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By: runeliger, Sebastian Park
Sep 07 2007 10:27am
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Well, Master’s Edition is just around the corner, so it’s time to open our checkbooks and get ready for six days (yes, it’s only SIX days!) of Master’s Edition shenanigans.  Of course, the most played event will undoubtedly be the triple MED draft, and so to prepare for three packs of this 195-card set, one must know what commons to pick. Not sure what to do? You've come to the right place.

TABLE OF CONTENTS

Black

                               Blue                               

Green

Red

White

Artifact

Top 5

 

Black

1. Feast of Famine

The number one Black common of the set, Feast of Famine is a multipurpose spell that will be picked and should be picked as an overcosted Terror that rocks the format. As Master's Edition is chalk full of various bombs, removal will be playing a big part in maintaining the balance.

2.Hyalopterous Lemure

Black's best creature, the Hyalopterous Lemure seems innocent as a mere 4/3 for 5 mana. However, this card becomes great when it uses its ability to become a 3/3 Flyer!! Since Master's edition reflects the old magic motif of Strong spells weak creatures, the Hyalopterous Lemure easily becomes Black's 2nd best common.

3. Oubilette

Oubilette may seem weird coming in third place, as it functions as a semi-removal spell... That is until you realize that there exist zero answers to enchantments! That's right; this is a legit removal spell as your opponents won't be running any answers to it! Definitely a great removal spell, and comes in as the 3rd best black common.

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Blue

1.Phantom Creature

What's a 3/3 and blue all over? Phantom creature may be the most random looking art in the entire set, but that doesn't stop it from being the number one blue common in the set. Complete with a nice looking mana cost of four mana, this creature is the epitome of an effcient beater, and a definite staple in Triple MED draft.

2.Word of Undoing

Think Unsummon. Now think Unsummon where your white enchantments come back to your hand too. Now think Word of Undoing as the number two blue uncommon in the set. The only combat trick in the common slot in Master's Edition*** comes in as a solid number two for Blue commons everywhere.

3.Giant Tortoise

Giant Tortoise might come as a surprise to some, but don't be too surprised. At a mere 2 mana, The Giant Tortoise effectively stops the ground attack for many turns, and will find playability similar to that of Horned Turtle a former staple in 9th edition draft.

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Green

1.Shambling Strider

Playable just because it's so big, Shambling Strider is the green creature of pick. Similar to that of an end game creature, Shambling Strider definitely has a lot of power and has to be dealt with (or chump blocked for a long time) or it will kill you. This card came out ahead in a very close race against the number two card...

2.Wyluli Wolf

Wluli Wolf man not be a 5/5 beater, but it serves its function 10 times over. A reusable pump spell, its playability is similar to that of Ghost Warden (That means they're the same thing), and reusable pump effects are very powerful in any format, but especially in the triple MED environment

3.Thorn Thallid

This card comes in as a solid number three for green. A mediocre 2/2 for three mana, this fungus is unique in its ability. Instead of creating a 1/1 Saproling, it pings**** things! Could this be a creation of the great wizard Tim? A nice common to pick up mid-late pick to finish off a green deck (Note that green is probably the single weakest color among the commons in MED).

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Red

1.Lightning Bolt

Three damage for one mana? Wait... WHAT?! Yes! Lightning bolt is back, and it demands a first pick attention. A solid removal, reach, burn spell, Lightning bolt is definitely a first pick among first picks. It's splashable too! Take this card!

2.Fissure

Sold removal in red. Also doubles for removing annoying lands (Diamond Valley and Mishra's Factory come to mind). A solid pick that is only slightly overshadowed by the amazing Lightning Bolt.

3.Mountain Yeti

Protection from white and Mountainwalk? That's pretty good for a four mana cost 3/3. It has evasion and limited protection, definitely worth playing (especially in the creature light situation you face with MED drafting).

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White

1.Exile

Condemn + two mana = life gain for you too? An amazing removal spell that gives you the benefit of life in this format of important life (all Draft formats put a precedent on life if you didn't know), I'd pick this high if only there were better white cards... 

2.Holy Light

This brings us to the lackluster second best white common. It is a semi-useful wrath effect that can cripple many, but there aren't that many useful one toughness creatures in the format to warrant picking this too high.

3.Order of Leitbur

A solid creature at two mana for a 2/1 with the ability to get first strike and pump overtime. Definitely the strongest white creature in the common slot.

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Artifacts

1.Shield Sphere

Artifacts are really weird. They're the most splashable cards in the entire draft format (Ok, maybe lands are more splashable..), and their powerlevels most be adjusted as a result. Shield Sphere is a really useful card in stalling the early game to get down your big threats*****, and thus at an awesome bargain of 0 mana... This is a pretty good upper-mid pick, and amazing in certain archetypes (the ones with eight mana costed bombs... in multiples)

2.Dragon Engine

See above for analysis on Artifacts... However this is a pumpable creature at a three mana slot. Fairly useful, more so than many of the cards in MED. Definitely worth picking if you are lacking creatures.

3.Ashnod’s Transmogrant

You'd be surprised how useful this is. At one mana, you can pump a creature with a +1/+1 counter, which is fairly useful (especially on a random 1/1 flyer such as Sea Sprite). Whether it'll see play in your deck is really determined on what you pick, but still rounds out the commons for artifacts as the number three artifact.

