Magic the Gathering Blog
Evaluating Alara Reborn... for Pauper.
Some thoughts on the new Reborn cards and how they may affect the Pauper metagame.
For reference, all cards are on the Magic Salvation Spoiler list.
Before I start, some things to note about the pauper format. Due to the lack of quality sweepers in Pauper, creatures currently rule the metagame. Often it's about who can land the most the fastest. The exception to that rule is Mono-Black Control, which has access to the best sweeper in the format, Crypt Rats.
So on to the analysis.
*------*
Borderpost Cycle: Quality mana fixing is precious in Pauper. The Borderpost Cycle may see a lot of action as extra Terramorphs, but I'm not sure if they're better than the Ravnica bounce lands, which didn't delay mana progression. May find some use in affinity. Wait and see.
Blade Cycle (Esper Stormblade, Grixis Grimblade, Jund Hackblade, Naya Hushblade, Bant Sureblade): I think this cycle will really warp the format. Note that you can play two colours and have access to three of the blades with no problems. I can absolutely see a pauper "blade" deck as a viable archtype. I can also see them slipping into other decks (such as mimic decks and RG aggro) with no problem at all. A fanastic group of cards.
Landcycling Critter Cycle (Sanctum Plowbeast, Jhessian Zombies, Igneous Pouncer, Valley Rannet, Pale Recluse) Great mana fixers for limited that may see play in Pauper as such, but probably too slow and too mana costly when played as a creature to see action.
Ethercaste Knight: Exalted is a valid pauper archtype, and Ethercaste adds a lot to the build. The fact that he's a Artifact Creature, however, means there's a lot more hate out for him than usual. However, he is immune to Terror, and as Mono-Black Control rules Pauper at the moment, he may find some play.
Ethersworn Shieldmage: The perfect foil to Crypt Rats, this guy is sure to see play as your opponent Wraths his team and your guys stick around.
Glassdust Hulk: Cycling is cute, but essentially won't see play.
Offering to Asha: With all the great counterspells in Pauper (for instance... Counterspell!) the tacked on lifegain isn't worth the extra mana cost.
Stormcaller's Boon: The cascade is cute, but the effect isn't worthwhile and you're esentially not gaining card advantage due to the neccessity to sac. So probably won't see play.
Talon Trooper: A 2/3 flyer is nice, but not a game changer.
Architects of Will: Another cute effect, and may see play in a Blink type deck, where you give your opponent land after land after land and deny them anything else. Perhaps someone could build a deck around this guy and ninjas.
Deny Reality: An excellent piece of removal that has cascade. Pity about the sorcery speed.
Etherium Abomination: Unearth really got an improvement with the recent MtGO printing of Tortured Existence. I could happily see this in a Tortured Existence deck, treated like discard fodder into a 4 dmg burn spell for 3, alongside Brackwater Elemental.
Soul Manipulation: The best pauper card out of Reborn so far. This thing will see all sorts of play. Mono Black Control might even branch into blue just to have access to this.
Vedalken Ghoul: I'm not sure how to assess this. Surely it'll either just be killed by an instant, or hit for 1 a few times. Watch, wait and see.
Breath of Malfegor: Won't see play.
Demonic Dread: A three mana sorcery? With cascade? At common?? An instant add to a blightning deck along with Terminate. Could warp the format to BR significantly.
Sanity Gnawers: The random discard is cute, but Pauper already has access to a large amount of quality discard. May see play, but the R cost makes it less attractive to the decks that would use it.
Singe-Mind Ogre: Kinda nice, especially against Mono-Black Control, which sports a number of large critters. A possible sideboard card for RB against Mono-Black.
Terminate: Probably the most game-changing card from the set. Will be played in any deck that can run it. Expect RB Blighting to become a viable archtype now.
Colossal Might: It's okay. May see play.
Deadshot Minotaur: Won't see play.
Godtracker of Jund: Won't see play.
Gorger Wurm: Won't see play.
Rhox Brute: Won't see play.
Violent Outburst: A great card, instant, has card advantage, and suits token decks to a tee. Will get a lot of action.
Captured Sunlight: Interesting but probably uneccessary.
Grizzled Leotau: Will see play if someone finds the need for a GW control deck... maybe a sideboard card for Slivers?
Leonin Armorguard: Crunchy. Will probably get trialed then dropped.
Qasali Pridemage: Fantastic card. Will see play as a sideboard card against anything packing important artifacts or enchantments.
Sigil of the Nayan Gods: Meh. Won't see play.
Sigiled Behemoth: Won't see play.
Vectis Dominator: Won't see play.
Magefire Wings: Won't see play.
Putrid Leech: Okay, an interesting card. Could see some play, but I can't think of where or why.
Cerodon Yearling : RW just got a major boost with this card. Will see a stack of play in any deck that can support him.
Winged Coatl: Simicbogle was just waiting for this card as another piece of quality removal to play longside Snakeform. Fanastic, will get lots of play.
Esper Sojourners: Will see play, if Pauper can get manafixing to work faster and better.
Grixis Sojourners: Meh, won't see play.
Jund Sojourners: It's... okay. Just. Unlikely to see play.
Naya Sojourners: Nope, won't see play.
Bant Sojourners: Michael J Flores likes it, so someone's bound to use it.
Arsenal Thresher: This guy is a bomb, and will certainly get some action. Can easily see it dropping as a 6/6, which is extremely hard to kill in pauper.
Sewn-Eye Drake: I don't think it gets there. Good, but not good enough.
Sangrite Backlash: Won't see play.
Trace of Abundance: Wow. I really, really like this card. It's the quality mana fixing GR and GW were looking for. I think it's see a lot of play.
Crystallization: Meh. Won't see play.
Messenger Falcons: A solid card, and as card drawing partly defines the pauper format I think it could find a home in Blink decks quite happily, landing a turn before Mulldrifter.
*------*
Overall, I think Blue and Red are the big winners out of this set. The only problem will be that pauper has very little quality manafixing in the way of lands, so Gold cards haven't seen a lot of action. However, with all the buzz about I'm sure that will change.
Some thoughts on the new Reborn cards and how they may affect the Pauper metagame.
For reference, all cards are on the Magic Salvation Spoiler list.
Before I start, some things to note about the pauper format. Due to the lack of quality sweepers in Pauper, creatures currently rule the metagame. Often it's about who can land the most the fastest. The exception to that rule is Mono-Black Control, which has access to the best sweeper in the format, Crypt Rats.
So on to the analysis.
*------*
Borderpost Cycle: Quality mana fixing is precious in Pauper. The Borderpost Cycle may see a lot of action as extra Terramorphs, but I'm not sure if they're better than the Ravnica bounce lands, which didn't delay mana progression. May find some use in affinity. Wait and see.
Blade Cycle (Esper Stormblade, Grixis Grimblade, Jund Hackblade, Naya Hushblade, Bant Sureblade): I think this cycle will really warp the format. Note that you can play two colours and have access to three of the blades with no problems. I can absolutely see a pauper "blade" deck as a viable archtype. I can also see them slipping into other decks (such as mimic decks and RG aggro) with no problem at all. A fanastic group of cards.
Landcycling Critter Cycle (Sanctum Plowbeast, Jhessian Zombies, Igneous Pouncer, Valley Rannet, Pale Recluse) Great mana fixers for limited that may see play in Pauper as such, but probably too slow and too mana costly when played as a creature to see action.
Ethercaste Knight: Exalted is a valid pauper archtype, and Ethercaste adds a lot to the build. The fact that he's a Artifact Creature, however, means there's a lot more hate out for him than usual. However, he is immune to Terror, and as Mono-Black Control rules Pauper at the moment, he may find some play.
Ethersworn Shieldmage: The perfect foil to Crypt Rats, this guy is sure to see play as your opponent Wraths his team and your guys stick around.
Glassdust Hulk: Cycling is cute, but essentially won't see play.
