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Today is our final article in the Discussing Draft series concerning the Alara/Conflux/Reborn draft format. We are reviewing Naya, Bant, Exalted, and Five-Color Control.

Oli: Good evening, Manu!
Manu: Hey there, Olivier!
Oli: And good evening to everyone! Tonight we're discussing Naya, Bant, Exalted, and Five-Color Control in Alara Reborn, starting with Naya.

NAYA

Manu:

1 - Behemoth Sledge
2 - Bloodbraid Elf
3 - Enlisted Wurm
4 - Vengeful Rebirth
5 - Naya Hushblade
6 - Vithian Renegades
7 – Marisi’s Twinclaws
8 - Crystallization
9 - Bant Sureblade
10 - Deadshot Minotaur
11 - Qasali Pridemage
12 - Intimidation Bolt
13 - Firewild Borderpost
14 - Wildfield Borderpost
15 - Messenger Falcon

Oli:

1-Behemoth Sledge
2-Enlisted Wurm
3-Bloodbraid Elf
4-Vengeful Rebirth
5-Crystallization
6-Deadshot Minotaur
7-Messenger Falcon
8-Bant Sureblade
9-Vithian Renegades
10-Marsin's Twinclaws
11-Qasali Pridemage
12-Naya Hushblade
13-Intimidation Bolt
14-Firewild Borderpost
15- Wildfield Borderpost

Oli: Even though there are lots of playables in Naya, we ended with quite similar rankings. The major difference concerns Naya Hushblade. It's true that it is the easiest Blade to cast in the archetype, but First Strike just seems much better than Shroud to me.
Manu: I think it really depends on the deck. Hushblade is very good against Branching Bolt decks. And you never skip an attack when you have a bunch of exalted guys just because your opponent plays a removal spell.
Oli: Against a Red deck, it does seem better, but as the format seems pretty aggressive to me, I'd tend to think First Strike is globally better. But then again, you want to be sure to cast a two-drop on turn 2, and that’s not something the Hushblade can guarantee.
Manu: I probably should have the Sureblade very close to the Hushblade. I think it also matters exactly what kind of Outlanders you passed. And how immune to Branching Bolt is your deck? Are you G/W/r or G/w/r, or even G/R/w?
Oli: True, true, true. Now, the other major difference concerns the Messenger Falcon. It may not be Mulldrifter, but it is still card advantage and evasion at a very reasonable cost.
Manu: Don't get me wrong, I appreciate the card a lot. I just don't think it’s needed. That's why I'd pick cards like Twinclaws over it (which are very good with Exalted).
Oli: One last thing: even though we agreed on that one, I am not quite sure we rated Intimidation Bolt highly enough. In my last draft, I faced it twice, and it cost me two games because of the "Fog" effect.
Manu: The card is very hard to cast (even harder than Branching Bolt, usually). That's why I didn’t rate it that high. Also, I might underrate the Fog effect, as the deck usually lacks evasion. And they still should have several blockers.
Oli: I feel like there are three major types of deck in the format: the aggro decks using evasion guys, the aggro decks using haste guys and removal, and the control decks. Against the first type, the Fog effect is extremely useful, otherwise it's still a fine removal spell on its own merit.
Manu: True. It is still a Top 15 card. And several other good cards (like the four mana 4/4 Rhox Brute) didn't make it.
Oli: Yeah, he was my 16th card.

BANT

Oli:

1 - Behemoth Sledge
2 - Enlisted Wurm
3 - Crystallization
4 - Marisi’s Twinclaw
5 - Bant Sureblade
6 - Messenger Falcon
7 - Ardent Plea
8 - Esper Stormblade
9 - Qasali Pridemage
10 - Wildfield Borderpost
11 - Fieldmist Borderline
12 - Lorescale Coatl
13 - Talon Trooper
14 - Naya Sureblade
15 - Ethercaste Knight

Manu:

1 - Behemoth Sledge
2 - Enlisted Wurm
3 - Marisi's Twinclaw
4 - Crystallization
5 - Qasali Pridemage
6 - Ardent Plea
7 - Fieldmist Borderpost
8 - Wildfield Borderpost
9 - Bant Sureblade
10 - Naya Hushblade
11 - Esper Stormblade
12 - Messenger Falcon
13 - Lorescale Coatl
14 - Wall of Denial
15 - Bant Sojourners

