It took me 10-15 drafts to 3-0 my first BTT Swiss after getting MTGO 2-3 weeks ago. I thought 2-1 was my norm, and I just wasn't that good as a player.
This is my fourth 3-0 in a row in two days (even with that shoddy 3-0; I'm looking at you, Jarmo), and now I'm starting to see why people tell you Swiss is easy mode. Not only that, but I've pulled Brimaz and Elspeth (and a few 2-3 tix cards) in the last 5 drafts. I started the last five drafts with 4 tix and 2 packs and now I have this:
It's probably not much compared to what you guys have, but this should pay for the next 10-15 drafts, more if I keep pulling money.
Oh, and I'm at 1764 when I was at ~1650 a week ago. Again, still not anywhere near you guys, but it's a personal victory.
I find your ideas intriguing and would like to subscribe to your publication.
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My helpy helpdesk of helpfulness.
My Decks: EDH: Sygg, River Cutthroat , Road to Scion
Grimgrin, Corpseborn Modern: Polytokes IRL: Progenitus Polymorph , Goblins
I feel like the smartest guy alive right now. In the final of an Odyssey block draft, and in game 1 he showed me a couple of decent sorceries, and since I knew there was also a Mutilate in the draft that I hadn't encountered yet, I figured it'd be a good idea to bring in Envelop. Took a Peek at his hand in the second game, and he had both Mutilate andShower of Coals (vs my board of all 2-toughness creatures). However, not only did I have the Envelop I boarded in, I also had Scrivener to counter his second wrath It wasn't overly clever or difficult to figure out the Envelop sideboard plan, but it was really satisfying for some reason.
(also, I don't have all that much experience with the format - I've only done about 6-7 drafts total of OTJ)
Relevant Sideboard: 1 Dark Betrayal (Seriously, this is the only thing I swapped, usually for a Sip)
This is after I was beginning to question my sanity at shipping back-to-back Prophet of Kruphix in Pack 2 and a pair of Horizon Chimera as well. Somehow, I still went 3-1, second overall.
Noteable plays included:
-turn 6 Bestowed Chromanticore (turn 5 Peregrination, with scry showing Chromanticore on top)
-bestowing Chromanticore on Agent of Fates in multiple games
-chumping a Spearpoint Oread+Dragon Mantle with Chromanticore, then immediately recurring it with Pharika's Mender
-pitching Pharika's Mender and Chromanticore to Erebos's Emissary to grow it on defense (with Whip out to gain life), then recurring Mender with Whip to gain more life and return Chromanticore to hand, then bestowing Chromanticore...
All of the Journey cards were excellent: Golden Hind, Hubris (which: reports of this guy being not that good have been greatly exaggerated), Spirespine (who I'm fairly certain is just plain nuts in U/G), Nessian Game Warden, and (best for last) Daring Thief. The card is as good as advertised, especially if you can make him evasive; once you're ahead (and can get him tapped), it seems very hard to lose. Game Warden was obviously great in my particular build, even with only two or three Forests in play at a time.
I'm particularly pleased with my avoidance of drafting around a first-pick Keranos, as well as my cuts of Riptide Chimera (and some support cards) and Oracle's Insight.
I also drafted U/G and fairly easily went 3-0 last night, and my deck looked similar, if slightly more interactive. I don't think I'll draft the format again (I needed a whopping 2 PWP for a bye at a GP I'm attending next month). This was mine:
Signalling is like farting: it's a natural thing that helps people avoid being where you are, and if you try to do it deliberately, things turn to crap fast.
Quote from Hardened »
I hereby found the American Chapter of the Zealots of Semantics. All glory to The Curmudgeon.
Because introducing the Tribal mechanic for the sake of one spell would be very confusing to new players and not how WoTC operates. The exception is Time Spiral Block, which was confusing to new and old players alike.
I've argued with people over the number of cards in a deck many times, and I feel that having a high number of "good cards" is better than having a small number of "really good" cards. I laugh at the people who argue that with a smaller deck you're more likely to draw what you need, because if you get in that situation you're gonna NOT end up drawing it many many more times than you would.
Here is some seriously unconstructive, bordering-on-irresponsible bragging.
I've been running cold lately, so all I had left to try and draft again was a few leftover tickets, a draft set of Scars block (sigh), and two draft sets of Zendikar/Worldwake. Now, bear in mind that I've literally never cracked a pack online before that would sell for any part of a ticket. I checked prices, and found a buyer that would give me 12 for both draft sets, which is enough to draft BTT.
