Outlaws of Thunder Junction Draft Guide: Dominate the Battlefield!

Guide

mtg outlaws of thunder junction draft guide

by violet March 18, 2024

Outlaws of Thunder Junction Draft Guide

Outlaws of Thunder Junction is a Wild West-themed Magic⁚ The Gathering set that offers a unique and exciting draft experience. This guide will delve into the mechanics‚ archetypes‚ and key cards to help you navigate the dusty trails of Thunder Junction and emerge victorious. Whether you’re a seasoned veteran or a newcomer to the world of Limited‚ this guide will equip you with the knowledge to master the format and dominate your drafts.

Introduction

Welcome‚ cowboys and cowgirls‚ to the dusty plains of Thunder Junction! Outlaws of Thunder Junction‚ the first Magic⁚ The Gathering set to embrace a Wild West theme‚ throws open the saloon doors to a thrilling new draft format. This set‚ with its unique mechanics and captivating card designs‚ promises a fresh and engaging Limited experience.

Whether you’re a seasoned veteran of the draft format or a curious newcomer eager to saddle up‚ this guide will serve as your trusty map through the untamed frontier. We’ll explore the mechanics that define this set‚ uncover the most powerful commons and uncommons‚ and dissect the diverse archetypes that emerge from the dust.
Prepare to face off against rival gangs‚ outwit cunning outlaws‚ and claim the bounty of victory. Buckle up‚ grab your six-shooter‚ and let’s dive into the heart of the Outlaws of Thunder Junction draft format.

Mechanics

Outlaws of Thunder Junction introduces a handful of exciting new mechanics that add depth and complexity to the draft format. These mechanics‚ each with its own unique flavor‚ shape the way you build your deck and influence your strategic decisions throughout the game.

First‚ we have the Plot mechanic‚ which allows you to exile a card face-up and cast it later for free. This mechanic adds a layer of strategic decision-making‚ as you weigh the immediate benefits of casting a card for its mana cost against the potential of saving it for a later turn.

Next‚ we have Commit a Crime‚ which rewards you for targeting your opponents‚ their creatures‚ or their cards in the graveyard or library. This mechanic encourages aggressive play and interaction‚ incentivizing players to disrupt their opponents’ strategies.

Then there’s the Outlaw tribal theme‚ which unites five different creature types ౼ Bandit‚ Gunslinger‚ Mercenary‚ Outlaw‚ and Renegade ౼ under a single banner.

Finally‚ we have the Saddle mechanic‚ which allows you to tap creatures with a combined power equal to or greater than a specified number to grant a creature a special bonus. This mechanic adds a tactical element to your attacks‚ forcing you to choose between utilizing your creatures for immediate damage or saving them for a later‚ more powerful attack.

Best Commons

When navigating the Wild West of Outlaws of Thunder Junction draft‚ certain commons stand out as shining stars. These cards are consistently strong and versatile‚ making them valuable additions to any deck.
At the top of the list is Sky Marshal’s Command‚ a three-mana 2/2 flyer with flash‚ incidental life gain‚ and scry 1. This card offers a powerful combination of stats‚ evasive ability‚ and valuable card advantage‚ making it a powerhouse in any white deck.

Oblivion Ring is another essential common‚ offering a versatile removal spell that can exile any permanent. Its ability to be cast at instant speed‚ for an additional two mana‚ provides crucial flexibility and makes it a valuable tool for disrupting your opponent’s strategies.

Finally‚ Overzealous Muscle is a combat trick that provides a powerful boost to your creatures. Its ability to give a creature indestructible and lifelink until the end of turn can turn the tide of a battle and provide a crucial edge in the late game.
These three commons consistently shine in the draft format. While other commons have their strengths‚ these consistently offer a high impact across various decks and strategies‚ making them highly sought after picks in your drafts.

Archetype Breakdown

Outlaws of Thunder Junction offers a diverse range of archetypes‚ each with its own unique strengths and strategies. Understanding these archetypes is crucial for making informed picks during the draft and building a cohesive deck.

White-Blue excels at control‚ utilizing powerful removal spells and countermagic to disrupt your opponent’s plans. Focus on cards that commit crimes to trigger the “Commit a Crime” mechanic‚ gaining advantages through the “Commit a Crime” effects.

Black-Green embraces aggression‚ utilizing strong creatures and powerful removal spells to overwhelm your opponent. Look for cards that utilize the “Outlaw” synergy to create a powerful‚ synergistic board presence.

Red-White leans towards an aggressive‚ go-wide strategy‚ utilizing powerful creatures and combat tricks to overwhelm your opponent. Focus on cards that utilize the “Saddle” mechanic to maximize your creature’s offensive potential.