Offering to Asha: With all the great counterspells in Pauper (for instance... Counterspell!) the tacked on lifegain isn't worth the extra mana cost.
Stormcaller's Boon: The cascade is cute, but the effect isn't worthwhile and you're esentially not gaining card advantage due to the neccessity to sac. So probably won't see play.
Talon Trooper: A 2/3 flyer is nice, but not a game changer.
Architects of Will: Another cute effect, and may see play in a Blink type deck, where you give your opponent land after land after land and deny them anything else. Perhaps someone could build a deck around this guy and ninjas.
Deny Reality: An excellent piece of removal that has cascade. Pity about the sorcery speed.
Etherium Abomination: Unearth really got an improvement with the recent MtGO printing of Tortured Existence. I could happily see this in a Tortured Existence deck, treated like discard fodder into a 4 dmg burn spell for 3, alongside Brackwater Elemental.
Soul Manipulation: The best pauper card out of Reborn so far. This thing will see all sorts of play. Mono Black Control might even branch into blue just to have access to this.
Vedalken Ghoul: I'm not sure how to assess this. Surely it'll either just be killed by an instant, or hit for 1 a few times. Watch, wait and see.
Breath of Malfegor: Won't see play.
Demonic Dread: A three mana sorcery? With cascade? At common?? An instant add to a blightning deck along with Terminate. Could warp the format to BR significantly.
Sanity Gnawers: The random discard is cute, but Pauper already has access to a large amount of quality discard. May see play, but the R cost makes it less attractive to the decks that would use it.
Singe-Mind Ogre: Kinda nice, especially against Mono-Black Control, which sports a number of large critters. A possible sideboard card for RB against Mono-Black.
Terminate: Probably the most game-changing card from the set. Will be played in any deck that can run it. Expect RB Blighting to become a viable archtype now.
Colossal Might: It's okay. May see play.
Deadshot Minotaur: Won't see play.
Godtracker of Jund: Won't see play.
Gorger Wurm: Won't see play.
Rhox Brute: Won't see play.
Violent Outburst: A great card, instant, has card advantage, and suits token decks to a tee. Will get a lot of action.
Captured Sunlight: Interesting but probably uneccessary.
Grizzled Leotau: Will see play if someone finds the need for a GW control deck... maybe a sideboard card for Slivers?
Leonin Armorguard: Crunchy. Will probably get trialed then dropped.
Qasali Pridemage: Fantastic card. Will see play as a sideboard card against anything packing important artifacts or enchantments.
Sigil of the Nayan Gods: Meh. Won't see play.
Sigiled Behemoth: Won't see play.
Vectis Dominator: Won't see play.
Magefire Wings: Won't see play.
Putrid Leech: Okay, an interesting card. Could see some play, but I can't think of where or why.
Cerodon Yearling : RW just got a major boost with this card. Will see a stack of play in any deck that can support him.
Winged Coatl: Simicbogle was just waiting for this card as another piece of quality removal to play longside Snakeform. Fanastic, will get lots of play.
Esper Sojourners: Will see play, if Pauper can get manafixing to work faster and better.
Grixis Sojourners: Meh, won't see play.
Jund Sojourners: It's... okay. Just. Unlikely to see play.
Naya Sojourners: Nope, won't see play.
Bant Sojourners: Michael J Flores likes it, so someone's bound to use it.
Arsenal Thresher: This guy is a bomb, and will certainly get some action. Can easily see it dropping as a 6/6, which is extremely hard to kill in pauper.
Sewn-Eye Drake: I don't think it gets there. Good, but not good enough.
Sangrite Backlash: Won't see play.
Trace of Abundance: Wow. I really, really like this card. It's the quality mana fixing GR and GW were looking for. I think it's see a lot of play.
Crystallization: Meh. Won't see play.
Messenger Falcons: A solid card, and as card drawing partly defines the pauper format I think it could find a home in Blink decks quite happily, landing a turn before Mulldrifter.
*------*
Overall, I think Blue and Red are the big winners out of this set. The only problem will be that pauper has very little quality manafixing in the way of lands, so Gold cards haven't seen a lot of action. However, with all the buzz about I'm sure that will change.
So by now you've seen the following card:
--
Sen Triplets 2WUB
Legendary Artifact Creature - Human Wizard
At the beginning of your upkeep, choose target opponent. This turn, that player can’t play spells or activated abilities and plays with his or her hand revealed. You can play cards from that player’s hand this turn.
3/3
--
It is, for me, the card that generates the most interest in Alara Reborn. Originally I thought of it as "part Meddling Mage, part Mindslaver", but now I think of it more as "part Silence, part Muse Vessel". Either way, three of those four cards have seen competitive play, and the other (Silence) certainly will once released in M10.
I've been rolling around in my head the idea of Five Colour Creature Control, based on manabase of Exotic Orchard, Ancient Ziggurat and Reflecting Pool. I've also been considering a bunch of cards I think may interact well with Sen Triplets.
My idea of control deck based around Sen Triplets does two things; (1) Slow the game through hand Disruption, and (2) Bounce permanents at instant speed.
So following are some ideas for cards in standard for Five Colour Creature Control.
*--------*
Sen's Five Colour Creature Control:
1 Mana
Cursecatcher: Remember how great this little guy used to be? Well, he's still aweseome.
2 Mana
Meddling Mage: He's a beat and you know it. Excellent in-colour control.
3 Mana
Plumeveil: Excellent card for protecting Sen Triplets.
Vendilion Clique: Hand disruption and allows you to determine if it's time to play Sen Triplets.
Sedraxis Alchemist: A critter plus a bounce effect is great in this deck, and you'll usually have a blue critter around to help him.
Cephalid Constable: I would like to put a Mask of Riddles on this guy sometime.
Wall of Denial: The control player's wall of choice. 0/8 with shroud? Utterly fantastic for control.
4 Mana
Surgespanner: He's a bounce card. Imagine using him to attack, bouncing your oppoent's critter, then playing that critter yourself. Sweet.
Wall of Reverence: A big, fat wall that lets you survive for a while... and recover from the burn you've taken
Sower of Temptation: Still a great creature based control card.
Glen Elendra Archmage: Perhaps the best card to play before playing Sen Triplets.
5 Mana
Mulldrifter: Card drawing will be a requirement for this deck.
Shriekmaw: Still great removal at either cost.
Maelstrom Angel: Why aren't we seeing this guy in play yet? He can drop Sen Triplets and leave mana up for protecting it.
6 Mana
Broodmate Dragon: Because sometimes you just have to bash face.
*--------*
Alternatively, Sen's Artifact Control:
1 Mana
Pithing Needle: A great control card. With so many activated abilities and planeswalkers around may be worth maindecking.
2 Mana
Tidehollow Sculler: The poor man's Meddling Mage? He generates card advantage and hand disruption.
Ethersworn Canonist: Slow your opponent down while you get Sen Triplets into play.
Time Sieve: I've dropped this in here based on the idea of also using Sharding Sphynx. If it goes off once with Sen Triplets in play, you can basically strip your opponent's hand away - into your play area.
Etherium Sculptor: To get Sen Triplets and your creatures out earlier.
Tidehollow Strix: An excellent control card, albeit fragile.
Mask of Riddles: An excellent draw engine, probably too slow for the format.
Sceptre of Fugue: Probably goes against the grain of using Sen Triplets in the first place.
3 Mana
Master of Etherium: With a artifact base he's probably not a bad bet.
4 Mana
Sanctum Gargoyle: Can recur your various control elements - but is it too slow?
5 Mana
Sphynx Summoner: Tezzeret's fetch ability but at a slower rate. But the 3/3 flyer is nothing to sneeze at.
Ethersworn Adjudicator: Perhaps as a 1 of?
Reveilark: I've included this because it has such crazy interaction with Sanctum Gargoyle.
Tezzeret the Seeker: A great control card, able to fetch various control elements.
6 Mana
Sharding Sphynx: Included for consideration with Time Sieve.
