Draft Deck Meta

Core Set 2020 Draft Deck Metagame

Draft deck metagame only consists of decks with the maximum number of wins (3 wins in Traditional and 7 wins in Quick and Premier drafts).
Select an archetype to see the popular cards used in winning decks of that group.

Simic card breakdown - 2 decks, 5.88% of meta

Creatures

2.0 Vanilla 3-mana 3/3s are still perfectly fine in Limited. 2 1x in 50%

2.0 This is another decent spider for Green. It doesn’t have as high of toughness as some spiders, but it makes up for that by becoming a 4/3 when it blocks flyers, which will be enough to trade with a lot of them. 2.4 1x in 50%

2.5 Mammoth Spider isn’t fancy, but it is a reasonable card for most Green decks, especially those that need some defense against flyers. 3 1x in 50%

4.0 A 6-mana 4/5 flyer isn’t the greatest stats around, but it is passable. However, I really like Attemsis’ activated ability to draw two cards and discard one. I see two courses of action when you play this Sphinx – one of them is that it dominates the sky and you can just kill them with your big flier. If you can’t attack though and have to hold Attemsis back? Well, then you can just use that activated ability every turn, and there’s a good chance you find a way to win the game that way too, since it gives you serious card advantage and selection. The alternate win condition thing is cute, but it is not particularly easy to pull off in Limited, so I wouldn’t put much stock in it. 5 1x in 50%

2.5 One-mana 1/1s with death touch are always solid. They aren’t ever game-breaking, but they do remain relevant all game long. 4 1x in 50%

5.0 4 mana for a 3/3 flyer is usually already good enough for close to always make your deck, so when you tack on the ability to tap down your opponent’s best creature as long as the Geists stay alive, you’re getting a pretty good deal. This usually ensures that the Geists can go after your opponent, and will often just result in you having more favorable attacks even the turn you play the Geist. The one thing is that the Geist isn’t exactly huge, and it will die to lots of removal – but even when that happens immediately, you’re still getting a some value out of tapping the creature down during your turn, and that’s a decent consolation prize. 4.8 1x in 50%

1.5 This is a vanilla creature, but it has a useful creature type and somewhat reasonable stats, so you’ll find yourself with it a the top of your curve sometimes. 1.7 2x in 50%

3.5 This creature does well on the Vanilla test, has evasion, and replaces himself when he dies. That means he is a 2-for-1 that is really threatening – and that’s pretty nice. One thing I could see happening with him is that your 5-drop slot is just too loaded – I mean, you only want so many in most formats – but I have a hard time saying no to a 2-for-1 like this guy. 3.6 1x in 100%

3.5 It isn’t exciting, but Air Elemental is always an efficient creature in Limited, and in this format the Elemental creature type matters! 3.9 1x in 100%

3.5 Mana dorks are always nice in pretty much every format, and that includes Limited. 0/3 is a nice body to have on a dork, since it actually blocks reasonably well if you need it to. Most of the time, this will just be adding Green mana in the early going, and maybe in the later part of the game you can get some extra mana to pay for mana sinks and the like. It also doesn’t hurt that it happens to have the Elemental creature type, which is well-supported in this set. 4 1x in 100%

3.0 A 4-mana 4/3 with Trample is already solid, and giving the rest of your Elementals Trample is a big deal in this format. 3 1x in 100%

2.5 I like playing creatures with decent stats who let me scry, though I do think those that appear lower in the curve are better, because they allow you to keep a larger percentage of hands. A 4-drop who scries doesn’t do that. 1.8 1x in 100%

2.0 This creature has an expensive ability, but it isn’t a bad late-game mana sink, as you can virtually guarantee you draw a creature once you’re using it, but it is more of an emergency activated ability than anything – like if you’re flooding out. It isn’t exactly the kind of ability that will win you the game. 2 1x in 100%

4.0 This is potentially the best Common in the format, and certainly the best one for Blue. 3 mana for a 2/1 flyer is already passable – especially one with the elemental type in this format. The cantrip is what really pushes this over though – you can easily get 2-for-1s out of this because of that card draw, and that’s a pretty great thing to have on a creature that can also threaten your opponent in the air pretty reliably. Even if you play it late and can’t really attack, you’re still getting some use out of this card thanks to the extra card you draw, too. You jam this into pretty much every Blue deck in this format, and you want every single one of them you see. 4.5 2x in 100%
Instant, Sorcery

1.5 Well, this is an interesting trick. Two mana for +3/+3 is already a kind of good deal, but the fact that it pumps your creature even more if you have Growth Cycles in your graveyard seems pretty cool. The kind of awkward thing here is that most of the time, you don’t want to be running too many tricks. So even with that “collect ‘em all” bonus, I’m not sure I ever want more than one of these. 3.1 2x in 0%