Blue-Black excels at midrange strategies‚ combining powerful removal spells with efficient creatures to control the board and grind your opponent down. Look for cards that utilize the “Plot” mechanic to maximize card advantage and tempo.
Red-Green focuses on a fast-paced‚ aggressive strategy‚ utilizing powerful creatures and combat tricks to overwhelm your opponent. Look for cards that utilize the “Spree” mechanic to create a powerful‚ synergistic board presence.

Understanding these archetypes and their key strategies will help you make informed picks during the draft and build a deck that is well-suited to your playstyle.

Power Rankings

To effectively navigate the Wild West of Outlaws of Thunder Junction‚ you’ll need a strong understanding of the most powerful cards in the set. These power rankings provide a comprehensive guide to the best commons and uncommons‚ enabling you to make informed picks and build a competitive deck.

Top Commons⁚

Desert Guide⁚ This efficient two-mana creature provides a valuable scry 1 ability‚ giving you a glimpse into your deck and allowing you to strategize your next move.
Fading Hope⁚ This versatile removal spell can exile any creature or artifact‚ offering crucial removal in a format filled with powerful threats.
Overzealous Muscle⁚ This robust three-mana creature can become indestructible during your turn‚ offering a powerful defensive option and a key piece in aggressive strategies.

Top Uncommons⁚

Ambush Commander⁚ This powerful two-mana creature provides a significant threat with its ability to deal damage to all creatures your opponent controls.
Swift Justice⁚ This efficient removal spell can exile any creature‚ artifact‚ or enchantment‚ providing a versatile option for dealing with a variety of threats.
Djinn of Fools Fall⁚ This powerful three-mana creature offers a unique “Plot” ability‚ allowing you to cast it for free on a later turn‚ providing significant card advantage and tempo.

Understanding these power rankings will help you prioritize key cards during the draft‚ ensuring you build a deck capable of outlasting your opponents in the Wild West of Thunder Junction.

Tier List

The Outlaws of Thunder Junction draft format presents a diverse range of archetypes‚ each with its own strengths and weaknesses. To help you navigate this wild landscape‚ here’s a comprehensive tier list that categorizes the most successful strategies in the format⁚

Tier 1⁚ Dominant Archetypes

Aggro⁚ This strategy focuses on overwhelming your opponent with early aggression‚ relying on quick creatures and efficient removal to secure victory before they can stabilize. Red and White are the most common colors for this archetype.
Midrange⁚ This balanced strategy aims to control the board while developing a strong late-game presence. It utilizes a mix of removal‚ efficient creatures‚ and card advantage to outlast opponents.

Tier 2⁚ Competitive Archetypes

Control⁚ This strategy seeks to dominate the game through powerful removal spells‚ counterspells‚ and board wipes. It excels at disrupting opponents’ plans and controlling the flow of the game.
Combo⁚ This strategy relies on assembling specific combinations of cards to achieve a powerful effect‚ often winning the game in a single turn.

Tier 3⁚ Niche Archetypes

Reanimator⁚ This strategy aims to bring powerful creatures from the graveyard back into play‚ often using powerful spells to achieve a quick victory.
Lands⁚ This strategy focuses on utilizing the power of lands to generate card advantage‚ mana‚ and even creature tokens.

This tier list serves as a starting point for your draft strategy. Remember to adapt your approach based on the specific cards you’re presented with and the overall draft environment.

Additional Tips

Mastering the Outlaws of Thunder Junction draft format requires more than just understanding the mechanics and archetypes. Here are some additional tips to help you gain an edge over your opponents⁚
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Prioritize Mana Fixing⁚ In a format with a diverse range of colors and powerful multicoloured cards‚ mana fixing is crucial. Seek out dual lands and other mana fixing tools early in the draft to ensure smooth mana flow for your spells.
Embrace the Plot Mechanic⁚ The plot mechanic adds a unique dimension to the format. Consider the benefits of plotting cards for free later turns‚ especially if you’re playing a control or midrange strategy.
Don’t Neglect Removal⁚ Removal spells are invaluable in Outlaws of Thunder Junction. Efficient removal can disrupt your opponent’s plans‚ control the board‚ and create opportunities for you to take the lead.
Play to Your Strengths⁚ Each color pair offers a unique approach to the format. Focus on building a deck that utilizes the strengths of your chosen colors and plays to your strengths as a drafter.
Be Open to Adapting⁚ The draft environment can change rapidly. Be flexible in your approach‚ adjusting your strategy based on the cards you’re presented with and the overall flow of the draft.

