TooSarcastic's Cube Draft List V1.1

Finally! The colors are not balanced. There is too little Green and Red and too much White and Blue. Cuts will have to be made. Also I have Karoos in there right now where there could be painlands. Would people be willing to borrow original duals to this thing? Major Luck doesn't like the idea of having that much $ in there. Having said that, obviously we have no Power. Does it matter? Who knows.

Next stop- cuts and adds. If you have any cards that you think are better for the Cube than the weakest cards already in that color AND you don't mind borrowing/trading/donating them to the Cube, shout out in posts.

WHITE
Adarkar Valkyrie
Ajani Goldmane
Akroma, Angel of Wrath
Armageddon
Arrest
Aura of Silence
Austere Command
Aven Mindcensor
Aven Riftwatcher
Blade of the Sixth Pride
Blinding Angel
Calciderm
Cloudchaser Kestrel
Condemn
Crovax, Ascendant Hero
Crusade
Deftblade Elite
Descendant of Kiyomaro
Devouring Light
Disenchant
Empyrial Armor
Enduring Ideal
Enlightened Tutor
Eternal Dragon
Faith's Fetters
Genju of the Fields
Ghostly Prison
Glorious Anthem
Goldmeadow Harrier
Griffin Guide
Honorable Passage
Icatian Javelineers
Jötun Grunt
Kami of Ancient Law
Kami of False Hope
Knight of Meadowgrain
Knight of the Holy Nimbus
Longbow Archer
Mana Tithe
Martyr of Sands
Momentary Blink
Mother of Runes
Oblivion Ring
Order of Leitbur
Order of the White Shield
Pacifism
Paladin en-Vec
Pariah
Radiant's Dragoons
Radiant's Judgment
Renewed Faith
Reya Dawnbringer
Ronom Unicorn
Sacred Mesa
Samurai of the Pale Curtain
Savannah Lions
Soltari Priest
Soul Warden
Stonecloaker
Swords to Plowshares
Temporal Isolation
True Believer
White Knight
White Shield Crusader
Wing Shards
Wrath of God

BLUE
Aeon Chronicler
Aquamoeba
Arcane Denial
Blue Elemental Blast
Boomerang
Braingeyser
Brainstorm
Brine Elemental
Capsize
Cloud Spirit
Compulsive Research
Confiscate
Control Magic
Counterspell
Cryptic Command
Dandan
Deep Analysis
Desertion
Disrupt
Dissipate
Drift of Phantasms
Fathom Seer
Forbid
Force of Will
Force Spike
Frantic Search
Hydroblast
Impulse
Intruder Alarm
Jace Beleren
Legacy's Allure
Looter il-Kor
Mana Leak
Man-o'-War
Memory Lapse
Merchant Scroll
Merfolk Looter
Mind Over Matter
Miscalculation
Mystical Teachings
Mystical Tutor
Ninja of the Deep Hours
Ophidian
Pact of Negation
Ponder
Power Sink
Propaganda
Ray of Command
Remand
Repeal
Repulse
Riftwing Cloudskate
Rushing River
Spell Snare
Spiketail Hatchling
Stasis
Stroke of Genius
Teferi, Mage of Zhalfir
Temporal Adept
Thieving Magpie
Tinker
Undo
Unstable Mutation
Upheaval
Venser, Shaper Savant
Vesuvan Shapeshifter
Voidmage Prodigy
Waterfront Bouncer

BLACK
Animate Dead
Bad Moon
Black Knight
Bone Shredder
Carnophage
Consume Spirit
Contamination
Corpse Dance
Corrupt
Crypt Champion
Crypt Rats
Damnation
Dark Confidant
Dark Ritual
Darkblast
Dauthi Horror
Dauthi Slayer
Death Denied
Diabolic Edict
Diabolic Servitude
Drain Life
Dread Return
Duress
Erg Raiders
Exhume
Faceless Butcher
Flesh Reaver
Funeral Charm
Graveborn Muse
Haakon, Stromgald Scourge
Hatred
Hymn to Tourach
Hypnotic Specter
Ink-Eyes, Servant of Oni
Knight of Stromgald
Last Gasp
Liliana Vess
Nameless Inversion
Nantuko Husk
Necromancy
Necropotence
Nezumi Graverobber
Okiba-Gang Shinobi
Oona's Prowler
Paralyze
Persecute
Pestilence
Phyrexian Arena
Phyrexian Rager
Plagued Rusalka
Pox
Priest of Gix
Ravenous Rats
Sarcomancy
Shadow Guildmage
Shriekmaw
Skeletal Vampire
Skittering Skirge
Smallpox
Smother
Spinning Darkness
Stinkweed Imp
Stromgald Crusader
Sudden Death
Tendrils of Corruption
Terror
Twisted Abomination
Unearth

RED
Akroma, Angel of Fury
Avalanche Riders
Bogardan Hellkite
Boom // Bust
Browbeat
Chandra Nalaar
Earthquake
Empty the Warrens
Fiery Temper
Fireball
Fireblast
Fireslinger
Flame Fusillade
Frenzied Goblin
Gathan Raiders
Goblin Bombardment
Goblin Grenade
Goblin Matron
Goblin Patrol
Grapeshot
Grinning Ignus
Hearth Kami
Hostility
Incinerate
Jaya Ballard, Task Mage
Jokulhaups
Keldon Marauders
Kiki-Jiki, Mirror Breaker
Kird Ape
Lash Out
Lava Hounds
Lightning Bolt
Magus of the Scroll
Mana Flare
Mogg Fanatic
Mogg Flunkies
Mogg War Marshal
Orcish Lumberjack
Pyroblast
Pyroclasm
Reckless Wurm
Red Elemental Blast
Scorched Rusalka
Seal of Fire
Shard Phoenix
Shock
Siege-Gang Commander
Simian Spirit Guide
Stone Rain
Sudden Shock
Sulfur Elemental
Tarfire
Threaten
Tin Street Hooligan
Tribal Flames
Wheel of Fortune
Word of Seizing

