A return to the plane of Phyrexia, formerly known as Mirrodin, has created a wild west Magic: The Gathering Limited Draft meta within the Phyrexia: All Will Be One set.
Tapping into the flavor of a Phyrexian war, Wizards of the Coast brought back a revised version of Poison counters through the Toxic mechanic along with Proliferate to increase those Poison counters on your opponent. Other mechanics in the set include For Mirrodin! and Oil counters, of which both are sub-mechanics and are difficult to build solely around.
Related: All Limited archetypes and MTG signpost cards in Phyrexia: All Will Be One
In total, there are 10 archetypes designed to synergize the ONE mechanics. The color Black is strong in removal spells, along with the Toxic and Corrupted mechanics. Both White and Red are aggressive while having synergies with Toxic and Oil counters. Blue and Green both synergize with the Proliferate mechanic but are also different in that Blue has a Control design whereas Green leans into Toxic and big creatures.
The ONE set also contains a large number of Rare and Mythic Rare bombs, which include Praetors from previous Standard-legal MTG sets. These should pull players into a specific color and possibly a ONE Draft archetype. Players can also choose to splash a third color to slot in their Rare or Mythic Rare bomb through a variety of lands—and the color Green contains a large number of spells and creatures that can mana fix.
Best meta archetypes in All Will Be One Draft
Following the MTG Arena Early Access event, the ONE Draft meta had an aggressive gameplay style. Midrange builds suffered the most, while bomb-heavy decks with synergistic support and Aggro builds dominated throughout the event. A week after the digital release, aggressive decks still dominated the ONE Draft meta for the most part. Rising in popularity was the RG archetype, using Oil counters and low-cost creatures to win games.
RG Aggro/Midrange All Will Be One Draft archetype
Emerging as one of the best ONE Draft archetypes a week after the digital launch was Red and Green. Both MTG colors are packed with solid cards that can aggressively pressure opponents while providing defense on your turn.
Cinderslash Ravager is the gold signpost for Red and Green, synergizing with Oil counters. Many players underrated Oil counters when the ONE set was first released, but have since changed their opinions after witnessing how the RG archetype can dominate within Limited Draft.
One of the strengths associated with the RG Draft archetype in ONE is the one-drop creatures that scale in power. Both Exuberant Fuseling (Red) and Evolving Adaptive use Oil counters to grow in power. Evolving Adaptive is such a strong Uncommon one-drop that it’s even seeing play in Standard Constructed Mono-Green stompy decks. And Exuberant Fuseling scales in power from creatures and Artifacts you control getting put into the graveyard.
Other one-drops that can impact matches but aren’t necessarily top picks are Sawblade Scamp, Rustvine Cultivator, and Incubation Sac. Midrange creatures that can defend and still apply pressure in conjunction with the one-drops that players should watch for are Kuldotha Cackler, Lattic-Blade Mantis, Cinderslash Ravager, and Contagious Vorrac.
Churning Reservoir is a one-drop Artifact in Red that works as an Oil counter enabler while Magmatic Sprinter is an aggressive three-drop with Haste that can also put Oil counters on other creatures, or even itself.
Oil-Gorger Troll is a solid late-game card that players will want at least two copies of, as the Phyrexian troll provides three life points upon entering the battlefield and can draw a card if you control a permanent with any type of counter on it. And Furnace Strider is a decent top-end finisher that can give Haste to itself prior to the combat stage.
The true power of the RG Draft archetype is through cheap removal and combat tricks that both colors have in abundance. Tyvar’s Stand is potentially the best Uncommon Instant spell in the ONE set, serving as protection and a combat trick packed in one spell.
Rebel Salvo is a solid early pick, even without Equipment in your build. Infectious Bite works well with the RG archetype as most of the creatures will have a power of three or higher when the Instant spell is needed. Free from Flesh is a powerful Red combat trick that synergizes nicely with Evolving Adaptive. And with all the Toxic creatures running around in ONE Draft, Hexgold Slash is also a top pick.
WR Aggro All Will Be One Draft archetype
The White and Red two-color Draft archetype is a staple Aggro build in most Magic sets. While the archetype has underperformed in recent sets, WR slots right into the aggressive play strategies within ONE Draft. Bladehold War-Whip is the gold signpost for the archetype, a three-drop Artifact Equipment with For Mirrodin! but Equipment is more of a splash than the focus.
Top Aggro cards to build around in the WR archetype include the gold signpost as it’s a decent Equipment splash, along with Bladed Ambassador, Duelist of Deep Faith, Leonin Lightbringer, Magmatic Sprinter, Forgehammer Centurion, and Free from Flesh.
The color Red showcases the most Oil counter synergy which works well with White cards like Bladed Ambassador. Keeping Oil counters on the Phyrexian soldier maintains constant pressure on your opponent. Picking up Oil counter enablers like Churning Reservoir in addition to Free from Flesh and Magmatic Sprinter helps ensure cards like Forghammer Centurion and Bladed Ambassador are swinging for damage every turn possible.
Equipment to splash into the build includes Bladehold War-Whip, along with Hexgold Halberd, Barbed Batterfist, and Hexgold Hoverwings as a top-end finisher.
