Catch My Drift

by Ross Fertel, Drafted Writer

1st June 2016

So you need help drafting, huh? No problem, here are some tips:

You'll want to get a good pitcher who will last several innings and…

Wait you need a good Quarterback with a strong arm to…

Hang on that's wrong too. Let's talk drafting for Infinite Diversity Remastered.

Before you go into the draft, you might want to keep the following tips in mind. Remember that this isn't like sealed; there's no card pool for a specific player, it is a card pool for everyone. Everyone!

Play with the Pack Creator: Just because it's a draft doesn't mean that you know what cards are available. Take some time playing with the pack creator and see what each offers. You won't see the complete card pool, but you'll get an idea of what your options are. And you do have options, just not all the best ones at all times.

Practice:You wouldn't walk into a new game blind would you? Okay, you probably would and do, but there are opportunities to practice ahead of time. The minimum number of players for a draft is three, but you can play around with someone else. Just grab a buddy and double up on drafting. You'll get a much better idea of how it works and try out some strategies. Doing this a few times, or even just a couple, will give you a better idea of what you can and should do.

Grab Power First:Remember that when you get the first pick of a pack, no one knows what you've picked or that it is even out there. This is huge, although it can tilt your hand to the person on your left. Feel free to mix it up a bit and throw them off, but only if you are okay with getting your fifth (or worse) pick overall. If nothing catches your fancy, go ahead and mix it up. It is a good idea to get something of use in the first pick.

Second Last is Power: On the other end of the spectrum, your Leftie (as they will be referred to from now on) will wind up with whatever card you don't want from your second to last pick. In essence, you are picking for both of you. Feel free to give them crap. If you give them something off suit, it is very much a wasted card, Product Placement be damned! You are more than welcome to mix it up and gush inwardly as they marvel at what the heck you gave them, what they are supposed to do with it and what you are building. Before you get too far ahead of yourself, don't forget that you are at the mercy of Rightie.

Long Game:Remember that there are rounds of drafting. Several of them. Don't get too discouraged if your first pack doesn't come with the sounds of angels singing. Something good will come along at some point. Be patient and remember that it's not entirely in the drafting, although that helps. It is in the skillful playing and construction. You are under no obligation to put all the cards that you draft into the final deck. If you keep seeing that everyone is passing on Klingons, you know what you can go for.

Coloring Outside the Lines: Yes, you can play someone 'off-suit' to your HQ at a cost, but at an extra counter, you need to be careful.It is useful, but shouldn't be used too lavishly.Remember, after seven uses, you've effectively given your opponent an extra turn!

Two is Better Than Three: The two mission win has dominated the scene since the beginning.Remember that not only are you playing for seventy points, design specifically put in two cards to make higher point missions more viable.Solving three in constructed is hard enough; three is something you simply won't have time for in draft.

Card Tracking: So maybe you can't skill track worth a darn. You can still keep track of what's been drafted. Barring a huge beyond huge game, the pack will make its way back to you and you can remember what is not there, which will put you in a better position. You don't know precisely who took what, but you know what was taken. It's like scouting other players, but it's entirely legit. You might not be able to act accordingly, but you can get an idea of what you're up against.

Infinite Diversity didn't introduce drafting, but it led to the virtual era of that format and in doing so, continued the tradition long after every pack is opened. With a little skill, a little preparation and a little luck, you can find yourself better prepared for what awaits you.

Now that you've stalled long enough, are you going to pick a card or what?

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