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p0p1 challenge description

Alright, is TDM draft gonna be slow and grindy? Mardu/Boros-aggro dominated? A balance? Much to consider. Wasn’t able to get the full set review done with friends before this so I’m just skimming the scryfall queries like a pleb this time

My Picks:

  • W: Bearer of Glory

An aggressive attacker that's also relevant later with its board pump effect. Other considerations were Stormplain Detainment and Salt Road Packbeast; I think there looks like a tad too much playable enchantment removal at common/uncommon to pick Detainment but I was definitely on the fence for Packbeast - it doesn't seem too hard to cast it for 4, and I don't feel like it's too much work to cast it for 3, and if that's the case it looks incredible.

  • U: Sibsig Appraiser

Organ Hoarder is that you? A 3-drop that draws a card with selection and fuels my yard feels very good. Other considerations were Riverwalk Technique (a typically solid removal spell stapled to a Negate) and Dirgur Island Dragon (Ice stapled to a reasonable dragon body makes a solid modal spell, I think)

  • B: Caustic Exhale

Last Gasp is generally a great removal spell and with a dragon, Caustic Exhale is even better. There's a chance that the dragon-sizing makes this worse than Dragon's Prey, but Exhale will still enable you to kill bigger creatures in combat.

  • R: Molten Exhale

4 damage for 2 mana is good rate - Lava Coil is a great card - and sometimes it's instant speed? That seems fantastic to me

  • G: Ainok Wayfarer

Pretty happy with a 2-drop that draws a land, and this fuels your yard for both Sultai and Temur archetypes. I'd be a little concerned about missing, since you only get lands from the three you milled, but on the other hand it's a 2 drop.

  • multi-id commonMardu Devotee

I'm a little worried about later game relevance for Mardu Devotee, but an early scry 2 can help smooth your draws and 2 toughness helps to block all the X/1s in the format (including mobilize tokens). The early fixing also seems valuable for aggressive Mardu decks. Main other consideration was Temur Tawnyback, which feels reasonably statted when you can cast it for 2 pips with a generally useful ETB that you can get some extra value out of in graveyard-matters lists

  • bonus common 1: Piercing Exhale

This is my third exhale on the list, but they all just seem like really strong removal spells. I like an instant speed bite for 2, and sometimes scrying 2? that's gravy

  • 2CUDS: Frontline Rush

Ultimately decided to lean towards betting on the aggro decks, though I'm optimistic that the grindy shells will be able to compete. Frontline Rush is a modal Raise the Alarm that can also just kill your opponent sometimes - a lot of Mardu cards punish your opponents for blocking, and Frontline Rush punishes them for not blocking, so it seems an effective way to leverage that fear.

  • Tiebreaker: Glacierwood Siege

This pick is shamelessly inspired by Jake Browne's recent post, but I've always been into mill cards and Aetherdrift definitely taught us that in the right format, a self-contained mill enabler wincon can be very powerful.