GREEN
Arrogant Wurm
Basking Rootwalla
Beacon of Creation
Birds of Paradise
Blanchwood Armor
Briarhorn
Carven Caryatid
Channel
Doubling Season
Early Harvest
Elves of Deep Shadow
Essence Warden
Fertile Ground
Fyndhorn Elves
Gaea’s Anthem
Garruk Wildspeaker
Giant Growth
Harmonize
Harrow
Hurricane
Indrik Stomphowler
Kodama's Reach
Krosan Grip
Life from the Loam
Llanowar Elves
Loaming Shaman
Might of Oaks
Moldervine Cloak
Mtenda Lion
Natural Order
Naturalize
Overrun
Phantom Centaur
Protean Hulk
Quirion Dryad
Quirion Ranger
Rampant Growth
Rancor
Regrowth
River Boa
Sakura-Tribe Elder
Scryb Ranger
Simian Grunts
Spectral Bears
Thelonite Hermit
Timbermare
Trained Armodon
Troll Ascetic
Uktabi Orangutan
Verdant Force
Viridian Shaman
Wall of Blossoms
Wall of Roots
Wild Dogs
Wood Elves

MULTICOLORED
Armadillo Cloak
Azorius Guildmage
Burning-Tree Shaman
Dovescape
Electrolyze
Gelectrode
Ghost Council of Orzhova
Grave-Shell Scarab
Lightning Angel
Lightning Helix
Mortify
Mystic Enforcer
Mystic Snake
Niv-Mizzet, the Firemind
Putrefy
Rakdos Guildmage
Recoil
Savage Twister
Selesnya Guildmage
Simic Guildmage
Stormbind
Void
Watchwolf
Who/What/When/Where/Why

ARTIFACTS
Altar of Dementia
Black Vise
Bottle Gnomes
Bottled Cloister
Coalition Relic
Fellwar Stone
Icy Manipulator
Isochron Scepter
Ivory Tower
Juggernaut
Lotus Bloom
Lotus Petal
Loxodon Warhammer
Mana Vault
Memory Jar
Millstone
Mirari
Mox Diamond
Nevinyrral's Disk
Phyrexian Dreadnought
Platinum Angel
Prismatic Lens
Scroll Rack
Serrated Arrows
Sol Ring
Static Orb
Tormod's Crypt
Winter Orb
Zuran Orb

LANDS
Academy Ruins
Azorius Chancery
Blood Crypt
Boros Garrison
Breeding Pool
Dimir Aqueduct
Godless Shrine
Golgari Rot Farm
Gruul Turf
Hallowed Fountain
Izzet Boilerworks
Orzhov Basilica
Overgrown Tomb
Rakdos Carnarium
Sacred Foundry
Selesnya Sanctuary
Simic Growth Chamber
Steam Vents
Stomping Ground
Strip Mine
Temple Garden
Terramorphic Expanse
Treetop Village
Underground River

Doctor Boom...

...or How I Learned to Stop Worrying and Love the Defiler...

...a/k/a Fugie Gets pwned...

...or 12 Scenes From My Basement

I fell asleep thinking about this story and how to tell it. I woke up thinking about this story and how to tell it. I've occasionally had a nice play story to tell at the end of a long tournament, but I am invariably amazed at the Magic players who can recall incredible bad beat or shocking win stories and every detail thereof from years previous. Last night, I experienced my own story and now I know. I'll warn you now, this isn't an unbelievable comeback story. It's a you played that?!? and won story. The problem is where to begin. How about the beginning?

(1) In the beginning, there was darkness...wait! Wrong beginning. So we had 9 last night for the draft. Fugie won with treefolk. Do not disrespect the treefolk. They are good. Except when they're not. I went 2-2 with a mediocre Faeries/Merfolk hybrid that just didn't work quite right. Eh. 2-2 is all right, though I doubt the other authors of this blog would agree with me.

(2)I got up from my chair, darted into the other side of the basement, popped out in the middle, took off all the way to the other end, slammed the door down there, sprinted back to the table, through the closest door and windmill slammed-

(3)"Dude, come here. You have to see this." I handed TooSarcastic the lands in front of me. "Count these."

1-2-3-4-5-6-7-8-9-10-11-12

Then I showed him my hand. Jokulhaups in front and laughter behind.

(4)Fugie, Major Luck and I start an EDH in between rounds. I win that with Herald of Leshrac. We decide to do one more after the draft is over. My general is Wort, Boggart Auntie. Fugie has Dakkon Blackblade. Major Luck was peeved at Fugie for shotgunning Dakkon Blackblade and was instead playing Dromar, the Banisher. Nice consolation present. I get a 5 land plus Graveborn Muse hand and keep it. Fugie dances around a bit with Volrath's Stronghold plus Shriekmaw (turns out that's good) while Major Luck drops Douse. This is actually a really good way to convince the BR player to focus his attention on you. The Major was spinning his Top and shuffling a lot, but had no board presence. I was peacefully drawing my 2 cards a turn. Fugie drops Jace, Ajani, Lilliana and Platinum Angel. I'd be worried about Platz if every other card in my deck wasn't an answer for it. Basically, what I am trying to say is... I was ahead.

