Pack 1 pick 4:
Godhunter Octopus
Font of Vigor
--> Pharika's Chosen
Countermand
Bladetusk Boar
Cruel Feeding
Mortal Obstinacy
Sigiled Starfish
Riddle of Lightning
Thoughtrender Lamia
Triton Cavalry
Mountain
I *really* want to play black. Riddle of Lightning, perhaps?
Pack 1 pick 5:
Countermand
Lightning Diadem
Eagle of the Watch
Market Festival
--> Grim Guardian
Cloaked Siren
Desecration Plague
Cast into Darkness
Ritual of the Returned
Pull from the Deep
Forest
Sweet. Plus, I already have two enchantments.
Pack 1 pick 6:
Font of Return
Font of Fortunes
Aspect of Gorgon
Oppressive Rays
Pin to the Earth
Renowned Weaver
Thassa's Devourer
--> Crystalline Nautilus
Blinding Flare
Island
Pin to the Earth might be better but I want to try this guy. It's bad against the heroic decks but seems good against most other things.
Pack 1 pick 7:
Armament of Nyx
Harvestguard Alseids
Returned Reveler
Kruphix's Insight
--> Rise of Eagles
Font of Ire
Thassa's Ire
Worst Fears
Swamp
Worst Fears is sweet, but can't possibly do anything ever. This works nicely with Grim Guardian, and I seem set up for a control deck that might be able to actually use it effectively. The only problem is it isn't white, but it does seem better than Harvestguard Alseids.
Pack 1 pick 8:
Font of Fortunes
Sigiled Skink
Font of Ire
Aspect of Gorgon
Mortal Obstinacy
--> Brain Maggot
Knowledge and Power
Forest
Nice wheel, given that I've been taking blue cards. White definitely was a possibility too.
Pack 1 pick 10:
Returned Reveler
Pensive Minotaur
Gluttonous Cyclops
--> Cruel Feeding
Stonewise Fortifier
Island
Here I should have taken the 1/3, not that it's very good.
Pack 1 pick 11:
--> Lightning Diadem
Market Festival
Oppressive Rays
Strength from the Fallen
Mountain
Pack 1 pick 12:
Font of Vigor
--> Countermand
Cruel Feeding
Mountain
I think this is a reasonable sideboard card.
Pack 1 pick 13:
Countermand
--> Pull from the Deep
Forest
Pack 1 pick 14:
--> Thassa's Devourer
Island
"We could go real deep here." -- Thassa
Pack 1 pick 15:
--> Swamp
------ BNG ------
Pack 2 pick 1:
Scouring Sands
Charging Badger
Floodtide Serpent
Felhide Brawler
Culling Mark (FOIL)
Bolt of Keranos
Pheres-Band Tromper
--> Asphyxiate
Fall of the Hammer
Cyclops of One-Eyed Pass
Gorgon's Head
Thassa's Rebuff
Vortex Elemental
Fated Infatuation
Forest
Fated Infatuation is fun but my best cards are not creatures and Asphyxiate is removal.
Pack 2 pick 2:
Great Hart
Satyr Wayfinder
--> Nyxborn Eidolon
Bolt of Keranos
Kragma Butcher
Loyal Pegasus
Elite Skirmisher
Mortal's Resolve
Everflame Eidolon (FOIL)
Kraken of the Straits
Fanatic of Xenagos
Dawn to Dusk
Scourge of Skola Vale
Island
Kraken of the Straits is an interesting finisher but I doubt that will be an issue.
Pack 2 pick 3:
Eye Gouge
Evanescent Intellect
Fearsome Temper
Crypsis
Reckless Reveler
Grisly Transformation
Snake of the Golden Grove
Elite Skirmisher
Oreskos Sun Guide
Skyreaping
--> Shrike Harpy
Glimpse the Sun God
Mountain
Glimpse is good but I haven't exactly seen other white cards. I think we're set on UB, with maybe splashing the O-ring if I get traveler's amulets.
Pack 2 pick 4:
Charging Badger
Pharagax Giant
Sphinx's Disciple
Ephara's Radiance
Setessan Starbreaker
Forsaken Drifters
Aspect of Hydra
Mortal's Resolve
Divination
--> Odunos River Trawler
Heroes' Podium
Island
I have a lot of enchantment creatures in my deck.
