The Brothers’ War: Top Draft Commons

Introduction

In the few days or weeks before a new set releases, one of the more interesting tasks I set myself is predicting the top three draft commons in each color. Sometimes this is easier than others, of course premier removal spells will almost always make the cut. However, correctly assessing the power level of more synergistic cards can be tricky - not to mention archetype specific cards which can rise or fall in value due to the overall potency of certain strategies. That said, I love a challenge, especially when Magic is involved!

Here I present my predictions for the top three commons in each color as well as an archetype specific fourth card dubbed the one to watch. This card could sink or swim, depending on how the meta shakes out, but is definitely a card to keep an eye on. Please note that this guide relies on a basic level of knowledge about The Brothers’ War (BRO) so if you didn’t already read my Guide to the Two Color Archetypes then check that out first. Right, let's get into it.

White

The value of enchantment based removal fluctuates from set to set. With a sacrifice theme in Rakdos and the presence of a main deckable Disenchant at common, a card like Prison Sentence may be a little more fragile than usual. That said, the Scry 2 attached to this card goes a long way to negate these downsides as does the fact that this also prevents activated abilities. For aggressive decks in particular, the ability to remove a blocker whilst simultaneously digging for more action makes this a premium pick up.

In recent memory, White has frequently been gifted with a common three mana creature that draws a card when it enters the battlefield. Although not nearly as powerful as say Inspiring Overseer from SNC, Airlift Chaplain is the latest incarnation in this vein. A three mana 2/2 flier at its base level, the value of the Chaplain will clearly vary depending on the other cards in your deck. Of course, hitting a Plains or a creature card will be the sweetest, however don’t sleep on the value of the mill alone. The presence of the Unearth mechanic and a reanimator theme both make getting cards in your yard a value proposition.

White’s four color pairs; Azorius, Selesnya, Orzov and Boros each naturally have their own plan of attack. Azorius is looking for Soldiers and Selesnya for Artifacts whereas Orzhov requires creatures of mana value 3 or less, as does Boros frankly, being super keen to turn creatures sideways. Phalanx Vanguard, a low cost soldier that benefits when artifacts hit the battlefield, lies at the intersection of all four of these strategies. As such, this card makes the top commons list due to its flexibility and cohesiveness rather than because of an insane level of power.

White’s one to watch is worth a mention since, due to the high number of artifacts running around, Disenchant will be main deckable for the first time in a while. Exactly how many copies of this can be played remains to be seen but including one main deck certainly won’t be a mistake.

Blue

With around two thirds of cards in the set being either a creature or an artifact, Scatter Ray will frequently find a target. Although a four mana tax won’t stop your opponent forever, especially with Powerstones hanging around, it will certainly hold its value for the early and middle rounds of the game. The presence of several other instants in Blue also help elevate Scatter Ray, ensuring you won’t burn your mana when a target doesn’t present itself.

Although Stern Lesson doesn’t strictly provide card advantage, it will certainly allow you to dig through your deck. Those playing the draw two strategy in Dimir may want several copies of this, as will those playing Izzet’s spells matter theme. Naturally ramp strategies, such as that seen in Simic will be happy using this to accelerate their mana whilst searching for their finishers. Without those synergies, however, this card will be a little underwhelming, unless of course you can use the discard to place an Unearth creature in your yard.

Able to hit both creatures and artifacts, Weakstone's Subjugation is versatile and, on the occasions you cast it for one mana, extremely efficient. Of course the four mana version is a lot less exciting, however it can obviously affect a much wider range of targets. With Disenchant running around, this type of effect certainly comes into question but the upside of casting this for one mana goes a long way to appease that.

Blue’s one to watch is Wing Commando. This flying soldier has potential to be strong in Azorius however it’s Izzet who will be most excited to pick this up. Assuming Red Blue spells is a force to be reckoned with, and it certainly looks that way from the spoiler, Wing Commando may be responsible for pushing an awful lot of damage in the air.

Black

Black’s premium common removal spell Overwhelming Remorse is, as usual, no slouch. Not only does this exile its target but it can also target planeswalkers for what that’s worth. Of course, it's the mana cost discount here though that makes this truly excellent. Those playing Black decks should have no trouble getting creatures into their graveyards - at which point this card can become incredibly efficient.

Phyrexian Rager’s little brother Scrapwork Rager may cost one more mana to cast, however it’s Unearth ability more than makes up for that. Pretty much any creature that draws you a card on ETB is worth putting in your deck these days and this is no exception. Hard casting this is of course fine, however there are multiple ways to get artifacts into your yard so there’s plenty of opportunity for value adding shenanigans.

