(1) My blue was a lot better on paper than in real life. In 4 matches, I think I picked up a total of 2 games. I would have sold my soul for a Mulldrifter.
(2) Playing multiple builds doesn't work when there are so many people. We should do an inner-circle testing session just for that. Sorry TS and Major_luck. You guys definitely had the correct mindset. My fault for not planning better.
(3) When you get 8 Magic players together, they will draft. Even if 4 of them are supposed to be practicing for a sealed ptq. Even if it's 10 pm and 4 of them have a vintage tourney with a playset of Bazaars on the line in 12 hours. Even if one of them has a wife who wouldn't mind getting to sleep sometime. They will draft.
(4) The Elemental deck works okay. You really have to be the only one at the table. But it works. It helps to have somebody passing all the good red in favor of Flamekin Bladewhirls. It also helps to get 2 X Mulldrifter, 2 X Aethersnipe, and 2 X Smokebraider. Was the phrase, "It's a 1/1!" heard? Yes, it was. Also heard was, "I'll hardcast Mulldrifter on turn 3" and "I think I just win now. You're on 18? Yeah. Good games."
(5) Mulldrifter has flying. Yes, I know I should have known this. If you ever needed any kind of proof that development is unreasonably fond of blue, think of this. Counsel of the Soratami reads 2U, draw 2 cards. Mulldrifter costs 4U as a hardcast. So apparently, the correct costing of a 2/2 flier is 2 colorless. Or something like that. I realize that isn't quite how the evoke creatures are costed. But holy cow. I would hardcast Mulldrifter for 7. Would that be a lot worse? Yes! But it would still be playable at 7. Sheesh.
Edit to add: I actually checked Gatherer twice while writing point 5 despite the fact that I hardcast the damn thing like 5 times last night. So. Broken.
2 comments:
I think Major Luck and I got something out of the testing, but I think that testing multiple builds is probably useful only in the very early stages of testing a format (like I admit that I am at now) or the very late stages. I say this because the things you really want to know about (will this single card/color interact better with the rest of the build?) can only be found out when playing many many games over a long a period of time. The reason it is still useful early on is because playing the same opposing deck multiple times gives a more subtle understanding of the set's cards as a whole- but you still probably get almost as much out of just playing regular games in general.
Blue just seems like it is way ahead of the other colors in power unless your synergy/tribe count is high. Green just seems like it's missing the tricks to make it good. It's just bodies. Black is splashable everywhere because nothing good costs BB. So drafting it is tough because everyone is taking it. White and Red are hit and miss. Their removal gets cut by everyone but their creatures can be really good.
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