I might have drafted M11 3 times last night

Ok, unfortunately, I didn't download my drafts but I went 1-2 with GB (good deck, shitty draws), 2-1 with UR (losing to UB in the finals), 1-2 with UB (good deck, unfortunate mana screw in match 3 game 3). I should have the complete walkthroughs each of the next 3 days so you all can tell me precisely where I went wrong. Won't that be fun? Also, I am going to post a couple base Green infect lists for the wee one to play at Besieged Game Day next week. W00t.

I 3-0'ed a 4-3-2-2 (and raredrafted a Jace)

This is a story about a man with a dream. This man had never in his life won a 4-3-2-2, despite the constant urgings of his Magic buddies.

"What? 4-3-2-2s are easy."

"You are totally good enough to win a 4-3-2-2."

"Stop whining so much."

Back in the day, I had drafted maybe a dozen times in different formats but the ridiculous problems with MTGO 2.x, the expense and my divorce conspired to keep me away from regular drafting for awhile. I once reached the finals with a UW TPF deck but got rolled. A more typical event was (1) draft something that seems good (2)get killed in 10 minutes. When I started playing paper magic again in the late summer, my magic buddies (y'all) informed me that WoTC had finally implemented Swiss drafts. This caused much excitement as I could finally spend my $17 or so and get the same 3 rounds I get in real life. No longer would mana screw keep me from getting to know my deck a little better.

Anyhow, I've done quite a few Swiss drafts since SOM came out in both the SOM and M11 queues. I'm way better at M11 since it's easier. I don't know if it's more fun but I understand what's important. This morning, I got up early as is my habit, and the M11 queue just wasn't filling. Fine, I would peruse the competitive Pauper decklists as there is a daily event coming up and maybe I could play that. As I was assembling a monoblue list (Islands appeared in 6 of the top 8 from the last PE) I noticed the M11 4-3-2-2 queue was at 6. Maybe I could do that? I joined and the draft fired immediately as somebody else had just hopped in. Here we go.

Event #: 1822121
Time: 11/27/2010 7:01:15 AM
Players:
--> bat_matt
Barbelith
rokumonsen
Jazziefran
nothing_mirage
satsubatu
Nicoskywalker
Liptonik123

------ M11 ------

Pack 1 pick 1:
Unholy Strength, Safe Passage, Palace Guard, Solemn Offering, Forest, Harbor Serpent, Ancient Hellkite, Liliana's Specter, Liliana's Caress, Hunters' Feast, Crystal Ball, Chandra's Outrage, Volcanic Strength, Fireball, Goblin Balloon Brigade

Wow, that Ancient Hellkite was tempting to me but then I remembered my personal rule for M11. Stop passing Fireball. Yes, I know there are picks above it (Titans, Planeswalkers). Ancient Hellkite is not one of them. The color commitment could cause me to abandon it and Fireball is so amazing. Spoiler alert: All 6 wins ended in a lethal Fireball. Admittedly, one of those is because I had never cast Fling before and managed to target my own Mitotic Slime, but still. Yes that really happened.

Pack 1 pick 2:
Holy Strength, Unholy Strength, Safe Passage, Act of Treason, Ornithopter, Plains, Primal Cocoon, Cultivate, Bloodcrazed Goblin, Preordain, Æther Adept, Mitotic Slime, Brindle Boar, Back to Nature

Well, here's where the rubber meets the road. If I take the Æther Adept, I am on the road to my preferred archetype for M11, U/R control. On the other hand, Mitotic Slime is pretty freaking bomby and I have felt green is pretty underdrafted in this format. Nothing else in this pack calls to me. I felt like the Slime was a safer pick at this point.

Pack 1 pick 3:
Unholy Strength, Safe Passage, Sleep, Act of Treason, Island, Voltaic Key, Harbor Serpent, Cultivate, Æther Adept, Leyline of Vitality, Hunters' Feast, Blood Tithe, Goblin Balloon Brigade

Ugh. You probably think I should have jumped ship here and you might be right. A couple of things go into this. (1) Veteran Armorer is often surprisingly relevant. (2) Essence Warden is often surprisingly relevant. You may now commence telling me I should have jumped ship.

Pack 1 pick 4:
Tome Scour, Goblin Piker, Mountain, White Knight, Bloodthrone Vampire, Tireless Missionaries, Plummet, Manic Vandal (FOIL), Mighty Leap, Back to Nature, Naturalize, Flashfreeze

Conditional removal is still removal and this was likely to be relevant if I made it to rounds 2 and 3.

Pack 1 pick 5:
Mountain, Negate, Goldenglow Moth, Nature's Spiral, Spined Wurm, Wall of Vines, Leyline of Anticipation, Armored Cancrix, Manic Vandal, Vulshok Berserker, Kraken's Eye

I am finally seeing cards for the deck I hoped would be there. I took the Wurm because he's bigger. Such an insightful thought process I have.

Pack 1 pick 6:
Giant Growth, Tome Scour, Swamp, Mind Rot, Safe Passage, Arc Runner, Chandra's Spitfire, Maritime Guard, Temple Bell, Naturalize

I have nothing other than the Fireball that makes this card good and almost took the Temple Bell, but belief is a powerful thing and I believed I was going to get a G/R deck despite a lot of info to the contrary at this point. Maybe this should have just been the Giant Growth?

Pack 1 pick 7:
Runeclaw Bear, Prized Unicorn, Palace Guard, Swamp, Preordain, Incite, Elixir of Immortality, Dryad's Favor, Nightwing Shade

Lure would have been reasonably powerful in the deck I was trying to draft, but I keep ending up with too many 4s in this format. The Grizzly Bears was surprisingly relevant.

Pack 1 pick 8:
Island, Duress, Jace's Erasure, Goblin Tunneler, Tireless Missionaries, Phantom Beast, Inspired Charge, Call to Mind

Here's where I really regretted not going U because I will slam dunk Phantom Beast in the second half of a pack. Why was I convinced I was going to get G/R? I don't know.

Pack 1 pick 9:
Unholy Strength, Palace Guard, Forest, Liliana's Caress, Hunters' Feast, Volcanic Strength, Goblin Balloon Brigade

Ugh.

Last Picks:
Ornithopter
Goblin Balloon Brigade
Goblin Piker
Kraken's Eye
Naturalize
Incite


------ M11 ------

Pack 2 pick 1:
Silvercoat Lion, Tome Scour, Holy Strength, Giant Spider, Mountain, Ice Cage, Armored Ascension, Goblin Tunneler, Harbor Serpent, Nether Horror, Primal Cocoon, Destructive Force, Ajani's Pridemate, Sorcerer's Strongbox, Terramorphic Expanse

This is a clear mispick. Should have been Spider. You can't have enough flying hate in this format and the last thing my hopefully topheavy deck wants to do is destroy five lands.

Pack 2 pick 2:
Sign in Blood, Dragonskull Summit, White Knight, Plains, Jace's Erasure, Thunder Strike, Arc Runner, Tireless Missionaries, Roc Egg, Plummet, Sorcerer's Strongbox, Naturalize, Llanowar Elves, Goblin Balloon Brigade

In my defense, it's not like I was passing the goods here.

Pack 2 pick 3:
Infantry Veteran, Fog, Goldenglow Moth, Unsummon, Black Knight, Disentomb, Forest, Cultivate, Pyretic Ritual, Chandra's Outrage, Juggernaut, Volcanic Strength, Call to Mind

I'm really not sure why I passed the Juggernaut here. Removal is good and I was removal light but this seems wrong to me. OTOH, it got to my round 1 opponent. Hmm...

Pack 2 pick 4:
Infantry Veteran, Fog, Silvercoat Lion, Sylvan Ranger, Lava Axe, Disentomb, Lightning Bolt, Demolish, Forest, Liliana's Caress, Crystal Ball, Viscera Seer

Strangely, this Bolt and that Juggernaut would meet one another in round 1.

Pack 2 pick 5:
Giant Growth, Unholy Strength, Ice Cage, Palace Guard, Mountain, Preordain, Hunters' Feast, Chandra's Outrage, Dryad's Favor, Ember Hauler, Goblin Balloon Brigade

Belief is a very powerful thing.

Pack 2 pick 6:
Berserkers of Blood Ridge, Mountain, Siege Mastodon, Demolish, Ajani's Mantra, Merfolk Spy, Garruk's Companion, Quag Sickness, Hornet Sting, Diminish

I was briefly tempted by the Hornet Sting but there's a lot of x/2s in the format. It's terrible right?

Pack 2 pick 7:
Silvercoat Lion, Goblin Piker, Plains, Goldenglow Moth, Disentomb, Act of Treason, Demolish, Wall of Vines, Hornet Sting

Threaten is fine, if unspectacular.

Pack 2 pick 8:
Tome Scour, Mind Rot, Island, Goblin Tunneler, Brindle Boar, Incite, Inspired Charge, Flashfreeze

Oh, Brindle Boar. If only you were pre-rules update.

Pack 2 pick 9:
Silvercoat Lion, Tome Scour, Holy Strength, Mountain, Goblin Tunneler, Harbor Serpent, Nether Horror

And here we are. Hatedrafting 9 picks in.