(5)Fugie Vamps for something. He flashes it to TooSarcastic. I'm worried. What does he think could blow me out here? TS smiles and says, "That's not gonna help." I have no idea what the guys put me on here, but it was pretty clear I had something "amazing", which is to say, amazing to Timmy. Fugie passes the turn.

(6)So I am sitting there wondering how to get Major Luck to tap down, so I can force Jokulhaups through the Douse. Fugie is having us draw an extra card...Nevinyrral's disk! Ding.

(7)"You realize Disk is about to untap, right?" says Fugie to a very aware Major Luck. Luckie considers his options, then transmutes Drift of Phantasms? 3! What's at 3? Am I about to be blown out? Capsize! On the Disk! Major has 7 mana up. He can't buyback and leave mana up for the Douse. And I am thinking to myself, "How the hell do I convince him to buyback without being obvious about it?" Thank heavens for TS, who provided just enough, "oh shit, you're screwed," commentary, that I didn't have to lay it on too thick. I picked up the card, squinted at it and said, "It has buyback?" Major Luck taps 6. Oh man...

(8)I drew something. Tapped 12 mana. Jokulhaups. Luckie spins the top with it on the stack, saves the Top. Fugie bins everything but Jace and Lilliana (Ajani had died somehow). I floated BBBRRR. When I finished my ridiculous windmill slam, I revealed Rakdos the Defiler. Fugie has to find an answer, now.

(9)We start discussing Unsummon. "If somebody has an answer to that, I applaud them, because that would be an awesome comeback." I say. Now that my heart has stopped racing, I've got the fear. What if they do have a one mana answer? Like Unsummon? Or something? I'm never very good at thinking of all the cards. Lilliana is on 6. Fugie takes her to 7 and I pitch something I'd never be able to cast. Major Luck fails to drop a land

(10)Fugie kindly explains to me how Lilliana can't go up to 8 and then Living Death in the same turn. Oh right. I guess I will hit you again Fuge.

(11)Fugie draws for the turn. We all draw off Jace. Lilliana goes to 8. Major Luck again fails to drop a land. I hit Lilliana down to 1. Major Luck misses another land drop. I hit Fugie and he scoops and...

(12)...goes through his deck and flashes the Swords to Plowshares that he was desperately trying to topdeck.

The Swords to Plowshares he had the land to play.

The Swords to Plowshares he could have Demonic Tutored for with Lilliana.

The Swords to Plowshares he could have drawn with Jace after D-tutoring with Lilliana. CBG dodges a bullet.

Man, that was fun. Finishing off Major Luck was academic. I bathed in glory. It was AWESOME.

An Absolute Must Read

Coyoeuglly refuses to learn how to embed a link even though it's easy.

Let them eat cake

Hey, for those of you drafting tonight, there will be cake. I did a test run of the Watergate Cake (aka Pistacio Pudding Cake) last night & need some help taking care of it. So if that influences your decision about drafting fine, but either way I need help making it disappear.

Somewhere An English Teacher Just Died

http://www.reuters.com/article/oddlyEnoughNews/idUSN1256278120071214?feedType=RSS&feedName=oddlyEnoughNews&rpc=69

Heads up.

Morningtide site is up.

LLL tonight at my house. All are welcome.

Cube Draft Update.

This thing has taken over my life. I am pretty close to something resembling an 8-man cube using only my cards. It should be done by the weekend, regardless of whether or not it gets used. But the process has also raised some questions as to how to balance cube ownership and control with playgroup interest and investedness. Okay, maybe that doesn't make any sense to you. Let my chat with Captain Bondage Goth underscore the point.

10:47 AM
me: This cube thing is getting out of hand
10:48 AM
CBG: in terms of...?
me: I have probably spent ten hours just organizing it. I think I'm close to getting an 8 person cube together with just my cards. Although I don't how exciting it will be.
CBG: well, I can contribute cards
10:49 AM
me: I'm still trying to figure out if that's what I want.
10:50 AM
CBG: I think we should get group cube together for maximum awesomeness
10:51 AM
but I can see the point of not wanting to have it "group-owned" as it were
me: Yeah, I'm on the fence. How much importance is there in knowing I can change it when I want, or not have to keep track of whose cards are whose, there are drawbacks to both ways of doing it.
CBG: But it'll make the moxes cheaper to share the cost :D
10:52 AM
me: So far there's no power, only FoW and Braingeyser
CBG: sure I have a winter orb if you want :P
me: Uh, thanks.
CBG: Yeah, and maybe we could include crazy lifegain
10:53 AM
me: Well, I do have Martyr of Sand in there currently. And Ivory Tower.
CBG: Anyhow. I think a group cube where we all have input is the ultimate goal, but maybe it's cool for you to have the whole thing cuz then you can take it to tourneys and such
10:58 AM
me: Who would make the decision of what goes in (or out) when the votes end up being even? If there's one guy who wants to put in his foil Looter-il Kor, but it would mean cutting my Exodus Merfolk Looter, does his vote count as much as mine? And what about when one guy wants to take out my Counterbalance and Diving Top for his Tinker and Darksteel Colossus, how do we decide what happens? Does the fact that I have put more thought into balancing the colors/strategies than anyone else count? On the other hand, will anyone even care if they aren't engaged by group ownership? Tough Calls.
10:59 AM
CBG: Hmm...
11:04 AM
I don't know. I would think foils in general a bad idea, but as to the general point? I think that we are all adults and can reach consensus. I would really like to have a nice powerful cube and the way to do that in my mind is to pool collections. The question in my mind is, is one person the keeper of the list and therefore, the final authority. Which I am happy with you being and which I would shoot myself if it was-
****

Whoa there! Seems like a fine place to end the quote. You get the point. There are issues. Ultimately I think Gothy McBondage is right. Group ownership means that everyone actually cares about the Cube. This trumps me being a control freak. But, at the same time, if 90% or so of the cards are mine, I think being "keeper of the list" or whatever you want to call it, is reasonable, as long as it means listening to other people who care about what goes in. Honestly I think the bigger issue is going to be what comes out. Comments about the issue are welcome.
T

For Everyones Amusement And Why Workstation Blows

I'm . Its my opponents turn 5 I believe. I have a Magus of the Moon in play and this is what happened.