Pack 2 pick 5:
Mortal's Ardor
Eye Gouge
Swordwise Centaur
Epiphany Storm
Hold at Bay
Reckless Reveler
Snake of the Golden Grove
Stormcaller of Keranos
Ephara's Enlightenment
--> Siren Song Lyre
Swamp
This card seems like it might be sideboarded occasionally.
Pack 2 pick 6:
Scouring Sands
Charging Badger
--> Floodtide Serpent
Felhide Brawler
Ephara's Radiance
Pheres-Band Tromper
Fall of the Hammer
Cyclops of One-Eyed Pass
Ragemonger
Mountain
I don't know if it's maindeckable, but I can make it attack with reasonable frequency, so if a 4/4 is good I'll want it. Fall of the Hammer this late is absurd but there's nothing we can do about it. Also, Felhide Brawler seems awful in what I'm hoping will be a control deck.
Nice. Instead of the Ashiok I obviously deserved, I opened a creature with protection from my entire deck. Oh well. I might wheel Sip, but if I don't I might wheel Felhide which would also be playable.
Pack 3 pick 2:
Mnemonic Wall
Viper's Kiss
--> Bident of Thassa (FOIL)
Defend the Hearth
Leonin Snarecaster
Priest of Iroas
Read the Bones
Thassa's Bounty
Deathbellow Raider
Borderland Minotaur
Ordeal of Purphoros
Tormented Hero
Thassa's Emissary
Forest
Sure, Thassa's Emissary is probably just better, but you can take my foil bident when you pry it from my cold dead tentacles.
Pack 3 pick 3:
Pheres-Band Centaurs
Nylea's Presence
Blood-Toll Harpy
Breaching Hippocamp
Aqueous Form
Spearpoint Oread
Vulpine Goliath
Wavecrash Triton
Horizon Chimera
Sentry of the Underworld
Cutthroat Maneuver
--> Curse of the Swine
Island
I have very few heroic enablers, so Triton seems bad. Were were all my Retraction Helices and Nyxborn Tritons?
Pack 3 pick 4:
Prescient Chimera
Demolish
--> Returned Phalanx
Coastline Chimera
Defend the Hearth
Leonin Snarecaster
Boon of Erebos
Horizon Scholar
Anvilwrought Raptor
Triton Fortune Hunter
Anax and Cymede
Island
I still don't think I need high end that badly.
Pack 3 pick 5:
--> Prescient Chimera
Demolish
Lost in a Labyrinth
Agent of Horizons
Fade into Antiquity
Setessan Griffin (FOIL)
Setessan Griffin
Triton Shorethief
Artisan's Sorrow
Evangel of Heliod
Island
See? That's why I didn't need to take a big flyer in the last pack.
Pack 3 pick 6:
Fleshmad Steed
Nylea's Disciple
Blood-Toll Harpy
Benthic Giant
Spearpoint Oread
Scholar of Athreos
Triton Shorethief
Ordeal of Erebos
--> Insatiable Harpy
Swamp
Ordeal is good too. I'm not sure about this one.
Pack 3 pick 7:
Nessian Courser
March of the Returned
Silent Artisan
Blood-Toll Harpy
Breaching Hippocamp
Aqueous Form
Flamecast Wheel
--> Shipwreck Singer
Swamp
Pack 3 pick 10:
Mnemonic Wall
--> Viper's Kiss
Defend the Hearth
Priest of Iroas
Thassa's Bounty
Forest
I thought about Mnemonic Wall, but there are definitely decks against which you want 2x Viper's Kiss.
Pack 3 pick 11:
--> Blood-Toll Harpy
Breaching Hippocamp
Horizon Chimera
Cutthroat Maneuver
Island
I don't know if this is even good in my deck, but I still don't think 6-drops are that important in this format. Plus, when I have Grave Pact, it doesn't matter what 6-drop I cast.
Pack 3 pick 12:
Demolish
--> Coastline Chimera
Defend the Hearth
Island
Pretty late.
Pack 3 pick 13:
--> Lost in a Labyrinth
Triton Shorethief
Island
Pack 3 pick 14:
--> Triton Shorethief
Swamp
Pack 3 pick 15:
--> Swamp
Deck:
This didn't really end up being as much of a control deck as I had hoped (where are my Gray Merchants???) but at least it's more interesting than a typical aggro deck. After a promising pack 1, packs 2 and 3 were below average, so I expect a 2-1.
Matches:
Win, loss, win.
Highlights:
I never drew Grave Pact in a relevant situation.
