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Limited formats have always been a strength of mine, and Open 8 is no exception to this. This guide is a culmination of all my knowledge on the BP04 Open 8 format, and is a baseline as to what you can expect for the BP05 article, which will be available to Patreon Subscribers before the next set of Open 8 Release Events!
Update: The BP05 Open 8 Guide is now available on the Patreon.
How to use this guide
In general, drafting in Open 8 will become very easy when using my guide. On average you will run into two situations after opening 8 packs:
1) You drafted too many good cards
This is a great problem to have. It means that even if you do make some slight mistakes with deckbuilding, you will still be able to win. Just cross-reference with my list and pick only the cards that I consider to be strong. Ideally, you want to reduce your deck size to 30.
2) You drafted too few good cards
This resource helps you pick the 25 or so good cards that you do have, so long as you can cross-reference or memorise the material below. You then find the 5 or so cards in your pool that are the "least bad" and boom, deck is done.
That's really all there is to it. Most of the time, "synergy" is overrated, just pick good cards and it'll work itself out (outside of the specific synergies I mention within the article).
Forest
Cassiopeia/C.C Woodland Witch
Exceptional performance when drawn on curve in particular. Clearing their board while gaining 4/5 in stats is very challenging for most decks to deal with and is essentially an extra bomb card. Auto include if drafted
Deepwood Anomaly
Auto include regardless of if you have the evolve. Opponent requires hard removal to clear, as 8 hp is far too much for any normal deck to deal with. Can randomly win you games you have no business winning.
King Elephant
Have a strange feeling this card is a little overrated in the format. It's a great finisher when it works but it can be hard to tempo unless you are ahead. I think you include this card if you draft it but it's not as good as it seems.
Nelcha
Auto-include. Good stat line for a 2-cost follower in BP04, and has an easily usable ability even if drawn later in the game.
Spring Green Protection/Inviolable Verdancy
Since the effect is only usable on Forest followers, it is generally a skip. There are rare situations where you draft cards like Star Priestess where this card gains some additional value, but I have generally skipped this in my runs.
Sukuna, Brave and Small
Only include this card in your deck if you also got the evolve version of this card. A 1/1 for 1-cost is terrible without the evolve version.
Dolorblade Demon
Autoinclude. Especially when going first, the opponent will frequently trade over your followers using their evo point, with their HP values usually being at 1. As such, this allows you to irrepairably snowball the game.
Keep in mind that it does 1 AOE damage when you play it and also when it dies.
Elf Song
Useless a majority of the time sicne it only buffs Forest followers.
Starry Elf
If you run any amulets in your deck, this is a great option to include (especially Starry Night and Dragon's Nest), as 3/3 is only mildly understatted but this provides you with essentially a card draw.
Fita the Gentle Elf
Only run this if you drafted the evolve card too.
Dryad
2/3 stat line with bonus effects are typically good in this format. This card is surprisingly annoying to deal with in practice, worth playing in a majority of drafts.
Beetle Warrior
Very good card for obvious reasons. 3/4 on turn 3 is great, but 4/5 storm in the late game is even better.
Ivy Spellbomb
In practice kills almost every follower in the early game (except Octobishop!). Scales into the late game due to the 3 damage combo effect, which is a lot of damage! I would run as many copies of this as I can draft.
Sword
Mars Silent Flame General
Do not play without the evolve unless you have nothing better to slot in. With the evolve, it's good enough due to the 0 evolve cost and situational ability to call out Flail Knight, Pollux, and Tristan.
Gawain of the Round Table
5/5 rush follower for 5 mana is not the worst. Pretty average card with mild upside if you draft synergies. It's simply "okay", nothing more
Barborossa
Even without drafting the evolve, still worth playing. 6/5 is a strong stat line, and the assail ability is easily usable due to the ability to pay 1pp to give it rush in Open 8.
Perseus
1-cost 2/2s snowball very hard if drawn on turn 1. Worth playing for that reason alone.
Cyclone Blade/Chivalrous Charge
I don't think I'd consider this unless I drafted exactly Barbarossa. It's just too dead if you don't draw this in the exactly right circumstance too.
Shrouded Asassin
It has bane, it's worth playing. If you draft the evolve, it's an auto-include.
Pollux
One of the most broken cards in the pool. It is not hard to have access to a non-sword follower, which means most of the time, this card is just straight up a 6/6 with rush.
Lord General Romeo
3/4 stat line with ward is worth playing in most situations. Has synergy with Juliet too!
Princess Juliet
Simply having Storm makes this card quite good. In addition, it has a very strong combination effect with Romeo, although most drafts, you won't see both at the same time.
Round Table Assembly
Pretty great if you draft Tristan + Tristan Evo. Otherwise, generally a skip.
Armor of the Stars
I think this card is worth playing BUT just be careful of overcommitting to this because bane is fairly common in this format. Can instantly win you a game if they don't have bane access.
