I actually always sided out sphinx's disciple and annul for thw two walls. Getting back VE, tactics or storm was too important.
The Games
First match vs RG.
His deck was almost entirely made up of ground vanilla 3/3. These are just a bit bigger than my own guys. Also, he had nylea's disciple to throw off my racing maths. I won 2-1 thanks to the blue tricks: tactics, storm, and siding in the walls. The wall being 0/4, they were perfect to block his guys and gave me back the sudden storm or tactics.
Second match vs UB.
I lost the first game. My opponent has a mostly mono-black deck with some blue. He landed double marshmist titan almost for free in all games. I got lucky here: the first game I won off the back of medomai, getting double attacks while he had a huge army out. My second game win was against hm playing first and double-mulliganing. Even then, he almost killed me by curving out fast thanks to the guy who gives haste / intimidate according to devotion to black and landing cheap titans. Fortunately, I got tactics + walls to stop his offensive. I actually misplayed my last turn, much to my despair that he would beat me: I was on 6 mana and I played the wall to get back tactics. The problem was that I had 5 life and he had three black guys out... had he top-decked a gary, I'd lose! I was holding thassa's rebuff, so I should have played a small guy and kept rebuff mana up. Fortunately, I didn't top-deck gary.
Third match vs .
I won the whole draft! By that, I mean I split in the final. If you didn't lose a match, then you won the draft, right? On top, he conceded to me, so there.
So... once again, UW carries me. Honestly, I got lucky again to win those matches, especially against the UB guy.
The few times I've played with aerie worshippers, I found it a bit slow. I thought about it, but decided against it. I do have a blind spot for black. It's strange, as UB was one of my favourite colour combo in TTT. Harpy is fine and blight is too. Reviewing the first pack though, I'm glad I didn't go that route as the rest of the picks had nothing good in black. (Necrobites, eye gouge, …) I must have been downstream from the UB guy and maybe some others who drafted black and loss in the 1st round.
FWIW, I always ask my final round opponent what he plays and what he played against. He was on WGb (splashing black for reaper of the wilds) and played RG and WR.
I'm a very conservative drafter, once I've found a niche I'm comfortable with, I tend to stick to it, and I've found that 8-4 accentuate my inclination. I'd like to go back to swiss, but I'm a stupidly competitive kind and 8-4 is like a hit. I;m finding it dangerous, but so far I've had enough success to not be over-spending.
PS: to expand on worshippers: attacking with a 2/4 on turn 5 is not very aggressive and it ties your mana to make 2/2 on the following turn. It's fine, but a lot of decks are doing more powerful things with their 4th-5th turn mana.
So here's how I would have done the first 8 picks (before our diverging choices would have changed the pack contents):
P1P1: Shrike Harpy (your pick Shieldmate)
Agree with Voynich here Shieldmate is way down the order of this pack. You forced WU with this pick and got rewarded by a on color mythic in pack 2. This would normally be a bad choice.
P1P2: Bile Blight (your pick Reap what is Sown)
I consider BB almost as bad as 1WG as far as color commitment goes, but the payoff of getting actual instant speed removal is amazing.
P1P3: Chorus (your pick Chorus)
I agree with Voynich that the Eidolon deserves a look, but I'm wary of committing to red in BTT without seeing some premium cards. Eidolon is close, but not quite good enough to make me comfortable.
P1P4: Chorus (your pick Chorus)
P1P5: Sudden Storm (your pick Sudden Storm)
P1P6: Triton (your pick Triton)
So clearly blue is open, I like your read of this part of the draft.
P1P7: Divination (your pick Phere-Band Tromper)
I like Trompy, but I'm content to take a playable in what looks to be my main color.
P1P8: Divination (your pick Noble Quarry)
Same reasoning as pick 7, but over a card I like less than tromper.
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Pack 1 pick 1:
Nyxborn Eidolon
Charging Badger
Pharagax Giant
Sphinx's Disciple
Ephara's Radiance
Setessan Starbreaker
Nyxborn Rollicker
Karametra's Favor
Stratus Walk
--> Nyxborn Shieldmate
Aerie Worshippers
Shrike Harpy
Lightning Volley
Karametra, God of Harvests
Mountain
Karametra doesn't look so good. For once I open a mythic, it has to be crappy? Taking the only white guy in this somewhat bad pack.
Pack 1 pick 2:
Hold at Bay
Marshmist Titan
Nyxborn Wolf
Aerie Worshippers (FOIL)
Rise to the Challenge
Griffin Dreamfinder
Snake of the Golden Grove
Elite Skirmisher
Oreskos Sun Guide
Divination
--> Reap What Is Sown
Bile Blight
Meletis Astronomer
Swamp
Ugh. Passing karametra and getting reap. There are so many ways to draft this pack, I won't try to pretend this is the right pick.
