Drafting LEGO sets

“The draft” is an activity that happens at nearly every LUG meeting, LEGO convention, and casual get-together worldwide. Since you take home LEGO in batches from across all the copies of a set, it’s a great way to pick up larger quantities of a part than you’d get from one set on its own.

If you’ve never drafted LEGO before, a draft is an activity in which several copies of the same set are opened (sealed sets only, please), sorted into individual piles of unique shape or color, and each player (in turn – determined by lots) takes one pile for their own.

To participate you’ll need to bring one (or more*) unopened copy of the official Draft set(s). Everyone cooperates to sort all the pieces into piles of like elements. Players discuss combinations(1) and separations(2), draw lots and, in order, pick up the pile they want. Play continues until all pieces are claimed. At the end of each draft cycle the draft order reverses (1-2-3-4-5-5-4-3-2-1-1-2…).

* Multiple copy drafting is at the discretion of the Draft Coordinator.

(1) Combinations – Elements are often paired or naturally ‘go’ with others. It is common to combine these elements into groupings. It is also usual that the combined groups are then divided into the number of lots equal to the number of pieces combined. Example: A pair of left and right wedge pieces. The lefts are combined with the rights and two (equal sized) lots are formed. Each (new) lot contains both L and R parts. This can be used for any combination of parts – Minifigs (legs/torso/head/etc.), wheels/tires, ball/sockets, etc.

(2) Separations – Sometimes a part has a high quantity in a set (say 5 or 10 per set). Discussion is opened to separate very large lots into smaller, multiple (evenly sized) lots. This allows more people to get some of that part. Also, there are some very desirable parts in a set that “everyone” wants. This type of part may be separated into multiple lots if the group agrees. The extreme on this is where “Everyone just keep THIS part.”
This was my editorial when people were “stating” the rules (as in hard and fast rules):
If you are part of the draft, make your own rules. Everything goes as long as a majority speaks – including the option of pulling out before the boxes are opened. The decision of whether ANY part is drafted or not is up to those standing around the table(s) with set(s) in hand and asking for votes.

Text courtesy of BrickCon. Reused with permission.