Hey guys! Ready to dive into the gothic horror world of Innistrad Remastered? This set is a blast from the past, combining elements from the original Innistrad block to create a chilling and thrilling Limited environment. This guide will equip you with the knowledge you need to crush your drafts and sealed pools. So, grab your stakes, sharpen your silver, and let's get started!

Understanding the Innistrad Remastered Limited Environment

To truly dominate Innistrad Remastered Limited, it's crucial to understand the set's core themes and mechanics. Innistrad is all about graveyard interactions, tribal synergies, and powerful transformations. Knowing what makes this set tick will give you a serious edge over your opponents.

Key Mechanics to Watch Out For

• Flashback: Flashback is a returning mechanic that allows you to cast spells from your graveyard for an alternate cost. This mechanic provides card advantage and resilience, making it a key component of many successful Limited decks. Cards with flashback are excellent in attrition-based matchups, where you can grind out your opponent by casting spells multiple times. When drafting, prioritize flashback cards that offer good value at both their initial cost and their flashback cost.
• Morbid: Morbid abilities trigger when a creature has died this turn. This encourages aggressive strategies and rewards you for trading creatures in combat. Cards with morbid synergize well with sacrifice outlets and token generators, allowing you to consistently trigger their abilities. Be mindful of your creature count when playing against opponents with morbid cards, as they can punish you for having a weak board presence.
• Coven: Coven abilities trigger when you control three or more creatures with different powers. This mechanic rewards you for diversifying your creature base and playing a more controlling game. Decks that utilize coven abilities often focus on generating value through incremental advantages and outlasting their opponents. When drafting, prioritize creatures with different power levels to maximize the effectiveness of your coven cards.
• Daybound/Nightbound: Daybound/Nightbound is a mechanic that transforms creatures based on whether it is day or night. On a player's first turn, it becomes day. Then, each time no spells were cast during a turn, it becomes night at the beginning of the next turn. And each time a player casts two or more spells during a turn, it becomes day at the beginning of the next turn. These cards can provide significant value, but require careful planning. Creatures that transform into more powerful versions at night encourage a slower, more controlling playstyle, while those that transform during the day favor more aggressive strategies. Pay attention to the day/night cycle and adjust your gameplay accordingly to maximize the effectiveness of your daybound/nightbound cards.
• Undying: Undying is a mechanic that allows a creature to return to the battlefield with a +1/+1 counter after it dies, provided it didn't already have one. This makes creatures with undying incredibly resilient and difficult to remove permanently. Undying creatures are excellent in aggressive decks, as they can continue to pressure your opponent even after being removed. They also synergize well with sacrifice outlets and cards that benefit from creatures entering the battlefield.

Color Pair Archetypes

Understanding the color pair archetypes in Innistrad Remastered is key to drafting a cohesive and powerful deck. Each color pair has its own unique strategy and set of strengths. Knowing these archetypes will help you identify the best cards for your deck and make informed decisions during the draft.

• White/Blue (Coven): This archetype focuses on controlling the board and generating value through coven abilities. You'll want to draft creatures with different powers to maximize the effectiveness of your coven cards. Look for cards that provide card advantage, such as draw spells and creatures that generate tokens. This color combination requires drafting a mix of small, medium, and large creatures to ensure you can activate your coven bonus consistently. Aim for a control strategy that stalls the game until your coven bonuses provide an overwhelming advantage. This color combination can be very powerful if drafted correctly, but requires careful attention to creature stats and coven enablers.
• White/Black (Humans): A tribal strategy that aims to overwhelm the opponent with a horde of humans. This archetype is all about generating a critical mass of humans and buffing them with lords and anthems. Look for cards that create human tokens and provide additional benefits for controlling a large number of humans. The goal is to flood the board quickly and apply overwhelming pressure before your opponent can establish a defense. This color combination is aggressive and relies on synergy to win games.
• Blue/Black (Graveyard Value): This color combination focuses on filling the graveyard and then recurring powerful spells and creatures. Look for cards that mill you or your opponent, as well as cards with flashback and other graveyard-based abilities. The goal is to generate value by repeatedly using your graveyard as a resource. This archetype is often slower and more controlling, relying on card advantage and resilience to outlast opponents. Aim to control the early game with removal spells, then unleash your graveyard-fueled threats in the mid-to-late game.
• Blue/Red (Spells Matter): This archetype cares about casting instants and sorceries. You'll want to draft cards that reward you for casting spells, such as creatures that get +1/+1 counters or spells that deal extra damage. Look for cheap and efficient instants and sorceries to maximize your spell count. The goal is to overwhelm your opponent with a flurry of spells while simultaneously developing your board. This color combination is aggressive and tempo-oriented, requiring careful management of your mana and resources.
• Black/Red (Sacrifice): Black/Red focuses on sacrificing creatures for value. This strategy involves using sacrifice outlets to trigger morbid abilities and gain incremental advantages. Draft cards that generate tokens or recur creatures from your graveyard to ensure a constant supply of fodder for your sacrifice outlets. This color combination excels at controlling the board and generating card advantage through sacrifice synergies. The goal is to grind out your opponents by repeatedly sacrificing creatures for value, eventually overwhelming them with your superior resources.
• Red/Green (Aggro): This color combination focuses on playing big creatures and overwhelming your opponent with brute force. Look for cards that provide trample and other combat-oriented abilities. The goal is to end the game quickly before your opponent can establish a defense. Prioritize efficient creatures with high power and toughness, as well as spells that can clear the way for your attackers. This archetype is straightforward and aggressive, relying on raw power to win games. This color combination is less about subtlety and more about overwhelming your opponent with raw power.
• Green/White (Tokens): Green/White focuses on generating tokens and overwhelming your opponent with a horde of creatures. This strategy is excellent at creating a wide board presence and generating value through token synergies. Draft cards that create multiple tokens and provide additional benefits for controlling a large number of creatures. The goal is to flood the board quickly and apply overwhelming pressure before your opponent can establish a defense. This color combination is aggressive and relies on synergy to win games.
• Green/Blue (Ramp/Tempo): Green/Blue is a combination that aims to accelerate your mana and play powerful spells ahead of curve. This strategy involves using mana ramp spells to quickly deploy expensive threats, while simultaneously disrupting your opponent with tempo-oriented plays. Draft cards that generate mana and provide card advantage to ensure you can consistently outpace your opponent. The goal is to establish a dominant board position and close out the game before your opponent can recover. This color combination is versatile and can adapt to different playstyles depending on the specific cards you draft. This color combination allows you to deploy threats faster than your opponent, giving you a significant advantage in the mid-to-late game.
• White/Red (Equipment): White/Red is a color combination that focuses on equipping creatures with powerful equipment and attacking. This strategy excels at boosting the power and toughness of your creatures, making them difficult to block and remove. Draft cards that provide strong equipment and creatures that benefit from being equipped. The goal is to overwhelm your opponent with a combination of raw power and resilience.
• Black/Green (Morbid): Black/Green leverages morbid abilities to gain value whenever a creature dies. You'll want to prioritize cards that enable creature death, whether through sacrifice or combat, to trigger morbid effects. This color pair is about making strategic trades and capitalizing on the resulting bonuses. The key to success is finding the right balance between creatures that benefit from morbid and ways to ensure creatures are dying regularly.