But, see, then I made the mistake of checking some of the fetchland prices. Even the cheapest ones were getting bought for a few more tickets than that, and Scalding Tarn or Misty Rainforest were hovering right around 30 a piece...
So, guess mist one I cracked out of my first pack .
Its not bragging (the opposite really) but its unconstructive.
That feeling when you think you have finially got a good theros block draft deck and your opponent plays stormbreath dragon whille you look at your hand of akroan mastiff and excoriate. no non white removal in deck or sideboard... great sadness.
I've done it! I've finally done it! I drafted the Chromanticore deck!!
Started Journey with a lot of green cards, noticed the other colors were just kind of smattering around. Wound up with a Market Festival and two Fonts of Fertility. Born pack 1 had some stuff, but then pack two shipped over, and OMG IT WAS THERE. THE CHROMAAAANTICORE! I said yes, yes sir, this will be the day! Over the course of the draft, green remained heavily open, while blue and red went a little later than they should. I wound up with this for fixing:
2 Font of Fertility
2 Nylea's Pressence
1 Voyaging Satyr
1 Market Festival
In addition to the MANTICORE I found 2 Nessian Asps, a Prophet of Kruphix and some other stuff. It was a decent deck, finished 2-1 after losing in round two to EndlessTricksBW.dec (the rat even had Ray of Dissolution for the Chromanticore BOTH TIMES I found him!), but holy cow that was the most fun I've had ever in JBT. My round one opponent started flipping out when I managed the Bestow. Over the three rounds, I found and cast Chromanticore about six times (Sigiled Starfish and other Scry effects helped dig him up). I feel like I need a cigarette, and I don't even smoke.
Crossing this one off my MTG Bucket List. If I never play another game of JBT, it wouldn't bother me one bit.
This is my fourth 3-0 in a row in two days (even with that shoddy 3-0; I'm looking at you, Jarmo), and now I'm starting to see why people tell you Swiss is easy mode. Not only that, but I've pulled Brimaz and Elspeth (and a few 2-3 tix cards) in the last 5 drafts. I started the last five drafts with 4 tix and 2 packs and now I have this:
It's probably not much compared to what you guys have, but this should pay for the next 10-15 drafts, more if I keep pulling money.
Oh, and I'm at 1764 when I was at ~1650 a week ago. Again, still not anywhere near you guys, but it's a personal victory.
1 Satyr Wayfinder
2 Agent of Horizons
1 Opaline Unicorn
1 Herald of Torment
1 Nylea's Emissary
1 Karametra's Acolyte
1 Horizon Chimera
1 Akroan Horse
2 Nessian Asp
1 Chromanticore
1 Pharika's Mender
1 Horizon Scholar
1 Traveler's Amulet
1 Chained to the Rocks
2 Commune With the Gods
1 Karametra's Favor
1 Nylea's Presence
1 Whip of Erebos
1 Peregrination
1 Plea for Guidance
8 Forest
4 Swamp
2 Island
2 Plains
1 Mountain
I find your ideas intriguing and would like to subscribe to your publication.
My Decks:
EDH: Sygg, River Cutthroat , Road to Scion
Grimgrin, Corpseborn
Modern: Polytokes
IRL: Progenitus Polymorph , Goblins
Just a friendly reminder that I will drive this car off a bridge
(also, I don't have all that much experience with the format - I've only done about 6-7 drafts total of OTJ)
Edit: lol @ that deck, OhDaisy!
1 Baleful Eidolon
1 Deathbellow Raider
1 Satyr Nyx-Smith
1 Black Oak of Odunos
2 Minotaur Skullcleaver
1 Ill-tempered Cyclops
1 Ember Swallower
2 Fanatic of Mogis
1 Purphoros's Emissary
1 Mogis, God of Slaughter
1 Stoneshock Giant
1 Pharagax Giant
1 Underworld Cerberus
1 Kragma Warcaller
1 Fall of the Hammer
1 Magma Jet
1 Ordeal of Purphoros
1 Weight of the Underworld
2 Sip of Hemlock
Lands:
10 Mountain
7 Swamp
1 Dark Betrayal (Seriously, this is the only thing I swapped, usually for a Sip)
This is after I was beginning to question my sanity at shipping back-to-back Prophet of Kruphix in Pack 2 and a pair of Horizon Chimera as well. Somehow, I still went 3-1, second overall.
