Table of Contents
Hey everyone! I know you have all been waiting patiently for my comprehensive Draft Guide for the Murders at Karlov Manor. It’s been a set with some pretty divisive takes on it so far with some people loving it and some people despising it. I feel that has a lot to do with how the draft tables have been shaking out early on and that it has some great long-term potential.
I’m sure I should do some type of Clue reference or a Dad joke here. Umm…Tim Curry was phenomenal in Clue and it is a cult classic for a reason. That was more informative than a joke, but hey I’ve written so many articles about this set that they can’t all be winners.
With that out of the way, its on with the show. And by show, I mean me info dumping a ridiculous number of things about Murders at Karlov Manor limited.
Key Ideas of Murders at Karlov Manor Draft
First off, drafting this set feels a lot more like drafting a light version of Cube than a traditional draft set. While the change to Play Boosters certainly contributes to this, lots of powerful rares and gold cards are contributing to this feel as well.
I’ve heard a lot of complaints about “OMG my opponent had three bombs rares” while placing the blame squarely on the Play Boosters. It’s not necessarily that there are more rares (its actually very similar to the sets with a Bonus Sheet), its that there are so many good rares (and uncommons) in the set that it is really noticeable.
That means that you need to decide which axis your deck is going to be attacking on. You need to choose between building a consistent aggressive deck or focusing on power level fairly early on in the draft. It will feel amazing when you get to do both, but going in expecting that to happen is a fool’s errand.
There is a huge difference between starting a draft with that mindset and the average draft format where you are focused on colors or a specific archetype early. You really don’t want to end up in a normal midrangey type draft deck even if it is solidly the planned archetype unless get multiple powerful cards. You are going to run into a problem from either falling behind too quickly or not being able to compete from a power level standpoint when the haymakers start flying. The only decks you will be favored against are when you play someone else who ran into the same problem during their draft.
With that said, you typically need to be taking fixing higher than most people think. Grabbing an early Escape Tunnel can pay huge dividends when an easily splashed bomb comes around.
If you’re going for the power level plan, I typically stick to Bombs > Good Fixing (the rare duals and Escape Tunnel) > Solid cards for your deck > Bad Fixing (Public Thoroughfare which I typically only play if it helps to splash two colors) > Filler.
Format Speed
I’m sure I don’t have to tell you that being on the play is amazing in this format, that has just been true of limited Magic for quite some time. Despite that being slightly more pronounced here than normal, the actual speed of the format is pretty middle of the road. That might be due to the combination of fast decks and over the top late game decks pushing the data towards the center.
In my personal experience, most of the games have ended up on one of those two extremes. That means that it is very much a fast and a slow format simultaneously so you should be prepared to play both types of games. In bo3, you should make some draft decisions while keeping this in mind for sideboarding.
Archetype Tiers
It’s been widely acknowledged that White is the best color in the format and hence all the white aggressive decks are the best archetypes. Similar to how Lord of the Rings played out with Black, that is just enough information for the casual crowd to over draft it. Later in that format, almost all of the high ranked players were drafting insane Izzet decks consistently because they went into every draft knowing that they didn’t want to fight over the best color. A similar thing is starting to happen here where a lot of higher ranked players have started drafting busted decks in the Sultai colors knowing that White and in particular Boros is being so heavily drafted.
That means that any attempt to break it down into tiers is going to be slightly flawed because while the White decks are technically the best decks, the typical availability of those decks often means that you end up with versions that would be lower down the tier list. (If you are in quick draft, ignore all of this and just draft the crazy White decks)
If I’m being forced to put them in tiers, I am going to do it while ignoring that White often dries up faster than my bank account when I take my wife to Disney (which I can assure you is quite expeditious).
Top Tier Archetypes
I would put all of the White aggressive decks in tier one as they all feel a step above everything else in the format. While most people prefer Boros, they all perform around the same level for me when built correctly.
I see a lot of bad things being said about Black with this set. Per usual, people exaggerate and dismiss it saying its bad and not to draft it. The key is drafting it correctly. For example, Snarling Gorehound is an All-Star for an aggressive Orzhov deck that you can usually pick up later after using your early picks on the key White cards. Black being so underdrafted means that you can often get cards such as Extract a Confession much later than you should.