End my turn
It is now turn 12 (lotus)
It is now the Beginning Phase, Untap Step
lotus untaps his/her permanents
It is now the Beginning Phase, Upkeep Step
It is now the Beginning Phase, Draw Step
lotus draws a card
It is now the Precombat Main Phase
lotus plays Tranquil Thicket from Hand
lotus untaps Tranquil Thicket
Thinking
still comes into play tapped
(at this point louts uses a feature that lets him highlight Magus of the Moon)
doesn't matter
are only mountains
It is now the End Phase, Cleanup Step
End my turn
the way the layers work they still come into play tapped
look it up if you dont belive me but im not going to sit here and try to cheat you on a bull shit mws game
noob read the rules
Player Lost
Session Lost
Disconnected

Okay. Its no big deal that he is wrong about the rules here. Alot of people are confused about this when I do it on Workstation. But I normally tell them it works then give them a link to Ask the Judge on SCG.com with all the questions about Magus of the Moon. Than the game normally continues with the correct ruling. And I let them take back the play now knowing how the rules work correctly. Even if they just leave the game it is no big deal. But to insult me and tell me the rules when me are absolutely correct makes me want to punch babies.

Horde of Notions

Is the Card of the Day on wizards.com

Zvi agrees with Fugie

Horde! FTW!

http://www.wizards.com/default.asp?x=mtgevent/worlds07/fm6

Nice. Consuming Bonfire out of the graveyard off WUBRG. Why didn't I think of that?

Cube Draft!

I know Wizards is pushing the idea of Cube Draft as a cool format, etc. etc. Thus I kind of feel guilty jumping on the bandwagon now, since I know many people have been doing it forever. However, reading on SCG like a year ago, it seemed like everyone's Cube needed to be fully powered and had a shit load of older cards that I did not have. But in the Invitational List and (even more so) in Wizard's current Cube List, it seems that cards from all eras were chosen, maybe even with an emphasis on newer sets. It made me optimistic that I could throw an interesting 8-person Cube together with a little effort. There won't be any moxen or Timewalks in this cube, but I am still trying to base the first run-through on the Wizard's lists, replacing cards that I don't have. Later on we could add or remove based on what people liked. If the idea is popular I may ask to trade for some of the older rares. Likewise I might just buy a bunch of the budget uncommons I don't yet have. And hey, it gives me a chance to show off my promo Rakdos Guildmage, foily Ascendent Evincar and the like. It's not like I'm going to be throwing them in decks anyway. A rough count of Wizards' Cube shows 714 cards, which seems a little overboard. I'm guessing I miscounted and there are 720 (enough for 16 people). I highly doubt we'll ever have 16 people desperate to draft my Cube at once, so I am going to set the bar a little lower, at 360 (enough for an 8-man). Would you guys like to try this? If nobody really cares, then I won't bother gathering it up, since you are the only guys I play with anyway. A man can't cube draft by himself.
T

Fugie Graduates on Tuesday

FYI, Fugie walks for his associates this coming Tuesday (12/11/07). Lets get as many people together as possible and make it a spectacle worthy of "the Mighty & Powerful Edd". It starts @ 7 pm in the main hall @ ITT in Greenfield (located @ 63rd & Layton, take the 60th street exit and head south, take a right on Layton, and it will be on the right hand side). If I had more time I would have had T-shirts with a creative slogan made (maybe something like "Disciple of the Mighty & Powerful Edd").

Eye on Extended

Okay... sealed PTQ's are done... which means Extended is comming and I now no longer care about sealed. So with that in mind after the PTQ Saturday (don't ask I don't remeber it) me and Tyler ventured to AJ's house. After I was spouting off all weekend about how amazing Cephalid Breakfest is to everyone that would listen, me and Tyler talked AJ into trying it. I will freely admit that I have no idea how that went even though I was sitting about a foot away from them while they were testing. But it made me want to proxy it up today. So I have been messing around with a decklist for something like 7 hours now. Goldfishing various lists... internet perusing... tv... food... along with various other things. I eventually found something that I liked "enough" and goldfished it 20 times. These were the results:

Kills:

T1: 0 (yes it is possible with this deck)
T2: 10
T3: 5
T4: 1
T5+: 4 (which means lossing)
Mulls: 7
2x Mulls: 5
3x Mulls:2

In hindsight I wish I kept track of what turns I killed on when I mulled. And why I mulled. I was also mulliganing pretty aggressivly which I know attributed to some of them. The 10 turn 2 kills are impressive... but the 14 total mulligans are very scary. So I am wondering what other peoples opinions on the deck and anything that they think might improve consistancy.

Also I never once used the Spiritulist combo... which makes me start to think it might need to be cut. Although it still gives the deck a nice plan B... and Goofys are plan C.

4 Tarmogoyf (yes he is in fucking EVERYTHING)
1 Outrider en-Kor
3 Cephalid Illusionist
4 Nacromobea
1 Sutured Ghoul
4 Shuko
1 Dread Return
1 Dragon's Breath
3 Cabal Therapy
4 Living Wish
3 Daru Spiritulist
2 Simian Spirit Guide
3 Steelshaper's Gift
1 Bridge from Below
2 Sylvan Scrying

4 Chrome Mox
3 Starlit Santum
3 Flooded Strand
3 Windswept Heath
1 Breeding Pool
2 Hallowed Fountinan
1 Temple Garden
4 City of Brass
1 Goldess Shrine

The premise of the deck is to assemble Shuko + Cephild Illusionist to mill your entire library. You than flashback Dread Return on Sutruted Ghoul removing all your creatures from the game. Then when you Ghoul hits play Dragon's Breath gets attacked and you attack with a 20+/20+ hasty trampler.

The deck also has a built in backup combo of Shuko + Daru Spiritulist + Starlit Sanctum. You get Shuko + Spiritulist to make the Spiritulist 1/infinite + 1 than sacrifice it to Starlit Sanctum for infinite life.

Casual Deck

It is not as though this format will matter to anyone else, but my casual deck won both the group games it played last Friday, so I thought I would post it. The deck building restrictions are here. I believe white is the best color in this "format," with red close behind. Either blue or black could take third. I would not play green for any sum of money.

Red
1 x Ashling the Pilgrim
1 x Jaya Ballard
1 x Fortune Thief
1 x Shard Phoenix
1 x Ryusei, the Falling Star
2 x Desolation Giant
2 x Bogardan Hellkite
Blue
1 x Dominating Licid
1 x Rainbow Efreet
1 x Sower of Temptation (should be Dom. Licid #2)
2 x Vesuvan Shapeshifter
2 x Venser, Shaper Savant
2 x Teferi
2 x Draining Whelk
2 x Aeon Chronicler
White
1 x Adarkar Valkyrie
1 x Eternal Dragon
1 x Reya Dawnbringer
1 x Blazing Archon
2 x Mangara of Corondor
2 x Magus of the Disk
2 x Mageta the Lion
2 x Akroma, Angel of Wrath
Multicolor
Numot, the Devastator
Land
2 x Flagstone of Trokair
2 x Steam Vents
2 x Sacred Foundry
2 x Hallowed Fountain
2 x Battlefield Forge
2 x Adarkar Wastes
2 x Lonely Sandbar
1 x Ancient Amphitheater
1 x Shivan Reef
1 x Secluded Steppe
1 x Azorious Chancery
1 x Boros Garrison
1 x Izzet Boilerworks
1 x Tolaria West (should have been two)
1 x Calciform Pools
1 x Prav, Spires of Order
1 Sunhome, Fortress of Legion
1 Plains

Thanks to the Major and CBG for borrowing me cards. The theme of the deck was card advantage, primarily through board sweeping, with large flyers for clean up. If I played again I would definitely add two Ixidron (really good), probably for Numot and Jaya. I also might cut a Venser or Vesuvan Shapeshifter for another Reya. Landwise I would hunt down and run the old tap lands (Coastal Tower, etc.) instead of Adarkar Wastes and friends. The pain is much more relevant than a one turn delay on mana production. Thanks to our host Jack and all the other players we had not met prior for a great time. It's nice to play with people who aren't 15 years old (or have the maturity level thereof).

Best play of the night- My last remaining opponent responds to my Reya triggered ability by flipping over Willbender. He changes my graveyard target from Bogardan Hellkite to Desolation Giant, Wrathing all my guys except the giant. Nice. Play. Yeah I got the game in the end, but a guy has to give respect for that kind of tech.
T

Yes I know its late

But my laptop took a dump on me and I have not really had acess to a computer for a couple of weeks... So here is my sealed from the PTQ:

Spellstutter Sprite
Kithkin Daggerdare
Leaf Gilder
Wings of Velis Vel
2x Fertile Ground
Nameless Inversion
Scion of Oona
Elvish Harbinger
2x Merrow Reejerey
2x Glimmerdust Nap
Moonglove Extract
Oblivion Ring
Cloudcrown Oak
Briarhorn
Galepowder Mage
Sentinels of Glen Elendra
Bog-Strider Ash
Merrow Harbinger
Dreamspoiler Witches
Shriekmaw
Warren Pilferers

6x Island
6x Forest
1 Gilt-Leaf Palace
1 Secluded Gleen
2x Vivid Marsh

Sideboard

Wanderer's Twig

Springleaf Drum

Triclopean Sight

Hillcomber Giant

Plover Knights

Sentry Oak

Wellgabber Apothecary

Wizened Cenn

Burrenton Forge-Tender

2x Lairwatch Giant

Goldmeadow harrier

Soaring Hope

Oakgnarl Warrior*

Battlewand Oak

Elvish Promenade

Elvish Branchbender

Elvish Eulogist

2x Warren-Scourge Elf

Aquitect's Will

2x Ego Erasure

2x Faerie Trickery**

Whirlpool Whelm*

Inkfathom Divers*

Tar Pitcher

2x Soulbright Flamekin

Crush Underfoot

2x Faultgrinder

Needle Drop

Stinkdrinker Dardevil

Adder-Staff Boggart

Boggart Forager

Ashling the Pilgrim*

Mudbutton Torchrunner

Prowess of the Fair

Hornet Harasser*

2x Nightshade Stinger

Black Polar Shaman*

Mournwhelk*

Moonglove Winnower*

Hoarder's Greed*

(* denotes being sideboarded in various times over the course of the day)

All I can really say about this sealed pool is, Nice Mana Base. The fixers I opened allowed me to play all of my good spells. All the while having a very stable mana base that had some good acceleration in it. I also was given a ton of sideboarding options with the pool.