Pack 1 pick 3:
Setessan Oathsworn
--> Chorus of the Tides
Mortal's Ardor
Fearsome Temper
Impetuous Sunchaser
Culling Mark
Necrobite
Kragma Butcher
Kraken of the Straits
Flitterstep Eidolon
Everflame Eidolon
Tromokratis
Island
So... WG, WU or WR? I like WU and that is about as good as butcher. Tromokratis just costs too much.
Pack 1 pick 4:
Setessan Oathsworn
--> Chorus of the Tides
Mortal's Ardor
Fearsome Temper
Impetuous Sunchaser
Culling Mark
Necrobite
Kragma Butcher
Thassa's Rebuff
Mischief and Mayhem
Oracle of Bones
Plains
Mischief to go back to WG? It's probably the best card, but double chorus is fine by me.
Pack 1 pick 5:
Nyxborn Wolf
Evanescent Intellect
Epiphany Storm
Cyclops of One-Eyed Pass
--> Sudden Storm
Aspect of Hydra
Mortal's Resolve
Thunderous Might
Reap What Is Sown
Siren Song Lyre
Island
A second reap! WG was a definite possibility, but niow it feels late and storm is often unfair.
Pack 1 pick 6:
Mortal's Ardor
Eye Gouge
--> Nyxborn Triton
Swordwise Centaur
Epiphany Storm
Deepwater Hypnotist
Crypsis
Reckless Reveler
Grisly Transformation
Mountain
Well, the good blue keeps flowing, so I can't say I mispicke dthe colour.
Pack 1 pick 7:
Servant of Tymaret
Great Hart
Satyr Wayfinder
Divination
Claim of Erebos
Impetuous Sunchaser
--> Pheres-Band Tromper
Peregrination
Swamp
Still, not much W, so maybe I'll be UG.
Pack 1 pick 8:
Hold at Bay
Floodtide Serpent
Rise to the Challenge
Griffin Dreamfinder
Elite Skirmisher
Divination
--> Noble Quarry
Forest
Pack 1 pick 9:
Charging Badger
--> Sphinx's Disciple
Ephara's Radiance
Setessan Starbreaker
Karametra's Favor
Lightning Volley
Mountain
Pack 1 pick 10:
Hold at Bay
Rise to the Challenge
Griffin Dreamfinder
Oreskos Sun Guide
--> Meletis Astronomer
Swamp
Pack 1 pick 11:
--> Mortal's Ardor
Impetuous Sunchaser
Culling Mark
Kraken of the Straits
Island
Pack 1 pick 12:
Impetuous Sunchaser
Culling Mark
--> Thassa's Rebuff
Plains
Pack 1 pick 13:
Epiphany Storm
--> Aspect of Hydra
Island
Pack 1 pick 14:
--> Epiphany Storm
Mountain
Pack 1 pick 15:
--> Swamp
------ THS ------
Pack 2 pick 1:
Lash of the Whip
Minotaur Skullcleaver
Chosen by Heliod
Feral Invocation
Returned Centaur
Hopeful Eidolon
Fate Foretold
Portent of Betrayal
Shredding Winds
Deathbellow Raider
Burnished Hart
Ordeal of Heliod
Triton Fortune Hunter
--> Medomai the Ageless
Mountain
Thought a long time about it. While UG looked more open, and there are good white picks here, getting free turns sounds sweet. (Turns out it is.)
Pack 2 pick 2:
Leafcrown Dryad
Gods Willing
Nessian Courser
March of the Returned
Vulpine Goliath
Yoked Ox
Baleful Eidolon
Annul
Triton Shorethief
--> Voyage's End
Gainsay
Cutthroat Maneuver
Satyr Piper
Island
Gods willing vs. VE. Oh my! Since I'm sure I play U and only hoping I'll play W, I go with VE.
Pack 2 pick 3:
Ill-Tempered Cyclops
Chosen by Heliod
Spark Jolt
Returned Phalanx
Coastline Chimera
Pharika's Cure
Defend the Hearth
--> Vaporkin
Felhide Minotaur
Artisan's Sorrow
Mogis's Marauder
Anax and Cymede
Forest
Easy.
Pack 2 pick 4:
Dragon Mantle
Bronze Sable
Fade into Antiquity
Returned Centaur
Commune with the Gods
Staunch-Hearted Warrior
Boon of Erebos
Stoneshock Giant
--> Glare of Heresy
Decorated Griffin
Steam Augury
Swamp
I thought about warrior and keeping UG alive, but I chose the SB card instead, as warrior is only good after mutiple triggers.
