Avatar: The Last Airbender Draft Guide - All Draft Archetypes Explained

Every new set brings fresh Limited archetypes to explore, and figuring them out early can make a big difference in your draft success. Today, we’re taking a look at some early draft skeletons with help from our friend Mathcorejay—huge thanks to them for pointing out the key cards that make each archetype tick. Let’s get right into it!

Table of Contents

What are Avatar: The Last Airbender's core mechanics?

Before diving into the archetypes, it's valuable first to fill in some of the most common things you will run into in your drafts.

Avatar: The Last Airbender’s core mechanics in Magic: The Gathering center on the four elemental bending styles, each tied to specific colors and play patterns:

• Firebending (Red-based, often Red/White or Red/Black): Focuses on aggressive combat. You gain extra mana when you attack, letting you cast spells during combat for explosive turns.

• Waterbending(Blue): Focuses on flexibility and steady advantage rather than speed. It rewards careful sequencing and interaction, letting you respond to changing board states instead of committing all at once. Many creatures generate value when they tap, turning small actions into long-term benefits. For example, [card]Compassionate Healer[/card] gains life and helps smooth draws whenever it taps, while [card]Katara, Water Tribe's Hope[/card] can use your tapped board to strengthen your team through Waterbend.

• Earthbending (Green): Builds a slow, solid board with tough creatures and +1/+1 counters. You grow stronger over time and become hard to break through.

• Airbending (White): Plays with movement and trickery—flying, bouncing, card draw, and shifting attackers to stay evasive and unpredictable.

The set also features Ascension enchantments that “power up” once you meet a condition, turning into strong engines that reward you for sticking to your bending style. 

[cards]{{Earthbender Ascension}}{{Firebender Ascension}}{{Waterbender Ascension}}{{Airbender Ascension}}[/cards]

These mechanics are designed to feel like the show—each nation plays differently and expresses its personality through gameplay.

With that out of the way, let’s now dive into the core archetype of this set.

Azorius Flyers

Azorius is all about winning in the air. Most of your creatures have flying, so you naturally get to dictate combat while your opponent struggles to block. The plan is simple: play cheap flyers early, keep attacking, and back your board up with a few tricks and tempo spells so the opponent never stabilizes. The deck doesn’t need to race on the ground—once you're ahead in the skies, the pressure naturally snowballs.

Azorius Uncommons

[cards]{{Air Nomad Legacy}}{{Aang, the Last Airbender}}{{Appa, Loyal Sky Bison}}{{Teo, Spirited Glider}}[/cards]

These cards give the deck its real finishing power. [card]Air Nomad Legacy[/card] is your anthem, turning every small flyer into a real threat. [card]Aang, the Last Airbender[/card] and [card]Appa, Loyal Sky Bison[/card] help reposition your board with airbending while adding bigger evasive bodies. [card]Teo, Spirited Glider[/card] keeps your hand clean and your creatures growing over time. You don’t need all of these in your pile, but one good payoff makes every flyer more meaningful.

Azorius Creatures (Commons Only)

[cards]{{First-Time Flyer}}{{Glider Kids}}{{Iguana Parrot}}{{Messenger Hawk}}{{Cat-Owl}}{{Geyser Leaper}}[/cards]

Your commons fill the sky early and keep the momentum going. Cards like [card]First-Time Flyer[/card] and [card]Glider Kids[/card] help you curve out, while creatures like [card]Messenger Hawk[/card] and [card]Cat-Owl[/card] come with small bits of value attached so your pressure doesn’t run out. When the game goes long, [card]Geyser Leaper[/card] and [card]Iguana Parrot[/card] help push through extra damage.

Azorius Interaction (Commons Only / Others)

[cards]{{It'll Quench Ya!}}{{Octopus Form}}{{Airbending Lesson}}{{Yip Yip!}}{{Rowdy Snowballers}}[/cards]

Your spells aren’t focused on clearing the whole board—they’re here to protect your flyers or remove key blockers. [card]Airbending Lesson[/card] and [card]Yip Yip![/card] help push through damage, [card]It’ll Quench Ya![/card] slows down opposing removal, and [card]Rowdy Snowballers[/card] keeps key blockers tapped down. Pick the ones that help your flyers keep swinging.

Azorius Rare & Mythic Payoffs

[cards]{{Momo, Friendly Flier}}{{Aang, Swift Savior}}{{Yue, the Moon Spirit}}{{Katara, Water Tribe's Hope}}[/cards]

[card]Momo, Friendly Flier[/card] makes your flying curve much smoother by discounting one flyer each turn, and it grows naturally as more flyers join the board. [card]Aang, Swift Savior[/card] provides both tempo and flexibility—its flash entrance can protect a creature or disrupt an opponent’s key spell, and when it transforms, it becomes a large evasive finisher that powers up your entire team on attack. [card]Yue, the Moon Spirit[/card] gives you a reliable flying threat that also lets you cast a noncreature spell for free later, helping you break board stalls or reload after trades. Finally, [card]Katara, Water Tribe’s Hope[/card] supports the go-wide airborne plan by creating an extra body and offering a team-wide stat reset that can swing combat entirely in your favor when timed well.

Dimir Card Advantage (UB)

Dimir plays a slow, steady value game. Instead of racing, this deck draws extra cards and uses Clue tokens to keep the hand full while slowly draining or out-sizing the opponent. Most of your creatures either help you draw, make Clues, or become stronger once you draw your second card each turn. You aim to keep the board stable, keep your cards flowing, and win by incremental advantage, not sudden bursts.

Dimir Uncommons

[cards]{{Foggy Swamp Spirit Keeper}}{{Knowledge Seeker}}{{Buzzard-Wasp Colony}}{{June, Bounty Hunter}}[/cards]

[card]Foggy Swamp Spirit Keeper[/card] lets your second card each turn turn into evasive Spirit tokens, which slowly build an aerial army. [card]Knowledge Seeker[/card] gets larger while also ensuring you never fall behind in cards, since even when it leaves the board you still keep value. [card]Buzzard-Wasp Colony[/card] thrives in longer games where creatures trade or get sacrificed, slowly becoming a real threat. Meanwhile, [card]June, Bounty Hunter[/card] slips through blockers once your draw engines are online, allowing you to pressure life totals without overcommitting. These cards don’t end the game instantly, but they keep pushing your advantage with every extra card drawn.