Mogis, God of Slaughter
Daxos of Meletis
I call it... The Aristocrats!
(Seriously, if you haven't cast a foil Plea for Guidance targeting Whip of Erebos and Chained to the Rocks, then activated Whip the following turn to return Pharika's Mender - fetching back a Chromanticore - you haven't lived.)
Edit: make that 8. The good old Kavu Predator + Fiery Justice combo got there!
Edit2: 9 now. My opponent learned, to his misfortune, that Shivan Wumpus is not a good card, and I got the win with another U/B Madness deck.
I just managed to do THIS to 3-0 a BTT 8-4 draft pod:
"Monoblack Control splash Chromanticore".brew
1 Bronze Sable
1 Baleful Eidolon
1 Sylvan Caryatid
1 Agent of the Fates
1 Black Oak of Odunos
1 Nessian Courser
1 Odunos River Trawler
1 Cavern Lampad
1 Returned Centaur
1 Erebos's Emissary
1 Disciple of Phenax
1 Chromanticore
1 Keepsake Gorgon
1 Pharika's Mender
1 Vulpine Goliath
1 Nylea's Presence
1 Asphyxiate
1 Read the Bones
1 Hero's Downfall
1 Necrobite
1 Peregrination
1 Whip of Erebos
//Mana:
1 Traveler's Amulet
1 Temple of Plenty
1 Temple of Deceit
1 Unknown Shores
1 Plains
1 Island
1 Mountain
5 Forest
6 Swamp
1 Viper's Kiss
1 Unknown Shores
1 Mogis's Marauder
1 Bronze Sable
2 Marshmist Titan
1 March of the Returned
1 Setessan Starbreaker
1 Coastline Chimera
1 Scholar of Atheros
2 Akroan Phalanx
Noteable plays included:
-turn 6 Bestowed Chromanticore (turn 5 Peregrination, with scry showing Chromanticore on top)
-bestowing Chromanticore on Agent of Fates in multiple games
-chumping a Spearpoint Oread+Dragon Mantle with Chromanticore, then immediately recurring it with Pharika's Mender
-pitching Pharika's Mender and Chromanticore to Erebos's Emissary to grow it on defense (with Whip out to gain life), then recurring Mender with Whip to gain more life and return Chromanticore to hand, then bestowing Chromanticore...
Drafting Chromanticore with Plea For Guidance is still on my bucket list. Sounds epic!
1 Kiora's Follower
1 Golden Hind
1 Deepwater Hypnotist
1 Omenspeaker
2 Nimbus Naiad
1 Daring Thief
1 Spirespine
1 Nyxborn Wolf
1 Nessian Courser
1 Agent of Horizons
1 Nylea's Emissary
1 Graverobber Spider
1 Staunch-Hearted Warrior
1 Chorus of the Tides
1 Nessian Game Warden
1 Prescient Chimera
1 Hubris
1 Fate Foretold
1 Unravel the Aether
1 Time to Feed
1 Sudden Storm
1 Griptide
Lands: 17
1 Temple of Enlightenment
8 Island
8 Forest
2 Setessan Starbreaker
All of the Journey cards were excellent: Golden Hind, Hubris (which: reports of this guy being not that good have been greatly exaggerated), Spirespine (who I'm fairly certain is just plain nuts in U/G), Nessian Game Warden, and (best for last) Daring Thief. The card is as good as advertised, especially if you can make him evasive; once you're ahead (and can get him tapped), it seems very hard to lose. Game Warden was obviously great in my particular build, even with only two or three Forests in play at a time.
I'm particularly pleased with my avoidance of drafting around a first-pick Keranos, as well as my cuts of Riptide Chimera (and some support cards) and Oracle's Insight.
(Plus I opened Prophetic Flamespeaker and Mana Convergence in my prize packs. So.)
10 Forest
7 Island
Spells
2 Retraction Helix
2 Hubris
1 Griptide
1 Sudden Storm
1 Setessan Tactics
1 Colossal Heroics
1 Nature's Panoply
1 Swordwise Centaur
1 Vaporkin
1 Golden Hind
1 War-Wing Siren
1 Wavecrash Triton
2 Nyxborn Wolf
1 Setessan Oathsworn
1 Nessian Courser
1 Thassa's Emissary
1 Horizon Chimera
1 Pheres-Band Tromper
1 Nessian Game Warden
1 Horizon Scholar
:dance:Fact or Fiction of the [Limited] Clan:dance:
ragemonger
... and finally broke 1950 limited rating on MTGO!
