Pack 1 pick 1:
Nylea's Disciple
Stymied Hopes
Nessian Courser
Vulpine Goliath
Asphodel Wanderer
Voyaging Satyr
Titan's Strength
Baleful Eidolon
Sedge Scorpion
Scholar of Athreos
Tormented Hero
Horizon Scholar
Insatiable Harpy
--> Heliod, God of the Sun
Mountain
Hello, P1P1able build-around rare that I need for my redemption set!
Pack 1 pick 2:
Prescient Chimera
Demolish
Leafcrown Dryad
--> Gods Willing
Scourgemark
Coastline Chimera
Rage of Purphoros
Satyr Hedonist
Borderland Minotaur
Scholar of Athreos
Vanquish the Foul
Arena Athlete
Artisan of Forms
Swamp
Blatant forcing.
Pack 1 pick 3:
Ill-Tempered Cyclops
Guardians of Meletis
--> Battlewise Valor
Satyr Hedonist
Satyr Rambler
Leonin Snarecaster
Feral Invocation
Deathbellow Raider
Opaline Unicorn
Rescue from the Underworld
Purphoros's Emissary
Flamespeaker Adept
Plains
Pack 1 pick 4:
Viper's Kiss
Dragon Mantle
Yoked Ox
Benthic Giant
Voyaging Satyr
Spearpoint Oread
Wavecrash Triton
Traveler's Amulet
--> Magma Jet
Spellheart Chimera
Evangel of Heliod
Mountain
Pack 1 pick 5:
--> Divine Verdict
Sip of Hemlock
Commune with the Gods
Lagonna-Band Elder
Lost in a Labyrinth
Pharika's Cure
Shredding Winds
Boon of Erebos
Vanquish the Foul
Pharika's Mender
Forest
Pack 1 pick 6:
Ill-Tempered Cyclops
--> Leafcrown Dryad
Chosen by Heliod
Ray of Dissolution (FOIL)
Portent of Betrayal
Commune with the Gods
Returned Phalanx
Lagonna-Band Elder
Dark Betrayal
Plains
That is a green signal. Unfortunately, GW is poop.
Pack 1 pick 8:
Pheres-Band Centaurs
Guardians of Meletis
Lost in a Labyrinth
Fade into Antiquity
Satyr Rambler
Opaline Unicorn
--> Anvilwrought Raptor
Island
Pack 1 pick 13:
--> Commune with the Gods
Vanquish the Foul
Forest
Pack 1 pick 14:
--> Ray of Dissolution (FOIL)
Plains
Pack 1 pick 15:
--> Mountain
------ THS ------
Pack 2 pick 1:
Pheres-Band Centaurs
Nylea's Presence
Minotaur Skullcleaver
Satyr Hedonist
Satyr Rambler
Leonin Snarecaster
Feral Invocation
Fate Foretold
Ray of Dissolution
Wavecrash Triton
Centaur Battlemaster
Fanatic of Mogis
Prowler's Helm
--> Thoughtseize
Island
Another profitable pick, another reason to go WB?
Pack 2 pick 2:
Ephara's Warden
Sip of Hemlock
Stymied Hopes
Voyaging Satyr
Titan's Strength
Baleful Eidolon
Benthic Giant
Annul
Voyage's End
Staunch-Hearted Warrior
Ordeal of Thassa
--> Favored Hoplite
Dark Betrayal
Forest
Pack 2 pick 3:
Ill-Tempered Cyclops
Chosen by Heliod
Leonin Snarecaster
Priest of Iroas
Read the Bones
Thassa's Bounty
Lost in a Labyrinth
Boon of Erebos
Akroan Crusader
--> Nemesis of Mortals
Ordeal of Erebos
Satyr Piper
Plains
I decide to go green. I'm hoping to put everyone around me into red, blue and black with all the playables I'm shipping.
Pack 2 pick 4:
Ill-Tempered Cyclops
--> Leafcrown Dryad
Chosen by Heliod
Crackling Triton
Spark Jolt
Last Breath
Griptide
Savage Surge
Disciple of Phenax
Horizon Chimera
Evangel of Heliod
Plains
Pack 2 pick 6:
Loathsome Catoblepas
Omenspeaker
March of the Returned
Wild Celebrants
Benthic Giant
--> Decorated Griffin (FOIL)
Cavern Lampad
Thassa's Emissary
Flamecast Wheel
Island
Pack 2 pick 7:
Mnemonic Wall
Viper's Kiss
Portent of Betrayal
Commune with the Gods
Returned Phalanx
Lagonna-Band Elder
Lost in a Labyrinth
--> Scholar of Athreos
Plains
In hindsight, should have been Lagonna-Band Elder.
Pack 2 pick 8:
Loathsome Catoblepas
Omenspeaker
March of the Returned
Fade into Antiquity
Satyr Rambler
Boon of Erebos
--> Setessan Griffin
Swamp
Pack 2 pick 9:
Pheres-Band Centaurs
Satyr Hedonist
--> Leonin Snarecaster
Fate Foretold
Ray of Dissolution
Prowler's Helm
Island
Pack 3 pick 1:
Viper's Kiss
Dragon Mantle
Omenspeaker
Unknown Shores
Crackling Triton
Portent of Betrayal
Commune with the Gods
Returned Phalanx
Deathbellow Raider
Opaline Unicorn
Magma Jet
--> Evangel of Heliod
Flamecast Wheel
Reaper of the Wilds
Mountain
Pack 3 pick 2:
--> Nessian Courser
March of the Returned
Prescient Chimera (FOIL)
Spearpoint Oread
Breaching Hippocamp
Vulpine Goliath
Asphodel Wanderer
Shredding Winds
Boulderfall
Vanquish the Foul
Sealock Monster
Ordeal of Nylea
Titan of Eternal Fire
Swamp
Pack 3 pick 3:
Ill-Tempered Cyclops
Guardians of Meletis
Leonin Snarecaster
Priest of Iroas
Thassa's Bounty
Lost in a Labyrinth
Borderland Minotaur
--> Sedge Scorpion
Hunt the Hunter
Destructive Revelry
Triton Tactics
Labyrinth Champion
Island
Pack 3 pick 4:
Pheres-Band Centaurs
Nylea's Presence
Minotaur Skullcleaver
Agent of Horizons
Fade into Antiquity
Satyr Rambler
Setessan Griffin
Vaporkin
Horizon Chimera
Thassa's Emissary
--> Polis Crusher
Island
What has happened to my colors?! I totally overlook Nylea's Presence here, and just take the meh rare to redeem.
Pack 3 pick 5:
Nylea's Disciple
Fate Foretold
Thassa's Bounty
Lagonna-Band Elder
Priest of Iroas
Akroan Crusader
Savage Surge
--> Nemesis of Mortals
Decorated Griffin
Firedrinker Satyr
Mountain
I don't think I'm going to be green enough for disciple to matter.
Pack 3 pick 7:
Messenger's Speed
Fade into Antiquity
Returned Centaur
Commune with the Gods
Opaline Unicorn
Ray of Dissolution
--> Burnished Hart
Akroan Hoplite
Forest
Pack 3 pick 8:
Guardians of Meletis
Prescient Chimera
Demolish
Commune with the Gods
Horizon Scholar
--> Anvilwrought Raptor
Arena Athlete
Island
Pack 3 pick 9:
Viper's Kiss
Crackling Triton
Portent of Betrayal
--> Commune with the Gods
Deathbellow Raider
Flamecast Wheel
Mountain
Pack 3 pick 10:
March of the Returned
--> Prescient Chimera (FOIL)
Breaching Hippocamp
Boulderfall
Sealock Monster
Swamp
Pack 3 pick 11:
Priest of Iroas
Lost in a Labyrinth
Borderland Minotaur
--> Hunt the Hunter
Island
Wow. What a trainwreck pack three turned out to be! I put together a much weaker deck that I hoped, and I know I'm going to get crushed by W/r heroic. Possibly W/u, but definintely something that rhymes with 'spingsteed.'
Round 1 vs GU
G1 - I live the dream with T2 Commune with the Gods into T4 Nemesis of Mortals, and it's basically over. There is some Griptiding going on, but nothing truly troublesome.
G2 - I flood out for a bit before landing a Nemesis. Meanwhile, he has Polukranos and Shipbreaker Kraken eating my face. I have a chance to stabilze, but a Voyage's End wrecks me.
G3 - He floods out while I go Hoplite -> Burnished Heart -> Alsied -> Bestow -> Bestow -> Win. My alternate plan was Heliod -> Achieve Devotion, so he wasn't winning despite having a pretty large Mistcutter Hydra, an Artisan of Forms and Master of Waves on his side. These are some STACKED packs, people.
1-0
Round 2 vs Mono R?
G1 - Either he is color screwed, or his mono-red deck is bad. Either way, he does very little while I run out 3/3 green monsters and bestow them.
G2 - Yep, he's really GR. I try to put up some blockers in front of his multiple Arena Athletes, but his red removal starts to wreck me. I'm winning, until his unexpected buff to a trampler overcomes my Gods Willing and hits me for lethal.
G3 - Starts off bad for me, as he bestows Leafcrown on his pair of Satyr Ramblers. A fortuitous series of events, wherein he uses premium removal on my early creatures and I cast Nemesis of Mortals way earlier than I should. I give it pants with Chosen of Heliod, then Monstrous it. I'm holding off his crew with Ephera's Warden and Anvilwrought Raptor. I'm also terrified he has a targeted spell for his Arena Athletes. After one hit with my 10/12 snake, he has to start chumping. Somehow, he gets very mad when I decide to use my carefully hoarded combat (and obviously telegraphed) trick to blow out his attempted triple block of the snake, netting me a 5-for-1. He goes on tilt and it's over shortly thereafter.
2-0
Round 3 vs Four Color Magical Christmas Mana
G1 - He has four colors of mana by turn three. It does not go well for me. I lose to triple combat tricks in a single turn, cast on his fabled hero.
G2 - He later tells me he has an opening hand of Voyaging Satyr, 2x Feral invocations, forest, forest plains, Hopeful Eidolon. He gets to 48 life before I stabilize at 18, but then he blows me out (again) with two consecutive turns of double combat trick. Pity, because I had gotten Heliod in play and I stood a good chance of holding him off until his deck finally started producing Vulpine Goliaths. *Shrug* I tilt, but I'm polite about it and we exchange mutual commiserations about the shuffler.
2-1
Still, better than I expected, and the two rares put me in the black for this Draft!
Pack 1 pick 1:
Bronze Sable
Ephara's Warden
--> Sip of Hemlock
Wild Celebrants
Two-Headed Cerberus
Time to Feed
Asphodel Wanderer
Breaching Hippocamp
Wavecrash Triton
Opaline Unicorn
Horizon Scholar
Flamespeaker Adept
Spellheart Chimera
Temple of Deceit
Forest
Whoa. What kind of a crappy pack is this?! I cut black and cross fingers.
Pack 1 pick 2:
Minotaur Skullcleaver
Chosen by Heliod
Mnemonic Wall
Defend the Hearth
Leonin Snarecaster
Priest of Iroas
Read the Bones
Thassa's Bounty
Borderland Minotaur
Shredding Winds
Akroan Hoplite
--> Rescue from the Underworld
Fanatic of Mogis
Forest
Still nothing amazing. I cut the high-payoff black uncommon, and keep praying.
Pack 1 pick 3:
Voyage's End (FOIL)
Fleshmad Steed
Nylea's Disciple
Last Breath
Scourgemark
Griptide
Satyr Hedonist
Boulderfall
Setessan Battle Priest
Ordeal of Heliod
Witches' Eye
--> Shipbreaker Kraken
Mountain
Glory be! A signal! UB, ho!
Pack 1 pick 4:
March of the Returned
Dragon Mantle
Portent of Betrayal
Commune with the Gods
--> Returned Phalanx
Lagonna-Band Elder
Lost in a Labyrinth
Akroan Crusader
Setessan Griffin
Hunt the Hunter
Triton Fortune Hunter
Mountain
Pack 1 pick 6:
March of the Returned
Dragon Mantle
Scourgemark
Rage of Purphoros
Satyr Hedonist
Disciple of Phenax
Ray of Dissolution
Tormented Hero
--> Dauntless Onslaught
Mountain
Boys and girls, Gods Willing pick 5 followed by Dauntless onslaught pick 6 is a much better signal than pick three kraken!
Pack 1 pick 7:
Guardians of Meletis
Battlewise Valor
Loathsome Catoblepas
Commune with the Gods
Spark Jolt
Traveler's Amulet
Peak Eruption
--> Sentry of the Underworld
Island
Argh.
Pack 1 pick 8:
Thassa's Bounty
Lagonna-Band Elder
Priest of Iroas
--> Returned Centaur
Setessan Griffin
Triton Shorethief
Chronicler of Heroes
Plains
Pack 1 pick 12:
Portent of Betrayal
Commune with the Gods
--> Lagonna-Band Elder
Mountain
Pack 1 pick 13:
Demolish
--> Silent Artisan
Swamp
Pack 1 pick 14:
--> Satyr Hedonist
Mountain
Pack 1 pick 15:
--> Island
------ THS ------
Pack 2 pick 1:
March of the Returned
Lightning Strike
Fleshmad Steed
Cavalry Pegasus
Nylea's Disciple
Returned Phalanx
Coastline Chimera
--> Pharika's Cure
Cavern Lampad
Staunch-Hearted Warrior
Glare of Heresy
Nemesis of Mortals
Dark Betrayal
Anger of the Gods
Swamp
Pack 2 pick 2:
Stymied Hopes
Ill-Tempered Cyclops
Leafcrown Dryad
Last Breath
Unknown Shores
Crackling Triton
Portent of Betrayal
Commune with the Gods
Staunch-Hearted Warrior
Borderland Minotaur
Chronicler of Heroes
Artisan's Sorrow
--> Soldier of the Pantheon
Plains
Pack 2 pick 8:
Guardians of Meletis
Demolish
Lost in a Labyrinth
Setessan Battle Priest
--> Traveler's Amulet
Hunt the Hunter
Destructive Revelry
Island
Pack 2 pick 9:
March of the Returned
Fleshmad Steed
Cavalry Pegasus
--> Returned Phalanx
Coastline Chimera
Dark Betrayal
Swamp
Pack 2 pick 10:
--> Unknown Shores
Crackling Triton
Commune with the Gods
Staunch-Hearted Warrior
Chronicler of Heroes
Plains
Pack 3 pick 4:
Island (FOIL)
--> Gray Merchant of Asphodel
Divine Verdict
Scourgemark
Coastline Chimera
Rage of Purphoros
Satyr Hedonist
Akroan Crusader
Setessan Griffin
Kragma Warcaller
Karametra's Acolyte
Forest
Salvation.