Dimir Creatures (Commons Only)

[cards]{{Callous Inspector}}{{Corrupt Court Official}}{{Forecasting Fortune Teller}}{{Messenger Hawk}}{{Otter-Penguin}}{{Foggy Swamp Hunters}}[/cards]

Dimir’s creatures are small, but they all contribute to the long game. [card]Callous Inspector[/card] and [card]Corrupt Court Official[/card] help control the early turns by taking a card or leaving behind a Clue when they leave, making every trade feel favorable. [card]Forecasting Fortune Teller[/card] smooths your draws and keeps the Clue engine flowing, while [card]Messenger Hawk[/card] and [card]Otter-Penguin[/card] attack in the air and help trigger your second-card effects. [card]Foggy Swamp Hunters[/card] is excellent in drawn-out games, gaining life and pushing damage once your advantage is established. The goal isn’t to overwhelm the opponent with power — it’s to never run out of gas.

Dimir Interaction / Others (Commons Only)

[cards]{{Watery Grasp}}{{Swampsnare Trap}}{{Ruinous Waterbending}}{{Boomerang Basics}}{{Lost Days}}[/cards]

Dimir’s spells help maintain board control while your engines develop. [card]Watery Grasp[/card] taps down or removes blockers, and [card]Swampsnare Trap[/card] is a clean way to neutralize small threats. [card]Ruinous Waterbending[/card] becomes especially strong once you’ve built a board, letting your creatures win combat decisively. [card]Boomerang Basics[/card] is flexible — bouncing a key opposing permanent or reusing one of your own enter-the-battlefield effects when needed. [card]Lost Days[/card] handles larger threats and replaces itself with a Clue, keeping your card flow strong. Everything here supports your plan to outlast and out-resource the opponent.

Dimir Rare & Mythic Payoffs

[cards]{{Waterbender Ascension}}{{Raven Eagle}}{{Spirit Water Revival}}{{Azula, Cunning Usurper}}[/cards]

These payoff cards are what allow Dimir to take over the long game. [card]Waterbender Ascension[/card] doesn’t draw right away — it needs time and counter buildup — but once it’s charged, it starts providing steady card advantage and eventually lets your creatures slip past blockers entirely. [card]Raven Eagle[/card] adds pressure from the air and turns every extra draw into a slow drain that steadily flips the life totals in your favor. [card]Spirit Water Revival[/card] isn’t an immediate refill — it rewards you for building toward a later reshuffle that restores resources and resets your deck once the game reaches its final stage. And [card]Azula, Cunning Usurper[/card] gives Dimir its most controlling angle, quietly seizing cards that were never meant to be yours and converting patience into a win condition. Once any of these are online, the opponent finds themselves slowly running out of ways to keep up.

Rakdos Aggro (RB)

Rakdos is the fast, aggressive deck of the format. The idea is to attack early and keep attacking, forcing your opponent to react. Many of your creatures make extra mana when they attack, which lets you cast pump spells, removal, or even play another creature mid-combat. That means Rakdos often creates explosive turns where the board suddenly swings in your favor. Every combat matters, and small edges quickly become huge if the opponent can’t stabilize.

Rakdos Uncommons

[cards]{{Fire Sages}}{{Fire Nation Engineer}}{{Azula, On the Hunt}}{{Cruel Administrator}}[/cards]

[card]Fire Sages[/card] gives extra combat mana and keeps growing, making it one of your best early threats. [card]Fire Nation Engineer[/card] hands out +1/+1 counters whenever you attack, helping even your smallest creatures trade up. [card]Azula, On the Hunt[/card] gives both firebending mana and long-term value with Clues, so your pressure doesn’t fade. Meanwhile, [card]Cruel Administrator[/card] hits hard in the midgame and leaves behind another body for future attacks. Together, they make sure your aggressive plan doesn’t run out of gas.

Rakdos Creatures (Commons Only)

[cards]{{Callous Inspector}}{{Corrupt Court Official}}{{Vindictive Warden}}{{Fire Nation Cadets}}{{Deserter's Disciple}}{{Fire Nation Raider}}{{Rough Rhino Cavalry}}[/cards]

The common creatures keep your curve fast and your board threatening. [card]Callous Inspector[/card] and [card]Corrupt Court Official[/card] create small value edges that make trades and discard feel good for you. [card]Fire Nation Cadets[/card] becomes dangerous once your graveyard has a Lesson, and [card]Deserter’s Disciple[/card] makes it difficult for the opponent to block profitably. [card]Fire Nation Raider[/card] helps ensure you always have something to do once you’ve attacked. And [card]Rough Rhino Cavalry[/card] gives you late-game power with trample so your pressure never fully stops. The idea is to curve out and keep swinging.

Rakdos Interaction (Commons Only / Others)

[cards]{{Firebending Lesson}}{{Azula Always Lies}}{{Lightning Strike}}{{How to Start a Riot}}{{Cunning Maneuver}}[/cards]

Your spells aim to push combat in your favor rather than control the game. [card]Firebending Lesson[/card] and [card]Azula Always Lies[/card] help you remove blockers or shrink them mid-combat. [card]Lightning Strike[/card] is both reach and removal, helping close out games or interrupt defenses. [card]How to Start a Riot[/card] turns a wide board into a massive attack step, and [card]Cunning Maneuver[/card] makes a key attacker bigger while drawing into your next play. Rakdos doesn't want long answers — it wants to end games.

Rakdos Rare & Mythic Payoffs

[cards]{{Firebender Ascension}}{{Firebending Student}}{{Obsessive Pursuit}}{{Boiling Rock Rioter}}[/cards]

[card]Firebender Ascension[/card] starts by creating a decent creature token, and the firebending support it adds afterwards makes your attacks hit harder as the game develops. [card]Firebending Student[/card] grows quickly while you cast spells during combat, often becoming your biggest threat. [card]Obsessive Pursuit[/card] keeps your hand full and steadily increases combat damage each turn. And [card]Boiling Rock Rioter[/card] lets you reuse creatures from exile, making it difficult for the opponent to ever fully stabilize. Once one of these takes hold, the pressure rarely lets up.

Gruul Earthbending / Ferocious (RG)

Gruul Earthbending focuses on building big creatures fast, then turning combat into a battering ram. Earthbending turns your lands into temporary attackers with +1/+1 counters, which not only lets you apply pressure early but also fuels the deck’s “power 4 or greater” payoff theme. Once you start putting multiple counters on lands and creatures, everything on your board becomes a legitimate threat, and your attacks force trades or push through huge chunks of damage. You’re not trying to grind — you overrun.

