Picking up the Blitz: An NFL Draft Guide to Scars of Mirrodin

You’re staring down eleven defenders.  The blitz is coming.  It’s first down.  You’re the Quarterback.  Thirty-five seconds left.  Where’s the hole?  Where’s the big play going to come from?  See it before you do it.  There it is, the gap readily exploitable.  You hike the ball, and pack-one pick-three makes it into your pile.  Drafting, in many ways, solves the same puzzles that an NFL Quarterback deals with every play. And just like that QB, reading the field becomes easier if you have a plan.

The Huddle:
While practice makes perfect, and drafting is great practice in and of itself, you should know what to expect before you open pack one.  No NFL team goes into a game without taking a look at the playing field, or checking up on their competition.  Right now Scars of Mirrodin is the draft format of choice and you should be brushing up on as much strategy information as you can find, on how to best draft things like Metalcraft and Infect, so that you’re ready when game day comes. And don’t think you can’t scope out your competition as well. Do you know anything about your opponents?  Do you know that the former conference champ got there by the playing RW Metalcraft, and has a tendency to force that archetype? To have a chance on the field you need to know what you’re working with, and a good drafter knows that the draft starts well before pack one is opened.

The Offense:
As you draft, you’re trying to pick synergistic cards that will help your deck execute a gameplan efficiently.  No team ever won the Super Bowl on the back of a good quarterback alone, you need a team which knows how to work well with one another. Any kinks might throw off the entire plan and fumble away a game you could have otherwise won. If that means taking a Snapsail Glider over a Darkslick Drake in order to ensure metalcraft, then don’t be afraid to make that pick. You don’t want to have to bench a potential All-Pro like Vedalken Certarch because you neglected to put together a deck that is able to take advantage of his unique talents. Try to keep your draft picks in line with each other (i.e. draft a deck not just a pile of cards) and you’ll have a great offense.

Audibles:
Sometimes you first pick  a powerful card like Skinrender, only for the opposing team to pass you a Razor Hippogryph.  Despite wanting to include your beefy first-round draft pick on the starting line, you should be ready to switch the offense to take advantage of the situation. Even though you have a running play called, if the opponent comes out in goal line defense then it’s time to audible.

The Blitz:
Getting a jump on your opponents is sometimes the key difference between a four yard pass and a bomb touchdown.  The first seconds of any play can show the defensive holes. Scars of Mirrodin draft can be blazing fast, and between powerful metalcraft cards and poison beaters like Ichorclaw Myr and Plague Stinger you have a real chance of getting swarmed before you can even execute your gameplan. The best way to counteract your opponents fast starts is to hold the line and block the initial onslaught of attackers. A quick rush from the opposing team generally means that there will be some holes open in the secondary, so hold your ground deal with the early attacks as best you can. Then when you drop a fatty like Alpha Tyrranax, the opposing 1/1s and 2/2s on the otherside of the field will have to scramble back into a defensive position or risk giving up a Dinosaur-sized play. Make sure to build your deck to not only have its own curve, but to be able to deal with your opponents fast starts if their curve turns out to be more agressive than yours.

Big Plays:
Maybe your deck has sudden touchdown potential like Reggie Bush on a reverse, but you can’t always count on it to work by itself.  Build a good supporting cast so that when you do cast your bomb you should quickly win the game. On the flip-side of the coin, don’t give up the big play if you can avoid it. Just like you can’t stop every 5 yard gain, you can’t kill every creature that your opponent plays, and you often times don’t need to anyway. Most scars decks have 4-6 actual threats, and then the rest are generally support cards. Don’t waste your precious Shatter on their turn two myr and leave yourself no outs to the Precursor Golem that they slam down on turn five. Preventing big plays on defense are as important as completing them on offense.

Execution:
No matter how perfect the deck, a single fumble can ruin the game.  Make sure to check your plays and keep positive momentum. Technical play is more complex than I can illustrate here, but simple reads on the defense can make your that your play isn’t picked off. If you think that they might have Grasp of Darkness, then you might need to hold onto that Carnifax Demon for an extra turn to make sure you can activate it in response. On the other side, try to force turnovers!  If you read them for Dispense Justice then don’t be afraid to attack with an expendable myr so that your Steel Hellkite will survive. Making good reads and executing perfect plays will win more games than lucky topdecks bounces and brute force

Touchdowns:
Just because you’re ahead doesn’t mean you can slack off.  One of he most common misplays I see is that a player will keep a sub-par opening hand after winning game one. Why do they do it? Because there’s always game three if it doesn’t work. This is extremely flawed logic, and will often lead to match loses. When you’re ahead, keep your foot on their throat and go for the kill. Letting your opponent gain a win and much needed momentum is a great way to blow the match. When you have the lead, go ahead and run up the score.  You’re here to win and there’s no reason to let them back in the game.

Substitutions:
I’m not about to say that Magic cards get tired, but sometimes you need a better player for your opponent.  Even though Glint Hawk might be the one of the best pass-rushers in the format, sometimes you just need that fat Plated Seastrider to plug the ground. Look through your roster in between games and you may find the key role-player to win down the stretch.

The Final Whistle:
The game’s not over until the fat lady sings!  If you have a big lead start thinking of the Hail Marys that might save your opponent.  If the only way your opponent can get back in is with a Contagion Engine, then maybe don’t play that last dork in your hand. Same thing on defense; don’t quit until the absolute end. They can fumble or maybe you can topdeck the key play. Set yourself up for the win no matter how unlikely it may be.

Good Game:
Feel free to have a post-game press conference with your friends about your bad beats or great play, but know that it’s only a matter of time until the next game. Start thinking about what you can do better, and be ready to execute another flawless gameplan.

Practice:
The more you play, the better you’ll be. But remember that only perfect practice makes perfect. Don’t take any draft for granted. Design your offensive scheme, be prepared to adjust it, and learn from every game. No matter how well you do this season, there will always be more magic tournaments nearby. The difference between an athlete and a pro is practice. If you want to be a pro then get to it!

The Coach:
You might think that you’re a great player already, but there’s always a higher level.  Listen to your coaches and always try to adapt your play.  Everyone can always get better.  You don’t see Tom Brady sitting around thinking he’s the best QB ever, do you? No way! He’s got Level 5 DCI Judge Bill Bellichick running him through complex Mimic Vat layering drills. Everyone will have some advice and absorbing it to make yourself better with give you a better record each season.

I hope this was a refreshing NFL look at drafting.  If you’re unfamiliar with football, I’m sorry (What the hell is an Audible? – Ed.).  But the point is that if you treat each game with the same level of preparation and training as the NFL pros do, hopefully you’ll get that bucket of Gatorade dumped on you some day soon!

Remember that an athlete practices until they get it right.  A pro practices until they can’t get it wrong.  Game Time, Huwah!
-Roberto Castro-Mahoney