Duskmourn: In Depth Draft Guide

Hey y’all Code here, this time around for Duskmourn draft guide it’s been some time the set is out and we are going to beat the Fear of Missing Out from limited format an in depth guide into Duskmourn drafting.

Back to Basics

Back to Basics:  Players sit around a table in a semi-circle. Each player then opens a booster pack and picks a single card without showing the other players. Each player then passes the remaining cards to the left, and continues drafting from the new cards they get from the player on their right.

Drafting general rule of thumb is to get the most value from your cards so one card alone may beat multiple scenarios rather than to search for a particular strategy, while drafting you can keep a mental note of what’s being passed around as you get to pick only one card at a time, you end up knowing what you are up against.

Knowing the mechanics, cycles and combos may proof in handy as you may get lucky building solid synergy strategy that’s intended from the set, with that in mind lets dive into Duskmourn design and mechanics.

Mechanics

Room—

Room is a new enchantment type. Room cards are similar to split cards, but with a major fundamental difference: they’re permanent cards. Each Room card has two halves, called “doors.” Pick one half to cast, and that door unlocks on the battlefield, giving you access to that half’s abilities. Pay mana to unlock the other door later and get access to everything! Abilities that trigger “when you unlock this door” will trigger either way.

Impending—

Cast a creature spell for its impending cost, and it’ll enter with time counters on it, but not as a creature. Once all of the time counters are removed, it reveals itself as the horrifying creature you always knew it could be. The impending ability appears only on a cycle of five mythic rare cards with Overlord in their name.

Manifest Dread—

On Duskmourn, your worst nightmares come to life. That’s not a metaphor, by the way; they’re real, and they’re dangerous. Mechanically, this takes the form of the manifest dread keyword action, which lets you choose one of two cards to put face down on the battlefield. If it’s a creature card, you can turn it face up later to terrorize your opponents.

Survival—

When you’re stuck on Duskmourn, there’s only one goal: survival. Sometimes that means teaming up with others for safety, and sometimes that just means running faster than everyone else. The survival ability word indicates abilities that trigger at the beginning of your second main phase if the creature with survival is tapped.

Eerie—

We’ve all had that moment where we just know something’s not right. It’s a little off. It’s a bit … eerie. Is that good or bad? Well, that depends on who you are. The eerie ability word signals abilities that trigger whenever an enchantment enters under your control and whenever you fully unlock a Room.

Delirium—

The constant dread of life on Duskmourn wears on even the most battle-hardened survivors. That fear-induced state of disorientation is represented by the delirium ability word, which identifies abilities that require four or more card types among the cards in your graveyard.

Unlucky Lands—

The Duskmourn release includes a cycle of ten dual lands that enter tapped unless a player has 13 or less life

Key Pieces

Now what we came in here for, Duskmourn is heavily oriented in enchantments we have both eerie and room mechanics at hand and Delirium counting card types in graveyard, so you probably guessed it by now both having enchantments and spell that remove enchantments are key to successfully maneuvering Duskmourn attrition.

Covering the key pieces of Duskmourn as great performers you’ll see a lot around, let’s start with Sheltered by Ghosts a powerful aura that removes a nonland permanent until it leaves the battlefield and also protects your creature with ward and to top it off it also gives Lifelink, great way to put pressure on the battle as you can recover life in the longrun, and all of this by an uncommon two mana drop, our next card despite the mythic rate of appearance we got Tyvar, The Pummeler, 3/3 for 3 that has 2 abilities to gain indestructible and also buff your creatures in the long run, so yeah pick Tyvar anyday, Trapped in the Screen is your go to removal a kinda of improved Oblivion Ring with a ward 2.

On an Attrition note, often matches result in an battle who can do the most scratches and evolve it into a winning attack, the case being mixing Arabelle, Abandoned Doll and Gremlin Tracker, mix in the Sheltered by Ghosts and Arabelle does a lot of damage in two or three turns you’ll wear your opponents life if the manage to remove Arabelle you’ll end up with a lot of critters who deal the final blow.

Fear of Missing Out is a great example of enabler, he might get in earlier give you a draw, discard whatever permanent is missing to complete Delirium, and you gain another attack phase, it can put a lot of pressure if the opponent doesn’t control a heavy toughness creature to block all these attacks. Chainsaw might be a bit opportunistic as you might kill a creature with it but as the match progresses it will gain Rev counter an turn any creature into a threat. Recursion is prominent in limited as it let you reuse cards so anything that can return from a Graveyard or Hand is going to give nightmares to your opponent as is Balustrade Wurm it can reanimate itself and has trample, and haste a real threat.