Removal is solid within the WR Draft archetype, with the color White containing two of the best low-rarity removal cards in the ONE set. Ossification and Planar Disruption are cheap Enchantment Aura removal spells that can take out bombs, while Annex Sentry can take out pesky tokens and creatures with a mana value of three or less. Meanwhile, Red features spells like Rebel Salvo and Hexgold Slash.
The RW Aggro ONE archetype wants to end games quickly. Both the Red and White Skullbombs can provide card draw with an upside while also triggering Artifact synergy in White. But there are times games will run long. Atraxa’s Skitterfang can provide necessary evasion and life gain while Resistance Skywarden is a solid top-end finisher that costs five mana. If Equipment is a main theme within your build, then Oxidda Finisher is the better top-end Red creature.
WG Toxic All Will Be One Draft archetype
Infect through Poison counters returns in the ONE set, with the MTG colors White and Green leading the way to a Toxic victory. Fitting in with the aggressive nature of the set, both colors provide early-game pressure and Poison counters that can hit up to 10 counters in total to end games through the returning mechanic Proliferate. Players can also opt to run mana-fixing cards and lands like Copperline Gorge, Mirrex, and Terramorphic Expanse to splash Red.
The gold signpost for the WG archetype in ONE is Slaughter Singer, a two-drop 2/2 with Toxic two that pumps other attacking creatures with Toxic by +1/+1. With mites on the battlefield, 1/1 tokens that can’t block, and have Toxic one, Slaughter Singer can apply a massive amount of pressure to an opponent through combat damage and Toxic damage. Cards that support this strategy are Charge of the Mites, Duelist of Deep Faith, Flensing Raptor, Plague Nurse, and Viral Spawning.
Green also has ways to apply Poison counters through combat tricks, removal, and modal spells with an option to Proliferate. Tyvar’s Stand might be the best ONE combat trick in the set, providing Hexproof and Indestructible for only one Green mana at Instant speed—with the option to pump the creature’s stats through “X” paid mana. Thirsting Roots can find a basic land or Proliferate for only one mana, and Infectious Bite is a solid removal spell that also gives an opponent a Poison Counter.
Other such options include Ossification, Planar Disruption, Cankerbloom, and Annex Sentry. Contagious Vorrac is a solid three-drop that can find a basic land or Proliferate upon entering the battlefield, along with the Sorcery spell Expand the Sphere.
The WG archetype has an aggressive structure but can also get built as a hybrid Aggro/Midrange build. Noxious Assault is a bomb five-drop Sorcery spell that pumps all creatures +2/+2 while applying a Poison counter to the opponent for each attacking creature that gets blocked. Apostle of Invasion is a powerful six-drop Flyer that gains Double Strike through Corrupted getting activated. And Venomous Brutalizer is a solid four-drop 4/4 with Toxic three that has the option upon entering the battlefield to Proliferate for an additional kicker of 1G.
UB Proliferate All Will Be One Draft archetype
The Dimir archetype in ONE Draft is the Control build of the set. It performs well against other Midrange builds but an aggressive deck in a best-of-one format will rip it apart. Splashing Green is a viable option with the UB Proliferate build for either best-of-one or best-of-three formats, gaining additional Proliferate and removal options if the mana fixing is available.
Voidwing Hybrid is the gold signpost for the UB archetype in ONE Draft, synergizing with the Proliferate mechanic while also having Toxic one on a 2/1 body with Flying. By splashing Green, players have more Proliferate options in addition to the Control strategies that UB was designed around.
The best UB Proliferate cards are Experimental Augury, Mesmerizing Dose, Serum Snare, Thrummingbird, Blightbelly Rat, and Whisper of the Dross. Green cards to consider splashing are Tyvar’s Stand, Thirsting Roots, Contagious Vorrac, and Cankerbloom. If you’re splashing Green for Proliferate strategies, Scheming Aspirant is another card that benefits from the mechanic and should pull players into the ONE archetype.
There is a good balance of Toxic and Corrupted synergies within the color Black. Players aren’t trying to finish an opponent off with 10 Poison counters, but instead, apply at least three to activate Corrupted. Ravenous Necrotian is a solid four-drop 6/6 when Corruped is activated. Nimraiser Paladin has a solid body with Toxic two and can return a low-cost creature from the graveyard to hand upon entering the battlefield.
Creatures to help get those early Poison counters applied are Bilious Skullweller, Blightbelly Rat, and Pestilent Syphoner. The UB build gets a boost in power once Corrupted is activated. It then uses Control and Proliferate to end the game through 10 Poison counters.
Playing the UB archetype is all about removal and control, keeping your opponent at a disadvantage. Black is packed with good removal spells, from Drown in Ichor (which can also Proliferate), Anoint with Affliction, and Sheoldred’s Edict. The color Blue also has strong removal tools through cards like Tamiyo’s Immobilizer, Serum Snare, Distorted Curiosity, and Chrome Prowler.
All images via WotC.
Updated Feb. 15 11am CT: All best ONE Draft archetypes were updated heading into Pro Tour Phyrexia.
Published: Feb 16, 2023 07:00 am