1 Grim Lavamancer
1 Jackal Pup
1 Kird Ape
1 Spikeshot Elder
1 Greater Gargadon
1 Gore-House Chainwalker
1 Kargan Dragonlord
1 Keldon Marauders
1 Stormblood Berserkers
1 Tin Street Hooligan
1 Torch Fiend
1 Blistering Firecat
Planeswalkers
1 Koth of the Hammer
1 Chandra, the Firebrand
1 Garruk Relentless
Spells
1 Lightning Bolt
1 Skullcrack
1 Shrine of Burning Rage
1 Sulfuric Vortex
1 Char
1 Rift Bolt
1 Pillage
1 Bonfire of the Damned
9 Mountain
1 Fire-Lit Thicket
1 Karplusan Forest
1 Stomping Ground
1 Arid Mesa
1 Savannah
1 Treetop Village
1 Mutavault
1 Mishra's Factory
1 Experiment One
1 Stunted Growth
1 Sphere of the Suns
1 Naturalize
1 Relic of Progenitus
1 Gruul Turf
1 Stirring Wildwood
Soldier Primer
Sig by ol MISAKA lo
My Trades
I've been running cold lately, so all I had left to try and draft again was a few leftover tickets, a draft set of Scars block (sigh), and two draft sets of Zendikar/Worldwake. Now, bear in mind that I've literally never cracked a pack online before that would sell for any part of a ticket. I checked prices, and found a buyer that would give me 12 for both draft sets, which is enough to draft BTT.
But, see, then I made the mistake of checking some of the fetchland prices. Even the cheapest ones were getting bought for a few more tickets than that, and Scalding Tarn or Misty Rainforest were hovering right around 30 a piece...
Scryspeaker.dec
1 Vaporkin
1 Omenspeaker
1 Nyxborn Triton
1 Crackling Triton
2 Stormcaller of Keranos
2 Flamespeaker Adept
2 Minotaur Skullcleaver
1 Ill-Tempered Cyclops
1 Akroan Conscriptor
1 Prescient Chimera
1 Dragon Mantle
2 Fall of the Hammer
1 Rise to the Challenge
1 Ordeal of Thassa
1 Bolt of Keranos
1 Portent of Betrayal
1 Sudden Storm
1 Temple of Abandon
9 Mountain
7 Island
1 Portent of Betrayal
1 Scouring Sands
1 Sealock Monster
1 Spark Jolt
2 Annul
Maindeck Witches' Eye FTW
I'm currently 2-0 in the draft with one round left. Wish me luck.
That feeling when you think you have finially got a good theros block draft deck and your opponent plays stormbreath dragon whille you look at your hand of akroan mastiff and excoriate. no non white removal in deck or sideboard... great sadness.
#mythics
Pioneer:UR Pheonix
Modern:U Mono U Tron
EDH
GB Glissa, the traitor: Army of Cans
UW Dragonlord Ojutai: Dragonlord NOjutai
UWGDerevi, Empyrial Tactician "you cannot fight the storm"
R Zirilan of the claw. The solution to every problem is dragons
UB Etrata, the Silencer Cloning assassination
Peasant cube: Cards I own
I've done it! I've finally done it! I drafted the Chromanticore deck!!
Started Journey with a lot of green cards, noticed the other colors were just kind of smattering around. Wound up with a Market Festival and two Fonts of Fertility. Born pack 1 had some stuff, but then pack two shipped over, and OMG IT WAS THERE. THE CHROMAAAANTICORE! I said yes, yes sir, this will be the day! Over the course of the draft, green remained heavily open, while blue and red went a little later than they should. I wound up with this for fixing:
2 Font of Fertility
2 Nylea's Pressence
1 Voyaging Satyr
1 Market Festival
In addition to the MANTICORE I found 2 Nessian Asps, a Prophet of Kruphix and some other stuff. It was a decent deck, finished 2-1 after losing in round two to EndlessTricksBW.dec (the rat even had Ray of Dissolution for the Chromanticore BOTH TIMES I found him!), but holy cow that was the most fun I've had ever in JBT. My round one opponent started flipping out when I managed the Bestow. Over the three rounds, I found and cast Chromanticore about six times (Sigiled Starfish and other Scry effects helped dig him up). I feel like I need a cigarette, and I don't even smoke.
Crossing this one off my MTG Bucket List. If I never play another game of JBT, it wouldn't bother me one bit.
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