Gruul Uncommons

[cards]{{Haru, Hidden Talent}}{{Bitter Work}}{{Earth Kingdom General}}{{Toph, the Blind Bandit}}[/cards]

These cards make your board grow in a hurry. [card]Haru, Hidden Talent[/card] makes every Ally entering the battlefield trigger earthbending, which means your lands start joining the fight and picking up counters along the way. [card]Bitter Work[/card] keeps your hand full once you are consistently attacking with creatures of power four or greater and gives you a late-game explosion when you finally use its exhaust mode. [card]Earth Kingdom General[/card] stabilizes races by gaining life when counters are placed and helps your board scale without losing tempo. [card]Toph, the Blind Bandit[/card] converts all those counters into raw power, often attacking as the biggest creature on the table. These cards make sure your team doesn’t just hit hard — it keeps getting harder to block.

Gruul Creatures (Commons Only)

[cards]{{Turtle-Duck}}{{Raucous Audience}}{{Ostrich-Horse}}{{Earth Rumble Wrestlers}}{{Badgermole}}{{Rebellious Captives}}{{Yuyan Archers}}[/cards]

The commons provide your early board and the counter foundation. [card]Turtle-Duck[/card] is a strong early attacker that becomes a real threat once you invest mana. [card]Raucous Audience[/card] accelerates your mana naturally and faster once your big creatures are online. [card]Ostrich-Horse[/card] helps make sure you hit your land drops, or becomes a reasonable attacker if you don’t mill one. [card]Earth Rumble Wrestlers[/card] turns your earthbent lands into trampling power, which makes blocking awkward for your opponent. [card]Badgermole[/card] gives trample to your countered creatures, which is often the difference between close games and one-sided wins. [card]Rebellious Captives[/card] grows with your late-game earthbend activations, and [card]Yuyan Archers[/card] helps keep your draws consistent early. Every creature either makes you bigger or helps you get to the point where your board takes over.

Gruul Interaction (Commons Only / Others)

[cards]{{Pillar Launch}}{{Lightning Strike}}{{Rocky Rebuke}}{{Rockalanche}}{{Earth Rumble}}{{Earthbending Lesson}}[/cards]

The spells here help you win combat and keep your board clear enough to attack. [card]Pillar Launch[/card] lets your big creature push past a blocker or hit the opponent directly. [card]Lightning Strike[/card] is your flexible removal or finishing burn spell when races get close. [card]Rocky Rebuke[/card] uses your biggest creature to fight something down, often clearing a blocker outright. [card]Rockalanche[/card] is a massive swing in the late game when your lands are full of counters. [card]Earth Rumble[/card] both sets up more counters and removes something immediately. And [card]Earthbending Lesson[/card] is one of the cleanest ways to jump your board into ferocious territory early. You’re not controlling the game — you're making sure your attacks stay good.

Gruul Rare & Mythic Payoffs

[cards]{{Ba Sing Se}}{{Earthbender Ascension}}{{The Earth King}}{{Toph, Hardheaded Teacher}}[/cards]

These rares make it very difficult for your opponent to stabilize. [card]Ba Sing Se[/card] gives you earthbend on demand, letting your lands enter combat already built up. [card]Earthbender Ascension[/card] steadily places counters and eventually gives trample, which almost guarantees your largest creatures connect. [card]The Earth King[/card] brings a large body immediately and accelerates your mana when your big creatures attack, helping you power out the rest of your threats quickly. [card]Toph, Hardheaded Teacher[/card] turns every spell cast into more earthbending and makes sure your lands and creatures never stop scaling. Once one of these hits the field, it’s only a matter of time before your board becomes unmanageable.

Selesnya Allies (GW)

Selesnya focuses on growing your team together. Most of your creatures are Allies that either bring another token with them or reward you when more Allies enter the battlefield. Over time, these triggers stack and your board naturally becomes wider and stronger than your opponent’s. Instead of racing in the air like Azorius or pushing raw power like Gruul, Selesnya wins by building a coordinated board where every new creature adds value and keeps your momentum going. If you can keep your team organized and protected, your board will feel impossible to break through.

Selesnya Uncommons

[cards]{{Earth Kingdom Protectors}}{{Haru, Hidden Talent}}{{Invasion Reinforcements}}{{White Lotus Reinforcements}}[/cards]

Your uncommons are your foundation pieces. [card]Earth Kingdom Protectors[/card] protects your key Allies by letting you save one at instant speed, which makes combat and removal far less risky. [card]Haru, Hidden Talent[/card] turns each Ally entry into earthbending value, letting your lands grow into meaningful attackers or blockers alongside your board. [card]Invasion Reinforcements[/card] provides flash bodies and helps you double-trigger Ally synergies on your opponent’s turn. Meanwhile, [card]White Lotus Reinforcements[/card] is your anthem effect, boosting your entire team of Allies and turning token swarms into lethal threats. These cards ensure that once your board is established, it stays established and scales upward each turn.

Selesnya Creatures (Commons Only)

[cards]{{Compassionate Healer}}{{Avatar Enthusiasts}}{{Foggy Swamp Vinebender}}{{Earth Kingdom Soldier}}{{Jeong Jeong's Deserters}}{{Kyoshi Warriors}}{{Rebellious Captives}}{{Walltop Sentries}}{{Water Tribe Captain}}[/cards]

Your commons keep your board large, wide, and consistent. [card]Compassionate Healer[/card] rewards tapping and attacking with small bits of life gain that help you stay ahead in races. [card]Avatar Enthusiasts[/card] grows every time another Ally enters, scaling into a real midgame threat. [card]Foggy Swamp Vinebender[/card] attacks past small blockers and becomes even larger when waterbent. [card]Earth Kingdom Soldier[/card] spreads counters across your board, allowing multiple creatures to become combat-relevant. [card]Jeong Jeong's Deserters[/card] offers early stat boosts, while [card]Kyoshi Warriors[/card] and [card]Rebellious Captives[/card] give you multiple bodies and +1/+1 counter payoffs. [card]Walltop Sentries[/card] shores up the defense against flyers, and [card]Water Tribe Captain[/card] provides a late-game pump that helps convert a board stall into a winning attack. Altogether, these creatures ensure the deck never stops gaining momentum.

