MTG’s Spider-Man Set Sparks Drafting Drama: What Pick Two Means for Competitive Players
Magic: The Gathering is gearing up to release its Marvel’s Spider-Man set on September 26, 2025, but this new addition has sparked some concerns among draft players. The set is unique because it’s the first designed specifically for a new drafting format called Pick Two, which changes the way players experience Limited play.
- Introduction of Pick Two draft format with smaller pods and faster gameplay
- Spider-Man set features only five draftable archetypes instead of the usual ten
- Potential impact on competitive drafts due to limited archetype variety and drafting dynamics
- Concerns about how Pick Two might affect the competitive Limited scene
Pick Two Draft: A New Way to Draft
Unlike traditional drafts that usually have eight players making one pick each per booster pack, the Pick Two format reduces the pod size to four players, with each making two picks per pack. This change is meant to speed up drafting and make it easier to organize games without needing a full table. For those who have struggled to find enough players for a draft, this is welcome news. Plus, you can potentially play two drafts in the time it normally takes to finish one.
However, this new format raises questions about how well it will work for competitive play. Initially, Pick Two was expected to be more of a casual or convention-friendly format, but comments from MTG’s head designer, Mark Rosewater, hint that Wizards might be considering it for official competitive drafts too. You can read more about Rosewater’s thoughts on his blog here.
Fewer Archetypes, More Competition
One of the biggest worries about the Spider-Man set is its smaller card pool, which translates to just five draftable archetypes instead of the usual ten. Archetypes are crucial because they guide players in picking cards that work well together, usually in two-color pairs with strong synergies. With fewer archetypes, some will inevitably be stronger than others, leading to intense competition over those colors.
In a Pick Two draft with only four players and two picks per pack, this could mean that the best archetypes get drafted quickly, leaving other players with weaker decks. Since the format is single-elimination, missing out on the top archetype might make the experience less enjoyable for those who don’t get the strongest decks.
What This Means for Competitive Players
Competitive Limited players often enjoy drafts that allow multiple games in a Swiss-system format, giving them a chance to recover from an early loss and still place well. The single-elimination nature of Pick Two drafts combined with fewer archetypes might not offer the same satisfaction or fairness. It’s still unclear how or if Pick Two will be adapted for competitive play, but some hardcore Limited fans might decide to skip Marvel’s Spider-Man drafts outside of casual settings.
