⚡ In a nutshell
Draft is a Magic format where you build a deck on the spot from cards you distribute together with other players. You open 3 boosters, pick one card per round, and pass the rest. In the end, you have about 40 cards from which you build a 40-card deck — usually 17 lands and 23 spells. Everyone starts with nothing, so your deep pockets won't help you. Skill and luck will.
Sealed Magic is at its best around a draft table: eight players, three packs per person, a few hours of time, and at the end, everyone has built their own unique deck from the same pool of cards. No preparation, no "who has the most expensive deck," just: open, pick, pass. It is one of my favorite ways to play Magic.
In this guide, I explain how a draft works, what the rules are, how to build a good 40-card deck, and — more importantly — how to lose a little less often. Whether you have never drafted or are just starting out: after this guide, you will know enough to sit down at the table.
What exactly is Draft?
Draft is a Limited format: you don't use cards from your own collection, but build your deck on the spot from cards you earn during the event. You open boosters, choose one card, pass the rest, and do that round after round until all the packs are empty. Then you build a deck of at least 40 cards and play against the other drafters.
The beauty: everyone starts with the same chance. There is no "deck-advantage" — you don't have to buy hundreds of euros worth of cards first. Skill and a bit of luck determine who wins, and that is precisely why Draft is such a fair and social format.
💡 Draft or Sealed? These two are often confused, but the difference is simple. In Draft, you distribute cards with each other: you pick one and pass the rest. In Sealed, everyone gets six packs that you open all by yourself and from which you build a deck on your own — you don't share anything. Sealed is easier for beginners because you don't have to make choices under pressure. Draft is more strategic and is enjoyed more by most players.
What do you need?
Drafting is low-prep — that's one of the nicest things about it:
- 2 to 8 players (8 is standard, but 4 or 6 works just fine)
- 3 Play Boosters per player from the same set
- Basic lands to supplement your deck (almost every store has a bin)
- Sleeves are recommended, especially if you want to keep your draft cards
- A table where everyone can reach each other to pass packs
💡 Omèr's Tip: want to organize your own draft night with friends? Count on about 2 to 2.5 hours in total: 45 minutes of drafting, 15 minutes of deck building, and the rest of the time playing games. For eight players, you need 24 boosters — so with one Play Booster box, you have more than enough. View all Play Boosters →
How does a draft work? Step by step
The basics are simple, but it is good to go through the steps once calmly:
| Step | What happens |
|---|---|
| 1. Setup | 8 players (or 4–6) sit in a circle or semi-circle. Each player has 3 unopened Play Boosters in front of them. |
| 2. Pack 1 — open | Everyone opens their first pack. The token card and basic land go aside. You have 13 cards left to choose from. |
| 3. First pick | Everyone chooses one card from their pack and places it face down in front of them. |
| 4. Pass — left | You pass the rest of the pack to the player on your left. You receive a pack from the right. |
| 5. Next pick | Choose one card again, pass the rest. Repeat until the packs are empty. |
| 6. Pack 2 — other side | Everyone opens their second pack. Now you pass to the right. |
| 7. Pack 3 — back to the left | Third pack goes to the left again (the directions are: left — right — left). |
| 8. Build deck | You now have about 39 to 42 cards. From these, you build a deck of at least 40 cards, supplemented with basic lands. |
| 9. Play! | Everyone plays 1-on-1 games against each other. The best deck wins. |
📦 A word on those numbers. Coming across older guides that say to draft 45 cards? Those were written for the old 15-card Draft Boosters. Since 2024, Wizards has been using Play Boosters of 14 cards, which also include a basic land. In practice, you choose from 13 cards per pack and after three packs you have about 40 cards left — just enough for a deck, with little room to spare. You can read more about the different booster types in MTG Booster Types Explained.
Building the deck — the 17/23 rule
You have collected about forty cards. From these, you must build a deck of at least 40 cards — and almost everyone sticks to those 40 (bigger deck = lower chance of drawing your best cards). The rule of thumb that has worked for years:
🎯 The Draft cheatsheet
- 17 lands — usually basic lands, possibly a dual land or "fixer" if you play two colors
- 23 spells — creatures, instants, sorceries, everything that isn't a land
- Total: 40 cards
- Playing an aggressive, fast deck? Try 16 lands. A slow, control-oriented deck? Go to 18.
- Nice mana-cost distribution: about 4-6 cards at 2 mana, 6-8 at 3 mana, 4-5 at 4 mana, and a few more expensive finishers.
- Aim for about 15 to 17 creatures. Limited games are almost always decided on the board.
The cards you don't put in your deck form your sideboard — you can swap these in between games to adapt your deck to your opponent.
