Draft is the favored format among many TCG pros because they feel like it is the most skill-testing of formats. The idea is that any player can pick up a net deck, practice with it, and pull out a few match wins. Draft, on the other hand, is the format of kings. Eight players sit down at table, and open one pack at a time, choosing a single card before passing the pack to the person to the left or their right until all cards from each pack have been chosen.

In each Vs. System draft there are 39 decisions to make (you don’t have a choice over your last card in each pack), with card interactions and deck synergy plus curve the most important factors in each player’s mind. Here at the PC, once your deck has been drafted, you then have to pilot that deck safely through your opponents for three rounds until the next draft starts and you have to draft another deck.

For the first Vs. System draft, we chose to follow Gabe Walls, a TCG Pro who has taken to Vs. System like a fish to water. Gabe has been drafting both Marvel Origins and DC Origins since the sets debuted and is currently sitting at table number 1, the reward for piloting his Constructed deck to a 6-1 record on Day 1.

These were Gabe’s picks (his picks are in bold—other relevant cards from each pack are also listed).

Pack 1

Pick 1: From The Shadows
Pick 2: From The Shadows,
Pick 3: Break You, Killer Croc
Pick 4: Pantha, Bane
Pick 5: Mr. Freeze; The Demon; Lady Shiva, Sandra Woosan
Pick 6: Clock Tower, Ra’s al Ghul
Pick 7: Fear and Confusion
Pick 8: Crossbow
Pick 9: Thuggee
Pick 10: Mirage
Pick 11: Query and Echo
Pick 12: Harvey Bullock
Pick 13: Penguin
Pick 14: ?

Pack 2

Pick 1: The Brave and the Bold; Tim Drake ◊ Robin, Young Detective; Pantha
Pick 2: Liberty Island Base; Dick Grayson ◊ Nighthawk, Defender of Bludhaven
Pick 3: Teen Titans Go!, Dynamic Duo, Hank Hall ◊ Hawk
Pick 4: Teen Titans Go
Pick 5: Pantha, Tim Drake ◊ Robin, Boy Wonder
Pick 6: Tim Drake ◊ Robin, Young Detective
Pick 7: Roy Harper ◊ Arsenal
Pick 8: The Joker, Laughing Lunatic
Pick 9: Harley Quinn
Pick 10: Museum Heist
Pick 11: Assassin Initiate
Pick 12: Hugo Strange
Pick 13: Ratcatcher
Pick 14: Thuggee

Pack 3

Pick 1: Combat Reflexes; Liberty Island Base; Dawn Granger ◊ Dove; Roy Harper ◊ Arsenal; Tim Drake ◊ Robin, The Boy Wonder
Pick 2: Combat Reflexes, Hank Hall ◊ Hawk
Pick 3: Break You; Tim Drake ◊ Robin, Young Detective; Red Star
Pick 4: Connor Kent ◊ Superboy, Clocktower, Mirage
Pick 5: Connor Kent ◊ Superboy; Dick Grayson ◊ Nightwing, Defender of Bludhaven
Pick 6: Whisper A’Daire
Pick 7: Donna Troy ◊ Wonder Girl
Pick 8: Black Canary
Pick 9: ?
Pick 10: Deathstroke the Terminator
Pick 11: Whisper A’Daire
Pick 12: GCPD Officer
Pick 13: Black Mask
Pick 14: ?

Here’s what Gabe had to say after the draft:

“No 5-drops, no 4-drops, can’t win. I do, however, have the best locations and plot twists of all time. Sigh. This is going to be an interesting one to build. They (the other drafters) don’t know what they are doing . . . they keep taking guys over resource cards. It was really frustrating because I saw three Teen Titans Go! (drafting two), but then I got no good 4-drops. I was expecting to get some Gotham Knights characters because I passed zero of them, but I only got one good character myself.

“Teen Titans/Gotham Knights are really the only two teams to draft. It’s a little frustrating because there are so few available strategies for drafting in this set that are any good, but if you get those teams, you should end