Understanding the “Phyrexia: All Will Be One” Draft Format

Phyrexia: All Will Be One offers a unique draft experience, blending aggressive strategies with the novel mechanic of oil counters and toxic.

This set’s draft guide focuses on quickly adapting to signals and prioritizing cards that synergize with the core themes of corruption and proliferation.

The format rewards proactive play, and understanding the power level of commons and uncommons is crucial for building a successful, competitive deck.

Prepare to navigate a landscape dominated by Phyrexian influence, where every creature and spell aims to overwhelm opponents with relentless pressure.

Mastering the intricacies of oil counters and toxic will unlock potent synergies, leading to decisive victories in this compelling draft environment.

Phyrexia: All Will Be One plunges players into the heart of New Phyrexia, showcasing the relentless invasion orchestrated by Elesh Norn. This set dramatically shifts the Magic: The Gathering landscape, introducing a pervasive theme of corruption and assimilation.

The draft format centers around Phyrexian oil counters, a unique resource that fuels powerful abilities and transforms creatures. Toxic, a new keyword, represents a direct threat to opponents’ life totals, bypassing traditional damage. Expect aggressive strategies to thrive, alongside decks that leverage proliferate to scale their advantages.

This set’s design encourages proactive play and rewards synergy. Understanding the interplay between oil counters, toxic, and proliferation is paramount for success. Prepare for a fast-paced, aggressive draft experience where adaptation and efficient card evaluation are key.

Core Themes and Mechanics

Phyrexia: All Will Be One revolves around several core themes, most notably the relentless spread of Phyrexian corruption and the pursuit of mechanical perfection. These themes are embodied through key mechanics that define the draft experience.

Toxic represents a direct, unavoidable threat, dealing poison counters that bypass traditional life loss. Oil Counters function as a unique resource, fueling abilities and transforming creatures, creating dynamic board states. Proliferate amplifies existing counters, scaling advantages exponentially.

Synergy between these mechanics is crucial. Decks built around proliferating toxic counters can quickly overwhelm opponents. Understanding how to generate, distribute, and leverage oil counters is vital for maximizing your deck’s potential. Expect a format where incremental advantages snowball into decisive victories.

Card Evaluation in “All Will Be One” Draft

Evaluating cards in this format requires prioritizing those that support the core mechanics: toxic, oil counters, and proliferate for maximum synergy.

Commons with these abilities are highly valuable, while removal is crucial for controlling the aggressive strategies prevalent in the set.

Common Card Rankings

Top-tier commons in Phyrexia: All Will Be One draft heavily feature toxic creatures and efficient removal. Cards like Crawling Chorus and Ichorspit Basilisk are premier picks, enabling early aggression and applying significant pressure. Venerated Rotpriest provides valuable recursion, while Experimental Augury offers card selection.

Solid role-players include cards like Oil Slick and Thriving Grubhub, which support proliferate strategies. Prioritize removal like Disfigure and Volt Charge, as they are essential for controlling the board. Avoid overvaluing purely defensive commons; the format rewards proactive plays and aggressive strategies. Remember, consistent damage and synergy are key to success.

Uncommon Card Power Levels

Uncommon cards in Phyrexia: All Will Be One significantly impact draft outcomes. Cards like Annex Sentry and Proliferate Sprout offer strong value and synergy. Experimental Overload is a powerful engine for proliferate decks, while Thirst for Discovery provides card advantage.

Vindictive Vuulon is a potent threat, demanding immediate answers. Prioritize uncommons that support your chosen archetype, whether it’s toxic, proliferate, or oil counter strategies. Cards like Corrupted Conviction offer flexible removal. Be mindful of color requirements and ensure they fit your mana base. Strong uncommons can often make or break a draft deck.

Rare and Mythic Rare Bombs

Rare and Mythic Rare cards in Phyrexia: All Will Be One can single-handedly win games. Cards like Evolved Servants and Experimental Augury are powerful engines. Compleat Devotion is a game-ending threat, while Thrummingbird offers aggressive potential.

