Rough Drafts - A Limited Magic Podcast

Grab bag episode for EOE! I talk through a handful of sweet interactions at commons, plus why you should be a little more willing to play a Quench.    catscandal's Azorius Midrange article - https://abitterblossom.wordpress.com/2025/08/22/azorius-midrange-in-edge-of-eternities-draft/ Friso's WB writeup - https://docs.google.com/document/d/19PFQ4vazJC_TX8yfsMhwDIjA7Rl6ThDs828tsG9lcHg/edit?tab=t.0 me on Magic Numbers with Sierkovitz - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZBF2Z0-SwI4&t=3347s   Linktree - https://linktr.ee/roughdrafts

Red week! Drafting red in EOE really clicked for me this week - tune in to learn why you shouldn't be afraid to get deep into the color, and why you should be building your decks around a 7 mana 4/4.   UR - https://www.17lands.com/deck/a842280f5b13479880a666a7fec39fc6/0?view=deck 

This week I'm diving into Perigee Beckoner, one of the sweetest black commons in EOE, and exploring the myriad of combos and synergy this card provides.    BU - https://www.17lands.com/deck/6082db0ccd3e4efea19c5cf4969bd9a0/0?view=deck BU - https://www.17lands.com/deck/c13142f81e02420ca35155e22043ce21/1?view=deck    Sierkovitz - Resources in Limited - should timestamp you to the "Mana spent" chart https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yPhrtvHwcvU&t=2221s  Linktree - https://linktr.ee/roughdrafts 

As the format develops, I turn to an old Magic strategy article for gameplay guidance. More specifically, I'm examining how managing your life total (and your opponents'!) can lend you a big leg up in Edge of Eternities.    Patrick Chapin - The Theory of Everything - https://articles.starcitygames.com/articles/innovations-the-theory-of-everything/  UB - https://www.17lands.com/deck/c13142f81e02420ca35155e22043ce21/0  UW - https://www.17lands.com/deck/91240c4fb8ae4b42a56dbd0003a40151/2?view=deck  https://linktr.ee/roughdrafts

Edge of Eternities hasn't been kind to me, but one bright spot is the "differently named lands" payoffs have been sweet! I spend some time talking about pulling out of a slump, how to build decks to not flood, and finally why Survey Mechan and All-Fates Scroll are so much fun.   UG Mechans - https://www.17lands.com/deck/46436fc2a4574e7f892fc578abe915d0/0?view=deck UBw Scrolls - https://bsky.app/profile/sampratt.bsky.social/post/3lvjwzbil5c2n Linktree - https://linktr.ee/roughdrafts

Talking about my lean, green, mean friend Gene! There's some promising historical precedence for cards like Gene Pollinator, so I'm talking through those as a backdrop before taking a look at some of the things Gene can do in Edge of Eternities.    Whole pile of Gx 2-1s - still haven't felt like I've gotten one that's particularly great -  https://www.17lands.com/deck/85cb510d9351405d8c8b284a3c35bb79/0?view=deck https://www.17lands.com/deck/ccb7c9c04fe040668db58f46df2a47d6/0?view=deck https://www.17lands.com/deck/b717ee275f6f4164a1b0d32a5efcd46b/0?view=deck https://www.17lands.com/deck/1f374337cdcd49f9add6188178bcde93/0?view=deck   Gx from @nomad-mtg.bsky.social - https://bsky.app/profile/nomad-mtg.bsky.social/post/3lv6mbngbnk2u  GUB from @doubleexposure.bsky.social - https://www.17lands.com/deck/7362aa7370284750a0e889946939395d/0?view=deck    Marc showing up the Requiem Monolith noobs - https://imgur.com/a/rv01w0o  Linktree - https://linktr.ee/roughdrafts 

The great beyond beckons - Edge of Eternities is almost here, and it's a challenging set to evaluate! I posit 10 big question marks I have before I get my hands on the cards, covering Spacecraft, fixing, and more. Plus - stay tuned for some secret bonus content. 