Pack 3 pick 5:
Nessian Courser
--> Lash of the Whip
Minotaur Skullcleaver
Lagonna-Band Elder
Priest of Iroas
Returned Centaur
Scholar of Athreos
Triton Shorethief
Akroan Hoplite
Rescue from the Underworld
Forest
Pack 3 pick 6:
Crackling Triton
Portent of Betrayal
Commune with the Gods
Returned Phalanx
--> Lagonna-Band Elder
Traveler's Amulet
Akroan Crusader
Akroan Hoplite
Flamespeaker Adept
Forest
Pack 3 pick 7:
Minotaur Skullcleaver
Chosen by Heliod
Satyr Rambler
Scourgemark
Coastline Chimera
Rage of Purphoros
Traveler's Amulet
--> Ordeal of Erebos
Forest
The black must flow.
Pack 3 pick 8:
Dragon Mantle
Crackling Triton
Spark Jolt
Last Breath
Scourgemark
--> Scholar of Athreos
Flamespeaker Adept
Forest
I quite literally slapped the table when I saw this.
Pack 3 pick 9:
Lash of the Whip
Messenger's Speed
--> Gods Willing
Satyr Rambler
Leonin Snarecaster
Triton Shorethief
Forest
Pack 3 pick 10:
Nylea's Presence
Fate Foretold
Portent of Betrayal
Defend the Hearth
--> Cavern Lampad
Swamp
Surprisingly, 3-0. I figured this was a sketchy 2-1 deck at best. I will saythat *every* game I got down to the low single digits before Gary showed up to save the day. I got way to many 1-2-3 drop openings than I deserved, given the way my curve is built. Sometimes it's Magic: the Shuffler.
Boon of Erebos *is* like the black Gods Willing. I think it is that good in the right black deck.
Thoughts? I didn't see any other option, but I'm curious where/when someone else would have changed strategy.
I honestly have no idea what the subject heading means...but it got you to open yet another THS draftcap!
I'm posting this in between rounds, so we'll see how it goes...
THE DRAFT
[spoiler]
------ THS ------
Pack 1 pick 1:
Ill-Tempered Cyclops
Leafcrown Dryad
Chosen by Heliod
Annul
Traveling Philosopher
Wild Celebrants
Silent Artisan
Time to Feed
Mnemonic Wall (FOIL)
Borderland Minotaur
Horizon Scholar
Sealock Monster
Evangel of Heliod
--> Master of Waves
Swamp
"I have a new strategy, R2. Let the Wookie win."
Pack 1 pick 2:
Dragon Mantle
Nessian Asp
Bronze Sable
Asphodel Wanderer
Voyaging Satyr
Titan's Strength
--> Baleful Eidolon
Benthic Giant
Disciple of Phenax
Ray of Dissolution
Phalanx Leader
Shipwreck Singer
Sentry of the Underworld
Plains
Someone said UB is a deck. I briefly consider GU, but that has been a pile every time I run it, Asps or no Asps. UW is also a deck, but I'm not convinced I want to be white just yet. If this pack had Wingsteed...
Well, darn. Should have been UW. I take the splash card.
Pack 1 pick 4:
Battlewise Valor
Loathsome Catoblepas
Omenspeaker
March of the Returned
Time to Feed
Baleful Eidolon
Traveling Philosopher
Two-Headed Cerberus
Felhide Minotaur
--> Voyage's End
Decorated Griffin
Swamp
Pack 1 pick 5:
Pheres-Band Centaurs
Nylea's Presence
Spark Jolt
Last Breath
Scourgemark
--> Borderland Minotaur
Shredding Winds
Chronicler of Heroes
Artisan's Sorrow
Evangel of Heliod
Mountain
Pack 1 pick 12:
Loathsome Catoblepas
--> March of the Returned
Decorated Griffin
Swamp
Pack 1 pick 13:
Last Breath
--> Scourgemark
Mountain
Pack 1 pick 14:
--> Loathsome Catoblepas
Swamp
Pack 1 pick 15:
--> Mountain
------ THS ------
Pack 2 pick 1:
Guardians of Meletis
Battlewise Valor
Loathsome Catoblepas
Annul
Wingsteed Rider
Wild Celebrants
Wingsteed Rider (FOIL)
Time to Feed
Boulderfall
Savage Surge
Centaur Battlemaster
--> Keepsake Gorgon
Satyr Piper
Rageblood Shaman
Swamp
Huzzah! My draft might not be an epic pile after all.
Pack 2 pick 2:
--> Nimbus Naiad
Nylea's Disciple
Lash of the Whip
Fate Foretold
Portent of Betrayal
Defend the Hearth
Agent of Horizons
Borderland Minotaur
Shredding Winds
Ordeal of Erebos
Horizon Chimera
Arena Athlete
Ember Swallower
Forest
I cry a little bit, but Naiad >> Ordeal at the moment. Goodbye, Ember Swallower. I still need you for my redemption set. Goodbye, Lash.
Pack 2 pick 3:
Sip of Hemlock
Bronze Sable
Messenger's Speed
Mnemonic Wall
Returned Phalanx
Lagonna-Band Elder
Lost in a Labyrinth
Traveler's Amulet
--> Horizon Scholar
Anvilwrought Raptor
Flamecast Wheel
Temple of Abandon
Island
Why did Returned Phalanx have to be in this pack?
Pack 2 pick 4:
Messenger's Speed
Two-Headed Cerberus
Time to Feed
Asphodel Wanderer
Breaching Hippocamp
Silent Artisan
Boulderfall
Setessan Battle Priest
Mogis's Marauder
Sentry of the Underworld
--> Temple of Deceit
Plains
I'm not made of stone, and this is in my likely colors.
Pack 2 pick 5:
Dragon Mantle
Omenspeaker
Pharika's Cure
Rage of Purphoros
Feral Invocation
Returned Centaur
Cutthroat Maneuver (FOIL)
--> Voyage's End
Rescue from the Underworld
Reverent Hunter
Plains
Pack 2 pick 6:
Battlewise Valor
Viper's Kiss
--> Blood-Toll Harpy
Breaching Hippocamp
Aqueous Form
Vulpine Goliath
Cavern Lampad
Sedge Scorpion
Prowler's Helm
Forest
Regretfully, three drop flier > Lampad at the moment.
Pack 2 pick 7:
Dragon Mantle
--> Omenspeaker
Unknown Shores
Crackling Triton
Portent of Betrayal
Commune with the Gods
Setessan Griffin
Triton Shorethief
Plains
Pack 2 pick 13:
Dragon Mantle
--> Returned Centaur
Plains
Pack 2 pick 14:
--> Breaching Hippocamp
Forest
What? Was blue really deep in this pack, or are the packs weak and no one is drafting my color? It's not amazing, but it's maindeckable.
Pack 2 pick 15:
--> Plains
------ THS ------
Pack 3 pick 1:
Omenspeaker
March of the Returned
Lightning Strike
Fade into Antiquity
Returned Centaur
Griptide
Commune with the Gods
Hopeful Eidolon
Akroan Crusader
Setessan Griffin
Stoneshock Giant
--> Sea God's Revenge
Flamecast Wheel
Firedrinker Satyr
Mountain
Windmill slam. My PXP1s have been kind.
Pack 3 pick 2:
Demolish
Ephara's Warden
Fleshmad Steed
Wild Celebrants
Silent Artisan
Time to Feed
Defend the Hearth (FOIL)
Breaching Hippocamp
Scholar of Athreos
Felhide Minotaur
--> Ordeal of Thassa
Triton Fortune Hunter
Temple of Mystery
Mountain
Pack 3 pick 3:
Viper's Kiss
Pheres-Band Centaurs
Leonin Snarecaster
Priest of Iroas
Read the Bones
Lost in a Labyrinth
Wavecrash Triton
Cavern Lampad
Purphoros's Emissary
Ordeal of Erebos
--> Insatiable Harpy
Meletis Charlatan
Swamp
Interestingly, I might actually have enough instants to make Charlatan playable. I go for the Harpy, hoping to pick up a Gary.
Pack 3 pick 4:
Messenger's Speed
Gods Willing
Aqueous Form
Spearpoint Oread
Vulpine Goliath
Yoked Ox
Baleful Eidolon
Boon of Erebos
--> Vaporkin
Heliod's Emissary
Pyxis of Pandemonium
Plains
Alright, people. That is quite enough of putting high-pick two drops in the same pack.
Pack 3 pick 5:
Nimbus Naiad
Nylea's Disciple
Lash of the Whip
Last Breath
Scourgemark
Satyr Rambler
Traveler's Amulet
Shredding Winds
Peak Eruption
--> Triton Tactics
Forest
Please discuss this pick. I'm still not sure if it should more properly have been Naiad.
Pack 3 pick 6:
Ephara's Warden
--> Sip of Hemlock
Stymied Hopes
Read the Bones
Last Breath
Unknown Shores
Crackling Triton
Wavecrash Triton
Dark Betrayal
Island
Pack 3 pick 7:
Omenspeaker
March of the Returned
Satyr Hedonist
Fate Foretold
Ray of Dissolution
Chronicler of Heroes
--> Dissolve
Decorated Griffin
Mountain
I know...16 land again...but I figured I had a ton of scry and a relatively low curve. I'm not really planning to bestow much.
[/spoiler]
THE RESULTS:
[spoiler]
Round 1 vs UG good stuff
Game 1: I land a Harpy while he puts out a Voyaging Satyr. I suit up my harpy with +2/+2 flying pants while he brings a Centaur Battlemaster in to play. During his next attack, I untap my 4/3 Harpy with a Breached Hippo, but decline to block. That turns out to be tech, because he starts creatively cussing at me for not walking in to his obviously telegraphed combat trick. I Cure the Satyr, then drop Master of Waves to block the obscene 6/6 centaur for four turns. Somewhere along the way, I Stymied Hopes his flashy Chimera. I have never run that spell before, and I already love it. He mutters some imprecations in chat, then slams his hexproof monster flyer on the table...which taps when you use its ability to protect it from Sip of Hemlock. Game point to me.
Game 2: I land a Harpy and he responds with silence. After my next combat phase, he flashes in his Chimera again, which meets Voyage's End. I suit it up with +1/+1 deathtouch pants. Akroan Horse joins my side (that seems like a really bad idea for GU to be playing) and serves as a blocker for most of the stuff he plays the next three turns. Eventually, my double Breaching Hippos cause him to rage quit. Man, I haven't played with those either. I didn't realize no one plays around them.
1-0
Round 2 vs BW Heroic Wingsteeds
Game 1: I am off to a good start with Omenspeaker, setting up my draws. I manage to outrace his 6/6 Wingsteed with Breaching Hippos and insatiable Harpy by using every tempo and counter spell in my deck. I actually go out of my way to show both Stymied Hopes and Dissolve, in hopes that it will make him over cautious in game 2. It must really hurt to have your Hopeful Eidolon plan dissolved and then Stymied in two consecutive turns.
Game 2: He is mana screwed, I mulligan to 5 and then flood. I scry away EIGHT, yes EIGHT lands before he finds a wingsteed to eat my face. Quick - someone calculate me the odds that I would flush eight lands and draw lands in between those scrys! Fortunately, I saw signs that he was definitely playing around my counterspells.
Game 3: I keep a sketchy hand of island, swamp, Omenspeaker, Voyage's End, Pharika's Cure, Read the Bones and Stymied Hopes. He plinks me with his Drain Life on a 1/4 stick while I'm hitting back with...you guessed it...Hippo. This one is under Ordeal of Thassa and I can't wait to pop it because Read the Bones and Omenspeaker both scryed away land and I STILL drew two =P. By turn four, he gets his second plans and goes to the tank, but declines to cast what I'm certain is his Wingsteed Rider. Next turn, I go to the tank myself, trying to decide whether to let Chosen By Heliod turn his 1/4 into a 1/6, but eventually I decide that he's trying to bait me and I let him draw the card. Turns out to be the right move, because he thinks the path is clear to tapout for Wingsteed, and I blow it away with my carefully horded Cure. At which point, he concedes. Keepsake Gorgon is sad, because with all this mana, I'm prepared to cast her then go monstrous the next turn.
Here's hoping this is my toughest match, because it was a squeaker and could easily have gone his way.
2-0
Round Three vs BW Aggro
Game 1: He appears vaguely heroic, but his double Tormented hero and 1/3 heroic healer suggest that he's more about weenie rush than he is about Wingsteed riders. It is axiomatic by now that he's not going to play around my Hippos. His stuff is so small, though, that I elect to keep my 3/2 guy for offense. I do manage to eat his healer for free, though. Despite the fact that I got down to 12 life at one point (while he was at 28!) I never felt that this game was out of reach. My stuff just had bigger butts to block with. I do really despise that 3/3 Flying Vigiliant Regenerate fellow. Fortunately, I had Dissolve for it. This opponent picked up all the Baleful Eidolons I was passing, and I was certain that was going to be a problem.