2.5 One mana to return a creature is an awesome rate, because you’re basically always going to come out ahead in terms of tempo – since you’re going to be bouncing things that cost a heck of a lot more than one mana most of the time. Additionally, bounce effects let you blow out opponents who are overly reliant on Auras or combat tricks. Finally, in a pinch you can use it to save your own creature, which will be worth it some of the time. 2.8 1x in 50%
Enchantment, Artifact

2.0 Like heartpiercer bow, Vial of Dragonfire can be searched up by Renowned Weaponsmith. While certainly not efficient – it takes a total of 4 mana to do 2 damage to a creature – it is the kind of card you run in enough situations – like if you are desperate for removal, or your deck has artifact synergies, especially the weaponsmith. 1.6 1x in 50%

0.0 // 2.5 This card is kind of a weird one! On its own, it is kind of horrendous – it just doesn’t do enough most of the time but if you can pair it with a bunch of other Bows and some Renowned Weaponsmiths, you suddenly have a very real deck, as getting a bunch of these in play all at once makes it very hard for your opponent to win the game. However, you pretty much need the weaponsmiths to make this strategy work, and they are mostly unplayable otherwise. 3 1x in 50%

3.0 This is a little clunky to be sure, as 4 mana is way more than you normally want to be paying for a removal spell that doesn’t even fully remove a creature, but it does the job well enough. It isn’t quite premium removal, but it is fine to play. 3 1x in 50%

2.5 I have a hard time getting behind auras that don’t add something to the board – but Wolfkin Bond does that. Paying 5 for +2/+2 isn’t great, but adding a 2/2 to the board makes it a lot better. It likely lets you attack with something that couldn’t before, or at the very least lets you attack harder, and it makes sure that a Wolf is around to block and then start attacking the next turn. This helps you from being completely devastated by a 2-for-1 as well, since you at least have the Wolf behind. Though, keep in mind, if your opponent has mana up, they can just blow up your target for the Bond and you don’t get anything – and that’s still a huge risk with this type of card. This is a solid playable, and I think most Green decks will be fine with one of these. 1.5 1x in 50%

2.0 This has proven to be pretty solid. Auras can be dangerous as a result of the 2-for-1 risk, but because the Invocation has Flash, you can normally get around that. You can do so by using it as a combat trick of sorts that allows you to kill one of your opponents’ creatures in combat, and then your creature gets to keep the buff! Now, you still have to be careful when you use it, because the 2-for-1 risk is still there, but as long as you are, this ends up being a pretty reasonable card for creature-heavy Green decks. 2.3 1x in 50%

3.0 I honestly think a 2-mana Enchantment that lets you scry every time a creature ETBs would already be sort of playable. Most decks have 15 or more creatures, and Scrying is a great way to find more creatures and continue to improve your draws. This card then asks you to be interesting in casting spells on your own creatures, something that can be dangerous with combat tricks and the like – but this really incentivizes doing so – and helps you avoid 2-for-1s since you get to draw the card even if the creature you target dies. Additionally, the Bant 3-color combination seems especially interested in flickering and bouncing creatures, and you would get to draw a card for doing that too. 3.8 2x in 50%
Planeswalkers
Lands

3.0 This can be whatever mana you need it to be, whereas the other lands in the format just produce two colors. Evolving Wilds is even worth it in a 2-color deck because it makes your mana so much better, but obviously it is really good in decks with 3 or more colors as well. Running 1 basic land of your splash color along with the Wilds now means you have 2 copies of that land, and that’s pretty nice. 3.8 1x in 50%

2.5 If you need fixing, this is a decent place to get it. There are also a few cards in the set that care about lifegain, which might mean they are a little more useful than usual in some decks, but mostly they just make your mana better. Even if you’re just 2 colors, taking these over filler is sometimes a good call, since they really make your mana so much better. 2.8 1x in 100%
Top Rated Cards

2.5 I like playing creatures with decent stats who let me scry, though I do think those that appear lower in the curve are better, because they allow you to keep a larger percentage of hands. A 4-drop who scries doesn’t do that. 1.8 1x in 100%

3.0 I honestly think a 2-mana Enchantment that lets you scry every time a creature ETBs would already be sort of playable. Most decks have 15 or more creatures, and Scrying is a great way to find more creatures and continue to improve your draws. This card then asks you to be interesting in casting spells on your own creatures, something that can be dangerous with combat tricks and the like – but this really incentivizes doing so – and helps you avoid 2-for-1s since you get to draw the card even if the creature you target dies. Additionally, the Bant 3-color combination seems especially interested in flickering and bouncing creatures, and you would get to draw a card for doing that too. 3.8 2x in 50%

3.0 This is a little clunky to be sure, as 4 mana is way more than you normally want to be paying for a removal spell that doesn’t even fully remove a creature, but it does the job well enough. It isn’t quite premium removal, but it is fine to play. 3 1x in 50%

3.0 A 4-mana 4/3 with Trample is already solid, and giving the rest of your Elementals Trample is a big deal in this format. 3 1x in 100%