If I had to do it again the only changes I would make are -1 Scion of Oona, -1 Dreamspoiler Witches, +1 Battlewand Oak, +1 Inkfathom Divers. I wouldn't change the mana at all for the switches.

As far as power level goes for this deck I feel that its about a B to mabye a B+. The deck can definitly do some very powerful things. Coupled with good removal and a good amount of evasion. But there are also alot of draws that just felt akward when I was playing. Like drawing a Rejeery and none of the other Merfolk... or Scion of Onna and no faries. The deck and also would just randomly just mana fuck itself because it is 4 colors. Spellstutter Sprite, Scion of Oona and Kithkin Daggerdare normally will never make the cut either... espcially not all of them in the same deck. It also is lacking in a true bomb rare... You know the rare you rip of the top and know you are not going to be able to lose this game if you try bomb rare... Yes Galepowder Mage is nice... and I have a Shriekmaw and Pilferers to go with it... but I never got it to happen once in 8 rounds.

The "MTGO Crash" Draft Walkthourgh

I'm going to try to do this anyway, even though I never got play a freakin game. Stupid servers. I am using screenshots of draftcap, because it's about 8 million times easier for you guys to see pics of the packs and then digest the stuff instead of reading a string of names. Yeah it's convoluted, but it also breaks up the picks nicely so I can talk about them in chunks.

Here we go. Click on the pics for enlarging.

What a disappointing first pack. Plenty of fine things to take- for pick 5. I chose the colorless removal spell since I knew it would make the deck and I don't have to commit. Second pick was all about removal. We've got four removal spells in three colors! And one really good creature (Cloudcrown, obv.) I took the Final Revels for the possibility of a wrath effect.

Pick 3 we have plenty of good creatures. The Sentinels and Baloonist are both tempting but I'm really excited about the Boggart Harbinger. This is how nuts goblin decks start. Inevitably someone passes me a Fodder Launch in pack three and I'm cursing myself that I don't have a Harbinger to go with it. Still, Hoofprints is a great rare that wins long games all day. I snap it up.

Pick 4 Silvergill Douser tells me that Merfolk are open, but I have take another Final Revels. Sexy!

Pick 5 Stonybrook Angler and Harpoon Sniper? Merfolk are definitely open! The uncommon is better, but I know the Angler will be great, and the Sniper needs a critical mass. I'll let it pass for now.

Pick 6 Might as well go all in. My pick, which you can't see on the screenshot is Streambed Aquitects, over Sentry Oak, I guess. Not much else.

Pick 7 Tough choice for me. Both the Feast and the Skeletal Changling would go well in the U/b deck that seems to be shaping up here, but I ultimately choose the Vivid land because I want the freedom to splash for white Merfolk, if they come around

Pick 8 Sweet! Another Feast! Now I feel better about tkaing the Vivid, too, because otherwise I might have considered the Drum.

Pick 9 Hearthcage Giant wheels. Maybe I should start looking at red...

Pick 10 Glimmerdust Nap. Some removal in blue. Soubright flamekin is late, but he is an enabler, not a key to the Elemental combo engine.

Pick 11 Red is still open, Goatnapper it is. If my black gets more solid in Pack 2 I may need the goblin plan anyway.

Pick 12 Late Inkfathom. Nice

Pick 13 Wispmare for opposing O-rings.

Pick 14 Triclopean Sight, hatedraft the shitty trick.

Pick 15 Protective Bubble

After Pack 1 we have some good mass removal and the beginnings of a Merfolk deck.

Pick 1 Well, once again not very exciting. Peppersmoke, Paperfin Rascal and Moonglove Extract seem to fit our deck. I could snap up the Smokebraider in case I get some more red, but I just go for first pick colorless removal spell #2.

Pick 2 This pack is incomplete, and none of the missing uncommons or possibly the rare came back around so they can't have been awful. One of the uncommons was a third Final Revels, but I decided two was enough. Whatever the reast were, I took the Nameless Inversion over all of them and a Streambed Aquitects. Seems fine.

Pick 3 Hamletback Goliath and Neck Snap seemed good, but I have the on-color Ghostly Changeling which is ridiculous in its own right. I seriously considered the Giant, though. Ultimately it came down to being able to drop a great dude on turn three instead of dropping Goliath a turn after you were already dead.

Pick 4 My eyes alight on the Avian Changeling but rest on the two-drop merfolk. Great curve, here I come!


Pick 5 Aethersnipe over Tarfire and Inkfathom.

Pick 6 Thought about the Glimmerdust Nap, but a quick count of the merfolk told me I could probably make the Silvergill Adept a two drop. Things are shaping up nicely!

Pick 7 I take the fixing (Vivid Marsh this time) over the iffy off color removal. Seems like the right call to me, but I may be wrong.

Pick 8 I almost auto-picked the Amoeboid Changeling without even looking at the off-color cards. Summon the School seems like a great splash for this deck. Man, no one is touching Merfolk!

Pick 9 Paperfin Rascal tables. Nice.

Pick 10 It was between the Battlewand and the Blades. I prefer taking combat tricks as hate drafts, but the Battlewand is really great early drop in the right deck. Also, treefolk have been coming late.

Pick 11 Runed Stalactite over Nath's Buffon, which is surprisingly good (Changeling removal and Eyeblight's Ending don't kill it).

Pick 12 Wellgabber Apothecary on the off chance it makes the deck.

Pick 13 Boggart Birth Rite

Pick 14 Zephyr Net

Pick 15 Giant's Ire

Pack 2 gave us more merfolk, some removal and a nice splash card in Summon. We could build a decent but unexciting draft deck with these two packs alone.

