So, when I got back into Magic: The Gathering, I suggested that new players should consider Draft style play for a couple reasons. The main bit is that it tamps down the entire set into something conceptually manageable while whetting your appetite for greater complexity. The corollary is that you won’t be exposed to the pro-level, netdecked sawtooth edge of the relentlessly optimized metagame. There’s a place for that, and you might like it, but pretty much everyone can play this way and have fun.

Hearthstone has its version of Draft Play, The Arena, where you choose a class and then start picking from groups of three cards until you’ve formed your deck. Then, you take that fucker on the road against others who have done the same thing, seeing how far you get. You are then rewarded for your performance. I forgot to mention this mode, and it’s great. I also forgot to mention Trump.

I think it is fair to say that he is a personal hero. Gabriel and I have learned a ton from his Hearthstone Twitch, because he is careful to enunciate his thought process throughout. Right now, he’s set an interesting rule for himself, apropos to the Draft thing I was talking about earlier. He’s doing Free Decks, spending no money, and it’s a blast to see. Watching him play can help you learn to evaluate your game substantially.

(CW)TB