rochester

Index	Table of Contents	Terms
	Rochester Draft

What is a Rochester Draft?
Rochester Draft is a lot like Booster Draft, but there are a few important differences. Instead of each player opening a pack at the same time, only one pack is open at any time. That pack is laid out face up, so you'll see all the cards drafted at your table. Also, the draft order reverses after everyone at the table has taken one card from the pack.

Let's say that eight people are starting a Rochester Draft, and they're numbered from one to eight clockwise around the table. Player 1 opens the pack and lays it out on the table. After everyone has had a chance to see the cards, player 1 drafts a card. Then player 2 drafts, and so on around the table.

After player 8the person to the right of the player who opened the packhas drafted a card, player 8 drafts a second card and drafting continues back to the right until all the cards have been drafted. (Since there are only fifteen cards in a booster pack, you won't get a second card from a pack you open.)

Player 2 opens the next pack, and so player 1 gets the eighth and ninth picks from that pack. This process is repeated until everyone at the table has opened one booster pack. Then player 8 opens a second pack, but drafting starts to the right. Player 7 opens a pack, and so on. Player 1 is the first to open his or her third pack, and drafting starts to the left for the rest of the packs.

How does Rochester Draft work in Magic Online?

When the draft begins, the Draft screen will open.

In the middle of the screen is a view of the draft table. An arrow next to the current player's icon points the direction the draft will move. When the draft gets to the eighth player to pick from the booster, arrows appear on both sides of the player's icon, showing that he or she picks two cards.

In the center are the cards left in the current pack. When it's your turn to pick, click the card you want. Some drafts have a time limit on how long you have to pick a card. If you don't choose a card before the time limit expires, you'll get the card in the upper-left corner of the table. When you're close to the time limit, a flashing highlight will appear around the window and a ticking sound will start playing.

If you click Picks, a window will open showing cards you've already drafted. You can use the buttons along the bottom of the window to sort your picks by rarity, converted mana cost, card type, or color. Clicking the OK button closes the Picks window.

The last card each player chose is shown above that player's icon.

When all cards have been drafted, the Deck Builder screen will open with all your drafted cards in the Sideboard window.

Advanced Picking Techniques

In Magic Online, you can mark up to three cards you'd like to draft while you're waiting for your turn.

Click on the card you want most, followed by your second and third choices. Your first choice will be highlighted in green, your second in yellow, and your third in red. If any of those cards remain on the table when it's your turn, Magic Online will automatically pick one for you.

To remove the highlights, click on the background of the table.

Resigning From a Draft
If you click cancel in the Waiting for Players window before the draft begins, you won't lose any ratings points and you'll get all product back.

If you click Resign in the Draft window, you'll lose ratings points based on the player you would've faced in round one and you won't get any product back.