Thraxodemon is a gluey card which appears as though it will excel in any of Black’s archetypes. Enabling Dimir’s draw two theme and providing a sacrifice outlet for Rakdos may be its main strengths. However it’s not difficult to see how this card can also help fill the graveyard, enabling both Ozhov’s reanimator and Golgari’s graveyard matters themes.

Not exactly archetype specific, Black’s one to watch is Emergency Weld. Getting back your best artifact or creature card from the yard whilst simultaneously affecting the board seems like a pretty sweet deal. However, this card will only really shine in decks looking to play a longer game. Those with an aggressive plan in mind should probably steer clear, unless of course you have multiple bombs to buy back.

Red

Red’s premium common removal spell Excavation Explosion looks a little less exciting this time around. I mean dealing three damage for three mana isn’t exactly efficient and sorcery speed really limits the options here. However, the simple fact that this can go face and burn your opponent pushes it up through the ranks, as does the tapped powerstone that it creates.

Likely to be Red’s best common two drop, outside of dedicated spells matter decks that is, Scrapwork Mutt gives you some much needed card selection attached to a reasonable body. Able to draw you into an early land or protect you against flood, this card is excellent in multiples since getting this into your yard provides future value thanks to Unearth.

With most of Red’s color pairs looking aggressive, Unleash Shell is likely to be a little better than it looks on face value. Five mana damage based removal often isn’t premium. However, we’ve seen this type of effect before and, for those looking to push damage, the extra two to your opponent can really make a difference. In addition to the fact that it will remove most blockers, this will help trigger the spells matter theme and the instant speed certainly adds value.

Red’s one to watch is Dwarven Forge-Chanter. Clearly designed for the Izzet spells matter theme, this card may also find a home in an aggressive mono red spells deck, assuming such a thing exists in the format. A card that’s excellent in multiples, blocking this dwarf is going to be tricky any time your opponent has open mana. In addition the life tax means that removing it is never pain free making stabilizing extremely difficult.

Green

Although 3/2 bodies for three mana usually don’t make the cut, Argothian Opportunist bucks that trend by bringing along a Powerstone. With Green having some of the bigger and scarier looking artifact creatures to ramp into, there will be ample opportunity to take advantage of this token in any of the color pairs.

The fact that Green’s fight spell, Epic Confrontation boosts both power and toughness is a big deal. Of course we’d like this to be instant speed - which would make it more versatile and less prone to blow outs. However, by taking a little care, you should still be able to get maximum value from this card.

As mentioned Green has some seriously big artifact creatures in this set. Rust Goliath weighs in at a seriously scary ten power and ten toughness with both Trample and Reach to boot. Now generally speaking, ten mana spells are a liability and not something I'd recommend putting in your deck. However, the Prototype mechanic gives this card a safety valve - allowing you to cast it as a spider variant when you need to. Essentially this makes Old Rusty a free finisher for any Green deck with enough Powerstones.

Green’s one to watch is Blanchwood Prowler. This card will clearly be a strong enabler for the graveyard matters theme in Golgari. A 2/2 for two that mills three cards is more than good enough for that archetype and the fact that it can bag you a land may make Golgari the most likely archetype to splash.

Colorless

With no common dual lands in this set and fixing thin on the ground, I'll be valuing Evolving Wilds quite a bit higher than usual. Picking a land might not seem like a high priority for newer players, however without dual lands to improve our manabases, screw and flood are likely to occur on a more frequent basis. As such investing in your mana becomes a wise move even when you don’t intend on splashing.

A two mana 2/1 that taps for a life bump Mine Worker, deserves a mention simply because it’s an acceptable two drop that any player can jam into their deck. Whether you want to go ham and rally the assembly workers' answer to Tron is up to you but I'll be looking out for this card whenever I'm hurting for two drops.

A four mana 2/3 is a card that needs help to be good and Stone Retrieval Unit doesn’t quite get there. It is worth mentioning however, as a colorless common which creates Powerstones. For those building ramp or artifact decks, this will be a reasonable fall back for the times when better options haven't presented themselves.

Final Words

Thanks for making it all the way through with me. As I’m sure you can tell, I'm super excited about this new set! If you’re looking to draft with your friends then please consider buying a draft box from Amazon using my affiliate link. This will help to keep the site alive and allow me to keep writing great content. Many thanks and good luck in your first few drafts! Dave ‘Angri’ Warner.

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Dave ‘Angri’ Warner

Angri started playing Magic The Gathering during the Ice Age expansion. Proud to have collected a full set of 4th Edition, he was horrified to discover that, whilst he was away at college, his mom had donated his cards to a thrift store! With two mathematics degrees safely under his belt, Angri turned his attention to the world of online poker. Following a 10 year stint as a professional poker player, he finally returned to the glorious game of his youth. When not found playing or writing about MTG, he enjoys hanging out with his small family or riding an electric bike around the polluted English city he calls home.