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 Patrick Hendry on Magic
Unlimited #4 “Back… to the Future”
October 13, 2006
 

    Hello everyone, and welcome to a new set, a new rarity level, and a whole new drafting game. Time Spiral draft, like many draft sets previous to Ravnica, encourages one or two color draft decks. While there are mana fixers in Time Spiral draft, they are few and far between. The only real multicolor option is slivers, which I will get to in a moment.

     In this article, I will drop some hints on how to draft Time Spiral successfully by giving you my top ten tips on drafting Time Spiral. Then, I will give you my ten favorite cards for drafting.

     Tip number 1: Don’t be afraid to hate draft! In Ravnica block, every single pick was important to your deck. Since there were so many color combinations, you had to pick anything that came even remotely close to your colors. In Time Spiral, you will be drafting only one or two colors, so there may be a pack where you have no cards or only sub-par cards in your colors. If this is the case, pick the card you least want to see on your opponent’s side of the field.

     Tip number 2: Do not try to draft three colors. Even if you have three bombs in a third color, do not splash a third color. Time Spiral has very few mana fixers, and if you concentrate on two colors, you will need those mana fixers to solidify your mana base. Remember, this is a set with no dual lands, and no signets.

     Tip number 3: Pick cards that have synergy. This seems like an obvious tip, but there are many cards in Time Spiral that simply work well together. Endrek Sahr and Pendelhaven work rather nicely together, as do Teferi and, oh, that’s right, everything.

     Tip number 4: Watch your signals very closely. There are many cards in Time Spiral that encourage hordes of the same type: Rebels, Slivers, Goblins, etc. If you are seeing two or more slivers, rebels, etc. on your third pick, start taking them.

     Tim number 5: Draft blue. I realize this sounds rather tilted toward one color, but blue is the strongest it’s been since Pre-Mirroden, and blue is a force to be reckoned with in Time Spiral. Blue has direct damage in the forms of Pirate Ship, Prodigal Sorcerer, and Psionic Blast. Blue also has the best card in the set, but that’s for later.

     Tip number 6: Draft removal of all kinds. More than any other draft set I have seen in recent times, Time Spiral limited games are often a matter of 2-3 points of damage. If you can destroy, bounce, or otherwise forcefully inhibit a blocker, that simple action can win the game.

     Tip number 7: Don’t draft suspend. The effects of suspend are really geared toward constructed. If you have to wait five turns for a card, the game may be over by then. While a small amount of suspend can augment your deck, if you draft suspend heavily, you will die while waiting for your spells to resolve.

     Tip number 8: Your first pick matters. With the possibility of opening three bombs in one pack: one rare, one time shifted, and one foil, your first pick can influence the rest of the draft. Pick a card that best fits your play style… unless you see Teferi. Just pick him.

     Tip number 9: Storage lands such as Fungal Reaches are a trap! These lands divert useful time and mana into an investment that may or may not pay off in the long run. If you see one in your colors pick it no higher than 8^th. “But wait!” you cry, “You just said there are few mana fixers! Shouldn’t we take these?” These are NOT mana fixers, they are mana eaters. You spend five turns putting counters on it, and then some upstart punk casts Death by Moss on it. Well, aren’t you sad?

     Tip number 10: Protection from Spells and Abilities is your friend. Draft Aspect of Mongoose. ‘Nuff said.

     Finally, here we are! (drum roll) The ten best draft cards in Time Spiral! (applause)

10. Gemhide Sliver. Ahh, Slivers. I remember back in Onslaught when people everywhere said Slivers would be the best thing in Standard since Black Lotus. Well, maybe not, but slivers were considered viable in constructed. Guess what. Circu was on everyone’s hot list for Ravnica. Where is he now? The crap rare bin is his humble home these days. Sadly, Slivers (and all other archetypes, really) were massacred by Goblins. (how I loathe thee) In draft, however, Slivers were killer beasts. The same holds true for Time Spiral. These Slivers have bombs in all five colors, they are easy to draft, and they are easy to play thanks to this beauty. Tap it for a colored mana, here comes any sliver you want.

9. Pendelhaven. It makes your 1/1s, which are plentiful in Time Spiral, live through combat, Grapeshot, and a myriad of other tricks your crafty opponent has.

8. Mystic Snake. As if a counterspell wasn’t attractive enough, they had to give it legs. First pick this, and if you are in either of these colors, splash the other. This thing is a beast. It kills the biggest, baddest things in draft.

7. Pirate Ship. Yup. Reusable removal is an irritating little bugger to deal with, and this does it with a sizable body. This would be even better if it didn’t cost 5.

6. Prodigal Sorcerer. Same as with Pirate Ship, except this costs less.

5. Knight of the Holy Nimbus. You have never known pain until you have tried to kill this little man. He flanks, he regenerates, and you never seem to have the untapped mana to deal with him, and if your opponent ever hits him with Aspect of Mongoose, prepare for the pain.

4. Aspect of Mongoose. I never saw a grown man cry while playing MTG until some sadistic opponent dropped this on Teferi. Just TRY to kill him now! But seriously, this card is the bane of all control players. Spend ridiculous resources killing something, and then it comes back. Also, this is very reasonable priced.

3. Conflagrate. Mmm. Fireball. Not quite as good as the classic, but very difficult to deal with, and this is a game winner. Good spot removal early game, good mass removal/shotgun to the face in the late game. Pick these very highly, as they tend to disappear.

2. Akroma, Angel of Unpleasantness. Yup. Not much to say that hasn’t been said before. The opponent pretty much goes cross-eyed when this hot angel babe hits the field swinging. If the opponent wasn’t close to dead, he is after you play this.

1. Teferi, Mage of Lockdown. This man spells doom for the opponent. He can’t do ANYTHING during your turn, and you can play creatures anytime you feel like it. Blockers on his turn? OK. Creatures at the end of his turn? OK. Want to know the best part? Your opponent can’t respond to anything you do! Fun times. Fun times.

So, go be in a Time Spiral draft today!

Until then, draft well.

Fortiter in re, suaviter in modo.