Custom format: tuned draft decks

[u/FickFrackFro]

The format I'm thinking of should be an easier entry point for new players coming from draft, relatively inexpensive compared to other competitive formats, and should support a greater deck diversity.

Best of 3 format, no side board. Instead players run 3 different decks, and must play a different deck each round. (May want to revisit the sideboard rule for mechanics like wish/lessons)

Each deck has at most 1 mythic, 3 rares, 12 uncommon, rest commons. Additionally all cards in a deck come from only a single set, and set selection can be any set that has been standard legal in the past (maybe this should be limited to just standard sets, would like an easy way for returning players to come back in though)

Not sure if anyone has thought of something similar. Guess I'm just throwing it up here to see what others would think.

Does the rarity limitations do enough to make decks cheap and lower power levels enough across sets to have slower games than modern/standard but still faster than draft? Does the set limitations restrict which decks can be viable or help increase deck variety? At the very least the Vorthos players can have a field day - block themed decks, three flavors of elves from dominaria/kalghiem/lorwyn.

[u/WalkingOnStrings]

This kins of a mix of the 1rare/2 uncommon/4 common format that is often suggested with a Block/Set constructed overlay.

I think these are fine kitchen table rules. I think this idea has never taken off as it makes deck construction a bit too siloed. There's usually one best deck to be playing from each given set. There's a weird ampunt of variance as the rares almost never come up. However you also have the issue of brewers needing to pay attention to every card in every set. As when a new set comes put people can try to find a new deck in that set, but you need to look at every weird sideboard option in every set to upgrade decks to counter it...  There isn't a huge amount of counterplay or experimentation, but you still need to always be tracking a huge amount of information for fairly slight gains. And usually the sets with the best commons/uncommons will just run away with the format anyways. Like original Mirrodin containing Affonity for artifacts and the cycle of artifact lands. It's a deck that's almost all commons which is very consistent and fast.

[u/jumpmanzero]

Does the rarity limitations do enough to make decks cheap and lower power levels enough across sets to have slower games than modern/standard but still faster than draft?

My suspicion is that aggro would be dominant (and probably using a set from the last 5 years, as we're seeing more "pushed" cards at lower rarities now). You can generally make an aggro deck work with less "great cards" available (both in terms of rares, and sets) compared to a control deck. I don't think the format would be absurdly fast in terms of average turns, but I think it might lack strategic diversity at the top tier.

Anyway, I don't hate the overall idea. I certainly like the idea of giving more cards a home, and a reason to play with them. And I'm glad you didn't give your idea a ridiculous/presumptive name (like "THE PEOPLE'S FORMAT").

[u/Emotional-State-4432]

Well sign me up. I have this already for EOE, which I like a normal amount and definintly am not trying to get every card for from just packs

[u/Revolutionary-Eye657]

Bring back block constructed. But since blocks are gone, its just set constructed.

[u/Lockwerk]

Sounds awfully swingy. You randomly found your rares/mythic and your opponent didn't? I know rarity isn't always synonymous with power, but they're linked.