Oli: We seem to agree on most of the expansion analysis so far, except on the Blades. Once again, we rate them very differently.
Manu: Surprisingly, you have them higher than me in Bant. At least some.
Oli: I guess how high you pick them exactly depends on your experience in the format, and I don't have enough yet. However, one thing that we should be able to agree on is how good they are!
Manu: I think all of them are fantastic. Although if I am Bant in ACR, I expect myself to be heavy three-colors. That’s why I'd pick the Borderpost (unless I already have enough fixing) over the Blades.
Oli: What do you think is the inner-ranking of the five Blades in ACR?
Manu: Depends on the archetype. From the strength of the ability itself, I'd pick this order: Flying, Haste, First Strike, Shroud, Deathtouch.
Oli: Yeah, I pretty much agree with that. That's why I'm a little surprised to see Naya Hushblade over Esper Stormblade.
Manu: This might not make sense with my Bant rating, but I still expect myself to have a GW core.
Oli: Okay, it makes a lot of sense then. Shall we move on the Exalted analysis?
Manu: Yep!

EXALTED

Oli:

1 - Behemoth Sledge
2 - Marisi’s Twinclaws
3 - Crystallization
4 - Ardent Plea
5 - Qasali Pridemage
6 - Bant Sureblade
7 - Esper Stormblade
8 - Ethercaste Knight
9 - Messenger Falcon
10 - Talon Trooper
11 - Fieldmist Borderpost
12 - Wildfield Borderpost
13 - Enlisted Wurm
14 - Sigiled Behemoth
15 - Naya Hushblade

Manu:

1 - Behemoths Sledge
2 - Esper Stormblade
3 - Ardent Plea
4 - Bant Sureblade
5 - Crystallization
6 - Ethercaste Knight
7 - Glassdust Hulk
8 - Messenger Falcon
9 - Ethersworn Shieldmage
10 - Talon Trooper
11 - Thopter Foundry
12 - Mistvein Borderpost
13 - Wildfield Borderpost
14 - Fieldmist Borderpost
15 - Esper Sojourners

Oli: Yes! Yes yes yes yes yes yes yes!
Manu: Finally something we disagree on?
Oli: I feared for a minute this was going to be the least interesting article in the series, but we eventually have something pretty interesting to talk about!
Manu: I have to agree. Antoine changed my view on this one. Or maybe it was Alara Reborn.
Oli: I think there are definitely two ways to draft Exalted now. The WG based deck, of course, and what we used to call "Antoine's Exalted," which definitely gets a lot better!
Manu: Antoine's Exalted Deck is the WU based tempo deck which splashes either Green for bombs (Behemoth's Sledge) or Black for good tempo cards (Sedraxis Alchemist, Tower Gargoyle). I really like this deck now with Alara Reborn. The Borderposts really help support a Strix or Sedraxis Alchemist (as you don't need a guy anymore). And with one less Shards of Alara Booster where WU was mediocre, and one more Alara Reborn pack, in which there are a lot of very good UW tempo cards, it is my favorite archetype right now.
Oli: Yes, this deck definitely gets a lot stronger. It is not only a Plan B when your Esper decks goes wrong anymore. It now is definitely a viable archetype on its own. Do you think it is more reliable that a classic Esper deck? Should "Antoine's Exalted" even replace it?
Manu: For me, it does replace it right now. How will I think about it in one month? I have no idea.
Oli: There is one card I mind a little in your Top 15: Esper Sojourners. I've played the card twice, I drew it a lot, and it was surprisingly not good at all.
Manu: I'd rather have this than splash for an Enlisted Wurm if it's my first Green card. Or for a Slave of Bolas if it's my first Black card. That's why it made it into the Top 15. And if you start with one-mana guy into two-mana guy, this can Time Walk your opponent.
Oli: Yeah, in theory, it can do a lot... I just don't think I like what it actually does. "Twitch" is a barely playable card.
Manu: So you’d rather splash an Enlisted Wurm instead of playing that card?
Oli: If you place the mana fixers so high in your rating, I assume a splash won't cost you much, so yes, I'd splash Wurm or Twincast.
Manu: There is no Twincast in the format.
Oli: Damnit! What's the name of the 2/4 again?
Manu: Marisi’s Twinclaws. Is your Exalted deck three-colored now?
Oli: I think it can be either U/W/b, W/G/u, or possibly W/G/r, which is why my rating has several cards that would hardly fit in the same deck. My rating is more about the cards' raw power.
Manu: So you don’t like the Blades more than cards like Qasali Pridemage? Or, as you earlier said, you don’t like removal because of several combat tricks? You don't think Esper Stormblade is better in U/W than Crystallization?
Oli: It's not exactly that I don't like removal spells in Exalted, more that it's the only archetype in which I take the good creature more often than the good spell. Crystallization is better than Oblivion Ring to me, as it costs one mana less for a pretty similar effect. If I'm UW though, I'll indeed pick Stormblade over the Pacifism, but not if I'm three-color or, obviously, WG based. Crystallization is just great in any Exalted deck, which is why I have it so high.
Manu: I was just confused because you said earlier: "My rating is more about the cards' raw power."
Oli: Well, I still think the Aura it is better in most decks.
Manu: Makes sense. Five-Color Control?
Oli: Weeee!