In M1G3, I did 9 damage with Grim Guardian and even got to live the dream with Floodtide Serpent (I brought it in against a Standard Minotaur/Bolt of Keranos/Starfall deck).
I skillfully punted M2G2 by missing my 4th land drop with lands in my hand.
In round 3, I had to play against Brimaz. Fortunately, Brimaz has a built-in drawback:
------ JOU ------
Pack 1 pick 1:
Cloaked Siren
Lightning Diadem
Lagonna-Band Trailblazer
Market Festival
Pheres-Band Thunderhoof
Gluttonous Cyclops
Bloodcrazed Hoplite
Oppressive Rays
War-Wing Siren
Satyr Grovedancer
Disciple of Deceit
Nightmarish End
Swarmborn Giant
--> Dictate of Erebos
Forest
Oh, so you were hoping there would be a game of Limited Magic? Too bad, I suddenly have Grave Pact.
Pack 1 pick 2:
Harvestguard Alseids
Golden Hind
Returned Reveler
Countermand
Pensive Minotaur
Gluttonous Cyclops
Sigiled Starfish
Starfall
Cruel Feeding
Stonewise Fortifier
Riddle of Lightning
Swarmborn Giant
--> Banishing Light
Island
I took this card because it is better than the other cards in the pack.
Pack 1 pick 3:
Cloaked Siren
Lightning Diadem
Lagonna-Band Trailblazer
Market Festival
Pheres-Band Thunderhoof
Gluttonous Cyclops
--> Bloodcrazed Hoplite
Oppressive Rays
War-Wing Siren
Satyr Grovedancer
Tormented Thoughts
Strength from the Fallen
Mountain
This card seems good, and I want to play black.
Pack 1 pick 4:
Godhunter Octopus
Font of Vigor
--> Pharika's Chosen
Countermand
Bladetusk Boar
Cruel Feeding
Mortal Obstinacy
Sigiled Starfish
Riddle of Lightning
Thoughtrender Lamia
Triton Cavalry
Mountain
I *really* want to play black. Riddle of Lightning, perhaps?
Pack 1 pick 5:
Countermand
Lightning Diadem
Eagle of the Watch
Market Festival
--> Grim Guardian
Cloaked Siren
Desecration Plague
Cast into Darkness
Ritual of the Returned
Pull from the Deep
Forest
Sweet. Plus, I already have two enchantments.
Pack 1 pick 6:
Font of Return
Font of Fortunes
Aspect of Gorgon
Oppressive Rays
Pin to the Earth
Renowned Weaver
Thassa's Devourer
--> Crystalline Nautilus
Blinding Flare
Island
Pin to the Earth might be better but I want to try this guy. It's bad against the heroic decks but seems good against most other things.
Pack 1 pick 7:
Armament of Nyx
Harvestguard Alseids
Returned Reveler
Kruphix's Insight
--> Rise of Eagles
Font of Ire
Thassa's Ire
Worst Fears
Swamp
Worst Fears is sweet, but can't possibly do anything ever. This works nicely with Grim Guardian, and I seem set up for a control deck that might be able to actually use it effectively. The only problem is it isn't white, but it does seem better than Harvestguard Alseids.
Pack 1 pick 8:
Font of Fortunes
Sigiled Skink
Font of Ire
Aspect of Gorgon
Mortal Obstinacy
--> Brain Maggot
Knowledge and Power
Forest
I think it's okay.
Pack 1 pick 9:
--> Cloaked Siren
Lightning Diadem
Lagonna-Band Trailblazer
Market Festival
Oppressive Rays
Satyr Grovedancer
Forest
Nice wheel, given that I've been taking blue cards. White definitely was a possibility too.
Pack 1 pick 10:
Returned Reveler
Pensive Minotaur
Gluttonous Cyclops
--> Cruel Feeding
Stonewise Fortifier
Island
Here I should have taken the 1/3, not that it's very good.
Pack 1 pick 11:
--> Lightning Diadem
Market Festival
Oppressive Rays
Strength from the Fallen
Mountain
Pack 1 pick 12:
Font of Vigor
--> Countermand
Cruel Feeding
Mountain
I think this is a reasonable sideboard card.
Pack 1 pick 13:
Countermand
--> Pull from the Deep
Forest
Pack 1 pick 14:
--> Thassa's Devourer
Island
"We could go real deep here." -- Thassa
Pack 1 pick 15:
--> Swamp
------ BNG ------
Pack 2 pick 1:
Scouring Sands
Charging Badger
Floodtide Serpent
Felhide Brawler
Culling Mark (FOIL)
Bolt of Keranos
Pheres-Band Tromper
--> Asphyxiate
Fall of the Hammer
Cyclops of One-Eyed Pass
Gorgon's Head
Thassa's Rebuff
Vortex Elemental
Fated Infatuation
Forest
Fated Infatuation is fun but my best cards are not creatures and Asphyxiate is removal.
Pack 2 pick 2:
Great Hart
Satyr Wayfinder
--> Nyxborn Eidolon
Bolt of Keranos
Kragma Butcher
Loyal Pegasus
Elite Skirmisher
Mortal's Resolve
Everflame Eidolon (FOIL)
Kraken of the Straits
Fanatic of Xenagos
Dawn to Dusk
Scourge of Skola Vale
Island
Kraken of the Straits is an interesting finisher but I doubt that will be an issue.
Pack 2 pick 3:
Eye Gouge
Evanescent Intellect
Fearsome Temper
Crypsis
Reckless Reveler
Grisly Transformation
Snake of the Golden Grove
Elite Skirmisher
Oreskos Sun Guide
Skyreaping
--> Shrike Harpy
Glimpse the Sun God
Mountain
Glimpse is good but I haven't exactly seen other white cards. I think we're set on UB, with maybe splashing the O-ring if I get traveler's amulets.
Pack 2 pick 4:
Charging Badger
Pharagax Giant
Sphinx's Disciple
Ephara's Radiance
Setessan Starbreaker
Forsaken Drifters
Aspect of Hydra
Mortal's Resolve
Divination
--> Odunos River Trawler
Heroes' Podium
Island
I have a lot of enchantment creatures in my deck.
Pack 2 pick 5:
Mortal's Ardor
Eye Gouge
Swordwise Centaur
Epiphany Storm
Hold at Bay
Reckless Reveler
Snake of the Golden Grove
Stormcaller of Keranos
Ephara's Enlightenment
--> Siren Song Lyre
Swamp
This card seems like it might be sideboarded occasionally.
Pack 2 pick 6:
Scouring Sands
Charging Badger
--> Floodtide Serpent
Felhide Brawler
Ephara's Radiance
Pheres-Band Tromper
Fall of the Hammer
Cyclops of One-Eyed Pass
Ragemonger
Mountain
I don't know if it's maindeckable, but I can make it attack with reasonable frequency, so if a 4/4 is good I'll want it. Fall of the Hammer this late is absurd but there's nothing we can do about it. Also, Felhide Brawler seems awful in what I'm hoping will be a control deck.
Pack 2 pick 7:
Charging Badger
Pharagax Giant
Sphinx's Disciple
Ephara's Radiance
Setessan Starbreaker
--> Forsaken Drifters
Aspect of Hydra
Mortal's Resolve
Swamp
Terrible pack. Sphinx's Disciple seems too slow and I doubt I would play it.
Pack 2 pick 8:
Scouring Sands
Felhide Brawler
Griffin Dreamfinder
Weight of the Underworld (FOIL)
Impetuous Sunchaser
--> Deepwater Hypnotist
Ashiok's Adept
Plains
This probably should have been Weight.
Pack 2 pick 9:
Scouring Sands
Charging Badger
Floodtide Serpent
Culling Mark (FOIL)
Cyclops of One-Eyed Pass
--> Gorgon's Head
Forest
Not playing 2 Floodtide Serpents.
Pack 2 pick 10:
Great Hart
Satyr Wayfinder
--> Kragma Butcher
Mortal's Resolve
Dawn to Dusk
Island
Pack 2 pick 11:
Eye Gouge
Evanescent Intellect
--> Grisly Transformation
Skyreaping
Mountain
OK with Floodtide Serpent.
Pack 2 pick 12:
Charging Badger
Ephara's Radiance
--> Forsaken Drifters
Island
Pack 2 pick 13:
Epiphany Storm
--> Hold at Bay
Swamp
Pack 2 pick 14:
--> Scouring Sands
Mountain
Pack 2 pick 15:
--> Swamp
------ THS ------
Pack 3 pick 1:
Warriors' Lesson (FOIL)
Sip of Hemlock
Stymied Hopes
Spearpoint Oread
Vulpine Goliath
Yoked Ox
--> Baleful Eidolon
Annul
Scholar of Athreos
Felhide Minotaur
Gainsay
Kragma Warcaller
Arena Athlete
Polis Crusher
Forest
Nice. Instead of the Ashiok I obviously deserved, I opened a creature with protection from my entire deck. Oh well. I might wheel Sip, but if I don't I might wheel Felhide which would also be playable.
Pack 3 pick 2:
Mnemonic Wall
Viper's Kiss
--> Bident of Thassa (FOIL)
Defend the Hearth
Leonin Snarecaster
Priest of Iroas
Read the Bones
Thassa's Bounty
Deathbellow Raider
Borderland Minotaur
Ordeal of Purphoros
Tormented Hero
Thassa's Emissary
Forest
Sure, Thassa's Emissary is probably just better, but you can take my foil bident when you pry it from my cold dead tentacles.
Pack 3 pick 3:
Pheres-Band Centaurs
Nylea's Presence
Blood-Toll Harpy
Breaching Hippocamp
Aqueous Form
Spearpoint Oread
Vulpine Goliath
Wavecrash Triton
Horizon Chimera
Sentry of the Underworld
Cutthroat Maneuver
--> Curse of the Swine
Island
I have very few heroic enablers, so Triton seems bad. Were were all my Retraction Helices and Nyxborn Tritons?
Pack 3 pick 4:
Prescient Chimera
Demolish
--> Returned Phalanx
Coastline Chimera
Defend the Hearth
Leonin Snarecaster
Boon of Erebos
Horizon Scholar
Anvilwrought Raptor
Triton Fortune Hunter
Anax and Cymede
Island
I still don't think I need high end that badly.
Pack 3 pick 5:
--> Prescient Chimera
Demolish
Lost in a Labyrinth
Agent of Horizons
Fade into Antiquity
Setessan Griffin (FOIL)
Setessan Griffin
Triton Shorethief
Artisan's Sorrow
Evangel of Heliod
Island
See? That's why I didn't need to take a big flyer in the last pack.
Pack 3 pick 6:
Fleshmad Steed
Nylea's Disciple
Blood-Toll Harpy
Benthic Giant
Spearpoint Oread
Scholar of Athreos
Triton Shorethief
Ordeal of Erebos
--> Insatiable Harpy
Swamp
Ordeal is good too. I'm not sure about this one.
Pack 3 pick 7:
Nessian Courser
March of the Returned
Silent Artisan
Blood-Toll Harpy
Breaching Hippocamp
Aqueous Form
Flamecast Wheel
--> Shipwreck Singer
Swamp
Pack 3 pick 8:
Mnemonic Wall
--> Viper's Kiss
Wild Celebrants
Benthic Giant
Setessan Battle Priest
Horizon Scholar
Spellheart Chimera
Plains
Probably should have been Horizon Scholar.
Pack 3 pick 9:
--> Sip of Hemlock
Stymied Hopes
Yoked Ox
Annul
Felhide Minotaur
Gainsay
Forest
Nice, I wheeled the better card.
Pack 3 pick 10:
Mnemonic Wall
--> Viper's Kiss
Defend the Hearth
Priest of Iroas
Thassa's Bounty
Forest
I thought about Mnemonic Wall, but there are definitely decks against which you want 2x Viper's Kiss.
Pack 3 pick 11:
--> Blood-Toll Harpy
Breaching Hippocamp
Horizon Chimera
Cutthroat Maneuver
Island
I don't know if this is even good in my deck, but I still don't think 6-drops are that important in this format. Plus, when I have Grave Pact, it doesn't matter what 6-drop I cast.
Pack 3 pick 12:
Demolish
--> Coastline Chimera
Defend the Hearth
Island
Pretty late.
Pack 3 pick 13:
--> Lost in a Labyrinth
Triton Shorethief
Island
Pack 3 pick 14:
--> Triton Shorethief
Swamp
Pack 3 pick 15:
--> Swamp
Deck:
Matches:
Highlights:
I never drew Grave Pact in a relevant situation.
In M1G3, I did 9 damage with Grim Guardian and even got to live the dream with Floodtide Serpent (I brought it in against a Standard Minotaur/Bolt of Keranos/Starfall deck).
I skillfully punted M2G2 by missing my 4th land drop with lands in my hand.
In round 3, I had to play against Brimaz. Fortunately, Brimaz has a built-in drawback: