Just after Ixalan got released we played yet another Magic The Gathering Draft Tournament — and I won! Having really great synergies, I won 7/8 matches. Most importantly the one against David McNeill, since he also won almost all of his matches. Here’s our Ixalan Magic Draft’s ranking:
9 people, 8 matches per player, 3 boosters to start with and only Ixalan edition. We all created cool decks. Drafting Ixalan is really nice, as some of the mechanics allow for really well working multi colored decks:
- Enrage:
An ability that triggers when a creature is being dealt damage. Amazing effect. Especially whilst blocking you decide when to trigger it. - Explore: Reveal the top card of your library. Put that card into your hand if it’s a land. Otherwise, put a +1/+1 counter on this creature, then put the card back or put it into your graveyard.
Cards with this ability are super nice and make the decks faster to play and more flexible too. Your next card won’t fit you? Discard it and gain a +1/+1 counter. It’s a land? Take it to your hand (even play it, if you haven’t dropped a land). It fits your play? Leave it on the library. - Raid:
Whenever a creature you attacked this turn… -> An ability easy to trigger, so synergy is achieved reliably.
I followed some of the advice presented here -> https://www.channelfireball.com/articles/10-tips-for-drafting-ixalan/
My Ixalan Draft Deck
I played a Blue, Green deck with a spot of Black and exactly 1 Red card. Since I played Pirate’s Prize and Prying Blade I didn’t bother playing a mountain and only put two swamps in. Of all my 15 creatures only 5 were no Merfolks: The two bombs Fleet Swallower and Regisaur Alpha, which I just had to play. The first being super powerful in a draft, the second just amazing even in a non-dinosaur deck. Also I had to prevent the dinosaur players from getting this card. The other three were two copies of Ixalli’s Diviner, which is just great in the early play against aggro and the Shore Keeper who basically comes for free and even once saved my sorry ass.
Robert's Ixalan Draft Deck
| Creatures (15 total, 8G, 5U, 1U/G, 1R/G) (14) 2 Jungle Delver 1 Kumena’s Speaker 1 Merfolk Branchwalker 2 Ixalli’s Diviner 2 Tishana’s Wayfinder 1 Shapers of Nature 1 River Sneak 1 Shaper Apprentice 1 Watertrap Weaver 1 Shore Keeper 1 Fleet Swallower Spells and Enchantments (10 U/G, 3 B) (10) 1 Verdant Rebirth 1 Growing Rites of Itlimoc 1 Dive Down 2 Pirate’s Prize 1 Deeproot Waters 1 Cancel 1 Spell Pierce 2 Prying Blade Black Spot (3) 1 Skulduggery 1 Costly Plunder 1 Mark of the Vampire Tiny Red Speck (1) 1 Regisaur Alpha | Lands (15) (15) 1 Unclaimed Territory 2 Swamp 5 Forest 7 Island |
So I ended up the only one drafting U/G Merfolks and I guess that’s how I got lucky: Pretty solid synergies, many cards 2 times for a reliable play and great combos.
Results of the Fyber Ixalan Magic Draft
^^Click this icon to get to the full overview.
Again, like in previous drafts I had to mulligan a lot. Playing lots of cards with Explore though most of the times I ended up winning even those matches. Most matches were again super intense. Often it was the Fleet Swallower swinging 2 times, winning the game (by wearing down the opponents small Draft deck library, or it was the Regisaur Alpha played using a treasure, that turned the tide 😉 on the battlefield.
Bonus content! SBMtG’s really nice U/G Merfolk deck. Published after our draft, enhanced by Metallic Mimic, this is a really great deck that I definitely want to build: