Welcome to Rough Drafts! For the inagural episode, we cover some draft philosophy, talk through Starting Column and multicolor piles in Aetherdrift, and look ahead to building multicolor decks in Tarkir Dragonstorm. 

Welcome back to Tarkir! The second episode of Rough Drafts goes DEEP on Champion of Dusan and green-based stompy decks in the new limited format. 

Who's the Beatdown? - https://articles.starcitygames.com/articles/whos-the-beatdown/

Gub stompy - https://www.17lands.com/deck/8912cea6c12a4146ab59f939d19d6fe1/0

GBw stompy - https://www.17lands.com/deck/6d3fcd0258794032b423bcdb411a47d0/1

intro/outtro music by Hiver - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Hc4sbAqu6pM&list=OLAK5uy_kmkefqPlMULTylBSGFYHqXZDYX1b732RA (I'm in the band lol)

Time to talk through the best way to not lose in Tarkir Dragonstorm - hitting your land drops! This episode takes a close look at Monuments, cantripping creatures, and other ways to smooth your draws and help you focus on the powerful stuff in TDM.

Temur Midrange (2 cheap creatures) - https://www.17lands.com/deck/0acdbbeb46734a07a19a9ed1d071ef45/1 

Temur Control (zero 2-drop creatures) - https://www.17lands.com/deck/329a4b4d346c47a2ad732506a46a0c8b/0

music by Hiver - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Hc4sbAqu6pM&list=OLAK5uy_kmkefqPlMULTylBSGFYHqXZDYX1b732RA

It's Temur time! I've been wiping the floor with various Temur decks, but Temur contains multitudes! Learn about the distinction between GR beatdown, UG midrange, and UR control, and why understanding the nuance might be the key to cracking Tarkir wide open. 

GRu BEATS - https://www.17lands.com/deck/19b4deecb2e04ac5a559e14bf0dffbeb/0

UGr Midrange (Elephants) - https://www.17lands.com/deck/0acdbbeb46734a07a19a9ed1d071ef45/0

UGbr Midrange - https://www.17lands.com/deck/b307219ce2c94a73ae509b2346ac2354/0

URg Control (zero 2-drops!) - https://www.17lands.com/deck/329a4b4d346c47a2ad732506a46a0c8b/0

UWrg Control (slightly off-topic but splashing two Karakyk Guardians) - https://www.17lands.com/deck/02543450960145ff95b0929a90a9cd1b/0

music by Hiver - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Hc4sbAqu6pM&list=OLAK5uy_kmkefqPlMULTylBSGFYHqXZDYX1b732RA

It's time to talk red aggro. The white-red decks in this format are pretty easy to build. But what about blue-red? Red-green? Is there any hope for black-red? Take a deep dive on red-based aggro decks, and spend some time really getting in the weeds on how to attack in Tarkir! 

Lords of Limited 77 - Drafting Aggro with Ryan Saxe - https://www.lordsoflimited.com/episodes/drafting-aggro-with-ryan-saxe-episode-77 

UR Tempo Youtube video - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=A3AL4hxhe7k 

UR Tempo - https://www.17lands.com/deck/2060c071861e4ea583fbc7b178b564c8/0?view=deck

RW Flurry - https://www.17lands.com/deck/7bcc98dc7b184c2ebe5f5a5622c58c65/0?view=deck

RWbu - https://www.17lands.com/deck/92fa7d4de5824e98a1ad3805ba6ba51e/0?view=deck

RW Tempest Hawks - https://www.17lands.com/deck/0c267802b8c549f3a4b4b51c912f0d7b/0?view=deck

Gru Beatdown - https://www.17lands.com/deck/19b4deecb2e04ac5a559e14bf0dffbeb/0?view=deck 

RGu Beatdown (near miss) - https://www.17lands.com/deck/2383e05c0fc54b069c749c5920558d14/0?view=deck 

Twitch (samp_mtg) - https://www.twitch.tv/samp_mtg 

Linktree (includes links to other podcast platforms) - https://linktr.ee/roughdrafts 

music by Hiver -  https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Hc4sbAqu6pM&list=OLAK5uy_kmkefqPlMULTylBSGFYHqXZDYX1b732RA

This episode, I'm tackling midrange in Tarkir. What does midrange really mean? Why is midrange performing so poorly in TDM? When should you draft a midrange deck in TDM? Is it right to draft Abzan Midrange ever? 