Last picks
Arc Runner
Pyretic Ritual
Demolish
Dryad's Favor
Merfolk Spy
Plains

------ M11 ------

Pack 3 pick 1:
Prodigal Pyromancer, Diabolic Tutor, Infantry Veteran, Fog, Silvercoat Lion, Sylvan Ranger, Jace Beleren, Lava Axe, Ice Cage, Disentomb, Lightning Bolt, Demolish, Swamp, Combust, Viscera Seer

Obviously this is a rare draft in case of washing out in the first round. Still, what's the pick here? I personally would rather have the Lightning Bolt due to the aforementioned dearth of relevant x/1s. I don't know.

Pack 3 pick 2:
Azure Drake, Mind Rot, Prized Unicorn, Wall of Frost, Swamp, Solemn Offering, Bloodthrone Vampire, Barony Vampire, Bloodcrazed Goblin, Sacred Wolf, Maritime Guard, Cyclops Gladiator, Dryad's Favor, Manic Vandal

It's too late to pick that Azure Drake right?

Pack 3 pick 3:
Gravedigger, Fling, Wild Griffin, Bog Raiders, Negate, Lava Axe, Canyon Minotaur, Mountain, Thunder Strike (FOIL), Fire Servant, Armored Cancrix, Relentless Rats, Assassinate

You know what's really good? 6 damage for one mana.

Pack 3 pick 4:
Azure Drake, Cloud Elemental, Island, Merfolk Sovereign, Voltaic Key, Thunder Strike, Cultivate, Barony Vampire, Liliana's Caress, Inspired Charge, Yavimaya Wurm, Cloud Crusader

It's too late to pick that Azure Drake right?

Pack 3 pick 5:
Diabolic Tutor, Solemn Offering, Swamp, Harbor Serpent, Mass Polymorph, Tireless Missionaries, Blood Tithe, Diminish, Naturalize, Vulshok Berserker, Goblin Balloon Brigade

Hasty!

Pack 3 pick 6:
Bog Raiders, Excommunicate, Nature's Spiral, Berserkers of Blood Ridge, Forest, Merfolk Spy, Garruk's Companion, Demon's Horn, Terramorphic Expanse, Child of Night

I was a little hesitant because of the GG. Terramorphic was tempting but I was pretty sure I was going to play 18 lands at this point so access to both colors wasn't going to be a problem.

Pack 3 pick 7:
Silvercoat Lion, Unholy Strength, Cancel, Awakener Druid, Swamp, Primal Cocoon, Bloodcrazed Goblin, Preordain, Angel's Feather

I've never played with this. Is this good? I feel like it's about the same power level as Phantom Beast.

Pack 3 pick 8:
Cancel, Palace Guard, Sign in Blood, Forest, Hunters' Feast, Maritime Guard, Blood Tithe, Call to Mind

Pack 3 pick 9:
Diabolic Tutor, Fog, Disentomb, Demolish, Swamp, Combust, Viscera Seer

Combust is strong simply because blue and white are strong in the format.

Pack 3 pick 10:
Swamp, Bloodthrone Vampire, Bloodcrazed Goblin, Maritime Guard, Dryad's Favor, Manic Vandal

I had passed the Juggernaut earlier

Pack 3 pick 11:
Fling, Bog Raiders, Mountain, Thunder Strike (FOIL), Armored Cancrix

See here I think I am being rewarded for believing earlier.

Pack 3 pick 12:
Voltaic Key, Cultivate, Liliana's Caress, Inspired Charge

I'm sorry. Is Kodama's Reach not good anymore? I suppose if there's only one other green drafter at the table and he took the pack one Cultivate, then that explains this. Still, I can't believe it's here.

Last Picks:
Goblin Balloon Brigade
Demon's Horn
Swamp

Here's my build:

Deck	Sideboard
1 Fire Servant 1 Cyclops Gladiator 1 Mitotic Slime 1 Leyline of Vitality 1 Vulshok Berserker 1 Brindle Boar 1 Awakener Druid 1 Fling 1 Chandra's Spitfire 1 Garruk's Companion 1 Runeclaw Bear 1 Fireball 1 Plummet 1 Chandra's Outrage 1 Lightning Bolt 1 Act of Treason 1 Spined Wurm 1 Berserkers of Blood Ridge 1 Ember Hauler 1 Llanowar Elves 1 Cultivate 1 Yavimaya Wurm 9 Mountain 9 Forest	2 Goblin Balloon Brigade 1 Demon's Horn 1 Dryad's Favor 1 Goblin Piker 1 Arc Runner 1 Naturalize 1 Pyretic Ritual 1 Kraken's Eye 1 Swamp 1 Incite 1 Harbor Serpent 1 Combust 1 Merfolk Spy 1 Goblin Tunneler 1 Call to Mind 1 Manic Vandal 1 Destructive Force 1 Demolish 1 Volcanic Strength 1 Plains 1 Ornithopter 1 Jace Beleren

Interesting Game
I mull to 6 and my opponent drops a turn 2 Stormfront Pegasus and hits me with it. I chose not to Bolt it because I had a Spined Wurm in hand who can end things quickly. He hits 3 colors on turn 3 and plays an Augury Owl turn 4. I respond with Runeclaw Bear (ugh). I am glad I let the Stormfront hit me because it means I have the Lightning Bolt in hand for the Juggernaut on turn 5. I then drop Fire Servant and life totals are 18-12 in his favor. He alpha strikes, I choose not to block since he's representing a pump spell and Giant Growth would kill my Fire Servant and only take me to 5. Unfortunately, it's Inspired Charge and I am at 2 instead. I attack with the Fire Servant and ship the turn. He attacks with his 2 fliers and I Chandra's Outrage the Pegasus, taking him to 10 and I fall to 1. He drops Whispersilk Cloak and a dude, but it's irrelevant because I have a lethal Fireball (x=5). Fire Servant is good. For your reference, I played my first spell (a vanilla 2/2) on turn 4 and killed him on turn 7.

Match one had the aforementioned game against UGW tempo. 2-1
Match two was against UB with multiple Æther Adept and a Conundrum Sphinx. I won a close game 1 on the back of a lethal Fireball. I lost game 2 when he Man'o'wared my 4/5 forest and I drew 5 lands to start the game. I won Game 3 on the back of 4 large threats in a row and a lethal Fireball.
Match three was a horrendous beatdown against BW Vampires/Fliers. This was the game where I misplayed the Fling but it didn't matter because I had lethal Fireball. Game 2, he kept a 2 Plains hand and never saw a swamp. I put him out of his misery with a lethal Fireball.

I sold the Jace for 7, putting me up 9 tix on the morning. Plus I got a post out of it! Sweet.

M11 draft

God I love core sets. What a wonderful match for my skill set. They are the one format I can consistently expect to go 2-1 and sometimes 3-0 vs hoping to go 2-1 and never going 3-0 (Hi Scars!). They obviously attract a less experienced crowd but I think I am also a little better at identifying the things that are important in core sets. Things like, "play blue" and "don't pass Fireball". Here we go.


Event #: 1770830
Time: 11/13/2010 6:17:23 PM
Players:
william291077
Poker Player
--> bat_matt
bfreeman10033
bcampbell
JonLi
mario91234
Xzista2025

------ M11 ------

Pack 1 pick 1:
Diabolic Tutor, Azure Drake, Unholy Strength, Cancel, Dragonskull Summit, Swamp, Primal Cocoon, Barony Vampire, Maritime Guard, Blood Tithe, Roc Egg, Sorcerer's Strongbox, Inspired Charge, Yavimaya Wurm, Squadron Hawk

So here's my first problem with this set. I remember reading that they had pushed vampires a little bit but I can't remember if (1) they were successful and vampires were actually good and (2)which vampires I should take and which ones were bad. I took the Azure Drake because it's awesome and I wheeled the Barony vampire so obviously that pick was right.

Pack 1 pick 2:
Mountain, Runeclaw Bear, Black Knight, Bloodthrone Vampire, Harbor Serpent, Mana Leak, Earth Servant, Primal Cocoon, Bloodcrazed Goblin, Time Reversal, Autumn's Veil, Diminish, Vulshok Berserker, Terramorphic Expanse

Obviously this gets sided out vs aggro but I don't get to play with Wheel of Fortune very often.

Pack 1 pick 3:
Ice Cage, Act of Treason, Mountain, Jace's Erasure, Goblin Tunneler, Bloodthrone Vampire, Nether Horror, Cultivate, Water Servant, Tireless Missionaries, Plummet, Reassembling Skeleton, Pyroclasm

I'd really kind of like that Water Servant but the Fireball rule also applies to mass removal.

Pack 1 pick 4:
Palace Guard, Glacial Fortress, Mountain, Armored Ascension, Spined Wurm, Preordain, Incite, Inspired Charge, Dryad's Favor, Shiv's Embrace, Goblin Balloon Brigade, Flashfreeze

I was so far from a monowhite deck at this point that i was glad to let it go (and I saw it on the other side of the table and just fireballed the pants wearer round 2). Embrace won me both games round 3.

Pack 1 pick 5:
Unholy Strength, Lightning Bolt, Forest, Ornithopter, Mass Polymorph, Nether Horror, Primal Cocoon, Brindle Boar, Call to Mind, Mighty Leap, Naturalize (FOIL)

There were seriously 4 better cards in this pack? You people realize they were afraid to print this card for a decade, right?

Pack 1 pick 6:
Diabolic Tutor, Unsummon, Island, Wall of Vines, Ajani's Mantra, Rotting Legion, Stabbing Pain, Pyretic Ritual, Augury Owl, War Priest of Thune

Look at this pack. Now look at me. Look at this pack, now back to me. Yep, still a sixth pick Unsummon. I suppose I could have taken the Island.

Pack 1 pick 7:
Safe Passage, Swamp, White Knight, Siege Mastodon, Combust, Greater Basilisk, Leyline of Punishment, Volcanic Strength, Llanowar Elves

Ok, what's going on? Had somebody taken a Fireball over the Bolt? I started to lose faith here for a minute.

Pack 1 pick 8:
Celestial Purge, Duress, Jace's Erasure, Arc Runner, Tireless Missionaries, Manic Vandal, Demon's Horn, Goblin Balloon Brigade

Is Icy in this set? Because if so, that's why I took this. If not...uh...

Pack 1 pick 9:
Diabolic Tutor, Swamp, Primal Cocoon, Barony Vampire, Blood Tithe, Sorcerer's Strongbox, Inspired Charge

no comment

Pack 1 pick 10:
Runeclaw Bear, Earth Servant, Primal Cocoon, Bloodcrazed Goblin, Autumn's Veil,Terramorphic Expanse.

This is when I started to feel okay about the draft again. 10th pick colorless mana fixing. Things that got taken over this Expanse include Black Knight, Bloodthrone Vampire, Harbor Serpent, Mana Leak, Diminish and Vulshok Berserker. Wait, that's only 6. Oh, right. Mountain. No, nobody got disconnected this draft. Maybe he really had to pee.

Last picks:
Plummet
Goblin Balloon Brigade
Ornithopter
Pyretic Ritual
Volcanic Strength

------ M11 ------

Pack 2 pick 1:
Gravedigger, Wild Griffin, Plains, Bog Raiders, Negate, Corrupt, Excommunicate, Fiery Hellhound, Merfolk Spy, Destructive Force, Garruk's Packleader, Yavimaya Wurm, Relentless Rats, Assassinate, Terramorphic Expanse

I desperately wanted to draft the Destructive Force because it's essentially Jokulhaups and you know how I love Jokulhaups. Still. The Corrupt calls out to me but I'm skeptical of B/R and that's what I'd have to do to support it. I take the splashable Assasinate.

Pack 2 pick 2:
Giant Growth, Foresee, Canyon Minotaur, Ice Cage, Doom Blade, Island, Siege Mastodon, Spined Wurm, Greater Basilisk, Liliana's Caress, Crystal Ball, Chandra's Outrage, Nightwing Shade, Fireball

For all of you who are still drafting M11 online. Stop passing Fireball. Just...stop.

Pack 2 pick 3:
Azure Drake, Sylvan Ranger, Rise from the Grave, Act of Treason, Swamp, Thunder Strike, Inspired Charge, Yavimaya Wurm, Necrotic Plague, Volcanic Strength, Angel's Feather, Relentless Rats, Child of Night

Finally, another blue flier. I was frankly a little worried that U/R wasn't going to come together at this point, as blue hadn't been flowing like I wanted it to, and I wasn't picking up the midrange red dorks that get you to the win cards.

Pack 2 pick 4:
Goblin Chieftain, Swamp, Jace's Erasure, Arc Runner, Tireless Missionaries, Jace's Ingenuity, Blood Tithe, Naturalize, Wurm's Tooth, Llanowar Elves, Goblin Balloon Brigade, Assassinate

Eh, why not? I already had the one Expanse. I guess I could have taken the Arc Runner but that seems terrible.

Pack 2 pick 5:
Tome Scour, Holy Strength, Forest, Mind Rot, Safe Passage,Goblin Tunneler, AEther Adept, Steel Overseer, Brindle Boar, Rotting Legion, Juggernaut

For all of you who are still drafting M11 online. Stop passing Juggernaut. Just...stop.

Pack 2 pick 6:
Canyon Minotaur, Demolish, Forest, Ajani's Mantra, Merfolk Spy, Hornet Sting, Ember Hauler, Angel's Feather, Assassinate, Child of Night

Ok, I should have taken the third Assassinate here, if no other reason than I didn't want anyone else to have it. Still, Canyon Minotaur is fine and...yeah. I should have taken the third Assassinate.

Pack 2 pick 7:
Fog, Elite Vanguard, Bog Raiders, Excommunicate, Plains, Wall of Vines, Earth Servant, Merfolk Spy, Terramorphic Expanse

Ugh, really? I mean, I can't take that Excommunicate but there's going to be a nutty White Skies deck at this table.

Pack 2 pick 8:
Nature's Spiral, Berserkers of Blood Ridge, Duress, Swamp, Greater Basilisk, Incite, Dryad's Favor, Squadron Hawk

There we go. This is perfect for my deck and naturally nobody else wants a 4/4 for 5 with an irrelevant downside.

Pack 2 pick 9:
Plains, Bog Raiders, Fiery Hellhound, Merfolk Spy, Destructive Force, Yavimaya Wurm, Relentless Rats

Maybe I should have taken the Destructive Force here but I only had 6 on color creatures and pack 2 was almost over. Board control only goes so far.

Pack 2 pick 10:
Canyon Minotaur, Island, Siege Mastodon, Greater Basilisk, Liliana's Caress, Chandra's Outrage

So, there's nothing quite like wheeling instant speed removal plus direct damage. That is all.

Last picks
Relentless Rats
Goblin Balloon Brigade
Rotting Legion
Demolish
Plains

------ M11 ------

Pack 3 pick 1:
Pacifism, Wild Griffin, Goblin Piker, Corrupt, Runeclaw Bear, Sign in Blood, Fiery Hellhound, Island, Conundrum Sphinx, Liliana's Specter, Quag Sickness, Diminish, Mighty Leap, Kraken's Eye, Condemn

An amazing White Skies deck.

Pack 3 pick 2:
Giant Growth, Duress, Jace's Erasure, Goblin Tunneler, Forest, Water Servant, Tireless Missionaries, Plummet, Chandra's Outrage, Augury Owl, War Priest of Thune, Squadron Hawk, Mighty Leap, Dragon's Claw

Operation:Focus on Dudes is working so far.

Pack 3 pick 3:
Forest, Awakener Druid, Forest (FOIL), Solemn Offering, Deathmark, Siege Mastodon, Bloodthrone Vampire, Bloodcrazed Goblin, Garruk's Companion, Quag Sickness, Maritime Guard, Dryad's Favor, Diminish

Should have been Maritime Guard.

Pack 3 pick 4:
Tome Scour, Island, Mind Rot, Prized Unicorn, Stormfront Pegasus, Ornithopter, Bloodthrone Vampire, Thunder Strike, Arc Runner, Phantom Beast, Naturalize, Llanowar Elves

I love Phantom Beast. Immune to Threaten!

Pack 3 pick 5:
Goldenglow Moth, Unsummon, Stormfront Pegasus, Disentomb, Forest, Demolish, Barony Vampire, Sacred Wolf, Temple Bell, Manic Vandal, Call to Mind

Plenty of solid targets for this. Not to mention a round 2 opponent who will completely forget I Called to Mind my Fireball and rawdogged a Vengeful Archon late game. Awk.

Pack 3 pick 6:
Tome Scour, Holy Strength, Goblin Piker, Mind Rot, Plains, Goblin Tunneler, Harbor Serpent, Primal Cocoon, Autumn's Veil, Mighty Leap

I'm not going to lie and pretend I was happy to see this, but dudes are dudes at this point.

Pack 3 pick 7:
Silvercoat Lion, Unholy Strength, Goblin Piker, Celestial Purge, Act of Treason, Mountain, Solemn Offering, Hunters' Feast, Goblin Balloon Brigade

Threaten sucks but I need dudes. Your dudes are fine. Also, round 2, my opponent let me steal his Brindle Boar and hit him with it...yep, that's a ten point life swing.

Pack 3 pick 8:
Silvercoat Lion, Mountain, Runeclaw Bear, Act of Treason, Ajani's Pridemate, Cloud Crusader, Vulshok Berserker, Demon's Horn

It would have been the Berserker but I was SO heavy at 4 already. Maybe I should have just hated the Crusader.

Pack 3 pick 9:
Runeclaw Bear, Fiery Hellhound, Island, Liliana's Specter, Diminish, Mighty Leap, Kraken's Eye

I felt like one Hellhound was enough but maybe I should have taken the second one here, since it's at 3.

Last Picks:
Tireless Missionaries
Bloodthrone Vampire
Arc Runner
Sacred Wolf
Primal Cocoon
Hunters' Feast

The list I played

Main Deck	Sideboard
1 Berserkers of Blood Ridge 2 Terramorphic Expanse 2 Azure Drake 1 Phantom Beast 1 Time Reversal 1 Manic Vandal 1 Conundrum Sphinx 2 Swamp 1 Shiv's Embrace 7 Mountain 7 Island 1 Fireball 1 Juggernaut 1 Harbor Serpent 1 Pyroclasm 1 Water Servant 2 Assassinate 1 Lightning Bolt 1 Chandra's Outrage 1 Canyon Minotaur 1 Act of Treason 1 Unsummon 1 Fiery Hellhound 1 Call to Mind	1 Plummet 1 Arc Runner 1 Ornithopter 2 Goblin Balloon Brigade 1 Sacred Wolf 1 Relentless Rats 1 Volcanic Strength 1 Tireless Missionaries 1 Plains 1 Combust 1 Hunters' Feast 1 Bloodthrone Vampire 1 Goblin Tunneler 1 Barony Vampire 2 Diminish 1 Act of Treason 1 Pyretic Ritual 1 Demolish 1 Primal Cocoon

Lost a tight match 1 where I misplayed a lethal Fireball into a Mana Leak in the R/U mirror match. My Assassinates should have given me the edge, but it was not to be. Won match 2 versus White Skies with Green (hence the Brindle Boar misplay). The only thing I remember about match 3 is playing the Juggernaut turn 4 each game, followed by a Shiv pants, followed by a concession. Stop passing Juggernaut.