Basically, if you can get enough of the key White cards early, you can pair it up with any color that you see is open as long as the cards are on an aggressive plan. There are so many good white commons that all contribute to beating down quickly. These cards are Makeshift Binding, Novice Inspector, Inside Source, Marketwatch Phantom, On the Job, Auspicious Arrival and Seasoned Consultant. Even Due Diligence has outperformed my expectations which is a great example of why you need to think outside of what data tells you.
Second Tier Archetypes
The second tier down contains the Sultai value piles or the crazy power level soup decks. As I’ve already discussed, these are often what you should be drafting because of how much everyone fights over White. They do have the problem of losing to the nuts draws from those aggressive decks, but since they are often diluted you end up favored over them. You also have the capability of going over the top of most other decks provided that you saw the right cards in your draft. I have no problem going the full Monty when it comes to colors as long as the deck can support it.
Third Tier Archetypes
The next tier down contains pretty much the rest of the normal two-color archetypes in the format. If you happen to get 2-3 good rares and the key uncommons, then consider it a higher tier than this.
Tips and Tricks
I have to remind people of the reasons that removal has gone down in value recently. There are so many cheap efficient threats that you are no longer easily trading up on mana. A lot of those creatures also have value packed into them, consider how bad removal feels against an Inside Source. While that all applies to how limited has evolved over time, this set has ward on all of the disguise creatures making it even worse.
While we’ve established that removal isn’t as good as it used to be, you do still need ways to interact or you can just lose to a random bomb. That means you shouldn’t be throwing it away for small tempo bursts or to deal with inconveniences. You should have a limited number of removal spells in your deck and hold them for dealing with cards that really matter.
Due to removal not being as good as it used to be, combat tricks have been performing better than expected. On top of them adding some clues to them, you’re less likely to get blown out by removal.
Double pip cards are slightly lower value because they isolate you in a color earlier making it harder to splash powerful cards. I’m not saying you shouldn’t be taking them especially if you are a solid two colors. I’m saying that it is something to keep in mind when making a pick.
Chalk Outline and Insidious Roots can be amazing build arounds that you can pick up late because you will likely be the only one at the table who want them. Most people automatically think about playing it in one of the Collect Evidence decks, but an overlooked combo is with Gravestone Strider. As long as you are targeting one of your creatures with it, you get two triggers off of exiling it from your graveyard.
Doppelgang is way better than most people give it credit for. It frequently outright wins the game at eight mana with the flexibility to cast it for five when you need it. I keep seeing it late when it is the trump card to get you over the top in most matches. It continues to impress me and I’ve already upgraded it on my tier list multiple times.
Neighborhood Guardian seems innocuous, but is far from it. It rewards you for developing your board without having to pay a penalty for doing so. It’s amazing with Dog Walker giving you two instant speed pumps when you flip it.
One of the underlooked part of the format is how unprepared some decks are for dealing with large creatures. I’ve seen some really great decks lose to a Crowd-Control Warden and its ilk because they just couldn’t handle it when backed up by a pump spell. This seems to be a recurring theme in modern limited sets where everything is focused on cheap efficient threats and answers.
There are a lot of incentives to avoid blocking in this format. Disguise can easily punish a bad block by just flipping it over and good combat tricks that cantrip all feel like major wins when someone blocks without mana up.
One big thing I’ve seen people miss is when they double block with Innocent Bystander. Make sure you turn off the Arena setting that automatically assigns damage. You can assign most of the damage to the first blocker and only the required one to the Innocent Bystander.
Reminder that Scene of the Crime is an artifact land. While you need to worry about Gearbane Orangutan, I’ve seen multiple instances lately where someone received a turn one Stone Rain courtesy of Pick Your Poison.
The List and Special Guests add a lot of strange moments where it’s hard to consider them because of their rarity. Getting dunked on by Tireless Tracker or a turn one Crashing Footfalls feels really bad, but I enjoy the added variety to the format.
Most of the Cases were highly overrated during preview season so don’t go bonkers on them. It’s far from guaranteed that you will solve them and they are pretty bad if you don’t. Some of them are still great such as Case of the Gateway Express, Case of the Burning Masks, Case of the Crimson Pulse, Case of the Locked Hothouse, and Case of the Stashed Skeleton.
Unlike Food tokens, Clues don’t require tapping to sacrifice them. That means that you can use one to pay for Public Thoroughfare while still being able to sacrifice the clue afterwards. It also means that Scene of the Crime can pay for half of its sacrifice cost.
Combine Chrysalis is a card that the stats lie about. The data says that it is one of the worst cards in the set, but it is a game winner in the right deck. It can take advantage of clues or turn everything from A Killer Among Us into big old flyers.
Forensic Researcher is normally used to ramp early and tap late, but has an interaction that some people miss. Don’t be the person who tries to use Push on a creature when they can just untap it with Forensic Researcher.
There are some cards such as Surveillance Monitor that feel like they just activate when they ETB, but actually trigger every time you collect evidence.
Small note on Red Herring. You can cast it post combat and hold it back for the old block and sacrifice. I’ve seen people who should have done that cast it precombat and be forced to run it right in.
Sanitation Automaton has felt like a great card twenty-three so far. The surveil actually matters in the Collect Evidence decks or when you’re hoping to hit a land drop. It also lets you add to the board on turn two with something that they will hesitate to trade their three drop disguise creature for.
Due to the power of some of the gold cards, you will see plenty of late cards that seem crazy. People are just building their aggressive decks, there is no need to send screenshots of every time a gold card is there pick three.
Sweepers
Since there are three big sweepers in the set, you should be considering if your opponent has them even if they are all rare. All of them can clear the whole board without much trouble. I am kind of sad that they didn’t include a Pyroclasm effect because it would have been great.
No Witnesses is probably the worst of the sweepers because there are so many aggressive white cards and even when it is good it still gives them a clue. Considering what a strong card it is, that should worry you about the other two.
Deadly Cover-Up is pretty insane because it is a clean sweeper that comes with a bonus. You might not think it matters, but knowing your opponent’s hand and entire deck is a huge benefit when it didn’t really cost you anything to get that information. Screenshot their deck and you’ll know what to play around for the rest of the match.
Ill-Timed Explosion is the odd sweeper that you can still play when you’re the beatdown. Outside of being able to scale it to potentially make it one sided, you can just use it for a Divination.
Combat Tricks
Auspicious Arrival, Fanatical Strength, and The Chase Is On are the three big common pump spells to play around. Two of them throwing a Clue into the deal make normally janky looking tricks significantly better. While Fanatical Strength doesn’t offer that same bonus, the trample has stolen enough games to make up the difference.
Get a Leg Up is an uncommon, but still something you need to consider when the board is wide.
Eliminate the Impossible can potentially be one of the biggest blowouts in the format. It hard punishes a multiblock or a wide board scenario while still replacing itself.
Fuss // Bother and On the Job are the big group wide pump tricks that you should be concerning yourself with. Most of the white aggressive decks have at least one of these and you should assume as much when you see an all-in attack.
Toxin Analysis and Felonious Rage aren’t being played as much as the other tricks, but they are both one mana tricks that let a creature trade up with something thrown in.
I haven’t seen Airtight Alibi since day one, but it is something to keep in mind. Fae Flight is the other one that adds Hexproof.
Burden of Proof can usually trade for a creature no matter what you do, but try not to be on the receiving end of them getting to win a combat while keeping a bigger creature.
Do watch out for Not on My Watch when they keep holding up two mana.
Counterspells
No More Lies isn’t in the same league as Mana Leak even if it does exile. Needing to hold two specific colors of mana up really shines up a bat signal that you are sitting on this. I’m happy to play it if I am Azorius, but I don’t want it if I am splashing around too much.
Reasonable Doubt has been fine. I like boarding it in when I am on the draw because using a two mana spell to counter their Disguise creature feels amazing. Just like No More Lies, you really want this in tempo decks more than late game decks because the value drops quickly as the game goes on.