Selesnya Interaction (Commons Only / Others)

[cards]{{Yip Yip!}}{{Kyoshi Battle Fan}}{{Path to Redemption}}[/cards]

Your interaction is mostly about helping your board win combat or bypass defenses. [card]Yip Yip![/card] is your go-to combat blowout, giving Allies a boost and sometimes flying to push through damage. [card]Kyoshi Battle Fan[/card] ensures you get an Ally body and a relevant equipment boost at once, ideal for maintaining pressure. [card]Path to Redemption[/card] neutralizes a key blocker or attacker and can later convert into yet another Ally body, helping maintain your board presence while removing a threat.

Selesnya Rare & Mythic Payoffs

[cards]{{Earth King's Lieutenant}}{{South Pole Voyager}}{{Suki, Courageous Rescuer}}{{Hakoda, Selfless Commander}}[/cards]

[card]Earth King’s Lieutenant[/card] helps your board grow in a natural rhythm. When it enters, it adds a +1/+1 counter to every other Ally you already have, immediately boosting your battlefield. Then, as more Allies come down, it gains counters itself, becoming a meaningful threat over time. [card]South Pole Voyager[/card] rewards steady Ally triggering with life gain, and eventually card draw, helping the deck grind through long games. [card]Suki, Courageous Rescuer[/card] turns any permanent leaving the battlefield into more Allies, which is devastating in combat or against removal. Finally, [card]Hakoda, Selfless Commander[/card] lets you play Allies off the top of your library to maintain momentum—and can sacrifice himself to make your entire team indestructible to close out a game.

Orzhov Sacrifice (WB)

Orzhov Sacrifice plays a slow, resourceful game built around sacrificing small creatures for value and rebuilding the board as you go. The deck doesn’t rush to end the game. Instead, it gains small advantages turn after turn — a Clue here, a drain effect there, a token replacing something that died. Eventually, your opponent realizes that every trade favors you, and the board slowly shifts in your direction. This archetype rewards patience, sequencing, and knowing when to sacrifice for value and when to hold for pressure.

Orzhov Uncommons

[cards]{{Momo, Playful Pet}}{{Joo Dee, One of Many}}{{Buzzard-Wasp Colony}}{{Hei Bai, Spirit of Balance}}{{Tolls of War}}[/cards]

[card]Momo, Playful Pet[/card] turns leaving the battlefield into advantage, whether that’s counters, Food, or card selection. [card]Joo Dee, One of Many[/card] lets you surveil and clone it, but the real payoff is that it demands you sacrifice something, continuously fueling your graveyard and sacrifice triggers. [card]Buzzard-Wasp Colony[/card] rewards you for sacrificing by drawing a card on entry and inheriting any counters creatures had as they die. [card]Hei Bai, Spirit of Balance[/card] gets bigger every time you sacrifice and then hands those counters off when it leaves, ensuring your stats stay on board. Finally, [card]Tolls of War[/card] turns each sacrifice you make into another Ally token, keeping your board stocked with more bodies to feed the engine.

Orzhov Creatures (Commons Only)

[cards]{{Callous Inspector}}{{Corrupt Court Official}}{{Pirate Peddlers}}{{Kyoshi Warriors}}{{Beetle-Headed Merchants}}{{Curious Farm Animals}}{{Merchant of Many Hats}}{{Pretending Poxbearers}}[/cards]

Your commons make sure you never run out of things to sacrifice. [card]Callous Inspector[/card] replaces itself with a Clue when it dies, ensuring card flow. [card]Corrupt Court Official[/card] forces a discard on entry, pushing opponents behind in resources. [card]Pirate Peddlers[/card] grows every time you sacrifice, rewarding your incremental value. [card]Kyoshi Warriors[/card] gives you an extra body immediately, improving your board count for future sacrifices. [card]Beetle-Headed Merchants[/card] turns sacrifices during combat into both a card and a counter boost, helping close games. [card]Curious Farm Animals[/card] gives life on death and can act as artifact/enchantment removal when sacrificed. [card]Merchant of Many Hats[/card] provides long-game recursion to keep the engine fueled, and [card]Pretending Poxbearers[/card] gives you a token on death to continue the chain. Every piece here helps ensure the deck never runs out of material.

Orzhov Interaction (Commons Only / Others)

[cards]{{Deadly Precision}}{{Swampsnare Trap}}{{Sold Out}}{{Path to Redemption}}[/cards]

Your interaction supports your sacrifice loops by either creating opportunities to trade or by rewarding damage-based removal. [card]Deadly Precision[/card] is cheap removal when you sacrifice something, which works perfectly in this archetype. [card]Swampsnare Trap[/card] shrinks a creature enough to neutralize it, especially strong against flyers or mid-size attackers. [card]Sold Out[/card] exiles a creature and gives you a Clue if it had already been damaged, making combat tricks and token attacks count for extra value. [card]Path to Redemption[/card] locks down an opposing creature and later turns into another Ally when you sacrifice it, essentially removing a threat while maintaining your board.

Orzhov Rare & Mythic Payoffs

[cards]{{Obsessive Pursuit}}{{Sandbender Scavengers}}{{Suki, Courageous Rescuer}}{{Realm of Koh}}[/cards]

[card]Obsessive Pursuit[/card] provides Clues every turn and rewards sacrificing with massive combat swings. [card]Sandbender Scavengers[/card] grows as the game goes on and brings back your best creature when it dies, making removal feel hopeless for the opponent. [card]Suki, Courageous Rescuer[/card] ensures your board never shrinks — if something leaves, something arrives to replace it. Finally, [card]Realm of Koh[/card] gives you a constant stream of Spirits to sacrifice or attack with, making it nearly impossible to fully clear your board. Once one of these is active, the game becomes about waiting for your opponent to run out of hope.

Boros Go-Wide (RW)

Boros Go-Wide focuses on producing multiple small bodies quickly and then converting that board presence into burst damage. Many creatures here either create tokens when they enter or reward you for having a wide board. The firebending mana you generate mid-combat can then be spent on combat tricks, removal, or token activations, allowing the deck to explode with pressure in a single attacking step. The key to the archetype is sequencing: build your team, keep the attacks coming, and look for the moment your pump spell or anthem effect allows you to close the game in one sweep.