FIVE-COLOR CONTROL

Manu:

1 - Bituminous Blast
2 - Enlisted Wurm
3 - Behemoth Sledge
4 - Vengeful Rebirth
5 - Terminate
6 - Crystallization
7 - Sangrite Backlash
8 - Slave of Bolas
9 - Soul Manipulation
10 - xxx Borderpost
11 - Messenger Falcon
12 - Kathari Remnant
13 - Deny Reality
14 - Marisi's Twinclaws
15 - Deadshot Minotaur
16 - Wall of Denial
17 - Intimidation Bolt
18 - Pale Recluse
19 - Jund Sojourners
20 - Valley Rannet

Oli:

1 - Bituminous Blast
2 - Enlisted Wurm
3 - Behemoth Sledge
4 - Terminate
5 - Vengeful Rebirth
6 - Crystallization
7 - Sangrite Backlash
8 - Soul Manipulation
9 - Slave of Bolas
10 - xxx Borderpost
11 - Deny Reality
12 - Kathari Remnant
13 - Broodbraid Elf
14 - Deadshot Minotaur
15 - Wall of Denial
16 - Intimidation Bolt
17 - Sanctum Plowbeast
18 - Jhessian Zombie
19 - Jund Sojourners
20 - Pale Recluse

Oli: So, Manu. Is this the last archetype in the last article of that series?
Manu: Does it really have to end?
Oli: Man, it can't be over. We should definitely talk about the Mono Blue Cathartic Adept Memory Erosion Strategy in our next column. What about "Counter-Cathartic, the next Dampen Thought?"
Manu: MDR
Oli: You're even making private jokes for our French readers... Oh man, I'm getting emotional here. Let's discuss Five-Color Control before I start crying...
Manu: Okay, so why do you have Bloodbraid Elf in your Top 20? It is usually a double splash, and flips over a Borderpost or an Obelisk.
Oli: Well, when I wondered if the card would make the cut, I've actually asked myself that question: “is it still good if you flip a mana artifact?” And my answer is definitely a “yes,” if you can cast it in the first 5 turns. Then, of course, if the fixers are hard to pick when the third pack starts, I'll be glad to pick the card, but I won't consider a first pick anymore.
Manu: And you think the effect of flipping over a mana artifact is better than the "Draw a Card" from Messenger Falcon?
Oli: If it's flipping a mana artifact one time out of three, and a removal spell on the other two, that’s definitely good enough for me. However, I was a little harsh with the 2/2, not having him in my Top 20. It is probably better than the landcyclers, and maybe than the Bolt and the Wall as well.
Manu: I think I have to try the card in Five-Color more often. I always saw it as a "mana artifact flippin' over” late-game card.
Oli: How much do you like the Sledge? When I first did my rating, it was seventh. Then sixth, then fifth etc. In the end, I almost counterdraft it as often as I take it for my deck. If we're talking about what's better for the deck, its real place is between 5th and 7th, I think.
Manu: its real place is probably around 8th or 9th. If you didn't lose every single game in which your opponent plays the card. If you have many creatures, though... it might even be first.
Oli: Definitely. I just assume you'll have about ten guys, including a pair of landcyclers, most of the time. Which make it pretty good, but not broken.
Manu: Agreed.
Oli: To be honest, Five-Color Control may be my favorite archetype, but I'm not sure it is playable any more, it just seems too slow for the format.
Manu: I think that you still can draft an excellent Five-Color deck. If I'd get passed an Infest or Jund Charm, I jump into it in a heartbeat.
Oli: Yes, they are the reason why the archetype is still alive. These cards are so much stronger in ACR than they were in AAC! However, your opponents give you less time to gather the right mana than they did in AAC.
Manu: But you have to care less about late game, which lets you focus more on fighting them in the early game, and fixing your mana
Oli: True, true, true. So, is this when we say goodbye?
Manu: Thanks for reading our series, everybody. Thank you, Oli, for doing this with me. I learnt a lot about the format, and I hope you (that is, Oli and you readers!) did too.
Oli: I'd like to thank you all for reading, but also I thank Manu for those nights of Speculoos-eating / tea-drinking / strategy chat. It was as insightful as it was enjoyable to write. I hope you've enjoyed it!

Olivier Ruel and Manuel Bucher

Epilogue:

Later, when I’m eventually done compiling our discussion...

Oli: So Manu, it's now 4am. Feel like jogging?
Manu: Finally!