*--------*
And of course you'll need utility cards:
Unsummon: Perhaps the creature removal of choice, especially later in the game as you'll get to play the cards you bounce. Also allows you to protect Sen Triplets.
*Silence: Once it rotates into Standard, the immediate 1 mana instant of choice.
Thoughtseize: Still a great threat removal card.
Ponder: Still a great card for setting up your next few turns and finding that Sen Triplets.
Boomerang: Probably the best quality removal and pseudo land destruction. You bounce their land then play it with Sen. What kind of nutty land destruction is that?
Esper Charm: Great card drawing.
Savour The Moment: Not having an upkeep step may be handily mitigated by getting to play your opponent's lands.
Jase Beleren: You get a card, they get a card... for you to play.
Cryptic Command: You're playing blue, so you'll be need this card, right?
Maelstrom Nexus: Imagine having both Maelstrom Nexus, Maelstrom Angel and Sen Triplets in play, then cascading off your opponent's cards that you just played for free. It'll never happen but feel free to LIVE THAT DREAM!
*--------*
Ultimately I think some mix of the above cards will used in a strict control style, perhaps as follows:
4 x Tidehollow Sculler
4 x Meddling Mage
4 x Vendilion Clique
3 x Sen Triplets
2 x Jase Beleren
4 x Silence
4 x Unsummon
4 x Boomerang
4 x Esper Charm
4 x Cryptic Command
--
Sen Triplets 2WUB
Legendary Artifact Creature - Human Wizard
At the beginning of your upkeep, choose target opponent. This turn, that player can’t play spells or activated abilities and plays with his or her hand revealed. You can play cards from that player’s hand this turn.
3/3
--
It is, for me, the card that generates the most interest in Alara Reborn. Originally I thought of it as "part Meddling Mage, part Mindslaver", but now I think of it more as "part Silence, part Muse Vessel". Either way, three of those four cards have seen competitive play, and the other (Silence) certainly will once released in M10.
I've been rolling around in my head the idea of Five Colour Creature Control, based on manabase of Exotic Orchard, Ancient Ziggurat and Reflecting Pool. I've also been considering a bunch of cards I think may interact well with Sen Triplets.
My idea of control deck based around Sen Triplets does two things; (1) Slow the game through hand Disruption, and (2) Bounce permanents at instant speed.
So following are some ideas for cards in standard for Five Colour Creature Control.
*--------*
Sen's Five Colour Creature Control:
1 Mana
Cursecatcher: Remember how great this little guy used to be? Well, he's still aweseome.
2 Mana
Meddling Mage: He's a beat and you know it. Excellent in-colour control.
3 Mana
Plumeveil: Excellent card for protecting Sen Triplets.
Vendilion Clique: Hand disruption and allows you to determine if it's time to play Sen Triplets.
Sedraxis Alchemist: A critter plus a bounce effect is great in this deck, and you'll usually have a blue critter around to help him.
Cephalid Constable: I would like to put a Mask of Riddles on this guy sometime.
Wall of Denial: The control player's wall of choice. 0/8 with shroud? Utterly fantastic for control.
4 Mana
Surgespanner: He's a bounce card. Imagine using him to attack, bouncing your oppoent's critter, then playing that critter yourself. Sweet.
Wall of Reverence: A big, fat wall that lets you survive for a while... and recover from the burn you've taken
Sower of Temptation: Still a great creature based control card.
Glen Elendra Archmage: Perhaps the best card to play before playing Sen Triplets.
5 Mana
Mulldrifter: Card drawing will be a requirement for this deck.
Shriekmaw: Still great removal at either cost.
Maelstrom Angel: Why aren't we seeing this guy in play yet? He can drop Sen Triplets and leave mana up for protecting it.
6 Mana
Broodmate Dragon: Because sometimes you just have to bash face.
*--------*
Alternatively, Sen's Artifact Control:
1 Mana
Pithing Needle: A great control card. With so many activated abilities and planeswalkers around may be worth maindecking.
2 Mana
Tidehollow Sculler: The poor man's Meddling Mage? He generates card advantage and hand disruption.
Ethersworn Canonist: Slow your opponent down while you get Sen Triplets into play.
Time Sieve: I've dropped this in here based on the idea of also using Sharding Sphynx. If it goes off once with Sen Triplets in play, you can basically strip your opponent's hand away - into your play area.
Etherium Sculptor: To get Sen Triplets and your creatures out earlier.
Tidehollow Strix: An excellent control card, albeit fragile.
Mask of Riddles: An excellent draw engine, probably too slow for the format.
Sceptre of Fugue: Probably goes against the grain of using Sen Triplets in the first place.
3 Mana
Master of Etherium: With a artifact base he's probably not a bad bet.
4 Mana
Sanctum Gargoyle: Can recur your various control elements - but is it too slow?
5 Mana
Sphynx Summoner: Tezzeret's fetch ability but at a slower rate. But the 3/3 flyer is nothing to sneeze at.
Ethersworn Adjudicator: Perhaps as a 1 of?
Reveilark: I've included this because it has such crazy interaction with Sanctum Gargoyle.
Tezzeret the Seeker: A great control card, able to fetch various control elements.
6 Mana
Sharding Sphynx: Included for consideration with Time Sieve.
*--------*
And of course you'll need utility cards:
Unsummon: Perhaps the creature removal of choice, especially later in the game as you'll get to play the cards you bounce. Also allows you to protect Sen Triplets.
*Silence: Once it rotates into Standard, the immediate 1 mana instant of choice.
Thoughtseize: Still a great threat removal card.
Ponder: Still a great card for setting up your next few turns and finding that Sen Triplets.
Boomerang: Probably the best quality removal and pseudo land destruction. You bounce their land then play it with Sen. What kind of nutty land destruction is that?
Esper Charm: Great card drawing.
Savour The Moment: Not having an upkeep step may be handily mitigated by getting to play your opponent's lands.
Jase Beleren: You get a card, they get a card... for you to play.
Cryptic Command: You're playing blue, so you'll be need this card, right?
Maelstrom Nexus: Imagine having both Maelstrom Nexus, Maelstrom Angel and Sen Triplets in play, then cascading off your opponent's cards that you just played for free. It'll never happen but feel free to LIVE THAT DREAM!
*--------*
Ultimately I think some mix of the above cards will used in a strict control style, perhaps as follows:
4 x Tidehollow Sculler
4 x Meddling Mage
4 x Vendilion Clique
3 x Sen Triplets
2 x Jase Beleren
4 x Silence
4 x Unsummon
4 x Boomerang
4 x Esper Charm
4 x Cryptic Command
Labels: analysis, ideas, magic, Sen Triplets, standard
Sometimes you draft what you think is a great deck.. and then it just doesn’t get there. Here’s what I drafted tonight.
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This draft converter created by Benjamin Peebles-Mundy.
Visit the draft converter today!
Here’s the deck:
2 Brackwater Elemental
3 Plains
1 Kederekt Leviathan
1 Manaforce Mace
1 Courier's Capsule
1 Seaside Citadel
1 Esperzoa
1 Frontline Sage
6 Swamp
1 Windwright Mage
2 Tidehollow Strix
1 Parasitic Strix
2 Agony Warp
1 Cloudheath Drake
1 Faerie Mechanist
1 Skeletal Kathari
1 Kathari Screecher
1 Inkwell Leviathan
1 Oblivion Ring
1 Obelisk of Alara
7 Island
1 Salvage Titan
1 Executioner's Capsule
1 Armillary Sphere
Match 1: Game 1: He’s playing Bant with some Esper flyers. He nails me fairly quickly in Game 1 when he lays a turn 3 Pancake Flipper and some exalted dudes and I can make no profitable trades.
Game 2: We trade for a bit. He makes a great play using unsummon to save one of his critters from Agony Warp, but eventually I take over the board with Inkwell Leviathan and Kederekt Leviathan.