Boros Uncommons

[cards]{{Fire Sages}}{{Invasion Reinforcements}}{{Jeong Jeong, the Deserter}}{{Sun Warriors}}{{Team Avatar}}[/cards]

[card]Fire Sages[/card] supplies firebending mana and grows into a threat when the game goes long. [card]Invasion Reinforcements[/card] provides two bodies at flash speed, helping you double-trigger Ally synergies or stabilize mid-combat. [card]Jeong Jeong, the Deserter[/card] gives consistent firebending and can copy Lessons later for huge swings. [card]Sun Warriors[/card] turns every attack step into a burst of mana based on your widest board state, converting numbers into pressure. [card]Team Avatar[/card] rewards attacking alone by scaling power off your total creature count or becomes removal when discarded, which lets you break board stalls. Together, these cards ensure your board is both wide and impactful.

Boros Creatures (Commons Only)

[cards]{{Fire Nation Cadets}}{{Deserter's Disciple}}{{Kyoshi Warriors}}{{Avatar Enthusiasts}}{{Wandering Musicians}}{{Treetop Freedom Fighters}}{{Water Tribe Captain}}[/cards]

These creatures are your early pressure and the pieces that let you actually push damage. [card]Fire Nation Cadets[/card] helps enable firebending quickly, turning your early attacks into extra mana and momentum. [card]Deserter's Disciple[/card] makes blocking awkward for your opponent, especially once your board starts to grow. [card]Kyoshi Warriors[/card] gives you multiple bodies from a single card, which is perfect for going wide and keeping your attacks steady. [card]Avatar Enthusiasts[/card] starts small but becomes a real threat as Allies continue to enter the battlefield. [card]Wandering Musicians[/card] boosts your entire team when you attack, often turning small tokens into meaningful damage. [card]Treetop Freedom Fighters[/card] adds surprise pressure with its hasty token, helping you swing past slow starts. And when the game goes long, [card]Water Tribe Captain[/card] provides a late-game anthem that lets your entire team hit hard enough to close the match.

Boros Interaction (Commons Only / Others)

[cards]{{Fancy Footwork}}{{Airbending Lesson}}{{Firebending Lesson}}{{Kyoshi Battle Fan}}{{How to Start a Riot}}{{Lightning Strike}}{{Path to Redemption}}[/cards]

Your interaction is aimed at forcing damage through rather than controlling the game. [card]Fancy Footwork[/card] untaps and pumps two creatures at once, often flipping combat or enabling an alpha strike. [card]Airbending Lesson[/card] clears out a blocker temporarily while replacing itself with a card. [card]Firebending Lesson[/card] is efficient removal early and powerful if you choose to kick it. [card]Kyoshi Battle Fan[/card] guarantees another body and keeps pressure mounting. [card]How to Start a Riot[/card] pushes your entire team’s power for a lethal combat step. [card]Lightning Strike[/card] provides clean reach or spot removal. And [card]Path to Redemption[/card] neutralizes threats while eventually converting into yet another Ally token. 

Boros Rare & Mythic Payoffs

[cards]{{South Pole Voyager}}{{Iroh, Tea Master}}{{Suki, Courageous Rescuer}}{{Wartime Protestors}}[/cards]

Your rares supercharge the go-wide strategy by either rewarding repeated Ally entries or turning your token board into overwhelming combat pressure. [card]South Pole Voyager[/card] provides a steady stream of life gain and card draw when your Allies enter in pairs, helping the deck refuel as it floods the board. [card]Iroh, Tea Master[/card] offers a unique token engine that grows massively if you gift permanents to your opponent—something that pairs especially well with expendable Food tokens or small Allies you don’t need anymore. [card]Suki, Courageous Rescuer[/card] boosts your entire squad offensively and replaces any permanent that leaves during your turn with another Ally, ensuring your board never shrinks once established. Finally, [card]Wartime Protestors[/card] turns every new Ally into a hasty, bigger attacker, allowing you to convert a wide board into sudden lethal swings.

Izzet Spells (UR)

Izzet Spells is all about casting lots of noncreature spells to build tempo and turn your small creatures into real threats. Many cards care about the number of Lesson cards in your graveyard, which fuels your card draw, removal, and cost reductions later in the game. The deck plays like a classic spell-slinger list—cheap cantrips and tricks, evasive creatures with prowess, and a few big payoff threats that take over once your graveyard is stocked and your hand is flowing.

Izzet Uncommons

[cards]{{Gran-Gran}}{{Accumulate Wisdom}}{{Dragonfly Swarm}}{{Sokka's Haiku}}{{Serpent of the Pass}}{{Combustion Technique}}{{Ty Lee, Artful Acrobat}}{{Mai, Jaded Edge}}{{Master Pakku}}{{Professor Zei, Anthropologist}}[/cards]

These cards are the engines that keep your spells flowing and help the deck scale as the game goes on. [card]Gran-Gran[/card] turns into a true payoff once you’ve stocked the graveyard with Lessons, making every noncreature spell cheaper and letting you chain multiple plays in a single turn. [card]Accumulate Wisdom[/card] smooths out early draws and turns into real card advantage later, making sure you never run out of gas. [card]Dragonfly Swarm[/card] provides evasive pressure that grows naturally with each spell you cast, often becoming your primary finisher. [card]Sokka’s Haiku[/card] works as both disruption and tempo, countering a spell while also untapping a land so you can immediately cast something else. [card]Serpent of the Pass[/card] gets cheaper as spells fill your graveyard and even flashes in at instant speed to stabilize the board. [card]Combustion Technique[/card] is efficient removal that scales alongside your spell count. Meanwhile, the prowess trio—[card]Ty Lee, Artful Acrobat[/card], [card]Mai, Jaded Edge[/card], and [card]Master Pakku[/card]—turn every spell into either an extra burst of damage or incremental value. And [card]Professor Zei, Anthropologist[/card] keeps the spell chain going, often picking up a key instant or sorcery to close out the game.

Izzet Creatures (Commons Only)

[cards]{{First-Time Flyer}}{{Boar-q-pine}}{{Yuyan Archers}}{{Iguana Parrot}}[/cards]

Your commons provide cheap bodies that become threats once you start casting spells. [card]First-Time Flyer[/card] is a small flyer early, but once you have a Lesson in your graveyard, it attacks as a respectable evasive body. [card]Boar-q-pine[/card] grows permanently whenever you cast noncreature spells, letting you snowball in creature matchups. [card]Yuyan Archers[/card] helps filter your draws and ensures your hand stays stocked. And [card]Iguana Parrot[/card] is a reliable evasive prowess creature that pressures planeswalkers and life totals alike. 