Flail Knight
One of the best 2-cost followers in the format, especially when drafted in conjunction with 2/2 one-costs. Basically has a huge target on its back while allowing you to trade extremely favourable (also one of the few outs to standing serpents)
Rune
Wordwielder Ginger
I would only play this if I drafted very high statted followers (cards like Scaled Berserker, Octobishop come to mind).
Giant Chimera
Generally a skip as the fanfare effect is not possible to activate and comes down way too late, even as a 7/7.
Star Reader Stella
Fantastic card. 3/3, instantly draws you a card and makes your next draws way better.
Europa
Card is playable only with the evolve version. 3/5 storm, ward, rush for 4pp is extremely strong.
Chain of Calling
I misread this originally as being able to search any follower but actually it cannot. Which means this card is probably not worth playing most of the time.
Freshman Lou
The stats are too low for a 2-cost. Would only consider if I drafted a lot of Venomous Bites.
Magic Illusionist
Is fine if you draft the evolve as it becomes a 4 mana 4/4 (which can be cheated out with evo point). Even if you do draft this, I probably still wouldn't put in telescope unless I just had a really good Earth Rite draft.
Concentration/Show of Loyalty
Bait card in most situations. 3 mana to draw 1 card is game losing. Heal 3 is okay, but wouldn't you just save 3 hp by just.... using 3 play points to play anything else?
Dazzling Healer
Despite the slight stat penalty, the healing can make up for it. If you draft the evolve version, it's an autoinclude.
Mage of Nightfall
You can actually play this card even without the Earth Rite effect. A 3-cost 3/3 with intimidate is not easy to deal with in this meta.
Astrologist of the Mist
I never personally put this card in my deck, but 5-mana 5/5 is not the worst. I don't think the earth rite effect is particularly relevant.
Magic Owl
Bait card, 1/1 stat line is too weak to see play.
Starseer's Telescope
Bait card. Usually results in your hand size being 1 less for no real reason. That said, if you drafted a lot of Earth Rite OR amulet OR cards played synergies you can maaaaybe use it.
Dragon
Sibyl of the Waterwyrm/Kallen,Crimson ksha
3/4 3-cost follower with upside. You'd almost expect more from a Legendary, but you always play this in your deck regardless
Python
SURPRISINGLY GOOD CARD. If you draft the evo effect, this card is insane, as it gains +2/2 stats for no reason! Even without it, banishing up to 10 cards can be very good, as it improves the quality of your deck significantly, allowing you to win the late game.
Defence Form/Blast form
Useless cards, for obvious reasons.
Prime Dragon Keeper
Usually bait. Takes too long to reach over flow, and usually not enough playable dragon followers to use the effect. Only consider if you are given a huge amount of the PDK package (very rare)
Star Phoenix
If you got the evolve one too, then slam it into your deck. Otherwise, there's only two dragon spells in the format, so if you didn't draft a lot of them, don't even bother.
Lightning Blast/Guren Revolt
Often serves as a "win-more card", but is very useful in that role. Prevents you from getting blown out by cards like Deepwood Anomaly, and also just randomly huge statted followers the opponent leaves standing.
Venemous Pucewyrm
I have mixed thoughts about this card. It's a win-more card in my mind, it's very good when you're ahead, and you don't mind losing 2 cards in hand to do 6 damage in such scenarios. However, when you're behind, you can't use this to swing their face, which means that you keep bleeding cards in hand as long as it's alive. It also sucks when they just 1-card out it. I think this card gains a lot of value if you drafted cards like Night's Way, but this card is often on the cusp of inclusion.
Cetus
Broken card with evolve. Otherwise, 5/5 isn't the worst, but will often not be used.
Dragonewt Fist/Divine Tiger
Generally strong card as you will often find use-cases for a 3 damage 2-cost spell. Also comboes with cards like venomous pucewyrm/magic owl/star phoenix to mitigate downsides.
Dragonrearer Matilda
1-mana 1/2 is so close to being good enough, but in reality, I would just never play this unless I also drafted a full PDK deck.
Aqua Nereid
This card is exceptional in performance. While a 2/2 in the early game is vulnerable, it still comes with a 0/1 ward, which is sort of hard to deal with. In addition, the storm effect in overflow is highly relevant and makes it one of the best cards in the late game.
Hippocampus
Only draft when you also have the evolve follower. 1/5 ward is too weak, but the ability to play this turn 3, and then evolve on turn 4 for 7 damage to face is game winning
Scaled Berserker
Easily one of the strongest cards in the entire set. Due to the nature of how this card works, it almost always gets at least a 2 for 1, and demands very specific methods of how they answer it, as it gets buffed even during their turn.
Dragon's Nest
Very high-performance 1-cost. Most games go to turn 7, and this card lets you "bank" mana and draw cards while healing for 2. I would avoid engaging this card until you are in overflow, unless you are in danger of death. Also comboes extremely well with Calydonian Boar
Abyss
Venomfang Medusa
Very powerful in this format. Play it on curve turn 3, and watch your opponent squirm unless they have cards like Dolorblade Demon available to them. Usually, you just want to make serpents and not use medusa's other effect. In this format in particular, you can rush the serpents with evo points, which allows it to clear any engaged follower.
