Hey everyone, have been reading through these forums for a while, but have recently wanted to start drafting/playing better. So I thought I would start posting draftcaps to see what you guys think. This was a 4322 that I won.
Pack 1 pick 13:
--> Bloodthorn Taunter
Lush Growth
Island
Pack 1 pick 14:
--> Banewasp Affliction
Swamp
Pack 1 pick 15:
--> Plains
------ CON ------
Pack 2 pick 1:
Mana Cylix
--> Gleam of Resistance
Wild Leotau
Frontline Sage
Fiery Fall
Pestilent Kathari
Exploding Borders
Lapse of Certainty
Scattershot Archer
Yoke of the Damned
Vagrant Plowbeasts
Corrupted Roots
Skyward Eye Prophets
Sigil of the Empty Throne
Plains
Pack 3 pick 6:
Forest
--> Arsenal Thresher
Offering to Asha
Godtracker of Jund
Igneous Pouncer
Skyclaw Thrash
Drastic Revelation
Singe-Mind Ogre
Soul Manipulation
Sigil of the Nayan Gods
I just have a few thoughts. Maybe I'm completely wrong, but hey it's all about counter ideas/thoughts
P3P2 – I’d be really tempted to take the Bant Sureblade here over the Foundry. It's a card that I feel alot of players undervalue (foundry). I haven’t followed kept a detailed list but it seems like you have a lot of non-artifact plays for Esper, and this guy is pretty insane. However, seeing no Mechanists in conflux, it’s likely someone else is in Esper so probably not that bad to pick it up now.
P3P6 – I haven’t kept up on your exact artifact playable count, but Soul Manipulation at 6 seems good. By rough count – you are probably 4/4 at best with Thresher when he come down, which is still good.
P3P8 – I overrate mask of riddles probably, but for its cost 2 + 2 to equip, I’m seldom sad to see it. Ethercaste Knight is good, I’m just curious if you considered this card.
The foundry over sureblade was a pick thought about for a long time. I was very happy with the foundry in the end because of the picks that came after (thresher and hulk). Also the deck seemed very tempo based which is why I took knight over mask.
P1p1 - I would have taken the branching bolt, even though the naya charm might put my neighbour in similar colours. It's just better than the capsule.
P1p5 - KotSE at this point is a signal, no? I'd have run with it if I'd taken the branching bolt, but since you didn't the strix is a fine pick.
P1p9 - See ^^
P2p3 - You have few enough artifacts at this point that I think aven squire is a better pick. Also, the homo is likelier to wheel than the squire.
P2p5 - Sphere is probably the right pick with as little fixing as you have
P3p2 - I agree with bloemfontein that sureblade is the correct pick. Foundry usually tables, and is only useful with lots of artifacts (which you don't have...yet)
P3p3 - I'd take wall of denial in a heartbeat. I just love it.
Pack 1 Pick 1 -- Capsule is definitely wrong here. It's just not that good. Akrasan Squire, Naya Charm, Branching Bolt, Crumbling Necropolis, and Drumhunter are all better first picks. Personally I would have taken Bolt.
Pack 1 Pick 6 -- Take Panorama here. You already have some demanding mana requirements and if you're drafting Esper, you want to avoid non-Artifact creatures.
Pack 2 Pick 3 -- Homunculus is probably going to table. I would take Aven Squire here since you seem to be angling toward White more than Black. Traumatic Visions for fixing is another legitimate option.
Pack 2 Pick 4 -- With fixers in White and Black, you're committing to a 6/6/5 kind of mana base. When you're drafting 3 colors, you want to commit to two of them and leave the third as a splash. Aerie Mystics is a better option here, though honestly this pack is going terribly for you. I think you got double-crossed and somewhere next to you drafted Esper even though you didn't send any signals that they should.
Pack 3 Pick 1 -- Soul Manipulation is much more powerful for you here. Your deck is not shaping up well, so you should be drafting cards like Manipulation that could present 2-for-1 opportunities.
Pack 3 Pick 2 -- Not enough artifacts for Foundry. Sureblade is the pick.
In the end it looks like you got enough artifacts in Reborn to make it work, but it was very risky. I wouldn't like your deck's chances, just because even when it draws well, it's likely to have mana issues. It also seems quite vulnerable to aggro. I'll be honest, I'm surprised this was a 3-0 deck. How did the matches go?