My paper Abzan Midrange deck - https://imgur.com/a/KARw92p (or sealeddeck link - https://sealeddeck.tech/UvhXfY3c3G)

BGwu Midrange - https://www.17lands.com/deck/0500802b312e4110955228482f082893/0?view=deck

Abzan Midrange - https://www.17lands.com/deck/210dcea7c9bf46149742a37c74738e37/0?view=deck 

Jeskai Midrange - https://www.17lands.com/deck/e677ba924b4b4f52945fadff8aed803a/0?view=deck

Temur Midrange - https://www.17lands.com/deck/0acdbbeb46734a07a19a9ed1d071ef45/0?view=deck

Who's the Beatdown? https://articles.starcitygames.com/articles/whos-the-beatdown/ 

https://imgur.com/zz0GYXnhttps://imgur.com/zz0GYXn

This week I'm tackling a topic close to my heart - Best of Three! And not just how to sideboard. I take a look at the strategic differences between bo1 and bo3, and how to set yourself up for success in either format. 

LOL episode with Andrew Cuneo - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QDXKiF_o_YE&list=PLAGXhegLhLeixTP-sCye9muleOCu_aFfh&index=44

Play booster design skeleton - https://magic.wizards.com/en/news/making-magic/nuts-and-bolts-16-play-boosters

Another grab bag! This week, I into depth on the allied color pairs, and round it out with some discussion on various rares and mythics. 

Grab bag episode! Come take a look at some hidden gems in late-format Tarkir Dragonstorm. 

BeersSC's "The 100% definitive way to draft Boros" - https://docs.google.com/document/d/1vpHhVf4UpB_7ip7oXscsM6qPL-5nxME-nVbHeCuWlEs/edit?tab=t.0

WR Breaching Dragonstorm Aggro - https://www.17lands.com/deck/2cf127831a1f48fea9cec2fef1e6d869/0?view=deck

Linktree (includes links to other podcast platforms) - https://linktr.ee/roughdrafts 

music by Hiver -  https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Hc4sbAqu6pM&list=OLAK5uy_kmkefqPlMULTylBSGFYHqXZDYX1b732RA

I take a look back at one of my favorite formats of the past few years! A retrospective not just on the format's vibes, but also some specific lessons we learned from TDM about limited formats in 2025. 

Maro's Play Booster article - https://magic.wizards.com/en/news/making-magic/nuts-and-bolts-16-play-boosters

Linktree - https://linktr.ee/roughdrafts 

New set! Ahead of FIN's release next week, I'm taking a look at 10 hot topics - either questions I want to answer going into set release, or things I'm most looking forward to trying.

initial tier list - https://www.17lands.com/tier_list/8a24183713024103b9a9d53af1dca2ec 

In week one of Final Fantasy, I plumb the depths on what looks to be the set's strongest color - blue! After taking a look at what makes blue exceptional in formats where it was great like MID or MOM, I dive into blue's deep roster of commons in FIN.

Uw - https://www.17lands.com/deck/d0e5adfda2f94965a153981565ae9210/0?view=deck

Ub - https://www.17lands.com/deck/21c25e28a1b34f5e9e738ee9bce497a8/2?view=deck

Linktree - https://linktr.ee/roughdrafts

Sorceress's Schemes is a really sweet data darling from the first week of FIN limited. It's pretty obvious where it fits in (BR and UR), but why exactly does it perform well in those decks? Are there any other places we can play it?

BR (from me) - https://www.17lands.com/deck/3048cce3f745424c882a6eb8b89cab07/0?view=deck

UR (from Chonce on Discord) - https://www.17lands.com/deck/426b6580a17045829d92cc4545a94520/0?view=deck 

UR (from Lark on Discord) - https://imgur.com/a/YIxo07z 

GR (from catharsis23 on Bluesky) - https://www.17lands.com/deck/fcbbef3eb1804ca9a970b367c7673242/0?view=deck 

Cooper's decks - https://imgur.com/a/1P7savn 

Armed with a weekend of drafts from Magic Con Vegas, this week I'm looking at Black Mage's Rod. Which decks want Black Mage's Rod, and how does it stack up against the other black 2 drops? 

Game against Cuneo (UB) - https://www.17lands.com/history/12daee6c80754ff58649d1f9f56e98f3/7/0 

My paper UB deck - https://bsky.app/profile/sampratt.bsky.social/post/3lsccgzetrk26 

BR deck - https://www.17lands.com/deck/479ef4d29b0741b69c99aa27e503c6c5/0?view=deck 

Sam Black big game/small game - https://articles.starcitygames.com/magic-the-gathering/select/elvish-visionary-vs-elderfang-disciple-the-nature-of-card-advantage/ 

Ryan's bluesky - https://bsky.app/profile/r-condon.bsky.social 

LOL live show - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=i4DBgsOtqrA 

This week I'm tackling a topic near and dear to my heart - splashing and multicolor! While splashing is somewhat of a rarity in FIN, there are plenty of spots where the third, fourth, or fifth color adds something great. What are our fixing options, and what types of cards ask us to stretch our manabase?

Limited Level Ups manabase video - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RZ6tiK_lmm4 

GRb - https://bsky.app/profile/sampratt.bsky.social/post/3ls2to63tps22 

BGwr - https://www.17lands.com/deck/7b8ef17d15f04d328a975001ec659cdb/0?view=deck 

level 3 pile - https://www.17lands.com/deck/805549d9ea8f4b999fa94191abc25dfe/0?view=deck 

White is the most aggressive color in FIN for sure. However, aggressive decks carry a different meaning than they did a few years ago. I take a look at some of the ways aggro has changed over the past couple of years, and dive into what my white decks of every color look like. 

F.I.R.E. Design article -  https://magic.wizards.com/en/news/card-preview/fire-it-2019-06-21 

Sam Black Big Game/Small Game - https://articles.starcitygames.com/magic-the-gathering/select/elvish-visionary-vs-elderfang-disciple-the-nature-of-card-advantage/ 

BW (more black) - https://www.17lands.com/deck/724e8752d55243c49feb08fabbbb2237/0?view=deck 

RW - https://www.17lands.com/deck/a34f5c1f59df4b61bf7e44c2e3785ae9/0?view=deck 

UW - https://www.17lands.com/deck/3bef7e136b1c4c95b0b904e8cc5174d8/0?view=deck 

GW go wide - https://www.17lands.com/deck/116d8b95fd2942d9a08a8cca6e3c03ef/0?view=deck 

Linktree - https://linktr.ee/roughdrafts 

I'm saying goodbye to a banger of a limited format - with one part grab bag (miscellaneous card eval) and one part format retrospective. 

UG Towns - https://www.17lands.com/deck/3a0db8e045374966bb04ccda2bf8882a/0?view=deck 

Ethan's Steal-n-sac - https://imgur.com/a/S40hpcL 

BR ft. Summon: Anima - https://www.17lands.com/deck/62c98240248c46e7b0be000fa69b7067/0?view=deck

The great beyond beckons - Edge of Eternities is almost here, and it's a challenging set to evaluate! I posit 10 big question marks I have before I get my hands on the cards, covering Spacecraft, fixing, and more. Plus - stay tuned for some secret bonus content. 

Talking about my lean, green, mean friend Gene! There's some promising historical precedence for cards like Gene Pollinator, so I'm talking through those as a backdrop before taking a look at some of the things Gene can do in Edge of Eternities. 

Whole pile of Gx 2-1s - still haven't felt like I've gotten one that's particularly great - 

https://www.17lands.com/deck/85cb510d9351405d8c8b284a3c35bb79/0?view=deck

https://www.17lands.com/deck/ccb7c9c04fe040668db58f46df2a47d6/0?view=deck

https://www.17lands.com/deck/b717ee275f6f4164a1b0d32a5efcd46b/0?view=deck

https://www.17lands.com/deck/1f374337cdcd49f9add6188178bcde93/0?view=deck

Gx from @nomad-mtg.bsky.social - https://bsky.app/profile/nomad-mtg.bsky.social/post/3lv6mbngbnk2u 

GUB from @doubleexposure.bsky.social - https://www.17lands.com/deck/7362aa7370284750a0e889946939395d/0?view=deck 

Marc showing up the Requiem Monolith noobs - https://imgur.com/a/rv01w0o 

Linktree - https://linktr.ee/roughdrafts 

Edge of Eternities hasn't been kind to me, but one bright spot is the "differently named lands" payoffs have been sweet! I spend some time talking about pulling out of a slump, how to build decks to not flood, and finally why Survey Mechan and All-Fates Scroll are so much fun.