Drafting Tips for Success

Drafting in Innistrad Remastered requires a keen understanding of the set's mechanics and color pair archetypes. Here are some tips to help you draft a winning deck:

1. Know the Archetypes: Familiarize yourself with the color pair archetypes and their respective strategies. This will help you identify the best cards for your deck and make informed decisions during the draft.
2. Prioritize Card Advantage: Card advantage is crucial in Limited. Look for cards that allow you to draw extra cards, generate tokens, or recur spells from your graveyard.
3. Adapt to the Signals: Pay attention to the signals you are receiving from other drafters. If you notice that a particular color is being heavily drafted, consider switching to a different color pair.
4. Balance Your Mana Curve: Make sure you have a good balance of early-game, mid-game, and late-game cards. You don't want to be stuck with a hand full of expensive spells in the early game.
5. Don't Be Afraid to Splash: If you see a powerful card in a different color, don't be afraid to splash it. Just make sure you have enough mana fixing to support it.

Card Evaluation

Knowing which cards are strong in Innistrad Remastered Limited is half the battle. Here's a breakdown of what to look for:

Bombs

These are the cards that can single-handedly win you the game. They are usually rares or mythics with powerful abilities that are difficult to answer. If you open a bomb in your first pack, it's usually a good idea to draft it, even if it doesn't fit your initial color pair.

Premium Removal

Removal spells are essential in Limited. They allow you to deal with your opponent's threats and protect your own creatures. Look for removal spells that are cheap, efficient, and versatile.

Value Creatures

Value creatures are creatures that provide additional benefits beyond their stats. This could include card draw, token generation, or graveyard recursion. These creatures are excellent in attrition-based matchups, where you can grind out your opponent by generating incremental advantages.

Role Players

Role players are cards that fill a specific role in your deck. This could include creatures that provide evasion, creatures that generate mana, or spells that disrupt your opponent's strategy. These cards are not as powerful as bombs or premium removal, but they are still important for creating a well-rounded deck.

Building Your Deck

Once you've drafted your cards, it's time to build your deck. Here are some tips to help you build a winning deck:

Mana Base

A good mana base is essential for consistent gameplay. Aim for a mana base that is 17-18 lands and prioritize dual lands or mana-fixing spells if you're playing multiple colors.

Creature Count

Aim for a creature count of 14-16 creatures. This will ensure that you have enough threats to pressure your opponent.

Spell Ratio

Aim for a spell ratio of roughly 8-9 spells. This will provide enough removal and utility to support your creatures.

Gameplay Tips

Now that you've drafted and built your deck, it's time to play some games. Here are some gameplay tips to help you win:

Be Aggressive

Innistrad Remastered is a relatively fast format, so it's important to be aggressive. Don't be afraid to attack into blockers if you think you can gain an advantage. Apply pressure early and often to force your opponent into making mistakes. The more aggressive you are, the less time your opponent has to set up their defenses.

Trade Wisely

Be careful about trading creatures in combat. Make sure you are getting good value for your trades. Don't be afraid to block with your creatures if it means preserving your life total and preventing your opponent from gaining an advantage. Trading wisely is about understanding when to sacrifice a creature for a greater strategic advantage.

Manage Your Resources

Manage your mana and cards carefully. Don't waste your removal spells on unimportant threats. Save them for your opponent's bombs or value creatures. Efficient resource management is key to outlasting your opponents in longer games. Knowing when to hold back and when to commit resources is crucial for success.

Play Around Common Removal

Be aware of the common removal spells in the format and play around them. Don't overextend into a board wipe or play your best creature into a removal spell. Playing around removal involves anticipating your opponent's moves and positioning yourself to minimize the impact of their spells.

Conclusion

Innistrad Remastered Limited is a complex and rewarding format. By understanding the set's mechanics, color pair archetypes, and card evaluations, you can draft and build a winning deck. Remember to be aggressive, trade wisely, and manage your resources carefully. With a little practice, you'll be crushing your opponents in no time. Good luck, and have fun!