Lost Skies of Aurus: Draft Archetypes

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The Cloudsea, as a set based on wedge factions, is structured in five general themes, one for each faction. However, each of the ten two-color pairs have a special identity, enabling the creating of less color-intensive decks. In this detail page I will cover each of the fifteen themes and briefly go over how each one synergizes with the others. Be mindful that, as allied colors only belong in one wedge, the three-color faction theme and the corresponding allied color pair theme will be somewhat similar.

Wedges

• The Kyzan Empire ( + ) is the wedge centered on white. It is focused on its keyword, Avenge, and as such it tries to leverage the deaths of your creatures to generate card advantage, having several payoffs when creatures are sacrificed or return from the graveyard.

• The Tamis Tribes ( + ) is the wedge centered on blue. It features the most tricksy of archetypes, based on non-creature spells. The keyword assigned to this faction is Flow, and benefits you if you play more than one spell in a turn - if the first one is non-creature.

• The Vingon Kin ( + ) is the wedge centered on black. This color combination takes the traditionally green role of stompy, getting out big creatures and benefitting from surpassing the power of each creature they play. This shines through in their keyword, Might.

• The Umay Expanse ( + ) is the wedge centered on red. Its keyword is Aptitude, and its theme centers around enhancing your creatures. It features the greatest amount of auras and equipment, and the keyword makes it a bit more creature based than we are used to from this color combination.

• The Doine Clans ( + ) is the wedge centered on green. As such, this faction is the one that cares about lands, featuring the returning keyword Landfall. This archetype tries to ramp and get value from each land you play, be it through big creatures or disruption.

Pairs

• White-blue () is based around a go wide Aptitude deck. It features equipments that benefit your whole board and protective auras, and the Aptitude abilities are better the more creatures you have on the field.

• Blue-black () uses Landfall in a control/mill shell. This is helped through a host of instants and spells with flash, benefitting the user when they cast it in their opponent's turn.

• Black-red () is Avenge aggro. With aggressive, recursive creatures, this archetype tries to end the game soon, before they are left without a hand and graveyard. Haste and direct damage are very important for this deck.

• Red-green () is, surprisingly, a Flow based archetype... so you will get benefits when playing noncreature spells! It sports a healthy amount of creatures too, as green is used to, but to get a higher density of non-creatures this color combo features a higher density of the returning Adventures.

• Green-white () pushes Might in a more controllish direction, with payoffs including lifegain and creature based removal. This theme can get a bit more aggressive if it needs to, but it will generally be slower than other archetypes.

• White-black () is the color pair that plays around the most with direct reanimation, mostly of small creatures. This goes along with an Avenge subtheme, making it a resourceful, board focused archetype. It also sports a light cleric subtheme.

• Blue-red () features a heavy rogue tribal, appropriate for the tricksy feel of the color combination. Counterspells, flash creatures and hasty threats are the main advantages of going with it, and several will improve or cost less while you control a rogue.

• Black-green () plays around with your graveyard, allowing you to bring back lands and creatures that were sent there before. Their playstyle will focus on discarding cards that you want to bring back, and then pushing through with grindy threats.

• Red-white () tries to swarm the board with little creatures, creating a critical mass that ends the game with help of one or two buffs and some direct damage. Featuring a light bird subtheme, the archetype is not as fast as black-red, but it can finish games quickly too.

• Green-blue () focuses on drawing cards and the number of cards in your hand. Some effects will depend on this number, or will improve when drawing extra cards. This gives this archetype a greedy, midrange feeling.

That breakdown consists of the broadest possible strokes to describe these archetypes, but should give you an idea of what to go for if you find yourself at the draft table in a color pair you aren't sure about.