Game 2: I cast an Omenspeaker to smooth my draws with a hand of 2x island, Sip of Hemlock, Omenspeaker, Insatiable Harpy, Keepsake Gorgon and Voyage's End. It works. I scry away an island/keep a swamp, draw one next turn and follow it up with my fourth mana and second swamp. Very soon, I regret scrying that fifth land away, but eventually I hit the mana pockets I'm famous for the world over and cast the Gorgon. We're stalemated and he's holding back my entire team with a Baleful Eidolon and the stupid 1/2 that taps anything with 3 power or less. Amazingly, I have a bunch of those. He gets me to 10, but I pull Horizon Scholar, activate the Gorgon to remove a hero he finally started to pump with another Eidolon. Sip of Hemlock crushes that 3/3 Flying Vigilant nightmare, and then I manage to scry deep enough to set up a topdeck of Pharika's Cure to remove his Icy Manipulator for weenies. Insatiable Harpy finally does some work, putting me safely out of range, and Triton Tactics crushes his only hope of an alpha strike. My Voyage's End on his 2/2 lifelinked Baleful Eidolon prevents him from bestowing Heliod's Emmisary on it as well and staging a comeback, then I fly over for exactly lethal.
3-0
I didn't think this was a 3-0 deck. I have new respect for Dissolve (which I've always liked) and Stymied Hopes (which I have never before maindecked). I thought about sideboarding in Annuls during Round three, in the end I kept the deck intact throughout the whole draft.
[/spoiler]
I'd really like to thank the folks in the Limited Forum. I would never have understood the power of Stymied Hopes without the comments on the boards this week, and I can say that what success I had was linked directly to that card. And Breaching Hippos.
(Hey, if you get disgusted with this draft, please fast forward to P2P7 and share your thoughts. Thanks!)
------ THS ------
Pack 1 pick 1:
Minotaur Skullcleaver
Chosen by Heliod
Mnemonic Wall
Viper's Kiss
Lightning Strike
Crackling Triton
Spark Jolt
Last Breath
Sedge Scorpion
Felhide Minotaur
Akroan Hoplite
Rescue from the Underworld
Triton Fortune Hunter
--> Thassa, God of the Sea
Forest
Money! I'm almost the winner of the draft already. I shall draft mono-blue!
Pack 1 pick 2:
Ill-Tempered Cyclops
Guardians of Meletis
Battlewise Valor
Commune with the Gods
Returned Phalanx
Lagonna-Band Elder
Lost in a Labyrinth
Pharika's Cure
Ray of Dissolution
--> Wavecrash Triton
Chronicler of Heroes
Dissolve
Dark Betrayal
Plains
That was...disappointing. But the plan endures!
Pack 1 pick 3:
Bronze Sable
Ephara's Warden
--> Sip of Hemlock
Lagonna-Band Elder
Priest of Iroas
Fade into Antiquity
Returned Centaur
Savage Surge
Opaline Unicorn
Destructive Revelry
Artisan's Sorrow
Spellheart Chimera
Mountain
Fine. One black spell.
Pack 1 pick 4:
--> Sip of Hemlock
Bronze Sable
Messenger's Speed
Fate Foretold
Thassa's Bounty
Lagonna-Band Elder
Priest of Iroas
Fade into Antiquity
Savage Surge
Setessan Griffin
Peak Eruption
Forest
This is still just one black spell...just two copies of it!
Pack 1 pick 5:
Bronze Sable
Messenger's Speed
Mnemonic Wall
Messenger's Speed (FOIL)
Lost in a Labyrinth
Fade into Antiquity
Satyr Rambler
Scholar of Athreos
--> Ordeal of Erebos
Decorated Griffin
Forest
I shall take the Wall! (Or, the much better card...)
Pack 1 pick 6:
Nessian Courser
March of the Returned
Dragon Mantle
Aqueous Form
Forest (FOIL)
--> Blood-Toll Harpy
Akroan Crusader
Glare of Heresy
Coordinated Assault
Swamp
But Thassa is a GOD! You don't want me to make a god angry, do you?
Pack 1 pick 8:
--> Lash of the Whip
Minotaur Skullcleaver
Portent of Betrayal
Defend the Hearth
Crackling Triton
Opaline Unicorn
Ray of Dissolution
Mountain
Pack 1 pick 9:
Chosen by Heliod
Viper's Kiss
Spark Jolt
Felhide Minotaur
Akroan Hoplite
--> Rescue from the Underworld
Forest
I shall ignore the perfectly fine three drop for a high payoff card. Since I'm trying to draft mono-blue, I might still splash this in U/b!
Pack 1 pick 10:
Guardians of Meletis
Lagonna-Band Elder
--> Pharika's Cure
Ray of Dissolution
Dark Betrayal
Plains
So, if this wheels it means that no one else is black...which means I don't want Dark Betrayal, right?
Pack 1 pick 11:
Ephara's Warden
Priest of Iroas
--> Returned Centaur
Spellheart Chimera
Mountain
This one, too. (Believe it or not, I faced three decks that splashed black...)
Pack 2 pick 5:
--> Lash of the Whip
Messenger's Speed
Read the Bones
Last Breath
Unknown Shores
Crackling Triton
Portent of Betrayal
Traveler's Amulet
Boulderfall
Anvilwrought Raptor
Mountain
Pack 2 pick 6:
Cavalry Pegasus
Stymied Hopes
Rage of Purphoros
Returned Centaur
Fate Foretold
Dissolve
Burnished Hart
Arena Athlete
--> Tymaret, the Murder King
Swamp
Pack 2 pick 7:
Minotaur Skullcleaver
Commune with the Gods
Spark Jolt
--> Returned Phalanx
Coastline Chimera
Borderland Minotaur
Sedge Scorpion
Shipwreck Singer
Plains
Ok, all joking aside: I really did think I was still splashing blue at this point. Thassa is strong enough I'd be willing to splash it. With that in mind, I darn near took the Singer. In the end, I opted for the 3/3 two drop to stop early rush. At this point, I simply had no early way to stop 2/X creatures and I was pretty worried about that.
Pack 2 pick 8:
--> Fleshmad Steed
Rage of Purphoros
Returned Centaur
Fate Foretold
Borderland Minotaur
Scholar of Athreos
Glare of Heresy
Swamp
Pack 2 pick 9:
Sip of Hemlock
Silent Artisan
Blood-Toll Harpy
--> Cavern Lampad
Cutthroat Maneuver
Satyr Piper
Mountain
Third Sip? No, not over Lampad. I did think about Cutthroat Maneuver, but in the end the Lampad is just far better.
Pack 2 pick 10:
Defend the Hearth
Leonin Snarecaster
Priest of Iroas
--> Read the Bones
Boulderfall
Swamp
Pack 2 pick 11:
Lost in a Labyrinth
Fade into Antiquity
Triton Shorethief
--> Tormented Hero
Mountain
Fortunately, I am not punished for this. The pick was definitely Eidolon. However, I thought that my deck could win without it...but that it would absolutely die to a resolved Spear. Discuss!
Pack 3 pick 2:
Loathsome Catoblepas
March of the Returned
Wild Celebrants
Two-Headed Cerberus
Time to Feed
Asphodel Wanderer
Breaching Hippocamp
Opaline Unicorn
Ray of Dissolution
Dissolve
--> Insatiable Harpy
Arena Athlete
Temple of Deceit
Island
Pack 3 pick 3:
Viper's Kiss
Dragon Mantle
Omenspeaker
--> Pharika's Cure
Defend the Hearth
Leonin Snarecaster
Priest of Iroas
Read the Bones
Triton Shorethief
Traveler's Amulet
Akroan Hoplite
Ordeal of Purphoros
Swamp
Another conversation-worthy pick. Cure is sub-par removalm and Read the Bones is top-notch.
Pack 3 pick 4:
Fleetfeather Sandals
Ill-Tempered Cyclops
Observant Alseid
Scourgemark
Coastline Chimera
Rage of Purphoros
Satyr Hedonist
Staunch-Hearted Warrior
--> Boon of Erebos
Vanquish the Foul
Temple of Silence
Forest
Obviously, that went really well. Other than the 2-3 picks I specifically asked for feedback on, this was straightforward. Man, I really wanted to be blue...
Curve was a real problem, which was why I included the marginal 1-drops. I think there may have been a better way to build this, but I was loathe to eliminate any of the spells, as they all seemed really important. Returned Phalanx was MVP. Had him out by turn 2 or 3 every game. I even suited him up with Scourgemark in one game to draw a card and pump my devotion.
No deck with four Greymerchants should be beatable, methinks...
THE RESULTS:
And indeed it was not. This was a welcome interruption of my two-tournament utter failure streak....3-0.
Games went about as you'd expect: Early blocker, a couple of card draws or scrys to find two copies of merchant, win.
Remarkably, *all* of my opponents used black as a third color. One fellow even had the black god to match my blue god. Darnit...
I'm trying to understand how someone with Erebos passes Greymerchants. I *think* that no one but him or I would have wanted them, since they don't splash well?
Not intended as a brag thread. I abandoned my P1P1 bomb and was rewarded for it.
If I don't respond to your posts, it is because work is blocking forum posting now...darn the luck.
Three Gods Willing? The gods were willing indeed! I don't think I would have been willing to split in that final round, but I see your point. Fortunately, it worked out for you!
Nicely done...though I hate the players in your second pod a little bit. Where are they when I'm trying to put together heroic?!
Pack 1 pick 1:
Messenger's Speed
Mnemonic Wall
Cavalry Pegasus
Portent of Betrayal
Commune with the Gods
Returned Phalanx
Lagonna-Band Elder
Lost in a Labyrinth
Felhide Minotaur
Borderland Minotaur
Phalanx Leader
Peak Eruption
Erebos's Emissary
--> Bow of Nylea
Island
Everyone says this is bad. I think deathtouch to a bunch of green fatties on the attack might be okay.
Pack 1 pick 2:
Chosen by Heliod
Mnemonic Wall
Viper's Kiss
Traveling Philosopher
Two-Headed Cerberus
Aqueous Form
Silent Artisan
Blood-Toll Harpy
Boon of Erebos
Setessan Griffin
Rescue from the Underworld
--> Satyr Piper
Decorated Griffin
Plains
Ouch. Cerebus, maybe?
Pack 1 pick 3:
Nessian Courser
March of the Returned
Dragon Mantle
Time to Feed
Blood-Toll Harpy
Breaching Hippocamp
Aqueous Form
Spearpoint Oread
--> Wavecrash Triton
Traveler's Amulet
Insatiable Harpy
Arena Athlete
Forest
Mistake, should have been Courser if I was cutting green.
Pack 2 pick 6:
Battlewise Valor
--> Nessian Asp
Viper's Kiss
Time to Feed
Asphodel Wanderer
Breaching Hippocamp
Silent Artisan
Titan's Strength
Akroan Crusader
Mountain
The single bright point in this draft thus far.
Pack 2 pick 7:
Battlewise Valor
Loathsome Catoblepas
Omenspeaker
March of the Returned
--> Griptide
Satyr Hedonist
Satyr Rambler
Opaline Unicorn
Swamp
Pick 7? This pack must have been amazing!
Pack 2 pick 8:
Messenger's Speed
Fate Foretold
Portent of Betrayal
Defend the Hearth
--> Agent of Horizons
Savage Surge
Spellheart Chimera
Plains
At this point, I feel marginally better about my color choices. Marginally.
Pack 3 pick 1:
March of the Returned
Lightning Strike
Fleshmad Steed
Hopeful Eidolon
Fate Foretold
Portent of Betrayal
Observant Alseid
Defend the Hearth
Opaline Unicorn
Ray of Dissolution
Peak Eruption
Glare of Heresy
--> Triton Fortune Hunter
Anger of the Gods
Swamp
Pack 3 pick 2:
Voyaging Satyr (FOIL)
Gray Merchant of Asphodel
Divine Verdict
Lost in a Labyrinth
--> Agent of Horizons
Fade into Antiquity
Satyr Rambler
Observant Alseid
Setessan Griffin
Vaporkin
Anvilwrought Raptor
Vanquish the Foul
Dark Betrayal
Forest
Pack 3 pick 3:
Ill-Tempered Cyclops
Leafcrown Dryad
Chosen by Heliod
Pheres-Band Centaurs
Annul
Wingsteed Rider
Wild Celebrants
Two-Headed Cerberus
Setessan Battle Priest
Triton Shorethief
Glare of Heresy
--> Ordeal of Nylea
Island
Pack 3 pick 4:
Gods Willing
Prescient Chimera
Fleetfeather Sandals
Returned Phalanx
Lagonna-Band Elder
Lost in a Labyrinth
Pharika's Cure
Disciple of Phenax
--> Voyage's End
Centaur Battlemaster
Flamecast Wheel
Plains
I really wanted the Battlemaster or the Chimera. Spoiler alert: I later encounter a 17/17 Lifelinking, Vigiliant deathtouch version of this fellow.
So, I have several heroic guys - but none of the good ones and limited ways to trigger them. I have some off-color activated abilities I can't use. I have a really cool bow that I basically need by turn 3 every game, and a Nessian Asp.
This is not going to end well, folks.
THE RESULTS:
G1: I play a bunch of ground-pounders that can't block his fliers. When I do get a flier in play, he nukes it. Bow of nylea does absolutely nothing.
G2: Bow of Nylea comes down on turn three, does absolutely nothing and is still hovering in the air when I finally stop durdling and die.
0-1
Round 2: I cleverly get the bye.
0-1-1
Round 3: I run off to join another draft during my bye. That deck is *much* better than this one, and I consider dropping. The ORCs tell me I might not get my prize pack, though, so I become that double queuing jerk I hate for my round three opponent.
G1: I cast some creatures. He casts some creatures. One of his creatures is Centaur Battlemaster. He invests a bunch of spells into it, then I blow it away with Voyage's End. Bow of nylea does absolutely nothing.
G2: Repeat, except he has Gods Willing to protect his Battlemaster from Voyage's End, AND a copy to give it pro-blue and skate past my entire team. 17/17 is really tough to stop anyway. Bow of nylea does absolutely nothing.