Yikes!!! vicious shadows, sigil of the empty throne and cloven casting were your 3 rares? I can't imagine opening anything worse. Talk about rough luck. I actually liked how you forced esper over Naya charm, since I personally hate naya.
i agree with phyre on alot of things he said
p1p1- capsule is alot weaker than branching bolt, necopolis, drum hunter or squire and naya charm. Personally i would take the bolt i just love cards with inherent 2 for 1s
p1p3 the knight of the skyward eye is a signal green/white/x aggro is probably going to be open it also fits with the branching bolt as an aggressive start backed with solid removal is gg alot of times.
after that alot of your picks become straight forward low drop creatures and some tempo and removal spells like excommunicate that was passed pretty late. honestly if you were g/w/x aggro you would have a solid deck that could win a lot of drafts glad your route worked but it looked sketchy to me.
Time: 6/23/2009 7:39:32 PM
Players:
--> mkipps
xzx_hellspawn_xzx
wint0181
KnightElite
t0pdeckingf00l
seeker2
Torocontrol
MommySabreena
------ ALA ------
Pack 1 pick 1:
Kederekt Creeper
Savage Hunger
Ridge Rannet
--> Courier's Capsule
Akrasan Squire
Bone Splinters
Naya Charm (FOIL)
Branching Bolt
Incurable Ogre
Grixis Panorama
Crumbling Necropolis
Drumhunter
Puppet Conjurer
Vicious Shadows
Swamp
Pack 1 pick 2:
Godtoucher
Cathartic Adept
Blightning
Lightning Talons
Angelsong
Undead Leotau
Soul's Grace
Skeletal Kathari
Goblin Deathraiders
Mosstodon
Fleshbag Marauder
--> Tower Gargoyle
Mighty Emergence
Island
Pack 1 pick 3:
Volcanic Submersion
Relic of Progenitus
Resounding Wave
Soul's Might
--> Knight of the Skyward Eye
Resounding Scream
Shore Snapper
Steward of Valeron
Mosstodon
Goblin Mountaineer
Sunseed Nurturer
Demon's Herald
Island
Pack 1 pick 4:
Goblin Deathraiders
Goblin Mountaineer
Elvish Visionary
Sighted-Caste Sorcerer
Jund Panorama
Obelisk of Bant
Hindering Light
Incurable Ogre
--> Fatestitcher
Algae Gharial
Punish Ignorance
Mountain
Pack 1 pick 5:
Bloodthorn Taunter
Knight of the Skyward Eye
Cancel
Obelisk of Jund
Cancel (FOIL)
Lush Growth
--> Tidehollow Strix
Skeletal Kathari
Guardians of Akrasa
Jhessian Infiltrator
Island
Pack 1 pick 6:
Thorn-Thrash Viashino
Yoked Plowbeast
Banewasp Affliction
--> Deft Duelist
Court Archers
Esper Panorama
Carrion Thrash
Scavenger Drake
Thunder-Thrash Elder
Swamp
Pack 1 pick 7:
--> Steelclad Serpent
Excommunicate
Banewasp Affliction
Bloodthorn Taunter
Naturalize
Angelsong
Obelisk of Jund
Cathartic Adept
Plains
Pack 1 pick 8:
Ridge Rannet
--> Excommunicate
Banewasp Affliction
Obelisk of Grixis
Resounding Scream
Bloodthorn Taunter
Cancel
Plains
Pack 1 pick 9:
Kederekt Creeper
Savage Hunger
Ridge Rannet
--> Akrasan Squire
Incurable Ogre
Vicious Shadows
Swamp
Pack 1 pick 10:
Godtoucher
--> Cathartic Adept
Lightning Talons
Soul's Grace
Mighty Emergence
Island
Pack 1 pick 11:
Soul's Might
--> Resounding Scream
Goblin Mountaineer
Demon's Herald
Island
Pack 1 pick 12:
Goblin Deathraiders
Goblin Mountaineer
--> Hindering Light
Mountain
Pack 1 pick 13:
--> Bloodthorn Taunter
Lush Growth
Island
Pack 1 pick 14:
--> Banewasp Affliction
Swamp
Pack 1 pick 15:
--> Plains
------ CON ------
Pack 2 pick 1:
Mana Cylix
--> Gleam of Resistance
Wild Leotau
Frontline Sage
Fiery Fall
Pestilent Kathari
Exploding Borders
Lapse of Certainty
Scattershot Archer
Yoke of the Damned
Vagrant Plowbeasts
Corrupted Roots
Skyward Eye Prophets
Sigil of the Empty Throne
Plains
Pack 2 pick 2:
Rhox Meditant
--> Vedalken Outlander
Absorb Vis
Ember Weaver
Kranioceros
Quenchable Fire
Rotting Rats
Asha's Favor
Nacatl Outlander
Grixis Illusionist
Hellspark Elemental
Shard Convergence
Skyward Eye Prophets
Mountain
Pack 2 pick 3:
Aven Squire
Wretched Banquet
Sylvan Bounty
Canyon Minotaur
Traumatic Visions
Rhox Meditant
Suicidal Charge
Constricting Tendrils
--> Court Homunculus
Corrupted Roots
Grixis Slavedriver
Font of Mythos
Island
Pack 2 pick 4:
Telemin Performance (FOIL)
--> Absorb Vis
Kranioceros
Quenchable Fire
Rotting Rats
Asha's Favor
Nacatl Outlander
Grixis Illusionist
Vagrant Plowbeasts
Gluttonous Slime
Aerie Mystics
Island
Pack 2 pick 5:
Valeron Outlander
Armillary Sphere
--> Aven Trailblazer
Toxic Iguanar
Nacatl Savage
Wandering Goblins
Brackwater Elemental
Suicidal Charge
Maniacal Rage
Manaforce Mace
Forest
Pack 2 pick 6:
Kaleidostone
Toxic Iguanar
Bone Saw
Nacatl Savage
Valiant Guard
Grixis Illusionist
Countersquall
--> Sludge Strider
Inkwell Leviathan
Forest
Pack 2 pick 7:
Bone Saw
Canyon Minotaur
Unsummon
Rhox Bodyguard
Scattershot Archer
Infectious Horror
Countersquall
--> Scepter of Fugue
Mountain
Pack 2 pick 8:
Mana Cylix
Zombie Outlander
Rotting Rats
Goblin Outlander
--> Court Homunculus
Jhessian Balmgiver
Dreadwing
Forest
Pack 2 pick 9:
Mana Cylix
--> Frontline Sage
Lapse of Certainty
Scattershot Archer
Corrupted Roots
Skyward Eye Prophets
Plains
Pack 2 pick 10:
Kranioceros
Quenchable Fire
Grixis Illusionist
Shard Convergence
--> Skyward Eye Prophets
Mountain
Pack 2 pick 11:
--> Traumatic Visions
Suicidal Charge
Constricting Tendrils
Corrupted Roots
Island
Pack 2 pick 12:
Kranioceros
Quenchable Fire
--> Grixis Illusionist
Island
Pack 2 pick 13:
Wandering Goblins
--> Suicidal Charge
Forest
Pack 2 pick 14:
--> Bone Saw
Forest
Pack 2 pick 15:
--> Mountain
------ ARB ------
Pack 3 pick 1:
Morbid Bloom
Cloven Casting
Mountain
Kathari Bomber
Vedalken Ghoul
Violent Outburst
Naya Hushblade
--> Messenger Falcons
Giant Ambush Beetle
Grixis Grimblade
Soul Manipulation
Qasali Pridemage
Jund Hackblade
Monstrous Carabid
Trace of Abundance
Pack 3 pick 2:
Double Negative
Filigree Angel
Island
Etherium Abomination
Arsenal Thresher
Demonic Dread
Offering to Asha
Skyclaw Thrash
--> Thopter Foundry
Bant Sureblade
Leonin Armorguard
Cerodon Yearling
Jhessian Zombies
Breath of Malfegor
Pack 3 pick 3:
Deny Reality
Fieldmist Borderpost
Sewn-Eye Drake
Breath of Malfegor
Jund Sojourners
Vedalken Ghoul
Sigiled Behemoth
Violent Outburst
Messenger Falcons
--> Zealous Persecution
Wall of Denial
Predatory Advantage
Forest
Pack 3 pick 4:
Stormcaller's Boon
Wildfield Borderpost
Sewn-Eye Drake
Mistvein Borderpost
--> Glassdust Hulk
Vectis Dominator
Firewild Borderpost
Jund Sojourners
Captured Sunlight
Sigil Captain
Tainted Sigil
Plains
Pack 3 pick 5:
Grixis Grimblade
Soul Manipulation
Trace of Abundance
Kathari Bomber
Vedalken Ghoul
Violent Outburst
Naya Hushblade
--> Zealous Persecution
Sanity Gnawers
Lightning Reaver
Forest
Pack 3 pick 6:
Forest
--> Arsenal Thresher
Offering to Asha
Godtracker of Jund
Igneous Pouncer
Skyclaw Thrash
Drastic Revelation
Singe-Mind Ogre
Soul Manipulation
Sigil of the Nayan Gods
Pack 3 pick 7:
Stormcaller's Boon
Mistvein Borderpost
--> Glassdust Hulk
Vectis Dominator
Captured Sunlight
Demonspine Whip
Gloryscale Viashino
Mind Funeral
Swamp
Pack 3 pick 8:
Winged Coatl
Deny Reality
Etherium Abomination
Esper Sojourners
--> Ethercaste Knight
Godtracker of Jund
Mask of Riddles
Swamp
Pack 3 pick 9:
Morbid Bloom
Cloven Casting
Mountain
Vedalken Ghoul
Violent Outburst
--> Jund Hackblade
Monstrous Carabid
Pack 3 pick 10:
Double Negative
Island
Etherium Abomination
--> Arsenal Thresher
Demonic Dread
Cerodon Yearling
Pack 3 pick 11:
Breath of Malfegor
--> Jund Sojourners
Vedalken Ghoul
Violent Outburst
Forest
Pack 3 pick 12:
--> Stormcaller's Boon
Vectis Dominator
Tainted Sigil
Plains
Pack 3 pick 13:
--> Vedalken Ghoul
Sanity Gnawers
Forest
Pack 3 pick 14:
Forest
--> Drastic Revelation