Pick 1 Finally a juiced first pick! Warren Pilferers and Judge of Currents are great cards, but the real choice was between Drowner of Secrets and Austere Command. Our deck becomes nuts if we can start to mill people out, but the ability to literally wrath the board is too good to pass up. I make the switch. Let's play U/w/b!

Pick 2 Cryptic Command! We are sooo heavy blue, too. Another Stonybrook Angler would be great, but the counterspell + card draw, or bounce, or whatever is too good to pass up. Also, it's worth tix.

Pick 3 Wow. We've got another Judge of Currents, Crib Swap in our new second color, and the bomb Fallowsage. I hate to pass the life gain again, but I think drawing cards is just better. We have enough removal. On a side note, the Deeptread Merrow will probably table given the way things have gone thus far.

Pick 4 Stonybrook Angler. Don't know what the two missing cards were, but I get our second Angler, so that's good.

Pick 5 Mulldrifter. Pick FIVE. C'mon people, don't you like blue???

Pick 6 Silvergill Adept numero dos over the great Whirlpool Whelm. I want more merfolk and have some really good removal already.

Pick 7 Paperfin Rascal over Ethereal Whiskergill. I think normally I would pick the sideboard card here but I am trying to max out my merfolk count for Summon the School and the Adepts. The Rascal is also easier on my curve.

Pick 8 Vivid Marsh #2 over the blue removal. I have removal. The marsh will definitely get played.

Pick 9 Judge of Currents wheels! Everything is going according plan.

Pick 10 Streambed Aquitects wheels as well. It would normally have taken a miracle for the Angler to wheel, but I half expected it, given how open Merfolk are.

Pick 11 Right on cue, Deeptread Merrow. We have TOO MANY playables now.

I am having issues uploading the last screenshot, so just trust me on these last picks.

Pick 12 Faerie Trickery. Man blue is underdrafted.

Pick 13 Protective Bubble

Pick 14 Boggart Sprite-Chaser

Pick 15 Ringskipper

Here is the deck :

It's a little creature light, so I cut the second Final Revels for another dude. Same goes with the second Extract, though they could both come in against beefier dudes. Fairy Trickery is similarly sidelined due to creature concerns, and because it is inferior to the Cryptic Command. The Wellgabber may actually come in if we need to beat down. The Wispmare was going to be main for enchantments (since we have none of our own to hit accidentally) but our creature quality is too high to waste a slot on that thing. Footbottom Feast helps us spend guys early in combat without worrying too much down the line about getting a critical mass of merfolk for shenanigans. I feel that if I played solidly and got lucky, I should win the draft with this sucker. Unfortunately, the server crashed multiple times after we finished drafting. I gave up trying to log in after over an hour had passed since the last crash. I put in a request for a refund coupon, but I don't know if it will be granted. Could I have built this better? Any picks you would have made differently?

T

Don't Tell the Wife!

I 0-3ed last night's draft, but I did okay anyway. Thank God for poor college kids with large card collections and an appetite for beer.
3x Venser
4x Vesuvan Shapeshifter
Pact of Negation
2x Teferi's Moat
2x Bogardan Hellkite
2 x Desert
Knucklebone Witch
Oona's Prowler
Cryptic Command
Jace
2 x Scion of Oona
2 x Birds of Paradise
Total Cost= $72

I also rare drafted an Auntie's Hovel, another Oona's Prowler, a foily Primal Command, and a Wydwen. I now have playsets of most of these cards. Looking forward to actually having options when building for Standard! But trying to explain why spending this much money was such a good deal to a wife who actively dislikes playing Magic would be a difficult task. So let's just keep this between you, me, and the other dozens of people who read this site, mmkay?
T

Scooptastic!

Ever since last weekend I have wanted to write a post regarding my concession in the second round, on turn five of extra turns. The more I thought about writing the post, the more I realized it would be both long AND boring, something I’d like to, you know, avoid, so this post is a compromise. I will go through the ten seconds of decision making before I conceded in loose detail, then close with some other thoughts. Just so you know; this is not a defense of my scoop. This is just a discussion of how I’ve come to feel about the issue. Feel free to critique in the comments.
So here’s the deal: I’m playing Chris Richter in round two. I am 0-0-1. He is 1-0. He’s playing an interminable merfolk deck that eventually gets dubs Judge of Currents out. Yes, I misplayed to get to this situation, in case you were wondering, but I didn’t know it until after the game. My misplay didn’t affect my decision. Chris asks me if I would like to concede. Here are the next tens seconds transliterated to print.
My immediate response is, “No.” I say this out loud. I am annoyed that he would ask me this. It is round two, and he appears to be grasping at straws for a win.
I think about my record. 0-0-2 is the same as 0-1-1 for top 8 consideration, either way I have to win out. I am also out of prize range at this point. (Aside: This is a complete falsehood! The prize payout is very deep! I just did not know this at the time!)
He has been a decent opponent. He pressured me to play faster in game three when I felt it was his deck that was slowing the game down, but other that, he seemed more nice than he had needed to be.
I don’t want to look like a dick in front of this judge.