G3: The same, except this time Bow of Nylea REALLY does absolutely nothing. Fortunately, my deathtouchy guys hold back his horde and I pull off a win thanks to complicating his combat math through the clever use of Horizon Chimera.
1-1-1
So, to summarize: Bow of nylea does absolutely nothing.
Believe there is an interesting article on SCG about the power of this card (and other one-mana spells) in the R/W heroic deck. I never get to draft that (and I don't like red in THS), so I have yet to maindeck one.
I have hated a few out of late picks, though. Just in case.
Late to the party, and boy would I hate to open that P1P1 head-scratcher.
I would seriously have considered Griptide P1P1: Splashable! With that pack, I don't want to commit early to Blue or White. I'm not a fan of flamespeaker (or red in Theros). Battlewise hoplite is an all-in bet on two colors that are going to be heavily cut. Where griptide leaves you flexible, Hoplite nails you down. Divine Verdict and Prescient Chimera will both be available later. Griptide probably won't.
EDIT: Just read Bateleur's mental dialogue on P1P1... As I have yet to see a mono-black deck, let alone construct one in draft, I'm staying away from Nighthowler. I think it is overcosted for the format and would rather see almost anything else in that slot.
~M
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Do NOT run Dictate of Karmetra against a RG opponent. I just finished destroying a fellow who kept ultra ramping me into my 5-7 drop monsters.
~M
Well, it is a GW deck...
~M
------ THS ------
Pack 1 pick 1:
Nylea's Disciple
Stymied Hopes
Nessian Courser
Vulpine Goliath
Asphodel Wanderer
Voyaging Satyr
Titan's Strength
Baleful Eidolon
Sedge Scorpion
Scholar of Athreos
Tormented Hero
Horizon Scholar
Insatiable Harpy
--> Heliod, God of the Sun
Mountain
Hello, P1P1able build-around rare that I need for my redemption set!
Pack 1 pick 2:
Prescient Chimera
Demolish
Leafcrown Dryad
--> Gods Willing
Scourgemark
Coastline Chimera
Rage of Purphoros
Satyr Hedonist
Borderland Minotaur
Scholar of Athreos
Vanquish the Foul
Arena Athlete
Artisan of Forms
Swamp
Blatant forcing.
Pack 1 pick 3:
Ill-Tempered Cyclops
Guardians of Meletis
--> Battlewise Valor
Satyr Hedonist
Satyr Rambler
Leonin Snarecaster
Feral Invocation
Deathbellow Raider
Opaline Unicorn
Rescue from the Underworld
Purphoros's Emissary
Flamespeaker Adept
Plains
Pack 1 pick 4:
Viper's Kiss
Dragon Mantle
Yoked Ox
Benthic Giant
Voyaging Satyr
Spearpoint Oread
Wavecrash Triton
Traveler's Amulet
--> Magma Jet
Spellheart Chimera
Evangel of Heliod
Mountain
Pack 1 pick 5:
--> Divine Verdict
Sip of Hemlock
Commune with the Gods
Lagonna-Band Elder
Lost in a Labyrinth
Pharika's Cure
Shredding Winds
Boon of Erebos
Vanquish the Foul
Pharika's Mender
Forest
Pack 1 pick 6:
Ill-Tempered Cyclops
--> Leafcrown Dryad
Chosen by Heliod
Ray of Dissolution (FOIL)
Portent of Betrayal
Commune with the Gods
Returned Phalanx
Lagonna-Band Elder
Dark Betrayal
Plains
That is a green signal. Unfortunately, GW is poop.
Pack 1 pick 7:
Messenger's Speed
Crackling Triton
Spark Jolt
--> Last Breath
Setessan Griffin
Glare of Heresy
Satyr Piper
Steam Augury
Mountain
Pack 1 pick 8:
Pheres-Band Centaurs
Guardians of Meletis
Lost in a Labyrinth
Fade into Antiquity
Satyr Rambler
Opaline Unicorn
--> Anvilwrought Raptor
Island
Pack 1 pick 9:
Stymied Hopes
--> Nessian Courser
Asphodel Wanderer
Baleful Eidolon
Sedge Scorpion
Scholar of Athreos
Mountain
So, signals in black and green. I should have jumped to black, because....poop.
Pack 1 pick 10:
Demolish
Satyr Hedonist
Borderland Minotaur
--> Scholar of Athreos
Arena Athlete
Swamp
Keeping my options open.
Pack 1 pick 11:
Guardians of Meletis
Satyr Hedonist
Satyr Rambler
--> Leonin Snarecaster
Plains
Pack 1 pick 12:
Traveler's Amulet
Spellheart Chimera
--> Evangel of Heliod
Mountain
Pack 1 pick 13:
--> Commune with the Gods
Vanquish the Foul
Forest
Pack 1 pick 14:
--> Ray of Dissolution (FOIL)
Plains
Pack 1 pick 15:
--> Mountain
------ THS ------
Pack 2 pick 1:
Pheres-Band Centaurs
Nylea's Presence
Minotaur Skullcleaver
Satyr Hedonist
Satyr Rambler
Leonin Snarecaster
Feral Invocation
Fate Foretold
Ray of Dissolution
Wavecrash Triton
Centaur Battlemaster
Fanatic of Mogis
Prowler's Helm
--> Thoughtseize
Island
Another profitable pick, another reason to go WB?
Pack 2 pick 2:
Ephara's Warden
Sip of Hemlock
Stymied Hopes
Voyaging Satyr
Titan's Strength
Baleful Eidolon
Benthic Giant
Annul
Voyage's End
Staunch-Hearted Warrior
Ordeal of Thassa
--> Favored Hoplite
Dark Betrayal
Forest
Pack 2 pick 3:
Ill-Tempered Cyclops
Chosen by Heliod
Leonin Snarecaster
Priest of Iroas
Read the Bones
Thassa's Bounty
Lost in a Labyrinth
Boon of Erebos
Akroan Crusader
--> Nemesis of Mortals
Ordeal of Erebos
Satyr Piper
Plains
I decide to go green. I'm hoping to put everyone around me into red, blue and black with all the playables I'm shipping.
Pack 2 pick 4:
Ill-Tempered Cyclops
--> Leafcrown Dryad
Chosen by Heliod
Crackling Triton
Spark Jolt
Last Breath
Griptide
Savage Surge
Disciple of Phenax
Horizon Chimera
Evangel of Heliod
Plains
Pack 2 pick 5:
Bronze Sable
Messenger's Speed
Mnemonic Wall
Returned Centaur
Fate Foretold
Portent of Betrayal
--> Observant Alseid
Cavern Lampad
Boulderfall
Triton Fortune Hunter
Plains
Pack 2 pick 6:
Loathsome Catoblepas
Omenspeaker
March of the Returned
Wild Celebrants
Benthic Giant
--> Decorated Griffin (FOIL)
Cavern Lampad
Thassa's Emissary
Flamecast Wheel
Island
Pack 2 pick 7:
Mnemonic Wall
Viper's Kiss
Portent of Betrayal
Commune with the Gods
Returned Phalanx
Lagonna-Band Elder
Lost in a Labyrinth
--> Scholar of Athreos
Plains
In hindsight, should have been Lagonna-Band Elder.
Pack 2 pick 8:
Loathsome Catoblepas
Omenspeaker
March of the Returned
Fade into Antiquity
Satyr Rambler
Boon of Erebos
--> Setessan Griffin
Swamp
Pack 2 pick 9:
Pheres-Band Centaurs
Satyr Hedonist
--> Leonin Snarecaster
Fate Foretold
Ray of Dissolution
Prowler's Helm
Island
Pack 2 pick 10:
--> Ephara's Warden
Stymied Hopes
Benthic Giant
Annul
Dark Betrayal
Forest
Pack 2 pick 11:
Priest of Iroas
Thassa's Bounty
Lost in a Labyrinth
--> Satyr Piper
Plains
Pack 2 pick 12:
--> Chosen by Heliod
Crackling Triton
Savage Surge
Plains
Pack 2 pick 13:
--> Mnemonic Wall
Boulderfall
Plains
Pack 2 pick 14:
--> Loathsome Catoblepas
Island
Pack 2 pick 15:
--> Plains
------ THS ------
Pack 3 pick 1:
Viper's Kiss
Dragon Mantle
Omenspeaker
Unknown Shores
Crackling Triton
Portent of Betrayal
Commune with the Gods
Returned Phalanx
Deathbellow Raider
Opaline Unicorn
Magma Jet
--> Evangel of Heliod
Flamecast Wheel
Reaper of the Wilds
Mountain
Pack 3 pick 2:
--> Nessian Courser
March of the Returned
Prescient Chimera (FOIL)
Spearpoint Oread
Breaching Hippocamp
Vulpine Goliath
Asphodel Wanderer
Shredding Winds
Boulderfall
Vanquish the Foul
Sealock Monster
Ordeal of Nylea
Titan of Eternal Fire
Swamp
Pack 3 pick 3:
Ill-Tempered Cyclops
Guardians of Meletis
Leonin Snarecaster
Priest of Iroas
Thassa's Bounty
Lost in a Labyrinth
Borderland Minotaur
--> Sedge Scorpion
Hunt the Hunter
Destructive Revelry
Triton Tactics
Labyrinth Champion
Island
Pack 3 pick 4:
Pheres-Band Centaurs
Nylea's Presence
Minotaur Skullcleaver
Agent of Horizons
Fade into Antiquity
Satyr Rambler
Setessan Griffin
Vaporkin
Horizon Chimera
Thassa's Emissary
--> Polis Crusher
Island
What has happened to my colors?! I totally overlook Nylea's Presence here, and just take the meh rare to redeem.
Pack 3 pick 5:
Nylea's Disciple
Fate Foretold
Thassa's Bounty
Lagonna-Band Elder
Priest of Iroas
Akroan Crusader
Savage Surge
--> Nemesis of Mortals
Decorated Griffin
Firedrinker Satyr
Mountain
I don't think I'm going to be green enough for disciple to matter.
Pack 3 pick 6:
Dragon Mantle
Bronze Sable
Pharika's Cure
Rage of Purphoros
--> Feral Invocation
Firedrinker Satyr (FOIL)
Setessan Battle Priest
Peak Eruption
Dark Betrayal
Mountain
Pack 3 pick 7:
Messenger's Speed
Fade into Antiquity
Returned Centaur
Commune with the Gods
Opaline Unicorn
Ray of Dissolution
--> Burnished Hart
Akroan Hoplite
Forest
Pack 3 pick 8:
Guardians of Meletis
Prescient Chimera
Demolish
Commune with the Gods
Horizon Scholar
--> Anvilwrought Raptor
Arena Athlete
Island
Pack 3 pick 9:
Viper's Kiss
Crackling Triton
Portent of Betrayal
--> Commune with the Gods
Deathbellow Raider
Flamecast Wheel
Mountain
Pack 3 pick 10:
March of the Returned
--> Prescient Chimera (FOIL)
Breaching Hippocamp
Boulderfall
Sealock Monster
Swamp
Pack 3 pick 11:
Priest of Iroas
Lost in a Labyrinth
Borderland Minotaur
--> Hunt the Hunter
Island
Pack 3 pick 12:
Pheres-Band Centaurs
Satyr Rambler
--> Setessan Griffin
Island
Pack 3 pick 13:
Thassa's Bounty
--> Priest of Iroas
Mountain
Pack 3 pick 14:
--> Dark Betrayal
Mountain
Pack 3 pick 15:
--> Forest
Wow. What a trainwreck pack three turned out to be! I put together a much weaker deck that I hoped, and I know I'm going to get crushed by W/r heroic. Possibly W/u, but definintely something that rhymes with 'spingsteed.'
THE DECK
8 Plains
8 Forest
Creatures: 16
1 Favored Hoplite
1 Sedge Scorpion
2 Leafcrown Dryad
1 Burnished Hart
2 Nessian Courser
1 Observant Alsied
1 Anvilwrought Raptor
1 Ephara's Warden
1 Heliod, God of the Never Getting Devotion
2 Setessan Griffin
1 Evangel of Maybe I Can Get Devotion
2 Nemesis of Mortals
1 Gods Willing
1 Commune with the Gods
1 Last Breath
1 Battlewise Valor
1 Chosen by Heliod
1 Ray of Dissolution
1 Divine Verdict
1 Evangel of Heliod
2 Scholar of Athreos
2 Leonin Snarecaster
1 Decorated Griffin
1 Commune with the Gods
1 Hunt the Hunter
1 Anvilwrought Raptor
THE RESULTS:
Round 1 vs GU
G1 - I live the dream with T2 Commune with the Gods into T4 Nemesis of Mortals, and it's basically over. There is some Griptiding going on, but nothing truly troublesome.
G2 - I flood out for a bit before landing a Nemesis. Meanwhile, he has Polukranos and Shipbreaker Kraken eating my face. I have a chance to stabilze, but a Voyage's End wrecks me.
G3 - He floods out while I go Hoplite -> Burnished Heart -> Alsied -> Bestow -> Bestow -> Win. My alternate plan was Heliod -> Achieve Devotion, so he wasn't winning despite having a pretty large Mistcutter Hydra, an Artisan of Forms and Master of Waves on his side. These are some STACKED packs, people.
1-0
Round 2 vs Mono R?
G1 - Either he is color screwed, or his mono-red deck is bad. Either way, he does very little while I run out 3/3 green monsters and bestow them.
G2 - Yep, he's really GR. I try to put up some blockers in front of his multiple Arena Athletes, but his red removal starts to wreck me. I'm winning, until his unexpected buff to a trampler overcomes my Gods Willing and hits me for lethal.
