Drafting Crimson Vow

Last week we saw which are the Crimson Vow’s best ones to shift the balance of the standard.

The new expansion of the Innistrad universe has arrived. The Standard is evolving, and players are trying out lots of decks and figuring out how the new cards will fit into the format, so we’ll wait another week before we take a look at the format.

 

This week we’ll talk about Draft. We’ll look at the new abilities and try to figure out the best archetypes we can build.

 

CRIMSON VOW KEYWORDS

 

TRAINING

 

This new ability provides a +1+1 counter to a creature when it attacks with another creature that has power greater than its own.

 

                   

 

EXPLOIT

 

This is another ability that triggers at the moment a creature comes into play. You can decide to sacrifice a creature to use its effect.

 

                   

 

CLEAVE

 

These spells have both a normal mana cost and a mana cost with Cleave. If you pay this cost, you can remove the square brackets text from the card to get a stronger effect. 

 

                   

 

BLOOD TOKEN

 

Many cards will allow you to put into play these blood tokens that are artifacts with an ability that makes you discard a card to draw a card at the cost of one mana.

 

                   

 

CRIMSON VOW ARCHETYPES

 

 

BR VAMPIRES 

 

This is an excellent archetype that goes in synergy with the blood tokens. Many cards will have effects that allow you to put them in play and trigger skills sacrificing them.

 

                                       

 

This archetype has both a good early game with creatures like Blood Petal Celebrant, Belligerent Guest, Bloodtithe Harvester, or even Gift of Fangs that in this deck acts as both removal and aura, and it has a decent late game with annoying creatures to block like Bloodcrazed Socialite or Falkernath Celebrants.

 

                   

 

This type of deck is also full of removal spells that is essential in this format. Cards like Abrade, Hero’s Downfall, Bleed Dry, Rending Flame, or Parasitic Grasp are strong. You can still add Lacerate Flesh, Grisly Ritual, or Flame-Blessed Bolt that is fine in 1-of.

 

                   

 

Needless to say, cards like Olivia, Crimson Bride, and Bloodvial Purveyor are the two best-looking cards.

 

 

UB ZOMBIES/EXPLOIT

 

This is another archetype that you will commonly find yourself facing and it’s also fun to draft.

 

The deck takes advantage of the synergy of this new ability to generate as much value as possible by using creatures that may have effects when put in the graveyard.

 

 

The key card of the deck could be Skull Skaab, which puts a 2/2 every time you exploit a nontoken creature.

 

                                       

 

Other important cards for this archetype are Rot-Tide Gargantua, Stitched Assistant, Repository Skaab, Diver Skaab, and Doomed Dissenter, which puts a 2/2 zombie when it dies and doesn’t lose the board when sacrificed.

 

 

A card like Necroduality will set your draft toward this direction because it seems like a spell that won’t lose too many games.

 

 

GW HUMANS TRAINING 

 

This is an aggressive archetype that takes advantage of the large presence of humans in this set, many of which have training.

 

                                       

 

There are many commons that are staples. You want to always have Dawnhart Disciple, as well as Apprentice Sharpshooter, Gryff Rider, and cards like Resistance Squad that enable card draw and keep important resources.

 

                   

 

White also offers removal, although not as strong as red and black. Cards like Sigarda’s Imprisonment, Fierce Retribution, or Valorous Stance still make a good impression.

 

 

UW AURA

 

The set’s blue-white archetype takes advantage of the synergy of flying creatures and all cards with disturb that return in the form of auras.

 

                                       

 

Brine Comber is a good start for the deck. It must be paired with cards like Drogskol Infantry, Kindly Ancestor, Lantern Bearer, or Mischievous Cat Geist, which all come back from the graveyard, and flying cards like Gryffwing Cavalry, Gryff Rider, Wanderlight Spirit, or Screaming Swarm.

 

                                       

 

This archetype requires more uncommons to be at the top. You won’t play against it too often because it’s a bit harder to play than a deck full of creatures and removals.

 

 

GB TOUGHNESS

 

This is my favorite archetype. It’s easy to draft and simple to play. The only problem is it needs a strong uncommon, like Ancient Lumberknot, that you may not always find. When it’s opened or passed to you, you have to pick it and go into the archetype.

 

                                       

 

Creatures will assign damage with toughness instead of power if it is higher, so cards like Unhallowed Phalanx, Gluttonous Guest, Apprentice Sharpshooter, Sporeback Wolf, or Restless Bloodseeker become unmanageable. Catapult Fodder can be added and works well with this synergy. As a 1/5 it works well for the game plan. Once it’s flipped, which happens quickly in this deck, it does damage based on the toughness to your opponent by sacrificing creatures.

 

                   

 

Add the usual removal to this set of creatures, and the game is done.

 

The format is varied and interesting. It’s too early to determine which archetypes are better than others, but I recommend you try them all to find the one that best suits your play style. 

 

 

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