Izzet Interaction (Commons Only / Others)

[cards]{{Firebending Lesson}}{{Aang’s Journey}}{{Waterbending Lesson}}{{Lost Days}}{{Octopus Form}}{{Abandon Attachments}}{{Cunning Maneuver}}{{Lightning Strike}}[/cards]

Your spells do the heavy lifting here. [card]Firebending Lesson[/card] is your bread-and-butter removal that scales late. [card]Aang’s Journey[/card] smooths your mana early and provides Shrine synergy if you’re splashing. [card]Waterbending Lesson[/card] draws you cards and keeps your graveyard filled. [card]Lost Days[/card] solves big threats efficiently while replacing itself. [card]Octopus Form[/card] protects your key prowess creatures and flips combat. [card]Abandon Attachments[/card] turns dead cards into real cards. [card]Cunning Maneuver[/card] gives a burst of damage while creating a Clue for more spells later. And [card]Lightning Strike[/card] provides clean reach to end games. These spells keep the deck fast, flexible, and always casting.

Izzet Rare & Mythic Payoffs

[cards]{{Firebending Student}}{{Sokka, Bold Boomeranger}}{{The Mechanist, Aerial Artisan}}{{Ty Lee, Chi Blocker}}[/cards]

Your rares take the spell-slinging plan and push it into explosive scaling territory. [card]Firebending Student[/card] turns every non-creature spell into both extra power and extra combat mana, letting you chain spells and pump effects mid-combat for huge bursts of damage. [card]Sokka, Bold Boomeranger[/card] filters your hand when he enters and steadily grows whenever you cast artifact or Lesson spells—perfect for a deck built around Clues and spell recursion. [card]The Mechanist, Aerial Artisan[/card] passively creates Clue tokens as you cast spells and then turns those clues into evasive 3/1 flyers, giving you both card draw and a ready-made air force. Finally, [card]Ty Lee, Chi Blocker[/card] is a flash threat that freezes a key blocker while also scaling with every spell cast, helping push through crucial early tempo swings and closing games before opponents stabilize.

Simic Ramp (UG)

Simic Ramp focuses on developing your mana early and using Lessons to fix, draw, and build long-term resource advantage. Rather than winning quickly, this deck plays for the mid-to-late game, where its larger creatures and value engines start to overwhelm opponents. You want to spend your early turns ramping or replacing cards, then deploy big threats while maintaining a healthy hand size. Once your lands and creatures begin scaling, your board becomes extremely difficult to answer, and you take over through sheer efficiency and size.

Simic Uncommons

[cards]{{Boomerang Basics}}{{Accumulate Wisdom}}{{The Spirit Oasis}}{{Guru Pathik}}{{Seismic Sense}}{{Hermitic Herbalist}}{{Kyoshi Island Plaza}}{{Shared Roots}}{{Sparring Dummy}}{{True Ancestry}}[/cards]

This is where the deck’s long-term value really starts to take shape. [card]Boomerang Basics[/card] offers flexible interaction by letting you reset threats or reuse your own enter-the-battlefield effects, all while replacing itself when needed. [card]Accumulate Wisdom[/card] helps stabilize early turns and later becomes real card draw once your graveyard is stocked with Lessons. [card]The Spirit Oasis[/card] and [card]Kyoshi Island Plaza[/card] build up naturally as Shrines enter the battlefield, either drawing cards or ensuring you keep hitting your land drops. [card]Guru Pathik[/card] is the glue piece, tutoring Lessons and adding +1/+1 counters as you cast them so your board quietly becomes more threatening. [card]Hermitic Herbalist[/card] provides the flexible mana that lets you commit to ramp while keeping your options open. Early on, [card]Seismic Sense[/card] and [card]Shared Roots[/card] help find the lands or creatures you need, and once the game goes long, [card]Sparring Dummy[/card] and [card]True Ancestry[/card] keep the cards flowing so the deck never runs out of pressure or answers.

Simic Creatures (Commons Only)

[cards]{{First-Time Flyer}}{{Ostrich-Horse}}{{Platypus-Bear}}{{Giant Koi}}{{Walltop Sentries}}{{Saber-Tooth Moose-Lion}}[/cards]

Your commons focus on survival early and inevitability late. [card]First-Time Flyer[/card] serves as a cheap evasive blocker that grows once your Lessons are online. [card]Ostrich-Horse[/card] mills to find lands, ensuring your ramp keeps flowing. [card]Platypus-Bear[/card] becomes a real attacker once your graveyard is stocked, letting you stabilize and pressure at the same time. [card]Giant Koi[/card] offers a large blocker that can become unblockable when needed, threatening to end the game if left unanswered. [card]Walltop Sentries[/card] helps stabilize against flyers and gains life when it dies if a Lesson is present. [card]Saber-Tooth Moose-Lion[/card] is your top-end finisher, dominating the late board with its sheer size and reach.

Simic Interaction (Commons Only / Others)

[cards]{{Waterbending Lesson}}{{Lost Days}}{{It'll Quench Ya!}}{{Aang's Journey}}{{Cycle of Renewal}}{{Origin of Metalbending}}[/cards]

Your interaction focuses on delaying the opponent while you ramp. [card]Waterbending Lesson[/card] draws a pile of cards and lets you tap your team to pay for the discard reduction, which is excellent once your board develops. [card]Lost Days[/card] tucks key threats while giving you a Clue for more long-term advantage. [card]It’ll Quench Ya![/card] taxes opponents early and becomes a meaningful answer to big swing plays later. [card]Aang’s Journey[/card] finds lands or Shrines depending on the stage of the game, stabilizing mana while gaining life. [card]Cycle of Renewal[/card] ramps you intensely by converting one land into two more. Finally, [card]Origin of Metalbending[/card] doubles as artifact/enchantment interaction or a protection spell that grows your board.

Simic Rare & Mythic Payoffs

[cards]{{Earthbender Ascension}}{{Spirit Water Revival}}{{The Lion-Turtle}}[/cards]

Your rares give Simic its late-game inevitability and engine scaling. [card]Earthbender Ascension[/card] ramps you immediately while also rewarding steady land drops by placing +1/+1 counters and granting trample to your biggest threats—once this turns on, every land is a board upgrade. [card]Spirit Water Revival[/card] draws cards efficiently early, but its waterbend mode turns it into a massive reshuffle-and-refill that lets you completely reset and out-value any opponent, especially in drawn-out games. [card]The Lion-Turtle[/card] helps you stabilize your mana early by gaining 3 life when it enters. It won’t be able to block or attack until you have three Lessons in your graveyard, so it plays more like a ramp piece in the early turns and becomes a large defensive body later once your engine is set up. 