Pack 2 pick 5:
Viper's Kiss
Dragon Mantle
--> Omenspeaker
Asphodel Wanderer
Breaching Hippocamp
Silent Artisan
Cavern Lampad
Sedge Scorpion
Karametra's Acolyte
Witches' Eye
Swamp
Pack 2 pick 6:
Viper's Kiss
Dragon Mantle
--> Omenspeaker
Blood-Toll Harpy
Benthic Giant
Spearpoint Oread
Unknown Shores
Akroan Hoplite
Shipwreck Singer
Swamp
Two is about as many as I'd like.
Pack 2 pick 7:
--> Mnemonic Wall
Viper's Kiss
Wild Celebrants
Silent Artisan
Blood-Toll Harpy
Traveler's Amulet
Shredding Winds
Hunt the Hunter
Forest
Combo with triton tactics and sudden storm to close games.
Pack 2 pick 8:
Loathsome Catoblepas
Omenspeaker
March of the Returned
--> Fate Foretold
Portent of Betrayal
Traveler's Amulet
Peak Eruption
Island
Pack 2 pick 9:
Minotaur Skullcleaver
--> Chosen by Heliod
Returned Centaur
Fate Foretold
Portent of Betrayal
Shredding Winds
Mountain
Well, at least there are not 4 white drafters. I guess?
Pack 2 pick 10:
March of the Returned
--> Annul
Triton Shorethief
Cutthroat Maneuver
Satyr Piper
Island
Pack 2 pick 11:
Returned Phalanx
--> Pharika's Cure
Defend the Hearth
Felhide Minotaur
Forest
Pack 2 pick 12:
Bronze Sable
Fade into Antiquity
--> Decorated Griffin
Swamp
Pack 2 pick 13:
--> Silent Artisan
Witches' Eye
Swamp
Pack 2 pick 14:
--> Viper's Kiss
Swamp
Pack 2 pick 15:
--> Forest
------ THS ------
Pack 3 pick 1:
Viper's Kiss
Dragon Mantle
Omenspeaker
Fate Foretold
Thassa's Bounty
Lagonna-Band Elder
Priest of Iroas
Fade into Antiquity
Staunch-Hearted Warrior
Boon of Erebos
Peak Eruption
--> Ordeal of Thassa
Arena Athlete
Swan Song
Mountain
Pack 3 pick 2:
Nylea's Disciple
Lash of the Whip
Messenger's Speed
Gods Willing
Blood-Toll Harpy
Benthic Giant
Voyaging Satyr
Spearpoint Oread
Boon of Erebos
--> Vaporkin
Anvilwrought Raptor
Pharika's Mender
Reaper of the Wilds
Mountain
Pack 3 pick 3:
Prescient Chimera
Fleetfeather Sandals
Lost in a Labyrinth
Agent of Horizons
Fade into Antiquity
Satyr Rambler
Setessan Battle Priest
Traveler's Amulet
Centaur Battlemaster
Keepsake Gorgon
Flamespeaker Adept
--> Fleecemane Lion
Forest
Yeah, this could be controversial. Chimera is good but not amazing, and I was ready to risk a small splash to get an unkillable wall.
Pack 3 pick 4:
Mnemonic Wall
Viper's Kiss
Vulpine Goliath
Annul
Titan's Strength
Yoked Ox
Voyaging Satyr
Scholar of Athreos
Triton Shorethief
Rescue from the Underworld
--> Ordeal of Nylea
Forest
In the face a a boatload of crap, I cut the ordeal. Coul dhave cut the satyr, too.
Pack 3 pick 5:
Guardians of Meletis
Battlewise Valor
Loathsome Catoblepas
March of the Returned
Scourgemark
Coastline Chimera
Boulderfall
Chronicler of Heroes
Spellheart Chimera
--> Triton Tactics
Plains
I'm so happy to get this!
Pack 3 pick 6:
Fleetfeather Sandals
Demolish
Ephara's Warden
Fleshmad Steed
--> Nimbus Naiad
Traveling Philosopher
Yoked Ox
Shredding Winds
Warriors' Lesson
Swamp
(And this!)
Pack 3 pick 7:
March of the Returned
--> Last Breath
Scourgemark
Satyr Hedonist
Satyr Rambler
Scholar of Athreos
Glare of Heresy
Flamespeaker Adept
Swamp
Pack 3 pick 8:
--> Prescient Chimera
Fleetfeather Sandals
Read the Bones
Unknown Shores
Crackling Triton
Triton Shorethief
Vanquish the Foul
Forest
And I do get a chimera anyway.
Pack 3 pick 9:
Viper's Kiss
Fate Foretold
Thassa's Bounty
Fade into Antiquity
--> Boon of Erebos
Peak Eruption
Mountain
I'm not running another fate foretold as I have close to zero hero. Wait, I have zero. Cutting the annoying black gods willing.