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Top 5 Commons in the set:

So now to declare the top 5 commons of Master's Edition. All of these cards are quite good, and you want as many multiples of them as you can get!

Rounding up the number five spot is Hyalopterous Lemure. A 4/3 for five mana is not that bad in this format. However a 3/3 Flyer for five mana definitely deserves this spot.

Coming in at four is the white removal spell Exile. This card WILL save your life in any sort of deck it can be run in. Easily splashable (which is true for all the commons in the top five), a definite first pick powered common for White players.

Making the top three at number three is the best creature of the set Phantom Monster. Did you think a 3/3 flyer for five mana was good? Try a 3/3 flyer for four mana! A powerful evasion beater, it is considered as the Snapping Drake of Master's Edition. This would have easily been number two or number one if it hadn't been for...

Yes, Feast of Famine is our number two common in the set. Why? Well Imagine a set that's strictly defined by its bombs *, a four mana Terror is definitely a powerful powerful spell. But that's not all. Throw in the ability to make a 2/2 Zombie token at instant speed? You've got your number two common. In fact, this would probably be number one in any other situation if it wasn't for the number one pick...

So what card is more powerful than a four mana 3/3 and a four mana Terror with creature ambush? Well a little burn spell called Lightning Bolt takes that position. I'm sure anyone who has played any of the Time Spiral drafts will probably tell you that the number common in Time Spiral is Rift Bolt. At sorcery speed, with a one Red mana cost suspend and a three mana cost hardcast, it's definitely a beating right? Well, welcome to Master's Edition, and the definitive burn spell ever printed is reprinted... Lightning bolt is Rift Bolt's bigger and far more successful brother. It's an instant costed one Red mana removal/burn to face spell that can be splashed in many decks. On top of that, in the common slot for a triple MED draft? It's feasible you could potentially draft enough to deal twenty damage with this card**.

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And that's a wrap. Knowledge is power, and power wins more MED packs to crack open Force of wills with (at least that's the logic I use). Good luck to everyone in the upcoming MED release events!

 
-Sebastian Park
AKA Runeliger (Although this 1 account restriction keeps me from being on this account ever...)
Airizel AT Gmail DOT Com
 
 *that that sentence is said "Imagine Master's Edition
** Note I said Feasible; you probably won't be able to get 7 Lightning bolts to be honest with you.
*** I don't consider Removal to be a combat trick, but rather a removal spell.
****Ping = deals one damage to target creature or player.
***** Those expensive rares

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0 Comments

by runeliger at Tue, 09/11/2007 - 19:23
runeliger's picture

I suppose it could be some personal bias, however, I don't value sorcery speed specific removal spells. There are very few non flying creature threats that are relevant in triple MED draft, also at 4 mana, sorcery speed, and simplying tapping them... I wouldn't consider it too good. But if you go green, it's definitely a card to pick

by Anonymous (Unregistered) 128.2.151.17 (not verified) at Tue, 09/11/2007 - 02:55
Anonymous (Unregistered) 128.2.151.17's picture

I'm trying to figure out why Roots isn't on the green list.  It's removal.  In green.  One might even say it's GOOD removal.

hmm... by Dreager_Ex at Fri, 09/07/2007 - 17:33
Dreager_Ex's picture

I think this article was FAR too short to use Anchors lol

 

Either way I hope these aren't in the order you like them best cuz I'd definetly pick Oubilette over the lemure....

by runeliger at Sat, 09/08/2007 - 02:20
runeliger's picture

Best Color combination in my honest opinion is Blue/Black. It gives you some of the best flyers bombs you can pick out of the set, while allowing you to beat in evasion as well.

by runeliger at Sat, 09/08/2007 - 02:22
runeliger's picture

Funny story... It was a lot longer actually... I had made some modifications using my knowledge of web design, and being good friends with the designer of this entire thing.. However, the most random server glitch in the world pretty much erasesd the progress I had made, and being a busy student, I couldn't afford to put in the same amount of time again and still manage to get it in before MED goes live.

by Evu at Fri, 09/07/2007 - 11:48
Evu's picture

Very useful information; thanks for writing it.

Any thoughts on which color combinations are the best? 

If you're able to... by hamtastic at Fri, 09/07/2007 - 13:03
hamtastic's picture

Mono Black, Mono White, or Mono Green will give you a great deck.

Mono Black has perhaps the most aggressive cards in the set.  Erg Raiders, pump knights, Black Knight, Derelor, and removal.   Black/Red is pretty good too as you get Bolt, and possibly the incredibly swingy Midnight Covenant to open the alpha strike.

Mono white is alright but not as aggro as mono black.  Although you do get exiles, which, well, yeah... it's rediculous.  Pick the flyers, the removal, and the banding for fun with white.

The only acceleration is in green, so picking up a couple of fyndhorns and a few wyluli's will make your shambling striders redonkulous.

I'd possibly put dragon engine at #1 though as it can kill many things and is one of the few uses for late game mana in the format.

Onulet is nothing to pass up too much either. 2/2 for 3 in any color + life boost is not bad in this set.

However, prepare yourself for bizarre picks in the format and strange game states.  It's a weird format for sure...