Many of you probably do not know me, but my name is Troy. I have been playing semi-competitive Magic tournaments since the mid-2000’s when Fairies and 5cc were the top dogs in Standard. This was during my high school years and our Magic community was extremely small. I usually just played in the hallways or library at school with my friends. We had a great time with homebrews and every fun format we could think of. I was only able to play in Standard events and a very few amount of drafts during this time before I left and joined the military.
I didn’t get another chance to play competitively until after I returned from deployment in 2011. During deployment if we weren’t on guard duty or missions that could span weeks, we were left to our own daily duties. These usually didn’t take more than a couple of hours, so we had a fair amount of free time. During this time I would watch the SCG Events on YouTube and daydream about getting back into Magic.
I bought a few decks while I was deployed, CawBlade and my version of Landstill in Legacy. When I returned, I noticed that there were no local stores to play at where my station was in Louisiana. My only chance to play during my 4 year contract was during leave, when my (ex)wife and I would drive up to Tennessee to stay with her family. They had no Legacy events that were weekly there, so my brew was subjected to sitting in a deck box while I played with CawBlade for its life cycle.
Since they only had Standard once a week, I started attending their drafts and noticing something. While the game can be played the same, playing lands and slinging spells, the whole vibe and strategy aspect of it changed. Draft is a much faster format on average in terms of game length than Standard was. Draft was something you had to think about every pick, and you have to know the format to be successful in it. After a series of very unfortunate and unforeseen events, I ended up in Arizona alone with no family or friends. When I first moved to Tempe, one of the first things I did was to find a place where I could start playing Magic again. I found Pop Culture Paradise (now Critical Threat Games). Since I had 0 cards to start off with I drafted every chance I got. I was horrible the first few months because I had no idea what I was doing, and putting a lot of jank in my deck.
While I am by far a great Magic player by any stretch of the imagination, I do think I am an above average Limited player. My current records for draft are 112-67-17 and sealed 137-62-6, I have about a 62% Win-Loss ratio if you include draws. Not amazing, but definitely better than your average player. While I have yet to Top 8 any PPTQ or Day 2 a GP, I have learned something along my journey. I play on a subpar level, and don’t notice a lot of things going on in the game that I should. It’s not because of my card selection in Limited that I lose, it’s my ability to play.
After a long introduction, I hope that you have faith enough in my choices for the top 5 cards of each color for this format. For variance reasons, I will only be doing commons and uncommons. These are the Meat and Potatoes of the format. The rares and mythics are usually the dessert to help finish off a great meal.
UNCOMMON
White
5. Wind Drakes in draft are always fun. This is especially good because of the extra text. Playing even one enchantment can make this card incredibly hard to deal with and cause a relatively fast clock. I would play this in any draft deck that I had white in.
4. I love Serra Angel to death. A 5-mana 4/4 flyer is something you never want to be staring down in limited. The ETB ability makes this card especially good considering the amount of the new ability Renowned in this format.
3. In limited, removal is king. Something that lack in a lot of draft formats is a cheap targeting removal spells. This card does something you’d like, destroy a creature, with a little bit of white flavor.
2. I cannot stress enough how important lifelink is on a creature. Many games have been won or lost because of a single lifelink creature. A hit with this isn’t just a 3 point swing, it’s a 6 point life swing. The added ability of Renown just makes this card so much better.
1. I love 2 drops in draft. They are some of the most overlooked picks in a format. I’ve seen so many players take a bomb when they lack the early drops to get them out of the gate. This card is one of the best 2 drop uncommons I’ve seen in a limited setting. First strike is an amazing ability for a 2 drop with 2 power. Add in Renown and it’s gravy. With the extra text and you have a bomb. This card can stop a stalled game, it can win on its own if your opponents stumble, and just look at that art.
BLUE
5. Oh Sigiled Starfish. Ever since Journey to Nyx this guy has been one of my favorite blue 2-drops. It does quite a lot for having no power. It stops an early assault and starts to help filter your draws. Having the ability to control what you will draw in limited is something that had not come much into limited very often. With the inclusion of Scry in this format, this is probably the most efficient way to do so. This will help keep variance low, and get what you need when you need it.
4. Milling is not something that is terrific in limited. A repeatable effect that repeats itself on the other hand is a completely different story. While this card would be a 23rd or 24th add into a deck, with the bottom line it becomes an almost auto include in a deck I’m playing. I have hit 6 mana almost every game of limited I’ve been in. While this card would be great in draft, it will shine in sealed. Almost any mana dump that does something is great in limited, but something that will fuel your hand and help you win the game is the nuts. This is literally a one card combo that can help end games very fast.
3. This card has been seen before and I love it to death. It would be number 2 if it weren’t for the fact that Renown was in this format.
2. I love to draw cards. I especially love a creature that can draw cards. The fact that this has a big butt and Prowess makes this card oozing with goodiness.
1. This card scares me. 2-for-1s are always amazing in limited. But 3-for-1’s are on a whole different plane of existence. It has one of the highest power levels of cards for limited in recent memory. This is the Mythic uncommon for the set. I would rate this just as good, if not better, than Triplicate Spirits.
BLACK
I’ve rarely drafted a black deck in draft, and when I did it was because I could see it was open half way through the first pack and removal was heavy. The rares in Black for this set are pretty good, and some are complete bombs. The issue is if you don’t have a great supporting cast, they have no chance to shine. For this reason I could only find 2 cards that I would pick highly for the uncommons. They are in no order.
A creature attached to removal is candy. Especially when playing against a fatty deck that. He’s also a zombie, which will allows you to combo with some other cards in the format.
Mana sinks attack! While not great until you have filled up your yard, with black that shouldn’t be a huge issue. This is fun card that can win the game by itself if you’re not too far behind. This card will really shine during your 2HG prereleases.
RED
5. I don’t like drawing cards in limited. It’s almost always better to play another removal spell. Draw spells are usually clunky and cost too much to be cast. This on the other hand is none of that. It draws you 2 for one mana. While it is conditional, it’s a very small condition considering you nearly half of your 40 card deck are lands.
4. This card makes me happy. It is reminisce of Stromkirk Noble. While not nearly as good as the vampire noble, it’s terrific being a 1-drop. This could be a letdown. If you’re on the play, this become one of the best possible cards you could have in your hand. If on the draw it become less desirable because of your opponents ability to play a 2 drop.
3. I love putting two creatures into play with 1 card. It allows you to play more sorcery and instants for dealing with threats. The fact that it gives your new thopters haste gives this card the edge.
2. When I look at a creature, most of the time it’s to see how the power and toughness compares to the mana cost. Looking at that, this would be an average card that would make your 23rd or 24th cut some of the time. The fact that it can kill tiny creatures without dying itself is awesome. Your opponent can’t chump block this. It needs something with 6 toughness just to survive its first attack. If you turn 3 this it puts your opponent into a really bad position.
1. Fireball effects are really cool for limited. They allow you to kill creatures with high toughness, something red usually can’t do on its own with spells. It has everything you could want from a spell. It’s instant, can get rid of almost anything, and if you have Spell mastery online will win the game.
GREEN
5.This card is really solid. While this may not be what you want to be doing on your 5th turn it is certainly something I would love to do on my 6th turn. Tap 5 play this, evolving wilds, forest, put 2 2/2’s into play?
4. I’m not usually excited to see big fatties on top lists as their usually not played. This one on the other hand, is money. Being able to block flying is something pivotal in green shells. The fact that this has Vigilance gives this card the edge over a lot of other fat creatures.
3. You get a 2 drop, she gets a 2 drop, EVERYBODY GETS A 2 DROP. I love being able to regenerate my 2 drops. This makes them useful late game when you would otherwise not want to see them.
2. Wizards wants tribal to be a thing. So incoming, draft elves. While the Trample seems pretty useless, the rest of the card can fill your hand with goodies that can make anybody happy.