UG Mechans - https://www.17lands.com/deck/46436fc2a4574e7f892fc578abe915d0/0?view=deck

UBw Scrolls - https://bsky.app/profile/sampratt.bsky.social/post/3lvjwzbil5c2n

Linktree - https://linktr.ee/roughdrafts

As the format develops, I turn to an old Magic strategy article for gameplay guidance. More specifically, I'm examining how managing your life total (and your opponents'!) can lend you a big leg up in Edge of Eternities. 

Patrick Chapin - The Theory of Everything - https://articles.starcitygames.com/articles/innovations-the-theory-of-everything/ 

UB - https://www.17lands.com/deck/c13142f81e02420ca35155e22043ce21/0 

UW - https://www.17lands.com/deck/91240c4fb8ae4b42a56dbd0003a40151/2?view=deck 

https://linktr.ee/roughdrafts

This week I'm diving into Perigee Beckoner, one of the sweetest black commons in EOE, and exploring the myriad of combos and synergy this card provides. 

BU - https://www.17lands.com/deck/6082db0ccd3e4efea19c5cf4969bd9a0/0?view=deck

BU - https://www.17lands.com/deck/c13142f81e02420ca35155e22043ce21/1?view=deck 

Sierkovitz - Resources in Limited - should timestamp you to the "Mana spent" chart https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yPhrtvHwcvU&t=2221s 

Linktree - https://linktr.ee/roughdrafts 

Red week! Drafting red in EOE really clicked for me this week - tune in to learn why you shouldn't be afraid to get deep into the color, and why you should be building your decks around a 7 mana 4/4.

UR - https://www.17lands.com/deck/a842280f5b13479880a666a7fec39fc6/0?view=deck 

Grab bag episode for EOE! I talk through a handful of sweet interactions at commons, plus why you should be a little more willing to play a Quench. 

catscandal's Azorius Midrange article - https://abitterblossom.wordpress.com/2025/08/22/azorius-midrange-in-edge-of-eternities-draft/

Friso's WB writeup - https://docs.google.com/document/d/19PFQ4vazJC_TX8yfsMhwDIjA7Rl6ThDs828tsG9lcHg/edit?tab=t.0

me on Magic Numbers with Sierkovitz - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZBF2Z0-SwI4&t=3347s

Linktree - https://linktr.ee/roughdrafts

Time to take a look back at Edge of Eternities! The final vibe check on Spacecraft, looking back at my early-season slump, and checking after the 10th Play Booster format. 

Linktree - https://linktr.ee/roughdrafts

My thoughts on the controversial Spider-Man set, plus some strategic insight into what I think of Pick 2 drafts and this format!

Mark Rosewater's article - https://magic.wizards.com/en/news/making-magic/spider-man-magic-meets-marvel 

Eric Engelhard's article - https://magic.wizards.com/en/news/feature/spider-man-swinging-into-design 

Rhystic Studies article - https://rhysticstudies.substack.com/p/the-rules-text-is-irrelevant 

An in-depth look at my Arena Cube! 

Cubecobra list - https://cubecobra.com/cube/list/samp 

Trophy Decks thread - https://bsky.app/profile/sampratt.bsky.social/post/3lu7e627da225 

Recross the Path (cube interview podcast) ft. me and this cube - https://open.spotify.com/episode/1jstoBuLlCW1iqthwGZHly

Linktree - https://linktr.ee/roughdrafts 

A deep dive into Blue White Modified in OM1! Come find out the best little dudes to play and the best ways to make them bigger. 

https://www.17lands.com/deck/19710276db5442b0a5f9c975e8bb9c1f/0?view=deck

https://www.17lands.com/deck/b3f0f22acbd7482ba2c807cc1c66c63c/0?view=deck

https://www.17lands.com/deck/900c74ce57524ec097a9c50b7e23bafa/0?view=deck

Linktree - https://linktr.ee/roughdrafts 

Taking a peek at an unsupported archetype in OM1! Black and green have some particularly synergistic cards that work uniquely well in tandem.