Vorinclex, Monstrous Raider disrupts opponents, and Realmbreaker, the Invasion Tree is a devastating land destruction spell. Prioritize these bombs highly, as they often dictate the draft’s direction. Even if they don’t perfectly fit your archetype, their raw power is often worth it. Be prepared to adjust your strategy to support these impactful cards.

Color Pair Strategies

Color pair synergies define Phyrexia: All Will Be One drafts. Each combination offers unique strengths, from toxic control to proliferate-based midrange strategies.

Understanding these archetypes is vital for identifying open lanes and building a cohesive, powerful deck capable of dominating the competition.

White/Blue: Toxic Control

White/Blue aims to control the board with efficient removal and proliferate effects, slowly accumulating poison counters on opponents. This archetype excels at stalling the game, utilizing cheap creatures with toxic and then scaling their damage with proliferate.

Key cards include those that generate value through counters, like Prologue to Phyresis, and efficient fliers to deliver consistent toxic damage. Prioritize cards that disrupt opponent’s strategies, such as counterspells and bounce effects.

The goal is not necessarily to win through aggressive attacks, but rather to methodically apply poison counters while maintaining board control, eventually securing a poison victory. Remember to include enough sources of blue mana for consistent spellcasting.

Blue/Black: Corrupted Tempo

Blue/Black focuses on a tempo-based strategy, utilizing cheap creatures with evasion and disruptive spells to maintain an advantage. This archetype leverages the “corrupted” mechanic, gaining extra value from spells when opponents have poison counters.

Prioritize cards that allow you to efficiently trade resources, like removal spells and bounce effects, alongside creatures that can apply early pressure; Cards that proliferate poison counters are also valuable, accelerating your path to victory.

The aim is to disrupt your opponent’s game plan while consistently applying pressure, capitalizing on the benefits of corrupted spells to overwhelm them.

Black/Red: Aggro with Oil Counters

Black/Red embodies an aggressive strategy, aiming to quickly overwhelm opponents with efficient creatures and direct damage. This archetype uniquely utilizes oil counters, placing them on opponents to deal incremental damage and fuel powerful abilities.

Prioritize low-cost creatures with aggressive stats and cards that generate or proliferate oil counters. Removal spells are crucial for clearing blockers and maintaining momentum. Look for synergies that benefit from opponents taking poison damage.

The goal is to relentlessly pressure your opponent, accumulating oil counters and finishing them off with direct damage or poison counters.

Red/Green: Midrange with Proliferate

Red/Green excels as a resilient midrange strategy, leveraging powerful creatures and the potent mechanic of proliferate to steadily build an overwhelming advantage. This archetype focuses on establishing board control and scaling threats over time.

Prioritize creatures with strong stats and abilities that benefit from proliferation. Cards that add oil counters to your own creatures are also valuable, creating synergistic loops. Removal spells help control the early game, allowing your threats to develop.

The aim is to consistently apply pressure while using proliferate to amplify your advantages and outgrow your opponent.

Green/White: Toxic and Resilience

Green/White combines the potent threat of toxic with resilient creatures and strategies, aiming to slowly poison opponents while maintaining a strong board presence. This archetype excels at grinding out value and capitalizing on incremental advantages.

Prioritize creatures with toxic, alongside those boasting abilities like ward or toughness enhancements. Cards that generate additional value through counters or recursion are also highly desirable. Focus on efficient removal to clear blockers and push through poison damage.

The goal is to establish a resilient board and steadily accumulate poison counters, eventually overwhelming your opponent.

Key Mechanics and Synergies

Phyrexia: All Will Be One revolves around toxic, proliferate, and oil counters, creating unique synergies.

Mastering these mechanics is vital for success, enabling powerful scaling and aggressive strategies during drafting.