Draftsies!

Event #: 1763664
Time: 11/11/2010 8:38:52 PM
Players:
TheHappyRedDoll
--> bat_matt
FaddyJosh2
agrammalech
Jasfer
Pokiita_sk
j1mgpratt
sharksNurmouth

------ SOM ------

Pack 1 pick 1:
Wing Puncture, Melt Terrain, Halt Order, Blight Mamba, Dross Hopper, Loxodon Wayfarer, Slice in Twain, Plague Stinger, Vulshok Replica, Echo Circlet, Auriok Replica, Stoic Rebuttal, Mountain, Sunblast Angel, Skinrender

Ooh! An interesting choice right away. There are some ok choices in this pack, but it really comes down to Sunblast vs Skinrender. I chose Sunblast due to the higher upside and the fact that I think white is stronger in the format in general than black. Certainly, I wouldn't fault anybody for going the other way and I made this pick with 3 seconds left on the clock.

Pack 1 pick 2:
Memnite (FOIL), Neurok Invisimancer, Darkslick Drake, Kuldotha Rebirth, Vulshok Heartstoker, Contagion Clasp, Infiltration Lens, Blunt the Assault, Carapace Forger, Flight Spellbomb, Disperse, Chrome Steed, Mountain, Fulgent Distraction

I probably should have taken the Chrome Steed here on the "take a good guy over good removal" rule that Jake B taught me. I am super enamored of Contagion Clasp and, in my defense, he won me a game that I never would have taken in a million years with Chrome Steed.

Pack 1 pick 3:
Ghalma's Warden, Culling Dais, Untamed Might, Leaden Myr, Oxidda Daredevil, Moriok Reaver, Ferrovore, Silver Myr, Cystbearer, Bladed Pinions, Darksteel Sentinel, Golden Urn, Plains

U over B on the potential WU fliers plan and the "I passed a ridiculous black card in pack one" plan.

Pack 1 pick 4:
Plated Seastrider, Iron Myr, Barrage Ogre, Ferrovore, Inexorable Tide, Tel-Jilad Fallen, Salvage Scout, Auriok Sunchaser, Tainted Strike, Razorfield Thresher, Trigon of Mending, Plains

This was kind of a sad pack, but I like red, and he helps splash random red removal later in the draft. Was hoping to wheel the Sunchaser. Check pick 12 to see how that worked out.

Pack 1 pick 5:
Copper Myr, Oxidda Daredevil, Blistergrub, Infiltration Lens, Salvage Scout, Withstand Death, Moriok Replica, Screeching Silcaw, Golden Urn, Mountain, Scrapdiver Serpent

I took the dude, as he says "draw two cards" and I still had no idea what color I was in. Could be Infiltration Lens I suppose.

Pack 1 pick 6:
Halt Order, Kuldotha Rebirth, Copperhorn Scout, Furnace Celebration, Dissipation Field, Vedalken Certarch, Bleak Coven Vampires, Disperse, Swamp, Fulgent Distraction

Ok, I admit I am overly enamored of Furnace Celebration (probably because I undervalued it when the set came out. Still, what would you rather take in there?). <---Obnoxious punctuation alert!!!

Pack 1 pick 7:
Neurok Invisimancer, Tel-Jilad Defiance, Alpha Tyrranax, Psychic Miasma, Flesh Allergy, Razorverge Thicket, Razorfield Thresher, Scoria Elemental, Mountain

Yeesh. Invisimancer maybe? I don't know. I had the Celebration, and removal is nice. This didn't end up getting played but I can't say it was necessarily the wrong pick.

Pack 1 pick 8:
Melt Terrain, Vault Skyward, Golem Foundry, Blunt the Assault, Loxodon Wayfarer, Flameborn Hellion, Molten Psyche, Plains

Hellion will occasionally get played, depending on the deck. I probably should have taken the Wayfarer to sideboard vs Infect.

Pack 1 pick 9:
Wing Puncture, Melt Terrain, Dross Hopper, Loxodon Wayfarer, Plague Stinger, Echo Circlet, Mountain

Because then I would have taken another Wayfarer. As it was I was still trying to live the Celebration dream. Also, yes, that is a Plague Stinger. Ugh.

Pack 1 pick 10:
Kuldotha Rebirth, Blunt the Assault, Flight Spellbomb, Disperse, Mountain, Fulgent Distraction

Wayyy too enamored of Furnace Celebration. Also, Flight Spellbomb is amazing, which I found out later in the draft.

Pack 1 pick 11:
Culling Dais, Oxidda Daredevil, Ferrovore, Golden Urn, Plains

Maybe I should write a song about Furnace Celebration. Actually, I shouldn't hate. Ferrovore definitely won me my awesomest game since I restarted MTGO

Last Picks
Tainted Strike (Yeah Sunchaser wasn't going to happen)
Golden Urn
Fulgent Distraction
Mountain

------ SOM ------

Pack 2 pick 1:
Sky-Eel School, Melt Terrain, Blight Mamba, Blade-Tribe Berserkers, Necrogen Censer, Bloodshot Trainee, Copperhorn Scout, Blackcleave Goblin, Golem Foundry, Silver Myr, Loxodon Wayfarer, Trinket Mage, Ezuri's Brigade, Liquimetal Coating, Swamp

This is the type of pick where you tell your friends about it later and they say "that's fine." So much 3rd-8th pick quality in here. The Brigade is a house, if only you are green, which I'm not. Not even remotely.

Pack 2 pick 2:
Glimmerpoint Stag, Glint Hawk Idol, Blight Mamba, Lumengrid Drake, Vulshok Heartstoker, Corpse Cur, Trigon of Thought, Glint Hawk, Arrest, Sylvok Replica, Painful Quandary, Chrome Steed, Forest, Fume Spitter

I could actually hear Jake B shedding a tear as I once again took quality removal over a Chrome Steed. And a Glimmerpoint, Glint Hawk and Glint Hawk Idol. I'm not going to defend this pick, but given how the draft was going, it's not necessarily wrong.

Pack 2 pick 3:
Neurok Invisimancer, Lumengrid Drake, Ichorclaw Myr, Razor Hippogriff, Corpse Cur, Corrupted Harvester, Tel-Jilad Fallen, Plague Stinger, Bleak Coven Vampires, Sunspear Shikari, Molder Beast, Saberclaw Golem, Forest

I feel a little bad for whomever is to my right, because they were obviously cutting white in the first pack and the only reason I am hosing it now is due to Sunblast. See the post about Signaling.

Pack 2 pick 4:
Sky-Eel School, Painsmith, Moriok Reaver, Riddlesmith, Blistergrub, Glint Hawk, Tainted Strike, Heavy Arbalest, Saberclaw Golem, Golden Urn, Mountain, Fume Spitter

No white for you. Evil laugh.

Pack 2 pick 5:
Blade-Tribe Berserkers, Necrogen Censer, Copperhorn Scout, Dross Hopper, Goblin Gaveleer, Golem's Heart, Auriok Replica, Exsanguinate, Saberclaw Golem (FOIL), Forest, Fulgent Distraction

This doesn't feel wrong to me, but I like Lava Axe....

Pack 2 pick 6:
Assault Strobe, Blackcleave Goblin, Alpha Tyrranax, Infiltration Lens, Snapsail Glider, Moriok Replica, Flight Spellbomb, Soul Parry, Swamp, Scrapdiver Serpent

If you told me Infiltration Lens should have been the pick here, I wouldn't argue with you. I'd still pick the Snapsail, but I wouldn't argue.

Pack 2 pick 7:
Glint Hawk Idol, Gold Myr, Cystbearer, Carapace Forger, Flameborn Hellion, Bleak Coven Vampires, Copperline Gorge, Island, Ogre Geargrabber

Plan "get a ton of playable white in pack 2" is in effect.

Pack 2 pick 8:
Wing Puncture, Steady Progress, Loxodon Wayfarer, Flesh Allergy, Sunspear Shikari, Echo Circlet, Heavy Arbalest, Swamp

I was still feeling a little removal light. I could see the Shikari if I had picked up one or both of those Infiltration Lenses.

Pack 2 pick 9:
Melt Terrain, Necrogen Censer, Copperhorn Scout, Blackcleave Goblin, Golem Foundry, Loxodon Wayfarer, Swamp

Given how sucky my first pick was, I am happy to wheel the very playable with Glint Hawk Censer here.

Pack 2 pick 10:
Glimmerpoint Stag, Glint Hawk Idol, Blight Mamba, Vulshok Heartstoker, Painful Quandary, Forest

Ohhhkay then.

Last picks
Tel-Jilad Fallen
Tainted Strike
Goblin Gaveleer (actually going to play this for some reason)
Assault Strobe
Island

------ SOM ------

Pack 3 pick 1:
Neurok Invisimancer, Shatter, Untamed Might, Embersmith, Carrion Call, Alpha Tyrranax, Trigon of Corruption, Psychic Miasma, Bladed Pinions, Sylvok Lifestaff, Putrefax, Screeching Silcaw, Razorfield Thresher, Scoria Elemental, Island

Somebody's going to have to hate that Putrefax, but it's not going to be me.