G3 - Starts off bad for me, as he bestows Leafcrown on his pair of Satyr Ramblers. A fortuitous series of events, wherein he uses premium removal on my early creatures and I cast Nemesis of Mortals way earlier than I should. I give it pants with Chosen of Heliod, then Monstrous it. I'm holding off his crew with Ephera's Warden and Anvilwrought Raptor. I'm also terrified he has a targeted spell for his Arena Athletes. After one hit with my 10/12 snake, he has to start chumping. Somehow, he gets very mad when I decide to use my carefully hoarded combat (and obviously telegraphed) trick to blow out his attempted triple block of the snake, netting me a 5-for-1. He goes on tilt and it's over shortly thereafter.
2-0
Round 3 vs Four Color Magical Christmas Mana
G1 - He has four colors of mana by turn three. It does not go well for me. I lose to triple combat tricks in a single turn, cast on his fabled hero.
G2 - He later tells me he has an opening hand of Voyaging Satyr, 2x Feral invocations, forest, forest plains, Hopeful Eidolon. He gets to 48 life before I stabilize at 18, but then he blows me out (again) with two consecutive turns of double combat trick. Pity, because I had gotten Heliod in play and I stood a good chance of holding him off until his deck finally started producing Vulpine Goliaths. *Shrug* I tilt, but I'm polite about it and we exchange mutual commiserations about the shuffler.
2-1
Still, better than I expected, and the two rares put me in the black for this Draft!
I still love Theros!
~M
------ THS ------
Pack 1 pick 1:
Bronze Sable
Ephara's Warden
--> Sip of Hemlock
Wild Celebrants
Two-Headed Cerberus
Time to Feed
Asphodel Wanderer
Breaching Hippocamp
Wavecrash Triton
Opaline Unicorn
Horizon Scholar
Flamespeaker Adept
Spellheart Chimera
Temple of Deceit
Forest
Whoa. What kind of a crappy pack is this?! I cut black and cross fingers.
Pack 1 pick 2:
Minotaur Skullcleaver
Chosen by Heliod
Mnemonic Wall
Defend the Hearth
Leonin Snarecaster
Priest of Iroas
Read the Bones
Thassa's Bounty
Borderland Minotaur
Shredding Winds
Akroan Hoplite
--> Rescue from the Underworld
Fanatic of Mogis
Forest
Still nothing amazing. I cut the high-payoff black uncommon, and keep praying.
Pack 1 pick 3:
Voyage's End (FOIL)
Fleshmad Steed
Nylea's Disciple
Last Breath
Scourgemark
Griptide
Satyr Hedonist
Boulderfall
Setessan Battle Priest
Ordeal of Heliod
Witches' Eye
--> Shipbreaker Kraken
Mountain
Glory be! A signal! UB, ho!
Pack 1 pick 4:
March of the Returned
Dragon Mantle
Portent of Betrayal
Commune with the Gods
--> Returned Phalanx
Lagonna-Band Elder
Lost in a Labyrinth
Akroan Crusader
Setessan Griffin
Hunt the Hunter
Triton Fortune Hunter
Mountain
Meh. I'm underwhelmed by Fortune Hunter.
Pack 1 pick 5:
Demolish
--> Gods Willing
Asphodel Wanderer
Breaching Hippocamp
Silent Artisan
Titan's Strength
Traveling Philosopher
Boon of Erebos
Flamecast Wheel
Rageblood Shaman
Swamp
Or, perhaps WB?
Pack 1 pick 6:
March of the Returned
Dragon Mantle
Scourgemark
Rage of Purphoros
Satyr Hedonist
Disciple of Phenax
Ray of Dissolution
Tormented Hero
--> Dauntless Onslaught
Mountain
Boys and girls, Gods Willing pick 5 followed by Dauntless onslaught pick 6 is a much better signal than pick three kraken!
Pack 1 pick 7:
Guardians of Meletis
Battlewise Valor
Loathsome Catoblepas
Commune with the Gods
Spark Jolt
Traveler's Amulet
Peak Eruption
--> Sentry of the Underworld
Island
Argh.
Pack 1 pick 8:
Thassa's Bounty
Lagonna-Band Elder
Priest of Iroas
--> Returned Centaur
Setessan Griffin
Triton Shorethief
Chronicler of Heroes
Plains
Pack 1 pick 9:
Bronze Sable
Ephara's Warden
Wild Celebrants
--> Asphodel Wanderer
Wavecrash Triton
Spellheart Chimera
Forest
Pack 1 pick 10:
Minotaur Skullcleaver
--> Chosen by Heliod
Defend the Hearth
Priest of Iroas
Borderland Minotaur
Forest
Pack 1 pick 11:
--> Fleshmad Steed
Boulderfall
Setessan Battle Priest
Witches' Eye
Mountain
Pack 1 pick 12:
Portent of Betrayal
Commune with the Gods
--> Lagonna-Band Elder
Mountain
Pack 1 pick 13:
Demolish
--> Silent Artisan
Swamp
Pack 1 pick 14:
--> Satyr Hedonist
Mountain
Pack 1 pick 15:
--> Island
------ THS ------
Pack 2 pick 1:
March of the Returned
Lightning Strike
Fleshmad Steed
Cavalry Pegasus
Nylea's Disciple
Returned Phalanx
Coastline Chimera
--> Pharika's Cure
Cavern Lampad
Staunch-Hearted Warrior
Glare of Heresy
Nemesis of Mortals
Dark Betrayal
Anger of the Gods
Swamp
Pack 2 pick 2:
Stymied Hopes
Ill-Tempered Cyclops
Leafcrown Dryad
Last Breath
Unknown Shores
Crackling Triton
Portent of Betrayal
Commune with the Gods
Staunch-Hearted Warrior
Borderland Minotaur
Chronicler of Heroes
Artisan's Sorrow
--> Soldier of the Pantheon
Plains
Pack 2 pick 3:
Demolish
Ephara's Warden
Fleshmad Steed
Nylea's Disciple
Spearpoint Oread
Vanquish the Foul (FOIL)
Vulpine Goliath
Deathbellow Raider
Borderland Minotaur
Magma Jet
--> Anvilwrought Raptor
Nylea's Emissary
Mountain
I hate myself right about now. Red is looking pretty strong.
Pack 2 pick 4:
Lash of the Whip
Messenger's Speed
Gods Willing
Asphodel Wanderer
Titan's Strength
Baleful Eidolon
Sedge Scorpion
Boon of Erebos
Centaur Battlemaster
--> Keepsake Gorgon
Favored Hoplite
Forest
Hello, benefits of cutting black in pack 1.
Pack 2 pick 5:
Viper's Kiss
Vulpine Goliath
Annul
Titan's Strength
Warriors' Lesson (FOIL)
Boulderfall
Sedge Scorpion
Anvilwrought Raptor
Vanquish the Foul
--> Decorated Griffin
Mountain
*facepalm* Talk about inconsistent. Is it players hopping colors, or are the packs just inconsistent for me?
Pack 2 pick 6:
Loathsome Catoblepas
Nylea's Presence
Fleetfeather Sandals
Two-Headed Cerberus
Aqueous Form
Silent Artisan
--> Blood-Toll Harpy
Ray of Dissolution
Vaporkin
Swamp
Pack 2 pick 7:
Viper's Kiss
Pheres-Band Centaurs
Wild Celebrants
Two-Headed Cerberus
Boulderfall
--> Setessan Battle Priest
Coordinated Assault
Spellheart Chimera
Plains
Pack 2 pick 8:
Guardians of Meletis
Demolish
Lost in a Labyrinth
Setessan Battle Priest
--> Traveler's Amulet
Hunt the Hunter
Destructive Revelry
Island
Pack 2 pick 9:
March of the Returned
Fleshmad Steed
Cavalry Pegasus
--> Returned Phalanx
Coastline Chimera
Dark Betrayal
Swamp
Pack 2 pick 10:
--> Unknown Shores
Crackling Triton
Commune with the Gods
Staunch-Hearted Warrior
Chronicler of Heroes
Plains
Pack 2 pick 11:
Demolish
Ephara's Warden
--> Fleshmad Steed
Borderland Minotaur
Mountain
Pack 2 pick 12:
Messenger's Speed
Asphodel Wanderer
--> Boon of Erebos
Forest
Pack 2 pick 13:
--> Vulpine Goliath
Boulderfall
Mountain
Pack 2 pick 14:
--> Loathsome Catoblepas
Swamp
Pack 2 pick 15:
--> Plains
------ THS ------
Pack 3 pick 1:
Lash of the Whip
Messenger's Speed
Gods Willing
--> Gray Merchant of Asphodel
Prescient Chimera
Satyr Rambler
Leonin Snarecaster
Feral Invocation
Triton Shorethief
Voyage's End
Centaur Battlemaster
Insatiable Harpy
Arena Athlete
Rageblood Shaman
Forest
Only Gary can save me.
Pack 3 pick 2:
Nylea's Presence
Minotaur Skullcleaver
Nimbus Naiad
Fate Foretold
Portent of Betrayal
--> Observant Alseid
Defend the Hearth
Agent of Horizons
Wavecrash Triton
Cavern Lampad
Mogis's Marauder
Horizon Scholar
Satyr Piper
Swamp
Pack 3 pick 3:
Cavalry Pegasus
Nylea's Disciple
Stymied Hopes
Silent Artisan
Blood-Toll Harpy
--> Wingsteed Rider
Spearpoint Oread
Nylea's Presence (FOIL)
Shredding Winds
Deathbellow Raider
Dark Betrayal
Satyr Piper
Mountain
Suddenly, I might have a deck.
Pack 3 pick 4:
Island (FOIL)
--> Gray Merchant of Asphodel
Divine Verdict
Scourgemark
Coastline Chimera
Rage of Purphoros
Satyr Hedonist
Akroan Crusader
Setessan Griffin
Kragma Warcaller
Karametra's Acolyte
Forest
Salvation.
Pack 3 pick 5:
Nessian Courser
--> Lash of the Whip
Minotaur Skullcleaver
Lagonna-Band Elder
Priest of Iroas
Returned Centaur
Scholar of Athreos
Triton Shorethief
Akroan Hoplite
Rescue from the Underworld
Forest
Pack 3 pick 6:
Crackling Triton
Portent of Betrayal
Commune with the Gods
Returned Phalanx
--> Lagonna-Band Elder
Traveler's Amulet
Akroan Crusader
Akroan Hoplite
Flamespeaker Adept
Forest
Pack 3 pick 7:
Minotaur Skullcleaver
Chosen by Heliod
Satyr Rambler
Scourgemark
Coastline Chimera
Rage of Purphoros
Traveler's Amulet
--> Ordeal of Erebos
Forest
The black must flow.
Pack 3 pick 8:
Dragon Mantle
Crackling Triton
Spark Jolt
Last Breath
Scourgemark
--> Scholar of Athreos
Flamespeaker Adept
Forest
I quite literally slapped the table when I saw this.
Pack 3 pick 9:
Lash of the Whip
Messenger's Speed
--> Gods Willing
Satyr Rambler
Leonin Snarecaster
Triton Shorethief
Forest
Pack 3 pick 10:
Nylea's Presence
Fate Foretold
Portent of Betrayal
Defend the Hearth
--> Cavern Lampad
Swamp
Pack 3 pick 11:
Silent Artisan
Shredding Winds
--> Dark Betrayal
Satyr Piper
Mountain
Pack 3 pick 12:
--> Scourgemark
Satyr Hedonist
Setessan Griffin
Forest
Pack 3 pick 13:
--> Returned Centaur
Triton Shorethief
Forest
Pack 3 pick 14:
--> Commune with the Gods
Forest
Pack 3 pick 15:
--> Forest
Okay, that got much better in Pack three.
THE DECK:
7 Plains
10 Swamp
Creatures: 14
1 Asphodel Wanderer
1 Fleshmad Steed
1 Wingsteed Rider
1 Blood-toll Harpy
1 Lagonna-band Elder
1 Observant Alseid
1 Scholar of Atreos
1 Cavern Lampad
2 Returned Centaur
2 Gary
1 Keepsake Gorgon
1 Sentry of the Underworld
1 Boon or Erebos
2 Gods Willing
1 Ordeal of Erebos
1 Pharika's Cure
1 Dauntless Onslaught
1 Lash of the Whip
1 Rescue from the Underworld
1 Sip of Hemlock
The Results:
Surprisingly, 3-0. I figured this was a sketchy 2-1 deck at best. I will saythat *every* game I got down to the low single digits before Gary showed up to save the day. I got way to many 1-2-3 drop openings than I deserved, given the way my curve is built. Sometimes it's Magic: the Shuffler.
Boon of Erebos *is* like the black Gods Willing. I think it is that good in the right black deck.
Thoughts? I didn't see any other option, but I'm curious where/when someone else would have changed strategy.
~M
I'm posting this in between rounds, so we'll see how it goes...
THE DRAFT
[spoiler]
------ THS ------
Pack 1 pick 1:
Ill-Tempered Cyclops
Leafcrown Dryad
Chosen by Heliod
Annul
Traveling Philosopher
Wild Celebrants
Silent Artisan
Time to Feed
Mnemonic Wall (FOIL)
Borderland Minotaur
Horizon Scholar
Sealock Monster
Evangel of Heliod
--> Master of Waves
Swamp
"I have a new strategy, R2. Let the Wookie win."
Pack 1 pick 2:
Dragon Mantle
Nessian Asp
Bronze Sable
Asphodel Wanderer
Voyaging Satyr
Titan's Strength
--> Baleful Eidolon
Benthic Giant
Disciple of Phenax
Ray of Dissolution
Phalanx Leader
Shipwreck Singer
Sentry of the Underworld
Plains
Someone said UB is a deck. I briefly consider GU, but that has been a pile every time I run it, Asps or no Asps. UW is also a deck, but I'm not convinced I want to be white just yet. If this pack had Wingsteed...
Pack 1 pick 3:
Mnemonic Wall
Cavalry Pegasus
Loathsome Catoblepas
Nylea's Presence
Fleetfeather Sandals
Agent of Horizons
Crackling Triton
Spark Jolt
Setessan Griffin
Kragma Warcaller
Dauntless Onslaught
--> Tymaret, the Murder King
Swamp
Well, darn. Should have been UW. I take the splash card.