Pack 3 pick 10:
Messenger's Speed
Blood-Toll Harpy
Benthic Giant
--> Boon of Erebos
Pharika's Mender
Mountain
Pack 3 pick 11:
--> Fleetfeather Sandals
Lost in a Labyrinth
Fade into Antiquity
Setessan Battle Priest
Forest
Don't want centaurs or scorpions with wings.
Pack 3 pick 12:
--> Mnemonic Wall
Viper's Kiss
Triton Shorethief
Forest
Pack 3 pick 13:
March of the Returned
--> Boulderfall
Plains
Pack 3 pick 14:
--> Demolish
Swamp
Pack 3 pick 15:
--> Swamp
The Deck
1 Nyxborn Shieldmate
1 Fleecemane Lion
2 Vaporkin
2 Omenspeaker
1 Nyxborn Triton
1 Nimbus Naiad
2 Chorus of the Tides
1 Sphinx's Disciple
1 Prescient Chimera
1 Medomai the Ageless
Spells (10)
1 Triton Tactics
1 Annul
1 Mortal's Ardor
1 Last Breath
1 Voyage's End
1 Fate Foretold
1 Ordeal of Thassa
1 Chosen by Heliod
1 Thassa's Rebuff
1 Sudden Storm
5 Plains
2 Forest
10 Island
1 Glare of Heresy
1 Meletis Astronomer
2 Mnemonic Wall
I actually always sided out sphinx's disciple and annul for thw two walls. Getting back VE, tactics or storm was too important.
The Games
First match vs RG.
His deck was almost entirely made up of ground vanilla 3/3. These are just a bit bigger than my own guys. Also, he had nylea's disciple to throw off my racing maths. I won 2-1 thanks to the blue tricks: tactics, storm, and siding in the walls. The wall being 0/4, they were perfect to block his guys and gave me back the sudden storm or tactics.
Second match vs UB.
I lost the first game. My opponent has a mostly mono-black deck with some blue. He landed double marshmist titan almost for free in all games. I got lucky here: the first game I won off the back of medomai, getting double attacks while he had a huge army out. My second game win was against hm playing first and double-mulliganing. Even then, he almost killed me by curving out fast thanks to the guy who gives haste / intimidate according to devotion to black and landing cheap titans. Fortunately, I got tactics + walls to stop his offensive. I actually misplayed my last turn, much to my despair that he would beat me: I was on 6 mana and I played the wall to get back tactics. The problem was that I had 5 life and he had three black guys out... had he top-decked a gary, I'd lose! I was holding thassa's rebuff, so I should have played a small guy and kept rebuff mana up. Fortunately, I didn't top-deck gary.
Third match vs .
I won the whole draft! By that, I mean I split in the final. If you didn't lose a match, then you won the draft, right? On top, he conceded to me, so there.
So... once again, UW carries me. Honestly, I got lucky again to win those matches, especially against the UB guy.
FWIW, I always ask my final round opponent what he plays and what he played against. He was on WGb (splashing black for reaper of the wilds) and played RG and WR.
I'm a very conservative drafter, once I've found a niche I'm comfortable with, I tend to stick to it, and I've found that 8-4 accentuate my inclination. I'd like to go back to swiss, but I'm a stupidly competitive kind and 8-4 is like a hit. I;m finding it dangerous, but so far I've had enough success to not be over-spending.
PS: to expand on worshippers: attacking with a 2/4 on turn 5 is not very aggressive and it ties your mana to make 2/2 on the following turn. It's fine, but a lot of decks are doing more powerful things with their 4th-5th turn mana.
P1P1: Shrike Harpy (your pick Shieldmate)
Agree with Voynich here Shieldmate is way down the order of this pack. You forced WU with this pick and got rewarded by a on color mythic in pack 2. This would normally be a bad choice.
P1P2: Bile Blight (your pick Reap what is Sown)
I consider BB almost as bad as 1WG as far as color commitment goes, but the payoff of getting actual instant speed removal is amazing.
P1P3: Chorus (your pick Chorus)
I agree with Voynich that the Eidolon deserves a look, but I'm wary of committing to red in BTT without seeing some premium cards. Eidolon is close, but not quite good enough to make me comfortable.
P1P4: Chorus (your pick Chorus)
P1P5: Sudden Storm (your pick Sudden Storm)
P1P6: Triton (your pick Triton)
So clearly blue is open, I like your read of this part of the draft.
P1P7: Divination (your pick Phere-Band Tromper)
I like Trompy, but I'm content to take a playable in what looks to be my main color.
P1P8: Divination (your pick Noble Quarry)
Same reasoning as pick 7, but over a card I like less than tromper.