Howling Demon
Great card with, or without the evolve version. It can be pretty hard to set up sanguine in this format, but frankly, you don't need it.
Demonlord Eachtar/Lelouch
Worth nothing that the card always has Rush, making it a 5/6 7 cost rush at worst. Generally strong if you drafted a few 2-cost abyss followers!
Stheno
Exceptional with evolve, decent without it. It's a bit of a bootleg version of Medusa, where you can play it and give the serpent rush to clear an engaged follower.
Trial of the Gorgons
If you draft enough of the cards required, then sure?
Fenrir
Powerful with or without the evolve effect. Helps control the board while presenting a threat for them to clear.
Euryale
One of the strongest 2-costs in the game as it suffers a slight stat penalty in exchange for a serpent token in EX that can clear any engaged follower.
Grave Desecration/Emperor's command
Would generally skip this but you can at least consider it if you drafted a heavy synergy Eachtar deck.
Demonic Drummer
Generally not worth playing as the stat to mana ratio is not good.
Castor
3/4 3-cost follower with upside is usually good enough to play! Don't get too fixated on the effect, as your opponent will often play around it. The effect is generally only great when you are trading it with rush into a bigger follower, or if you are trying to set up lethal.
Frogbat
Only play this card if you are playing Eachtar or have the evolve version. The evolve version of this is extremely strong, as this becomes a 3/4 on the turn it's played (this is 1 defence more than the standard baseline for 2-costs)
Scorpius
One of the best 2-drop followers. Is impossible for opponent to value trade into this, is great when ahead, and can answer big threats even when behind.
Venemous Bite
1-mana bane token is very strong in this format as paying an extra 1pp gives it rush!
Haven
Aether of the White Wing
The best combo is with Calydonian Boar plus Dragon's nest to immediately proc it. However, it's totally fine even if you drafted Dark Jeanne or Octobishop as well. It's just so much stats for 7 mana!
Zoe, Princess of Goldenia
Don't think this is ever worth playing without the evolve effect. Clearly exceptional if you do have it though.
Andromeda
Play this card simply because it's a 1 mana 2/2 and it can snowball game wins out of nowhere.
Globe of the Starways/Dark Charisma
This is usually one of those cards which I might put in to finish the deck... It's good with cards like Night's Way. Much like the issue with a lot of resource cards in this format, blanking 2 mana is pretty hard to do without putting yourself behind.
Star Priestess
It's one of those cards that makes you consider suboptimal deckbuilding to get a high payoff. I'd generally only play this if I drafted at least the evolve of this card, and also strong amulets like Dragon's Nest and powerful enablers like Aether of the Whitewing
Calydonian Boar
Especially powerful with Dragon's nest and Aether of the White Wing
Star Torrent
Can catch opponents off guard and is surprisingly useful.
Starchaser Sprite
Don't worry about its effect, 3/4 stat line is fine for a 3-cost.
Sister of Punishment
Most of the time the effect is irrelevant outside of Dragon's Nest. 2/3 stat line is good for a 2-cost follower.
Mist Shaman
Only play with the evolve follower.
Octobishop
Broken card, usually best in slot at 4-mana. If you go first and slam it on turn 4 without warding it, you will be so far ahead, just like that!
Candelabra of Prayers
Skip.
Neutrals
Zodiac Demon
It's okay. You'll play it cause it's a 6/6 for 6-mana with slight upside, but the fact that it gets run over by Scaled Berseker is hilarious (and sad)
Israfil
In my opinion the strongest Legendary in the format. 4 healing is absurd, and even without drafting the evolve, you can just give it a rush token instead. Is a free get-out-of-jail card.
Grimnir, War Cyclone
Worth playing simply cause it's a 3/4 with Ward. Opponent won't know if you have the evo, and will be forced to use all their resources to clear, or risk losing instantly.
Arriet
The ultimate snowball card on turn 5 going first. Play any 4-cost follower, then swing and play this. Game is typically over on the spot.
Staircase to Paradise
This card sucks, takes way too long to trigger for a lackluster effect.
Purehearted Singer
Decent resource card. You are still setting yourself behind, but drawing 2 cards + 1/2 stat is fine.
Goblin Princess
Only play it if you have the evo. A 6/6 4 cost is extremely overstated and hard for most cards to deal with at that point in the game.
Mystic Ring
Typically I wouldn't draft this, but sometimes you could be forced into it if your pulls are really poor.
Owlcat
Another one of those cards you should only play if you hit the evolve card (which is actually really goo since it allows you to reverse value-trades and kill off random troublesome followers like Serpents)
Mr. Full Moon
Very strong card in the format. One of the few efficient outs to cards like Octobishop.Combining its fanfare/last words and your ability to rush it with 1pp, it's a formidable card both when behind and when ahead.
Night's Way
The ultimate resource card. If you have this card, you cannot run out of cards for the rest of the game, forcing your opponent to race you or die to being outresourced.
