unbroken
4. Dragonlord Ojutai 

When you are opening the Fate Reforged, keep an eye for:

1. Ugin, the Spirit Dragon
2. Soulfire Grand Master
3. Whisperwood Elemental

And the amazingly not valuable mythics (as of april 2015) are (the 1st being the cheapest):

1. Clone Legion
2. Risen Executioner
3. Descent of the Dragons

The Fate Reforged equivalent are:

1. Ghastly Conscription
2. Temporal Tresspass
3. Torrent Elemental

Why I include ones that have the least value? because it's easy to be drolling from seeing a mystic and ignore other cards in your pack. Pick them if you'd like few (very few) cash but prioritize better cards for your deck (in this case, I'd prefer contributing Uncommon or amazing common). Remember that a lot of them are very hard to splash because of double color requirement. Also remember that winning your games yield a lot more than those cards would give you. Also remember do not counterpick (picking powerful stuff so one of your opponents can't have it) focus on building best deck in the room instead.

The Rares:

You shouldn't expect for most rares to make a ton of money, the best valuable rare are usually at $10, others are quite lucky to even fetch $5. Knowing that, you should look for:

1. Thunderbreak Regent
2. Dromoka's Command
3. Sidisi, Undead Vizier

These cards also fetch about same good price (around $4): Anafenza Kin Tree Spirit, Atarka's Command, Den Protector, Collected Company, Haven of the Spirit Dragon, Myth Realized, Ojutai's Command, Secure the Wastes, Zurgo Bellstriker. Even if those cards doesn't contribute to your deck, picking them is always good idea, so you better remember them. The rest of the rares, well you should heavily examine your pack if it is indeed the best or not.

For the Fate Reforged:

1. Tasigur, the Golden Fang
2. Crux of Fate
3. Outpost Siege
4. Soulflayer

Do note that Tasigur stands far above the rest in about $8. Other rares from Fate Reforged is not that much valuable so you can easily judge whether they would fit in your deck or not.

Alright then! I guess that would conclude the hopefully compact guide. I hope it can help you draft better now. Happy drafting and happy weekend!

TL;DR

Remember those cards! or screenshot it in your phone. pick those cards whenever you can, if your rare is not one of them do analyze if they could help your deck win.

DTK Best Mythic

1. Narset Transcendent

2. Deathmist Raptor

3. Sarkhan Unbroken

4. Dragonlord Ojutai 

FRF Best Mythic

1. Ugin, the Spirit Dragon

2. Soulfire Grand Master

3. Whisperwood Elemental

DTK Best Rares

1. Thunderbreak Regent

2. Dromoka's Command

3. Sidisi, Undead Vizier

FRF Best Rares
1. Tasigur, the Golden Fang
2. Crux of Fate
3. Outpost Siege
4. Soulflayer

Don't blindly pick these mythics as they do not fetch high price compared to other mythics:
DTK

1. Clone Legion
2. Risen Executioner
3. Descent of the Dragons

FRF
1. Ghastly Conscription
2. Temporal Tresspass
3. Torrent Elemental

Okay thats it! I actually have written more about how I begin my MTG experience in Wordpress but I guess the words don't get anywhere because I kept having 0 visitors, that's why I've decided to move it here lol. See you in my next posts!