I decide to concede. Immediately Richter starts making comments about how he had board position and probably would have won if we were untimed. He also describes his merfolk stall deck as “beatdown.” Obviously these points are irrelevant on many levels (i.e. the match WAS timed, and regardless of what he called his deck, it was not “beating down” game three, etc, etc). These comments make me feel like he wasn’t as nice a guy as he appeared to be. I replied that playing a lifegain deck hardly qualifies as beatdown, and he would need do to more than double his life total to stay out of the draw bracket in future rounds. He retorts that he had six power of islandwalkers main against me (I was playing islands.) I walk away with a really bad taste in my mouth. Was this guy nice during the match just as a strategic consideration, letting his cocky true colors show after he got what he wanted? As in, “On the off chance this guy might otherwise cut me a break I need down the road, I might as well chitchat with him for now.” If so, that would be the lousiest reason to be sportsmanlike ever. As I walk through the venue I am sick just thinking about it.
***
This was pretty much my line of thinking about the whole scenario until the end of the day. Strategically (as far as I can tell) I am worse off with a loss instead of a draw. I know that competitive Magic players are by both nature and training always taught to make choices based on the best probable strategic outcome for themselves, and by that logic I made the wrong decision by scooping. If I by some miracle win out, I am more likely to get in the T8 with two draws than I am with a draw and a loss. At best I cowardly conceded because I was afraid of looking bad in front of a judge who may in the future rule unfavorably toward me in retaliation, and at worst I was manipulated into a concession I wouldn’t have otherwise given because my opponent saw a potential strategic advantage in being a decent human being during the beginning of the match. Either way, it was “a mistake,” to say the least. However, the next day I thought about the situation some more. I decided that maybe what happened had actually been a good thing. Here’s why: I would rather be seen as being too merciful rather than being too much of a dick. I would rather be called gullible, or too nice, or even sycophantic rather than have an opponent walk away from a match against me and say, “Man, that TooSarcastic guy was a real asshole.” We all know asshole gamers. And I don’t mean folks like you and me, although we’re assholes, to be sure. But generally we’re only dicks between rounds of Magic. Having played against you guys many times I can say that you’re all sporting opponents. No, you know the guys I’m talking about. The guys who get banned from stores, the guys who rip off kids when they trade, guys who MONEY DRAFT, for Christ sakes! I do not want to be one of those guys. And if it means sometimes making a mistake and scooping to a guy I shouldn’t, then so be it. At least I’m not the guy who looks his opponent in the eye and says, “Yeah, I’m out of the running, and I could scoop to you to keep your hopes alive, but I’m going to fuck you over because I don’t want to lose the four extra DCI points. Strategically it’s the right decision for me.” Ya’ll can disagree with me, but that’s where I ended up after this whole deal.

Trifecta

Our poster "The Captain" (not to be confused with "Captain Bondage Goth," who would never play Vintage) has a Type I trifecta; He won a Black Lotus, had his cool tech mentioned in an online article and beat young Turts in the T8. Congrats, Captain.
99% of the time, if you overhear a person at a game store saying card X is awesome in Vintage, it's nothing to get excited about. Who would have thought Stingscourger was the exception?
T

Coyoeuglly is vindicated?

Last Friday night Coyoeuglly got assaulted by another (peripheral) member of our playgroup for taking a Lash Out over Deathrender 1st pick 1st pack. Actually the guy was salty because Major Luck ended up pounding the hell out of him with the Deathrender, not really because of Coyoeuglly's card choice. Regardless, Coyoeuglly got shit all night for it. Now, I think Deathrender is really good, in almost any deck, but even I thought the Lash Out pick was justified given the kind of decks Coyoeuglly drafts. Now, we have an opinion from the Mothership's own Quentin Martin, albeit one that is hastily tossed off as an aside. I will quote; "Deathrender is far too expensive for what it does, although it is still okay, but six mana to give a guy +2/+2 is pricey." He also ignores the second ability of the sword, which is obviously more relevant for most decks. Keep in mind this comment comes as ol' McMarty is deliberating his FOURTH pick, not his first of the pack. So in his in tempo-oriented faeries deck, Q wouldn't touch this Deathrender with a 10-foot clown pole. Is this a vindication for Coyoeuglly? I don't know. But it does seem to imply that we may be valuing the rusty sword a little higher than we should be. Or do we know better than this four-time Limited Grand Prix Top 8er?

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.

Hey!

Well, CBG finished 52nd in this 199 player ptq, with a 4-4 record. Major Luck went 4-4. Fugie went 4-4 (perhaps you are noticing a pattern). TooSarcastic finished 3-4-1. Thank goodness for that most supernatural of dudes, coyoeuglly. He lost in the first round and then won out from there, making top 8 with a 7-1 record. The wheels came off in the draft and he landed in 5th or 6th. An impressive showing, despite coming up empty of a ticket to Malaysia.

Squee!

I am going to my first PTQ this morning. Yes, that's right. If you don't count GP:Saint Louis, this will be my very first tourney where the top prize is more than "packs". I am excited. Let's all do a happy dance. Also, let's win.

Not sure why those images weren't enlarging on my computer. Trying a new upload.

T

League Deck

I finally realized I could enlarge the size of the cards in the deck editor for y'all to see (you still should click on the image to see it in detail). Here is the pool I am currently 9 points, 3 tiebreaks with. I'm at 34th. I don't know if trying to make top 32 is worth it since I had to play six matches to get those three points (lost four in a row, won two in a row, lost the last match in three games, losong one point).

Here's the pool (only basics on the bottom):

Here's my build:

I originally ran Teeg instead of the Changeling. Teeg never did anything but turn off my Summoon the School. Judge of Currents was cut for one more Island (bringing the count up to 17 land), as I was mulling to five way too often. Fugie is right, one more land is usually better in this format. Familiar's Ruse comes in for bombs, Forge Tender against red decks, Wispmare against O-rings and other scary enchantments. How did I misbuild?

T

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.

MGTO Sealed Pool

Can you see this? I doubt you'll be able to see this. I'll post the list later tonight.

T

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.