Pack 3 pick 2:
Ezuri's Archers, Melt Terrain, Lumengrid Drake, Embersmith, Dross Hopper, Ferrovore, Steady Progress, Silver Myr, Trigon of Rage, Necrogen Scudder, Cystbearer, Darksteel Juggernaut, Nihil Spellbomb, Plains

Okay, so that was a foil missing from this pack right? Sheesh. This is the pick in the draft that took me the longest. I desperately wanted to take a second Embersmith, the Juggernaut is a house, especially in my deck so far and the Trigon is awesome and I can add counters. I landed on the Trigon, but I'd love to hear arguments about what else to take. I'm not sure there's a wrong pick here.

Pack 3 pick 3:
Turn Aside, Corpse Cur, Tangle Angler, Salvage Scout, Arc Trail, Whitesun's Passage, Vedalken Certarch, Auriok Edgewright, Neurok Replica, Accorder's Shield, Molder Beast, Scoria Elemental, Plains

I only saw Arc Trail once, but I am pretty sure he won me an unwinnable game, getting 2-for-1 on a Myrsmith and Palladium Myr with my opponent on two lands.

Pack 3 pick 4:
Leaden Myr, Kuldotha Rebirth, Copperhorn Scout, Dross Hopper, Riddlesmith, Glimmerpost, Heavy Arbalest, Nihil Spellbomb, Saberclaw Golem, Mountain, Fume Spitter, Fulgent Distraction

Not sure what I was thinking here other than "weak pack" and "offcolor Myr are good".

Pack 3 pick 5:
Contagious Nim, Ichor Rats, Steady Progress, Abuna Acolyte, Goblin Gaveleer, Alpha Tyrranax, Loxodon Wayfarer, Loxodon Wayfarer (FOIL), Carapace Forger, Glimmerpost, Island

Here's to uninteresting picks.

Pack 3 pick 6:
Copper Myr, Untamed Might, Seize the Initiative, Turn Aside, Vulshok Heartstoker, Wall of Tanglecord, Psychic Miasma, Bladed Pinions, Golem Artisan, Forest

I so wish there was a way to do a windmill slam online.

Pack 3 pick 7:
Seize the Initiative, Turn Aside, Tel-Jilad Fallen, Vulshok Replica, Withstand Death, Grafted Exoskeleton, Tainted Strike, Saberclaw Golem, Mountain

I like Vulshok Replica a lot, but I think this is clearly the pick here, right?

Pack 3 pick 8:
Assault Strobe, Blackcleave Goblin, Ferrovore, Vigil for the Lost, Echo Circlet, Flight Spellbomb, Soul Parry, Island

In my last draft walkthrough, someone mentioned how awesome Flight Spellbomb was so I picked it here over a second Ferrovore. It is awesome. I have been undervaluing these, though pick 8 seems about right for it. I just wasn't picking them at all.

Pack 3 pick 9:
Neurok Invisimancer, Untamed Might, Carrion Call, Alpha Tyrranax, Psychic Miasma, Razorfield Thresher, Island

I do love hating the infect deck, not that it would help me in round 1.

Last Picks
Nihil Spellbomb
Scoria Elemental
Fulgent Distraction
Goblin Gaveleer
Psychic Miasma
Mountain

Round 1 was a quick death, round 2 was awesome sauce and round 3 was a win as well, but the story will have to wait. How'd I do?

Edited to add:

Here's what I played

1 Grafted Exoskeleton
1 Liquimetal Coating
1 Necrogen Censer
1 Trigon of Rage
1 Flight Spellbomb
1 Glint Hawk Idol
1 Glimmerpoint Stag
1 Snapsail Glider
1 Golem Artisan
1 Sunblast Angel
1 Leaden Myr
1 Silver Myr
1 Embersmith
1 Furnace Celebration
1 Glint Hawk
1 Goblin Gaveleer
1 Abuna Acolyte
1 Arrest
1 Iron Myr
1 Blade-Tribe Berserkers
1 Contagion Clasp
1 Arc Trail
1 Razor Hippogriff
1 Ferrovore
7 Mountain
8 Plains
1 Heavy Arbalest

Sideboard
2 Fulgent Distraction
1 Kuldotha Rebirth
1 Moriok Replica
1 Nihil Spellbomb
1 Goblin Gaveleer
1 Mountain
1 Mountain
1 Island
1 Scoria Elemental
1 Golden Urn
1 Psychic Miasma
1 Carrion Call
1 Flesh Allergy
1 Flameborn Hellion
1 Tel-Jilad Fallen
1 Assault Strobe
1 Dross Hopper
2 Tainted Strike

I will happily admit the Furnace Celebration is wrong, right as soon as you tell me what in that train wreck of a sideboard you play over it.

Winning Out

So the prerelease was awesome. This was actually the very first large set prerelease event that I have ever entered, barring the one time I got to do a 2HG with a very new player on Sunday. I managed to bum a ride with the Captain and Hot Sauce. We arrived at the venue at 8:45 am for the 9:00 start and there were already dozens of people lined up outside. We ran into Pseudonymous Drama Student, but he had preregistered and got into flight 1. By the time we made it to the front of the line, it was flight 3. We got our product immediately upon paying and started registering. This is awesome. Go go gadget prerelease. The prerelease foil, Demigod of Revenge reminds me of the Guildpact foil. That is to say, I can see why they ordered an alternate art version of this.

I am not going to list all the cards in my pool because I can't link, but I will say that I had some very strong RG, but not quite enough playables and decided to go with a U/W/b build instead. Here's the cards and the build I played...

G/W Hybrid - no green sources

Safehold Elite-1(G/W)-Persist. 2/2. A bear that comes back and chumps after he's been outclassed.

Raven's Run Dragoon-2(G/W)(G/W)-Can't be blocked by black. 3/3. Hill Giant with an upside. This is sealed.

White - Primary color due to this...

Armored Ascension-3W-Aura-Enchanted creature gets +1/+1 for each Plains you control and has flying. Blanchwood armor just wins games without evasion. 'nuff said.

Niveous Wisps-W-Instant-Target creature becomes white until EOT. Cantrip. I played it as a one mana cantrip. ymmv.

Safehold Sentry-1W-2W,Q:Safehold Sentry gets +0/+2 until EOT. 2/2. I had to have the captain remind me to play my bears. Never actually used the ability, but the threat of it held off attacks a couple times. Would play again.

Rune-Cervin Rider-3W-Flying. (G/W)(G/W):Rune-Cervin Rider gets +1/+1 until EOT. A shade with evasion. Very solid though I didn't draw him much.

Prison Term-1WW-Aura-Enchanted creature can't attack or block and it's activated abilities can't be played. When a creature comes into play under your opponent's control, you may attach Prison Term to that creature. I only played this once and managed to stick it on a Giantbaiting token (rtfc, gets sacced EOT). I was really curious how good it would be and didn't get a chance to really explore it because I failed to draw it much.

Inquisitor's Snare-1W-Instant-Prevent all damage target attacking or blocking creature would deal this turn. If that creature is black or red, destroy it. All kinds of good.

Steel of the Godhead-2(U/W)-Aura-As long as enchanted creature is white, it gets +1/+1 and has lifelink. As long as enchanted creature is blue it gets +1/+1 and is unblockable. Nobody played any of these hybrid auras against me. They are pretty much nuts if you can maximize them. The GW is insane, and the BR is br-don-ken. UW is okay. Didn't run into the RG or UB, but how bad could they be if they can give +2/+2?

Glamer Spinners-4(U/W)-Flash. Flying. When Glamer spinners cip, attach all Auras enchanting target permanent to another permanent with the same controller. 2/4. Okay, this guys is being played because he is a flash 2/4 flier. the ability is occasionally relevant.

Godhead of Awe-(U/W)(U/W)(U/W)(U/W)(U/W)-Flying. Other creatures are 1/1. 4/4. Yeah, she just wins games. Often a one-sided Wrath of God. Kills anything with a -1/-1 counter on it. I failed to lose a game in which I cast her.

Barrenton Cragtreads-2(U/W)(U/W)-Can't be blocked by red creatures. 3/3. Hill Giant #2.

Consign to Dream-2U-Instant-Return target permanent to it's owner's hand. If that permanent is red or green, put it on top of it's owner's library instead. The more I play limited, the more I love bounce.

Merrow Wavebreakers-4U-1U,Q:Merrow Wavebreakers gains flying until EOT. 3/3. A flying vigilant 3/3. This is costed correctly, which means there are times you are not going to want to run him. Decidedly mediocre for me all day.

Faerie Swarm-3U-Flying. Faerie Swarm's power and toughness are each equal to the number of blue permanents you control. Usually and evasive 2/2. Sometimes better.

River's Grasp-3(U/B)-Sorcery-If U was spent to play River's Grasp, return up to one target creature to it's owner's hand. If B was spent to play River's Grasp, target player reveals his or her hand, you choose a nonland card from it, then that player discards that card. Bounce, removal, coercion...what's not to like?

Inkfathom Witch-1(U/B)-Fear. 2UB:Each unblocked creature becomes 4/1 until EOT. 1/1. Yeah, this one is awesome. I was moderately surprised, but there's a lot of evasion in the set.

2 Gloomlance-3BB-Destroy target creature. Destroy target creature. If that creature was green or white, its controller discards a card. Unconditional removal, which I needed. Sometimes boarded one our for a Torpor Dust if my opponent's curve was low.

