In 2025, Wizards introduced a new 4-player draft format, called Pick-Two Draft. If you want to learn more about it, you’ve come to the right place.
Below, you’ll discover how this format works and why it was created. Of course, some strategy tips are also included.
What is Pick-Two Draft?
This is a new draft format, meant for 4 players. Just like with the regular draft, this one can also be broken down into three segements:
- drafting
- deck building
- game play
Drafting
Four players are seated around a table, each with three Play boosters. (So, you need a total of 12 Play boosters.)
Pack 1
Each player opens their first pack, picks two cards from it and passes the remaining cards to the player sitting on their left. From the received cards, they again choose two and pass the rest to the left. This continues until all the cards from the first pack have been drafted.
Pack 2
Next, each player opens their second pack, drafts two cards, and passes the rest to the player on their right. This process is the same as before, just the direction of passing is reversed.
Pack 3
Same goes for the third pack, except you’re once again passing to your left.
When the draft is complete, each player ends up with 42 drafted cards total. (There are 14 cards per booster pack.) Now it’s time to build your decks.
Deck Building
There are no changes in the deck building process compared to the regular Draft.
Each player builds a 40-card deck from the drafted cards. Basic lands aren’t part of the draft — you can just add as many as you need during deckbuilding. It’s a good idea to go with 17 lands and 23 non-land cards.
Once everyone has built and sleeved their deck, the games begin.
Game Play
There are no changes to game play. You play 1 versus 1, with each player starting with 20 life. This means you can play two matches at once.
The recommended pairings are as follows:
- First round, player are paired diagonally across the pod. (You play against the player you didn’t directly pass cards to during the draft.)
- In the second round, winners of the first round play one another, and the defeated players face off.
Of course, this is merely a suggestion. You can play games in any way you want. Perhaps you do three rounds, so everyone plays against everyone. Or maybe you battle it Two-Headed Giant style (2 versus 2). Pick whatever works best for your playgroup!
Differences Between Regular and Pick-Two Draft
To quickly recap, there are just two main differences introduced with the Pick-Two draft:
- The ideal number of players is four, and not eight.
- Second, with each pick you draft two cards, as opposed to a single one.
Why Did Wizards Create Pick-Two Draft?
Now you know how the Pick-Two Draft format works, but why exactly did Wizards of the Coast create this format? Well, there are multiple reasons.
First, it can be hard for casual play groups to gather eight players for a “proper” draft experience. However, getting to four players is obviously much easier, especially since most Commander pods are at that number already.
Second, by picking two cards at once, drafts are much faster. Combine that with two fewer matches per round (compared to 8-player draft), and you can probably get the whole thing done in under three hours, which is great for a game night. A full draft, can often extend past 4 hours, which can sometimes feel like a bit much.
Third, this format should provide a better drafting experience for small sets. Spider-Man main set contains only 193 cards. Edge of Eternities, on the other hand, had 276. That’s a much common number for typical sets nowadays. So, one problem with small sets is that you see the same cards time and time again during the draft. By picking two cards, that’s mitigated, as cards leave the pack quicker.
It’s hard to say which of these reasons, was the main one for Pick-Two Draft’s introduction. Most likely it was a combination of all of the above.
Pick-Two Draft Strategy & Tips
Now you know the differences between regular and Pick-Two drafts. Taking those into account, should your strategy change between the two?
Not really, but there are some things that you can do differently. You’re picking two cards at once, which means that you can get into a specific archetype faster. With regular draft you’d typically want to stay open for longer, but here you can lock into a deck faster.
On the other hand, you could start by picking two cards in different archetypes, and see what your opponents are passing to you. This might give you a bit lower power level from the get-go, but if you discover a color that no other player is drafting, you can be rewarded in second and third pack.
Also, pay attention to what you’re passing. With only four players, you’ll probably play against most of the strong cards you pass. Knowing that your opponent has a specific powerful rare, such as Behold the Sinister Six will allow you to make better decisions.
But for the most part, you’ll simply play as you would a regular draft. Thus articles such as Spider-Man Draft Tier List will still help you win more games.
Conclusion
So, that’s all about Pick Two Draft. If you’re a fan of regular 8-player drafts, you don’t need to worry — they aren’t going anywhere and will remain the main way to draft. Pick Two Draft is probably an occasional occurrence, unless it becomes really popular among the player base.
Do you want to try it out? In that case, you’re going to need some boosters, which you can get by ordering a Spider-Man Play booster box on Amazon.
Until next time, have fun, and enjoy the new draft format with three of your friends!