Photon Blast Barrage | Illustration by Immanuela Crovius
Jumping into a new Draft set can be daunting. What do you take for your first pick? You’re looking at 13-14 brand new cards with a lot of text to read through, and you know you’ll probably pick something that ends up being bad.
To prepare you for your Marvel Super Heroes Drafts, I’ve assembled my picks for the best commons and uncommons in each color to arm you with a bit of extra information as to what you should take. As the format progresses and we learn more about it, these will absolutely change, so take these picks with a pinch of salt, but I hope that this can serve as a baseline for the set as we get started with it.
Commons
Stark Industries Executive | Illustration by Xabi Gaztelua
White
#3. Murdock’s Crusade
It may be a little situational, but 2 mana to exile any big creature is pretty efficient. There are also a bunch of nasty enchantments that Murdock's Crusade can answer without needing to sideboard for it.
#2. Web Up
Removal is typically going to be at the top of these lists, and Web Up is about as powerful as common white removal is ever going to be.
#1. Hero in Training
Removal is good, but it only trades one-for-one. Above that is anything that can instead trade two-for-one, like Hero in Training. A 2/2 that draws you a free card is excellent for 3 mana, and the 2 life won’t go amiss either.
Blue
#3. Depower
While it’s clearly better to get the cost reduction, even casting Depower for 3 mana is still great. If you can shrink a creature so that it dies in combat while your creature survives, all while drawing a free card, you nab yourself a nice, easy two-for-one, which is exactly what you need to look out for.
#2. I Am Iron Man
Perhaps the most iconic line from the MCU, I Am Iron Man is another excellent two-for-one combat trick that can even turn a noncreature artifact into a strong blocker to ambush something.
#1. S.H.I.E.L.D. Deployment Drone
The two-for-ones just keep coming. S.H.I.E.L.D. Deployment Drone is the quintessential two creatures in one card design. Previous variations have often been the best blue common in a set, most notably Preening Champion from March of the Machine.
Black
#3. Hour of Defeat
Good creatures are getting cheaper and cheaper, which makes 4 mana a little inefficient for a removal spell these days. Still, Hour of Defeat can cleanly answer anything, so I can’t imagine any black deck will pass it up.
#2. HYDRA Troopers
While not the cleanest two creatures for one card play, HYDRA Troopers still offers a lot of potential power for just a 3-drop common. You need to set it up a little, but the reward is definitely there.
#1. Cruel Alliance
While not an instant, Cruel Alliance is a great way to answer any creature. The lifegain is something you usually only see on an uncommon removal spell, and a good one at that.
Red
#3. Repulsor Blast
Similar to Hour of Defeat, Repulsor Blast is a little bit expensive for a removal spell these days, but 5 damage should be enough to answer pretty much anything. The additional 2 damage to the face is also pretty nice.
#2. Crimson Operative
Another simple two-for-one play, Crimson Operative is a solid 4-drop that basically draws you a free card when it enters. On top of that, it’s also an artifact and a villain to key off of red’s Draft themes.
#1. Lightning Strike
There can’t have been many sets in history where Lightning Strike was present, but not red’s best common. Three damage for 2 mana is just an exceptionally good rate, and going to the face lets you finish off an opponent with it, too.
Green
#3. Go Nuts!
The creature you use to fight with probably won’t be able to attack in the same turn anyway, since most blockers will end up trading for it. As such, you can probably just use it to pay the teamwork cost of Go Nuts!, which makes it a very simple green removal spell.
#2. Pet Avengers
There are some obvious reasons why an adorable card like this would make the list, but it’s also just a very good card overall. Pet Avengers works in just about every green archetype and is incredibly efficient, so what’s not to love?
#1. Undercover Skrull
Mana dorks are just great. The mana acceleration in MSH looks quite sparse, so Undercover Skrull will be especially important to pick up early in a draft. Being a villain is a bit crap, as green is much more centered around heroes, but that’s not enough to hold it back.
Uncommons
Ka-Zar of the Savage Land | Illustration by Paolo Parente
White
#3. Agent 13, Sharon Carter
Curving out is particularly important in any aggro deck. Playing Agent 13, Sharon Carter on turn 2 and attacking with your 2-drop is an exceptional start to any curve, and it also works with every white Draft theme, which sounds excellent.
#2. Night Nurse, Healer of Heroes
Gotta get your casual two-for-ones in. Even if situational, a 2-drop Gravedigger effect is exceptionally powerful. Night Nurse, Healer of Heroes even catches you back up on the damage race thanks to having lifelink, so I can’t imagine many decks that wouldn’t want to play this card.
