We didn't pass Mardu stuff did we? We passed mostly green and Abzan cards. I agree we should be sticking with white, as there are two very playable white cards in the pack (Feat of Resistance and Mardu Hateblade. I was going to say pick the hateblade, but then realized the combat trick basically accomplishes the same thing, can't be killed beforehand and goes in more decks too.
Abzan Guide
Abzan Ascendancy
Pine Walker
Awaken the Bear
Savage Punch (arguably more Temur or Sultai)
G/W Dual
I guess you could call it a scratch if you really wanted to since there was also some 2 drop green creatures, I just posted the cards I felt actually can pull you a little towards the colors, and I think Mardu pulls harder towards Mardu specifically, especially towards the (supporting? for now) colors. I want to say that is worse than for example, a Temur player on your right picking green cards - the other colors will bleed through.
There was some solid white and black but they share those colors so that doesn't really matter.
Seems hard to argue that White isn't at least somewhat open from our right, and/or card evaluations are off (most likely also true). Since 2 commons were chosen here, yet two good white commons remain. I'm guessing most likely they took some removal or solid creature in other colors, which would be good for us, but sure, they could've been white too. I also think that black uncommon is underrated. So let's definitely tread carefully with assuming of signals and just keep trying to build the best deck.
I think I want Feat of Resistance, digging into white, but probably leaning towards Abzan over Mardu since I feel we passed stronger Mardu cards so far. Jeskai hasn't shown us anything yet. This strategy would also keep the Aven as a possible splash; we'll see what comes around though.
Ok, I'll vote Rakshasa's Secret then so we get the flavor-text requirement and could get crazy with a last minute change of heart. mwahaha
Smite the Monstrous' isn't bad, but that flavor text is really sad if Sarkhan is on the board haha. I was a little bored and overzealous so I reviewed the commons in the set some more and here are my general rules of thumb:
White: You want to aim for removal or the solid small creatures here. The exception is Feat of Resistance which has a good argument for top white common.
Blue: Pseudo-removal/card draw. Creatures are pretty lacking except Jeskai Windscout (Embodiment of Spring U/G). Seems best as a secondary color to play tempo or ramp/control.
Black: Removal, low-drops for Raid, Discard, and Sultai Scavenger
Red: Trumpet Blast, Mardu Warshrieker, Tormenting Voice, low-drops for Raid. I want to say Trumpet Blast is the best red common followed by Mardu Warshrieker. The common removal in red is just okay.
Green: Make stuff ferocious -- Alpine Grizzly, Savage Punch, Awaken the Bear, Dragonscale Boon, Hooting Mandrills, Woolly Loxodon
Jeskai and Mardu have the best 5 drop morph commons. They are irreplacable by any other card and fit really well with their clan's gameplan. Probably worth a splash with 2/3 allied colors. The other 3 are mostly just big creatures, which you're perfectly happy to run if you are in those colors.
My first instinct is that you try to use the almost good enough Mardu early game with BWr, taking red for Bring Low, Highspire Mantis and probably most importantly Mardu Asdencancy. The mana honestly is barely good enough for me, but with the fixing you have, there's not much options.
I think you have a solid early game and can win with fliers, but I switched out the 4 mana 3/3 first strike because it doesn't really go with the plan. You need some damage early and you're probably going to win with fliers. Dutiful Return fits that plan much better than the hill giant.
Choices:
Salt Road Patrol
Smite the Monstrous
Rakshasa's Secret
Stay in white - solid (outlast) blocker versus conditional removal
Take the cool black card - murmurs of madness, eh, eh? What do you guys think of this card? Seems good to me except against Mardu, probably.
Nooooo, I wrote a huge post and then Google Chrome crashed. I normally write those in Google Drive too, curses! I basically wrote an punspirational speech ramble draft analysis. I'll do my best to try again, a little more succinctly this time.
I don’t want to be in Stubborn Denial of what we’ve done right or wrong in the draft at this point and this pack has given us a Savage Punch at the very least.
If we Throttle’d last pack would we pick Icefeather Aven here and be happy about being open or metaphorically start raising the Sultai Banner, or picking Valley Dasher and be happy about going in with Mardu or what? I think if we pick Icefeather Aven we’re still not unhappy about having an opposite tri-land since we still have no clue about the landscape of the draft.
We don’t know if U/G is open really except that the previous 2 pickers picked a rare and an uncommon over Icefeather Aven. There are many reasons to do that, and the commons say nothing about it being open or not.
It seems like as a team we want to be open. So far our packs themselves have pointed to that or forcing Mardu imo. That actually just gave me a thought that it’s probably a great idea to have an idea of the wedge you want to force from pick 1 (3 base colors, and then adjust to the draft as necessary, since any 3 colors can transform into any of the other wedges). I prefer the openness at this point. Picking Icefeather Aven is the best card in the pack and forces us to be open.
All in all, I probably ended up typing just as much, and even if we zig-zag the first half of the draft I have confidence in us as a team. I’ve seen and done better with worse.
Our first two picks have awesome flavor text, and as the Mystic of the Hidden Way would say “There are no obstacles, only different paths.”