3.5 5-mana ¾ Flyers tend to be pretty solid in Limited, and this one comes with a useful creature type and a nice additional ability. By making removal spells cost two additional mana, your opponent won’t be able to utilize their mana more effectively than you in most situations. With 4 toughness, really cheap removal just doesn’t deal with this, so your opponent is likely paying 4+ mana to take it down, and that really isn’t too bad. This is a key common for Blue decks, and one of its best. 3.6 1x in 50%

3.5 This is certainly expensive, but it is one of the best non-rare things to ramp into in this format. It tends to really stabilize you on a whole bunch of different board states, as the three bodies do a great job of putting an end to your opponents’ aggression, and the Giant itself has Reach, even allowing you to stabilize against Flyers! 4.1 1x in 50%

3.5 I love this kind of card. Most of the time, a one mana 1/1 flyer isn’t anything special, because it quickly becomes outclassed by pretty much every other flyer or card with reach in the set. Spectral Sailor does have the same problem, but once it can’t attack anymore, it has a powerful mana sink ability that just takes over the game if your opponent doesn’t stop it. Basically, the Sailor can do a few damage early in the game, and it can also help you win games that go long. 4.6 1x in 50%

3.5 Mana dorks are always nice in pretty much every format, and that includes Limited. 0/3 is a nice body to have on a dork, since it actually blocks reasonably well if you need it to. Most of the time, this will just be adding Green mana in the early going, and maybe in the later part of the game you can get some extra mana to pay for mana sinks and the like. It also doesn’t hurt that it happens to have the Elemental creature type, which is well-supported in this set. 4 1x in 100%

3.5 It isn’t exciting, but Air Elemental is always an efficient creature in Limited, and in this format the Elemental creature type matters! 3.9 1x in 100%

3.5 This creature does well on the Vanilla test, has evasion, and replaces himself when he dies. That means he is a 2-for-1 that is really threatening – and that’s pretty nice. One thing I could see happening with him is that your 5-drop slot is just too loaded – I mean, you only want so many in most formats – but I have a hard time saying no to a 2-for-1 like this guy. 3.6 1x in 100%

4.0 A 6-mana 4/5 flyer isn’t the greatest stats around, but it is passable. However, I really like Attemsis’ activated ability to draw two cards and discard one. I see two courses of action when you play this Sphinx – one of them is that it dominates the sky and you can just kill them with your big flier. If you can’t attack though and have to hold Attemsis back? Well, then you can just use that activated ability every turn, and there’s a good chance you find a way to win the game that way too, since it gives you serious card advantage and selection. The alternate win condition thing is cute, but it is not particularly easy to pull off in Limited, so I wouldn’t put much stock in it. 5 1x in 50%

4.0 Woo boy, this is one of the sweetest signpost uncommons we’ve ever seen! Elemental decks are really well supported in this Limited format, so Risen Reef ends up triggering a whole whole lot in most cases, and even on its own, it triggers its own ability, and that’s a good fail case to have! It gets particularly silly with cards that make multiple elementals. This is better than most of the rares and mythics in this set. 3.8 1x in 50%

4.0 This is potentially the best Common in the format, and certainly the best one for Blue. 3 mana for a 2/1 flyer is already passable – especially one with the elemental type in this format. The cantrip is what really pushes this over though – you can easily get 2-for-1s out of this because of that card draw, and that’s a pretty great thing to have on a creature that can also threaten your opponent in the air pretty reliably. Even if you play it late and can’t really attack, you’re still getting some use out of this card thanks to the extra card you draw, too. You jam this into pretty much every Blue deck in this format, and you want every single one of them you see. 4.5 2x in 100%

5.0 4 mana for a 3/3 flyer is usually already good enough for close to always make your deck, so when you tack on the ability to tap down your opponent’s best creature as long as the Geists stay alive, you’re getting a pretty good deal. This usually ensures that the Geists can go after your opponent, and will often just result in you having more favorable attacks even the turn you play the Geist. The one thing is that the Geist isn’t exactly huge, and it will die to lots of removal – but even when that happens immediately, you’re still getting a some value out of tapping the creature down during your turn, and that’s a decent consolation prize. 4.8 1x in 50%

Dimir	61 matches	8 decks
23.53% of Metagame
Azorius	60 matches	7 decks
20.59% of Metagame
Orzhov	28 matches	4 decks
11.76% of Metagame
Izzet	26 matches	3 decks
8.82% of Metagame
Gruul	26 matches	3 decks
8.82% of Metagame
Selesnya	17 matches	2 decks
5.88% of Metagame
Simic	18 matches	2 decks
5.88% of Metagame
Golgari	17 matches	2 decks
5.88% of Metagame
Boros	17 matches	2 decks
5.88% of Metagame
Mono White	8 matches	1 decks
2.94% of Metagame

Decks by color

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Core Set 2020 Draft Deck Metagame

Simic card breakdown - 2 decks, 5.88% of meta

Creatures

Instant, Sorcery

Enchantment, Artifact

Planeswalkers

Lands

Top Rated Cards

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