Dominaria United is one of the deepest and most complicated draft formats in Magic's history. The drafts themselves are wildly dynamic, with many different possible crossover archetypes possible as well as any number of potential color ranges and splashes. The gameplay is equally complicated, making this a format that is both very fun as well as incredibly skill testing.

This makes for an awesome format, but also a challenging one. As such, don't feel bad if you've been struggling!

Today I'm going to go over what took me from Bronze to Mythic in the Dominaria United draft format on MTG Arena by looking at the key "affinity" common for each color that helps to define what each color wants to do.

Unlike the last few sets, there aren't any super top flight commons that are just better than everything else on raw rate like Inspiring Overseer, Organ Hoarder, or Sarulf's Packmate. Instead, the quality of most of the commons in Dominaria United draft will vary wildly based on how much they synergize with the other cards in your deck.

This is what makes the format so dynamic, as your pick order can't be static. You must be able to constantly reevaluate cards on the fly based on the context of both the cards you already have, as well as what your final deck is going to look like.

A great way to do this is by looking at the context of each of the "affinity" commons for each color. Argivian Phalanx, Tolarian Terror, Writhing Necromass, Molten Monstrosity, and Yavimaya Sorjourner are all big common creatures that have their cost reduced by a certain resource. Because of this, they can be very powerful, but only in the right context. Each one is a signpost for one of the major themes of each color, helping to guide you toward what the color wants to be doing. You can't just take good cards in Dominaria United draft, it's very important your cards work together, and each of these cards helps to define what makes a successful deck in its color.

Argivian Phalanx - Go Wide!

Argivian Phalanx is perhaps the simplest of all of these, with the basic request of "play lots of creatures." This slots in exactly with what most White decks want to be doing in this format.

While White/Black or White/Red are the most common pairings, both Blue and Green are possible too with the right uncommons (notably Raff, Weatherlight Stalwart or Strength of the Coalition). But regardless of your colors, if you're base White you want to be making lots of tokens and getting paid off.

Heroic Charge effects are usually only mediocre in Limited, but it is one of the lynchpin commons of White decks in this format. Get on the board, make tokens, and get paid off. Argivian Phalanx of course fits perfectly into this plan, as it has a very Myr Enforcer-like effect on topping off your best draws.

Unfortunately for Argivian Phalanx, it doesn't size up well against the other four commons we're going to discuss today, but it's still a very solid card that lets you know exactly what's important.

Here an example decklist from my Bronze to Mythic run:

Boros Draft Deck | Dominaria United Limited | Jim Davis

• Creatures (14)
• 1 Argivian Phalanx
• 1 Charismatic Vanguard
• 1 Defiler of Faith
• 1 Goblin Picker
• 1 Hurler Cyclops
• 1 Samite Herbalist
• 1 Squee, Dubious Monarch
• 1 Yavimaya Steelcrusher
• 1 Resolute Reinforcements
• 1 Valiant Veteran
• 2 Argivian Cavalier
• 2 Griffin Protector

• Instants (4)
• 2 Heroic Charge
• 2 Take Up the Shield

• Sorceries (2)
• 2 Captain's Call

• Enchantments (4)
• 2 Citizen's Arrest
• 2 Prayer of Binding

• Lands (16)
• 9 Plains
• 6 Mountain
• 1 Sacred Peaks

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Tolarian Terror - Spells Matter!

Tolarian Terror is the opposite of Argivian Phalanx, caring about spells rather than creatures, as well as being so good it's borderline constructed playable. Reminiscent of Gurmag Angler, Tolarian Terror is huge, hard to remove, and plays perfectly in a spell-heavy deck as either a quick cheap threat or a cheap game ender you can cast with mana up.

Most Blue decks in this format want to be spell-based, as either more controlling Blue/Black decks with a lot of removal and card draw, or as more aggressive Blue/Red decks with a lot of 'spells matter" cards like Electrostatic Infantry and Ghitu Amplifier. Tolarian Terror slots perfectly into each of these decks and there's a ton of crossover, where even if you lean more toward one side you're likely still splashing the other color.