Pack 3 pick 15:
--> Swamp
http://mkipps.blogspot.com/
P3P2 – I’d be really tempted to take the Bant Sureblade here over the Foundry. It's a card that I feel alot of players undervalue (foundry). I haven’t followed kept a detailed list but it seems like you have a lot of non-artifact plays for Esper, and this guy is pretty insane. However, seeing no Mechanists in conflux, it’s likely someone else is in Esper so probably not that bad to pick it up now.
P3P6 – I haven’t kept up on your exact artifact playable count, but Soul Manipulation at 6 seems good. By rough count – you are probably 4/4 at best with Thresher when he come down, which is still good.
P3P8 – I overrate mask of riddles probably, but for its cost 2 + 2 to equip, I’m seldom sad to see it. Ethercaste Knight is good, I’m just curious if you considered this card.
Edit: I beat the esper mirror first round
http://mkipps.blogspot.com/
P2P5 – Would of Taken Armillary Sphere over Trailblazer
About the only things i would of done different, but not sure if thats right or not.
P1p5 - KotSE at this point is a signal, no? I'd have run with it if I'd taken the branching bolt, but since you didn't the strix is a fine pick.
P1p9 - See ^^
P2p3 - You have few enough artifacts at this point that I think aven squire is a better pick. Also, the homo is likelier to wheel than the squire.
P2p5 - Sphere is probably the right pick with as little fixing as you have
P3p2 - I agree with bloemfontein that sureblade is the correct pick. Foundry usually tables, and is only useful with lots of artifacts (which you don't have...yet)
P3p3 - I'd take wall of denial in a heartbeat. I just love it.
Pack 1 Pick 6 -- Take Panorama here. You already have some demanding mana requirements and if you're drafting Esper, you want to avoid non-Artifact creatures.
Pack 2 Pick 3 -- Homunculus is probably going to table. I would take Aven Squire here since you seem to be angling toward White more than Black. Traumatic Visions for fixing is another legitimate option.
Pack 2 Pick 4 -- With fixers in White and Black, you're committing to a 6/6/5 kind of mana base. When you're drafting 3 colors, you want to commit to two of them and leave the third as a splash. Aerie Mystics is a better option here, though honestly this pack is going terribly for you. I think you got double-crossed and somewhere next to you drafted Esper even though you didn't send any signals that they should.
Pack 3 Pick 1 -- Soul Manipulation is much more powerful for you here. Your deck is not shaping up well, so you should be drafting cards like Manipulation that could present 2-for-1 opportunities.
Pack 3 Pick 2 -- Not enough artifacts for Foundry. Sureblade is the pick.
In the end it looks like you got enough artifacts in Reborn to make it work, but it was very risky. I wouldn't like your deck's chances, just because even when it draws well, it's likely to have mana issues. It also seems quite vulnerable to aggro. I'll be honest, I'm surprised this was a 3-0 deck. How did the matches go?
p1p1- capsule is alot weaker than branching bolt, necopolis, drum hunter or squire and naya charm. Personally i would take the bolt i just love cards with inherent 2 for 1s
p1p3 the knight of the skyward eye is a signal green/white/x aggro is probably going to be open it also fits with the branching bolt as an aggressive start backed with solid removal is gg alot of times.
after that alot of your picks become straight forward low drop creatures and some tempo and removal spells like excommunicate that was passed pretty late. honestly if you were g/w/x aggro you would have a solid deck that could win a lot of drafts glad your route worked but it looked sketchy to me.
Warning for Necro. ~Phyrre56