Game 3: He comes out swinging. He uses Fatestitcher to great effect. I don’t even get a chance to play much that doesn’t either die quick or get turned on it’s side.
Although I didn’t win the game, I think I drafted pretty well. I had a good amount of playable cards, some obvious bombs, and an excellent set of removal. However, sometimes you just don’t get there.
Tomorrow’s another day.
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This draft converter created by Benjamin Peebles-Mundy.
Visit the draft converter today!
Here’s the deck:
2 Brackwater Elemental
3 Plains
1 Kederekt Leviathan
1 Manaforce Mace
1 Courier's Capsule
1 Seaside Citadel
1 Esperzoa
1 Frontline Sage
6 Swamp
1 Windwright Mage
2 Tidehollow Strix
1 Parasitic Strix
2 Agony Warp
1 Cloudheath Drake
1 Faerie Mechanist
1 Skeletal Kathari
1 Kathari Screecher
1 Inkwell Leviathan
1 Oblivion Ring
1 Obelisk of Alara
7 Island
1 Salvage Titan
1 Executioner's Capsule
1 Armillary Sphere
Match 1: Game 1: He’s playing Bant with some Esper flyers. He nails me fairly quickly in Game 1 when he lays a turn 3 Pancake Flipper and some exalted dudes and I can make no profitable trades.
Game 2: We trade for a bit. He makes a great play using unsummon to save one of his critters from Agony Warp, but eventually I take over the board with Inkwell Leviathan and Kederekt Leviathan.
Game 3: He comes out swinging. He uses Fatestitcher to great effect. I don’t even get a chance to play much that doesn’t either die quick or get turned on it’s side.
Although I didn’t win the game, I think I drafted pretty well. I had a good amount of playable cards, some obvious bombs, and an excellent set of removal. However, sometimes you just don’t get there.
Tomorrow’s another day.
Another draft. I admit I drafted terribly. So many mistakes. See if you can count them all!
Pack 1 pick 1:
My Pick:
Ok, I like Blightning. A lot. But clearly Skullmuncher, Naya Charm or Knight of the Skyward Eye or Resounding Thunder would have been better. Thunder would of signaled green was open and Blightning may of found it’s way back.
Pack 1 pick 2:
My Pick:
Yeah, and then I went and picked a green bomb.
Pack 1 pick 3:
My Pick:
I didn’t know where I was headed, so I picked an early fixer.
Pack 1 pick 4:
My Pick:
Another early fixer. Maybe Dragger was the right choice.
Pack 1 pick 5:
My Pick:
Pack 1 pick 6:
My Pick:
Pack 1 pick 7:
My Pick:
Pack 1 pick 8:
My Pick:
I think this was the right pick, allowing me to go five colour if I chose.
Pack 1 pick 9:
My Pick:
Pack 1 pick 10:
My Pick:
Pack 1 pick 11:
My Pick:
Pack 1 pick 12:
My Pick:
Pack 1 pick 13:
My Pick:
Pack 1 pick 14:
My Pick:
Pack 1 pick 15:
My Pick:
Pack 2 pick 1:
My Pick:
Okay. I seem to have been lucky with my P2P1 lately. Sarkhan was in my colours and the clear pick of choice.
Pack 2 pick 2:
My Pick:
Dear God I’m a fool.
Pack 2 pick 3:
My Pick:
Pack 2 pick 4:
My Pick:
Pack 2 pick 5:
My Pick:
Pack 2 pick 6:
My Pick:
Pack 2 pick 7:
My Pick:
Dear God I’m a total fool. I didn’t even run the Grixis Charms. I though I may splash for the blue. In retrospect I probably should have.
Pack 2 pick 8:
My Pick:
Pack 2 pick 9:
My Pick:
Pack 2 pick 10:
My Pick:
Pack 2 pick 11:
My Pick:
Yeah. Ridge Rannet. I know.
Pack 2 pick 12:
My Pick:
Pack 2 pick 13:
My Pick:
Pack 2 pick 14:
My Pick:
Pack 2 pick 15:
My Pick:
Pack 3 pick 1:
My Pick:
Happy with that.
Pack 3 pick 2:
My Pick:
Probably the Ancient Ziggurat is the better choice.
Pack 3 pick 3:
My Pick:
Pack 3 pick 4:
My Pick:
Pack 3 pick 5:
My Pick:
Pack 3 pick 6:
My Pick:
Pack 3 pick 7:
My Pick:
Pack 3 pick 8:
My Pick:
Pack 3 pick 9:
My Pick:
Pack 3 pick 10:
My Pick:
Pack 3 pick 11:
My Pick:
Pack 3 pick 12:
My Pick:
Pack 3 pick 13:
My Pick:
Pack 3 pick 14:
My Pick:
Pack 3 pick 15:
My Pick:
This draft converter created by Benjamin Peebles-Mundy.
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Alright, that was awful. What did I end up playing?
2 x Blightning
1 x Mycoloth
1 x Mosstodon
1 x Elvish Visionary
1 x Rip-Clan Crasher
1 x Sarkhan Vol
1 x Rockslide Elemental
1 x Sprouting Thrinax
1 x Dragon Fodder
1 x Ridge Rannet
1 x Oblisk of Jund
1 x Shambling Remains
2 x Pestilent Kathari
1 x Hellkite Hatchling
1 x Manaforce Mace
1 x Nacatal Savage
1 x Ember Weaver
2 x Yoke of the Damned
1 x Beacon Behemoth
1 x Blister Beetle
1 x Savage Lands
A bunch of basics.
Notice what’s missing? Quality removal. Just a bunch of dudes there, waiting to be killed.
Idiota!
Match 1: I played Grixis and played well enough to make it through to the next round, making one kill off a Blightning.
Match 2: I played against an Exalted build, which is where my lack of removal really showed. I got totally owned by Aven Squire + Valiant Guard + Fatestitcher + Angelic Benediction. Even with a Mycoloth, Hellkite and Ember Weaver in play I couldn’t do much against his ability to tap me out.
My lack of removal shone through. Even having a magma spray or extra Blister Beetle may have been enough to take out his flyer, but it was not to be, and I lost it in 2 games.
Perhaps I should of splashed blue and run the Grixis Charms. Maybe that would of made the difference. Ah well, live and learn.
Pack 1 pick 1:
My Pick:
Ok, I like Blightning. A lot. But clearly Skullmuncher, Naya Charm or Knight of the Skyward Eye or Resounding Thunder would have been better. Thunder would of signaled green was open and Blightning may of found it’s way back.
Pack 1 pick 2:
My Pick:
Yeah, and then I went and picked a green bomb.
Pack 1 pick 3:
My Pick:
I didn’t know where I was headed, so I picked an early fixer.
Pack 1 pick 4:
My Pick:
Another early fixer. Maybe Dragger was the right choice.
Pack 1 pick 5:
My Pick:
Pack 1 pick 6:
My Pick:
Pack 1 pick 7:
My Pick:
Pack 1 pick 8:
My Pick:
I think this was the right pick, allowing me to go five colour if I chose.
Pack 1 pick 9:
My Pick:
Pack 1 pick 10:
My Pick:
Pack 1 pick 11:
My Pick:
Pack 1 pick 12:
My Pick:
Pack 1 pick 13:
My Pick:
Pack 1 pick 14:
My Pick:
Pack 1 pick 15:
My Pick:
Pack 2 pick 1:
My Pick:
Okay. I seem to have been lucky with my P2P1 lately. Sarkhan was in my colours and the clear pick of choice.
Pack 2 pick 2:
My Pick:
Dear God I’m a fool.
Pack 2 pick 3:
My Pick:
Pack 2 pick 4:
My Pick:
Pack 2 pick 5:
My Pick:
Pack 2 pick 6:
My Pick:
Pack 2 pick 7:
My Pick:
Dear God I’m a total fool. I didn’t even run the Grixis Charms. I though I may splash for the blue. In retrospect I probably should have.
