MagicCon: Las Vegas is currently underway, and as you may have been expecting, a ton of news regarding Magic’s final set of the year has been revealed. Thanks to a preview panel filled with information, we got a glimpse at some awesome main set spoilers, a handful of new Commanders from the Edge of Eternities Precons, and much more.
Mixed within all this new set information, though, was the announcement of a new official MTG draft format. Up to this point, whether you’re going to your local game store or you’re booting up MTG Arena, you’d be preparing for an eight-player, classic MTG draft format that we’ve come to know and love.
While this style of play isn’t going anywhere, a unique, fast-paced and casual-oriented alternative draft environment will be joining the party. This is big news, and while we don’t have a ton of information yet about the implications of this new format, there’s a lot to look forward to.
How MTG Pick-2 Draft Works
The new draft format is called “Pick-2 Draft.” This official format emulates the “Lightning drafts” that have taken place at various MagicCon events already. Pick-2 Draft comes with two major changes that make it differ heavily from a traditional draft.
As its name suggests, each player will be selecting two cards from the pack in front of them during the draft with each pick. This is similar to how players would take two cards with their first pick back in Double Masters, except this change doesn’t just impact your first pick.
Each play booster of Edge of Eternities contains 14 cards exactly, which is conveniently divisible by 2. Just like with normal drafts, you’ll make your selections, then pass the pack to the person next to you. Given that you’re taking two cards out of each pack, you’ll be picking seven different times per pack.
This brings us to the second big change: Pick-2 Draft is a four-player format. This means that after you have selected eight cards, you’ll get back your original pack. This lines up with traditional drafts, where your ninth pick and beyond will consist of whatever you wheel.
Perks of the New Format
While it might seem a bit strange to make a new draft format official basically out of nowhere, there are some benefits to this new format. First, getting to take two cards out of each pack helps minimize the downside of opening a spicy, pricy rare or mythic (such as a Shock Land) that doesn’t bolster your Limited deck.
At local game stores, it’s quite common for players to “rare draft” if the rare they open is expensive, regardless of whether they can play it in their deck. Now, players can take the pricy card while also nabbing another card that advances their gameplan.
Plus, in the era of play boosters where you’re more likely to open multiple good rares, you won’t have to worry about passing another player an expensive rare if you opened more than one. This may make it easier to build your collection on MTG Arena, which will be supporting this new format as well.
Another perk of Pick-2 Draft is that the drafting process should be significantly faster. By taking two cards each time, you’ll be passing packs around the table less than normal. There are also only four unique packs during each round to worry about.
Additionally, this new draft format should be easier to fire with a group of friends. If you don’t have enough players for an eight-person pod, there’s no need to worry. Find three other players, and you’re good to go!
A Difference in Strategy
As you might expect, there are also bound to be some strategic differences between Pick-2 Draft and normal draft. For example, with less packs in circulation and less players at the table, you may be able to end up in an uncontested color pair more easily.
Early on, it may be strongest to take two cards of the same color to cut that color from the player next to you. If you get passed really strong cards in a specific archetype and know you haven’t passed the next player any strong cards in that archetype, you can move in after reading those signals and feel pretty confident about your position.
With only four players at the table, you’ll have less competition over a given deck. In theory, this could make the format a great on-ramp for more casual drafters. Pick-2 Draft puts a really cool spin on Limited.
Future Implications
Notably, while the format sounds cool, there are still a lot of questions to be answered. It’s unclear if Pick-2 Draft will pick up steam in the competitive scene, and how local stores will adapt to having multiple sanctioned options for Limited play available at their disposal.
We do know that Pick-2 Draft will officially be part of MTG Arena, likely with the release of Edge of Eternities, though the timing has not been officially announced. According to Wizards of the Coast, we should expect more information about this format to be revealed in the coming weeks.
This is an exciting opportunity for new and seasoned drafters alike to learn something new. We look forward to all that Pick-2 Draft has to offer.
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