The Significance of Toxic

Toxic is a new keyword in Phyrexia: All Will Be One that fundamentally alters combat math. Creatures with toxic deal poison counters to defending players, bypassing traditional life loss.

Accumulating ten poison counters defeats a player, offering an alternative win condition, especially potent in aggressive strategies.

Prioritizing creatures with toxic, even those with lower power, is crucial in draft, as they represent consistent damage and pressure.

Cards that support toxic creatures, like those that proliferate, become significantly more valuable, amplifying their impact on the game.

Understanding the speed at which your deck can deliver poison counters is key to evaluating its overall strength and potential.

Proliferate: Scaling Your Advantage

Proliferate is a central mechanic in Phyrexia: All Will Be One, allowing you to add another counter of any kind to permanents and players.

This ability dramatically scales existing advantages, whether it’s increasing oil counters, poison counters, or bolstering creature stats with +1/+1 counters.

Cards with proliferate become incredibly powerful in the mid-to-late game, turning small leads into overwhelming forces.

Evaluating proliferate cards requires considering the presence of other counter-based synergies in your deck.

Prioritize cards that create counters alongside proliferate effects for maximum efficiency and impact during the draft process.

Oil Counters: A Unique Resource

Oil counters represent a unique resource in Phyrexia: All Will Be One, offering versatile benefits beyond simple incremental advantages.

They can be expended for mana, activated for abilities, or even converted into poison counters, creating dynamic gameplay opportunities.

Cards that generate oil counters are highly valuable, providing both immediate utility and potential for future scaling.

Evaluating oil-producing cards requires assessing their efficiency and synergy with cards that utilize these counters effectively.

Prioritize cards that offer multiple ways to leverage oil counters, maximizing their impact and ensuring a consistent advantage throughout the game.

Draft Archetypes and How to Build Them

“All Will Be One” supports diverse archetypes, from aggressive oil-fueled strategies to controlling decks leveraging toxic and proliferate.

Successful drafting hinges on identifying open archetypes and assembling synergistic card combinations for a focused, powerful game plan.

Aggro Strategies

Aggro decks in “Phyrexia: All Will Be One” thrive on early, relentless pressure, utilizing efficient creatures with toxic and oil counters to quickly overwhelm opponents.

Red/Black and Red/Green are prime colors for aggressive strategies, capitalizing on haste creatures and proliferate to rapidly increase poison counters.

Prioritize cards that enable consistent early plays and those that amplify the impact of oil counters, such as cards that allow for additional combat steps.

Don’t neglect removal to clear blockers and maintain momentum; even a single well-timed removal spell can secure a swift victory.

Focus on a low mana curve and prioritize creatures over spells, aiming to consistently deploy threats turn after turn.

Midrange Approaches

Midrange decks in “Phyrexia: All Will Be One” aim for a balanced strategy, combining efficient creatures with disruptive elements and proliferate to gain incremental advantages.

Green/White and Black/Red offer strong midrange potential, leveraging resilient creatures and removal to control the board while building a powerful presence.

Prioritize cards that provide value over time, such as creatures with oil counters that scale with proliferate or those that generate card advantage.

Removal is crucial for disrupting opponent’s plans and clearing the path for your threats; focus on versatile options that can handle a variety of situations.

A smooth mana curve and synergy between creatures and proliferate effects are key to success.

Control Decks

Control strategies in “Phyrexia: All Will Be One” revolve around disrupting the opponent’s game plan with removal and counterspells, aiming to stabilize and win in the late game.

White/Blue emerges as a primary control archetype, utilizing bounce spells, countermagic, and efficient blockers to stall the board and establish dominance.

Prioritize cards that provide card advantage and efficient answers to early threats, allowing you to reach the late game where your control elements shine.

Proliferate can be utilized to enhance your defenses or slowly accumulate poison counters on your opponent.

A well-tuned mana curve and sufficient removal are essential for surviving the early onslaught.

Tips for a Successful Draft

Prioritize removal and synergistic cards, read signals carefully, and identify open lanes early to maximize your deck’s potential.

