We’re less than two weeks away from Fate Reforged prerelease and saying goodbye to triple Khans of Tarkir drafting. Usually, this is when I’m bored with a format, drafting old formats, and can’t wait for the new set to come out. I have indeed been drafting old formats (Lorwyn, Urza’s, and cube are still awesome) and I’m eagerly awaiting Fate Reforged’s excellent changes to the format. However, I’m still not bored with Khans.
The format still feels fresh and new. Sure, there’s no gimmick deck like Spider Spawning or Burning Vengeance—no, Secret Plans is not a gimmick deck, and no, Goblinslide isn’t a thing I’m impressed by—but I’m still excited just by trying all the different variations of each clan. Practically every card is playable and discovering which decks use Rakshasa’s Secret, Trumpet Blast, and Jeskai Student best is exciting!
Hell, I’ve taken about two weeks off of the format (because holidays) and it feels like the theory of Khans Limited has changed dramatically in the interim. Suddenly, Sultai is the new hotness (thanks, Gerard Fabiano, for showing us the way); it turns out (shockingly) that a cost reduction mechanic and card advantage are still nuts. This is a big change from prerelease weekend, when Sultai was the least popular clan (at least at my local game stores) and Abzan/Mardu decks seemed unbeatable. Back then, I was often the uncontested Sultai drafter (’cause folks knew that Abomination of Gudul was the worst of the common tricolor morphs). Now, Sultai is overdrafted and folks (in my meta) are underdrafting Jeskai, Temur, and warrior aggro. With these new clan preferences and pick orders, the Limited format changes once again and still doesn’t feel solved. We’re still exploring and there are only two weeks left! This is amazing!
I could expound upon spoilers, but for once, I’m still salivating over what I already have. Fate Reforged will come and be awesome in its time. Until then, I’ll be doing my best to Master the Way of Khans of Tarkir.
—Zachary Barash
Zachary Barash has been playing Magic on and off since 1994. He loves Limited and drafts every available format (including several that aren’t entirely meant to be drafted). He’s a proud Cube owner and improviser, creating entire musicals from scratch every week. Zach has an obsession with Indian food that borders on being unhealthy.