#1. Red Guardian, Super-Soldier
It’s funny to me how the removal of the word “was” from this card is all they needed to do to bump it by several grades in my eyes. White doesn’t often get a straight up Nekrataal for obvious reasons, but Red Guardian, Super-Soldier is dangerously close. Yes, you can’t use it proactively, which is a major downside, but Red Guardian still looks like something I’d love to start a draft with.
Blue
#3. Iron Lad, Diverging Destiny
While not the actual best artifact payoff on this list, you can’t go wrong with a creature that applies pressure while giving you free card advantage, which is exactly what Iron Lad, Diverging Destiny will do for you.
#2. Shuri, Wakandan Inventor
I always love artifact decks in draft, and Shuri, Wakandan Inventor looks like one of the best artifact-themed cards to build around. Its activated ability has so much utility, like turning Treasures into Futurist Forge so you can sacrifice them to draw cards, or turning your forge into a big creature to get some damage in. Whatever you do, Shuri looks awesome and a great way to start a draft.
#1. Justice, Vance Astrovik
Has a Man-o'-War variant ever actually been bad? They’re basically always the best blue common or uncommon in a set, and I have no trouble seeing Justice, Vance Astrovik as that in Marvel Super Heroes either.
Black
#3. Robot Domination
This is probably the card I’m most skeptical of on this entire list. Robot Domination looks so broken to me, but spending the time to play a 4-mana enchantment sounds really awkward. I hope this card is as good as I think, and I’ll certainly take it highly at the start of the format.
#2. Dark Deed
What do I even need to say about Dark Deed? It’s easily one of the best removal spells in MSH, and the only thing likely to be better than it is something that gives you an easy two-for-one….
#1. Madame Masque
Oh yeah, an easy two-for-one. Madame Masque isn’t just the best nonrare payoff for the draw-two deck, but the fact that is always starts out as two good creatures for one card makes it good enough to play in any black deck. This is easily one of the better first picks to make in a draft, especially because it opens you up to a bunch of archetypes.
Red
#3. Truck Toss
With there being only three vehicles in MSH, you’re not getting the cost reduction on Truck Toss very often, but 4 damage that can go anywhere is still a very good deal for 4 mana.
#2. Iron Fist, Living Weapon
I’m quite excited to give Iron Fist, Living Weapon a try. There’s plenty of synergy with it and a lot of cards that combine with it very well. For example, if you target Iron Fist with Panther Pounce, you can resolve your hero’s trigger, and with the spell still on the stack, tap it for damage, then have the spell resolve to untap it for more damage. Above all else, this is just such a cool card to build around, so I’d absolutely take it early.
#1. Photon Blast Barrage
I really want to be right about this card. Photon Blast Barrage will cost a lot of mana to use, but it cleans up any board and leaves your creatures alone, which shouldn’t be underestimated. We’ll just have to see how it plays out, but I’m taking it early at first. Also, keep an eye out for some hilarious synergy between this and Red Hulk.
Green
#3. She-Hulk, Jade Defender
A bunch of green’s uncommon legends would be fine picks for this spot, but I have to give the nod to She-Hulk, Jade Defender. It’s worth noting that there are a lot of powerful enchantments in Marvel Super Heroes, along with a bunch of artifact creatures, all of which you can destroy with She Hulk’s power-up.
#2. Punishing Punch
Getting to deal damage equal to twice a creature’s power makes Punishing Punch the easiest bite spell to resolve. The fact that your 2/2 can kill a 4/4 just makes this incredibly strong, and definitely the best green removal spell.
#1. Ka-Zar of the Savage Land
We end here at one of the easiest slam dunk picks in Marvel Super Heroes. Ka-Zar of the Savage Land is already two creatures in one, but then it can draw you extra lands by playing them off the top of your library, and the 2/2 token keeps getting bigger and bigger. I imagine the only thing that will stop me from first picking this a bunch is green being a bad color to draft, but let’s face it, that probably won’t stop me.
Wrap Up
Hour of Defeat | Illustration by Jake Murray
I hope you’re excited for Marvel Super Heroes! It’s easy to get overwhelmed by all the negativity that you see online, but just ignore it. If people would rather not engage with sets like this, then that's fine. But don't let that stop you from enjoying it for yourself. I know I will!
Do you agree my picks? Which commons or uncommons would you pick more highly? Let me know in the comments below.
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Until next time, take care of yourselves!
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