Adapt your strategy based on available cards and opponent’s picks for optimal drafting success.

Identifying Open Lanes

Early in the draft, pay close attention to what colors and archetypes are being passed to you frequently. If you consistently see strong cards of a particular color late in packs, it’s a strong indicator that color is open.

Conversely, if a color dries up quickly, it suggests multiple drafters are heavily invested in it, making it a less viable option.

Look for patterns in the cards you’re seeing – are there a lot of toxic creatures passing late? This could signal a toxic-focused archetype is underdrafted.

Don’t be afraid to pivot if your initial plan isn’t panning out; flexibility is key to success in Phyrexia: All Will Be One draft.

Remember, identifying open lanes allows you to specialize and build a more cohesive, powerful deck.

Reading Signals from Other Players

Pay attention to what your neighbors are drafting by observing the cards they pass. A late pick of a strong, archetype-defining card suggests that color or strategy is likely open.

If someone consistently takes cards from a specific color, even mediocre ones, it indicates they’re heavily committed to that color and you should avoid it.

Consider the power level of the cards being passed; a strong bomb being repeatedly passed late is a clear signal that the color is open.

Don’t overreact to a single pick, but look for consistent patterns over several picks to accurately gauge what others are doing.

Successful drafting in Phyrexia: All Will Be One relies on accurately interpreting these subtle cues.

Prioritizing Removal

Removal is exceptionally valuable in Phyrexia: All Will Be One draft due to the aggressive nature of many archetypes and the prevalence of powerful creatures.

Prioritize cards that can efficiently answer threats, especially those with toxic, as they can quickly snowball out of control.

Versatile removal, like cards that can hit any creature, is generally better than situational removal, offering greater flexibility.

Don’t undervalue combat tricks that can function as pseudo-removal, allowing you to trade favorably or protect your key creatures.

Securing sufficient removal ensures you can control the board and stabilize against aggressive strategies.

Common Pitfalls to Avoid

Avoid overvaluing rares early, focus on building a cohesive strategy, and don’t neglect a balanced mana curve for consistent play.

Remember synergistic cards are often stronger than individually powerful ones, and ignoring them can hinder your deck’s potential.

Overvaluing Specific Cards

A common mistake in Phyrexia: All Will Be One draft is prioritizing splashy rares or mythics too highly, especially early in the draft.

While these cards can be powerful, they often require significant support to function effectively, and forcing them into a deck can lead to inconsistency.

Focus instead on building a solid foundation of strong commons and uncommons that synergize well with your chosen archetype;

Remember that a cohesive deck with a clear game plan will almost always outperform a deck built around a few isolated bombs.

Don’t reach for a specific card if it doesn’t fit your color identity or overall strategy; adaptability is key to success.

Ignoring Your Mana Curve

A balanced mana curve is essential for success in Phyrexia: All Will Be One draft, yet often overlooked by newer players.

A deck overloaded with high-cost cards will struggle to establish early board presence, while one filled with only cheap creatures may run out of steam quickly.

Aim for a curve that allows you to consistently play spells on turns two, three, and four, with a healthy mix of mid-range threats.

Consider the speed of your archetype; aggressive decks need more early plays, while control decks can afford to go a bit higher.

Prioritize cards that fill gaps in your curve, ensuring a smooth and efficient game plan.

Forgetting About Synergies

Phyrexia: All Will Be One heavily rewards synergistic deckbuilding, making it a critical aspect of draft success.

Individually powerful cards are less impactful if they don’t complement your overall strategy.

Look for cards that proliferate, as oil counters are a central mechanic, and build around creatures with toxic to maximize damage output.

Cards that benefit from corrupted permanents are also strong, especially in the right color combination.

Prioritize cards that work together, creating a cohesive and powerful game plan, rather than simply picking the highest-rated individual cards.

