The Modern Masters 2015 full spoiler is now available and the first thing I like to do to evaluate a set in Limited is look at each archetype.

UW Artifacts

This is a returning archetype from the first Modern Masters, except we now have metalcraft. Building a good deck will require finding the right balance between non-artifact cards such as Somber Hoverguard, Dispatch, Thoughtcast, Myrsmith and cheap artifacts such as Darksteel Citadel, Court Homunculus, Flayer Husk, and Everflowing Chalice.

WB Spirits and Arcane

Oh nostalgia, I started drafting Magic in Kamigawa block. This deck gets a major upgrade from back then… Nameless Inversion! Not only does it trigger cards like Waxmane Baku and Thief of Hope, but you can rebuy it with soulshift.

Prioritize Waxmane Baku, Thief of Hope, Moonlit Strider and Scuttling Death when building your deck, don’t forget that some rather unexciting cards such as Kami of Ancient Law, Terashi’s Grasp, Waking Nightmare, and Otherworldly Journey are all Spirit/arcane related and become better filler cards than you think.

WR Equipment and Double Strike

This strategy is very linear and there seem to be more than enough double strikers in the set to reliably have the amount you need. Mighty Leap and Blades of Velis Vel are at their best here. Kitesail and Apostle’s Blessing both found a home.

Darksteel Axe is your #1 equipment, but there’s a chance Cranial Plating is also stellar if you picked up enough artifacts.

WG Tokens

The game plan is easy, flood the board and cast Fortify, Overwhelm, or Sigil Blessing. Kozilek’s Predator and Nest Invader are both awesome commons on their own and in any deck, this one is no exception. I’m not sure about Root-Kin Ally, but it’s probably good enough.

This archetype in a draft would be fighting with BG tokens and sacrifice decks for all the green tokens producers, so make sure you’re not seated next to someone stealing them!

UB Value

I wonder what the designers were trying to do with this color combination—it is obviously bloodthirst, -1/-1 counters, and proliferate, however it’s very unimpressive. Besides bloodthirst, everything this color is trying to do is play good value cards such as Dimir Guildmage and hopefully premium cards like Mulldrifter, Air Servant, and Spread the Sickness. None of those fit particularly well with aggressive bloodthirst cards because they are slow.

I’m not saying this can’t make a good deck, but it’s going to lack synergy. I suspect you end up in this deck when you have a bunch of premium cards, draw spells, and removal.

UR Elemental

Versatile creatures and ways to play them faster. You can make this color combination more aggressive by going heavy-red with Ashenmoor Gouger, bloodthirst creatures, and just a small touch of blue for tempo with Vapor Snag, Repeal, Narcolepsy, and Aethersnipe.

On the other hand, playing with Smokebraider is SUCH a blast. They even put Incandescent Soulstoke at uncommon. Grab your favorite: Cloud Elemental, Water Servant, or Inner-Flame Igniter and have some fun !

UG Proliferate Graft

Most of these are rather crappy of their own, despite that, they are insane with each other. Imagine playing Steady Progress that puts a counter everywhere AND draws you a card. Thrummingbird gets out of hand—graft becomes insane and Tumble Magnet, good on its own already, is crazy with proliferate.

Thrive is a card that might be good in this deck, but I’m still hesitant.

BR Bloodthirst

I expect this strategy to be among the best, it doesn’t mess around and is lightning fast. Daggerclaw Imp is at its best here, it’s aggressive and should be able to enable bloodthirst most of the time. Mortarpod and Kitesail are also both great enablers. You could maindeck Wrap in Flames as Magmatic Chasm with upside. This deck is basically M12 Limited and Goblin Fireslinger was incredible back then—prioritize him and Vampire Lacerator.

BG Sacrifice

This one is my favorite, it’s close to an Aristocrats deck and the color combination is extremely deep. Many underwhelming cards like Reassembling Skeleton, Tukatongue Thallid, and Culling Dais are actually great in this deck. You can even try to ramp up to Ulamog’s Crusher and other Eldrazi by sacrificing Cathodion and Eldrazi Spawn.

Mortarpod is astonishing. There are a lot of premium cards that other people will take like Bestial Menace, Scatter the Seeds, Pelakka Wurm, and the green Eldrazi Spawn producers, still, you are left with Scavenger Drake, Algae Gharial, Bone Splinters, and Bloodthrone Vampire that should go late because it mainly only fits in this archetype.

RG Domain

Splashing seems to be very rewarding and if you have most of the good fixing you’re having access to the domain and sunburst cards as well. Sylvan Bounty is not exciting, but you’re going to need your land drops and colors. Don’t pick up too many win conditions, Worldheart Phoenix and Dragonsoul Knight should be go very late and those are enough to close a game. You want to build primarily around fixing, ramp, and excellent removal spells.

Splashing a 3rd color?

Even if the most obvious ones are 2-color archetypes, the format allows easy splashes in the form of Wayfarer’s Bauble, Sphere of the Suns, Alloy Myr, Evolving Wilds, and bouncelands.

Don’t be shy to add these amazing spells: Oblivion Ring, Dismember, Mulldrifter, Lightning Bolt, Arrest, Burst Lightning, Narcolepsy, Nameless Inversion, Sunlance, Tribal Flames, Agony Warp, Electrolyze, Necrogenesis, Pillory of the Sleepless, Savage Twister, Vengeful Rebirth, Wrecking Ball and obviously some of the rares and mythics.