The Brothers War Draft Guide
Hello, friend! Welcome to this special guide to master the newest draft format and win more games! We will explore mechanics, best commons, archetypes, and rank them based on their power level. Let’s get right to it!
Welcome to The Brothers War draft! This format returns to a traditional release schedule, offering ample time to explore the set. The set is unique in its fundamental aspects, leaning into the epic scale of the story. This draft guide is essential for success, providing an in-depth look at the set, including card analysis and strategy discussions.
Compared to previous sets with mechanics like Domain and Kicker, The Brothers War shifts towards classic color schemes. Bicolor decks are masters, and the set has a strong artifact theme with over 60 artifact cards. It is an aggressive format, so you must affect the board quickly with cheap creatures or removal spells to avoid getting run over.
With extra tips and advice from experienced players, you can gain a deeper understanding of the game and improve your chances of winning.
Key Mechanics in The Brothers War
The Brothers War draft features five key mechanics, each significantly influencing gameplay. These mechanics include Prototype, Powerstone Tokens, Unearth, Meld, and Retro Frame Artifacts. Understanding these mechanics is crucial for effective drafting and deckbuilding. Prototype allows casting artifact creatures for a cheaper cost with reduced size, providing flexibility.
Powerstone Tokens generate colorless mana for artifact spells and abilities, enabling artifact-heavy strategies. Unearth grants a second use for creatures in the graveyard, offering recursion and synergy with self-mill. Meld combines specific pairs of cards into oversized, powerful creatures, though it’s rare in Limited.
Finally, Retro Frame Artifacts, reprinted from Magic’s past, add variance and increase the density of artifacts in the set. Mastering these mechanics will significantly enhance your draft experience and success rate.
Prototype
Prototype is a new ability found exclusively on artifact creatures in The Brothers War. It offers a unique choice: cast the creature for its regular, more expensive cost to get a larger, more powerful version, or cast it for a cheaper “prototype” cost to get a smaller, more efficient version. The creature’s abilities remain the same regardless of which cost is used.
This mechanic adds flexibility to your game plan, allowing you to deploy threats early or ramp into bigger threats later. Cards with Prototype are much better than either half, as they give you options. They want you to play more lands or make use of Powerstone tokens.
Prototype cards demand careful evaluation during the draft, considering both their early-game and late-game potential. This mechanic adds interesting layers to both deckbuilding and gameplay.
Powerstone Tokens
Several cards in The Brothers War create Powerstone tokens. These are artifact tokens that can be tapped to produce colorless mana. However, this mana has a restriction: it can only be used to cast artifact spells or to activate abilities of artifacts. This limitation encourages a strong artifact theme within your deck.
The value of Powerstone tokens depends on the number of artifact-related payoffs you have. Expensive artifacts, such as prototype creatures, become more accessible. Cards that trigger when artifacts enter the battlefield also gain value. Furthermore, Powerstones can fuel sacrifice strategies.
Evaluating cards that generate Powerstones can be tricky. Early in the draft, treat them as roughly a third of a card. Adjust this valuation based on the synergies you discover as the draft progresses. Keep an eye out for cards that can turn these tokens into a significant advantage.
Unearth
Unearth is an ability found on some permanents in The Brothers War. This mechanic grants creatures a second chance from the graveyard. By paying the unearth cost, you can return the card to the battlefield with haste. The creature gains haste, allowing for immediate impact.
However, there is a catch. At the end of the turn, or if the unearthed creature would leave the battlefield, it is exiled. This makes unearth a temporary effect, best used for aggressive plays or value generation. Unearth works well with self-mill strategies.
Cards that mill you can help fill your graveyard with unearth creatures. Sacrifice outlets also synergize, allowing you to use the creature before it is exiled. Almost every card with unearth is valuable in this format. You can even build a multi-color deck around unearth, using cards like Energy Refractor for mana fixing.
Meld
Meld is a keyword action featured in The Brothers War, allowing you to combine two specific cards you control into a single, oversized card. These meld cards have instructions on their back side, guiding you on how to combine them. To meld, you need to control the specific pair of cards that can meld together.
You then turn them over and combine them into one larger card. In Limited formats like draft, meld is not very frequent. The vast majority of the time, meld doesn’t matter at all for the Limited. It requires obtaining specific mythic and rare cards, making it difficult to assemble the necessary pieces.
However, if you do manage to get both halves of a meld pair, you should definitely try to meld them. The resulting melded card is likely to be powerful. It will be a fun and memorable play experience. While rare, achieving meld can lead to a significant advantage in your games.
Retro Frame Artifacts
The Brothers War draft includes Retro Frame Artifacts, which are reprints from Magic’s history, adding a unique element to the set. There are 63 Retro Frame Artifacts, and each pack contains one of these cards. They come in three rarities: uncommon, rare, and mythic rare. Uncommons appear as frequently as regular commons, making them relatively accessible.
The quality of Retro Frame Artifacts varies widely. Some are unplayable, while others are powerful bombs. The presence of these artifacts increases the overall number of artifacts in the set. This makes Powerstone tokens more valuable and improves cards that interact with artifacts.
