Fyber Amonkhet Draft: 9 People League Mode

“Recently” (actually starting two and a half months ago) we did the third Magic The Gathering Draft Tournament at work. The first one wasn’t really worth talking about. Most of us created kinda bad decks without much synergies, so obviously our Magic masters won in a landslide.

This time, just like in the Fyber Aether Revolt Magic Draft we focused on one edition: Amonkhet. The ancient-Egypt themed edition comes with quite some interesting new mechanics:

  • Exert:
    You may exert a creature when it attacks. It’ll trigger it’s exert-ability and in exchange won’t untap the next turn.
  • Embalm:
    Exile this card from your graveyard: Create a token that’s a copy of it, except it’s a [color] Zombie [creature type] with no mana cost. Enbalm only as sorcery.
  • Aftermath:
    Yet some more graveyard activity – there’s cards that first can be cast from your hand and then have a second half that can be cast from the graveyard.
  • Cycling:
    Cards with cycled can be discarded and you can draw another card in exchange. This makes decks even more flexible. Plus sometimes even when cycling it comes with an ability.
  • -1/-1 Counters:
    Yes! Some debuffs are permanent now with -1/-1 counters!
  • Trials and Cartouches:
    Trials are powerful enchantments with a one time effect. Cartouches (for each color) are also powerful Creature-Enchantments. When a Cartouche comes into play under your control, you can return the Trial to your hand and play it again.

This video lists provides some good Amonkhet drafting advice and I made heavy use of it:

With 9 people and one edition in the draft, all of us created super good draft decks that were both fun to play AND even fun to play against!

My Amonkhet Draft Deck

I played a White, Black and Blue deck. Lots of Zombie-synergies: Embalming bringing Zombies back, gaining some life with the Anointer Priest and creating flying, vigilant 3/3 Zombies with the Aven Wind Guide, Lord of the Accursed and Stir the Sands.

Robert's Amonkhet Draft Deck

Creatures (14)
Aven Wind Guide
Lord of the Accursed
Anointer Priest
Unwavering Initiate
Naga Oracle
Binding Mummy
Fan Bearer
Tah-Crop Skirmisher
Shadowstorm Vizier
Seeker of Insight
Winged Shepherd

Spells, Enchantments (14)
Stir the Sands
Liliana’s Mastery
Trial of Knowledge
Cartouche of Solidarity
Cartouche of Ambition
Renewed Faith
Wander in Death
Sacred Excavation
Supernatural Stamina
Trespasser’s Curse
Failure // Comply
Winds of Rebuke
Censor
Lands (16)
Sunscorched Desert
Swamp
Island
Plains

Sacred Excavation bringing back Renewed Faith and Wander in Death again bringing back more creatures from the graveyard makes this deck super flexible and powerful in the late game, as there’s lots of recycling going on: Things to do every turn. There have been several matches, where I’ve used Trial of Knowledge three times allowing me to draw another +9 cards (whilst discarding 3).

Results of the Fyber Amonkhet Magic Draft

^^Click this icon to get to the full overview.

Despite playing a three color deck I wasn’t too bad in the tournament. Having to mulligan 2 out of 3 matches didn’t help, but still worked using above mechanics. Finishing within the top 3 of 9 players — reasonably good! Most matches were super intense since my synergies take a while to play out. I often was behind 20:3 or 4 life, but then managed to turn the table, gain some life and won the game with ~14 life on my side. On my wishlist to improve this draft deck in constructed: Wayward Servant!

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