1. A creature that draws cards by itself is great. This card has so much synergy with this set I don’t see how you wouldn’t play this. Even by itself, if you hit once it’s becomes a 3/5 for 3
COMMONS
WHITE
5. The reason I place this in the Top 5 for commons is that it is an efficient body that does something without any other cards. It gets that much better when you have multiples of them. If you can get 3 of these in a draft deck life just gets easier.
4. 2/2’s for 2 are an important part of limited. I personally believe the most important turns in limited are turn 2 and turn 4. This is the best 2 drop for commons in this set because of it’s ability to become a 3/3.
3. We’ve seen this card before, and it’s almost always played. Just a solid removal spell.
2. This is one of those cards that seems subpar when reading it, but is actually intimidating when its swinging into you. It just feels better than all the white common creatures.
1. One of the better removal cards I’ve seen in this set. Especially since it’s a common. With the new flip planeswalkers and a slew of other activated abilities this card is perfect for almost any situation.
BLUE
Just like black is with its uncommons, blue falls short with its commons. Others can be good, but these 3 shine above them for their ability to help you get ahead by themselves.
While this card is no Mist Raven, it’s solid enough. Creatures that bounce are one of my favorite things in limited.
Efficient fliers will always have a place on top limited picks. This card is no exception.
This is the one of the most effective removal cards in the format. A 2 mana tempo removal is something that blue wants. It’s a little conditional, but it’s not really that hard to get.
BLACK
5.Terrific body for a black card for the cost. While ETB tapped is kind of a letdown, it’s also a zombie. Go tribal.
4. This card turns all your bad creatures into something like a machine. It’s a solid for a 3 drop.
3. To me this is an instant speed Bone Splinters. Put this on your Prized Unicorn and you’ll be tasting all the salt wafting off of your opponent.
2. This to me can be average, or extremely powerful. If you have more than one, its absolutley insane. If you don’t it’s not the worst creature you could play for 4 in the format. Due to it’s ability to put 5 or more power on the bored for 4 is bonkers.
1.This is a cheap flier that does something late game. In black. Every now and again one shows up in a format, and this is one of them. It has 0 draw backs aside from the fact it has only 1 power. Don’t pass this up.
RED
5. You can never go wrong for a cheap spell that gives you 2 creatures for the price of one.
4. A solid red body is hard to come by nowadays, but this guy hits the nail on the head. Eat your heart out elf drafters.
3. Not the best body to mana ratio, but it turns your mana into little embers of pain as they slowly burn away your opponent’s life. Fun card.
2. In Fate Reforged, one of the best white commons was Sandsteppe Outcast. This is the same card, just red.
1. I love shock effects for removal in limited. While it may not hit the face, it does have the potential to turn into a Lightning Bolt. This is the most mana efficient removal in this set at common.
GREEN
5. While not amazing on its own, in packs it can be damn right scary. The more the merrier with this card.
4. What I see with this card is something that I feel a lot of deck will have trouble handling. A 6/6 trample for 5 is solid.
3. An elf that draws you a card. While it doesn’t bring anything to the table other than drawing a card, fueling yourself in an elves deck is important.
2. I’m not fond of fight spells, but this card is great. It gives you the ability to make your tiny guy take on some of the bigger creatures in the format.
1. I loved Golden Hide when it was in limited. I LOVE this because it is exactly what a Green creature should be. An elf.
COLORLESS
Since there are not many colorless cards, I’ve decided to lump the commons and uncommons together. These are the filler of your deck. This format has lacked in common and uncommon artifacts. These are the 2 that stand out to me.
Angels Tomb is a wonderful, wonderful card. While it lacks the ability to turn itself on it is worth a mention. I love Runed Servitor. Even though your opponent gains the ability to draw, you also draw. Giving yourself more options if more important than worrying if your opponent has them.
Every multicolored card in this set is uncommon and there is only one for each color pairing. If they work for your deck better than another card would, throw them in there!
Thank you for reading this, and I hope it helps you out in Magic the Gathering: Origins limited format.