Mastering the Rainbow: How to tackle drafting tournaments in Dice Masters

There are many ways to experience a game for the first time. My first exposure to Dice Masters wasn't even playing the game proper, it was a draft. A local store was holding a tournament and invited me to make a selection for someone who no-showed. Not going to sugar coat it: I am a sucker for opening mystery packages and looking at the art on cards. Of course I was going to love the draft, but I wasn't expecting to like the game itself. As it turns out, it's not only great to play casually, the Rainbow Draft/ Tournament combination is good introduction for anyone wanting to test their competitive game skills. I'd like to give a few tips for anyone interested in playing Dice Masters but have little experience playing in tournaments.

For anyone unfamiliar with the rules or set up for Dice Masters, click here. The Reserve Pool is a great resource for anyone interested in the game and strategies - I  highly recommend it. As I have said before and will say again, I play casually. I don't like to play games competitively, and I rarely play tournaments unless I feel comfortable with the other players or if it's for charity. I am not claiming to be an expert, only an enthusiast for this well designed game. My advice for the Rainbow Draft is not going to guaranty a win; rather, it's meant to be used as a aid for anyone unsure of their ability to compete in a tournament and to boost confidence in selecting a decent draft from hand they are dealt. Now that all of our bases are covered, let's talk about the draft!

The Rainbow Draft works similarly to a MtG draft with dice. Each player is given 12 sets of packages (two cards each with matching die) and splits the cards from the dice. The cards are separated into two decks, one to be passed to the right and one to be passed o the left. Players select a card from their deck to keep, pass their deck to the corresponding side, make a selection from the deck given to them by other players, and continue until all cards have been distributed, then repeat with the second deck. The dice are separated from the cards and organized by matching characters, thus forming the "rainbow". When everyone has selected their cards, they collect the corresponding dice and create a list with eight characters selected from this draft. In most cases, the tournament proceeds immediately from the draft, which can sound intimidating for newcomers. Especially when drafts feature new expansions, most players are not familiar with the mechanics of that particular set and have not had the time to purchase said expansion. I only bring up purchasing expansions because each set has basic action cards specific for that set, which can come in handy for tournaments. So how does a new player or casual player prepare for this baptism by fire? I'd suggest a few things to do before the draft itself, and a few tips for selecting cards in the draft. 

Before the Draft

1. Get your sidekick dice and basic action cards. If you can purchase the core set of Dice Masters, you'll have access to both of these things. Splitting the cost of one core set with a friend is an option for those with a budget AND will get enough basic actions and sidekick dice for both of you. Buy from your local game store - they fuel your hobby, show them love. Now, I didn't have the core set when I first played, but someone was nice enough to lend me their sidekick dice and two basic actions. If you feel comfortable asking to borrow equipment, ask; just be courteous to other peoples belongings. Some people play with mats specifically used for Dice Masters, which does help with organization, but is not necessary for your first game. I wouldn't purchase one unless you plan to play future games.
2. Don't skip the demo. My local store offers demos before the Rainbow Draft/ Tournament for new players. If you show interest in a tournament but have never played, your store (or the T.O.) will probably offer a demo. If, for some reason, the store does not offer a demo, ask veteran players if they will play a game or two with you. This is a nice way to socialize with other players and to ask for advice.
3. Try to read/ask about the expansions. If you know about a tournament in advance and your store offers the expansion, I'd investigate. You can purchase the expansion and read over the cards, familiarize yourself with the quirks and interactions. You can also read the Reserve Pool for advice, or talk to other players who have bought the set. Personally, I think it is more fun to go into Rainbow drafts completely blind, but I know some players prefer more predictability. It never hurts to do some research, especially if it'll help you on game day.

Selecting Cards at the Draft

1. Look at the dice pool. What dice reoccur? If you select a character multiple times throughout the draft, you get a die for each card you have. That means increasing your odds of using that character throughout your match, Did you open a rare or ultra rare character; is the die paired with that character the only die out in the pool? You may want to hold onto that card, as long as its ability is advantageous. 
2. Read both of the decks before passing them out. If you weren't able to familiarize yourself with the expansion before, here is your chance! Read the abilities, know what energies are needed to acquire the characters, and find terms you aren't familiar with. Your T.O. will be there to explain certain attributes of the expansion (for example, the DnD expansion allows certain characters to gain "experience" for killing monsters. For that draft, I decided to build a deck made entirely out of monsters and cards that allowed me to remove experience). Try not to build on a theme, though, untill you have gone through a few decks in the draft. Your first deck may not represent all cards available.
3. Go cheap. Look for characters you can purchase quickly during your first few rounds, around 1-4 energy cost. You don't want to shoot yourself in the foot by having an expensive list and no way to play them. This goes for basic action cards, too. You may find yourself with only two energy to spend your first roll and a cheap basic action can utilize that. 
4. Overlapping energies will help you. Although a cheap list is easy to play, having a few characters with higher costs will give you a competitive edge. Look at the energy needed to purchase your cheap characters - this energy is listed on their die as well. If you pair them with a higher cost character of the same energy, you can purchase the high cost ones at a later time. 

I hope this helps out anyone interested in Rainbow Draft tournaments or playing Dice Masters in general. Although casual players tend to stray from competitive play, I would tell anyone to try to play in this kind of tournament at least once. Veteran players may understand the game better than newcomers, but the draft and its limited deck building helps to even the playing field. Plus, having a bunch of people opening those packages is like Christmas morning for geeks. Feel free to ask any questions or tell me about your drafting experience. If you have any suggestions for other games, let me know. Thanks for reading, and have fun playing out there!