Making good picks — a mini-strategy
Drafting is a skill you grow by doing. But these principles will get you further, fast:
1. Pack 1, pick 1: just take the best card
In the beginning of pack 1, you don't need to think about colors yet. Just take the strongest, most impactful card you see — usually a rare or a strong uncommon. That card often determines the direction your deck will take.
2. Early picks: stay open
The first few cards of pack 1 can be different colors. Your commitment only comes later. If you want to connect anyway: look primarily at signposts — uncommons that explicitly bring two colors together. They give you a hint about the theme in which that color combination can be played.
3. Read the signals
This is the secret sauce of drafting. If, halfway through pack 1, you are still receiving strong blue cards while you also picked blue four picks ago — then there is probably no one ahead of you in blue. That is an open signal: stay with blue. Conversely: are you only getting weak scraps? Then someone is in the same color and you might have to switch.
💡 Omèr's Tip: in pack 2, the direction reverses — you now get cards from the player on your left, and pass to the right. That is the moment to gauge colors: if your left neighbor passes cards of your color, you know they are not in your color. Good news.
4. Pack 3: fill the gaps
By pack 3, you know what your deck does and what it's missing. Do you have few 2-mana spells? Then pick up something good at 2 mana, even if a more expensive card is "stronger." Missing removal? A reasonable removal spell is better than a second mythic. A balanced deck wins more games than a deck full of top cards without cohesion.
BREAD: the classic pick order
Doubting between two cards and can't figure it out? There is a rule of thumb that has been around for decades, using the mnemonic BREAD. It's not a law, but as a beginner, it will get you surprisingly far:
| Letter | Stands for | What you look for |
|---|---|---|
| B | Bombs | Cards that win a game on their own if your opponent has no answer. Always take these. |
| R | Removal | Anything that removes a creature from the table. Extremely valuable in Limited, because everyone has bombs. |
| E | Evasion | Creatures that get through easily — flying, menace, trample. They finish off your damage. |
| A | Aggro | Solid creatures with good stats for their mana. The backbone of every Limited deck. |
| D | Duds | Situational cards that you only put in your sideboard. Take them only when there is nothing better. |
Not familiar with those keywords yet? In MTG keywords explained, it shows exactly what flying, trample, and menace do — and why evasion is worth so much in Limited.
Classic beginner pitfalls
- Too few lands. When in doubt: take 17. Nothing is more frustrating than getting mana screwed with a hand full of expensive cards.
- Too many colors. Two colors is ideal for your first draft. Three colors only works if you have good mana-fixing — not as a beginner.
- Too many finishers, too little curve. Four 6-mana cards are great, unless your deck has already lost by turn 4. Build a mana curve.
- Holding onto a card that doesn't fit. Picked an amazing red card in pick 1 but your deck is now blue-white? Let it go. It has no value in your deck.
- Too few creatures. A deck with eight creatures and fifteen spells sounds clever, but will lose to someone who just attacks. Aim for fifteen or more.
A note on rare drafting
There comes a moment when you have to choose between an expensive rare that doesn't fit in your deck, and a boring common that actually makes your deck better. That's called rare drafting, and everyone at the table thinks differently about it.
My honest opinion: at a casual evening with friends, you can take what you want — you pay for your own boosters, so it's your card. But at an organized event where winning matters, it is polite to draft for your deck. You are sitting at a table with seven others who want a good game.
Where it really goes wrong is if you do it secretly and then complain that your deck doesn't work. Just be clear beforehand: "I'm drafting for fun, not to win." Then everyone knows where they stand — just like in the Rule 0 conversation in Commander.
Other draft variants
Besides the classic 8-player draft, there are a few fun variations:
- Cube Draft — not from regular boosters, but from a "cube" of cards carefully compiled by someone. Often one of the best draft experiences, because the average card quality is much higher.
- Pick-Two Draft — you take two cards per pack instead of one. Faster and more chaotic, and you end up with a slightly larger card pool. Used by Wizards at special events like Hobbit Draft Night.
- Chaos Draft — each player gets three packs from different sets. Wilder and less strategic, but enormously entertaining.
- Winston Draft — a 2-player variant, ideal for at home with two people.
Ready to draft?
The only real way to learn drafting is by doing it. Plan an evening with friends, buy three Play Boosters per person, and dive in. The first time will be messy — after that, you get better every time.
Planning a draft night?
Check out the Play Boosters in the shop — perfect for a fun draft night with your group of friends.
Never played Magic before? Start at How does Magic: The Gathering work? Not sure which type of booster you need? Read MTG Booster Types Explained. And looking for where you can draft nearby? Check Where can you play MTG in Maastricht and Limburg?
Written by Omèr Cremers
Owner of SpellArmory, social worker, and full-time dad. Fanatical MTG player and collector from Maastricht — Commander is my favorite format. Questions about which product suits you? Feel free to send me a message.