I'm saying goodbye to a banger of a limited format - with one part grab bag (miscellaneous card eval) and one part format retrospective.    UG Towns - https://www.17lands.com/deck/3a0db8e045374966bb04ccda2bf8882a/0?view=deck  Ethan's Steal-n-sac - https://imgur.com/a/S40hpcL  BR ft. Summon: Anima - https://www.17lands.com/deck/62c98240248c46e7b0be000fa69b7067/0?view=deck

White is the most aggressive color in FIN for sure. However, aggressive decks carry a different meaning than they did a few years ago. I take a look at some of the ways aggro has changed over the past couple of years, and dive into what my white decks of every color look like.    F.I.R.E. Design article -  https://magic.wizards.com/en/news/card-preview/fire-it-2019-06-21  Sam Black Big Game/Small Game - https://articles.starcitygames.com/magic-the-gathering/select/elvish-visionary-vs-elderfang-disciple-the-nature-of-card-advantage/    BW (more black) - https://www.17lands.com/deck/724e8752d55243c49feb08fabbbb2237/0?view=deck  RW - https://www.17lands.com/deck/a34f5c1f59df4b61bf7e44c2e3785ae9/0?view=deck  UW - https://www.17lands.com/deck/3bef7e136b1c4c95b0b904e8cc5174d8/0?view=deck  GW go wide - https://www.17lands.com/deck/116d8b95fd2942d9a08a8cca6e3c03ef/0?view=deck    Linktree - https://linktr.ee/roughdrafts 

This week I'm tackling a topic near and dear to my heart - splashing and multicolor! While splashing is somewhat of a rarity in FIN, there are plenty of spots where the third, fourth, or fifth color adds something great. What are our fixing options, and what types of cards ask us to stretch our manabase?   Limited Level Ups manabase video - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RZ6tiK_lmm4  GRb - https://bsky.app/profile/sampratt.bsky.social/post/3ls2to63tps22  BGwr - https://www.17lands.com/deck/7b8ef17d15f04d328a975001ec659cdb/0?view=deck  level 3 pile - https://www.17lands.com/deck/805549d9ea8f4b999fa94191abc25dfe/0?view=deck 

Armed with a weekend of drafts from Magic Con Vegas, this week I'm looking at Black Mage's Rod. Which decks want Black Mage's Rod, and how does it stack up against the other black 2 drops?    Game against Cuneo (UB) - https://www.17lands.com/history/12daee6c80754ff58649d1f9f56e98f3/7/0  My paper UB deck - https://bsky.app/profile/sampratt.bsky.social/post/3lsccgzetrk26  BR deck - https://www.17lands.com/deck/479ef4d29b0741b69c99aa27e503c6c5/0?view=deck  Sam Black big game/small game - https://articles.starcitygames.com/magic-the-gathering/select/elvish-visionary-vs-elderfang-disciple-the-nature-of-card-advantage/  Ryan's bluesky - https://bsky.app/profile/r-condon.bsky.social  LOL live show - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=i4DBgsOtqrA 

Sorceress's Schemes is a really sweet data darling from the first week of FIN limited. It's pretty obvious where it fits in (BR and UR), but why exactly does it perform well in those decks? Are there any other places we can play it? BR (from me) - https://www.17lands.com/deck/3048cce3f745424c882a6eb8b89cab07/0?view=deck UR (from Chonce on Discord) - https://www.17lands.com/deck/426b6580a17045829d92cc4545a94520/0?view=deck  UR (from Lark on Discord) - https://imgur.com/a/YIxo07z  GR (from catharsis23 on Bluesky) - https://www.17lands.com/deck/fcbbef3eb1804ca9a970b367c7673242/0?view=deck  Cooper's decks - https://imgur.com/a/1P7savn 

In week one of Final Fantasy, I plumb the depths on what looks to be the set's strongest color - blue! After taking a look at what makes blue exceptional in formats where it was great like MID or MOM, I dive into blue's deep roster of commons in FIN.   Uw - https://www.17lands.com/deck/d0e5adfda2f94965a153981565ae9210/0?view=deck Ub - https://www.17lands.com/deck/21c25e28a1b34f5e9e738ee9bce497a8/2?view=deck   Linktree - https://linktr.ee/roughdrafts

New set! Ahead of FIN's release next week, I'm taking a look at 10 hot topics - either questions I want to answer going into set release, or things I'm most looking forward to trying.   initial tier list - https://www.17lands.com/tier_list/8a24183713024103b9a9d53af1dca2ec 

I take a look back at one of my favorite formats of the past few years! A retrospective not just on the format's vibes, but also some specific lessons we learned from TDM about limited formats in 2025.    Maro's Play Booster article - https://magic.wizards.com/en/news/making-magic/nuts-and-bolts-16-play-boosters Linktree - https://linktr.ee/roughdrafts