Pack 1 pick 4:
Battlewise Valor
Loathsome Catoblepas
Omenspeaker
March of the Returned
Time to Feed
Baleful Eidolon
Traveling Philosopher
Two-Headed Cerberus
Felhide Minotaur
--> Voyage's End
Decorated Griffin
Swamp
Pack 1 pick 5:
Pheres-Band Centaurs
Nylea's Presence
Spark Jolt
Last Breath
Scourgemark
--> Borderland Minotaur
Shredding Winds
Chronicler of Heroes
Artisan's Sorrow
Evangel of Heliod
Mountain
Holy empty packs, Bat(eleur)man
Pack 1 pick 6:
Loathsome Catoblepas
Nylea's Presence
Fleetfeather Sandals
--> Pharika's Cure
Returned Centaur
Cavern Lampad
Vanquish the Foul
Akroan Hoplite
Shipwreck Singer
Swamp
Pack 1 pick 7:
Demolish
Ephara's Warden
Fleshmad Steed
Yoked Ox
Annul
Wild Celebrants
--> Wavecrash Triton
Spellheart Chimera
Mountain
Pack 1 pick 8:
Chosen by Heliod
Mnemonic Wall
--> Annul
Opaline Unicorn
Ray of Dissolution
Witches' Eye
Psychic Intrusion
Island
Pack 1 pick 9:
Chosen by Heliod
Annul
Wild Celebrants
Silent Artisan
--> Mnemonic Wall (FOIL)
Evangel of Heliod
Swamp
Pack 1 pick 10:
Bronze Sable
Asphodel Wanderer
Benthic Giant
--> Disciple of Phenax
Ray of Dissolution
Plains
That's a late Disciple, I think.
Pack 1 pick 11:
--> Mnemonic Wall
Loathsome Catoblepas
Crackling Triton
Setessan Griffin
Swamp
Pack 1 pick 12:
Loathsome Catoblepas
--> March of the Returned
Decorated Griffin
Swamp
Pack 1 pick 13:
Last Breath
--> Scourgemark
Mountain
Pack 1 pick 14:
--> Loathsome Catoblepas
Swamp
Pack 1 pick 15:
--> Mountain
------ THS ------
Pack 2 pick 1:
Guardians of Meletis
Battlewise Valor
Loathsome Catoblepas
Annul
Wingsteed Rider
Wild Celebrants
Wingsteed Rider (FOIL)
Time to Feed
Boulderfall
Savage Surge
Centaur Battlemaster
--> Keepsake Gorgon
Satyr Piper
Rageblood Shaman
Swamp
Huzzah! My draft might not be an epic pile after all.
Pack 2 pick 2:
--> Nimbus Naiad
Nylea's Disciple
Lash of the Whip
Fate Foretold
Portent of Betrayal
Defend the Hearth
Agent of Horizons
Borderland Minotaur
Shredding Winds
Ordeal of Erebos
Horizon Chimera
Arena Athlete
Ember Swallower
Forest
I cry a little bit, but Naiad >> Ordeal at the moment. Goodbye, Ember Swallower. I still need you for my redemption set. Goodbye, Lash.
Pack 2 pick 3:
Sip of Hemlock
Bronze Sable
Messenger's Speed
Mnemonic Wall
Returned Phalanx
Lagonna-Band Elder
Lost in a Labyrinth
Traveler's Amulet
--> Horizon Scholar
Anvilwrought Raptor
Flamecast Wheel
Temple of Abandon
Island
Why did Returned Phalanx have to be in this pack?
Pack 2 pick 4:
Messenger's Speed
Two-Headed Cerberus
Time to Feed
Asphodel Wanderer
Breaching Hippocamp
Silent Artisan
Boulderfall
Setessan Battle Priest
Mogis's Marauder
Sentry of the Underworld
--> Temple of Deceit
Plains
I'm not made of stone, and this is in my likely colors.
Pack 2 pick 5:
Dragon Mantle
Omenspeaker
Pharika's Cure
Rage of Purphoros
Feral Invocation
Returned Centaur
Cutthroat Maneuver (FOIL)
--> Voyage's End
Rescue from the Underworld
Reverent Hunter
Plains
Pack 2 pick 6:
Battlewise Valor
Viper's Kiss
--> Blood-Toll Harpy
Breaching Hippocamp
Aqueous Form
Vulpine Goliath
Cavern Lampad
Sedge Scorpion
Prowler's Helm
Forest
Regretfully, three drop flier > Lampad at the moment.
Pack 2 pick 7:
Dragon Mantle
--> Omenspeaker
Unknown Shores
Crackling Triton
Portent of Betrayal
Commune with the Gods
Setessan Griffin
Triton Shorethief
Plains
Pack 2 pick 8:
Bronze Sable
Messenger's Speed
--> Fate Foretold
Defend the Hearth
Setessan Battle Priest
Gainsay
Pharika's Mender
Island
Pack 2 pick 9:
Guardians of Meletis
Loathsome Catoblepas
--> Annul
Wild Celebrants
Boulderfall
Satyr Piper
Swamp
Pack 2 pick 10:
Fate Foretold
Portent of Betrayal
Defend the Hearth
--> Agent of Horizons
Borderland Minotaur
Forest
I'm probably not playing the one copy of Fate Foretold I already have. Hate the unblockable fellow.
Pack 2 pick 11:
--> Bronze Sable
Messenger's Speed
Mnemonic Wall
Flamecast Wheel
Island
Pack 2 pick 12:
Messenger's Speed
--> Asphodel Wanderer
Boulderfall
Plains
Pack 2 pick 13:
Dragon Mantle
--> Returned Centaur
Plains
Pack 2 pick 14:
--> Breaching Hippocamp
Forest
What? Was blue really deep in this pack, or are the packs weak and no one is drafting my color? It's not amazing, but it's maindeckable.
Pack 2 pick 15:
--> Plains
------ THS ------
Pack 3 pick 1:
Omenspeaker
March of the Returned
Lightning Strike
Fade into Antiquity
Returned Centaur
Griptide
Commune with the Gods
Hopeful Eidolon
Akroan Crusader
Setessan Griffin
Stoneshock Giant
--> Sea God's Revenge
Flamecast Wheel
Firedrinker Satyr
Mountain
Windmill slam. My PXP1s have been kind.
Pack 3 pick 2:
Demolish
Ephara's Warden
Fleshmad Steed
Wild Celebrants
Silent Artisan
Time to Feed
Defend the Hearth (FOIL)
Breaching Hippocamp
Scholar of Athreos
Felhide Minotaur
--> Ordeal of Thassa
Triton Fortune Hunter
Temple of Mystery
Mountain
Pack 3 pick 3:
Viper's Kiss
Pheres-Band Centaurs
Leonin Snarecaster
Priest of Iroas
Read the Bones
Lost in a Labyrinth
Wavecrash Triton
Cavern Lampad
Purphoros's Emissary
Ordeal of Erebos
--> Insatiable Harpy
Meletis Charlatan
Swamp
Interestingly, I might actually have enough instants to make Charlatan playable. I go for the Harpy, hoping to pick up a Gary.
Pack 3 pick 4:
Messenger's Speed
Gods Willing
Aqueous Form
Spearpoint Oread
Vulpine Goliath
Yoked Ox
Baleful Eidolon
Boon of Erebos
--> Vaporkin
Heliod's Emissary
Pyxis of Pandemonium
Plains
Alright, people. That is quite enough of putting high-pick two drops in the same pack.
Pack 3 pick 5:
Nimbus Naiad
Nylea's Disciple
Lash of the Whip
Last Breath
Scourgemark
Satyr Rambler
Traveler's Amulet
Shredding Winds
Peak Eruption
--> Triton Tactics
Forest
Please discuss this pick. I'm still not sure if it should more properly have been Naiad.
Pack 3 pick 6:
Ephara's Warden
--> Sip of Hemlock
Stymied Hopes
Read the Bones
Last Breath
Unknown Shores
Crackling Triton
Wavecrash Triton
Dark Betrayal
Island
Pack 3 pick 7:
Omenspeaker
March of the Returned
Satyr Hedonist
Fate Foretold
Ray of Dissolution
Chronicler of Heroes
--> Dissolve
Decorated Griffin
Mountain
Pack 3 pick 8:
Fleshmad Steed
Cavalry Pegasus
Nylea's Disciple
Unknown Shores
--> Aqueous Form
Asphodel Wanderer
Pharika's Mender
Forest
Pack 3 pick 9:
--> Omenspeaker
March of the Returned
Commune with the Gods
Akroan Crusader
Setessan Griffin
Flamecast Wheel
Mountain
Pack 3 pick 10:
Demolish
Ephara's Warden
Silent Artisan
Defend the Hearth (FOIL)
--> Breaching Hippocamp
Mountain
Pack 3 pick 11:
Viper's Kiss
Priest of Iroas
--> Read the Bones
Lost in a Labyrinth
Swamp
It wheels? I have no idea what's going on to the left and right of me.
Pack 3 pick 12:
Messenger's Speed
Yoked Ox
--> Pyxis of Pandemonium
Plains
You know how many times I have seen this in draft? Yet I still had zero copies. Finally, one for my redemption set!
Pack 3 pick 13:
--> Last Breath
Scourgemark
Forest
Pack 3 pick 14:
--> Stymied Hopes
Island
Pack 3 pick 15:
--> Mountain
[/spoiler]
THE DECK:
[spoiler]
7 Swamp
8 Island
1 Temple of Deceit
Creatures: 14
1 Baleful Eidolon
2 Omenspeaker
1 Vaporkin
1 Blood-toll Harpy
1 Nimbus Naiad
2 Breaching Hippocamp (sadface)
1 Disciple of Phenax
1 Insatiable Harpy
1 Master of Waves (might as well)
1 Keepsake Gorgon
1 Mnemonic Wall
1 Horizon Scholar
1 Triton Tactics
1 Pharika's Cure
1 Stymied Hopes
2 Voyage's End
1 Ordeal of Thassa
1 Read the Bones
1 Dissolve
1 Sip of Hemlock
1 Sea God's Revenge
2 Annul
1 Fate Foretold
1 Aqueous Form
1 Scourgemark
1 March of the Returned
1 Bronze Sable
1 Asphodel Wanderer
1 Returned Centaur
I know...16 land again...but I figured I had a ton of scry and a relatively low curve. I'm not really planning to bestow much.
[/spoiler]
THE RESULTS:
[spoiler]
Round 1 vs UG good stuff
Game 1: I land a Harpy while he puts out a Voyaging Satyr. I suit up my harpy with +2/+2 flying pants while he brings a Centaur Battlemaster in to play. During his next attack, I untap my 4/3 Harpy with a Breached Hippo, but decline to block. That turns out to be tech, because he starts creatively cussing at me for not walking in to his obviously telegraphed combat trick. I Cure the Satyr, then drop Master of Waves to block the obscene 6/6 centaur for four turns. Somewhere along the way, I Stymied Hopes his flashy Chimera. I have never run that spell before, and I already love it. He mutters some imprecations in chat, then slams his hexproof monster flyer on the table...which taps when you use its ability to protect it from Sip of Hemlock. Game point to me.
Game 2: I land a Harpy and he responds with silence. After my next combat phase, he flashes in his Chimera again, which meets Voyage's End. I suit it up with +1/+1 deathtouch pants. Akroan Horse joins my side (that seems like a really bad idea for GU to be playing) and serves as a blocker for most of the stuff he plays the next three turns. Eventually, my double Breaching Hippos cause him to rage quit. Man, I haven't played with those either. I didn't realize no one plays around them.
1-0
Round 2 vs BW Heroic Wingsteeds
Game 1: I am off to a good start with Omenspeaker, setting up my draws. I manage to outrace his 6/6 Wingsteed with Breaching Hippos and insatiable Harpy by using every tempo and counter spell in my deck. I actually go out of my way to show both Stymied Hopes and Dissolve, in hopes that it will make him over cautious in game 2. It must really hurt to have your Hopeful Eidolon plan dissolved and then Stymied in two consecutive turns.
Game 2: He is mana screwed, I mulligan to 5 and then flood. I scry away EIGHT, yes EIGHT lands before he finds a wingsteed to eat my face. Quick - someone calculate me the odds that I would flush eight lands and draw lands in between those scrys! Fortunately, I saw signs that he was definitely playing around my counterspells.
Game 3: I keep a sketchy hand of island, swamp, Omenspeaker, Voyage's End, Pharika's Cure, Read the Bones and Stymied Hopes. He plinks me with his Drain Life on a 1/4 stick while I'm hitting back with...you guessed it...Hippo. This one is under Ordeal of Thassa and I can't wait to pop it because Read the Bones and Omenspeaker both scryed away land and I STILL drew two =P. By turn four, he gets his second plans and goes to the tank, but declines to cast what I'm certain is his Wingsteed Rider. Next turn, I go to the tank myself, trying to decide whether to let Chosen By Heliod turn his 1/4 into a 1/6, but eventually I decide that he's trying to bait me and I let him draw the card. Turns out to be the right move, because he thinks the path is clear to tapout for Wingsteed, and I blow it away with my carefully horded Cure. At which point, he concedes. Keepsake Gorgon is sad, because with all this mana, I'm prepared to cast her then go monstrous the next turn.
Here's hoping this is my toughest match, because it was a squeaker and could easily have gone his way.
2-0
Round Three vs BW Aggro
Game 1: He appears vaguely heroic, but his double Tormented hero and 1/3 heroic healer suggest that he's more about weenie rush than he is about Wingsteed riders. It is axiomatic by now that he's not going to play around my Hippos. His stuff is so small, though, that I elect to keep my 3/2 guy for offense. I do manage to eat his healer for free, though. Despite the fact that I got down to 12 life at one point (while he was at 28!) I never felt that this game was out of reach. My stuff just had bigger butts to block with. I do really despise that 3/3 Flying Vigiliant Regenerate fellow. Fortunately, I had Dissolve for it. This opponent picked up all the Baleful Eidolons I was passing, and I was certain that was going to be a problem.