Pack 2 pick 8:
My Pick:
Pack 2 pick 9:
My Pick:
Pack 2 pick 10:
My Pick:
Pack 2 pick 11:
My Pick:
Yeah. Ridge Rannet. I know.
Pack 2 pick 12:
My Pick:
Pack 2 pick 13:
My Pick:
Pack 2 pick 14:
My Pick:
Pack 2 pick 15:
My Pick:
Pack 3 pick 1:
My Pick:
Happy with that.
Pack 3 pick 2:
My Pick:
Probably the Ancient Ziggurat is the better choice.
Pack 3 pick 3:
My Pick:
Pack 3 pick 4:
My Pick:
Pack 3 pick 5:
My Pick:
Pack 3 pick 6:
My Pick:
Pack 3 pick 7:
My Pick:
Pack 3 pick 8:
My Pick:
Pack 3 pick 9:
My Pick:
Pack 3 pick 10:
My Pick:
Pack 3 pick 11:
My Pick:
Pack 3 pick 12:
My Pick:
Pack 3 pick 13:
My Pick:
Pack 3 pick 14:
My Pick:
Pack 3 pick 15:
My Pick:
This draft converter created by Benjamin Peebles-Mundy.
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Alright, that was awful. What did I end up playing?
2 x Blightning
1 x Mycoloth
1 x Mosstodon
1 x Elvish Visionary
1 x Rip-Clan Crasher
1 x Sarkhan Vol
1 x Rockslide Elemental
1 x Sprouting Thrinax
1 x Dragon Fodder
1 x Ridge Rannet
1 x Oblisk of Jund
1 x Shambling Remains
2 x Pestilent Kathari
1 x Hellkite Hatchling
1 x Manaforce Mace
1 x Nacatal Savage
1 x Ember Weaver
2 x Yoke of the Damned
1 x Beacon Behemoth
1 x Blister Beetle
1 x Savage Lands
A bunch of basics.
Notice what’s missing? Quality removal. Just a bunch of dudes there, waiting to be killed.
Idiota!
Match 1: I played Grixis and played well enough to make it through to the next round, making one kill off a Blightning.
Match 2: I played against an Exalted build, which is where my lack of removal really showed. I got totally owned by Aven Squire + Valiant Guard + Fatestitcher + Angelic Benediction. Even with a Mycoloth, Hellkite and Ember Weaver in play I couldn’t do much against his ability to tap me out.
My lack of removal shone through. Even having a magma spray or extra Blister Beetle may have been enough to take out his flyer, but it was not to be, and I lost it in 2 games.
Perhaps I should of splashed blue and run the Grixis Charms. Maybe that would of made the difference. Ah well, live and learn.
I drafted a delicious (as opposed to tasty) Jund deck tonight: Here's the pool:
Pack 1 pick 1:
My Pick:
Ok, not the worst bomb in the world. The RRR is a little restrictive, but I'm bound to pick up some mana fixers, right. Right?
Pack 1 pick 2:
My Pick:
Bull Ceredon being my second dragon and edging me towards Naya.
Pack 1 pick 3:
My Pick:
In retrospect, not the best pick. But playable if it came to it.
Pack 1 pick 4:
My Pick:
At this point I thought I was heading to Naya so a combat trick seemed okay.
Pack 1 pick 5:
My Pick:
And then I was in Jund. But mana fixers would come along and I'd be right. Right?
Pack 1 pick 6:
My Pick:
Pack 1 pick 7:
My Pick:
I hear, post Conflux, some people don't like Deathraiders, but I really like them.
Pack 1 pick 8:
My Pick:
Pack 1 pick 9:
My Pick:
Pack 1 pick 10:
My Pick:
Pack 1 pick 11:
My Pick:
Happily taken pick 11...
Pack 1 pick 12:
My Pick:
Pack 1 pick 13:
My Pick:
Pack 1 pick 14:
My Pick:
Pack 1 pick 15:
My Pick:
Pack 2 pick 1:
My Pick:
Okay, I'm not going to argue with that.
Pack 2 pick 2:
My Pick:
Totally hate drafted. I realise how terrible that is for a P2P2, but I knew I'd have a hard time dealing with it with what little removal I had.
Pack 2 pick 3:
My Pick:
And then the removal started...
Pack 2 pick 4:
My Pick:
Sweet.
Pack 2 pick 5:
My Pick:
Pack 2 pick 6:
My Pick:
Pack 2 pick 7:
My Pick:
Pack 2 pick 8:
My Pick:
Pack 2 pick 9:
My Pick:
Pack 2 pick 10:
My Pick:
Pack 2 pick 11:
My Pick:
Pack 2 pick 12:
My Pick:
Pack 2 pick 13:
My Pick:
Pack 2 pick 14:
My Pick:
You take the rare, right?
Pack 2 pick 15:
My Pick:
Pack 3 pick 1:
My Pick:
At this point I was still searching for removal, so Drag Down seemed ok.
Pack 3 pick 2:
My Pick:
Pack 3 pick 3:
My Pick:
Oh yes! The Scepter is sweeet and totally in my colours.
Pack 3 pick 4:
My Pick:
Pack 3 pick 5:
My Pick:
Nice.
Pack 3 pick 6:
My Pick:
Pack 3 pick 7:
My Pick:
Pack 3 pick 8:
My Pick:
I assume I'll be playing against flyers at some point.
Pack 3 pick 9:
My Pick:
Pack 3 pick 10:
My Pick:
Pack 3 pick 11:
My Pick:
Pack 3 pick 12:
My Pick:
Pack 3 pick 13:
My Pick:
Pack 3 pick 14:
My Pick:
Pack 3 pick 15:
My Pick:
This draft converter created by Benjamin Peebles-Mundy.
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Here's the deck:
1 x Predator Dragon
2 x Carrion Thrash
3 x Goblin Deathraiders
1 x Oblix of Jund
1 x Blightning
2 x Dredgescape Zombie
1 x Broodmate Dragon
1 x Fleshbag Maruader
1 x Vithian Stinger
2 x Blister Beetle
1 x Dragon Fodder
2 x Drag Down
1 x Absorb Vis
1 x Scepter of Fugue
1 x Dark Temper
1 x Mana Cylix
1 x Pestilent Kathari
7 x Mountain
3 x Forest
7 x Swamp
Match 1: Game 1: My opponent is in Grixis. We trade creatures while I Scepter my opponent's hand away for a while. Broodmate turns up and it's all over after that.
Game 2: An absolute nail biter. I have the board locked down with Stinger, but my opponent manages to draw into Blood Tyrant and a critter with Elder Mastery. In the meantime I've put down Broodmate Dragon and a 10/10 Voracious Dragon. My opponent puts a Manaforce Mace (the one I passed) and Talons on the Tyrant. I chump block it to go down to 2, and manage to find a way to get him down to 2... but 2 isn't zero and I concede.
Game 3: I come out all guns blazing. Dragon Fodder into Deathraiders into Oblix of Jund into Broodmate on turn 5. That's hard to keep up with and it's all over.
Match 2: Game 1: My opponent is in Jund as well. My opponent wins the roll but I have a quick start in the first game and it's a fast win with small guys.
Game 2: Necrogenesis comes out and it's a beating for my unearth guys. Plenty of my guys are shallow in the rump and the 1/1s ruin my army. My opponent starts recurring Sedraxis Spectre and Firefield Ogre and it's all over. I have the mana to play Voracious Dragon but hold back so my opponent doesn't know I have it.
Game 3: Thanks goodness for blazing starts. It's a grip of 3/1s and removal. I push fast and I'm rewarded with gutting my opponent before he can get any board position.
Match 3: Game 1: My opponent's playing 5 colour. The first game went for 13 rounds as we traded, but I basically lock the board down with Stinger, Scepter and removal until I can send a dragon in.
Game 2: My opponent gets mana fast and starts wiping my guys out. Necrogenesis makes another appearance and my board can't keep up my ability to unearth dead. My opponent wins after 13 rounds.
Game 3: We both mana ramp, playing nothing but alternate Oblix until Turn 4. We trade for a little. That's when I exploded into Scepter, Voracious Dragon (not devouring anything) and Broodmate. My opponent's necrogenesis can't keep up and I get the concession.
Pack 1 pick 1:
My Pick:
Ok, not the worst bomb in the world. The RRR is a little restrictive, but I'm bound to pick up some mana fixers, right. Right?
Pack 1 pick 2:
My Pick:
Bull Ceredon being my second dragon and edging me towards Naya.
Pack 1 pick 3:
My Pick:
In retrospect, not the best pick. But playable if it came to it.
Pack 1 pick 4:
My Pick:
At this point I thought I was heading to Naya so a combat trick seemed okay.
Pack 1 pick 5:
My Pick:
And then I was in Jund. But mana fixers would come along and I'd be right. Right?
Pack 1 pick 6:
My Pick:
Pack 1 pick 7:
My Pick:
I hear, post Conflux, some people don't like Deathraiders, but I really like them.
Pack 1 pick 8:
My Pick:
Pack 1 pick 9:
My Pick:
Pack 1 pick 10:
My Pick:
Pack 1 pick 11:
My Pick:
Happily taken pick 11...
Pack 1 pick 12:
My Pick:
Pack 1 pick 13:
My Pick:
Pack 1 pick 14:
My Pick:
Pack 1 pick 15:
My Pick:
Pack 2 pick 1:
My Pick:
Okay, I'm not going to argue with that.
Pack 2 pick 2:
My Pick:
Totally hate drafted. I realise how terrible that is for a P2P2, but I knew I'd have a hard time dealing with it with what little removal I had.
Pack 2 pick 3:
My Pick:
And then the removal started...
Pack 2 pick 4:
My Pick:
Sweet.
Pack 2 pick 5:
My Pick:
Pack 2 pick 6:
My Pick:
Pack 2 pick 7:
My Pick:
Pack 2 pick 8:
My Pick:
Pack 2 pick 9:
My Pick:
Pack 2 pick 10:
My Pick:
Pack 2 pick 11:
My Pick:
Pack 2 pick 12:
My Pick:
Pack 2 pick 13:
My Pick:
Pack 2 pick 14:
My Pick:
You take the rare, right?
Pack 2 pick 15:
My Pick:
Pack 3 pick 1:
My Pick:
At this point I was still searching for removal, so Drag Down seemed ok.
Pack 3 pick 2:
My Pick:
Pack 3 pick 3:
My Pick:
Oh yes! The Scepter is sweeet and totally in my colours.
Pack 3 pick 4:
My Pick:
Pack 3 pick 5:
My Pick:
Nice.
Pack 3 pick 6:
My Pick:
Pack 3 pick 7:
My Pick:
Pack 3 pick 8:
My Pick:
I assume I'll be playing against flyers at some point.
Pack 3 pick 9:
My Pick:
Pack 3 pick 10:
My Pick:
Pack 3 pick 11:
My Pick:
Pack 3 pick 12:
My Pick:
Pack 3 pick 13:
My Pick:
Pack 3 pick 14:
My Pick:
Pack 3 pick 15:
My Pick:
This draft converter created by Benjamin Peebles-Mundy.
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Here's the deck:
1 x Predator Dragon
2 x Carrion Thrash
3 x Goblin Deathraiders
1 x Oblix of Jund
1 x Blightning
2 x Dredgescape Zombie
1 x Broodmate Dragon
1 x Fleshbag Maruader
1 x Vithian Stinger
2 x Blister Beetle
1 x Dragon Fodder
2 x Drag Down
1 x Absorb Vis
1 x Scepter of Fugue
1 x Dark Temper
1 x Mana Cylix
1 x Pestilent Kathari
7 x Mountain
3 x Forest
7 x Swamp
Match 1: Game 1: My opponent is in Grixis. We trade creatures while I Scepter my opponent's hand away for a while. Broodmate turns up and it's all over after that.
Game 2: An absolute nail biter. I have the board locked down with Stinger, but my opponent manages to draw into Blood Tyrant and a critter with Elder Mastery. In the meantime I've put down Broodmate Dragon and a 10/10 Voracious Dragon. My opponent puts a Manaforce Mace (the one I passed) and Talons on the Tyrant. I chump block it to go down to 2, and manage to find a way to get him down to 2... but 2 isn't zero and I concede.
Game 3: I come out all guns blazing. Dragon Fodder into Deathraiders into Oblix of Jund into Broodmate on turn 5. That's hard to keep up with and it's all over.
Match 2: Game 1: My opponent is in Jund as well. My opponent wins the roll but I have a quick start in the first game and it's a fast win with small guys.
Game 2: Necrogenesis comes out and it's a beating for my unearth guys. Plenty of my guys are shallow in the rump and the 1/1s ruin my army. My opponent starts recurring Sedraxis Spectre and Firefield Ogre and it's all over. I have the mana to play Voracious Dragon but hold back so my opponent doesn't know I have it.
Game 3: Thanks goodness for blazing starts. It's a grip of 3/1s and removal. I push fast and I'm rewarded with gutting my opponent before he can get any board position.
Match 3: Game 1: My opponent's playing 5 colour. The first game went for 13 rounds as we traded, but I basically lock the board down with Stinger, Scepter and removal until I can send a dragon in.
Game 2: My opponent gets mana fast and starts wiping my guys out. Necrogenesis makes another appearance and my board can't keep up my ability to unearth dead. My opponent wins after 13 rounds.
Game 3: We both mana ramp, playing nothing but alternate Oblix until Turn 4. We trade for a little. That's when I exploded into Scepter, Voracious Dragon (not devouring anything) and Broodmate. My opponent's necrogenesis can't keep up and I get the concession.
I drafted a rather tasty Bant/Esper deck last night. Here's how I drafted:
Pack 1 pick 1:
My Pick:
Ok, first pick O-Ring is never a bad start.
Pack 1 pick 2:
My Pick:
Picked mainly because I need a Canonist, and considering the other stuff in the pack thought it worth the loss.
Pack 1 pick 3:
My Pick:
I thought about a recent article decrying the Capsule as a bad turn-2 play (an article I can't find at the moment) and immediately regretted the pick. I didn't use it in any of the games.
Pack 1 pick 4:
My Pick:
Pack 1 pick 5:
My Pick:
Pack 1 pick 6:
My Pick:
Pack 1 pick 7:
My Pick:
Pack 1 pick 8:
My Pick:
Pack 1 pick 9:
My Pick:
A late gift in this pack.
Pack 1 pick 10:
My Pick:
In retrospect, the Rip-Clan crasher might of been a better hate-draft, as my deck was pretty slow. Or even the dispeller's capsule.
Pack 1 pick 11:
My Pick:
Pack 1 pick 12:
My Pick:
Pack 1 pick 13:
My Pick:
Pack 1 pick 14:
My Pick:
Pack 1 pick 15:
My Pick:
Pack 2 pick 1:
My Pick:
I thought about the blightning, then I remembered Olivier Ruel's recent words on avoiding the hate-draft whenever possible. So I took removal. Right choice. Never had a problem getting to 8 mana all night.
Pack 2 pick 2:
My Pick:
Yup, right choice.
Pack 2 pick 3:
My Pick:
Very tempted to take the infest, but I had too many spells accumulating and needed critters.
Pack 2 pick 4:
My Pick:
Ok, anything else was a better pick here. Damn rares. So tempting.
Pack 2 pick 5:
My Pick:
I really like the spike, especially as I had a bunch of evasion creatures by then.
Pack 2 pick 6:
My Pick:
Pack 2 pick 7:
My Pick:
Usually I hate waveskinner, but he turned out okay tonight.
Pack 2 pick 8:
My Pick:
Um, yeah, don't know what I was thinking there.