Watchwing Scarecrow-4-Watchwing Scarecrow has vigilance as long as you control a white creature. Watchwing Scarecrow has flying as long as you control a blue creature. 2/4. Scarecrows are the changelings of Shadowmoor. Very awesome in draft. I would expect them to settle in just below removal and bombs, though some are better than others. There is one which changes colors of things and fixes your mana and it's a 2/2 for 3. It is very, very awesome. Totally wrecked us in 2HG.

Lurebound Scarecrow-3-As Lurebound Scarecrow CIP, choose a color. When you control no permanents of the chosen color, sacrifice Lurebound Scarecrow. 4/4. A little marginal in sealed, but I think this is rather bomby in draft when you should be pretty close to monocolor.

Wingrattle Scarecrow-3-Wingrattle Scarecrow has flying as long as you control a blue creature. Wingrattle Scarecrow has persist as long as you control a black creature. 2/2.

Pili-Pala-2-Flying. 2,Q:Add one mana of any color to your mana pool. 1/1. Crappy color fixing is still color fixing. They seem to have really nerfed color-fixing in the format (at least among the cards I saw). I think you so need to really focus on using hybrid to the max. Pick two or three colors. If you have 3, avoid double costs on the border colors.

I also had a Mystic Gate which is the UW rare dual.

-------------

Round 1-vs. UW control. I won game one on the back of a timely Godhead of Awe. He had a scarecrow that is a 6/6 for 5. It puts a -1/-1 counter on it at end of combat if it attacked or blocked. In other words, once Godhead was down, he couldn't do anything with his threat. Games 2 and 3 were very similar to one another, as he got down double 6/6 scarecrow both games. There wasn't a ton I could do about it and died. Only drew one Gloomlance and never saw the Prison Term. Not sure if that would have helped. It wasn't particularly close.

So my back was up against the wall right away, which I guess helped focus my efforts. The next round I was up against a guy who didn't do a whole ton but still managed to beat me game 1. Then, I killed him. Godhead of Awe totally got stranded in my hand with 4 UW sources and a swamp for like 3 turns. That mana cost looks easy, but one splash can kill it.

Round 3 was interesting in that I again lost game 1. I don't think my deck was nearly as powerful as some of the builds, but I think I had a pretty good grasp of operations management and that managed to get me there. I took game 2 on the back of Pili-Pala and Safehold Sentry. I had Godhead in hand and the mana to cast it, but his side of the board was empty and I didn't feel like playing into removal. He didn't cast anything for four turns and I took our slogan to heart. Sometimes all you need is a 1/1. Or a 1/1 and a 2/2. Anyways.

Round 4, I got paired up against a guy who must have had some amazing stuff that he didn't draw because I crushed him with Godhead in game 1, and a pantsed-up Glamer Spinners in game 2. Lifelinked, unblockable dudes with +1/+1 for each Plains are some good.

So, 3-1 and 6 packs. Hot. I think I agree with TS that the format is going to be pretty fast in general. I chose to play all day and never regretted it. Draft is going to be ridiculously fast, I think. There were people who were casting 4/4s on turn 3 and then pants-ing up for ridiculous evasive 6/6s all over the place. Thank goodness I lost my first round. Also, the dude who beat me round 1, totally went 3-0 and got paired up with the Captain in round 4. The Captain crushed him. Thank goodness for carmates. REVENGE!

------

So then Pseudonymous Drama Student and I decided to pair up for the 2HG since Hot Sauce and The Captain were intending to do the same. We opened like fiends in GW, with Wilt-leaf Liege, the double stream of life, TWO Oracle of Nectars (2(G/W)-X,T:Gain X life.) Shield of the Oversoul (makes Oracle indestructible) and various and sundry, including 3 duals (one foil). The other deck was monored. Nice. Open. We thought our 3-0 chances were pretty good. We got our round 1 opponent down to 1. They bounced one dude to the top of the deck so we had to redraw it. Any guesses as to whether or not the top card was a burn spell when they killed us? We won rounds 2 and 3 handily. w00t for 3 more packs.

I hit up captain essex for 3 more packs so I have 4 sets total. All in all, a good take on the day. My tip: Lose in the first round and then win out from there.

The Unbearable Lightness of Being Captain Bondage Goth

As most of you know, I won a draft last weekend. Just saying.

----

The Experiment Kraj EDH has been rebuilt. It is now Momir Vig. There is card drawing, a little bit of tutoring, some toolbox, and more card drawing. I think it is going to be good, as long as everyone doesn't kill me as soon as I flash a Dismiss. When I played against Captain_essex's Erayo deck, he pissed everyone off in very short order. Somehow I am going to have to avoid doing that.

Playing counterspells in EDH is a pretty iffy proposition to be honest with you, but it's pretty much the only answer UG has to Armageddon effects, so I am gonna roll with it.

----

Let's talk about the morality of helping out the "enemy". I have discovered that Fugie and I disagree on a lot of things, which is fun, because he's not an asshole. Most people I disagree with are assholes*. He implied earlier this week that the Captain (no relation) and Hot Sauce shouldn't have been giving advice to some random who was about to play Fugie. Cappy said if Fugie couldn't beat a dude with his deck built right, he didn't deserve to win. I think it's a little more complicated than that. Players at sealed tourneys always get advice in between rounds about how they should be sideboarding and how the deck might be misbuilt. I don't think Fugie had a problem with this aspect of it. He seems to be hung up on the idea of our crew being a tight knit little group that supports one another. But I think it's entirely possible that you can support your homies and still give advice.

How did you get better? Did you figure everything out yourself? Card advantage? Who's the beatdown? Lifegain is trash (Except when it's not, thanks Faith's Fetters)? Wait to cast yr instants? Blocking is loose?

The first couple times I played sealed tourneys, I always showed my pool to the guys I played after the match and asked 'em how they would have built it. Seeing how someone else builds is critical to moving forward and getting better. Getting better is how you win. Winning (at least some of the time) is how to have fun. The person who likes getting pounded into the carpet and keeps coming back is a rare bird indeed. I guess what I am saying here is, advice is about community building. Defining anybody as "the enemy" and withholding information from them raises barriers. Magic as a community just doesn't need any more barriers. It is complicated, expensive as hell, unfriendly towards women, not electronic, and addictive. Do we really need clique-ish behavior on top of that?

----

Meanwhile, back at the draft...

My favorite game was the last one, when I killed the Captain with a Shard Volley off the top (so lucky) and he looks at his scorepad, looks at me and says, "I didn't think you were going to win that." Neither did I, Cap. Neither did I.

*Yes, this is a comment about myself. My lack of opinion of myself is enormous. Or vacuous. Or something.

Edited for clarity after rereading Fugie's Monday post.

Holy Crap

Good morning!

Hybrid is back (and apparently all over the place)!

Hmm...guessing time!

Sickle Ripper, 1B. Creature-Elemental Shaman. 2/1.

Loamdragger Giant, 4(G/R),(G/R),(G/R). Creature-Giant Warrior. When Loamdragger Giant CIP, you may return up to two target lands from your graveyard to your hand. 6/6.

Torpor Dust, 2(U/B). Instant. Hmmm... Destroy target Non-Faerie creature.

Boggart Arsonists, 2R. Creature-Goblin ?. 2R, sac Boggart Arsonists: Boggart Arsonists does 3 damage to target creature or player. 2/2.

Kinscaer Harpoonist, 3U. Creature-Kithkin Archer. U, T: Kinscaer Harpoonist does damage to attacking or blocking creature equal to the number of merfolk and kithkin you control. 2/2

Wanderbrine Rootcutters, 2(U/B),(U/B). Creature-Merfolk. When Wanderbrine Root-cutters CIP, destroy target treefolk. 3/2

Scar, (R/B). Instant. Put 2 -1/-1 counters on target creature.

Ballynock Cohort, 2W. Kithkin Rogue. First Strike. 2/2

Juvenile Gloomwidow, GG. Creature-Spider. Reach. Deathtouch. 2/2

Turn to Mist, 1(W/U). Instant. Prevent all combat damage that would be dealt to and dealt by target creature this turn.

Blistering Dieflyn, 3R. Creature-Elemental. When Blistering Dieflyn becomes blocked, it deals 2 damage to each creature blocking it. 2/2.

Beseech the Queen (Here comes another HOLY CRAP moment) (2/B),(2/B),(2/B)-Sorcery. Umm? Draw 6 cards and lose 6 life? I have no idea.

Lurebound Scarecrow, 3. Artifact Creature-Construct. Lurebound Scarecrow must attack each turn, if able.

Wilt-Leaf Cavaliers, (G/W),(G/W),(G/W). Creature-Elf Warrior. First Strike. Vigilance. 4/4.

Demigod of Revenge, (B/R),(B/R),(B/R),(B/R),(B/R). Creature-Demon Wizard. Flying, Trample. Whenever a creature deals damage to Demigod of Revenge, destroy that creature at end of combat. 5/5. Smells like a cycle to me.

Post your wild assed guesses in comments.

Cube Thoughts

Well, I am undefeated in Cube drafting. I think that Mirror Entity is a windmill slam first pick. I highly recommend odd play mistakes on the part of your opponent. Odd play mistakes are a big part of Cube though, since you are dealing with strange interactions between powerful cards that you've never played together before. I drafted a moderately fast GW beatdown deck splashing red for Fireball. Channel also got in there but never combo'd with Fireball. Why not? Because Mirror Entity is actually a much better combo with Channel.