Golgari Counters (BG)

Golgari Counters is all about playing creatures that grow over time and turning those counters into board dominance. Many of your creatures gain +1/+1 counters as they enter the battlefield or when you sacrifice things, and your payoffs reward having multiple creatures with counters by granting trample, menace, life drain, or raw stat advantages. This deck thrives in midrange battles—your creatures outscale your opponent’s over the course of the game, and trades almost always benefit you. Once your counter engines start rolling, your team becomes too large and too resilient to stop.

Golgari Uncommons

[cards]{{Leaves from the Vine}}{{Fire Nation Engineer}}{{Earth Kingdom General}}{{Dai Li Agents}}{{Bumi, King of Three Trials}}{{Long Feng, Grand Secretariat}}{{Earth Rumble}}{{Flopsie, Bumi's Buddy}}{{Rockalanche}}{{Toph, the Blind Bandit}}[/cards]

This is where the deck’s counter engine really starts to come together. [card]Leaves from the Vine[/card] fuels the graveyard early and creates Food to keep you in the game, then later spreads counters and draws cards so the value never stops. [card]Fire Nation Engineer[/card] pushes your board forward simply by attacking, steadily growing your team. [card]Earth Kingdom General[/card] pairs perfectly with counter placement, gaining life and earthbending at the same time, which helps you stay ahead in races. [card]Dai Li Agents[/card] turns counter distribution into a drain effect, slowly shifting the life totals in your favor with every small improvement to your board. [card]Bumi, King of Three Trials[/card] gives you a powerful late-game payoff, offering either an explosion of stats, deeper card selection, or a counter engine based on lands. [card]Long Feng, Grand Secretariat[/card] turns each sacrifice or land leaving the battlefield into more counters, quietly snowballing your board. [card]Earth Rumble[/card] keeps counters flowing while letting your creatures fight, helping you both remove threats and reinforce the board. [card]Flopsie, Bumi’s Buddy[/card] spreads counters widely, making your attackers too large to block cleanly. [card]Rockalanche[/card] scales with how many lands you’ve empowered, and [card]Toph, the Blind Bandit[/card] turns those land counters directly into overwhelming power.

Golgari Creatures (Commons Only)

[cards]{{Rebellious Captives}}{{Earth Village Ruffians}}{{Foggy Swamp Vinebender}}{{Badgermole}}{{Hog-Monkey}}{{Ostrich-Horse}}{{Pirate Peddlers}}[/cards]

Your commons give you the early board and counter support to build toward your bigger payoffs. [card]Rebellious Captives[/card] scales into a massive late-game attacker thanks to exhaust and earthbend. [card]Earth Village Ruffians[/card] replaces itself with a countered land-body when it dies, giving you staying power. [card]Foggy Swamp Vinebender[/card] is naturally hard to block and gets even bigger when waterbent. [card]Badgermole[/card] spreads counters through earthbend and grants trample to your whole team of countered creatures, making blocking nearly impossible. [card]Hog-Monkey[/card] gives menace to any creature with counters, pushing damage through. [card]Ostrich-Horse[/card] provides filtering and becomes a solid attacker if you miss on lands. And [card]Pirate Peddlers[/card] grows every time you sacrifice, turning incidental value plays into large board threats. 

Golgari Interaction (Commons Only / Others)

[cards]{{Azula Always Lies}}{{Cycle of Renewal}}{{Earthbending Lesson}}{{Dai Li Indoctrination}}{{Origin of Metalbending}}[/cards]

Your interaction supports your counter strategy rather than just removing threats. [card]Azula Always Lies[/card] lets you shrink opposing creatures or add counters where you need them most, making combat math tricky for your opponent. [card]Cycle of Renewal[/card] ramps while stocking your graveyard, advancing both mana and counter synergies. [card]Earthbending Lesson[/card] is effectively a “make a huge creature now” spell, enabling ferocious breakpoints immediately. [card]Dai Li Indoctrination[/card] provides hand disruption when needed or earthbends to grow your board. And [card]Origin of Metalbending[/card] either cleans up problematic enchantments or permanently buffs and protects one of your most important creatures. 

Golgari Rare & Mythic Payoffs

[cards]{{Ba Sing Se}}{{Obsessive Pursuit}}{{Earthbender Ascension}}{{Beifong's Bounty Hunters}}[/cards]

Your rares reinforce Golgari’s ability to scale your board and convert every death or sacrifice into long-term power. [card]Ba Sing Se[/card] gives you repeatable earthbend activations, turning your lands into large counter carriers and ensuring your board remains pressure-heavy even when trading creatures. [card]Obsessive Pursuit[/card] passively produces Clues for ongoing card draw, but its real payoff is in combat—each sacrifice fuels massive +1/+1 burst counters on an attacker, often swinging life totals entirely thanks to lifelink when the count is high enough. [card]Earthbender Ascension[/card] works as both ramp and a trample-granting counter engine; once active, every land entering turns one of your creatures into a must-answer threat. Finally, [card]Beifong's Bounty Hunters[/card] turns your dying creatures into huge counter payloads by earthbending equal to their power, letting you convert every trade or sacrifice into a land-sized monster.

How to Splash in Avatar: The Last Airbender Draft

Mana fixing matters in this format because many decks want to splash Lessons, Shrines, or powerful gold uncommons. The set gives you multiple ways to do that — through lands, land-searching spells, ramp creatures, and even temporary one-turn fixing. Here’s how each category works and when to prioritize them.

Lands That Fix Mana

[cards]{{Jasmine Dragon Tea Shop}}{{Rumble Arena}}{{White Lotus Hideout}}{{Boiling Rock Prison}}[/cards]

The common dual lands are your most reliable two-color fixing and rarely slow you down. [card]Jasmine Dragon Tea Shop[/card] is especially strong for Ally decks, since it taps for any color to cast Allies and eventually creates an Ally token of its own. [card]Rumble Arena[/card] smooths draws by letting you scry and can fix mana when needed. If you’re playing Lessons or Shrines heavily, [card]White Lotus Hideout[/card] taps for any color while casting them, helping anchor multicolor value strategies.