Pack 2 pick 9:
My Pick:
Pack 2 pick 10:
My Pick:
Pack 2 pick 11:
My Pick:
Pack 2 pick 12:
My Pick:
Pack 2 pick 13:
My Pick:
Pack 2 pick 14:
My Pick:
Pack 2 pick 15:
My Pick:
Pack 3 pick 1:
My Pick:
Pack 3 pick 2:
My Pick:
Oooohhh, yeeaaaah. And second pick!
Pack 3 pick 3:
My Pick:
The funny thing about Esperzoa? Didn't attack with it all night. It was a big, fat, blocker for my other evasive creatures.
Pack 3 pick 4:
My Pick:
I've played against this card and lost. It just creates such gas it's not funny.
Pack 3 pick 5:
My Pick:
Pack 3 pick 6:
My Pick:
Pack 3 pick 7:
My Pick:
Pack 3 pick 8:
My Pick:
A +4/+4 bonus to my evasive creatures and/or lifelinkers is nothing to be sneezed at.
Pack 3 pick 9:
My Pick:
Have you ever used this with Esperzoa? It's "Pay 2: Draw a card". Each round.
Pack 3 pick 10:
My Pick:
You know what's fun? Shouting out "BOOOONNNNE SAAARRRRWWWW" at the monitor. Try it.
Picked to keep my two Esperzoa in play for free.
Pack 3 pick 11:
My Pick:
Pack 3 pick 12:
My Pick:
Pack 3 pick 13:
My Pick:
Pack 3 pick 14:
My Pick:
Pack 3 pick 15:
My Pick:
This draft converter created by Benjamin Peebles-Mundy.
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I played:
2 x Esperzoa
2 x Kathari Screecher
2 x Windwright Mage
2 x Resounding Silence
1 x Waveskimmer Aven
1 x Oblivion Ring
1 x Kiss of the Amesha
1 x Dawnray Archer
1 x Jhessian Infiltrator
1 x Glaze Fiend
1 x Bone Saw (replaced for Manaforce Mace every second game - the only change)
1 x Inkwell Leviathan
1 x Skyward Eye Prophets
1 x Traumatic Visions
1 x Sylvan Bounty
1 x Scattershot Archer
1 x Kaleidestone
1 x Infections Horror
1 x Salvage Slasher
1 x Naya Panarama
6 x Island
3 x Forest
4 x Plains
3 x Swamp
NOTE: I think I may have Rounds 1 & 2 mixed up.
Round 1: A Grixis match. I wrap up Game 1 after what I thought was a misplay at the time, but turned out to be great. I had thought Scattershot Archer only damaged your opponent's creatures. Turns out it kills your own as well. With the board cleared we started again and I took it home.
Game 2: My opponent gets a head start, but I manage to keep up with trades, cycling Resounding Silence twice and casting Kiss of the Amesha. Eventually Leviathan turns up and islandwalks the game home.
Round 2: An Esper mirror. I win Game 1 slowly, grinding out a win as we trade creatures. The grind was due to him playing Cumberstone and my critters quickly becoming smaller. Luckily a Exalted-enhanced Screecher and Windwright Mage keep me going while Skyward Eye Prophets keeps me in gas until Inkwell lands.
Game 2: An interesting moment comes. At one point my opponent has a Master of Etherium, Salvage Slasher and Parasitic Strix in play. I manage Oblivion Ring the Master and use a Esperzoa to block the Slasher, which buys me time to find the Inkwell. I'm at pretty low health at this point and Inkwell only needs to hit him three times for the win, and I have a a Windwright Mage and Sylvan Bounty in hand... which he Blightnings away. I rip another Windwright Mage, slam it down and Inkwell takes it home without fear of losing the race.
Rounds 2: Up against Naya/Jund. Game 1 my opponent mulligans into oblivion.
Game 2: I started with two lands in hand (a Forst and a Plains), the Sylvan Bounty and the Traumatic Visions. On turn 2 he lands a Rip-Clan Crasher. I cycle the Slyvan Bounty to find a Island, then the Visions to find a Swamp, then the Waveskimmer Aven goes down to stop his growing army. Next turn I play a Windwright Mage and a Jhessian Infiltrator. These two alone take the game home.
The land cyclers were awesome and I never had mana problems even with the lack of non-basic lands. O-Ring did as it usually does and Inkwell Leviathan was crazy good. One of the few cards my opponents actually responded to over the chat box.
After years of failing at draft, I have now practiced enough to get my rating back to +1600 on Modo (1602 to be precise). Considering I only learnt how to draft a year or so ago, and that my rating dropped considerably online during the learning process, I'm pretty happy about that tiny, tiny achievement.
Pack 1 pick 1:
My Pick:
Ok, first pick O-Ring is never a bad start.
Pack 1 pick 2:
My Pick:
Picked mainly because I need a Canonist, and considering the other stuff in the pack thought it worth the loss.
Pack 1 pick 3:
My Pick:
I thought about a recent article decrying the Capsule as a bad turn-2 play (an article I can't find at the moment) and immediately regretted the pick. I didn't use it in any of the games.
Pack 1 pick 4:
My Pick:
Pack 1 pick 5:
My Pick:
Pack 1 pick 6:
My Pick:
Pack 1 pick 7:
My Pick:
Pack 1 pick 8:
My Pick:
Pack 1 pick 9:
My Pick:
A late gift in this pack.
Pack 1 pick 10:
My Pick:
In retrospect, the Rip-Clan crasher might of been a better hate-draft, as my deck was pretty slow. Or even the dispeller's capsule.
Pack 1 pick 11:
My Pick:
Pack 1 pick 12:
My Pick:
Pack 1 pick 13:
My Pick:
Pack 1 pick 14:
My Pick:
Pack 1 pick 15:
My Pick:
Pack 2 pick 1:
My Pick:
I thought about the blightning, then I remembered Olivier Ruel's recent words on avoiding the hate-draft whenever possible. So I took removal. Right choice. Never had a problem getting to 8 mana all night.
Pack 2 pick 2:
My Pick:
Yup, right choice.
Pack 2 pick 3:
My Pick:
Very tempted to take the infest, but I had too many spells accumulating and needed critters.
Pack 2 pick 4:
My Pick:
Ok, anything else was a better pick here. Damn rares. So tempting.
Pack 2 pick 5:
My Pick:
I really like the spike, especially as I had a bunch of evasion creatures by then.
Pack 2 pick 6:
My Pick:
Pack 2 pick 7:
My Pick:
Usually I hate waveskinner, but he turned out okay tonight.
Pack 2 pick 8:
My Pick:
Um, yeah, don't know what I was thinking there.
Pack 2 pick 9:
My Pick:
Pack 2 pick 10:
My Pick:
Pack 2 pick 11:
My Pick:
Pack 2 pick 12:
My Pick:
Pack 2 pick 13:
My Pick:
Pack 2 pick 14:
My Pick:
Pack 2 pick 15:
My Pick:
Pack 3 pick 1:
My Pick:
Pack 3 pick 2:
My Pick:
Oooohhh, yeeaaaah. And second pick!
Pack 3 pick 3:
My Pick:
The funny thing about Esperzoa? Didn't attack with it all night. It was a big, fat, blocker for my other evasive creatures.
Pack 3 pick 4:
My Pick:
I've played against this card and lost. It just creates such gas it's not funny.
Pack 3 pick 5:
My Pick:
Pack 3 pick 6:
My Pick:
Pack 3 pick 7:
My Pick:
Pack 3 pick 8:
My Pick:
A +4/+4 bonus to my evasive creatures and/or lifelinkers is nothing to be sneezed at.
Pack 3 pick 9:
My Pick:
Have you ever used this with Esperzoa? It's "Pay 2: Draw a card". Each round.
Pack 3 pick 10:
My Pick:
You know what's fun? Shouting out "BOOOONNNNE SAAARRRRWWWW" at the monitor. Try it.