I started the draft off thinking I would probably force Green a little. There had been a lot of talk about how weak Green was, but I did feel like there were a lot of bodies there. It seemed like people might get a little overly enamored of 7 mana bombs and powerful spells and forget that creatures pretty much rule limited. Especially 4/4s for 4. To give you an idea of how committed I was to this plan, I first picked a Werebear. Not great, not terrible. I managed to end up passing some HUGE green dudes (Kodama North, Verdant Force) because I didn't feel like I had enough accelerators. Instead I got a bunch of efficient midrange stuff (Hierarch, Arrogant Wurm), some pump (Rancor, Armadillo Cloak) and a bunch of White Knights (3 or 4 first striking 2/2s). Match one I pulled out even though I managed to grossly misplay Fireball. RTFC. Match two, I donkeyed away game 2 but the captain (no relation) was horribly manascrewed game 3. Match 3 game 3 was interesting. My opponent was outdrawing me with Bob and had like 7 creatures, only 2 of whom were non black. He had a Kami of Ancient Law stolen from me with Ink-Eyes and a green dude. I had 2 pro-black dudes, but they had to play defense because he has chumps and I die on the crack back. Finally, we reached the point where he could alpha strike for the win next turn. I was on 11, he on 10. I have Mirror Entity, Mystic Enforcer and White Knight. I draw for the turn. It's Rancor! I immediately play Rancor and Channel. I declare my attacks and he immediately cacks my Rancor with Kami of Ancient Law. Oops, blown out by my own card! Except, he no longer had chumps for both pro:black dudes. He was tapped out, so I channel down to 1, dealing exactly enough damage with my 10/10 White Knight. Bad beats, man.

I am not sure how viable it would be to repeat the strategy. Hierarch and Armadillo Cloak provide a pretty strong argument for going GW, but man did I ever want some freaking removal. Lifegain off Essence Warden, Hierarch and the Cloak were all relevant at one point or another.

CBG's PTQ deck

I know it's dangerous to throw your 4-4 ptq deck up for everyone to criticize but I felt really torn when building this one and wouldn't mind some input. Did I punt before we even started? Let's find out.

The Deck

1 Adder-Staff Boggart
1 Aethersnipe
1 Cairn Wanderer
1 Eyeblight's Ending
1 Ghostly Changeling
1 Giant's Ire
1 Incendiary Command
2 Inkfathom Divers
1 Jace Beleren
1 Lash Out
1 Merrow Reejery
1 Moonglove Extract
1 Mudbutton Torchrunner
1 Sentinels of Glen Elendra
1 Shriekmaw
1 Silvergill Douser
1 Springleaf Drum
1 Stonybrook Angler
2 Tarfire
1 Turtleshell Changeling
1 Wanderer's Twig
1 Whirlpool Whelm
8 Island
5 Mountain
3 Swamp

In the Sideboard

White
1 Avian Changeling
1 Changeling Hero
1 Entagling Trap
1 Hillcomber Giant
2 Judge of Currents
1 Kithkin Greatheart
2 Lairwatch Giant
2 Soaring Hope
1 Wispmare
1 Wizened Cenn

Blue
1 Aquitect's Will
1 Mistbind Clique
1 Spellstutter Sprite
1 Turtleshell Changeling
1 Faerie Trickery

Black
2 Bog Hoodlums
1 Boggart Loggers (yes, I did sideboard this vs. Treefolk)
1 Boggart Mob
1 Lys Alana Scarblade
1 Nectar Faerie
1 Nightshade Stinger
1 Peppersmoke
2 Spiderwig Boggart
1 Thieving Sprite

Red
1 Boggart Forager
1 Ceaseless Searblades
1 Consuming Bonfire
1 Crush Underfoot
1 Faultgrinder
1 Flamekin Brawler
1 Inner-Flame Igniter
2 Needle Drop
1 Rebellion of the Flamekin
1 Stinkdrinker Daredevil

Green
1 Bog-Strider Ash
1 Elvish Branchbender
1 Elvish Promenade
1 Fertile Ground
1 Lys Alana Huntmaster
2 Oakgnarl Warrior
1 Sylvan Echoes
1 Treefolk Harbinger
1 Warren-Scourge Elf

and 1 Herbal Poultice

Wow, it's amazing what typing a pool can do for your senses. I realize now I got pulled into red by the Incendiary command and convinced myself I couldn't play the Mistbind Clique due to lack of faeries. I should have played all the black faeries, the Clique, the trickery and the blue changeling. If I needed to splash, I could have done 1 Lash Out, but I am not sure it would even be necessary. I obviously would if I had a Dreamspoiler but I don't so...oh well. What do you guys think? I feel like the green is powerful but not synergistic.

Overnight PE

I am in a 4X Sealed. 2-1 right now. Last game was

turn 1 Vivid land
turn 2 Fertile Ground
turn 3 Garruk, dude
turn 4 dude, dude
turn 5 dude, dude, removal
turn 6 overrun.

Never drew a 4th land. So wrong.

Regarding the build. Yes, I do know I left some good stuff on the side. I really wanted to go 5 color black. I'm just like that. I've been flooded three times so 19 sources is probably too many. What to cut though?

Nova Chaser is wrong. I am siding it out for Glen Elendra Sentinels or Adder-Staff Boggart (Don't hit me!). It would be so much better at 10/3.

Wispmare has had targets twice and makes a decent evasive finisher when I use the positive side of Final Revels. So stop complaining about it. I think it's worth maindecking and I think its worth splashing. Rings of Brighthearth + Garruk is disgusting. A 2nd Beast for 2 is insane. I don't even use the untap if rings is out. Deal with 8 3/3s. I dare you.

The two changelings bounced in and out a bit, as did the blue tempo cards. I can see siding in broken ambitions for big stuff. The first match was against a dude playing HUGE stuff so the Revels came out for blue temp and were very good. Of course he complained of mana flood as we both sat there with 12 lands on the table.

Also, you know I talk about how I never count how many creatures I have? Well, I probably should have this time (11!(though remember it doesn't count Garruk)). Oh well. Building well is for Fugies and I saw 5 amazing pieces of removal and got a little overexcited.

Edit-11 minutes into round 4. Well, I just ate it to a GW deck. Game 1, karma bit me on the ass. turn 3 Garruk. The rest is details. I had one turn to topdeck a Lash Out to blow him out. I didn't. Game over, man. Game 2, I stupidly left Final Revels in the deck even though it could kill almost nothing I had seen in game one. Ugh. 2-2. Come on, papa, let's get to 3 wins.

Update 2-1:20 am. 38 minutes into round 5. Pulled that one out! Final Revels is pretty darn good. Faced yet another green deck. Are we missing something? Seems sketchy but everyone seems to be running 'em. Game 1 was a seesaw battle where I put him on his back foot right away, hardcasting Mulldrifter turn 3 off a Smokebraider, Nova Chaser turn 4 championing MD. Attacking for 8 and getting the MD back on turn 5. Unfortunately, he stabilized at 5, and a huge misplay by me (fricking Mudbutton) cost me the game. Game 2, Garruk came out and does what he does. Game 3, he got screwed for 3 turns and that was all it took. By the time he got his 4th land, I was able to +2 Revels ftw. 3-2! Come on T16!

Update 3-2:39 am. Took the entire round for me to die with my opponent having 58 seconds left on his clock. I don't wanna talk about it. Boo.

What have we learned?

(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.

I need a hero sideboard!

So I need a sideboard for the UW Fish list. I did end up replacing the Think Twices with Unsummons and OMG what a blowout. Where should I be going with the sideboard? Is Fortify good finishing/Pyroclasm insurance, or just dumb? Disenchants or Ronom Unicorns or Cloudchaser Kestrels? Card drawing? Counterspelling? Ghost Quarters? Wrath of Gods against better aggro? Psi Blast for some reach? I am really at a loss. Also, I need to figure out the post rotation manabase. 4X Adarkar Wastes? Nimbus Mazes? Both? 22 lands? Snow lands plus Mouth of Ronom? Help me.

Also 4X Azorius First-Wing becomes 4X Serra Avenger but what do I do about 3X Remand? This might be the perfect deck for Familiar's Ruse, no?

XXX on MODO

I finally jumped in the XXX pool online tonight. Tried to get a MED-X-X but it wasn't firing and I didn't have the packs for MMM, nor do I think I should be reading more than one pack of cards (since I don't know most of em, duh). Anyhoo.

Draft: Pick 1 (I forgot to turn DraftCap on until the next pick so the numbering is off) was Troll Ascetic over a bunch of cards that didn't pay for half the draft.

Pack 1:Civic Wayfinder, Severed Legion, Bandage, Rootwater Commando, Bloodrock Cyclops, Rushwood Dryad, Goblin Sky Raider, Suntail Hawk, Lava Axe, *, I*, Regeneration, Ballista Squad, Forest

Here's an interesting pick right away. Ballista Squad is amazing, but I am not really enamored of white, and Civic Wayfinder definitely keeps my options open.

Pick: Civic Wayfinder

Pack 2: Dusk Imp, Boomerang, Spined Wurm, Cancel, Robe of Mirrors, Angelic Wall, Spineless Thug, Grizzly Bears, Goblin Lore, Creeping Mold, Spawning Pool, *, Bottle Gnomes

Pick: Spined Wurm

Pack 3:Unsummon, Stalking Tiger, Samite Healer, Viashino Sandscout, Reviving Dose, Horseshoe Crab, Scathe Zombies, Deathmark, Wall of Fire, Seismic Assault, *, Island

I really like Unsummon as a way to get my green fat through, but Stalking Tiger is pretty solid as well, and I don't see Unsummon as a huge "Blue is Open!" sign.