Additionally, the Retro Frame Artifact slot provides an extra chance to get a rare card. If you open a rare in this slot, you’ll also get a regular rare, increasing the potential for powerful draws. This mechanic adds depth and nostalgia to The Brothers War draft experience.
General Draft Strategy
Developing a sound general draft strategy is essential for success in The Brothers War draft. Early picks should focus on taking the best card available, regardless of color. Prioritizing colorless artifacts early on can keep your options open, allowing you to adapt to the signals you receive later in the draft. This flexibility is crucial for navigating the format effectively.
As you move into the mid-draft phase, it’s important to start reading signals. Pay attention to the cards being passed to you to identify open colors. If you consistently see strong black or blue cards, for example, it may indicate that these colors are underdrafted by your neighbors. Adjust your picks accordingly to capitalize on these opportunities.
Remember that the format is aggressive, so you need to affect the board quickly. Either play cheap creatures or cheap removal spells. If you don’t, you’ll just get run over by aggressive decks, so keep that in mind.
Early Picks (1-3)
The initial picks in The Brothers War draft are crucial for setting the foundation of your deck. During picks one through three, your primary objective should be to select the most powerful card available, irrespective of its color. This approach allows you to maintain flexibility and avoid committing to a specific archetype too early in the draft.
Colorless artifacts are particularly valuable during this phase, as they can seamlessly integrate into various deck strategies. Cards like Wurmcoil Engine are bombs and should be taken highly; These artifacts enable you to remain open to different color combinations and archetypes as you gather more information about the draft environment.
Focus on cards that provide significant value, regardless of their synergy with potential archetypes. Prioritize raw power and versatility to maximize your options in the subsequent stages of the draft. This approach sets you up for success by allowing you to adapt to the signals you receive from other drafters.
Mid-Draft (4-8) Reading Signals
As you move into the mid-draft phase, specifically picks 4 through 8, it’s essential to start paying attention to the signals you are receiving from the other drafters. Reading signals involves observing which colors and card types are being passed to you, indicating what might be open in your seat.
If you consistently see strong black cards being passed, it suggests that black may be underdrafted to your left, making it a potentially favorable color to move into. Conversely, if a particular color is drying up, it may be wise to avoid it. Colorless cards remain valuable, as they keep your options open while you assess the landscape.
Focus on identifying patterns in the cards you are receiving. This will help you make informed decisions about which colors and archetypes to prioritize. Adaptability is key during this phase, as you refine your strategy based on the information available to you. Be flexible and adjust your course as needed to capitalize on the opportunities presented by the draft.
Best Commons by Color
Identifying the best commons in each color is crucial for successful drafting. These cards form the backbone of your deck and will appear most frequently during the draft.
White: Scrapwork Cohort stands out. It’s a resilient threat that synergizes with various strategies. Airlift Chaplain is also notable, offering flexibility and value.
Blue: Mightstone’s Animation is a strong choice, turning disposable artifacts into powerful threats. Stern Lesson provides card selection and enables unearth strategies.
Black: Extraction Specialist is a versatile card with unearth, offering repeated value. Necromass Production is a solid threat generator.
Red: Irony Glutton is a reliable removal spell. Demolition Field is an efficient way to disrupt your opponent’s mana base.
Green: Over the Top is a powerful combat trick. Rootwire Amalgam provides a resilient threat.
These commons represent strong, reliable options in their respective colors, forming the foundation for successful archetypes.
Color Archetype Breakdown and Power Rankings
The Brothers War draft format features several distinct color archetypes, each with its own strengths and weaknesses. Understanding these archetypes and their relative power is key to drafting a successful deck.
White-Red (Aggro): A fast, aggressive strategy focused on early creatures and efficient removal. This archetype is strong if you can secure a critical mass of cheap threats.
Blue-White (Flyers/Artifacts): This archetype combines evasive threats with artifact synergies. It can be powerful if you can assemble a cohesive artifact-based engine.
Black-Red (Sacrifice): A midrange strategy that leverages sacrifice effects for value. This archetype requires careful drafting to ensure a sufficient number of sacrifice outlets and payoffs.
Green-White (Tokens/Go-Wide): This archetype focuses on generating tokens and overwhelming the opponent with a wide board. It can be effective if you can consistently produce tokens and find ways to pump them.
Power Rankings:
Red, White, Blue, Black, Green.
Tips and Advice from Experienced Players
To truly excel in The Brothers War draft, consider these tips and advice gleaned from experienced players:
- Prioritize Early Board Presence: The format is aggressive, so focus on drafting creatures and removal that can impact the board in the early turns.
- Value Colorless Artifacts: Taking colorless artifacts early keeps your options open and allows you to adapt to the signals you receive.
- Read Signals Carefully: Pay attention to the cards being passed to you to identify open colors and archetypes.
- Don’t Underestimate Unearth: Cards with unearth provide excellent value and can be game-changing in the late game.
- Be Mindful of Artifact Synergies: The set has a strong artifact theme, so look for cards that synergize with artifacts and Powerstone tokens.
- Adapt and Be Flexible: Don’t be afraid to deviate from your initial plan if you see a better opportunity.