Picked to keep my two Esperzoa in play for free.
Pack 3 pick 11:
My Pick:
Pack 3 pick 12:
My Pick:
Pack 3 pick 13:
My Pick:
Pack 3 pick 14:
My Pick:
Pack 3 pick 15:
My Pick:
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I played:
2 x Esperzoa
2 x Kathari Screecher
2 x Windwright Mage
2 x Resounding Silence
1 x Waveskimmer Aven
1 x Oblivion Ring
1 x Kiss of the Amesha
1 x Dawnray Archer
1 x Jhessian Infiltrator
1 x Glaze Fiend
1 x Bone Saw (replaced for Manaforce Mace every second game - the only change)
1 x Inkwell Leviathan
1 x Skyward Eye Prophets
1 x Traumatic Visions
1 x Sylvan Bounty
1 x Scattershot Archer
1 x Kaleidestone
1 x Infections Horror
1 x Salvage Slasher
1 x Naya Panarama
6 x Island
3 x Forest
4 x Plains
3 x Swamp
NOTE: I think I may have Rounds 1 & 2 mixed up.
Round 1: A Grixis match. I wrap up Game 1 after what I thought was a misplay at the time, but turned out to be great. I had thought Scattershot Archer only damaged your opponent's creatures. Turns out it kills your own as well. With the board cleared we started again and I took it home.
Game 2: My opponent gets a head start, but I manage to keep up with trades, cycling Resounding Silence twice and casting Kiss of the Amesha. Eventually Leviathan turns up and islandwalks the game home.
Round 2: An Esper mirror. I win Game 1 slowly, grinding out a win as we trade creatures. The grind was due to him playing Cumberstone and my critters quickly becoming smaller. Luckily a Exalted-enhanced Screecher and Windwright Mage keep me going while Skyward Eye Prophets keeps me in gas until Inkwell lands.
Game 2: An interesting moment comes. At one point my opponent has a Master of Etherium, Salvage Slasher and Parasitic Strix in play. I manage Oblivion Ring the Master and use a Esperzoa to block the Slasher, which buys me time to find the Inkwell. I'm at pretty low health at this point and Inkwell only needs to hit him three times for the win, and I have a a Windwright Mage and Sylvan Bounty in hand... which he Blightnings away. I rip another Windwright Mage, slam it down and Inkwell takes it home without fear of losing the race.
Rounds 2: Up against Naya/Jund. Game 1 my opponent mulligans into oblivion.
Game 2: I started with two lands in hand (a Forst and a Plains), the Sylvan Bounty and the Traumatic Visions. On turn 2 he lands a Rip-Clan Crasher. I cycle the Slyvan Bounty to find a Island, then the Visions to find a Swamp, then the Waveskimmer Aven goes down to stop his growing army. Next turn I play a Windwright Mage and a Jhessian Infiltrator. These two alone take the game home.
The land cyclers were awesome and I never had mana problems even with the lack of non-basic lands. O-Ring did as it usually does and Inkwell Leviathan was crazy good. One of the few cards my opponents actually responded to over the chat box.
After years of failing at draft, I have now practiced enough to get my rating back to +1600 on Modo (1602 to be precise). Considering I only learnt how to draft a year or so ago, and that my rating dropped considerably online during the learning process, I'm pretty happy about that tiny, tiny achievement.
Here are the top cards in MtGO in the Pauper format at the moment:
1. Ninja of the Deep Hours. The best card drawing engine in the format. Able to draw a card a turn if played properly, he single handedly wins games. Puts to rest whether Ninjas or Pirates rule Magic.
2. Crypt Rats. The reason why Mono-Black Control exists, as it's the best board sweeper in the format. As it only operates on black mana, at least it's contained to MBC.
3. Fireblast. Sure, it's usually the final maneuver of a RDW deck, but it's so horrible to have to factor in when opposing, especially as no mana may be required to play it.
4. Brainstorm. It really is better than Ponder. If anyone tries to convince you otherwise, call them a damn dirty liar. Then run both.
5. Trinket Mage. The pauper player's Tezzeret of choice. It's a pity there's still so few truly great common artifacts to fetch.
6. Momentary Blink. The card that powers all the "comes into play" and "leaves play" abuse, it's also has in-built card advantage.
7. Oblivion Ring. Sure it's a slow but it's about the only card that deals with everything that matters in the format.
8. Terramorphic Expanse. A shout-out to the best colour fixer in the format. It's still pretty fast, doesn't take a mana to activate, and is consistently reliable.
9. Girls Gone Wild (Wild Nacatal, Wild Mongrel, Wild Leotau). What, you didn't know Wild Leotau was a common? Well, it is. These girls (I officially declare them all girls) are the best reason to play an aggro green deck.
10. Slivers. This tribe just wins games. Even more so than pauper elves or goblins.
Cards worth a mention:
1. Lightning Bolt. There's a reason this card stopped being reprinted. And that's the reason to play it in pauper!
2. Counterspell, Rune Snag, Mana Leak, Memory Lapse, Force Spike. I'm constantly surprised Mono-Blue control still hasn't found its footing in pauper. But there's still time.
3. Spellstutter Sprite. Faeries. Yeah, they're a bitch in Pauper too.
4. Mulldrifter. In every pauper deck that runs blue. As well it should be.
5. Aven Riftwatcher vs. Blind Hunter. Great includes for the Blink.dec.
6. Phyrexian Rager. Black's go-to draw card of choice.
7. Ancient Grudge. Excellent, recurrable anti-artifact technology.
8. Horseshoe Crab vs Man'o'War. Actually I just want to think about this undersea battle. Garr! Jellyfish vs Crab! Garr!
1. Ninja of the Deep Hours. The best card drawing engine in the format. Able to draw a card a turn if played properly, he single handedly wins games. Puts to rest whether Ninjas or Pirates rule Magic.
2. Crypt Rats. The reason why Mono-Black Control exists, as it's the best board sweeper in the format. As it only operates on black mana, at least it's contained to MBC.
3. Fireblast. Sure, it's usually the final maneuver of a RDW deck, but it's so horrible to have to factor in when opposing, especially as no mana may be required to play it.
4. Brainstorm. It really is better than Ponder. If anyone tries to convince you otherwise, call them a damn dirty liar. Then run both.
5. Trinket Mage. The pauper player's Tezzeret of choice. It's a pity there's still so few truly great common artifacts to fetch.
6. Momentary Blink. The card that powers all the "comes into play" and "leaves play" abuse, it's also has in-built card advantage.
7. Oblivion Ring. Sure it's a slow but it's about the only card that deals with everything that matters in the format.
8. Terramorphic Expanse. A shout-out to the best colour fixer in the format. It's still pretty fast, doesn't take a mana to activate, and is consistently reliable.
9. Girls Gone Wild (Wild Nacatal, Wild Mongrel, Wild Leotau). What, you didn't know Wild Leotau was a common? Well, it is. These girls (I officially declare them all girls) are the best reason to play an aggro green deck.
10. Slivers. This tribe just wins games. Even more so than pauper elves or goblins.
Cards worth a mention:
1. Lightning Bolt. There's a reason this card stopped being reprinted. And that's the reason to play it in pauper!
2. Counterspell, Rune Snag, Mana Leak, Memory Lapse, Force Spike. I'm constantly surprised Mono-Blue control still hasn't found its footing in pauper. But there's still time.
3. Spellstutter Sprite. Faeries. Yeah, they're a bitch in Pauper too.
4. Mulldrifter. In every pauper deck that runs blue. As well it should be.
5. Aven Riftwatcher vs. Blind Hunter. Great includes for the Blink.dec.
6. Phyrexian Rager. Black's go-to draw card of choice.
7. Ancient Grudge. Excellent, recurrable anti-artifact technology.
8. Horseshoe Crab vs Man'o'War. Actually I just want to think about this undersea battle. Garr! Jellyfish vs Crab! Garr!
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