Hey everyone! We’re getting close to launch with WOE hitting MTG Arena on Tuesday the 5th. We’ve finally reviewed every single card in the set along with going over mechanics. Today we’re going to be going over archetypes with example skeletons.
For those of you unfamiliar with an archetype skeleton, they are built with limitations to see what a solid version of the deck would look like. It doesn’t make any sense to build a completely busted version because you’re not going to run into that very often.
In this case we are going to be using no mythics, one regular set rare, one bonus sheet uncommon or rare, and four regular set uncommons with no doubles. We are also not able to put more than two copies of any common in the deck.
The mana bases are going to be kept simple even if they would be slightly different in a normal draft. That means one Evolving Wilds along with eight of each basic land.
The theme of Azorius is tap your opponent’s creatures. This provides both a tempo path to victory as well as some triggers to build value off of tapping them.
One of the odd things you may notice is that I didn’t add Cooped Up. Don’t get me wrong, you would definitely play them if you had them. All of the tapping replaces that effect while being able to be picked up much later in the draft.
While I would have loved to have Hylda of the Icy Crown in here, I had to follow the rules and just use her crown. Your opponent will be thrilled when you have that out with Sharae of Numbing Depths.
Orzhov is about that value bay bay! Mostly from enchantments going to the graveyard. This version is going to be producing a whole bunch of Roles which are going to be getting paid off from Ashiok's Reaper, Warehouse Tabby, and especially Knight of Doves when they go to the graveyard.
Shrouded Shepherd is a great inclusion because it gives you a way to just pounce on the rat decks like you were a Warehouse Tabby. I sure didn’t reach for that one at all…Hey I’ve already written ten articles on this set, not all the jokes are going to be winners.
I went with Spellbook Vendor for the rare because it keeps producing a new role every turn and even if you are just using it to replace an existing role, you can still get a ton of value from it.
Boros is living that hardcore partying life while rushing at the opponent in celebration of…I guess putting two permanents into play in the same turn. I don’t judge, celebrate whatever you want.
This is a collection of cheap, aggressive creature with some removal to force them through. Removal such as Cut In, Cooped Up, and Grasp of Fate actually provide a permanent on top of removing a threat. Hopeful Vigil, Edgewall Pack, and Ratcatcher Trainee all let you trigger celebration off of casting one card.
While most of your celebration effects trigger at the beginning of combat, there are a couple that don’t. That lets you use Monstrous Rage or Flick a Coin to trigger celebration at instant speed to catch them with their pants down.
I choose Goddric, Cloaked Reveler because it’s easy to trigger with this deck making it a very, very quick clock if it’s not swiftly dealt with.
Selesnya is about enchanting your creatures with auras specifically Roles because we’re sure not playing something like Bestial Bloodline here. Tanglespan Lookout can really shine here as it will draw you a pile of cards throughout the course of the game.
Dimir is about living that Faerie life in an aggro-control shell. The goal is to win through the air while countering or killing their key threats. There are a few ground threats that are there to clog it up while you’re swinging with your air force. All of the faeries make Spell Stutter pretty close to a two-mana hard counter in this deck.
Oh, how I wish I could put Bitterblossom in here, but it is rightfully a mythic. I’ll have to settle for Talion's Messenger which will help you loot away extra lands and pump up its faerie brethren.
Izzet a spells deck again? Why yes, it is. Did I go back to the well once again for this same joke. Hey I’ll stop when WotC makes Izzet do something else.
Simic is doing the ramp into big spells thing per usual. That means it has a U-shaped mana curve with ways to jump up to higher mana costs. Luckily adventure spells like Beluna's Gatekeeper also lets you do something early so you’re not just staring at it in your hand.
I went with The Goose Mother for the rare because it’s the signature rare for this color pair and who is going to pass up a chance to play with a Goose Hydra.
You might want to shy away from Rakdos if you’re afraid of rats because its plan is to swarm the opponent with them. All the rats, all the time. The rats are backed up by a great removal suite (or in this case sweet) of Candy Grapple and Torch the Tower. Raid Bombardment is a great way to force a ton of rat-based damage thorough.
I went with Redcap Gutter-Dweller because turning your excess rats into new cards is a great way to overwhelm your opponent.
Nom Nom! Golgari is the food deck. It builds up food as it goes along before using them for everything from paying for bargain to having Sweettooth Witch throw them at your opponent for lethal.
Faunsbane Troll doesn’t exactly fit the food theme, but it does give you a cheap chonker with the ability to pick something off. It can even repeat the effect if you put a new Role on it.
Gruul SMASH! It is unsurprisingly about dropping large monsters and bashing the opponent’s face in with them.
I went with Gruff Triplets for this because it’s crazy busted and I realistically could have put it in every green deck. I just saved it for the one who loves to smash the most.
Josh is a member of the elite limited team The Draft Lab as well as the host of The Draft Lab Podcast. He was qualifying for Pro Tours, Nationals, and Worlds literally before some of you were born. After a Magic hiatus to play poker and go to medical school, he has been dominating Arena with over an 80% win percentage in Bo3 as well as making #1 rank in Mythic.