Pick: Stalking Tiger

Pack 4:Highway Robber, Venerable Monk, Viashino Runner, Cancel, Firebreathing, Suntail Hawk, Treetop Bracers, Spirit Link, Telling Time, True Believer, Forest

This is probably a grotesque mispick. Treetop Bracers is asking for a 2-for-1. I love Highway Robber. I love Telling Time. U is probably open.

Pick: Treetop Bracers

Pack 5: Recover, Kavu Climber, Rock Badger, Demolish, Warrior's Honor, Commune with Nature, Crafty Pathmage, Angel's Feather

I also love Recover.

Pick: Recover

Pack 6:Uncontrollable Anger, Looming Shade, Giant Spider, Remove Soul, Terramorphic Expanse, Plague Beetle, Pincher Beetles, Lumengrid Warden, Swamp

Now black is probably open here, but we haven't seen anything truly amazing. Looming Shade sucks as much as it rocks and Giant Spider is so good.

Pick: Giant Spider

Pack 7:Rock Badger, Scathe Zombies, Goblin Elite Infantry, Overgrowth, Tundra Wolves, Demolish, Stronghold Discipline, Mountain

Pick: Scathe Zombies

Pack 8:Boomerang, Smash, Wall of Wood, Shimmering Wings, Angelic Blessing, Fog Elemental, Forest

Pick: Boomerang

Pack 9:Rootwater Commando, Goblin Sky Raider, Suntail Hawk, Elvish Berserker, Regeneration, Forest

Pick: Elvish Berserker

I would have gone with Rootwater Commando here, but my decks always lean on the 3-drop and I was trying to make a curve pick.

Pack 10: Robe of Mirrors, Angelic Wall, Grizzly Bears, Goblin Lore, Mountain

Pick: Grizzly Bears

Pack 11: Viashino Sandscout, Reviving Dose, Horseshoe Crab, Plains

Pick: Horseshoe Crab

Pack 12:Cancel, Suntail Hawk, Forest

Yeah, blue is open.

Pick: Cancel

Pack 13: Crafty Pathmage

Pack 14: Swamp

Pack 15:Anaba Bodyguard, Essence Drain, Steadfast Guard, Assassinate, Cloud Elemental, Crafty Pathmage, Llanowar Sentinel, Goblin Elite Infantry, Unholy Strength, Fists of the Anvil, Spiketail Hatchling, Leonin Scimitar, Demon's Horn, *, Mountain

You are probably going to say I should have picked Essence Drain or Assassinate. I think Blue is open and I am taking it.

Pick: Cloud Elemental

Pack 16: Uncontrollable Anger, Snapping Drake, Skyhunter Prowler, Recover, Steadfast Guard, Holy Day, Pincher Beetles, Horseshoe Crab, Naturalize, Thieving Magpie, *, Phyrexian Vault, Paladin en-Vec, Swamp

3 power over 1. Yes, I do know Thieving Magpie is insane card advantage. Watch.

Pick: Snapping Drake

Pack 17: Highway Robber, Skyhunter Patrol, Dehydration, Viashino Runner, Goblin Piker, Demystify, Sage Owl, Treetop Bracers, Fear, Luminesce, Reminisce

Ooh. Blue removal.

Pick: Dehydration

Pack 18:Heart of Light, Afflict, Aven Windreader, Benalish Knight, Rootwater Commando, Holy Strength, Fugitive Wizard, Canopy Spider, Contaminated Bond, Telepathy, Treasure Hunter

3/3 evasion is nice.

Pick: Aven Windreader

Pack 19:Wild Griffin, Anaba Bodyguard, Sift, Ravenous Rats, Commune with Nature, Honor Guard, Lumengrid Warden, Distress, Spirit Weaver, Agonizing Memories

See, card advantage

Pick: Sift

Pack 20:Heart of Light, Merfolk Looter, Hill Giant, Natural Spring, Vampire Bats, Shimmering Wings, Goblin Piker, Spellbook, Spark Elemental

And you wanted me to take the Magpie. 6th pick Looter!

Pick: Merfolk Looter

Pack 21: Counsel of the Soratami, Looming Shade, Skyshroud Ranger, Warrior's Honor, Peek, Plague Beetle, Duct Crawler, Rootwater Matriarch, Plains

Okay, I was hoping to mise a Shimmering Wings in pack 3.

Pick: Rootwater Matriarch

Pack 22: Aven Windreader, Mass of Ghouls, Grizzly Bears, Stun, Elvish Berserker, Fear, Viridian Shaman, Plains

This probably should have been the Windreader, but my curve wasn't great and there are some nasty artifacts in XXX.

Pick: Viridian Shaman

Pack 23: Anaba Bodyguard, Crafty Pathmage, Unholy Strength, Fists of the Anvil, Spiketail Hatchling, Demon's Horn, Mountain

Pick: Spiketail Hatchling

Pack 24: Steadfast Guard, Holy Day, Horseshoe Crab, Naturalize, Phyrexian Vault, Swamp

Pick: Phyrexian Vault

Pack 25:Reminisce

Pack 26:Fugitive Wizard

Pack 27:Lumengrid Warden

Pack 28:Spellbook

Pack 29:Plains

Pack 30: Benalish Knight, Sea Monster, Bloodrock Cyclops, Dusk Imp, Spined Wurm, Wall of Wood, Terramorphic Expanse, Mind Rot, Smash, Earth Elemental, Recollect, Phantom Warrior, Hypnotic Specter, Island, Leonin Scimitar

Ooh, 4 tix or a win condition? I like Hyppie and if I had a deck which played him, I would have raredrafted. Phantom Warrior is teh nuts in XXX though.

Pick: Phantom Warrior

Pack 31: Lightning Elemental, Youthful Knight, Dehydration, Hill Giant, Civic Wayfinder, Spineless Thug, Lava Axe, Natural Spring, Fugitive Wizard, High Ground, Wurm's Tooth, Persuasion, Island, Mountain

Pick: Persuasion

Pack 32: Terror, Ghost Warden, Twitch, Kavu Climber, Festering Goblin, Viashino Sandscout, Cloud Sprite, Distress, Raging Goblin, *, Kraken's Eye, Angelic Chorus, Forest

Okay, so maybe you were right about the Essence Drain.

Pick: Terror

Pack 33: Unsummon, Ravenous Rats, Giant Spider, Dross Crocodile, Fists of the Anvil, Tundra Wolves, Llanowar Sentinel, Peek, Sylvan Basilisk, No Rest for the Wicked, Sculpting Steel

At the rate I was wheeling fliers, I really didn't wanna see this on the other side of the board.

Pick: Giant Spider

Pack 34: Bandage, Sea Monster, Llanowar Elves, Mass of Ghouls, Firebreathing, Mind Rot, Demystify, Robe of Mirrors, Academy Researchers, Hate Weaver, Forest

For some reason, I thought my curve was too high and I needed the Elves. This wasn't really so.

Pick: Llanowar Elves

Pack 35: Festering Goblin, Aven Cloudchaser, Counsel of the Soratami, Holy Day, Duct Crawler, Naturalize, Reviving Dose, Forbidding Watchtower, Stronghold Discipline, Mountain

More card advantage.

Pick: Counsel of the Soratami

Pack 36: Rushwood Dryad, Sage Owl, Goblin Sky Raider, Angelic Blessing, Stun, Contaminated Bond, Rule of Law, Deluge, Forest

I loves me some Sages.

Pick: Sage Owl

Pack 37:Twitch, Stalking Tiger, Remove Soul, Unholy Strength, Raging Goblin, Honor Guard, Overgrowth, Swamp

Blue Terror?

Pick: Remove Soul

Pack 38: Sea Monster, Bloodrock Cyclops, Dusk Imp, Wall of Wood, Mind Rot, Smash, Island

Pick: Sea Monster

Pack 39: Fugitive Wizard

Pack 40: Twitch

Pack 41: Peek

Pack 42: Robe of Mirrors

Pack 43: Duct Crawler

Pack 44: Forest

Draft recording done by Blargware's MTGO DraftCap. Support Blargware!

Game 1-I play turn 2 Spiketail into Wayfinder into Ascetic. He played nothing other than card drawing and conceded on turn 7. There may have been a Horseshoe Crab. A Looter from him may have been countered by a Spiketail Activation.

Game 2-I played turn 2 Spiketail into turn 3 Ascetic (2nd Forest off the top) into turn 3 Phantom Warrior into turn 5 Persuasion on your Rootwater Commando. I never needed the Terror in my hand. Wow! I must be good at draft!

Match 2. Game 1-I get down Ascetic, he gets down Mortivore, Icy and enough removal to keep me to one flier at a time. I concede when it gets silly. I board in Treetop Bracers (I know it's a 2 for 1, but ground stalls were inevitable with us both playing green fat) and Viridian Shaman.

Game 2-He gets stuck with no green for 4 or 5 turns, and when he finally gets it, I have 8 power on the board and the Ascetic chumpies for his Spined Wurm. And he's at, like, 6.

Game 3-Removal for my early beats. Icy. No Viridian Shaman. Yuck.

So I got a couple packs, and can still draft MED-X-X. Hawesome. Also, Icy just dominates. I really wish I was better at opening it. Or drawing my V. Shaman, I guess.