It's also very possible to just be Blue/White, which is funny because it's a very different deck than White/Blue. Both decks have the same lynchpin uncommon in Raff, Weatherlight Stalwart, but the composition is very different based on either spells or creatures. Seeing that this deck clearly wants Tolarian Terror and does not want Argivian Phalanx is a great representation of how much flexibility this format warrants.

Here an example decklist from my Bronze to Mythic run:

Azorious Spells | Dominaria United Limited | Jim Davis

• Creatures (12)
• 1 Argivian Cavalier
• 1 Defiler of Dreams
• 1 Haughty Djinn
• 1 Haunting Figment
• 1 Micromancer
• 1 Raff, Weatherlight Stalwart
• 1 Samite Herbalist
• 1 Talas Lookout
• 1 Tolarian Terror
• 3 Frostfist Strider

• Instants (12)
• 1 Impulse
• 1 Shore Up
• 1 Silver Scrutiny
• 1 Take Up the Shield
• 2 Essence Scatter
• 3 Stall for Time
• 3 Timely Interference

• Lands (16)
• 7 Plains
• 9 Island

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Writhing Necromass - Graveyard Grindy!

When it comes to Black, it's all about the graveyard and recursion, which is right up Writhing Necromass's ally.

Blue/Black or some other more controlling color combinations can also play the long grindy game, but if they're focused on Tolarian Terror, it means they're much more focused on spells like Essence Scatter, Tribute to Urborg, and Extinguish the Light. However, the base-Black decks that fall under Writhing Necromass's umbrella are all about creatures and the graveyard.

Eerie Soultender is the poster child here, but the real winner is Urborg Repossession, which is quietly one of the best commons in the set when it comes to grindy decks like this. Casting your Phyrexian Ragers over and over again while also bringing back bombs is a great way to go, and Urborg Repossession plays especially well late in the game with Writhing Necromass as you can often recur and then cast it on the cheap for a huge board presence.

Having a high creature counter here is vital, as is having creatures that create good value. Block with those Splatter Goblins, trade off your Deathbloom Gardeners, and hopefully get lucky and open an Urborg Lhurgoyf. As is the case with any deck looking to play a longer game, splashes are encouraged.

Here an example decklist from my Bronze to Mythic run:

Golgari Recursion | Dominaria United Limited | Jim Davis

• Creatures (17)
• 1 Blight Pile
• 1 Bog Badger
• 1 Cult Conscript
• 1 Deathbloom Gardener
• 1 Eerie Soultender
• 1 Floriferous Vinewall
• 1 Knight of Dusk's Shadow
• 1 Magnigoth Sentry
• 1 Micromancer
• 1 Monstrous War-Leech
• 1 Phyrexian Rager
• 1 Phyrexian Vivisector
• 1 Splatter Goblin
• 1 Territorial Maro
• 1 Uurg, Spawn of Turg
• 2 Writhing Necromass

• Instants (5)
• 1 Destroy Evil
• 1 Shadow Prophecy
• 1 Tribute to Urborg
• 2 Tail Swipe

• Sorceries (1)
• 1 Urborg Repossession

• Enchantments (1)
• 1 Leyline Binding

• Lands (16)
• 6 Forest
• 1 Plains
• 5 Swamp
• 1 Geothermal Bog
• 1 Idyllic Beachfront
• 1 Sunlit Marsh
• 1 Tangled Islet

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Molten Monstrosity - Go Big!

Molten Monstrosity is the one oddball of the cycle.

While each other entry makes it very clear what you want your deck to do, almost like a portable mission statement, Molten Monstrosity's message is confused. "Play me with pump spells and big creatures" isn't the most glowing review, and the floor of Molten Monstrosity is far lower than the others in the cycle as an eight-mana 5/5.

The idea scenario with Molten Monstrosity is to play it in an aggressive Red/Green deck with lots of pump spells, but because of the power of Gaea's Might and Nishoba Brawler, is far more likely that you're doing domain things if this is your goal. The domain deck has plenty of top end across all colors, which means it doesn't really need a conditional 5/5 trample to top the curve.

I could only find one deck that I actually played Molten Monstrosity in, where it didn't even seem that good, as I've never had the pleasure of having a very good Gaea's Might/Colossal Growth deck. Here it is for posterity:

Domain Stuff | Dominaria United Limited | Jim Davis

• Creatures (16)
• 1 Bog Badger
• 1 Elfhame Wurm
• 1 Floriferous Vinewall
• 1 Juniper Order Rootweaver
• 1 Keldon Strike Team
• 1 Llanowar Greenwidow
• 1 Meria's Outrider
• 1 Mesa Cavalier
• 1 Molten Monstrosity
• 1 Mossbeard Ancient
• 1 Nishoba Brawler
• 1 Squee, Dubious Monarch
• 1 Territorial Maro
• 1 The Raven Man
• 2 Sprouting Goblin

• Instants (5)
• 1 Bite Down
• 1 Destroy Evil
• 1 Fires of Victory
• 1 Flowstone Infusion
• 1 Gaea's Might

• Sorceries (3)
• 1 Herd Migration
• 2 Phyrexian Espionage

• Lands (16)
• 6 Forest
• 1 Plains
• 2 Mountain
• 1 Contaminated Aquifer
• 1 Idyllic Beachfront
• 1 Sacred Peaks
• 1 Tangled Islet
• 1 Wooded Ridgeline
• 2 Geothermal Bog

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Yavimaya Sojourner - Domain!

Yavimaya Sojourner returns us to the more focused, mission statement-style common, but when your mission statement is "play every color stupid!" things can get a little murky.

Yavimaya Sojourner is quite obviously a domain payoff, as it's possible to play on turn three or four where it's absolutely monstrous. It's also great to be able to play on later turns and double spell once you have full domain. However, because of the single pip and it wanting to be included in five color decks, it has two issues.

The first is that "play five colors" doesn't really give you that clear of a direction when it comes to actually playing Yavimaya Sojourner. You may be base Green, you may be splashing Green, you may be in the market for top end creatures, or you may already have a bunch of good uncommons and rares in the expensive slots on your curve.

As such, Yavimaya Sojourner is a perfectly reasonable Magic card, but there're going to be times where you just don't need it. Still, the message is sound - if you're playing Green you probably want to be domain.

An example decklist:

Green Domain | Dominaria United Limited | Jim Davis

• Creatures (16)
• 1 Anointed Peacekeeper
• 1 Automatic Librarian
• 1 Flowstone Kavu
• 1 Goblin Picker
• 1 Phyrexian Espionage
• 1 Talas Lookout
• 1 Tolarian Terror
• 1 Voda Sea Scavenger
• 1 Volshe Tideturner
• 1 Keldon Strike Team
• 1 Meria's Outrider
• 1 Najal, the Storm Runner
• 1 Rith, Liberated Primeval
• 1 Tura Kennerud, Skyknight
• 2 Yavimaya Sojourner

• Instants (6)
• 1 Fires of Victory
• 1 Impulse
• 1 Stall for Time
• 1 Timely Interference
• 2 Artillery Blast

• Enchantments (1)
• 1 Prayer of Binding

• Lands (17)
• 1 Forest
• 3 Plains
• 4 Island
• 1 Mountain
• 1 Geothermal Bog
• 1 Tangled Islet
• 1 Yavimaya Coast
• 2 Molten Tributary
• 3 Sacred Peaks

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Don't Cross Streams!

This may sound a little odd to say right after posting a decklist that is playing both Tolarian Terror and Yavimaya Sojourner, but a very important litmus test in this format is that you should rarely have different affinity commons in the same deck.

If you have Tolarian Terror and Argivian Phalanx in your deck, you probably did something wrong. There will certainly be cases where this isn't true, but the majority of the time if you're playing multiple different affinity commons your deck isn't focused enough on one thing and you haven't succeeded in your draft. Even in spots where it looks like Argivian Phalanx and Writhing Necromass might go well together (you've got a lot of creatures!), they both are asking you to play different styles of game that don't necessarily go well together.

This is obviously more of a guideline than a rule, as there's some crossover between Yavimaya Sojourner and Molten Monstrosity and there will be other odd circumstances, but it's a good baseline heuristic.

This format is tough, but don't get discouraged! It's a wonderfully deep format with so much to explore, as I'm almost 30 drafts in and I'm still coming up with decks that I didn't expect to draft. Don't be afraid to be creative and good luck!