Repulsive Mutation is both a counterspell and a combat trick. You really do have to watch out for this one because it doesn’t need to target a spell, they can just use it as a Fireball to the face if you don’t block something.
Sudden Setback has some versatility to it, but has felt too expensive so far. You can keep it in mind, but I’m not particularly worried about it.
Important Disguise Creatures
These are the big ones that you want to keep in mind when you’re determining whether or not you should be blocking. There are way too many to list overall, but think about these to avoid some major blowouts.
Bolrac-Clan Basher, Crowd-Control Warden, and Greenbelt Radical all fit into the same box of unexpected lethal out of nowhere.
Riftburst Hellion isn’t a great card, but running your flyer into the big reach creature is a major groan moment.
Vengeful Creeper is both beefy and blows something up. Losing a combat while they blow up one of your cases or an artifact creature feels real bad.
Essence of Antiquity could wreck you, but its expensive and has been bad so far. I wouldn’t expect it unless they didn’t get there on playables.
I’d mention Aurelia's Vindicator bur you’re probably screwed if they have that anyway.
Bombs
These are the Pack One Pick One (p1p1) no doubt, windmill slam, just take them rares of the set. These are not in rank order, just take these over any non-mythic uncommon or common. There are plenty more easy first pick ones, but I only have so much room in this article.
- Agrus Kos, Spirit of Justice
- Aurelia's Vindicator
- Cryptic Coat
- Ezrim, Agency Chief
- Izoni, Center of the Web
- Rakdos, Patron of Chaos
- Teysa, Opulent Oligarch
- Tolsimir, Midnight's Light
- Vannifar, Evolved Enigma
- Vein Ripper
Mythic Uncommons
These might be uncommons, but they sure don’t play like they are.
Do Not Draft List
These are the cards that you really shouldn’t try to talk yourself into. Just let them live peacefully in the sideboard (preferably someone elses).
Wrap Up
Thanks for reading! I hope you’ve enjoyed our investigation into the Murder of Karlov Manor. I’ll be back in a couple of days with MWM On the Edge. Until then, stay classy people!
I’m always open to feedback, let me know what you loved, what you hated, or just send dog pics. You can contact me at:
Premium >
Enjoy our content? Wish to support our work? Join our Premium community, get access to exclusive content, remove all advertisements, and more!
- No ads: Browse the entire website ad-free, both display and video.
- Exclusive Content: Instant access to all exclusive articles only for Premium members, at your fingertips.
- Support: All your contributions get directly reinvested into the website to increase your viewing experience!
- Discord: Join our Discord server, claim your Premium role and gain access to exclusive channels where you can learn in real time!
- Special offer: For a limited time, use coupon code L95WR9JOWV to get 50% off the Annual plan!
j2sjosh
Articles: 303More Articles
Alchemy: Karlov Manor Limited Guide and Set Review
Murders at Karlov Manor (MKM), Alchemy: Karlov Manor, Special Guests (SPG), and The List Limited Tier List
MKM Limited Meta Report: Learning From the Best Players Using Draft Data
Best Commons and Uncommons, Hidden Gems, and Trap Cards for Murders at Karlov Manor (MKM) Limited
Murders at Karlov Manor (MKM) Limited Over and Underperformers Guide
Limited Theorycraft: Cooking in Karlov Manor
Murders at Karlov Manor (MKM) Limited Archetypes Guide and Example Decks
Murders at Karlov Manor (MKM) Limited Combos and Synergies Guide
Murders at Karlov Manor (MKM) Limited Set Review: The List Part 2
Murders at Karlov Manor (MKM) Limited Set Review: Special Guests and The List Part 1
Murders at Karlov Manor (MKM) Limited Set Review: Multicolor Part 2
Murders at Karlov Manor (MKM) Sealed and Prerelease Guide
Murders at Karlov Manor (MKM) Limited Set Review: Artifacts, Lands, and Multicolor Part 1
Murders at Karlov Manor (MKM) Limited Set Review: Green
Murders at Karlov Manor (MKM) Limited Removal Guide