Game 2: I cast an Omenspeaker to smooth my draws with a hand of 2x island, Sip of Hemlock, Omenspeaker, Insatiable Harpy, Keepsake Gorgon and Voyage's End. It works. I scry away an island/keep a swamp, draw one next turn and follow it up with my fourth mana and second swamp. Very soon, I regret scrying that fifth land away, but eventually I hit the mana pockets I'm famous for the world over and cast the Gorgon. We're stalemated and he's holding back my entire team with a Baleful Eidolon and the stupid 1/2 that taps anything with 3 power or less. Amazingly, I have a bunch of those. He gets me to 10, but I pull Horizon Scholar, activate the Gorgon to remove a hero he finally started to pump with another Eidolon. Sip of Hemlock crushes that 3/3 Flying Vigilant nightmare, and then I manage to scry deep enough to set up a topdeck of Pharika's Cure to remove his Icy Manipulator for weenies. Insatiable Harpy finally does some work, putting me safely out of range, and Triton Tactics crushes his only hope of an alpha strike. My Voyage's End on his 2/2 lifelinked Baleful Eidolon prevents him from bestowing Heliod's Emmisary on it as well and staging a comeback, then I fly over for exactly lethal.
3-0
I didn't think this was a 3-0 deck. I have new respect for Dissolve (which I've always liked) and Stymied Hopes (which I have never before maindecked). I thought about sideboarding in Annuls during Round three, in the end I kept the deck intact throughout the whole draft.
[/spoiler]
I'd really like to thank the folks in the Limited Forum. I would never have understood the power of Stymied Hopes without the comments on the boards this week, and I can say that what success I had was linked directly to that card. And Breaching Hippos.
~M
[/spoiler]
(Hey, if you get disgusted with this draft, please fast forward to P2P7 and share your thoughts. Thanks!)
------ THS ------
Pack 1 pick 1:
Minotaur Skullcleaver
Chosen by Heliod
Mnemonic Wall
Viper's Kiss
Lightning Strike
Crackling Triton
Spark Jolt
Last Breath
Sedge Scorpion
Felhide Minotaur
Akroan Hoplite
Rescue from the Underworld
Triton Fortune Hunter
--> Thassa, God of the Sea
Forest
Money! I'm almost the winner of the draft already. I shall draft mono-blue!
Pack 1 pick 2:
Ill-Tempered Cyclops
Guardians of Meletis
Battlewise Valor
Commune with the Gods
Returned Phalanx
Lagonna-Band Elder
Lost in a Labyrinth
Pharika's Cure
Ray of Dissolution
--> Wavecrash Triton
Chronicler of Heroes
Dissolve
Dark Betrayal
Plains
That was...disappointing. But the plan endures!
Pack 1 pick 3:
Bronze Sable
Ephara's Warden
--> Sip of Hemlock
Lagonna-Band Elder
Priest of Iroas
Fade into Antiquity
Returned Centaur
Savage Surge
Opaline Unicorn
Destructive Revelry
Artisan's Sorrow
Spellheart Chimera
Mountain
Fine. One black spell.
Pack 1 pick 4:
--> Sip of Hemlock
Bronze Sable
Messenger's Speed
Fate Foretold
Thassa's Bounty
Lagonna-Band Elder
Priest of Iroas
Fade into Antiquity
Savage Surge
Setessan Griffin
Peak Eruption
Forest
This is still just one black spell...just two copies of it!
Pack 1 pick 5:
Bronze Sable
Messenger's Speed
Mnemonic Wall
Messenger's Speed (FOIL)
Lost in a Labyrinth
Fade into Antiquity
Satyr Rambler
Scholar of Athreos
--> Ordeal of Erebos
Decorated Griffin
Forest
I shall take the Wall! (Or, the much better card...)
Pack 1 pick 6:
Nessian Courser
March of the Returned
Dragon Mantle
Aqueous Form
Forest (FOIL)
--> Blood-Toll Harpy
Akroan Crusader
Glare of Heresy
Coordinated Assault
Swamp
But Thassa is a GOD! You don't want me to make a god angry, do you?
Pack 1 pick 7:
Demolish
--> Scourgemark
Satyr Hedonist
Satyr Rambler
Leonin Snarecaster
Asphodel Wanderer (FOIL)
Hunt the Hunter
Destructive Revelry
Island
Pack 1 pick 8:
--> Lash of the Whip
Minotaur Skullcleaver
Portent of Betrayal
Defend the Hearth
Crackling Triton
Opaline Unicorn
Ray of Dissolution
Mountain
Pack 1 pick 9:
Chosen by Heliod
Viper's Kiss
Spark Jolt
Felhide Minotaur
Akroan Hoplite
--> Rescue from the Underworld
Forest
I shall ignore the perfectly fine three drop for a high payoff card. Since I'm trying to draft mono-blue, I might still splash this in U/b!
Pack 1 pick 10:
Guardians of Meletis
Lagonna-Band Elder
--> Pharika's Cure
Ray of Dissolution
Dark Betrayal
Plains
So, if this wheels it means that no one else is black...which means I don't want Dark Betrayal, right?
Pack 1 pick 11:
Ephara's Warden
Priest of Iroas
--> Returned Centaur
Spellheart Chimera
Mountain
Pack 1 pick 12:
--> Bronze Sable
Messenger's Speed
Priest of Iroas
Forest
Pack 1 pick 13:
Messenger's Speed
--> Messenger's Speed (FOIL)
Forest
Pack 1 pick 14:
--> March of the Returned
Swamp
Pack 1 pick 15:
--> Island
------ THS ------
Pack 2 pick 1:
--> Gray Merchant of Asphodel
Divine Verdict
Sip of Hemlock
Wild Celebrants
Silent Artisan
Time to Feed
Blood-Toll Harpy
Breaching Hippocamp
Akroan Crusader
Cavern Lampad
Ordeal of Thassa
Cutthroat Maneuver
Satyr Piper
Nykthos, Shrine to Nyx
Mountain
I came *this* close to taking the money. *THIS* close. I've already got a copy, though.
Pack 2 pick 2:
Nylea's Disciple
Lash of the Whip
Messenger's Speed
Pharika's Cure
Defend the Hearth
Leonin Snarecaster
Priest of Iroas
Read the Bones
Boulderfall
Setessan Battle Priest
Sea God's Revenge
--> Erebos's Emissary
Temple of Abandon
Swamp
It's a good thing I'm trying to draft mono-blue, otherwise, I'd be sad at all the quality black I'm forced to pass after taking the Emissary...
Pack 2 pick 3:
Gods Willing
--> Gray Merchant of Asphodel
Prescient Chimera
Triton Tactics (FOIL)
Lost in a Labyrinth
Agent of Horizons
Fade into Antiquity
Satyr Rambler
Triton Shorethief
Voyage's End
Tormented Hero
Pharika's Mender
Mountain
Just taking this for the art.
Pack 2 pick 4:
Omenspeaker
--> Gray Merchant of Asphodel
Divine Verdict
Griptide
Satyr Hedonist
Satyr Rambler
Coordinated Assault (FOIL)
Feral Invocation
Setessan Battle Priest
Deathbellow Raider
Karametra's Acolyte
Mountain
This one, too. (Believe it or not, I faced three decks that splashed black...)
Pack 2 pick 5:
--> Lash of the Whip
Messenger's Speed
Read the Bones
Last Breath
Unknown Shores
Crackling Triton
Portent of Betrayal
Traveler's Amulet
Boulderfall
Anvilwrought Raptor
Mountain
Pack 2 pick 6:
Cavalry Pegasus
Stymied Hopes
Rage of Purphoros
Returned Centaur
Fate Foretold
Dissolve
Burnished Hart
Arena Athlete
--> Tymaret, the Murder King
Swamp
Pack 2 pick 7:
Minotaur Skullcleaver
Commune with the Gods
Spark Jolt
--> Returned Phalanx
Coastline Chimera
Borderland Minotaur
Sedge Scorpion
Shipwreck Singer
Plains
Ok, all joking aside: I really did think I was still splashing blue at this point. Thassa is strong enough I'd be willing to splash it. With that in mind, I darn near took the Singer. In the end, I opted for the 3/3 two drop to stop early rush. At this point, I simply had no early way to stop 2/X creatures and I was pretty worried about that.
Pack 2 pick 8:
--> Fleshmad Steed
Rage of Purphoros
Returned Centaur
Fate Foretold
Borderland Minotaur
Scholar of Athreos
Glare of Heresy
Swamp
Pack 2 pick 9:
Sip of Hemlock
Silent Artisan
Blood-Toll Harpy
--> Cavern Lampad
Cutthroat Maneuver
Satyr Piper
Mountain
Third Sip? No, not over Lampad. I did think about Cutthroat Maneuver, but in the end the Lampad is just far better.
Pack 2 pick 10:
Defend the Hearth
Leonin Snarecaster
Priest of Iroas
--> Read the Bones
Boulderfall
Swamp
Pack 2 pick 11:
Lost in a Labyrinth
Fade into Antiquity
Triton Shorethief
--> Tormented Hero
Mountain
He wheeled!
Pack 2 pick 12:
Satyr Hedonist
--> Satyr Rambler
Setessan Battle Priest
Mountain
Pack 2 pick 13:
Messenger's Speed
--> Boulderfall
Mountain
Pack 2 pick 14:
--> Stymied Hopes
Swamp
Pack 2 pick 15:
--> Plains
------ THS ------
Pack 3 pick 1:
Fleetfeather Sandals
Demolish
Ephara's Warden
Vulpine Goliath
Asphodel Wanderer
Voyaging Satyr
Titan's Strength
Baleful Eidolon
Sedge Scorpion
Felhide Minotaur
Anvilwrought Raptor
Nylea's Emissary
Favored Hoplite
--> Spear of Heliod
Swamp
Fortunately, I am not punished for this. The pick was definitely Eidolon. However, I thought that my deck could win without it...but that it would absolutely die to a resolved Spear. Discuss!
Pack 3 pick 2:
Loathsome Catoblepas
March of the Returned
Wild Celebrants
Two-Headed Cerberus
Time to Feed
Asphodel Wanderer
Breaching Hippocamp
Opaline Unicorn
Ray of Dissolution
Dissolve
--> Insatiable Harpy
Arena Athlete
Temple of Deceit
Island
Pack 3 pick 3:
Viper's Kiss
Dragon Mantle
Omenspeaker
--> Pharika's Cure
Defend the Hearth
Leonin Snarecaster
Priest of Iroas
Read the Bones
Triton Shorethief
Traveler's Amulet
Akroan Hoplite
Ordeal of Purphoros
Swamp
Another conversation-worthy pick. Cure is sub-par removalm and Read the Bones is top-notch.
Pack 3 pick 4:
Fleetfeather Sandals
Ill-Tempered Cyclops
Observant Alseid
Scourgemark
Coastline Chimera
Rage of Purphoros
Satyr Hedonist
Staunch-Hearted Warrior
--> Boon of Erebos
Vanquish the Foul
Temple of Silence
Forest
Pack 3 pick 5:
Pheres-Band Centaurs
Divine Verdict
--> Unknown Shores
Aqueous Form
Traveler's Amulet (FOIL)
Two-Headed Cerberus
Setessan Battle Priest
Purphoros's Emissary
Warriors' Lesson
Pharika's Mender
Plains
I'm still planning to splash black in my mono-blue deck =P
Pack 3 pick 6:
--> Gray Merchant of Asphodel
Fleetfeather Sandals
Asphodel Wanderer
Breaching Hippocamp
Silent Artisan
Titan's Strength
Traveling Philosopher
Shipwreck Singer
Sentry of the Underworld
Forest
Well now this is just ridiculous.
Pack 3 pick 7:
Fleetfeather Sandals
Demolish
Ephara's Warden
--> Fleshmad Steed
Spark Jolt
Coastline Chimera
Traveler's Amulet
Flamecast Wheel
Island
Pack 3 pick 8:
--> Viper's Kiss
Dragon Mantle
Traveling Philosopher
Two-Headed Cerberus
Ray of Dissolution
Satyr Piper
Decorated Griffin
Mountain
Pack 3 pick 9:
Fleetfeather Sandals
Demolish
Ephara's Warden
Titan's Strength
--> Felhide Minotaur
Anvilwrought Raptor
Swamp
Look at that. He tabled from Pack 1.
Pack 3 pick 10:
Loathsome Catoblepas
March of the Returned
Wild Celebrants
--> Asphodel Wanderer
Breaching Hippocamp
Island
Pack 3 pick 11:
Defend the Hearth
Priest of Iroas
Triton Shorethief
--> Akroan Hoplite
Swamp
Pack 3 pick 12:
Fleetfeather Sandals
Scourgemark
--> Rage of Purphoros
Forest
Pack 3 pick 13:
--> Two-Headed Cerberus
Setessan Battle Priest
Plains
Pack 3 pick 14:
--> Fleetfeather Sandals
Forest
Pack 3 pick 15:
--> Island
Obviously, that went really well. Other than the 2-3 picks I specifically asked for feedback on, this was straightforward. Man, I really wanted to be blue...
THE DECK:
16 Swamp
Creatures: 13
1 Asphodel Wanderer
1 Tormented Hero
1 Returned Phalanx
1 Fleshmad Steed
1 Bloodtoll Harpy
1 Felhide Minotaur
1 Cavern Lampad
1 Erebo's Emissary
1 Insatiable Harpy
4 Gray Merchant of Asphodel (!)
1 Boon of Erebos
2 Pharika's Cure
1 Ordeal of Erebos
1 Scourgemark
1 Read the Bones
2 Lash of the Whip
1 Rescue from the Underworld
2 Sip of Hemlock
Curve was a real problem, which was why I included the marginal 1-drops. I think there may have been a better way to build this, but I was loathe to eliminate any of the spells, as they all seemed really important. Returned Phalanx was MVP. Had him out by turn 2 or 3 every game. I even suited him up with Scourgemark in one game to draw a card and pump my devotion.