Notable Cards to Watch Out For

Key cards in Phyrexia: All Will Be One draft include those with potent abilities, impactful creatures, and synergistic spells that amplify oil counters.

Prioritize cards that accelerate your strategy and disrupt your opponent’s plans.

High-Impact Creatures

Several creatures stand out as draft bombs in Phyrexia: All Will Be One. Vorinclex, Monstrous Raider is a powerful threat, doubling your proliferate triggers while halving your opponent’s.

Thrummingbird offers evasive toxic damage, quickly accumulating poison counters.

Compleat Devotion provides a significant advantage with its ability to create Phyrexian tokens.

Cards like Experimental Augury, while not immediately impactful, can generate card advantage and set up future plays.

Look for creatures with proliferate or oil counter synergies, as they scale exceptionally well throughout the game, dominating the board and overwhelming opponents.

Powerful Spells

Several spells in Phyrexia: All Will Be One can swing a draft in your favor. Proliferate-focused cards like Volt Charge and Thriving Cycle are excellent for scaling advantages, especially with toxic creatures.

Compleat Your Revolution is a game-ending threat, potentially turning the board state entirely.

Unleash the Carnage provides efficient removal and adds oil counters to your creatures, fueling further proliferation.

Cards like Ichormoon Gauntlet amplify your oil counter strategy, creating a powerful engine. Prioritize spells that synergize with your chosen archetype.

Synergistic Cards

Synergy is key in Phyrexia: All Will Be One drafts. Cards like Furnace Punisher become incredibly strong with a board full of creatures sporting oil counters.

Proliferate effects pair exceptionally well with creatures possessing toxic, rapidly increasing poison counters on opponents.

Cards that add oil counters, such as Contagious Vorrac, set up powerful turns with proliferate spells.

Look for combinations that amplify your chosen strategy, whether it’s aggressive oil counter builds or toxic-focused control. Identifying these synergies will elevate your draft success.

Post-Draft Considerations

Sideboarding is vital; prepare for diverse archetypes. Adjust your deck based on the metagame, anticipating common strategies like aggressive oil or toxic control.

Understanding opponent archetypes allows for effective counterplay, maximizing your chances of victory in this complex format.

Sideboarding Strategies

Effective sideboarding in Phyrexia: All Will Be One draft hinges on recognizing your deck’s weaknesses and anticipating your opponent’s strategy. Against aggressive decks, prioritize cards offering life gain or efficient removal, like combat tricks or direct damage spells.

For control matchups, bring in cards that disrupt their late-game, such as counterspells or resilient threats. Consider cards that generate value over time, outpacing their removal.

Against toxic strategies, prioritize cards that can quickly apply pressure or efficiently remove key creatures. Don’t forget to sideboard out cards that are slow or don’t contribute to your primary game plan.

Always assess your opponent’s potential sideboard options and adjust accordingly.

Adjusting Your Deck Based on the Meta

Analyzing the draft meta is crucial for optimizing your deck. If you observe a prevalence of aggressive strategies, bolster your removal suite and consider cards offering early-game stabilization. Prioritize efficient blockers and life gain options.

Conversely, if control decks dominate, focus on resilient threats and cards that generate value over time, outpacing their removal capabilities. Include ways to disrupt their late-game plans.

Pay attention to the popularity of toxic strategies; adjust your removal to target key creatures and consider adding your own toxic elements for synergy.

Flexibility is key – be prepared to adapt!

Understanding Common Opponent Archetypes

Recognizing common archetypes is vital for successful play. Expect aggressive decks leveraging toxic and oil counters, aiming for quick victories through incremental damage and proliferation. Be prepared for early pressure and prioritize efficient blockers.

Midrange strategies will focus on value generation and scaling with proliferate, controlling the board while building a powerful late game. Removal and card advantage are key to disrupting them.

Control decks will attempt to stabilize and win with powerful bombs. Anticipate counterspells and removal, and sideboarding resilient threats is crucial.

Identifying these patterns informs your gameplay.