By applying these tips‚ you’ll be well on your way to mastering the Wild West and conquering the Outlaws of Thunder Junction draft format.

White

White in Outlaws of Thunder Junction offers a solid foundation for both aggressive and controlling strategies. Here are some of the standout white commons worth prioritizing in your drafts⁚

Serene Sentinel⁚ A versatile 2/2 creature with flash and a powerful enter-the-battlefield effect. It provides both a tempo advantage and a valuable scry 1 ability‚ allowing you to dig deeper into your deck for key cards.
Overzealous Muscle⁚ A solid 2/2 creature with the “Commit a Crime” ability‚ making it a valuable asset for decks with interaction spells. Its indestructible ability when you commit a crime can swing the momentum in your favor.
Sheriff’s Star⁚ A powerful enchantment that grants a creature you control hexproof and lifelink. It provides crucial protection for key creatures and offers a consistent source of lifegain to help you stay in the game.
Trailblazer’s Oath⁚ A flexible enchantment that can either provide an additional land drop or create a 1/1 creature token. It offers valuable card advantage and enables you to fill your board with creatures.
Steadfast Paladin⁚ A 2/2 creature with vigilance that provides valuable support for aggressive decks. Its vigilance ability allows it to attack and block‚ making it a versatile threat.

White also boasts several strong uncommons that can significantly boost your white-based decks. Be on the lookout for cards like “Inspiring Leader‚” “Silverwing Griffin‚” and “Sage of the Sands” to further enhance your white strategy.

Blue

Blue in Outlaws of Thunder Junction shines with its ability to control the board and counter opponents’ strategies. It excels at disrupting your opponent’s plans with powerful removal spells and counterspells‚ while also offering a solid selection of evasive creatures. Here are some of the top blue commons to keep an eye out for⁚

Failed Fording⁚ A versatile bounce spell that can effectively deal with problematic creatures or artifacts. It also offers surveil 1 when you control a Desert‚ adding card advantage to its already impressive utility.
Sea Serpent’s Scourge⁚ A powerful removal spell that can efficiently deal with a wide range of threats. Its ability to target a creature or artifact makes it a valuable tool for both early and late-game scenarios.
Wily Wanderer⁚ An evasive creature with flash that can put pressure on your opponent while also providing card advantage. Its ability to scry 1 when it enters the battlefield allows you to dig deeper into your deck and find the cards you need.
Mystical Mirage⁚ A counter spell that can protect your key creatures or spells from being countered. Its ability to counter a spell with mana value 2 or less makes it a valuable tool for disrupting your opponent’s plans.
Shadowed Lookout⁚ A 1/2 creature with flying and the “Commit a Crime” ability. It offers a cheap and evasive threat that can quickly pressure your opponent while also triggering the “Commit a Crime” mechanic for added value.

Blue also has several strong uncommons that can further solidify your control strategy. Be on the lookout for “Seafloor Stalker” for powerful card advantage‚ “Psychic Scourge” for efficient removal‚ and “Mistral Singer” for versatile disruption.

Black

Black in Outlaws of Thunder Junction is all about removal‚ card advantage‚ and a touch of graveyard recursion. Its strength lies in its ability to eliminate key threats‚ dig for answers‚ and utilize powerful graveyard synergies. Here are some of the top black commons to look out for⁚

Murder⁚ A classic removal spell that can efficiently eliminate any creature on the battlefield. Its low cost and versatility make it a valuable tool in any black deck.
Grave Robber⁚ A 2/2 creature with deathtouch that can quickly deal with larger threats. Its ability to return a creature card from your graveyard to your hand when it dies provides a powerful recursion engine.
Gravechill Scourge⁚ A 1/1 creature with menace and the “Commit a Crime” ability. It offers a cheap and aggressive threat that can quickly pressure your opponent while also triggering the “Commit a Crime” mechanic for added value.
Whispers of the Dead⁚ A powerful card advantage spell that can return two creature cards from your graveyard to your hand. Its ability to bring back key threats or provide additional resources makes it a valuable tool for controlling the board.
Scourge of the Past⁚ A 2/2 creature with deathtouch and lifelink that can quickly deal with threats while also providing lifegain. Its combination of offensive and defensive capabilities makes it a valuable asset in any black deck.

Black also boasts several strong uncommons that can further enhance your removal and card advantage strategies. Keep an eye out for “Grim Initiate” for efficient removal‚ “Whispering Scourge” for powerful recursion‚ and “Gravechill Lurker” for a unique and effective way to control the board.