No deck with four Greymerchants should be beatable, methinks...
THE RESULTS:
And indeed it was not. This was a welcome interruption of my two-tournament utter failure streak....3-0.
Games went about as you'd expect: Early blocker, a couple of card draws or scrys to find two copies of merchant, win.
Remarkably, *all* of my opponents used black as a third color. One fellow even had the black god to match my blue god. Darnit...
I'm trying to understand how someone with Erebos passes Greymerchants. I *think* that no one but him or I would have wanted them, since they don't splash well?
Not intended as a brag thread. I abandoned my P1P1 bomb and was rewarded for it.
If I don't respond to your posts, it is because work is blocking forum posting now...darn the luck.
~M
Nicely done...though I hate the players in your second pod a little bit. Where are they when I'm trying to put together heroic?!
=P
~M
------ THS ------
Pack 1 pick 1:
Messenger's Speed
Mnemonic Wall
Cavalry Pegasus
Portent of Betrayal
Commune with the Gods
Returned Phalanx
Lagonna-Band Elder
Lost in a Labyrinth
Felhide Minotaur
Borderland Minotaur
Phalanx Leader
Peak Eruption
Erebos's Emissary
--> Bow of Nylea
Island
Everyone says this is bad. I think deathtouch to a bunch of green fatties on the attack might be okay.
Pack 1 pick 2:
Chosen by Heliod
Mnemonic Wall
Viper's Kiss
Traveling Philosopher
Two-Headed Cerberus
Aqueous Form
Silent Artisan
Blood-Toll Harpy
Boon of Erebos
Setessan Griffin
Rescue from the Underworld
--> Satyr Piper
Decorated Griffin
Plains
Ouch. Cerebus, maybe?
Pack 1 pick 3:
Nessian Courser
March of the Returned
Dragon Mantle
Time to Feed
Blood-Toll Harpy
Breaching Hippocamp
Aqueous Form
Spearpoint Oread
--> Wavecrash Triton
Traveler's Amulet
Insatiable Harpy
Arena Athlete
Forest
Mistake, should have been Courser if I was cutting green.
Pack 1 pick 4:
Dragon Mantle
Omenspeaker
Satyr Hedonist
Swamp (FOIL)
Unknown Shores
Crackling Triton
Akroan Crusader
--> Cavern Lampad
Gainsay
Kragma Warcaller
Evangel of Heliod
Forest
Pack 1 pick 5:
Nylea's Presence
Fleetfeather Sandals
Demolish
Unknown Shores
Aqueous Form
Asphodel Wanderer
Ray of Dissolution
Wavecrash Triton
--> Horizon Chimera
Pyxis of Pandemonium
Swamp
Pack 1 pick 6:
Bronze Sable
Messenger's Speed
Traveling Philosopher
Yoked Ox
--> Benthic Giant
Felhide Minotaur
Shredding Winds
Akroan Hoplite
Satyr Piper
Plains
Pack 1 pick 7:
Stymied Hopes
Nessian Courser
Leonin Snarecaster
Fate Foretold
Thassa's Bounty
Lagonna-Band Elder
Triton Shorethief
--> Karametra's Acolyte
Forest
Pack 1 pick 8:
Ephara's Warden
Last Breath
Unknown Shores
Crackling Triton
Commune with the Gods
Boulderfall
--> Spellheart Chimera
Mountain
Pack 1 pick 9:
Messenger's Speed
Portent of Betrayal
--> Commune with the Gods
Lost in a Labyrinth
Felhide Minotaur
Peak Eruption
Island
Pack 1 pick 10:
Mnemonic Wall
--> Two-Headed Cerberus
Silent Artisan
Setessan Griffin
Decorated Griffin
Plains
Pack 1 pick 11:
Nessian Courser
March of the Returned
--> Spearpoint Oread
Traveler's Amulet
Forest
Pack 1 pick 12:
Satyr Hedonist
--> Unknown Shores
Crackling Triton
Forest
Pack 1 pick 13:
Demolish
--> Ray of Dissolution
Swamp
Pack 1 pick 14:
--> Bronze Sable
Plains
Pack 1 pick 15:
--> Forest
------ THS ------
Pack 2 pick 1:
Demolish
Ephara's Warden
Fleshmad Steed
Pharika's Cure
Rage of Purphoros
Feral Invocation
Returned Centaur
Hopeful Eidolon
Vaporkin
Setessan Battle Priest
Mogis's Marauder
--> Horizon Chimera
Pharika's Mender
Soldier of the Pantheon
Mountain
Pack 2 pick 2:
Prescient Chimera
Fleetfeather Sandals
Ill-Tempered Cyclops
Guardians of Meletis
Crackling Triton
Spark Jolt
Last Breath
Scourgemark
Ray of Dissolution
Wavecrash Triton
--> Sea God's Revenge
Triton Tactics
Sentry of the Underworld
Island
Pack 2 pick 3:
Nylea's Disciple
Messenger's Speed
Two-Headed Cerberus
Vulpine Goliath
Annul
Titan's Strength
Yoked Ox
--> Sedge Scorpion
Scholar of Athreos
Magma Jet
Anvilwrought Raptor
Evangel of Heliod
Forest
Pack 2 pick 4:
Sip of Hemlock
Bronze Sable
Asphodel Wanderer
Wingsteed Rider
Two-Headed Cerberus
Vulpine Goliath
Annul
--> Staunch-Hearted Warrior
Scholar of Athreos
Karametra's Acolyte
Prowler's Helm
Plains
Pack 2 pick 5:
Minotaur Skullcleaver
Chosen by Heliod
Mnemonic Wall
Vulpine Goliath
Asphodel Wanderer
Titan's Strength
Baleful Eidolon
--> Sedge Scorpion
Felhide Minotaur
Flamecast Wheel
Plains
Pack 2 pick 6:
Battlewise Valor
--> Nessian Asp
Viper's Kiss
Time to Feed
Asphodel Wanderer
Breaching Hippocamp
Silent Artisan
Titan's Strength
Akroan Crusader
Mountain
The single bright point in this draft thus far.
Pack 2 pick 7:
Battlewise Valor
Loathsome Catoblepas
Omenspeaker
March of the Returned
--> Griptide
Satyr Hedonist
Satyr Rambler
Opaline Unicorn
Swamp
Pick 7? This pack must have been amazing!
Pack 2 pick 8:
Messenger's Speed
Fate Foretold
Portent of Betrayal
Defend the Hearth
--> Agent of Horizons
Savage Surge
Spellheart Chimera
Plains
At this point, I feel marginally better about my color choices. Marginally.
Pack 2 pick 9:
Demolish
Ephara's Warden
--> Feral Invocation
Returned Centaur
Setessan Battle Priest
Pharika's Mender
Mountain
Pack 2 pick 10:
Fleetfeather Sandals
--> Guardians of Meletis
Crackling Triton
Spark Jolt
Last Breath
Island
Yep. It's that desperate, folks.
Pack 2 pick 11:
Messenger's Speed
--> Vulpine Goliath
Yoked Ox
Anvilwrought Raptor
Forest
Pack 2 pick 12:
Bronze Sable
--> Vulpine Goliath
Prowler's Helm
Plains
Pack 2 pick 13:
--> Vulpine Goliath
Flamecast Wheel
Plains
Well, no shortage of fatties at least.
Pack 2 pick 14:
--> Asphodel Wanderer
Mountain
Pack 2 pick 15:
--> Swamp
------ THS ------
Pack 3 pick 1:
March of the Returned
Lightning Strike
Fleshmad Steed
Hopeful Eidolon
Fate Foretold
Portent of Betrayal
Observant Alseid
Defend the Hearth
Opaline Unicorn
Ray of Dissolution
Peak Eruption
Glare of Heresy
--> Triton Fortune Hunter
Anger of the Gods
Swamp
Pack 3 pick 2:
Voyaging Satyr (FOIL)
Gray Merchant of Asphodel
Divine Verdict
Lost in a Labyrinth
--> Agent of Horizons
Fade into Antiquity
Satyr Rambler
Observant Alseid
Setessan Griffin
Vaporkin
Anvilwrought Raptor
Vanquish the Foul
Dark Betrayal
Forest
Pack 3 pick 3:
Ill-Tempered Cyclops
Leafcrown Dryad
Chosen by Heliod
Pheres-Band Centaurs
Annul
Wingsteed Rider
Wild Celebrants
Two-Headed Cerberus
Setessan Battle Priest
Triton Shorethief
Glare of Heresy
--> Ordeal of Nylea
Island
Pack 3 pick 4:
Gods Willing
Prescient Chimera
Fleetfeather Sandals
Returned Phalanx
Lagonna-Band Elder
Lost in a Labyrinth
Pharika's Cure
Disciple of Phenax
--> Voyage's End
Centaur Battlemaster
Flamecast Wheel
Plains
I really wanted the Battlemaster or the Chimera. Spoiler alert: I later encounter a 17/17 Lifelinking, Vigiliant deathtouch version of this fellow.
Pack 3 pick 5:
Bronze Sable
Ephara's Warden
Sip of Hemlock
Stymied Hopes
Vulpine Goliath
Yoked Ox
Shredding Winds
Boulderfall
Gainsay
--> Sealock Monster
Plains
Pack 3 pick 6:
Nylea's Presence
Minotaur Skullcleaver
Satyr Rambler
Observant Alseid
--> Coastline Chimera
Rage of Purphoros
Boon of Erebos
Setessan Griffin
Sentry of the Underworld
Swamp
Pack 3 pick 7:
Mnemonic Wall
Cavalry Pegasus
Loathsome Catoblepas
Coastline Chimera
Rage of Purphoros
Satyr Hedonist
Opaline Unicorn
--> Meletis Charlatan
Island
If only I had something worth copying...
Pack 3 pick 8:
Fleshmad Steed
Nylea's Disciple
Silent Artisan
Spearpoint Oread
--> Breaching Hippocamp
Scholar of Athreos
Vanquish the Foul
Mountain
Pack 3 pick 9:
Fate Foretold
Portent of Betrayal
Defend the Hearth
Opaline Unicorn
--> Ray of Dissolution
Peak Eruption
Swamp
Pack 3 pick 10:
Lost in a Labyrinth
--> Fade into Antiquity
Satyr Rambler
Setessan Griffin
Anvilwrought Raptor
Forest
Pack 3 pick 11:
--> Ill-Tempered Cyclops
Pheres-Band Centaurs
Two-Headed Cerberus
Triton Shorethief
Island
Pack 3 pick 12:
--> Prescient Chimera
Fleetfeather Sandals
Lost in a Labyrinth
Plains
Pack 3 pick 13:
Yoked Ox
--> Boulderfall
Plains
Pack 3 pick 14:
--> Nylea's Presence
Swamp
Pack 3 pick 15:
--> Island
THE DECK:
9 Forest
8 Island
Creatures: 17
2 Sedge Scorpion
2 Agent of Horizons
1 Satyr Piper
1 Wavecrash Triton
1 Breaching Hippocamp
1 Coastline Chimera
2 Horizon Chimera
1 Karmetra's Acolyte
1 Staunch-hearted Warrior
1 Nessian Asp
1 Prescient Chimera
1 Sealock monster
1 Benthic Giant
1 Vulpine Goliath
1 Voyage's End
1 Ordeal of Nylea
1 Bow of Nylea
1 Feral Invocation
1 Griptide
1 Sea God's Revenge
So, I have several heroic guys - but none of the good ones and limited ways to trigger them. I have some off-color activated abilities I can't use. I have a really cool bow that I basically need by turn 3 every game, and a Nessian Asp.
This is not going to end well, folks.
THE RESULTS:
G1: I play a bunch of ground-pounders that can't block his fliers. When I do get a flier in play, he nukes it. Bow of nylea does absolutely nothing.
G2: Bow of Nylea comes down on turn three, does absolutely nothing and is still hovering in the air when I finally stop durdling and die.
0-1
Round 2: I cleverly get the bye.
0-1-1
Round 3: I run off to join another draft during my bye. That deck is *much* better than this one, and I consider dropping. The ORCs tell me I might not get my prize pack, though, so I become that double queuing jerk I hate for my round three opponent.
G1: I cast some creatures. He casts some creatures. One of his creatures is Centaur Battlemaster. He invests a bunch of spells into it, then I blow it away with Voyage's End. Bow of nylea does absolutely nothing.
G2: Repeat, except he has Gods Willing to protect his Battlemaster from Voyage's End, AND a copy to give it pro-blue and skate past my entire team. 17/17 is really tough to stop anyway. Bow of nylea does absolutely nothing.
G3: The same, except this time Bow of Nylea REALLY does absolutely nothing. Fortunately, my deathtouchy guys hold back his horde and I pull off a win thanks to complicating his combat math through the clever use of Horizon Chimera.
1-1-1
So, to summarize: Bow of nylea does absolutely nothing.
~M
Not as a beater, obviously - but as an enabler? ZOMGWow.
Again: Assuming you still have a reasonable number of cards in hand worth playing or critters you can monstrify.
~M
~M
~M
EDIT: Huh. Guess not. I'll go look for the related draftcaps.
I have hated a few out of late picks, though. Just in case.
~M
~M
Have fun!
~M
I would seriously have considered Griptide P1P1: Splashable! With that pack, I don't want to commit early to Blue or White. I'm not a fan of flamespeaker (or red in Theros). Battlewise hoplite is an all-in bet on two colors that are going to be heavily cut. Where griptide leaves you flexible, Hoplite nails you down. Divine Verdict and Prescient Chimera will both be available later. Griptide probably won't.
EDIT: Just read Bateleur's mental dialogue on P1P1... As I have yet to see a mono-black deck, let alone construct one in draft, I'm staying away from Nighthowler. I think it is overcosted for the format and would rather see almost anything else in that slot.
~M