I definitely prefer Throttle over Arrow Storm. I'm voting the Nomad Outpost. It's uncommon, leaves us similarly if not more open, and I'm feeling these colors.
do you play this game to get mad? no? then be excited about everything that happens...something is only good or bad because you expect a certain result. if you keep your mind open, you'll see more opportunities for your success and realize sometimes the opponent just has your number that day. and if you don't understand what it means to just be excited to play or be happy, find something that does so you can understand that feeling and not let it go. anger is just the frustration from helplessness. don't be helpless, you can always do something to improve your situation, and sometimes the downswings make things more dynamic and interesting.
Mardu Charm
Ponyback Brigade
Valley Dasher
Arrow Storm
Trumpet Blast
R/B dual
vs
Abzan Guide
Abzan Ascendancy
Pine Walker
Awaken the Bear
Savage Punch (arguably more Temur or Sultai)
G/W Dual
I guess you could call it a scratch if you really wanted to since there was also some 2 drop green creatures, I just posted the cards I felt actually can pull you a little towards the colors, and I think Mardu pulls harder towards Mardu specifically, especially towards the (supporting? for now) colors. I want to say that is worse than for example, a Temur player on your right picking green cards - the other colors will bleed through.
There was some solid white and black but they share those colors so that doesn't really matter.
I think I want Feat of Resistance, digging into white, but probably leaning towards Abzan over Mardu since I feel we passed stronger Mardu cards so far. Jeskai hasn't shown us anything yet. This strategy would also keep the Aven as a possible splash; we'll see what comes around though.
Smite the Monstrous' isn't bad, but that flavor text is really sad if Sarkhan is on the board haha. I was a little bored and overzealous so I reviewed the commons in the set some more and here are my general rules of thumb:
White: You want to aim for removal or the solid small creatures here. The exception is Feat of Resistance which has a good argument for top white common.
Blue: Pseudo-removal/card draw. Creatures are pretty lacking except Jeskai Windscout (Embodiment of Spring U/G). Seems best as a secondary color to play tempo or ramp/control.
Black: Removal, low-drops for Raid, Discard, and Sultai Scavenger
Red: Trumpet Blast, Mardu Warshrieker, Tormenting Voice, low-drops for Raid. I want to say Trumpet Blast is the best red common followed by Mardu Warshrieker. The common removal in red is just okay.
Green: Make stuff ferocious -- Alpine Grizzly, Savage Punch, Awaken the Bear, Dragonscale Boon, Hooting Mandrills, Woolly Loxodon
Jeskai and Mardu have the best 5 drop morph commons. They are irreplacable by any other card and fit really well with their clan's gameplan. Probably worth a splash with 2/3 allied colors. The other 3 are mostly just big creatures, which you're perfectly happy to run if you are in those colors.
I think you have a solid early game and can win with fliers, but I switched out the 4 mana 3/3 first strike because it doesn't really go with the plan. You need some damage early and you're probably going to win with fliers. Dutiful Return fits that plan much better than the hill giant.
Also, Ulwithian suggested what I think is a fine team name for the draft:
http://www.mtgsalvation.com/forums/the-game/limited-sealed-draft/forum-8-way-draft/573244-ktk-team-names
I'm really interested in the next 3-5 picks and I think any power out of the ordinary should be an important note.
And if you disagree with MissMua, it's great incominggame because you make this pick interesting! MissMua might hate me by the end of this draft...lol
Choices:
Salt Road Patrol
Smite the Monstrous
Rakshasa's Secret
Stay in white - solid (outlast) blocker versus conditional removal
Take the cool black card - murmurs of madness, eh, eh? What do you guys think of this card? Seems good to me except against Mardu, probably.
I don’t want to be in Stubborn Denial of what we’ve done right or wrong in the draft at this point and this pack has given us a Savage Punch at the very least.
If we Throttle’d last pack would we pick Icefeather Aven here and be happy about being open or metaphorically start raising the Sultai Banner, or picking Valley Dasher and be happy about going in with Mardu or what? I think if we pick Icefeather Aven we’re still not unhappy about having an opposite tri-land since we still have no clue about the landscape of the draft.
We don’t know if U/G is open really except that the previous 2 pickers picked a rare and an uncommon over Icefeather Aven. There are many reasons to do that, and the commons say nothing about it being open or not.
It seems like as a team we want to be open. So far our packs themselves have pointed to that or forcing Mardu imo. That actually just gave me a thought that it’s probably a great idea to have an idea of the wedge you want to force from pick 1 (3 base colors, and then adjust to the draft as necessary, since any 3 colors can transform into any of the other wedges). I prefer the openness at this point. Picking Icefeather Aven is the best card in the pack and forces us to be open.
All in all, I probably ended up typing just as much, and even if we zig-zag the first half of the draft I have confidence in us as a team. I’ve seen and done better with worse.
Our first two picks have awesome flavor text, and as the Mystic of the Hidden Way would say “There are no obstacles, only different paths.”
And why is Venerable Lammasu uncommon?
I don't mind Rise to the Challenge as red is our most promising color so far. Not super happy about it but not too down on it either.
Elite Skirmisher
and
Kragma Butcher (more likely?)
OR
Asphyxiate
this pack doesn't look too happy for us, but I like Drown in Sorrow as well for now.
Also, our right picked Akroan Skyguard