Silent Hallcreeper might be the little dude that’s early in the match and gives you tons of options, draw card, get bigger with +1/+1 counter or copy another threat creature its just a great 2 mana drop, Daggermaw Megalodon with islandcycling great to get that mana out or play a vigilance 5/7 for 6 mana, pair it with Live or Die and you can reanimate it early on

Maneuvering Colors

Remember sinergy is key, you don’t want to pick Doomsday Excruciator and end up in a mono black setting, Unnerving Grasp can help you remove threats and manifest dread a 2/2 on the field pair it with Threats around every corner and you have a solid engine getting lands out which turns into better draws into what actually helps on the field.

Fear of Abduction is a solid hitter 5/5 flying it might not be worthy to remove one of your own creatures but you also remove one of your opponents clearing up the field for solid attacks for 5.

Rite of Moth and Live or Die are solid reanimator options to keep your strategy alive.

Duskmourn despite being deeply enchantment oriented its also heavily critter oriented you either create Gremlins with Razorkin Hordecaller and manifest dread critters that turn faceup with bigger effects and Vengeful Procession can help you reuse your opponent’s threats against them, one less blocker is one less blocker for lethal damage.

Top Tiers

In my opinion white is a solid options as it has plenty of removals and ways to protect your creatures and also to grow threats in just two turns, an early Overlord of the mistmoors creating 2 creatures able to deal 4 damage in subsequent turns and then turn into a 6/6 its just value upon value, Glimmerlight is an easy to use option to get a 2/2 flying out that’s reusable in the later turns.

Going for the tokens archetype with Enduring Courage it enables you to stomp your creatures to your opponents face and even if its killed in battle it will remain as an enchantment. you’ll expect a lot of removal coming from black and white, especially with Murder around and also green with your typical “fight” spells Coordinated Clobbering, but don’t let that stop you controlling the board with blue and black a solid control option to draft.

Format Speed

The format is on the slower side, with very few aggressive decks having any viability.

Top Tier Archetypes

Tier 1: Azorius, Boros, Simic

Azorius

Azorius has access to some of the best creatures, spells, and eerie synergies. Ethereal Armor can be a bomb in this deck, and both Azorius uncommons, Gremlin Tamer, and Inquisitive Glimmer, are amongst the most powerful signpost uncommons.

Boros

Boros is by far the fastest archetype, and Midnight Mayhem is a lot more powerful than most think. Painter’s Studio // Defaced Gallery is also at it’s best here, and pairs well with small creatures.A good Boros deck should consist of mostly two and three drop creatures, with removal spells to clear the way.

Simic

Simic is great as a two color deck, but also easily enables splashing a third (or fourth) color very well. Oblivious Bookworm is an insane card draw engine, and Under the Skin allows you to retrieve your win conditions. You will mostly need to rely on blue for removal, and green can support with creatures and recursion.

Not That Far Behind Tier

Tier 2: Rakdos, Gruul, Golgari

Rakdos

Rakdos has one of my favorite cards of the set, Disturbing Mirth. With access to an abundance of removal spells between the colors, you shouldn’t have any issues with opposing threats. There are plenty of sacrifice outlets available, so cards like Vengeful Possession, and Clockwork Percussionist are at their best here.

Gruul

Gruul is a pretty straightforward beatdown deck. You will likely have reason to assure you achieve delirium, like Patchwork Beastie, Wildfire Wickerfolk, and Wickerfolk Thresher, so make sure to design your deck can achieve delirium easily.

Golgari

Golgari can do some fun graveyard shenanigans, like reanimating Altanak, the Thrice-Called with Live or Die at instant speed. Golgari is another good base to splash a third color from.

I’m Cool With Settling Tier

Tier 3: Dimir, Izzet

I don’t go into a draft looking to go into anything from this point on. They are usually fallback plans when one of my other colors are cut or the lane is so wide open that you can’t help but swerve into it. 

I Swear It Was Wide Open Tier

Tier 4: Orzhov, Selesnya

I’m not looking to draft either of these color combinations as a two-colored deck.

Tips and Tricks

Sweepers

Split Up 

Meathook Massacre II 

Pyroclasm 

The Rollercrusher Ride 

Waltz of Rage 

Restricted Office // Lecture Hall

Mythic Uncommons

Get your hands on this, best of the ucommons on the set:

• Midnight Mayhem 
• Optimistic Scavenger
• Oblivious Bookworm
• Sheltered by Ghosts
• Under the Skin

Final Thoughts

Face your terrors drafting Duskmourn: House of Horror, one pick at a time you know now what to expect, you’ll encounter and get the most out of the rooms and critters each match, wear down you opponent on good attrition combat damage, and let me know on X if it works out for you.

Code is out, happy drafting.