Welcome to another Pack 1 Pick 1! Today’s is a nice one! (I also kinda wanted to play with the poll maker a bit, and this seems like a good excuse to do that.)

This pack generated from TappedOut.net, the MTG Deck Builder

There are a few blue cards that catch my eye: Flooded Strand, Jace Beleren, Mulldrifter, Phyrexian Metamorph, and Control Magic. Other than Channel–which for me is definitely not the pick, as it’s a little too all-in for my tastes compared to amazing blue cards–these are the only cards Im seriously considering. This is a deep pack, and it could send bad signals if 3-4 players see one of these first pickable blue cards that will inevitably make their way down the line and see it as a sign, but I tend to find my way in blue a lot of the time as is. Also, these cards are all ones I’d seriously consider first picking against many different non-power cards, so they’re worth the considering.

Jace Beleren, Control Magic, and Flooded Strands are probably my last choices. Jace has the highest chance to wheel out of the bunch since he is undervalued (for that matter, Phyrexian Arena is underrated too) so I’m happy letting him go. I don’t expect to see Control Magic return, but it commits me the heaviest to blue out of the remaining choices and it doesn’t matter how stacked these cards are, if there is no blue being passed then I must either jump ship or look to find ways to splash it. Both Mulldrifter and Metamorph are super splashable, much more so than the UU in control magic. Flooded Strand technically keeps me the most open, something which I am a fan of, but when a card that I seriously rate high ends up in a first pack then staying open becomes a back seat priority. There are certain cards which are both stellar AND colorless, which I almost always choose over the colored options, but I value both Mulldrifter and Metamorph extremely high, way more so than Flooded Strand. Basically this: 99% of the decks that want Flooded Strand want Mulldrifter and Metamorph more.

Mulldrifter is an insane card that was certainly a mistake at common. 2/2 fliers for 5 are at the absolute outskirts of playability, but adding “ETB: Draw 2 Cards” to that creature is insane. Giving him an evoke cost of Divination makes Mulldrifter one of the best limited cards ever printed, and certainly one of the best blue cube creatures printed. Mulldrifter has an easy color commitment, and there are neat tricks you can do with Crystal Shard or other blink/recursion effects that want you to evoke him way more than cast. Like an active Skullclamp, once you draw 4-6 cards off the ‘Drifter you should be back on top of your games.

Phyrexian Metamorph is quite a bit different than Mulldrifter, but one of the most underrated cards in cube, which is saying something for a card people rate highly. Clones are great in cube; there are so many creatures whose ETB you want to replicate or general girth and size you’d like to pair with a buddy. Metamorph is the best clone because 1) he’s essentially 3 colorless mana and 2 life, fitting him in any deck that can cast 3 drops, and 2) he copies artifacts. For the small-sometimes-not-even-a-cost of being an artifact, Metamorph gives you a copy of so many high-powered spells that you will have a target in just about every match up you can conceive. Metamorph copies weapons, utility cards like Icy Manipulator or Crystal Ball, he can even ramp up your mana–it’s an awesome card.

Because of the insane versatility, I would take Metamorph over Mulldrifter. There are certainly times where I’d rather have a Mulldrifter, but Metamorph keeps me open and can be so much in so many different decks that I think it’s the ideal pick for me. I wouldn’t fault for anyone taking Mulldrifter here, or some of the other cards either.

That being said, what would you pick? Make a vote in the poll and if you have more to say, leave a comment!