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Urza's Saga Draft-White

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While white has some strong cards in the other two expansions of the cycle, Urza's Saga white cards leave a lot to be desired in draft format. In a draft where you're opening US first, remember that a lot of the good white stuff is in Legacy and Destiny. As it stands though, there isn't a lot in Urza's Saga to make you jump for white.

Angelic Chorus I heard this is some good in drafting, though I never got one and have never played against one in a draft. Generally this is the only kind of life gain that is worth playing-automatic life gain. If you manage to grab some nice fat walls, or a couple of green's ultrafatties, this is just going to make winning that much nicer. Early pick.
Angelic Page One thing white has always had is an assortment of strong commons. A flier is never a bad thing, especially not a flier which can push through an extra point of damage for you. Middle pick.
Brilliant Halo The second-best permachant. The bonus it gives is very useful, especially for a blocker. And it just won't die. Ever. Not a number 1 pick, but early.
Catastrophe White's weak, but 2 strong cards in a row? This is the card that follows white's trend towards blowing everything up. I actually think this is better than a Wrath or a Geddon, because of the flexibility. This is definitely a game winner. Grab it. Now.
Congregate At a pinch you could play this, but if you're running a creature-heavy deck, definitely play it. It can be splashed if necessary, and 2 life per creature is a great way to bring you back from the jaws of death. Middle pick.
Disciple of Grace and Disciple of Law These guys are a great pick for any deck. A 1/2 for 2 is not bad anyway, but when you add in the pfRed/Black and the cycling, you get a very strong card. Pick 4-5.
Elite Archers The only thing stopping this from being a Hot! card is the 5W casting cost. 3 damage to an attacker or blocker is awesome, especially under 6e rules when this essentially becomes a 6/3 blocker. It depends on your tastes, but I go for this over any other card that isn't Hot!, unless I see a reason not to, e.g a card to combo with.
Glorious Anthem I hear this is kinda good :P One of the better cards White has in the set, and better than Crusade as it limits the bonus to your creatures and it isn't just white creatures. The ONLY drawback is the double W in the casting cost. Grab it as soon as you see it.
Healing Salve The old favourite of drafters. A great little surprise tool, especially good for saving a blocker the opponent thought was a little too small to survive. Not as strong as it used to be, as other, better cards have taken its place, but still worth taking 6-7.
Herald of Serra We love big fat fliers! Oh yes we do! Especially when they're almost as good as Aunty Sarah. Echo is inconsequential for this baby, as paying the mana is well worth the beatings she will administer every turn. A number 1 pick.
Humble A lot of people don't think this is as good as it is. Nothing better than seeing a Phyrexian Colossus or Endless Wurm come trampling over, then smacking it with this and blocking it with your 1/1. Ahhh, I do love the smell of surprise in the morning.
Intrepid Hero This is some good too, but not as good as Humble. Creature destruction is useful, especially fatty destruction. The problem is he won't kill weenies for you. Snob. Still, killing a fatty is never bad...
Opal Archangel If this were a straight creature and not a sleeper, it would be Hot!. As it is, it's just a very good card. I've always found that people hesitate to play creatures when you have a sleeper on the table, no matter how good or crap it is. This one is great, as no one wants an Archangel on the table (except the person controlling it). Still, it's a first-second pick.
Opal Titan Why is this that bit better than the Archangel? Simply put...it WILL have protection from one of your opponent's colours, it WILL be a big bad blocker, and it almost definitely will stop your opponent playing his fatties. Unless they trample. Pick 1.
Pacifism Creature supression is one of white's strong points. The problem with Pacifism is it won't stop creature abilities. That's why it's not Hot!, but is still worth picking with little or no hesitation.
Pariah Borderline Hot!. It's both a life preserver and, in an emergency, creature destruction. Placing it on a creature with protection is going to keep you alive a while. But if you've got no protection creatures, it becomes decidedly less useful. Still, good to drop on a fatty or a Fog Bank, as with the 6e rules, the damage dealt to the Fog Bank would still be combat damage and would be reduced to 0.
Path of Peace A solid card, prevented from being Hot! by the casting cost and the gift of 4 life to your opponent. Still, grab it fairly early if you are low on creature kill, as this has no targetting restrictions and will kill most anything.
Sanctum Custodian Damage prevention is could. Very good. Especially when it comes wrapped in a creature. The casting cost on this is a little steep, especially given that of his cousin, but it's still a good middle pick.
Sanctum Guardian Now we're playing with the big boys. A 1/4 is a good blocker, and a good target for Pariah. The sac ability is outstanding, especially against a Torch Song or a fattie.Under 6th, he can block one fattie and prevent the damage from another. Very very strong. Early pick.
Seasoned Marshal Tired of your hordes being turned back by that Wall of Glare? Scared of that nasty fattie just waiting to eat your attackers alive? Seasoned Marshal is probably one of white's best offensive creatures in this format, just below anything with Serra or Angel in the name. Pick 2-3 at latest.
Serra Avatar Oh yes. Oh please let me find one! So what if it's triple ? When this hits, it's pretty much game, especially if you've got an Angelic Chorus down. Must be taken as soon as you see it. Trust me. This is beatings in a card.
Serra Zealot Strong, good weenie. First strike is a neo-evasion ability, as anything with 1 toughness isn't gonna be around to hurt our little buddy. Middle to late pick though.
Serra's Embrace Very few cards with Serra in the title suck. This is another great one. Put it on a creature like Elite Archers or Angelic Page for added beatdown goodness. Can you say 8 damage to a blocking creature from the Archers?
Shimmering BarrierVery few walls are worth picking in draft. This is one you should definitely take. The first strike makes it formidable, and it's a great candidate for Brilliant Halo. A 2/5 first striking wall is a fearsome proposition. Add in the cycling and you have a potent defensive weapon.
Silent Attendant Good card. The ability to tap and gain a life is under-rated, and it can stop thise pesky little elves from hurting you at the same time. Still, don't take it over anything else you can use. Late pick, but one to be happy about.
Songstitcher Very useful. A 1/1 for 1 is a good buy in anyone's book, but when you throw in a useful ability that doesn't require tapping, it becomes a bargain. Especially when that ability stops fliers in their tracks.
Soul Sculptor This card would be broken if the enchantments it creates turned back into creatures when the opponent played a creature spell. As it stands, it's a strong, reusable creature suppressant which should be picked fairly early. Protect it too.
Voice of Grace and Voice of Law These guys, like the Disciples, are also good picks. They have the added advantage of flight, and against a red and/or black deck, they will cause some serious problems. Not the type of thing you want to see in a pack if you've picked red/black.
Waylay Very strong. Ok, so the errata weakened it a little, but with Glorious Anthem...
Worship In draft, this card becomes even more horrible than it is in constructed, because of the fact that less people will be prepared for it. It is also far more likely that you will have a creature in play, making it very, very hard to kill you. Pick it now. Go on, take it!


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