Cards That Search for Lands

[cards]{{Aang's Journey}}{{Shared Roots}}{{Unlucky Cabbage Merchant}}{{Cycle of Renewal}}{{Earthbender Ascension}}{{Kyoshi Island Plaza}}{{The Earth King}}{{Elemental Teachings}}{{Canyon Crawler}}[/cards]

These spells are ideal when your deck cares about hitting every land drop. [card]Aang’s Journey[/card] is a simple land fetch that also gains life, and can find a Shrine if you kick it. [card]Shared Roots[/card] accelerates by putting a land straight onto the battlefield. [card]Unlucky Cabbage Merchant[/card] gradually converts Food into extra mana sources. Bigger ramp options like [card]Cycle of Renewal[/card], [card]Kyoshi Island Plaza[/card], [card]The Earth King[/card], [card]Elemental Teachings[/card], and [card]Earthbender Ascension[/card] all help scale your mana in the late game. Basic landcycling creatures offer stability early without losing power late.

Cards That Find Lands from the Top of the Library

[cards]{{Sparring Dummy}}{{Ostrich-Horse}}[/cards]

Some decks would rather filter into lands than directly search for them. [card]Sparring Dummy[/card] can pick up lands from your graveyard milling, which also supports recursion or counter synergies. [card]Ostrich-Horse[/card] mills three and either puts a land in your hand or grows into a stronger attacker, making it ideal for decks that want a steady board and consistent mana at the same time.

Ramp Creatures ("Mana Dorks")

[cards]{{Great Divide Guide}}{{Hermitic Herbalist}}{{The Lion-Turtle}}{{The Legend of Kyoshi}}[/cards]

These creatures help you fix while building your board. [card]Great Divide Guide[/card] lets your Allies and lands tap for any color, giving you flexibility while still advancing your battlefield. [card]Hermitic Herbalist[/card] provides mana specifically for Lessons, which matters in many green decks. [card]The Lion-Turtle[/card] stabilizes early and turns into strong mana support once Lessons are active. [card]The Legend of Kyoshi[/card] provides late-game ramp and value when your deck needs to play toward big threats.

Artifacts and One-Turn Fixing

[cards]{{Bender's Waterskin}}{{White Lotus Tile}}{{Energybending}}{{The Legend of Roku}}[/cards]

When you just need a little help, these cards smooth things out. [card]Bender’s Waterskin[/card] is a simple mana rock that keeps your mana flexible all game. [card]White Lotus Tile[/card] is better late, letting you store and release mana for big turns. [card]Energybending[/card] and [card]The Legend of Roku[/card] offer temporary fixing for splashes or key turns where you need to cast something that’s normally hard to reach.

Firebending and Splashing Red

Firebending lets some creatures generate red mana during combat, which makes certain red instants surprisingly easy to splash — especially in black or multicolor shells. Because the mana appears mid-combat, you can often play red tricks or burn spells without even needing a Mountain. This is a quiet advantage for decks that want to play powerful red interaction without committing heavily to red in the mana base

Top Bomb Rares and Game-Winning Cards

In my mind, here are the most powerful rares of the set:

[cards]{{Day_of_Black_Sun}},{{Phoenix_Fleet_Airship}},{{The_Rise_of_Sozin}},{{Ran_and_Shaw}},{{Azula,_Cunning_Usurper}},{{Sokka,_Tenacious_Tactician}},{{Black_Sun's_Zenith}},{{Koma,_Cosmos_Serpent}},{{Hakoda,_Selfless_Commander}},{{United_Front}},{{Iroh,_Grand_Lotus}},{{Agent_of_Treachery}},{{Noxious_Gearhulk}},{{Appa,_Steadfast_Guardian}},{{Avatar's_Wrath}},{{Suki,_Courageous_Rescuer}},{{Wan_Shi_Tong,_Librarian}},{{The_Fire_Nation_Drill}},{{Wartime_Protestors}},{{The_Earth_King}},{{Aang,_at_the_Crossroads}},{{Bumi,_Unleashed}},{{Iroh,_Tea_Master}},{{Katara,_Water_Tribe's_Hope}},{{Ozai,_the_Phoenix_King}},{{Abandoned_Air_Temple}},{{Jasmine_Dragon_Tea_Shop}},{{South_Pole_Voyager}},{{Fire_Lord_Azula}},{{Return_of_the_Wildspeaker}}[/cards]

• [card]Day_of_Black_Sun[/card]

• [card]Phoenix_Fleet_Airship[/card]

• [card]The_Rise_of_Sozin[/card]

• [card]Ran_and_Shaw[/card]

• [card]Azula,_Cunning_Usurper[/card]

• [card]Sokka,_Tenacious_Tactician[/card]

• [card]Black_Sun's_Zenith[/card]

• [card]Koma,_Cosmos_Serpent[/card]

• [card]Hakoda,_Selfless_Commander[/card]

• [card]United_Front[/card]

• [card]Iroh,_Grand_Lotus[/card]

• [card]Agent_of_Treachery[/card]

• [card]Noxious_Gearhulk[/card]

• [card]Appa,_Steadfast_Guardian[/card]

• [card]Avatar's_Wrath[/card]

• [card]Suki,_Courageous_Rescuer[/card]

• [card]Wan_Shi_Tong,_Librarian[/card]

• [card]The_Fire_Nation_Drill[/card]

• [card]Wartime_Protestors[/card]

• [card]The_Earth_King[/card]

• [card]Aang,_at_the_Crossroads[/card]

• [card]Bumi,_Unleashed[/card]

• [card]Iroh,_Tea_Master[/card]

• [card]Katara,_Water_Tribe's_Hope[/card]

• [card]Ozai,_the_Phoenix_King[/card]

• [card]Abandoned_Air_Temple[/card]

• [card]Jasmine_Dragon_Tea_Shop[/card]

• [card]South_Pole_Voyager[/card]

• [card]Fire_Lord_Azula[/card]

• [card]Return_of_the_Wildspeaker[/card]

Final Thoughts:

While the four core bending archetypes form the backbone of the format, there are definitely cards outside those main themes that are worth keeping an eye on. A number of three-color and even four-color rares can slot in surprisingly well, especially in slower decks that can afford a bit of setup. For example, UG shells can often support almost any version of Aang—from the straightforward WU build all the way to the full WURG version—without too much strain.

The key reason this works is that fixing in the set is genuinely good. You can splash fairly often, and doing so isn’t just a desperate “hope it works” play. If your deck has the right base and some value-generating pieces, splashing a powerful off-color rare or legend can be a real payoff rather than a trap.

So while it’s important to understand the core archetypes, don’t be afraid to branch out when the draft gives you the tools to do so. The flexibility is there—you just need to know when to lean into it.

Thanks for Reading!