Drawing a Blank: No Ideas and Custom Draft

This week I have no idea what I want to write about.  I have done EDH to death, and it's nearly impossible to get anyone around here to play anything non-competitive unless it is EDH.  Having no idea made me think maybe it was time to discuss a format unlike any other.  One where you can't metagame, or even discuss the actual strategy because the cards do not exsist yet. 
I forget where I first heard about Custom Draft, but extensive searching on the web directed me to this website where players each created 45 custom cards in Magic Set Editor.  The cards were then approved by either a "Head Judge" or by the group to make sure none of them were too broken or too weak.  Then the cards were randomized into 15 card booster packs and then drafted just like any other draft.  Those who know me know I am an independent game designer, and an aspiring Magic  card designer as well as Variant Format Enthusiast.  Obviously this format  tickled my fancy as soon as I laid eyes on it.  I have yet to get anyone interested enough in it to give it a shot, but I do have the proper equipment to print out decent proxies of the created cards, and I REALLY want to try and sucker my playgroup into trying this. There is, however, a certain level of
dedication that comes with the format.  Players have to be willing and capable of putting in a lot of work to design balanced, fun cards for multiple rarities without slipping into any of the many bad design tendencies that MaRo often discusses on WOTC's main site.  Obviously I don't have a lot to say about a format that I have never yet played, but I wanted to put it out there and let everyone know about the super cool idea. One of these days I will likely play this and post my custom cards as well, but until then, I guess I still don't have anything to write about...oh...wait...I guess I just did write something.

Until next time...Use YOUR shoes as counters!

-Shoe