Example decks courtesy of Marc Anderson 

https://www.17lands.com/deck/b88bf57ed797481b939732539748af63/0?view=deck 

https://www.17lands.com/deck/6baac8a6905e4b9996460bddc0270ecb/0?view=deck 

https://www.17lands.com/deck/a49e5dd0b89f4f41a13fdafecc89b3eb/0?view=deck 

Linktree - https://linktr.ee/roughdrafts 

Are you a limited sicko who's cube curious? I'm diving into the subtle differences between booster draft and cube draft, including what makes a card powerful, and how to evaluate interaction and fixing.

Linktree - https://linktr.ee/roughdrafts 

This week I'm recapping my long weekend in Madison, WI at CubeCon! I'm walking through all SEVEN of my drafts, and making a pitch for why these cube events are the best way to play magic.

Cards mentioned - https://sealeddeck.tech/u9mAwcpw2z 

Prequel Draft - Everywhere Cube https://cubecobra.com/cube/overview/everywhere 

Everywhere Cube deck - Stompy https://imgur.com/a/AD9y2Fe 

Draft 1 - Sandman https://cubecobra.com/cube/overview/SandmanOfficial 

Sandman deck - Naya https://imgur.com/a/XTb0LTL 

Draft 2 - Gingercube https://cubecobra.com/cube/overview/03e496c1-3fb2-4437-9004-07f727256de6 

Gingercube deck - GW Control https://imgur.com/a/Fwn5Oee 

Draft 3 - Synergy Cube

Synergy Cube deck - Sultai + RW pile https://imgur.com/a/6SfgQdD 

Draft 4 - Spicy Ramen https://cubecobra.com/cube/overview/Ramen 

Spicy Ramen deck - UB Control https://imgur.com/a/5pNUdfv 

t128 - The Cascade Cube https://cubecobra.com/cube/overview/cascadecube 

The Cascade Cube deck - Esper Midrange https://imgur.com/a/uiWgd7Z 

t64 - The Chicago Cube https://cubecobra.com/cube/overview/TheChicagoCube 

The Chicago Cube deck - RW aggro https://imgur.com/a/dupps7x 

Lucky Paper's Cube Events page - https://luckypaper.co/events/ 

Linktree - https://linktr.ee/roughdrafts 

After last week's introduction to the fundamentals of cube draft, I'm diving into some more nuanced discussion on cube (but mostly why you should take the good cards). I'm also showcasing all the creative cube genres the community has cooked up! 

Sam Black's "Unexploitable Cube Drafting" - https://www.hipstersofthecoast.com/2023/10/unexploitable-cube-drafting/ 

Sam Black's Drafting Archetypes Episode 91: Cube! - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=A2yTkkz8wbg

All the cubes mentioned in this podcast: 

Arthur's Peasant Cube - https://cubecobra.com/cube/overview/psnt 

Justin's Standard Greatest Hits - https://cubecobra.com/cube/list/08f3868f-c542-4cd8-ad51-37df8d864176 

Neoclassical Cube - https://cubecobra.com/cube/overview/neoclassical 

Arthur's Monowhite Cube - https://cubecobra.com/cube/overview/whitecube 

 Matt's BUGaboo - https://cubecobra.com/cube/overview/eb3cbb79-8a28-44b9-9df4-ec83203c5f19 

The Cascade Cube - https://cubecobra.com/cube/overview/cascadecube 

The Turbo Cube - https://cubecobra.com/cube/overview/turbo 

100 Ornithopters - https://cubecobra.com/cube/overview/100-ornithopters 

Pisscube - https://www.cubecobra.com/cube/overview/f318aa56-6615-4c02-8173-53aed9f11856 

The Chicago Cube - https://cubecobra.com/cube/overview/TheChicagoCube 

El Classico - https://cubecobra.com/cube/overview/63275d20e755840f6cab1b03