Artifact's beta is almost here, still scheduled for October even as the month rapidly approaches its end. But while an actual date hasn't been announced yet, we've got an early look at the newly revealed draft mode for Valve's upcoming card game.

Loading

Loading

In the video at the top of the page, you can see me sit down with Richard Garfield -- creator of Magic: The Gathering and lead designer of Artifact -- as we go through the strategy behind drafting and then building a deck from five sealed packs of Artifact cards. Then you can watch the new gameplay video below to see our deck in action:Artifact is still quite complex, but Richard and I tried to talk through our play as much as possible in the videos above, breaking down some of the more advanced thinking behind the game both in and out of a match. Of course, that's easier said than done while also trying to make tactical decisions, talk out loud, and assess three different board states, so mistakes are bound to (and definitely do) happen.If you still don't have any idea what's going on in Artifact, I'd recommend you take a look at the handy "How to Play" video we put together below. It's a thick game, but one nearly everyone I've talked to has found both more accessible and enjoyable than they expected to. Take a look:As for the draft mode specifically, while a pack of cards will cost $2 -- and Valve is working hard to keep Artifact affordable -- we still don't know exactly how much money entry into the draft format will be. Five packs with 60 total card choices is way more than the draft formats of most other card games, and it could raise the price along with it.My assumption from the way Valve has constantly been likening Artifact's model to a physical experience is that you will keep the cards you draft for your constructed collection, but I don't know for sure yet. One interesting feature we did learn about is that the packs you pick from are actually packs other players have been able to choose from as well, they just aren't necessarily from the opponents you will play against like in MTG.Artifact's draft mode also feels more flexible and fluid than most of its competitors, though that's hard to tell for sure after just one draft. Heroes coming with their own cards, the limited number of colors available, and the sheer amount of cards you take all mean it seems easier to pivot later in a draft if needed.After our draft, Valve also clarified its previous comments about chat moderation to me. You can find all of our Artifact coverage right here

Tom Marks is IGN's PC Editor and pie maker. You can follow him on Twitter